Brooke White

Brooke Elizabeth White (born June 2, 1983) is an American indie pop/folk-pop singer-songwriter and actress from Mesa, Arizona who was the fifth place finalist on the seventh season of American Idol. In 2005, White released her first studio album, called Songs from the Attic. White's first post-Idol album, High Hopes & Heartbreak, was released on July 21, 2009.[2][3] The first single "Hold Up My Heart" was released on February 25, 2009, and the song debuted at number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100.[4] The second single "Radio Radio" was released on June 23, 2009. She is also half of the duo Jack and White.

Brooke White
Background information
Birth nameBrooke Elizabeth White
Born (1983-06-02) June 2, 1983[1]
Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
OriginMesa, Arizona, United States
GenresIndie pop, folk-pop
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, actress
InstrumentsVocals, guitar, piano, keyboards
Years active2005–present
LabelsJune Baby Records (2009–present)
Associated actsMichael Johns, Jack and White
WebsiteBrookeWhite.com

Biography

Early life

Brooke Elizabeth White was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and raised in nearby Mesa, with three younger siblings (Katie, Tyler, and Quinn) and her parents, Brad and Kaylene. She also has family members in Nova Scotia, Canada.[5]

Personal life

White started singing at 16, when she tried out for the high school musical, Meet Me in St. Louis, and earned the lead role.[5] White graduated in 2001 from Heritage Academy, a charter high school in Mesa, Arizona. She described herself as a "beauty school dropout,"[5] and shared on Idol that she started doing hair when she was 11 years old. White moved to Los Angeles, California when she was 19 years old where she attended the Musicians Institute for three months and then spent the next four years honing her craft as a singer-songwriter recording in the studio and performing in the clubs of Hollywood, California under the guidance of Tim Simms. White also spent a year as a nanny for twin baby girls. During her elimination video on American Idol, White stated "It's probably not a secret that I struggled with my own confidence but I'm stronger than I thought I was and that's a great thing to get out of this." White currently resides in Van Nuys, California, with her husband, David Ray.[6] White is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. White and her husband have one daughter, born on May 24, 2012[7] and one son, born September 3, 2016.[8]

American Idol

Overview
White performing during the American Idols Live! Tour 2008.

White auditioned for American Idol, in Philadelphia, where she sang "Like a Star" and received positive reviews from all of the judges. During her audition, she admitted to never having seen an R-rated movie, which prompted Cowell to state that he could "bring her over to the dark side." During Hollywood week, White performed "Beautiful", by Carole King, and accompanied herself on piano. After that performance, judges commented that White reminded them of a young Carly Simon or Carole King.

In the live rounds of the competition, White accompanied herself on guitar for her performances of "You're So Vain", "Jolene", and "I'm a Believer" and on piano for "Let It Be", "Every Breath You Take", "Hero" and "I Am...I Said". Judge Simon Cowell chose White early as one of his four favorites in the competition when he appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show on March 17, 2008.[9]

During the 1970s theme week, while White performed "You're So Vain", by Carly Simon, she stared at Simon Cowell. It caught the judges' attention and received good reviews from them. White performed an acoustic version of "Love Is a Battlefield" by Pat Benatar, in the next week to good reviews, as well. During the Lennon–McCartney week, she performed "Let It Be", a classic song by The Beatles. Randy Jackson said it was a very heartfelt performance and Simon Cowell said that it was believable and one of the best of the night and that he thought that Brooke had picked good song choices in the past three weeks.

Andrew Lloyd Webber, who served as guest mentor for a show, based on his own music, was particularly impressed by White and predicted a big night for her.[10] However, three lines into her performance of "You Must Love Me", White apologized, stopped the band and restarted the song from the beginning. She later explained, "I lost the lyric." Simon Cowell stated that he would have done the same thing, had he been in her situation. It was the first time in the show's history that a contestant restarted a performance from a point so far into the song. (White had previously restarted "Every Breath You Take", after a single odd note.) Despite this, she was the third contestant to be named safe on the subsequent results show, while Carly Smithson went home.

