Reality bites for 2020 American Idol winner: Just Sam is forced to return to singing on New York’s subways after her victory fails to turn into a Kelly Clarkson fairy tale
- Former American Idol winner Samantha ‘Just Sam’ Diaz has revealed she’s back on the subway, three years after winning a $250,000 cash prize and a record deal with Hollywood Records
- Despite winning ABC’s hit singing competition series, the 24-year-old Harlem-born singer informed his more than 167,000 Instagram followers that he’s currently struggling to make ends meet.
- Last year, they left the label unexpectedly without releasing any albums under them.
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Former American Idol winner Samantha “Just Sam” Diaz has revealed she’s back on the subway, three years after winning a $250,000 cash prize and a record deal with Hollywood Records .
Despite winning ABC’s hit singing competition series, the 24-year-old Harlem native, who was hospitalized with an unknown illness last summer, informed his more than 167,000 Instagram followers that he was currently struggling to make ends meet.
Although he initially felt “super embarrassed” to announce he was back performing for New York City Transit Commuters, the singer, who uses “they” pronouns, said that letting people know they “legitimately needed the money” was no longer “optional”. .’
Still, it’s been hard for them to deal with their feelings that they’ve “fallen so low” since rising to fame on reality TV.
Last year, the singer unexpectedly left the label without releasing any albums under them.
‘I play music. I just can’t afford to release music, because mixing and mastering music is very expensive. And I invested in myself and ended up broke. It’s the truth,’ they said on their Instagram Story last year.
Reality celebrity: Former American Idol winner Samantha ‘Just Sam’ Diaz has revealed she’s back to sing on the subway, three years after winning a $250,000 cash prize and a recording contract with Hollywood Records
Trying to get by: Despite winning ABC’s hit song contest series, the 24-year-old singer from Harlem informed her more than 167,000 Instagram followers that they’re currently struggling make ends meet ; seen in 2020
The musician continued, “It’s just hard because I’m out of pocket and I have bills to pay. And American Idol won’t pay my bills. Lionel Richie won’t pay my bills. Katy Perry won’t pay my bills. Luke Bryan is not going to pay my bills. I have to pay my rent. I have to make sure I eat every day, which is hard to do.
Sam then assured fans that they had people “helping” them and that they were “going to release music when” they could and were “ready”.
Their win in the American Idol Season 18 remotely filmed finale coincided with the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the episode, they gushed that his “dreams” had “come true”.
Sam’s struggles stand in stark comparison to past winners like Carrie Underwood, who has an estimated net worth of $140 million, or Kelly Clarkson, who won three Grammy Awards and currently hosts her own eponymous talk show.
While many contestants like Jordin Sparks and Jennifer Hudson have become household names after competing on American Idol, it’s become clear that winning doesn’t guarantee success.
Who are the most and least successful American Idol winners?
Carrie Underwood (2005)
The 40-year-old country star was the fourth season winner of American Idol in 2005 and went on to a highly successful career selling over 66 million albums worldwide and has 28 No. 1 singles to her name.
Additionally, she has won eight Grammy Awards and is happily married to Mike Fisher, who is the father of her sons Isaiah Michael, born in 2015, and Jacob Bryan, born in 2019.
Success: Carrie Underwood was the fourth season winner of American Idol in 2005 and went on to a highly successful career selling over 66 million albums worldwide and has 28 No. 1 singles to her name.
Kelly Clarkson (2002)
Kelly Clarkson was crowned the first American Idol winner in 2002 and has since earned $45 million from her singing career, worked as a full-time coach on The Voice, and starred in films like From Justin to Kelly, That 80’s. Trolls show and world tour.
Impressive: Kelly Clarkson was crowned the first winner of American Idol in 2002 and has since won $45 million over the past two decades
Jordan Sparks (2007)
After winning the sixth season, aged just 17, the singer released her self-titled debut studio album, which “sold over two million copies worldwide”.
Two of his biggest hits, Tattoo and No Air, were on the record. No Air, which “is currently the third best-selling single of any American Idol contestant”, earned Sparks her first Grammy nomination.
She is the only American Idol contestant to have her first five singles reach the top 20 in the United States on the Billboard 200 chart.
The Phoenix native, 33, has been married to Dana Isaiah since 2017.
Star power: After winning the sixth season, aged just 17, the singer released her self-titled debut studio album, which “sold over two million copies worldwide”.
