Melinda Doolittle

Melinda Doolittle gained widespread recognition after placing third during the sixth season of American Idol, yet the neo-soul vocalist had already established a strong professional background through years of providing backing vocals for artists such as Aaron Neville, Jonny Lang, Charlie Peacock, and CeCe Winans. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, she moved to Nashville in the mid-1990s, enrolling at Belmont University as she chased opportunities in music. Having built experience as a talented supporting singer, Doolittle tried out for American Idol in 2006, securing a spot for the 2007 edition of the program. Over the course of 13 weeks, she demonstrated exceptional vocal ability, earning consistent praise from the judges, but her participation ended just prior to the final week. Following the competition, she joined the summer tour with other participants from that season, among them Blake Lewis, who finished second, and winner Jordin Sparks, while also focusing on charitable work like a journey to Zambia in the company of First Lady Laura Bush. In contrast to many fellow contestants who put out records during 2007 and 2008, Doolittle held off until 2009 for the release of her first album on Hi Fi Recordings. That project, Coming Back to You, featured interpretations of classic blues numbers and early R&B songs.