When White performed "I'm a Believer" and "I Am...I Said", during Neil Diamond week, she personalized the latter, at Diamond's own suggestion, by changing the lyrics from "I'm New York City born and raised" to "I'm Arizona born and raised."

White was in the bottom three three times, once on April 2 after performing Dolly Parton's song "Jolene", again on April 16 after performing Mariah Carey's "Hero", and when she was eliminated on April 30, 2008 after performing "I'm a Believer" and "I Am...I Said".

Performances/results
Week # Theme Song choice Original artist Order # Result
Audition N/A "Like a Star" Corinne Bailey Rae N/A Advanced
Hollywood N/A "Beautiful" Carole King N/A Advanced
Hollywood N/A "God Only Knows" The Beach Boys N/A Advanced
Top 24 (12 Women) 1960s "Happy Together" The Turtles 6 Safe
Top 20 (10 Women) 1970s "You're So Vain" Carly Simon 3 Safe
Top 16 (8 Women) 1980s "Love Is a Battlefield" Pat Benatar 7 Safe
Top 12 Lennon–McCartney "Let It Be" The Beatles 7 Safe
Top 11 The Beatles "Here Comes the Sun" The Beatles 5 Safe
Top 10 Year They Were Born "Every Breath You Take" The Police 5 Safe
Top 9 Dolly Parton "Jolene" Dolly Parton 1 Bottom 31
Top 8 Inspirational Music "You've Got a Friend" Carole King 8 Safe
Top 7 Mariah Carey "Hero" Mariah Carey 4 Bottom 22
Top 6 Andrew Lloyd Webber "You Must Love Me" Madonna 3 Safe
Top 5 Neil Diamond "I'm a Believer"
"I Am...I Said"		 The Monkees
Neil Diamond		 3
8		 Eliminated
  • ^1 White was saved first from elimination.
  • ^2 When Ryan Seacrest announced the results for this particular night, White was among the Bottom 3 but declared safe second, when Kristy Lee Cook was eliminated.


Post-Idol
White signing autographs during the American Idols Live! Tour 2008

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, White stated that she will continue to focus on recording and that she received a call from Carly Simon. When asked about returning as a nanny of the twins, White said that the family joked that they would give her a raise, if she went back, and she said that she did not mind babysitting every once in a while.[11] After White's elimination, she made appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on May 1, 2008,[12] Live with Regis and Kelly and The Ellen DeGeneres Show on May 5, 2008,[13][14] The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet on May 6, 2008,[15] Good Day L.A. and Access Hollywood.[16] She also filmed an appearance on MTV's Total Request Live on May 6, 2008.[17] While on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Ellen DeGeneres cut White's husband David's hair, since he had vowed not to cut it until Brooke was eliminated from Idol.[14][18] She performed "You're So Vain" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Live with Regis and Kelly, The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet and Access Hollywood. White shot a video for the VH1 TV show Best Week Ever, called "Brooke White Starts And Stops The Classics". In the video, White mocks herself and starts and stops while singing some classic songs. White returned to the Idol stage for the season finale and performed, along with the other Top 12 contestants. She also sang "Teach Your Children", with Graham Nash. White filmed a commercial with fellow finalists, Syesha Mercado and Carly Smithson, she has become the spokeswoman for "Save The World Summer", a campaign launched by Malaria No More and Idol Gives Back. White stated in an interview that she would not sign a record deal until the tour finished. "There are definitely certain things that I have to abide with in my American Idol contract. I won't sign anything, until three months after the show is over. That doesn't mean that I'm not looking ahead and preparing for the future. The point of doing the show was not just to be on TV but to launch into a real career."[19] White completed the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2008, which ran from July 1, 2008, to September 13, 2008. She performed "Let It Be" by the Beatles, "1234" by Feist and "Yellow" by Coldplay (which is also included on White's debut album Songs From the Attic). White was on the Fall 2008 cover of Eliza magazine. The cover was accompanied by an eight-page fashion story and article. On September 27, 2008 (proclaimed by the mayor of Mesa to be "Brooke White Day"), Brooke White visited her hometown of Mesa, AZ, and signed autographs at Milano Music Center and performed at the Mesa Amphitheater. The performance was free to the public; however, donations to Malaria No More were accepted. The event was sponsored by the Mesa Convention Center, Milano Music Center, and Malaria No More. White also appeared at NAMM and did an impromptu performance of "You're So Vain" at the Gibson booth. She launched BrookeWhiteMusic.net as her official website, but later announced on her Twitter that the new official site was RealBrookeWhite.com She sang "Dancing a Catchy Rhythm" with Jennifer Hudson for the Walt Disney World Paris parade. White also collaborated with Michael Johns for a song called, Life is Okay. White performed the song with Johns.[20] She and fellow Idol alumn Michael Johns performed joint concerts, in September 2009. She will appear solo at a concert in Washington, DC, on October 10, 2009. On November 10, 2009, an exclusive holiday EP by White was released on iTunes and contained the songs "Away in a Manger", "Blue Christmas" and "California Christmas".

