Maddie Poppe
Madeline Mae Poppe (born December 5, 1997) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and the sixteenth season winner of American Idol. She is a multi-instrumentalist—playing the guitar, piano, and ukulele. Prior to winning American Idol in 2018, Poppe released an independent album titled Songs from the Basement. Poppe released her first studio album, Whirlwind, with Hollywood Records in 2019.
Maddie Poppe
Madeline Mae Poppe
December 5, 1997
Clarksville, Iowa, United States
- Singer
- songwriter
- Vocals
- guitar
- piano
- ukulele
2015–present
Early life[edit]
Maddie Poppe was born to Trent and Tonya Poppe in Clarksville, Iowa. As a young girl, Poppe loved to sing for her family, but did not start performing until she was in middle school.[1] She graduated Clarksville High School in 2016, attended Iowa Central Community College and then went to Hawkeye Community College. Her father is also a musician and is a guitarist. She used to perform with her father and his band at the Pioneer Days festival.[2] She got her start performing at the Butler County Fairgrounds in Allison, Iowa.[3] Poppe had also been a stagehand, setting up equipment for musicians at the county fair.[4]
Poppe has talked about not wanting to settle for things she did not like to do. She remarked, "I was trying to get gigs while I was supposed to be paying attention to a lecture."[5] More than fame, Poppe has a career longevity and the enjoyment of being in music and performing.
Career[edit]
2015–2016: Songs from the Basement and The Voice[edit]
Poppe independently released her first album, Songs from the Basement, on June 20, 2016. That same month, Poppe opened for Diamond Rio at the Butler County Fair.[6]
Prior to Idol, she auditioned for the tenth season of The Voice in 2016.[7][8] The program aired on February 29, 2016 where she sang "Dog Days Are Over" from Florence and the Machine, but none of the judges (who were Adam Levine, Pharrell Williams, Christina Aguilera, and Blake Shelton) turned their chairs, thus being eliminated.[9] Despite her elimination, Clarksville honored her with a city event at the Clarksville Library.