Where Is ‘American Idol’ Season 6 Runner-Up Blake Lewis Now? His Life 18 Years Later

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Blake Lewis competed on American Idol nearly two decades ago, finishing the show in second place behind Season 6 winner Jordin Sparks in 2007. While Sparks has gone on to have a fairly high-profile music career, Lewis hasn’t been in the public eye as much in the years that followed the show.

So what is the former contestant, who was known for showing off his beatboxing skills on the show, up to today? Scroll down for a deep dive into his life now.

What is Blake Lewis doing now?

Lewis is still pursuing a career in music, although he’s working in various bands rather than focusing on being a solo artist. He is one half of the group The Private Language with KJ Sawka. They formed the group in 2021 and confirmed in February 2025 that they were back in the studio working on music.

Lewis is also in the group Phat Cat Swinger and works with Postmodern Jukebox. He is continuing to play live shows as well.

 

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Following his time on American Idol, Lewis was signed by Arista Records and dropped his debut album, A.D.D. (Audio Day Dream) in December 2007. He parted ways with the label in 2008 and released his sophomore album Heartbreak on Vinyl with Tommy Boy Records in 2009. At some point after that, Lewis became an independent artist. He went on to release Portrait of a Chameleon in 2014 and Wanderlust Unknown in 2020.

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Additionally, Lewis has done some voice acting on the shows Durarara!! and Generator Rex. He also works as a producer for other rising artists while running his record label Audio Day Dream and gives beatboxing clinics.

Did Blake Lewis and Jordin Sparks date?

While little is known about Lewis’ personal life currently, he was once romantically linked to Sparks. Following their time on Idol, it was rumored that the two were dating. They fueled the rumors by sharing a kiss on TRL following the finale.

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Sparks denied the rumors, per Hollywood Gossip. “It makes me laugh,” she reportedly said. “We went through this whole experience and it’s, like, I can’t even look at him that way.”

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