Laine Hardy
Background information
Born (2000-09-12) September 12, 2000 (age 23)
Baton Rouge, Louisiana,[1] United States
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active2018–present
Labels
Websitelainehardymusic.com

Laine Hardy (born September 12, 2000) is an American singer from Livingston, Louisiana, and the seventeenth season winner of American Idol.

Early life

Hardy was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana,[1] and raised in Livingston, Louisiana.[8] His father Barry is a general contractor for a construction company, and his mother Cindy Lou is a real estate agent. He has a brother Kyle, and an older sister, Brittany Banta.[9] His maternal grandmother is a Korean immigrant from Seoul.[10] He attended French Settlement High School and graduated in 2018.[11] He learned to play the guitar when he was eight, and by the time he was 14, he was performing in a band with his brother and cousins called the Band Hardy in local bars and restaurants.[12] Although initially he did not sing, he was encouraged by his brother to sing.[13]

American Idol

Laine Hardy first auditioned for the sixteenth season of American Idol,[14] making it to the top 50. He did not intend to audition for the seventeenth season, but after accompanying his best friend's sister, Ashton Gill, as a guitar player for her audition, he was encouraged by judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie to audition again.[15][16][17][18] This time he made it all the way to the final and won the competition, making Alejandro Aranda runner-up and Madison VanDenburg second runner-up.[19]

Performance results

Episode Theme Song Choice Original Artist Order Number Result
Audition Auditioner's Choice "The Weight" The Band N/A Advanced
Hollywood Round, Part 1 Contestant's Choice "She Talks to Angels" The Black Crowes N/A Advanced
Hollywood Round, Part 2 Group Performance "Grenade" (with Laci Kaye Booth, Katie Belle & Colby Swift) Bruno Mars N/A Advanced
Hollywood Round, Part 3 Contestant's Choice "Proud Mary" Creedence Clearwater Revival N/A Advanced
Showcase Round/Top 40 Contestant's Choice "Come Together" The Beatles 36 Advanced
Top 20 Solo/Duet Contestant's Choice Solo "Bring It On Home to Me" Sam Cooke 3 Advanced
Duet "The Weight" (with Elle King) The Band 10
Top 14 Contestant's Choice "That's All Right" Elvis Presley 1 Safe
Victory Song "Hurricane" Band of Heathens 12
Top 10 Disney Night "Oo-De-Lally" (from Robin Hood) Roger Miller 9 Safe
Top 8 Queen Night "Fat Bottomed Girls" Queen 8 Safe
Movie Duets "Jackson" (from Walk the Line) (with Laci Kaye Booth) Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash 3
Top 6 Woodstock "I Don't Need No Doctor" Ray Charles 2 Safe
Showstoppers "Johnny B. Goode" Chuck Berry 12
Top 5 Bobby Bones' Choice "Can't You See" The Marshall Tucker Band 4 Safe
Elton John "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" Elton John 10
Mother's Day Tribute "Hey Jude" The Beatles 14
Finale New Song 1 "Home" Marc Broussard 1 Winner
New Song 2 "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)" Hank Williams 4
Last song "Bring It On Home to Me" Sam Cooke 7
Non-competition performances:
Collaborator(s) Song Original artist
Lionel Richie and American Idol Top 10 "Dancing on the Ceiling" Lionel Richie
Jon Pardi "Dirt on My Boots" & "Night Shift" Jon Pardi
Kool & the Gang & American Idol Top 10 "Hollywood Swinging"/"Ladies' Night"/"Celebration" Kool & the Gang

Music career

Hardy released a three-song EP, In the Bayou, in 2018. Later that year he released the song "Blue Christmas".[20] Following his win on American Idol, his coronation song "Flame" was released on May 19, 2019.[21][22] He performed the single on The View in May 2019.[23] On September 20, 2019, Hardy announced his first headline tour, a 13-date tour taking place from November 14 through December 7, 2019, across the US.[24] He released two new songs, "Ground I Grew Up On" and "Let There Be Country", in April 2020,[25] and performed a cover of "Life Is a Highway" on American Idol in May 2020.[26]

His single "Tiny Town" was released in July 2020, following his recovery from COVID-19.[27] A holiday single, a cover of "Please Come Home For Christmas" followed in September.[28] While "Tiny Town" was sent to radio, Hardy released another single "Other LA" to streaming services.[29]

Following a couple televised performances (including the 2020 National Tree Lighting Ceremony), Hardy released a new single "Memorize You" in May 2021.[30] The song garnered positive reviews and gained popularity after his performance on ABC's The Bachelor series.[31] A follow-up single "Authentic" was released in July,[32] leading to the announcement of his debut album Here's To Anyone a few weeks later. The album was released on September 17.[33]

2022 arrest

On April 29, 2022, Hardy was arrested by the Louisiana State University Police Department and booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison based on allegations that he planted a recording device in the Louisiana State University dormitory room occupied by a woman who described him as her ex-boyfriend.[34] The arrest warrant alleged that the device was found in a futon by the woman and her roommate, and that the woman became suspicious when he told her information about her private life that she had never disclosed to him.[34] The warrant also alleged that Hardy, who was not an LSU student, had confessed to the woman that he bugged the room while falsely claiming that he threw the device into a pond.[34] It was later reported that Hardy was cooperating with investigators following his arrest.[35]

