Allison Iraheta facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Allison Iraheta
Iraheta in March 2010
Background information
Born	(1992-04-27) April 27, 1992 (age 33) Glendale, California, United States
Origin	Los Angeles, California
Genres	Pop rock
Occupation(s)	Singer
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	2006–present
Labels	19 Jive (2009–2010)

Allison Iraheta is an American singer. She became famous after finishing fourth on the eighth season of American Idol. Before Idol, Allison won a TV singing competition called Quinceañera: Mamá Quiero Ser Artista. After American Idol, she signed a record deal with 19 Entertainment and Jive Records. Her first album, Just like You, came out in 2009. Allison was also the lead singer for the band Halo Circus. Currently, she is part of the band Fuhm.

About Allison Iraheta

Allison Iraheta was born on April 27, 1992, in Glendale, California. Her parents moved to the United States from El Salvador before she was born. Allison is the youngest of three children. Her family says she has been singing since she was a toddler.

In 2001, she started taking singing lessons. She learned from Raphael Enriquez at the Los Angeles Music and Art School. This school is a non-profit place for arts in East Los Angeles. Before she became well-known, Allison often performed at a local store called La Curaçao. She also sang at the Los Angeles Music and Art School's yearly concert, Stars for the Arts. Allison went to Animo Ralph Bunche Charter High School in Los Angeles. From 2004 to 2009, she worked with performance coaches Pepper Jay and John Michael Ferrari. During this time, she also performed with an "oldies" band called "Ferrari & Friends."

Winning Quinceañera (2006-2007)

In 2007, Allison won a reality TV singing competition called "Quinceañera: Mama Quiero Ser Artista" (Sweet Fifteen: Mom, I Want to be an Artist). This show was on Telemundo in 2006-2007. On the show, Allison sang songs in both English and Spanish.

The show featured teenage girls from Latin backgrounds. They competed for a $50,000 prize and a record deal. Allison was the first and only winner of the competition. She received the grand prize. However, due to some legal issues with the show, the record contract was never completed. The show's production was then stopped.

Journey on American Idol (2009)

Allison Iraheta tried out for the eighth season of American Idol in San Francisco in 2009. She sang " (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin. All the judges agreed to send her to the Hollywood rounds. Judge Simon Cowell said to "keep your eye on that one." Paula Abdul thought Allison would be a "dark horse" in the competition.

After Allison sang Heart's "Alone" during the semifinals, judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson said she was "one to watch." The judges praised her performance. Paula Abdul even said Allison could "sing the telephone book." Allison received the most votes among the female singers in her group. She moved directly to the finals, along with Kris Allen and Adam Lambert.

Allison started the finals strong with a great performance of Michael Jackson's "Give In to Me". The judges called her a "rock star." The next week, she sang "Blame It On Your Heart" by Patty Loveless. Even though she got good reviews, she ended up in the Bottom 3 for the first time. On Motown Night, Allison sang "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" by The Temptations. This performance earned a standing ovation from mentor Smokey Robinson. Judge Kara DioGuardi said Allison's voice "comes from God...you can't teach that!"

Iraheta performing during the American Idols Live! Tour in 2009.

On Top Downloads night, Allison played guitar while singing No Doubt's "Don't Speak". She was in the Bottom 3 again. For Top 8 week, Allison sang Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me". She received much praise. Randy Jackson compared her to Kelly Clarkson, the first season winner. Kara DioGuardi said, "Let's go make a record!" After singing "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" during Movie Night, Simon Cowell said she could make it "all the way through the end."

During the second Top 7 Night, Allison performed a rock version of Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff". She was praised for her "brilliant performance." The next night, Allison was in the bottom 3 again. Lil Rounds was eliminated, making Allison the last female contestant left. The following week, Allison sang "Someone to Watch Over Me" for Rat Pack theme night. Randy Jackson compared her voice to Pink, but "with 9,000 more octaves." Allison was among the top two vote-getters that night.

