Clark Beckham

{{short description|American singer, songwriter and musician|bot=PearBOT 5}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Clark Beckham

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|5|15}}

| birth_place = Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.

| origin = White House, Tennessee

| years_active = 2011–present

| genre = Pop, soul

| label = Quincy Jones Management (2017)

| occupation = Singer, songwriter

| instrument = {{flatlist|

Vocals
guitar
piano}}

}}

Clark Beckham (born May 15, 1992){{citation needed|date=February 2016}} is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He finished as the runner-up on the fourteenth season of American Idol.

Early life

Beckham was born in Nashville, Tennessee, but grew up in White House, Tennessee. He is an only child. He graduated from Lee University with a degree in history. Clark got most of his musical experience playing in church and on street corners.{{cite press release|title=Clark Beckham, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and UnitedHealthcare Fight Hunger in Middle Tennessee|date=June 5, 2015 |url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150605005036/en/American-Idol-Star-Clark-Beckham-Harvest-Food#.VXHwokbzJ80}} In a Christian Post interview Beckham noted that he originally wanted to audition for American Idol at 18 years old, when it came to Nashville, but said that it was not in line with God's will at the time.{{cite web|last1=Thomasos|first1=Christine|title=American Idol Finalist and Believer Clark Beckham Doesn't Want to Be Limited to Christian Music, Doesn't Think God Wants Singers to Be Isolated to One Genre (Interview)|date=April 29, 2015 |url=http://www.christianpost.com/news/american-idol-finalist-and-believer-clark-beckham-doesnt-want-to-be-limited-to-christian-music-doesnt-think-god-wants-singers-to-be-isolated-to-one-genre-interview-138092/|publisher=Christian Post|access-date=May 2, 2015}}

Career

=''American Idol''=

Beckham auditioned for American Idol singing "It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World" by James Brown. He was the first contestant at the first city, Nashville, Tennessee, to sing in front of the judges. He passed the audition by a split decision: approved by Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban, disapproved by Harry Connick Jr. During Hollywood week, he sang "Let's Get It On" and "Try a Little Tenderness". In the House of Blues showcase, he sang "Georgia on My Mind", earning his spot in the Top 24.

When asked what one moment stands out for him, Beckham said the time Connick Jr. said, "I don't think you could have done that any better"—after Beckham's performance of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition". "Harry's typically been tough on me," said Beckham. "He's like a coach trying to get the best out of me. And I really appreciate that."{{cite web|title=Why Harry Connick Jr. Is Tough On Clark Beckham|url=http://2paragraphs.com/2015/04/why-harry-connick-jr-is-tough-on-clark-beckham/}}

