Season 10’s third place finalist, Haley Reinhart, turns 21 today! She is celebrating her big birthday in Toronto on the penultimate stop of the American Idols Live! 2011 Tour before she heads to the Philippines with the Top 11.
Born on 9-9-1990 at 9 a.m., it’s no surprise that Haley’s lucky number is 9, which she revealed during “Songs From the Year They Were Born” week. She actually auditioned for Season 9 but didn’t make it past the judges. On the live Season 10 shows, Haley’s performances of “Bennie and the Jets,” “House of the Rising Sun,” “I (Who Have Nothing),” and “What Is and What Should Never Be” earned her rave reviews and standing ovations from the judges. During her performance of Led Zeppelin’s “What Is and What Should Never Be,” Haley accomplished an American Idol first by performing with her father on stage—he backed her up on guitar. After leaving Idol in third place, Haley returned to the finale the following week to perform “Steppin’ Out With My Baby” alongside the great Tony Bennett. Many famous fans declared their support for Haley during Season 10 including former Idol judge Ellen DeGeneres, Tom Hanks, Adam Lambert, and Kelly Clarkson among others.
While touring with the Top 11, Haley released the exciting news that she signed a deal with 19 Recordings/Interscope Records. In my recent interview with Haley, she revealed her plans to write songs for the album, which will be a blend of genres. Recently, The Huffington Post named Haley one of the “15 New, Young Artists On The Rise.”
Happy 21st Birthday, Haley!