Jack Vidgen | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Born | 17 January 1997 |
Origin | Mona Vale, New South Wales, Australia [1] |
Genres | |
Occupation | Singer |
Instrument(s) | Guitar, vocals, piano, violin, drums, harmonica, trombone [2] |
Years active | 2011–present |
Jack Vidgen (born 17 January 1997) [3] is an Australian singer and television personality, best known for winning the fifth season of Australia's Got Talent as a teenager. He subsequently signed a recording contract with Sony Music Australia with his debut single, "Yes I Am", and studio album, of the same name, were released in August 2011. The album debuted at number three on the ARIA Albums Chart, and was certified gold. His second studio album, Inspire , was released in April 2012, reaching number 23 on the ARIA Albums Chart. In 2019 Vidgen took part in season 8 of Australian The Voice and was eliminated after the Semi-Finals. He also appeared on America's Got Talent: The Champions . Vidgen has also appeared on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in Australia.
Vidgen is the son of Steve Vidgen and Rachel Hayton. [4] From 2007 to 2010, Vidgen performed at various events in Sydney, including Schools Spectacular, Eisteddfod, and the local Christmas carols. [5] He also taught himself how to play the piano and guitar. [5] He attended Balgowlah Boys High School. [5] Following his win on Australia's Got Talent in 2011, Vidgen withdrew from his high school to continue by distance education. [6] In March 2014, it was reported that he had a lesion removed from behind his eye. [7] Vidgen is openly gay. [8]
Vidgen auditioned for the fifth season of Australia's Got Talent in 2011, singing a rendition of Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing". [9] The performance earned a standing ovation from both the judges and the audience. [9] Judge Kyle Sandilands said before the audition, "You're either gonna be amazing or dreadful – both I will enjoy", while judge Brian McFadden was so moved by the performance he ran up on stage to kiss Vidgen's cheek once it was over. [9] The performance has received over 23 million views on YouTube. [10] Vidgen was dubbed Australia's answer to Justin Bieber and inundated with international and local interest. [11] [12] [13] He also attracted the attention of celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton, who posted several blogs of Vidgen's performances on his website. [14]
Vidgen performed on the first semi-final show, singing a cover of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from the Dreamgirls soundtrack. [15] After the performance, he earned another standing ovation from the judges and audience. [15] Sandilands told Vidgen that he made him believe in reincarnation as he was sure Vidgen had a black woman inside him, [15] while McFadden said Vidgen had one of the best voices he had ever heard. [15] After winning the public vote from the first semi-final show, Vidgen progressed through to the next round, the final showdown. During this round, Vidgen performed a cover of Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain". [16] After his performance, judge Dannii Minogue said, "Your voice lifts everybody who listens to it", while McFadden joked that he was jealous of Vidgen because he spelled the end for other guys in the music industry. [16] Vidgen once again won the public vote, which made him progress through to the grand final. During this round, Vidgen performed an original song titled, "Yes I Am". [17] A few days later, Vidgen was the centre of criticism over the song when it was revealed that it was co-written with two other people. Critics questioned how involved Vidgen was in the writing of the song.[ citation needed ] [18] On 7 August 2011, Vidgen appeared on Sunday Night and said, "I sort of wrote the lyrics, and then I took them to vocal coach Erana Clark's studio, and we had the producer – I didn't write the music, I can say that, but I did write the lyrics." [19]
Vidgen was announced as the winner of the season during the grand final decider show, which aired on 2 August 2011. [20] He was awarded a prize of $250,000. [20]
Following his win on Australia's Got Talent, Vidgen signed a recording contract with Sony Music Australia. [20] "Yes I Am" was released for digital download on 3 August 2011, as Vidgen's debut single. [21] [22] The song peaked at number 35 on the ARIA Singles Chart. [23] Vidgen co-wrote the gospel soul-inspired [24] song with former Australian Idol vocal coach Erana Clark and producer A2, who also penned the song, "Fly", for Vidgen's debut studio album also titled Yes I Am . [21] The album was rush-released on 19 August 2011. [21] It contained cover versions Vidgen performed on Australia's Got Talent, which were all produced by musical director Chong Lim, [21] as well as the two original songs. [21] The album debuted and peaked at number three on the ARIA Albums Chart, [23] and was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), for shipments of 35,000 units. [25]
Vidgen's second studio album, Inspire , was released on 27 April 2012. [26] It featured more covers of songs from artists including Michael Jackson, Bill Withers, Cyndi Lauper, John Lennon, and Beyoncé. [26] The album peaked at number 23 on the ARIA Albums Chart, failing to match the success of his debut album. [23] Vidgen's second single "Finding You", which was written by The Potbelleez' IIan Kidron, was released digitally on 10 July 2012. [27] [28] He performed the song on Australia's Got Talent the next day. [28] As of 2014, Vidgen is no longer signed to Sony Music Australia. [29]
On 2 June 2019, Vidgen returned to television on The Voice Australia . In an interview with Who magazine, Vidgen said "After winning Australia's Got Talent there was Facebook pages with death threats... life was hard..." adding "I stopped singing five years ago. I think I just burnt out. I just fell out of love with singing." [30] Vidgen selected Guy Sebastian as his coach, eventually finishing as a semi-finalist before elimination.
