Brandon Rogers

Brandon Rogers, a Los Angeles native and fellow season six American Idol contestant alongside Melinda Doolittle, already possessed a thriving career as a backing vocalist for major artists such as Christina Aguilera, Patti LaBelle, Justin Timberlake, and Johnny Mathis prior to his television appearance. His innate childhood skill for reproducing any song by ear prompted him to pursue formal training as a jazz vocal major at the University of North Texas, where Norah Jones was among his classmates. In the late '90s and early 2000s, he produced and performed with the vocal ensemble Sons of Harmony, resulting in a release on Maximum Records plus an opening slot on tour for Destiny's Child. Following the group's 2001 disbandment, Rogers transitioned fully into session work as a backing singer. During his time on the road with Aguilera, he started composing and recording demos for his debut solo project, Automatic, issued in 2006. Judges at the Los Angeles auditions singled out his vocals as among the strongest they had encountered, and his subsequent performances secured him a place among the 24 semifinalists.