Everything to Know About ‘American Idol’ Star Lauren Alaina — Then and Now
Photo by John Shearer/2021 CMT Awards/Getty Images for CMT Reading Time: 3 minutes
Just like any other American Idol alumni, Lauren Alaina has a success story of her own. Let’s get to know this country singer’s journey from Rossville, Georgia to Nashville, Tennessee.
Who was Lauren Alaina Prior to American Idol?
Before she gained public traction through American Idol, Lauren Alaina was a simple teenage girl in Rossville, Georgia. She began hitting her first notes when she was three, growing up to like country music.
In high school, she was a cheerleader and a singer who regularly performed around her hometown. Back in 2009, she became the first ever winner of WinniSTAR youth talent contest at Lake Winnepesaukah amusement park.
Her trip to Idol would not be possible without her cousin Holly, who encouraged her to sign up. At 15, Alaina auditioned for American Idol in Nashville, and after impressing the judges, she was unanimously sent to the Hollywood Round.
She finished in American Idol Season 10 as a Runner-Up
Alaina became a part of the Top Three alongside Scotty McCreery and Haley Reinhart. Leading up to her live shows, she blew out one of her vocal cords, straining her original voice. Despite so, Alaina was able to give her final performance consequently ending up second to McCreery.
After her American Idol win, Alaina signed a recording contract with Mercury Nashville. She then debuted her first studio album, Wildflower, in 2011. This album peaked at number five on Billboard Top 200. In 2017, she released Road Less Traveled in which Alaina earned her first number one in the Billboard Country Airplay hit through the album’s title track.
Since then, she’s continued to create and perform music. In 2019, she even joined season 28 of Dancing with the Stars, placing fourth with pro partner Gleb Savchenko. She also starred in the Hallmark movie Roadhouse Romance and had the chance to write and publish her own book, Getting Good at Being You: Learning to Love Who God Made You to Be. Her latest album, Sitting Pretty On Top Of The World, is a deeper dive to her personal story.
What Has She Been Up to Now?
Last February, Alaina reached her childhood dream to be inducted at the Grand Ole Opry. According to the singer, becoming a member of the Opry is something she would always be proud of.
Recently, the country singer revealed that she will soon be a wife to her longtime boyfriend, Cameron Scott Arnold. Her romance with Arnold has always been low-key, but the two made an exception this month to announce the big news.
This year, she has also made the tough decision to leave her record label for 11 years and sign with Big Loud Records. Regarding Big Loud as her “dream label,” she’s now on a mission to tap her country roots as she makes more music.
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