Lee DeWyze

Singer

With his rocker growl and disarming modesty, Lee DeWyze won over millions of viewers who voted him the season nine winner of "American Idol" (Fox, 2002-16), one of the world's most influential singing competitions. Leon James DeWyze was born on April 2, 1986 in Mount Prospect, IL. He had a difficult time in school, and was kicked out during his senior year at Prospect High School for allegedly fighting with another student. He later attended Forest View Alternative School in Arlington Heights, IL. To cope with his personal issues, DeWyze taught himself to play guitar and drums, and began performing in public when he was 16. The following year, a local talent scout for the independent music label, WuLi Records, saw DeWyze singing and playing guitar at a Chicago house party, and signed him on the spot. Shortly after, he formed the Lee DeWyze Band, which played at many local gigs and even released an album, So I'm Told, in 2007. While DeWyze and his band were considered local celebrities, he was far from national superstardom. To make ends meet, he worked as a paint store clerk before his life would change forever.