Career

Songs from the Attic (2005)
Main article: Songs from the Attic

White's debut album, Songs from the Attic, was released nationwide in the US by the independent record label New Millennium Records Group, in 2005,[21] and was produced and co-written by Tim Simms.[22] Songs from the Attic is a full length 11 song album which contains some of White's first songs that she ever wrote and recorded. The album also contains cover versions of Aerosmith's "Dream On" and Coldplay's "Yellow". White's first music video was from a song off Songs from the Attic, entitled, "Free", which was directed by Braden Barty[23] and produced by Tim Simms. In the video, she acts out her story as a beauty school dropout who moves to Hollywood to pursue a singing career. Songs from the Attic was re-released, after White was eliminated from American Idol.

High Hopes & Heartbreak (2009–2011)
Main article: High Hopes & Heartbreak

On January 31, White announced that she signed with Sanctuary Artist Management, instead of earlier reported Sanctuary Records.[24] She also announced that the title of her new album would be called High Hopes & Heartbreak.[25] On February 25, 2009, White released her first single, "Hold Up My Heart," written entirely by White. The song featured a piano riff that repeated throughout with a mid-tempo beat. White returned to American Idol to perform her debut single, on the February 26 results show and played the keyboard to accompany the song. White announced, in May 2009, that she started her own record label "June Baby Records", with Randy Jackson, and her first post-Idol album, High Hopes & Heartbreak, would be available July 21, 2009. The second single off the album "Radio Radio" was available on iTunes on June 23. The album was originally supposed to be dropped on June 2, 2009, but was postponed to release a little more than two months later, as said in White's blog entry for May 15.[26] White held a live webcast at 5PM PST, on July 9, 2009, and announced that she had teamed up with iTunes and her album High Hopes & Heartbreak was to be exclusively digitally released from the iTunes Store on the July 14, as well as the music video of her second single Radio Radio to be available for downloads free on the same date.[27] During the webcast, she performed 3 songs on her album, including her single "Radio Radio", her cover of Use Somebody originally by the Kings of Leon and the title track off her album, "High Hopes & Heartbreak", all performed with her on the keyboard. A 'backstage pass' was also released in connection with The Republic Project, which allows purchasers to receive and view behind-the-scenes videos of the making of High Hopes & Heartbreak.[28] 10 lucky purchasers of the backstage pass were chosen to attend the live webcast, in Los Angeles, which streamed live on July 9 on Facebook and uStream. A Live Session EP was released on the October 13, 2009, exclusively on the iTunes Store. It consisted of five songs recorded live during her summer tour with fellow 'Idol' mate Michael Johns and Benton Paul. The five songs included three acoustic and piano versions from "High Hopes & Heartbreak", a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon" and a personal song that White wrote, "Take it Away."[29]

