Nicholas James "Nick" Fradiani IV (born November 15, 1985) is an American singer-songwriter from Guilford, Connecticut who won season 14 of American Idol.
Background[]
Raised in Guilford, Connecticut, Nick grew up surrounded by music. His father, Nichloas Fradiani III, a musician, taught him guitar, piano, and drums. Besides his parents, Nick has a younger sister, Kristen.
Before auditioning for American Idol, Nick was the lead vocalist of Beach Avenue, who auditioned for the ninth season of America's Got Talent, but he and his band were eventually cut during Judgement Week. He had also quit his job as a computer software salesman to pursue a music career full time when he tried out for Idol.
American Idol[]
Nick auditioned with "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel and earned his golden ticket to Hollywood. While in Hollywood he advanced passed Group rounds and sang "Babylon" by David Gray which advanced him to Showcase Week. He sang Train's "Drops of Jupiter" and was given a spot in the Top 24. During the Top 24, he sang "Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran and sang "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" by Stevie Wonder as he advanced into the Top 16. He was voted into the Finals and performed "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel during the Top 12. During the Top 11 he sang "Wake Me Up" by Avicii feat. Aloe Black and "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins earning him a spot in the Top 9. During the Top 9, he performed "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson, which had previously been covered by season 8 winner Kris Allen. For the Top 8, he performed Kelly Clarkson's "Catch My Breath". For the Top 7, he performed Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" and was voted into the Top 6. He performed "American Girl" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and "Only the Good Die Young" by Billy Joel for the Top 6. He was declared safe advancing into the Top 5. For the Top 5, he performed "Harder to Breathe" by Maroon 5 and "Maggie Ray" by Rod Stewart. After advancing into the Top 4, he performed "Bright Lights" by Matchbox Twenty and "What Hurts the Most" by Mark Wills. For the Top 3, the contestants had to perform songs of Scott Borchetta's Choice, the Judges' Choice, and their Hometown's Choice for a spot in the finale. For Scott Borchetta's Choice, he performed "Because the Night" by Patti Smith Group. For the Judges' Choice he performed "Back Home" by Andy Grammar. For his Hometown's Choice, he performed "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain. He advanced into the Final 2 with fellow contestant Clark Beckham on May 12, 2015. For the Top 2, he performed "Bright Lights" by Matchbox Twenty, "I Won't Give Up" by Jason Mraz, and his winner single "Beautiful Life".
Nick was announced the winner on May 13, 2015, beating out Clark Beckham, who had been considered the favorite throughout the season.
Performances[]
| Episode | Theme | Song choice | Original artist | Order # | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audition | Auditioner's Choice | "In Your Eyes" | Peter Gabriel | N/A | Advanced |
| Hollywood Round, Part 1 | A Capella | Not Aired | - | N/A | Advanced |
| Hollywood Round, Part 2 | Group Performance | "Rude" | Magic! | N/A | Advanced |
| Hollywood Round, Part 3 | Solo | "Babylon" | David Gray | N/A | Advanced |
| Showcase Week | Personal Choice | "Drops of Jupiter" | Train | N/A | Advanced |
| Top 24 | Contestant's Choice | "Thinking Out Loud" | Ed Sheeran | 21 | Advanced |
| Top 16 | Motown | "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" | Stevie Wonder | 11 | Advanced |
| Top 12 | Back to the Start | "In Your Eyes" | Peter Gabriel | 6 | Safe |
| Top 11 (first week) | Get the Party Started | "Wake Me Up" | Avicii feat. Aloe Black | 11 | Safe |
| Top 11 (second week) | Songs from the Movies | "Danger Zone" | Kenny Loggins | 4 | Safe |
| Top 9 | 80s Night | "Man in the Mirror" | Michael Jackson | 6 | Safe |
| Top 8 | Kelly Clarkson | "Catch My Breath" | Kelly Clarkson | 1 | Safe |
| Top 7 | Billboard Top 100 Hits | "Teenage Dream" | Katy Perry | 2 | Safe |
| Top 6 | American Classics | "American Girl'" | Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers | 4 | Safe |
| "Only the Good Die Young" | Billy Joel | 9 | |||
| Top 5 | Arena Anthems | "Harder to Breathe" | Maroon 5 | 2 | Safe |
| "Maggie Ray" | Rod Stewart | 6 | |||
| Top 4 | Judge's Hometown/Soul | "Bright Lights" | Matchbox Twenty | 3 | Safe |
| "What Hurts the Most" | Mark Wills | 8 | |||
| Top 3 | Scott Borchetta's Choice/Judges' Choice/Hometown's Choice | "Because the Night" | Patti Smith Group | 2 | Safe |
| "Back Home" | Andy Grammar | 4 | |||
| "I'll Be" | Edwin McCain | 9 | |||
| Top 2 | Simon Fuller's Choice/Favorite Performance/Winner Single | "Bright Lights" | Matchbox Twenty | 2 | Winner |
| "I Won't Give Up" | Jason Mraz | 4 | |||
| "Beautiful Life" | Nick Fradiani | 6 |
Post Idol[]
Nick signed with Big Machine Records and got to headline the American Idols Live tour, which kicked off in Clearwater, Florida on July 7, 2015. He also did lots of press, appearing on shows like Live with Kelly & Michael and Good Day LA and doing various radio interviews. He sang the National Anthem at PBS's National Memorial Day Concert in Washington, D.C. on May 25, 2015. His debut solo album, Hurricane, will be released on August 5, 2016. He even returned to American Idol as a mentor and got to sing two duets with contestants Thomas Stringfellow("Man in The Mirror") and Gianna Isabella ("Beautiful Life"). Nick also posted a 30-second clip of his upcoming single "Get You Home", which will be released on March 11, 2016. He made the announcement on the single during a Facebook live chat on February 24, 2016.
Official Account[]
- Nick Fradiani Facebook
- Nick Fradiani Twitter
- Nick Fradiani Instagram
- Nick Fradiani on Insstar.com
- Nick Fradiani on Insstars.com
- Nick Fradiani on Instagram.com
- Nick Fradiani on Buzzcent.com
Trivia[]
- Nick, who hails from Connecticut, is the first contestant from the Northeastern United States to win.
Discography[]
Albums:
- Hurricane (2016)
Singles:
- "Beautiful Life" (2015)
- "Get You Home" (2016)