Haley Reinhart

With a vocal style that landed somewhere between a jazzy croon and a throaty, soulful belt, Haley Reinhart became an American Idol finalist in 2011. She began singing as an eight-year-old, eventually earning a spot in her parents’ cover band while attending high school in Wheeling, Illinois. After graduating in 2009, Reinhart began studying jazz at nearby Harper College. Her first audition for American Idol arrived the following year, but it wasn’t until the summer of 2010, when Reinhart returned to auditions for a second time, that she advanced to the semi-finals. Pitted against rock singers and country crooners, Reinhart became one of the more unique performers during the show’s tenth season, performing a mix of old classics (“Bennie and the Jets,” “Steppin’ Out with My Baby”) and contemporary hits (Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep”). She finished third, earning a contract with Interscope Records in the process. In 2012, Reinhart released her debut album, Listen Up! featuring the single, "Free." ~ Andrew Leahey, Rovi