The Voice performances and results (2019) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Episode | Song | Original Artist | Result |
Audition | "Hello" | Adele | Through to The Knockouts |
The Knockouts | "Love the Way You Lie (Part II)" | Rihanna ft. Eminem | Through to Battle Rounds |
Battle Rounds | "Say Something" | A Great Big World | Through to live shows |
Live show 1 | "Rise Up" | Andra Day | Saved by Coach |
Live show 2 | "Dusk Till Dawn" | ZAYN ft. Sia | Saved by Public |
Semi Final | "You Are the Reason" | Calum Scott | Eliminated |
In December 2019, Vidgen was announced as a participant in Eurovision – Australia Decides 2020 in an attempt to represent Australia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020.
The judges were Josh Martin, Kate Miller-Heidke, Måns Zelmerlöw, Milly Petriella and Paul Clarke. There was a public vote as well.
Vidgen took part with the song "I Am King I Am Queen" [31] a song co-written by him and Andrew Lowden. He received 19 points from the judges and 15 points from the televote for a total of 34 points, and placed 8th in a field of 10 contestants. Montaigne won with a total of 107 points earning the right to represent Australia in Eurovision. The contest was eventually cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In January 2020, Vidgen appeared as a contestant on the second season of America's Got Talent: The Champions, however he didn't make the cut to the semi finals. [32] [33] In January 2021, he appeared on the seventh season of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! Australia and was the first contestant to be eliminated. [34] [35] In October 2021, Vidgen was revealed as the "Kebab" on The Masked Singer (Australian season 3) , making it to the semi-finals and placing fourth overall. [36]
In 2022, Vidgen appeared as a celebrity guest contestant on the sixth season of Australian Ninja Warrior alongside athletes Emily Seebohm and Archie Thompson as a part of the celebrity challenge. [37] [38] [39] He ended up winning the challenge, being the only celebrity to make it up the warped wall, and took home the $10,000 donation to his chosen charity the Trish MS Research Foundation. [40] [41] Later that year in 2022, Vidgen was announced as a contestant for the Australian adaption of the all new franchise The Challenge, titled The Challenge: Australia . [42] [43] Vidgen and his episode 2 teammate, Love Island Australia contestant Audrey Kanongara, were the second pair to be eliminated, exiting on the second episode. [44]
Television | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Title | Network | Role | Notes |
2011 | Australia's Got Talent (season 5) | Seven Network | Contestant | Winner |
2019 | The Voice (Australian season 8) | Nine Network | Semi Finalist | |
2021 | I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (Australian season 7) | Network 10 | 1st Eliminated | |
2021 | The Masked Singer (Australian season 3) | Contestant "Kebab" | 4th Place | |
2022 | Australian Ninja Warrior (season 6) | Nine Network | Guest contestant | Winner |
2022 | The Challenge: Australia | Network 10 | Contestant | 2nd Eliminated |
Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Certifications |
---|---|---|---|
AUS [23] | |||
Yes I Am |
| 3 | |
Inspire |
| 23 |
Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album |
---|---|---|---|
AUS [23] | |||
2011 | "Yes I Am" | 35 | Yes I Am |
"And I Am Telling You (I'm Not Going)" [46] | — | ||
2012 | "Finding You" | — | Non-album single |
2019 | "I Am King I Am Queen" [47] | — | Australia Decides 2020 |
2020 | "I Have Nothing" [48] | — | Non-album single |
2021 | "Pray" [49] | — | TBA |
"Love Me Lonely" [50] | — | ||
"Goodbye" [51] | — |
Year | Type | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2011 | Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards [52] | Aussie Musos | Nominated |
IT List Awards [53] [54] | Single of 2011 ("Yes I Am") | Nominated | |
Album of 2011 (Yes I Am) | Nominated | ||
Australian Male Artist | Nominated | ||
