Best known as a contestant on the third season of Fox's American Idol, vocalist Jon Peter Lewis became recognized as much for his impressive vocal range as his goofy personality. Born in 1979 in Lincoln, NE, Lewis was raised in a military family and credits his background for giving him a competitive personality. Interestingly, his father was also a member of the '60s garage-surf band the Marketts. In 2004, Lewis auditioned for Idol in Hawaii and ultimately made it to the Top Ten -- ultimately being voted out a few weeks later after a performance of the Elvis Presley classic "Jailhouse Rock." However, as a member of the AmIdol Top Ten, Lewis was included on the show tour and developed a strong fan following. Subsequently, he spent the next few years dividing his time between pursuing a degree in medicine and writing and performing music. He also started his own independent production company, Cockaroo Records, on which he released the album Stories from Hollywood in 2007. In 2008 Lewis released his second full-length album, Break the Silence, which featured production by Chris Garcia (Santana, Nelly Furtado) as well as a somewhat more reflective, mature sound. ~ Matt Collar, Rovi
