Jake Simpson

Following his rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours" on the 2003 CBS revival of Star Search, aspiring pop vocalist Jake Simpson left the show's panel of celebrity judges utterly astonished. Naomi Judd went further, declaring, "You make my molecules vibrate at a high frequency -- you're a sonic blast!" Bolstered by such praise, Simpson secured an overwhelming margin in the national viewer vote. The Crocker, MO native claimed the top prize, which brought both a $100,000 award and a Sony/Columbia recording deal. Titled Star Search Winner: Jake Simpson, his debut collection surfaced in April 2003 and featured the three numbers he had performed on the series alongside five additional selections. Plans called for a complete studio album later that summer.