Thierry Amiel

Thierry Amiel ranks among the array of youthful vocalists propelled into the spotlight by the reality television surge marking the dawn of the 21st century. Born in Bouches-du-Rhône, France, on October 18, 1982, he abandoned his psychology coursework to chase a path in music. Unsuccessful auditions for the amateur showcases Rêve d'un Soir and Popstars 2 preceded his 2003 inclusion in the debut season of A la Recherche de la Nouvelle Star, the French adaptation of the worldwide Pop Idol franchise. After scraping past elimination on the May 29 installment, he cultivated a growing base of supporters and advanced to the July 10 finale, where he contended for the top prize yet yielded to Jonatan Cerrada. A contract with BMG International nevertheless followed, yielding his first album, Paradoxes, in late 2003; it opened at number three on the French pop charts, driven by the opening single "Les Mots Bleus." His next release, issued under his own name, surfaced three years afterward.