Discography

Albums

Title Details
Here's to Anyone

Extended plays

Title Details
In the Bayou

Singles

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
US
Digital

[36]
"Blue Christmas"
2018 Non-album singles
"Flame" 2019 8
"Ground I Grew Up On" 2020 Here's to Anyone
"Let There Be Country"
"Tiny Town"
"Other LA" 2021
"Memorize You" 41
"Authentic"

References

  1. ^ a b Bronson, Fred (May 20, 2019). "Laine Hardy Talks 'American Idol' Season 17 Win: 'I'm Overwhelmed by All This Emotion'". Billboard. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  2. ^ "Laine Hardy Releases New Songs 'Ground I Grew Up On' And 'Let There Be Country' Sounds Like Nashville". Soundslikenashville.com. April 10, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  3. ^ "'American Idol' winner Laine Hardy releases two new songs". Tennessean.com. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  4. ^ Pam Windsor. "'American Idol' Winner Laine Hardy Releases New Music". Forbes.com. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  5. ^ "'American Idol' winner Laine Hardy almost didn't return to ABC show". Usatoday.com. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  6. ^ Carena Liptak (January 3, 2018). "'American Idol' Champ Laine Hardy Takes Victory Lap With 'Flame'". Theboot.com. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  7. ^ Billy Dukes (May 20, 2019). "LISTEN: Laine Hardy Drops 'Flame' After 'American Idol' Win". Tasteofcountry.com. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  8. ^ Scott, Mike (May 13, 2019). "Laine Hardy of 'American Idol' to get hometown hero treatment this week". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  9. ^ "Laine Hardy's Family & Girlfriend: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy. May 19, 2019.
  10. ^ Laine Hardy (June 3, 2019). "Laine Hardy on Twitter: "I’ve had a lot of people ask what nationality I am and I’m here to explain it - so my grand mother is from Seoul and she’s full Korean so that makes me quarter Korean :)"". Twitter.com. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  11. ^ Chawla, Kiran (May 14, 2019). "Laine Hardy returns to alma mater, French Settlement High, for special pep rally". WAFB9.
  12. ^ "Tennessee whiskey Kyle Hardy". Taste of Country. April 21, 2019.
  13. ^ Wloszczyna, Susan (May 20, 2019). "From shy teen to bold winner of 'American Idol': 7 things you don't know about newly crowned Laine Hardy". Gold Derby.
  14. ^ Dixon, Marcus James (March 16, 2019). "Country star Laine Hardy would be 3rd person to win 'American Idol' after being eliminated in a prior season". Gold Derby.
  15. ^ Dukes, Billy (April 19, 2019). "Who Is Laine Hardy? 'American Idol' Favorite Won't Be Confined". Taste of Country.
  16. ^ Dugan, Christina (May 20, 2019). "Laine Hardy Recalls the Nerve-Wracking Moment Before Being Crowned Winner of American Idol". People. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  17. ^ Ryan, Patrick (May 21, 2019). "Laine Hardy talks his 'American Idol' win, Elvis influence and 'Vampire Diaries' obsession". USA Today. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  18. ^ Finn, Heather (May 16, 2019). "A Look at 'American Idol' Finalist Laine Hardy's Complicated History With the Show". Good Housekeeping. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  19. ^ Whitaker, Sterling (May 19, 2019). "Laine Hardy Wins 'American Idol'". Taste of Country.
  20. ^ "Laine Hardy: 5 Things About 'American Idol' Season 17 Winner". Hollywood Life. May 19, 2019. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  21. ^ Hudak, Joseph (May 20, 2019). "See 'American Idol' Winner Laine Hardy Duet With Jon Pardi on Season Finale". Rolling Stone.
  22. ^ Liptak, Carena (May 20, 2019). "'American Idol' Champ Laine Hardy Takes Victory Lap With 'Flame'". The Boot.
  23. ^ Bergeron, Judy. "American Idol Laine Hardy gets new jacket from 'The View' hosts, advice from Whoopi". The Advocate. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  24. ^ "Laine Hardy Announces Fall Headline Tour". Music Mayhem. September 20, 2019. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  25. ^ "'American Idol' Winner Laine Hardy Releases New Music". Forbes. April 10, 2020.
  26. ^ Hermanson, Wendy (May 10, 2020). "Laine Hardy Returns to 'American Idol,' Performs 'Life Is a Highway'". Taste of Country.
  27. ^ "Laine Hardy Celebrates Small-Town Life in 'Tiny Town' [Listen]". July 10, 2020.
  28. ^ "Laine Hardy Welcomes the Holidays with 'Please Come Home for Christmas' Music Video". Forbes.
  29. ^ "Laine Hardy Releases New Song "Other LA" for His Fans". October 9, 2020.
  30. ^ "Laine Hardy Releases Radio-Ready New Single, 'Memorize You' -- See the Brand New Music Video". May 17, 2021.
  31. ^ "The Bachelorette: Laine Hardy's 'Memorize You' Song of the Season". August 10, 2021.
  32. ^ "Laine Hardy Digs His Country Roots in New Track, 'Authentic'". July 23, 2021.
  33. ^ "Laine Hardy Releases Debut Album Here's to Anyone | PEOPLE.com".
  34. ^ a b c Ushe, Naledi; Hilburn, Greg (April 29, 2022). "'American Idol' winner Laine Hardy arrested, accused of bugging ex-girlfriend's room". USA Today.
  35. ^ Stelloh, Tim; Chirba, Kurt; Planas, Antonio (April 29, 2022). "'American Idol' winner Laine Hardy accused of bugging ex-girlfriend's dorm room". NBC News.
  36. ^ "Digital Song Sales". Billboard. June 1, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2019.

External links