==Performances on ''American Idol''==

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" ! scope="col" \| Week ! scope="col" \| Theme ! scope="col" \| Song(s) ! scope="col" \| Original artist(s) !Order !Result
scope="row" \| Auditions \| Contestant's choice \| "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" \| James Brown \|rowspan=5\|N/A \|rowspan=5\|Advanced
scope="row" \| Hollywood Week (Pt. 1) \| A Capella \| Let's Get It On \| Marvin Gaye
scope="row" \| Hollywood Week (Pt. 2) \| Group round \| "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" \| Stevie Wonder
scope="row" \| Hollywood Week (Pt. 3) \| Solo round \| "Try a Little Tenderness" \| Otis Redding
scope="row" \| House of Blues (Top 48) \| Contestant's choice \| "Georgia on My Mind" \| Ray Charles
scope="row" \| Top 24 \| Contestant's choice \| "When a Man Loves a Woman" \| Percy Sledge \| 6 \|rowspan=12\|Safe
scope="row" \| Top 16 \| Music of Motown \| "The Tracks of My Tears" \| The Miracles \| 5
scope="row" \| Top 12 \| "Back to the Start" \| "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" \| James Brown \| 9
scope="row" \| Top 11 (week 1) \| "Get the Party Started" \| "Takin' It to the Streets" \| The Doobie Brothers \| 4
scope="row" \| Top 11 (week 2) \| Songs from the Movies \|"Sunday Morning" (from Cheaper by the Dozen 2) \| Maroon 5 \| 9
scope="row" \| Top 9 \| Songs from the 1980s \| "Every Breath You Take" \| The Police \|rowspan=2\|7
scope="row" \| Top 8 \| Kelly Clarkson \| "The Trouble with Love Is" \| Kelly Clarkson
scope="row" \| Top 7 \| Billboard Hot 100 \| "Make It Rain" \| Foy Vance \| 5
scope="row" \| Top 6 \| "American classics" as deemed by viewers{{cite web\|last1=Upadhyaya\|first1=Kayla Kumari\|title='American Idol' Recap: Top 6 Perform American Classics\|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/idol-worship/6531912/american-idol-recap-top-6-perform-american-classics\|publisher=Billboard\|access-date=April 16, 2015}} \| "Superstition" "Moon River" \| Stevie Wonder Audrey Hepburn \| 2 7
scope="row" \| Top 5 \| "Arena anthems"{{cite web\|last1=Ho\|first1=Rodney\|title='American Idol' bits: Power 6 rankings, top 6 song spoilers, Quentin vs. Harry\|url=http://radiotvtalk.blog.ajc.com/2015/04/21/american-idol-bits-power-6-rankings-top-6-song-spoilers-quentin-vs-harry\|publisher=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution\|access-date=April 23, 2015\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150424203049/http://radiotvtalk.blog.ajc.com/2015/04/21/american-idol-bits-power-6-rankings-top-6-song-spoilers-quentin-vs-harry/\|archive-date=April 24, 2015\|url-status=dead}} \| "Yesterday" "Boyfriend" \| The Beatles Justin Bieber \| 3 8
scope="row" \| Top 4 \| Judges' Hometown Contestant's own soul \| "Living for the City" "Your Man" \| Stevie Wonder Josh Turner \| 1 5
scope="row" \| Top 3 \| Scott Borchetta's Choice Judges' Choice Hometown's Choice \| "Beautiful Day" "(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay" "Earned It" \| U2 Otis Redding The Weeknd \| 1 5 7
scope="row" \| Top 2 \| Favorite Performance Simon Fuller's Choice Winner's Single \| "Georgia on My Mind" "Ain't No Sunshine" "Champion" \| Ray Charles Bill Withers Clark Beckham \| 1 3 5 \|rowspan=2\|Runner-up
scope="row" \| Finale \| Encore with original artist \| "Centuries" (Feat. Fall Out Boy & Nick Fradiani) "Takin' It to the Streets" (Feat. Michael McDonald) \| Fall Out Boy The Doobie Brothers \| N/A

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

! scope="col" | Week

! scope="col" | Theme

! scope="col" | Song(s)

! scope="col" | Original artist(s)

!Order

!Result

scope="row" | Auditions

| Contestant's choice

| "It's a Man's Man's Man's World"

| James Brown

|rowspan=5|N/A

|rowspan=5|Advanced

scope="row" | Hollywood
Week (Pt. 1)

| A Capella

| Let's Get It On

| Marvin Gaye

scope="row" | Hollywood
Week (Pt. 2)

| Group round

| "Signed, Sealed, Delivered"

| Stevie Wonder

scope="row" | Hollywood
Week (Pt. 3)

| Solo round

| "Try a Little Tenderness"

| Otis Redding

scope="row" | House of Blues
(Top 48)

| Contestant's choice

| "Georgia on My Mind"

| Ray Charles

scope="row" | Top 24

| Contestant's choice

| "When a Man Loves a Woman"

| Percy Sledge

| 6

|rowspan=12|Safe

scope="row" | Top 16

| Music of Motown

| "The Tracks of My Tears"

| The Miracles

| 5

scope="row" | Top 12

| "Back to the Start"

| "It's a Man's Man's Man's World"

| James Brown

| 9

scope="row" | Top 11
(week 1)

| "Get the Party Started"

| "Takin' It to the Streets"

| The Doobie Brothers

| 4

scope="row" | Top 11
(week 2)

| Songs from the Movies

|"Sunday Morning"
(from Cheaper by the Dozen 2)

| Maroon 5

| 9

scope="row" | Top 9

| Songs from the 1980s

| "Every Breath You Take"

| The Police

|rowspan=2|7

scope="row" | Top 8

| Kelly Clarkson

| "The Trouble with Love Is"

| Kelly Clarkson

scope="row" | Top 7

| Billboard Hot 100

| "Make It Rain"

