Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Kendra Checketts from American Idol Season 20

American Idol returns to ABC on Sunday, Feb. 27. Here’s more about Kendra.

* Singing show fans might recognize her. At age 19, she earned a spot on Season 16 of The Voice when she auditioned with Demi Lovato’s “Sober” and earned a spot on Team Blake Shelton.

* He was the only coach to turn for Kendra’s audition, but she wound up being stolen twice en route to a Top 24 finish on the show. Her Voice cover of Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” is still available on streaming sites.

* In the three years since, she’s released eight singles in the pop, dark pop and pop rock vein. This year alone, she’s already released a music video for a song called “Blasé” (check it out below) and a new single called “Kiss Kiss Bye Bye,” which she calls “the bad bish song of 2022.”

* Her most successful release to date is a pre-Voice collaboration with Clueless Kit called “I’m Not Sober.” That song has been streamed more than 2.1 million times on Spotify.

* Now 22, Kendra is from San Diego, still based there and released her first song, “Wind Across the Water,” at age 11. Proceeds went to ChildHelp, a charity helping abused and neglected children.

* She’s continued to raise money for charities and animal shelters through her music. Her website specifies that she supports NAIM (The National Alliance on Mental Illness) and RAINN (The Rape Abuse and Incest National Network).

* “I grew up with the mindset of helping others to gain happiness myself and I’m so blessed that my parents brought me up that way,” Kendra told this site after her Voice audition aired.

* Music has also helped her cope with difficulties in the past. Specifically, when her father suffered a brain hemorrhage driving her back from an audition in Los Angeles and wound up spending a year in the hospital. Kendra told The Voice she would sing to him to lift his spirits and credits music for helping her cope.

* Kendra has performed at the Catalina Jazz Club, the House of Blues San Diego, Qualcomm Stadium and performed the national anthem at a variety of sports events in San Diego.

Kendra on social media:
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube

Keep checking back …

I’ll be posting profiles of about 50 top contestants who auditioned for American Idol Season 20. Profiles of the singers listed below will be coming soon. More names might be added. The links take you to the profiles already published.

Allegra Miles
Ashley Blaire
Ava Maybee
Betty Maxwell
Cadence Baker
Carly Mickeal
Christian Guardino
Ciasia Nicole
Cole Wesley Ritter
Corey Curtis

Dakota Hayden
Danielle Finn
Douglas Mills, Jr.
Elli Rowe
Elliot Greer
Emyrson Flora
Fritz Hager
Hunter Girl
Jacob Moran
Jay Copeland
Joedi Silvers

Jordan Chase Torrez
Jourdan Blue
Katyrah Love
Kaylin Roberson
Kelsie Dolin
Kendra Checketts
Kenedi Anderson
Kevin Gullage
Kezia Istonia (a.k.a. Lady K.)
Kirk Richmond

Leah Marlene
Lexi Weege
Max Embers
Mike Parker
Nicolina Bozzo
Noah Thompson
Olivia Faye
Paige Fish
Ryan Argast
Ryleigh Madison

Sage
Sam Moss
Scarlet Ayliz
Sir Blayke
Tobias Hill
Tristen Gressett
Tyler Allen
Valerie Marie
Wennely Quezada
Yoli Mayor