Justin Beiber - An American Teen Frenzy

Justin Beiber, a Canadian pop and R&B singer is a 16 year old teenager. He rose to fame through YouTube; he posted his videos covering popular music hits in local singing competitions. Scooter Braun, who later became his manager, was the first one who noticed Justin's talent via his performances on YouTube. Braun arranged for Justin to fly out to Atlanta and check out the studio. He met Usher there and wanted to sing one of his songs to him. The singing did not happen that day but later that year, Justin got a call from Scooter saying that Usher wanted to hear him sing. Justin wasted no time, flew to Atlanta, sang "You got it bad" to Usher, got signed on the spot and the rest, as they say, is history. Beiber signed to Raymond Braun Media group which is a joint venture between Braun and Usher. He also got into a recording contract with Island Records offered by L.A. Reid.

Justin's debut single called "One Time" was released worldwide in 2009. It got into the top 30 in more than 10 countries. His debut release, My World, followed shortly and it became a certified platinum in the US. It made Justin the highest debut by a new artist and the first artist to have seven songs from a debut album to make it to the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Beiber was born to an 18 year old mother, Pattie Mallette. He was raised as an only child and his mother worked low paying office jobs. Justin taught himself to play the piano, drums, guitar and the trumpet. He was musically talented and participated in many singing competitions from an early age. Justin's proud mother uploaded his performances on YouTube mainly for their friends and family to see the performances, but over the months Justin's fame grew. Scooter Braun was searching for videos of a different voice and a different singer when he chanced upon the videos of Justin's performances. He tracked Justin down, found his school and contacted Pattie Mallette. Mallette was initially reluctant to have anything to do with Braun. But then she sought counsel with her church elders and finally permitted Justin to go to Atlanta to record some demo tapes. After Justin sang for Usher, the deal was done. Justin's story shows us how even small town people with talent and the right agent can make it to the top. Do a search on YouTube and you will find thousands of singers who spread across the entire spectrum of talent. Sure, if you are incredibly talented, you will be noticed. But you need to be noticed by the right people, and that's what happened with Justin. Bieber has performed in several live shows and tours and he routinely promotes his albums. He also performed for the US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House for Christmas. Beiber shot to fame after he proved himself by attracting millions of views on his YouTube videos. He still continues to upload his videos and regularly interact with his fans via Twitter. Though this serves marketing purposes as well, it is part of the appeal of Justin Beiber, the teenage singer/song writer.

American Idol Season 1 - Where are They Now?

As American Idol goes full swing into another season, it's easy to forget about some of the faces of the past. Sure, we are reminded of the Kelly Clarkson's each time we turn on the radio, the Jennifer Hudson's each time we watch an awards show, and the Corey Clark's each time we see an episode of Cops. But, what about those who don't make the press? Do they have other projects going on or have they simply become American idles?

There are no American Idol contestants we have forgotten about quite as much as those from Season 1. It was bound to happen this way: we often forget about the match that starts the fire. Yet, many of the contestants from Season 1 have found their own voices, some through music and some through other endeavors.

Songs By Justin

Justin Guarini: As the runner up in Season 1, Justin Guarini was arguably the most talented male vocalist on the show. Following his success, he went on to star in the ill-received From Justin to Kelly. His music seemed ill received as well and the record deal he procured months earlier busted when he was dropped from RCA. Refusing to throw in the towel, Justin continued to release his music through his own production company, Justice Entertainment.

Since 2005, he has released two albums and is working on a third. He is also going back to acting (as someone who saw From Justin to Kelly, I can only say "THANK GOD"), and has been cast as a race car driver for the upcoming movie Fast Girl. Leaving no media unturned, he broke into television by signing with the TV Guide Channel as a host for Idol Chat and Idol Tonight. Out of the spotlight, Justin serves as an advocate for music in the classrooms. Since 2004, he has been the national spokesman for the Support Music Education campaign.

Tamyra Gray: Following American Idol, Tamyra Gray was cast in David E. Kelley's Boston Public, a role that allowed her to both act and sing. She also made guest appearances on All of Us, Half and Half, Tru Calling, What I Like About You, and Las Vegas. In addition to acting, Tamyra has stayed true to her musical roots. She performed a duet with Kelly Clarkson on Clarkson's first release, a duet that Gray helped write. Well versed in music composition, Tamyra returned to Idol to help compose the singles for Season 3.

Putting down the pen and picking up the microphone, Tamyra eventually released her own album, The Dreamer, and obtained a role in the Broadway show, Bombay Dreams. In October 2005, she jumped to the big screen in an independent film called The Gospel. Months later, she helped write songs and sang backup for Jessica Simpson's newest record. In her personal life, she married Color Me Badd singer Sam Watters in early September, 2006. She is now working on a new album and looking for a new record label.

Nikki McKibbin: American Idol Season 1's resident punk girl, Nikki McKibbin was signed by RCA following the show. The label, however, wanted Nikki to record a country album and she wanted to be true to her rock 'n' roll roots. This resulted in no album ever being produced, leading her to stay true to some other roots: Reality Shows

She appeared on Fear Factor, Battle of the Network Reality Stars, and Kill Reality, which documented the creation and filming of The Scorned. In The Scorned, a movie featuring a cast made up entirely of former reality stars, Nikki played a singer. She also appeared in a music video for Rivethead and joined the Dallas-based rock band, Downside, a band she left in late 2005. Returning as a solo artist, she released a single in 2006 and her debut album, Unleashed, is scheduled to be released on May 1, 2007.

Jim Verraros: The Idol contestant who captivated audiences by signing for his deaf parents, Jim Verraros has since come out of the closet and become a pseudo-poster child for the American gay press. This occurred when Fox made Jim remove pro-gay remarks from his American Idol website, a website sponsored by the Fox network. Since then, Jim has released an international album, Rollercoaster. One of Rollercoaster's tracks made the Top 25 of Billboard's Hot Club/ Dance Chart hits.

Like many of his fellow contestants, Jim was bitten by the acting bug and starred in the 2004 comedy Eating Out as well as its 2006 sequel Eating Out 2. He has also been featured four times on The Feast of Fools, a pod cast and Chicago-based variety show featuring gay themes.

Brian Dunkleman: Though not a contestant on American Idol, many people wonder what ever happened to "that other guy," the one who was seen hosting alongside Ryan Seacrest during the first season: Brian Dunkleman. After allegedly angering Simon Cowell, Brian left American Idol to pursue other endeavors. These other endeavors included appearances on The Tonight Show, Two Guys and a Girl, NYPD Blue, Courting Alex, The Ghost Whisperer, Friends, and Las Vegas.

Brian has also done voiceover work for The Proud Family, 3 South, and American Idol Rewind. Additionally, he makes regular appearances at the Laugh Factory and other comedy clubs around the nation as well as frequent appearances as host of Family Feud Live.

These people of American Idol's past may not be as famous as some of their former contestants, but they are still making names and careers for themselves and, it's safe to say, they aren't even near being done. It is certainly not time to close the curtain.

American Idol Season 1 - Where are They Now?

Jennifer Jordan is a senior editor for http://iturbocharge.com. Possessing an infatuation with pop culture – and a gift for stalking – she keeps up on the latest news of the musical world.