David Archuleta

After falling in love with the musical Les Misérables at the tender age of six, David Archuleta's passion became singing, something he'd always had a talent for. After four years of tuition he began performing at the age of 10, singing Dolly Parton's “I Will Always Love You” at a Utah talent show and promptly receiving a standing ovation for his troubles. From that moment he knew what he wanted to do with his life, and after spending his early teens as a local sensation around his native Florida, appearing on talk shows and small talent shows, his life would change at the age of 16. In July 2007 he auditioned to be on the seventh series of American Idol, and ten months later, he was singing on the live final for a TV audience of over 30 million people.

He didn't win, and instead came second to David Cook in a huge upset, but he captured the public's imagination in a way that very few other winners have done. By June 2008 he'd signed a record deal with Jive Records, and his debut single “Crush” was released the following August. The track hurtled into the Billboard Hot 100 at number two, needing Rihanna's titanic hit “Disturbia” to keep it off the top spot. His self-titled debut album was another huge hit, certified Gold mere months after it came out, and ever since then, Archuleta has remained one of the most successful American Idol graduates in the history of the series. He's a young artist with a hugely exciting future ahead of him, and for that, he comes highly recommended.