Guy Theodore Sebastian is an Australian singer who rose to fame after winning the first season of Australian Idol, in 2003. Sebastian has since released ten top ten albums, including three number ones. The first seven all gained either platinum or multi-platinum certification. He has also achieved twenty three top twenty singles, with fourteen of them, reaching the top ten, including six number ones. He is the only Australian male artist in Australian chart history to achieve six number one singles, and places third overall for all Australian acts. Ten of his singles have been certified multi-platinum, including the 13× platinum "Battle Scars". His debut single "Angels Brought Me Here" was the highest selling song in Australia in the decade 2000 to 2009. With 69 platinum and seven gold certifications and combined album and single sales of over five million in Australia, he has the highest certifications and sales of any Australian Idol contestant.
Vanessa Joy Amorosi is an Australian singer-songwriter and recording artist. Her combined album and single sales have reached over two million worldwide.
You Am I are an Australian power pop band, fronted by its lead singer-songwriter and guitarist, Tim Rogers. They formed in December 1989 and are the first Australian band to have released three successive albums that have each debuted at the number-one position on the ARIA Albums Chart: Hi Fi Way, Hourly, Daily and #4 Record. Nine of their tracks appeared on the related ARIA Singles Chart top 50 with "What I Don't Know 'bout You", their highest charting, at No. 28. You Am I have received ten ARIA Music Awards from thirty-one nominations. The band have supported international artists such as the Who, the Rolling Stones, Sonic Youth and Oasis.
Brian Nicholas McFadden is an Irish pop singer and television presenter. He rose to fame in 1998 as a member of the Irish boy band Westlife. Following his departure from the group in 2004, McFadden released his debut solo album, Irish Son. He has since released four studio albums: Set in Stone, Wall of Soundz, The Irish Connection, and Otis.
Anthony Cosmo Callea is an Australian singer-songwriter and stage actor who rose to prominence as the runner-up in the 2004 season of Australian Idol. Callea's debut single, a cover of Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli's song "The Prayer", is the fastest-selling single by an Australian artist; it held the number-one spot on the ARIA Singles Chart for five weeks, a record for the debut single of an Australian Idol contestant, and was the second-highest-selling Australian single of the 2000s.
Australia's Got Talent is an Australian reality television talent show. The show is based on the Got Talent series format that originated in the United Kingdom with Simon Cowell.
Samantha Jade Gibbs is an Australian singer and songwriter. She has written tracks for artists including JoJo and Ashley Tisdale. In 2012, Jade won the fourth season of The X Factor Australia, the first woman to win the Australian series. She subsequently signed with Sony Music Australia and released her winner's single "What You've Done to Me", which debuted at number one on the ARIA Singles Chart. On 16 August 2024, Jade released her new EP, Love.Sick. Vol 2, debuting at #5 on the Australian iTunes Album Charts.
Natalie Rose Gauci is an Australian musician, producer and teacher. Gauci undertook music tuition at the Victorian College of the Arts, formed her own band that played gigs in Melbourne, while also working as a music teacher. After an appearance on national radio station Triple J's talent contest, Unearthed, she successfully auditioned for the fifth series of Australian Idol in 2007 and went on to win the series.
Wesley Dean "Wes" Carr, also recording as Buffalo Tales, is an Australian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known for winning the sixth season of Australian Idol in 2008. He released his first studio album, Simple Sum, independently in 2008 shortly before entering Australian Idol. After Idol, he signed a record deal with Sony Music Australia and released his debut single, "You". The song peaked at number one on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified Gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Carr's second studio album, The Way the World Looks, soon followed after. It reached number two on the ARIA Albums Chart and also achieved Gold certification. The second single "Feels Like Woah" peaked at number 14 and gained Gold certification. In June 2011, Carr released "Been a Long Time", the lead single from his third album. It peaked at number 33 on the ARIA Singles Chart. In November 2011, Carr announced that he was no longer with Sony and would be releasing his album independently. In August 2012 Carr released an EP titled Blood & Bone under the pseudonym Buffalo Tales. His third studio album "Roadtrip Confessions" was released in June 2013 and debuted at number 83.
Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to American singer Usher, both of whom formed the record label RBMG Records to sign Bieber in October of that year. He gained recognition following the release of his debut extended play (EP) My World (2009), which was quickly met with international commercial success and led to his establishment as a teen idol.
Justice Crew is an Australian dance and music group consisting of John and Len Pearce, Lukas Bellesini, Paul Merciadez, Samson Smith, and Solo Tohi. Although the group is Australian, members Samson and Solo are from New Zealand. The group originally formed in 2009 as a dance troupe and rose to fame the following year as winners of the fourth season of Australia's Got Talent. Justice Crew subsequently signed a record deal with Sony Music Australia and became recording artists. As of 2018, they are an independent music group.
Angelique Frances Meunier, known professionally as Havana Brown or DJ Havana Brown, is an Australian DJ, singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. In 2008, Brown signed with Island Records Australia as a DJ for the record company and began releasing her Crave compilation album series, which featured remixes of songs from other artists. This led to her touring with international artists, including Britney Spears, Rihanna, the Pussycat Dolls, Chris Brown and Enrique Iglesias.
Australia's Got Talent is an Australian reality television show, based on the original UK series, claiming to find new talent. The fifth season premiered on the Seven Network on 3 May 2011 and ended on 2 August 2011, where singer Jack Vidgen was crowned the winner of Australia's Got Talent, while illusionist Cosentino became runner-up. Judges Dannii Minogue, Kyle Sandilands, and Brian McFadden returned for the series, as well as host Grant Denyer.
Yes I Am is the debut studio album by Australian recording artist Jack Vidgen, who was also the winner of the fifth season of Australia's Got Talent. It was released through Sony Music Australia on 19 August 2011.
"Yes I Am" is the debut single by Australian recording artist Jack Vidgen, taken from his debut studio album of the same name. Vidgen co-wrote the song with former Australian Idol vocal coach Erana Clark and producer A2. It was released for digital download 3 August 2011, as Vidgen's debut single, and peaked at number thirty-five on the ARIA Singles Chart.
Stefan Kendal Gordy, better known by his stage name Redfoo, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer and DJ. He was one-half of the EDM-hip house duo LMFAO, which he formed with his half-nephew Sky Blu in 2006. The duo became best known for their 2011 singles "Party Rock Anthem" and "Sexy and I Know It," both of which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100. They signed with will.i.am Music Group, an imprint of Interscope Records to release two studio albums—Party Rock (2009) and Sorry for Party Rocking (2011)—until their disbandment in 2012. Redfoo released his debut solo album, Party Rock Mansion, in 2016.
Timothy Ugbedo Omaji, better known by his stage name Timomatic, is a Nigerian-born Australian singer-songwriter and dancer. Omaji rose to fame as a contestant on So You Think You Can Dance (Australia) in 2009 and placed seventh in the competition. In 2011, he appeared as a contestant on the fifth season of Australia's Got Talent and was placed third. This led to his most recent rise in fame by sparking the now infamous Facebook page "Timomatic was robbed on Australia's Got Talent", a Facebook page dedicated to the victimisation that Tim was forced to undergo on 'Australia's Got Talent'. Later that year, Omaji signed with Sony Music Australia and released his first single, "Set It Off", in November 2011, which peaked at number two on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified four times platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association.
Timothy Kenneth Rogers, known by his stage name Jack Ladder, is an Australian rock music singer-songwriter, guitarist and composer. His music is characterised by his baritone voice and poignant observations on love and death, often featuring gallows humour.
Taylor James Henderson is an Australian singer and songwriter. Originating from Ceres, Victoria, Henderson rose to fame after placing third on the fourth series of Australia's Got Talent in 2010. Three years later, he became the runner-up on the fifth season of The X Factor Australia and subsequently received a recording contract with Sony Music Australia.
Erana Clark is an Australian singer and vocal coach originally from Auckland, New Zealand.