Jack and White (2011–2016)

Brooke White partnered up with singer-songwriter Jack Matranga to form a duo Jack and White and released a six-song EP entitled Gemini.[30] They got together initially to write songs for her new solo album but ended up releasing an EP together.[31] White and Jack Matranga teamed up for the second time on a new EP titled Winter, released on January 24, 2012, which included four original tracks and a live acoustic version of "Telephone Games."[32] The first single was "Night After Night."[33] Later in 2012, the duo released Undercover, a 6-song EP of covers spanning six decades.[34]

Brooke White Christmas (2012)

White's first Christmas album was released in 2012 on June Baby Records featuring eleven tracks including "Blue Christmas" and "Silent Night."[35] She performed her rendition of Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime" on NBC's Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting in 2012.[36]

Never Grow Up: Lullabies and Happy Songs (2014)

In November, White announced she will be recording a lullaby album on PledgeMusic to raise money for the charity Operation Underground Railroad, who rescues children from sexual slavery. Brooke collaborated with different artists on each song with a goal to raise $20,000. Foundation Entertainment has pledged to match all donations, dollar for dollar, up to $20,000. Collaborators include fellow American Idol alums David Archuleta and Carly Smithson, Leigh Nash, Deana Carter, Lucy Schwartz, John Hanson, Mindy Gledhill, Jack Matranga, Daniel Tashian and Chris Seefried.[37]

Calico (2019)

On October 4, 2019, White released a country album, Calico, short for “California Country", via Nevado Music / June Baby Records.[38] White collaborated with Eric Straube and Chris Qualls in the album.[39]

Musical influences

White cites her musical influences as the "soulful sounds of the 70s", such as the Carpenters, Carole King, Fleetwood Mac, James Taylor, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, the Eagles, America, Carly Simon, the Bee Gees, Hall & Oates, Joni Mitchell, Bonnie Raitt and Phil Collins. When asked on American Idol with whom she would like to do a duet, she named John Mayer as her choice for a modern artist. She also says that, if she could choose a partner for a "dream duet", she would choose Carole King, whom she cites as one of her main influences. She also cites Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood as her favorite former American Idol winners.[40] Carly Simon, one of the singers who inspired White, said publicly that her favorite contestant on Idol was Brooke. She was impressed with White's performance of "You're So Vain" and said that she thought, "Oh my God, this girl is so talented and she sings the song so much better than I ever did or ever could."[41]

Acting

White starred in a TV movie, Change of Plans, which aired on January 8, 2011.[42] She wrote and performed three songs for the movie: "Something Beautiful," "Let Us Live As One" and "Love Lovin' You". Brooke starred in another TV movie, Banner 4th of July, which aired on June 29, 2013.[43] White wrote, recorded and performed two original songs for the movie, "Sun Up Sun Down" and "Fly Fly Fly."[44]

Discography

Studio albums
Year Album details Peak positions Sales
US
[45]		 US
Indie
[46]
2005 Songs from the Attic
  • Released: October 18, 2005
  • Label: New Millennium Records Group
 — —
  • US sales: 55,000
2009 High Hopes & Heartbreak
  • Released: July 21, 2009
  • Label: June Baby Records
 50 7
  • US sales: 50,000
2012 White Christmas
  • Released: November 6, 2012[47]
  • Label: June Baby Records
 — —
2014 Never Grow Up: Lullabies and Happy Songs
  • Released: December 31, 2014[37]
  • Label: June Baby Records
 — — Charity record on PledgeMusic
2019 Calico[48]
  • Released: October 4, 2019
  • Label: June Baby Records
 — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

