Joshua Ledet facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joshua Ledet
Joshua Ledet
Background information
Born	(1992-04-09) April 9, 1992 (age 33) Westlake, Louisiana, U.S.
Genres	Soul gospel R&B
Occupation(s)	Singer
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2012–present
Labels	Warner Music Group

Joshua Ledet (born April 9, 1992) is an American singer from Westlake, Louisiana. He became famous in 2012 when he finished third on the TV show American Idol. People know him for his powerful, soulful singing style, which comes from his church background. In 2017, he released his first music collection called an EP, titled Joshua Ledet.

Growing Up and Early Life

Joshua Ledet grew up in a small town called Westlake in Louisiana. When he was 11 years old in 2004, he watched another singer, Fantasia Barrino, win American Idol. This inspired him to want to sing for a living.

Joshua went to Westlake High School, where he was part of the school's theater group for all four years. His first concert was by the famous singer Beyoncé. He spent his childhood singing and writing songs at his family's church, the House of Prayer Holiness Church. He has a very big family!

Joshua once shared a fun fact about himself: he only eats spicy food! While he was on American Idol, he missed the food from Louisiana. So, the state's Lieutenant Governor helped send him special Louisiana dishes every week, like tamales, crawfish, boudin (a type of sausage), gumbo, and jambalaya. These foods were donated by local restaurants and food makers.

Musical Inspirations

Joshua Ledet says his mother has greatly influenced his singing style. He has never had any formal singing lessons. Some of his favorite singers and musical influences include Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Fantasia Barrino, James Brown, Luther Vandross, Stevie Wonder, and Elton John. Besides soul music, he also enjoys country music. He even said that one of the most surprising songs he listens to is "Barbie Girl" by Aqua!

His American Idol Journey

Joshua first tried out for American Idol a year before his famous season, but he didn't make it past the first auditions. At that time, he was dealing with personal and family challenges, including problems caused by Hurricane Rita.

When he auditioned for the eleventh season in Houston, Texas, he almost didn't go because he has a fear of flying. Music critics often say his soul singing is amazing, even if it's not always the most modern style. He is considered one of the best singers to appear on American Idol in recent years. His performances often earned him standing ovations and high praise from the judges. He shared that he deals with stage fright by trying to ignore everything around him.

Fans and the media sometimes called him "Mantasia" because his powerful singing style reminded them of former Idol winner Fantasia Barrino. During the semi-finals, he sang "You Pulled Me Through" by Jennifer Hudson and made it into the Top 13. In the Top 13, he sang Stevie Wonder's "I Wish" and was in the bottom three male singers, but he was declared safe.

Joshua earned his first standing ovation in Hollywood when he sang "Jar of Hearts" by Christina Perri. Later, in the Top 8 round, he received another standing ovation for his song "If You Don't Know Me by Now" by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. His duet with fellow contestant Jessica Sanchez on "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" also earned a standing ovation from the judges. Judge Randy Jackson said they were "Two of the greatest singers to ever hit this competition." Joshua also performed "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" by James Brown, which Randy Jackson called "one of the best songs in the history of any singing competition."

Joshua Ledet received a record 18 standing ovations from the judges throughout the season, which is more than any other American Idol contestant! This includes his duet with Season 3 winner Fantasia Barrino at the Season 11 finale. He was eliminated on May 17, 2012, finishing in third place. Over 90 million votes were cast that night.

Performances and Results on American Idol

After American Idol

After American Idol, Joshua Ledet joined the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2012. This tour traveled around the country from July to September 2012.

On April 9, 2013, Joshua performed his song "When a Man Loves a Woman" at the White House during a special "Memphis Soul" event. This performance was later shown on the TV channel PBS.

On August 26, 2013, he released a song he wrote himself called "Here to Die" on YouTube. The famous music magazine Rolling Stone praised the song and suggested that record labels should release it officially.

In 2015, Joshua started working on new music as an independent artist, meaning he wasn't tied to a big record label. He recorded a song called "Love Can Do." He performed this song on a TV show in Indonesia in March 2015. "Love Can Do" was released by Warner Music Indonesia in August and later released independently in the United States.

Joshua Ledet also returned to the American Idol stage to perform "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" during the final episode of the fifteenth season.

His Music

Extended Plays (EPs)

An Extended Play (EP) is a music release that has more songs than a single but fewer than a full album.