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 is an American singer. He was born on April 9, 1992, in Westlake, Louisiana. Joshua became famous in 2012 when he finished third on the TV show American Idol. People know him for his powerful, soulful singing style. In 2017, he released his own music collection called an EP.

Early Life and Background

Joshua Ledet grew up in Westlake, Louisiana. This is a small city near the Calcasieu River. When he was eleven years old in 2004, he watched another singer, Fantasia Barrino, win American Idol. This made him want to become a singer too.

Joshua went to Westlake High School. He was part of the school's theater program for all four years. His first concert was by the famous singer Beyoncé. Joshua grew up singing and writing music in his family's 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 food every week. This included tasty dishes like tamales, crawfish, boudin (a type of sausage), gumbo, and jambalaya. These foods were given by restaurants in Louisiana.

Before American Idol, Joshua was studying criminal justice at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas.

Musical Inspirations

Joshua Ledet has never had formal singing lessons. He says his mother has greatly influenced his musical style. He looks up to many famous singers. These 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 once said that a surprising song he listens to is "Barbie Girl" by Aqua.

Joshua Ledet on American Idol

Joshua first tried out for American Idol a year before his famous season. He didn't make it past the first tryouts then. This was because he was dealing with personal and family problems. These issues were partly caused by Hurricane Rita.

Music experts have said that Joshua's singing on American Idol seemed natural and amazing. They noted his soul singing was exceptional. He often received standing ovations from the judges and lots of praise. Joshua says he deals with stage fright by trying to ignore everything around him.

Joshua tried out for the eleventh season of American Idol in Houston, Texas. He almost didn't go because he has a fear of flying. Fans and the media sometimes called him "Mantasia." This was a nickname comparing him to the female singer Fantasia.

For the semi-finals, he sang "You Pulled Me Through" by Jennifer Hudson. He was one of the top five male singers who got the most votes. This helped him move on to the Top 13. In the Top 13, he sang "I Wish" by Stevie Wonder. He was in the bottom three male singers but was still safe.

Joshua earned his first standing ovation during the Hollywood Round. This was when he sang his version of "Jar of Hearts" by Christina Perri. In the Top 8 round, he got another standing ovation for his song "If You Don't Know Me by Now". His duet with fellow contestant Jessica Sanchez was also amazing. They sang "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)". The judges gave them a second standing ovation. Judge Randy Jackson said they were "Two of the greatest singers to ever hit this competition." He also sang "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" by James Brown. Randy Jackson called it "one of the best songs in the history of any singing competition."

During the Top 5 show, the judges praised Joshua the most. He sang "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" by The Temptations and "To Love Somebody" by the Bee Gees. Joshua received a record 18 standing ovations from the judges during his time on the show. This included a duet with Fantasia Barrino at the Season 11 finale. He was eliminated on May 17, 2012. He finished in third place overall.

Performances and Results

After American Idol

After American Idol, Joshua Ledet joined the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2012. This tour started on July 6, 2012, and ended on September 21, 2012.

On April 9, 2013, he performed "When a Man Loves a Woman" at the White House. This was for a "Memphis Soul" event. The show was shown on PBS on April 16.

On August 26, 2013, Joshua released his own song called "Here to Die" on YouTube. The magazine Rolling Stone praised the song. They even suggested that record labels should release it for everyone to buy.

In 2015, Joshua started making new music as an independent artist. This means he worked on his own without a big record company. He recorded a song called "Love Can Do." This song was written and produced by Bernie Herms. On March 6, 2015, Joshua sang "Love Can Do" on a local TV show in Indonesia. The song was released by Warner Music Indonesia on August 4. It was then released independently in the United States on September 18.

Joshua Ledet also performed "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" on the very last episode of American Idol. This was during the fifteenth season of the show.

Music Releases

Singles

Joshua Ledet has released several singles.

Extended Plays (EPs)

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