Mike Leon Grosch

German pop artist Mike Leon Grosch rocketed into national prominence by finishing second on season three of Deutschland Sucht den SuperStar, Germany’s adaptation of the American Idol format. He entered the world on November 11, 1976, in Wuppertal and grew up in Cologne, where he was employed selling mobile phones at the moment he advanced to the Deutschland Sucht den SuperStar finals in autumn 2005. Possessing a husky, soulful timbre frequently likened to that of British pop sensation Seal, Grosch was widely predicted to claim the title, while his developing relationship with fellow contestant Vanessa Jean Dedmon only intensified press attention. In the end he placed behind Tobias Regner at the season finale, securing 45 percent of the public vote. Released in mid-2006, his first single “Don’t Let It Get You Down” ascended to the top of the German pop charts and propelled the accompanying album Absolute to the number-two position. Follow-up release “Confessional” achieved markedly less success, barely entering the Top 30.