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Kris Allen
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Oct. 18 2011, Published 3:43 p.m. ET
Kris Allen's road to stardom wasn't easy — especially opposite powerhouse singer Adam Lambert! In 2008, Kris tried out for American Idol and while judge Simon Cowell wasn't impressed at his initial audition, Kris made it through to become the eighth season's underdog. It was his accoustice guitar cover of Kanye West's "Heartless" that earned the quiet crooner a spot in the top two and ultimately helped him beat front-runner Adam that spring when Kris was crowned the winner. Kris released his debut album that fall and scored a platinum hit with "Live Like We're Dying." He recently released his sophomore album, Thank You Camellia.