Just Sam
Samantha Diaz
November 23, 1998
New York City, New York
- Singer-songwriter
- musician
- Vocals
2019–present
Early life[edit]
Just Sam was born and raised in Harlem, New York. When they were six years old, their grandmother, Elizabeth, adopted Diaz and their sister, Anabelle, after their mother had been incarcerated.[1] They were the topic of a short documentary in 2018 called Sam, Underground, which was shot and produced by Joe Penney and Ladan Osman. In the documentary, they stated that in high school, they were bullied for how they dressed, inspiring their "Just Sam" nickname.[2]
Prior to appearing on American Idol, Just Sam made a living singing in subway trains,[3] and auditioned for America's Got Talent and the American iteration of The Voice, but neither one came to fruition.[4]
Post-Idol[edit]
After winning American Idol in May 2020, Just Sam signed with Hollywood Records, but this arrangement was short-lived. They left the label without releasing any albums under it, explaining in 2022, "I thought it was gonna be easy. Just go to the studio, record, put out music, and that's not how the world works. That's not how the industry works. It takes time, it takes money that I don't have. It takes patience." Just Sam had to pay Hollywood Records to claim the music they recorded with the label, stating that they "ended up broke" in the process, but that they planned to release music "when I can and when it's ready."[7]
On March 13, 2021, Just Sam released "Africando," their first single since American Idol, which they wrote with a co-songwriter named Cat Clark and released with the help of independent digital music service DistroKid.[8]
On September 28, 2021, Just Sam released a second independent single called "Change," which they wrote and recorded with Cat Clark. They dedicated the song to family members and friends who were murder victims.[8][9]
In 2023, Just Sam revealed that they returned to busking in the subway trains, three years after their win on American Idol.[10][11] Their situation bolstered scrutiny towards reality talent shows, including American Idol and The Voice, for their lack of support to their contestants following the conclusion of their seasons.[12] Afterwards, rapper Lil Durk and producer/rapper Timbaland offered support to Just Sam, with the latter featuring Just Sam performing live on a post on his TikTok page.[13]
Personal life[edit]
In a May 19, 2020 interview with Chuck Arnold of the New York Post, Just Sam stated, "I am a child of God, so that's always gonna come first. That's actually the only label that I ever want to have. But I like what I like, and that's just that, you know? And it's not men. Like, at all."[4]
On August 24, 2022, Just Sam was admitted to the hospital for an undisclosed illness. Diaz's weight dropped to 100 pounds. On August 26, Diaz posted an update confirming, "I'm doing much better now."[14]
Just Sam goes by singular 'they' pronouns.[15]