American Idol's Kris Allen to Perform at Land Shark Stadium Tailgate

The American Idol season has been over for some time now, but season eight winner Kris Allen has been making his rounds and paying his dues. On Sunday, October 25, 2009, Kris will be performing at the Dolphins' tailgate stage ahead of the Miami/New Orleans football game, scheduled for 4:15 p.m. at Land Shark Stadium in Miami Gardens.

"As a HUGE football fan I'm thrilled that the first gig for my band and me is at the Miami/New Orleans tailgate party," said Kris Allen.

To purchase tickets to the Dolphins–Saints game and catch Kris Allen's live performance on the Grand Plaza, visit www.MiamiDolphins.com or call 1-888-FINS-TIX (1-888-346-7849). Land Shark Stadium is located at 2269 Dan Marino Boulevard, Miami Gardens, FL 33056.

KRIS ALLEN

When he was seven years old, Kris listened to a cassette of Michael Jackson's "Dangerous" and his life changed forever. "I'd be alone in my room and I would sing and dance and try different hats on. I'd stand in front of the mirror and try to moonwalk, but it just didn't work. One night my dad walked in and caught me. I stopped in my tracks but he thought it was hilarious."

Despite that embarrassing moment, Kris' parents, Neil and Kimberly, were always supportive of their son's interest in music and never once suggested he consider any other career. Neil was a musician himself — he played guitar and sang lead vocals for a rock band called Maxxzoid. He also had a record collection, and Kris enjoyed listening to his dad's albums, especially artists like Garth Brooks, Journey, Queen, and Foreigner.

When Kris was born on June 21, 1985, his dad gave up his music career and went to work at a car dealership to support his family. Kris' talent was apparent as early as the fourth grade, when he learned to play the viola and joined the school orchestra. "I tried to be cool and play baseball. Playing viola is not the coolest thing in the world. I kept going but stopped right before college."

By that time, Kris had already picked up another instrument. "At 13, I was a chubby little kid trying to play the guitar. My brother Daniel would go swimming all summer so I was home alone and no one knew what I was doing all day." Kris never took a lesson — his guitar playing was entirely self-taught. By the time he enrolled in college, he knew he wanted to play music professionally. "When I was a freshman I realized I needed to start writing songs." During his sophomore year, he played his first gig at a local bar. "It was in downtown Conway and the place was filled because it was the bar's opening night. It was also their closing night. I don't think it was our fault, because everyone said we played well. That night is when I got the encouragement to keep going."

Kris played gigs in nearby Little Rock and Fayetteville and recorded a CD when he left college in the middle of his junior year. He continued to play gigs at night while working as a salesperson at Hibbert Sporting Goods during the day.

Though not an avid television viewer — Kris and his wife Katy don't own a TV — Kris did see the Season 6 episodes of American Idol when his friend Sean Michel won praise from the judges during his audition. "It was great to see someone from Arkansas make it to Hollywood." Living with his parents during Season 7, Kris became hooked on Idol. In July 2008, his brother Daniel decided to audition in Louisville, Kentucky, and asked Kris and a friend to come along. "I didn't have anything else to do so I was down with that. We arrived and there were 12,000 people standing there and we were the last ones to sign up. It was intimidating."

Kris and Daniel survived the first round of judging, but only Kris made it in to see Simon, Paula, Randy, and Kara. Randy was the first to say yes, followed by Simon, then Paula and Kara. Kris and Katy were married that same month, and after the honeymoon they flew to Hollywood. "I was just hoping to get a little TV time so someone would recognize me and I could start a music career," says Kris.

Kris made it from Hollywood Week to the top 36 to the top 12, surviving elimination week after week and heading into the finale against Adam Lambert. When Ryan Seacrest read the winner's name after a long pause, he said: "Kris Allen."

Kris' path to victory included memorable performances of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine," Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror," and Kanye West's "Heartless." The judges praised him for his original arrangements of well-known songs. "What I do is completely forget about the original version and ask myself how I can play the song when it comes to phrasing, chord structure, and emotion. I hear what it's going to sound like in my head and run with it. Hopefully it's a way that no one has ever thought of doing it before."

Since the finale, Kris has had multiple songs appear on the Billboard charts. "That was crazy! Four months before that we were all unknown. That first moment I knew I had five songs on the Billboard chart was very cool." At the same time, his finale song "No Boundaries" hit No. 1 on the iTunes chart — news he received via a friend's text message. "I had no idea. That was crazy, too!"

Kris has been in the studio putting the finishing touches on his debut album for 19 Recordings/Jive, set for release on November 17. Fans can already get a taste of the record's pop-rock sound with his first single, "Live Like We're Dying." It's been an incredible journey for the 24-year-old who came very close to giving up on a music career altogether. "I was going to return to college and get a decent job so my wife and I could have a comfortable life together, which would have been fine. But things worked out a different way, and I'm really happy!"

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