EP
Year EP details Peak positions Sales
Top Current Albums
[49]		 US
Indie
[50]		 Sound track
[51]
2009 Live Session EP (iTunes Exclusive)[52]
  • Released: October 13, 2009
  • Label: June Baby
 — — —
Holiday EP (iTunes exclusive)[53]
  • Released: November 10, 2009
  • Label: June Baby
 — — —
2011 Gemini (as part of Jack and White)
  • Released: August 30, 2011
  • Label: June Baby Records
 192 36 —
2012 Winter (as part of Jack and White)
  • Released: January 24, 2012
  • Label: June Baby Records
 — 43 —
Undercover (as part of Jack and White)
  • Released: May 29, 2012
  • Label: June Baby Records
 — — —
2013 Banner 4th of July (Original Soundtrack)
  • Released:June 25, 2013
  • Label: June Baby Records
 — — 18
2015 Lost (as part of Jack and White)
  • Released: November 13, 2015
  • Label: June Baby Records
 — — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Singles
Year Single Chart positions Album
US US AC
2009 "Hold Up My Heart" 47 — High Hopes & Heartbreak
"Radio Radio" — 29
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Other charted songs
Year Single Chart positions Album Sales
Bubbling Under US
HAC
2009 "Use Somebody" 22 — High Hopes & Heartbreak
2010 "Change" — 29 Secrets of the Mountain Soundtrack 3,000[55]

Other releases

iTunes Exclusive "American Idol Live Performances"

  1. "Happy Together"
  2. "You're So Vain"
  3. "Love Is a Battlefield"

iTunes Exclusive "American Idol Studio Performances"1

  1. "Let It Be" – 3:30
  2. "Here Comes the Sun" – 2:51
  3. "Every Breath You Take" – 3:54
  4. "Jolene" – 2:39
  5. "You've Got a Friend" – 5:08
  6. "Hero" – 3:54
  7. "You Must Love Me" – 2:40
  8. "I Am...I Said" – 3:31

Live Session (iTunes Exclusive) – EP

  1. "Rhiannon" – 3:13
  2. "Hold Up My Heart" – 3:21
  3. "Radio Radio" – 3:23
  4. "High Hopes & Heartbreak" – 3:42
  5. "Take It Away" – 2:58
gollark: I was looking through old pictures and found this.
gollark: Here you go.
gollark: Yes. Let us agree to migrate to the lands of random.
gollark: Yes, like all politics.
gollark: Is it?

