Lisa Tucker (singer)
Lisa Gabrielle Tucker (born June 13, 1989) is an American singer, musical theater actress, and television actress who was the tenth-place finalist on the fifth season of American Idol. After American Idol, she performed in the American Idols Live! Tour 2006 for three months and 60 concerts across the United States. After the tour, Tucker recorded a duet with Dionne Warwick on Warwick's album, My Friends & Me. She also appeared on The O.C. in a cameo as herself, and had recurring television roles on Zoey 101, The Game, and The Vampire Diaries. She began her theater career at the Orange County Children's Theater, and at 11, performed as Young Nala in a Pantages Theatre production of The Lion King musical.
This article is about the singer and American Idol finalist. For the author, see Lisa Tucker (author).Life and career[edit]
Early life and career beginnings[edit]
Tucker was born and raised in Anaheim, California[1] by her mother Eleanor, a customer service supervisor with Pacific Life, and her father Stan, an attorney.[2] She began acting and singing during childhood, including performances with the Orange County Children's Theater and singing the national anthem at an Anaheim Angels baseball game.[3][2] She began her theater career in a production of The Little Princess at age 9.[1]
At age 11, Tucker played the role of young Nala for nine months in a Pantages Theatre production of The Lion King musical.[2][3][4][1] Resident director of The Lion King, Frank Lombardi, wrote about Tucker: "Her talent is extraordinary. So much so that upon realizing her skills as a singer, one of our composers added a complex vocal arrangement to one of the original songs. Lisa sang with a simplicity and beauty that made it seem effortless, even though it actually took great skill and concentration."
When Tucker was 13, she was a finalist on Star Search and then released her first LP, Please Come Home for Christmas.[1] She graduated high school in 2006,[5] after attending La Palma, California's John F. Kennedy High School.
American Idol[edit]
At the age of 16, she auditioned for the fifth season of American Idol in Denver, Colorado with One Moment in Time by Whitney Houston where she amazed the judges, with Simon Cowell declaring, "Wow. I think the best 16-year-old we've ever had throughout this whole competition." Later, the judges made a unanimous decision to put her through to the season's final 24. America voted her through to the top 12. While she was on American Idol she attended high-school classes with former Idol finalists Paris Bennett and Kevin Covais. Tucker was eliminated on March 29, 2006, after being in the bottom 3 with Katharine McPhee and Ace Young.[6][7] Tucker finished at tenth place on the show.[8]
She then performed on the American Idols Live! Tour 2006 tour, performing "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" and "Your Song" by Elton John.[5][9] A review by Michael Slezak in Entertainment Weekly described her performance as the "most surprising," based on the show, and said that she had "the night's strongest showing among the women, sitting down at the piano to offer a restrained, heartfelt rendition of Elton John’s "Your Song" — with no accompaniment from the band."[8]