Michael Johns (20 October 1978 – 1 August 2014), born Michael John Lee was an Australian singer-songwriter who finished in eighth place on the seventh season of a United States television series, American Idol, in 2008.

Early life

Johns was born Michael John Lee in Perth, Western Australia. As a teenager, he appeared as The Coachman in Pinocchio at the Regal Theatreand was a choir singer in Anything Goes at His Majesty’s Theatre.

Johns attended Newman College in Perth. In 1997, when he was eighteen, he moved to the United States on a tennis scholarship and majored in drama at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton before dropping out after two quarters.

Early music career

He moved from Tifton to Atlanta to pursue a music career, playing cover gigs. He then joined a band called Film. He was replaced as the band's singer by Michael Meyer and the band folded after 18 months. After traveling to Los Angeles to showcase for a number of labels, he was signed to Maverick Records in 2002 as a solo artist under his birth name Michael Lee. He recorded an album, and then formed a rock band around him, called The Rising. The album was released on iTunes after he was onAmerican Idol. After Maverick, he was signed to Columbia, but was later dropped. He started using the name Michael Johns in 2006 as homage to his stepfather whose name, like his middle name, is John, hence "Johns" because there are two of them in the family.

American Idol

Overview

He auditioned for American Idol Season 7 at San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium in July 2007. He finished eighth place in the competition.

Post-Idol

Johns released a song, "Another Christmas," in December 2008, which he penned in 2006. Half the proceeds from the song were advertised as going to the Red Cross and MDA's ALS division. In 2009, Johns released a digital download single called "Heart on my Sleeve" and an album titled Hold back my Heart, which sold 20,000 copies as of January 2010.

Personal life

Michael Johns met his wife Stacey Vuduris in 2003, and were married in 2007 until his death on August 1, 2014.

Death

Johns died on 1 August 2014, reportedly from a blood clot that developed in a twisted ankle.

Discography

Albums

Release DateArtistAlbumLabelNo. of Tracks2007Michael JohnsMichael Johns -12 tracks

  Singles

"Heart on My Sleeve" 97 Hold Back My Heart