The next week, Allison sang "Cry Baby" by herself. She also sang "Slow Ride" as a duet with Adam Lambert. Simon Cowell said her growth was "staggering." He praised her "complete confidence and terrific vocals." Their duet also received praise. Mentor Slash said Allison had a better voice than most women "twice her age."

On May 6, 2009, Allison Iraheta was eliminated from the competition. She finished in 4th place. Many people, including Slash and American Idol music director Rickey Minor, were surprised by her elimination.

• Allison was saved first from elimination.
• The judges used their one save to keep Matt Giraud, so the Top 7 stayed for another week.

First Album: Just like You (2009-2012)

After her time on American Idol, Allison appeared on many TV shows. These included Live with Regis and Kelly and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. She also performed on the American Idol Season 8 Grand Finale. She sang in a group medley and a duet with Cyndi Lauper on "Time After Time".

In June 2009, it was confirmed that Allison had signed a record deal. She joined Jive Records and 19 Recordings. Since she finished 4th on American Idol, she joined the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2009. On the tour, she sang songs like "So What" by Pink and "Barracuda" by Heart. She also performed "Slow Ride" with Adam Lambert. Allison promoted the tour by performing "Barracuda" on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.

In September 2009, Allison finished the 50-city tour. During this time, she started recording her first album, Just like You. She worked with famous producers like Max Martin. Her album was released on December 1, 2009. The first song from the album, "Friday I'll Be Over U," came out in October 2009. The album sold about 32,000 copies in its first week. It reached number 35 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

In April 2010, it was announced that Allison would open for Adam Lambert on his "GlamNation Tour." She performed songs from her album for many of the tour dates. She often sang "Holiday," "Scars/Don't Waste the Pretty," and a cover of Pat Benatar's "Heartbreaker."

In July 2010, Allison said she would write more personal songs for her second album. However, in September 2010, she was dropped by Jive Records and 19 Entertainment. This happened because her first album did not sell as well as expected. After this, she began writing new music. In March 2012, one of her new songs, "Self-Control," was featured in a video for Skaist-Taylor.

Halo Circus (2013-2019)

On January 3, 2013, Allison announced on Twitter that she had started a new band called Halo Circus. The band included Allison (vocals), Matthew Hager (bass, keyboards), David Immerman (guitars), and Valerie Franco (drums). This band marked a new musical direction for Allison. She had taken a break in 2012 to "regroup, find herself and rediscover her voice."

Halo Circus played their first show in West Hollywood, California, on January 26, 2013. The next day, Allison married Matthew Hager, the band's bass player. They played more shows in April and May 2013. In May 2013, a video of their performance and an interview with Allison and Matthew were shown on the NBC Latino website. Matthew said Allison was "one of the finest vocalists I've ever heard."

In June 2013, drummer Valerie Franco left the band. Veronica Bellino replaced her. In July 2013, the band signed with the Manimal Vinyl label. They released their first song, "Gone," in October 2013. In July 2014, Halo Circus released their second song, a cover of Duran Duran's "Do You Believe in Shame?". This song received very good reviews. It was also part of a Duran Duran tribute album. Their first album, Bunny, came out in June 2016. The band toured small clubs in the US between 2016 and 2018.

In March 2018, Halo Circus released their second album, Robots and Wranglers. In September 2019, Allison announced that Halo Circus would break up. This was because she and Matthew Hager were no longer working together professionally or personally.

Fuhm (2020-Present)

Allison Iraheta returned to music in October 2020. She joined a new three-piece band called Fuhm. The band also includes Matteo Eyia and Brian Stead, who were former members of Halo Circus. Fuhm released their first song, "Send Out the Clown," on October 16, 2020.

Discography

Studio albums

Solo albums

Albums with Halo Circus

Singles

Other charted songs

Music videos

Songs in Other Media

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Allison Iraheta para niños