Judd Harris
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Judd Harris (born August 5, 1977) is an American singer and was a semi-finalist on season 4 of the television show American Idol. Although he lives in New York City, he is originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, and auditioned for American Idol in that city. He is a 1996 graduate of the Isidore Newman School, and was in the same graduating class as noted author Christopher Rice and poker expert Ed Miller.
Harris got a talent-based scholarship to New York University where he studied at Collaborative Arts Project 21, the exclusive musical theater studio at Tisch School of the Arts. In his junior year (1998), while attending a seminar with New York pop icon Billy Joel, he asked Joel if he would allow him to perform a duet with him on stage. The two received a standing ovation for their impromptu rendition of "Baby Grand", a duet Joel and Ray Charles originally recorded together.
When he got out of school, he did some shows off-off-Broadway and decided that he would rather pursue music exclusively than musical theater. That's when he started playing with various bands around NYC. The first was called Velvet Soul.
In 2005, Harris was selected out of more than 100,000 auditioners as one of 24 semi-finalists in the fourth season of American Idol. He sang Mustang Sally in the last round of Hollywood auditions; the clip of his audition which appeared in an American Idol episode featured the other contestants singing along with Judd's enthusiastic performance. Judd was complimented by the judges for his voice, his showmanship and his endearing humility.
During the first round of the American Idol semi-finals, Harris sang Travelin' Band by Creedence Clearwater Revival. He received the second-lowest number of votes of the twelve male semi-finalists and was eliminated from the show in that first round.
Since appearing on Idol, he has been performing in New York with his band, Visible From Space, for which he is lead singer. The band also features Rick Nossa, a long-time musical collaborator with Harris, on guitar, Robert Gingery on bass, Paul Amorese on drums, and Jon Loyd on keys. The band's musical influences include The Meters, Lenny Kravitz, Jamiroquai, The Black Crowes and Led Zeppelin. Visible From Space currently plays at numerous New York City venues and their debut album Fly is now available.