| Foy Vance

| 5

scope="row" | Top 6

| "American classics"
as deemed by viewers{{cite web|last1=Upadhyaya|first1=Kayla Kumari|title='American Idol' Recap: Top 6 Perform American Classics|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/idol-worship/6531912/american-idol-recap-top-6-perform-american-classics|publisher=Billboard|access-date=April 16, 2015}}

| "Superstition"
"Moon River"

| Stevie Wonder
Audrey Hepburn

| 2
7

scope="row" | Top 5

| "Arena anthems"{{cite web|last1=Ho|first1=Rodney|title='American Idol' bits: Power 6 rankings, top 6 song spoilers, Quentin vs. Harry|url=http://radiotvtalk.blog.ajc.com/2015/04/21/american-idol-bits-power-6-rankings-top-6-song-spoilers-quentin-vs-harry|publisher=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|access-date=April 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150424203049/http://radiotvtalk.blog.ajc.com/2015/04/21/american-idol-bits-power-6-rankings-top-6-song-spoilers-quentin-vs-harry/|archive-date=April 24, 2015|url-status=dead}}

| "Yesterday"
"Boyfriend"

| The Beatles
Justin Bieber

| 3
8

scope="row" | Top 4

| Judges' Hometown
Contestant's own soul

| "Living for the City"
"Your Man"

| Stevie Wonder
Josh Turner

| 1
5

scope="row" | Top 3

| Scott Borchetta's Choice
Judges' Choice
Hometown's Choice

| "Beautiful Day"
"(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay"
"Earned It"

| U2
Otis Redding
The Weeknd

| 1
5
7

scope="row" | Top 2

| Favorite Performance
Simon Fuller's Choice
Winner's Single

| "Georgia on My Mind"
"Ain't No Sunshine"
"Champion"

| Ray Charles
Bill Withers
Clark Beckham

| 1
3
5

|rowspan=2|Runner-up

scope="row" | Finale

| Encore with original artist

| "Centuries" (Feat. Fall Out Boy & Nick Fradiani)
"Takin' It to the Streets" (Feat. Michael McDonald)

| Fall Out Boy
The Doobie Brothers

| N/A

=Post-''Idol''=

Beckham has been using his post-Idol expertise in the creation of a YouTube video channel about American Idol.{{Cite web|title=Clark Beckham – YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCizuqqn-zLOmZepW2KoTp2A|access-date=2021-07-29|website=www.youtube.com}} In May 2021, he appeared on the Talent Recap show to discuss the nineteenth season finale.{{Citation|title=American Idol Winner 2021!! FINALE RECAP SHOW| date=May 23, 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIfhzjAmVoY|language=en|access-date=2021-07-29}}{{Cite web|date=April 23, 2021|title='American Idol' Runner Up Clark Beckham Reveals Honest Opinion About Comeback Twist|url=https://talentrecap.com/american-idol-runner-up-clark-beckham-reveals-honest-opinion-about-comeback-twist/|access-date=2021-07-29|website=Talent Recap|language=en-US}} Beckham will also appear in the upcoming film An Old Song.{{Cite web|date=July 29, 2021|title='Idol's Clark Beckham Produces Album for Hannah Everhart Ahead of Acting Gig|url=https://talentrecap.com/idols-clark-beckham-produces-album-for-hannah-everhart-ahead-of-acting-gig/|access-date=2021-07-29|website=Talent Recap|language=en-US}}

Discography

=Albums=

2013: Clark Beckham (EP)
2014: Songs About Her (EP)
2015: Champion
2015: American Idol Season 14: Best of Clark Beckham
2018: Year One (EP)
2020: Light Year

Accolades

class="wikitable"

! Year

! Association

! Category

! Result

2015

| Teen Choice Awards

| Choice Music: Next Big Thing

| {{nom}}

References

External links

[http://www.americanidol.com/contestants/season_14/Clark-Beckham Clark Beckham]{{Dead link|date=March 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} on American Idol
{{IMDb name|6141758|Clark Beckham}}

Category:1992 births

Category:American Idol participants

Category:Living people

Category:Musicians from Nashville, Tennessee

Category:People from White House, Tennessee

Category:21st-century American male singers

Category:21st-century American singers