References
  1. "Yahoo! TV Brooke White Biography". Tv.yahoo.com. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  2. "Services". USA Today. September 24, 2010. Archived from the original on June 26, 2008. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
  3. The Miami Herald. "Brooke White album on iTunes | Idol Watch". Miamiherald.typepad.com. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  4. Rome, Emily. "'American Idol' finalist Brooke White to release debut album in July | News Briefs | EW.com". News-briefs.ew.com. Archived from the original on May 17, 2009. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  5. "'Idol' finalist White a beauty school dropout". CNN. March 19, 2008. Archived from the original on March 25, 2008.
  6. "'American Idol' eliminates Brooke White, determines Top 4 finalists". Reality TV world. May 1, 2008.
  7. "Brooke White Welcomes Daughter London". People. May 25, 2012.
  8. "Brooke White Welcomes Son Sonny John – See the Adorable Photo". Celebritybabies.people.com. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  9. Video clip of Simon Cowell with Oprah Archived March 25, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  10. "American Idol Tracker: Andrew Lloyd Webber forsees big night for Brooke White". Latimesblogs.latimes.com. April 21, 2008. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  11. "'American Idol' Exit Q&A: Brooke White". Entertainment Weekly. May 1, 2008.
  12. Video of Brooke White on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
  13. Video of Brooke White Live with Regis and Kelly
  14. Idols on Ellen – Brooke White Exits Gracefully The Ellen DeGeneres Show. May 5, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-05.
  15. Video of Brooke White on The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet
  16. Brooke White performs on the Access Hollywood stage Booted 'Idol' Brooke White Performs On The Access Stage Archived July 15, 2012, at Archive.today
  17. American Idol – Yahoo! News Photos Archived January 29, 2011, at WebCite
  18. "Brooke White: Surviving Idol". TV GUIDE. May 1, 2008.
  19. "Valley Idol looks forward to performing for fun, not votes". Azcentral.com. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  20. "NARM 2009 Performance Highlights". YouTube. June 17, 2009.
  21. "Brooke White's first CD Songs from the Attic". Archived from the original on July 16, 2011.
  22. Archived February 14, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  24. Brooke White Clears the Air: Album High Hopes & Heartbreak To Be Released June 2
  25. "Featured Content on Myspace". Blogs.myspace.com. Archived from the original on February 6, 2009. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  26. "Brooke White | blog op Myspace". Blogs.myspace.com. Archived from the original on March 9, 2009. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  27. US. "Brooke White | Gratis muziek, tourneedata, foto's, video's". Myspace.com. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  29. "Brooke White iTunes Exclusive Live Sessions Available For Download | American Idol, Brooke White". Mjsbigblog.com. October 13, 2009. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  30. "Bonus sales numbers – and free downloads, too!". Content.usatoday.com. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  31. White, Brooke (June 15, 2011). "BROOKIE BABBLE: MILO GREENE 1957. JACK AND WHITE. GOODBYE VAN NUYS..." Brookiebabble.blogspot.com. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  32. "iTunes – Music – Winter – EP by Jack and White". Itunes.apple.com. January 24, 2012. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  33. Rome, Emily. "Jack and White debut new single: 'Night After Night' | The Music Mix | EW.com". Music-mix.ew.com. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  34. "Brooke White – Jack and White "Undercover" EP – First Listen!". Mjdbigblog.com. May 31, 2012. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  35. "Watch American Idol TV Show - ABC.com". ABC.
  36. Angermiller, Michele Amabile. "Brooke White Added to NBC's 'Christmas in Rockefeller Center' Special". Hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  37. "Brooke White Crowdfunds Charity Album Feat Idol Friends". Mjsbigblog.com. November 15, 2014. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  38. "Brooke White releases new album "Calico" today". Guitar Girl Mag. October 4, 2019.
  39. Sara Edwards (October 2, 2019). "American Idol's Brooke White Paves Her Own Country Path". Phoenix New Times.
  40. "Watch American Idol TV Show - ABC.com". ABC.
  41. "Carly Simon is a fan of ‘Idol’s’ Brooke White" Associated Press article on msnbc.com, April 29, 2008.
  42. ""'Idol' Alum Brooke White To Star In TV Movie"". Fancast.com. Archived from the original on December 10, 2010. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  43. ""'Hallmark Channel' About the Movie – Banner 4th of July"". Hallmarkchannel.com. Archived from the original on July 3, 2013. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  44. Archived November 29, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  45. "Brooke White Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  46. "Brooke White Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard.
  47. "White Christmas by Brooke White on Apple Music". Itunes.apple.com. November 6, 2012. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  48. Hussain, Tania (October 6, 2019). "'American Idol' Alum Brooke White Radiates Bold California Charm With Country Record 'Calico' (Review)". Popculture.culture.
  49. "Jack and White Chart History (Top Current Albums)". Billboard.
  50. "Jack and White Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard.
  51. "Brooke White Chart History (Soundtracks)". Billboard.
  52. "Live Session (iTunes Exclusive) – EP". Itunes.apple.com. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  53. "iTunes Exclusive Holiday EP". Itunes.apple.com. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  54. Mansfield, Brian (August 31, 2011). "Four Season 10 Idols stay in the top 200". Idol Chatter. USA Today. Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  55. "Bonus 'Idol' sales numbers: Kelly Clarkson, Adam Lambert, Fantasia, more". Content.usatoday.com. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.