Ferras

Ferras was born in 1982 in Illinois.{{cite web|last1=Collar|first1=Matt|title=Ferrass|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/ferras-mn0000988944/biography|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=October 2, 2014}} After his parents divorced when he was an early age, his father promised him a trip to Disneyland and instead took him back to Amman, Jordan, his father's homeland.{{cite news|last1=Sandy|title=Ferras Alqaisi is Adam Lambert's Boyfriend|url=http://www.rightcelebrity.com/?p=7198|access-date=17 June 2014|publisher=Right Celebrity|date=7 November 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819083948/http://www.rightcelebrity.com/?p=7198|archive-date=19 August 2014|url-status=dead}} His mother eventually succeeded in bringing him back to the United States, eventually moving to Southern California.{{cite news|title=How Ferras achieved his dream (and how you can too) |url=https://www.dosomething.org/blog/celebsgonegood/how-ferras-achieved-his-dream-and-how-you-can-too |access-date=17 June 2014 |publisher=Do Something |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819082500/https://www.dosomething.org/blog/celebsgonegood/how-ferras-achieved-his-dream-and-how-you-can-too |archive-date=19 August 2014 }} He also attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.{{cite news|last1=Shanahan|first1=Mark|last2=Goldstein|first2=Meredith|title=Lambert dating a Berklee guy?|url=http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/more_names/blog/2009/11/lambert_dating_a_berklee_guy.html|access-date=17 June 2014|publisher=The Boston Globe|date=November 2009}}

Ferras' career began when he was in Amman with his father. He practiced music on a small keyboard that his father gave him and began to write his own songs. Ferras credits the keyboard for helping him through a lonely time while he was in Jordan. He was 17 when he decided to pursue a career in music, after listening to pop artists such as Britney Spears and 'N Sync. After submitting a demo tape, he was invited to Florida where he signed with a manager and moved to Los Angeles. He performed as Elton John in the reality television Performing As... and was introduced to Fred Durst by the show's vocal coach. Ferras was signed by Durst prior to joining the Berklee College of Music. He was eventually signed to EMI's Capitol Records after an audition for the label's chairman Jason Flom while on spring break.

In April 2008, Ferras released his major record label debut with Aliens & Rainbows via Capitol Records.{{cite news|last1=Krochmal|first1=Shana Naomi|title=Aliens & Rainbows|url=http://www.out.com/entertainment/2009/06/16/aliens-rainbows|access-date=17 June 2014|publisher=Out Magazine|date=16 June 2009}} The album was produced by The Matrix and Gary Clark.{{cite news|last1=Maroney|first1=Padraic|title=Aliens & Rainbows|url=http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=entertainment&sc=music&sc3=cd&id=71726&pf=1|access-date=17 June 2014|publisher=Edge Boston|date=5 April 2008}} The album features the lead single "Hollywood's Not America," which was used as the "exit song" during the semi-final round of the seventh season of the American reality series American Idol before being replaced by a single from Ruben Studdard. The choice gave Ferras a moderate amount of exposure and publicity for the song,{{cite news |author=Andy Dehnart |author-link=Andy Dehnart |url= http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/american_idol_7/2008_Feb_10_ferras_hollywoods_not_america|title = Ferras' "Hollywood's Not America" selected as American Idol 7's exit song |work = Reality Blurred|date = 2008-02-10 |access-date = 2008-02-11}} which peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard Hot 100. He also performed the song during his first national television performance on The Today Show.

File:Ferras 2008.jpg

Ferras released an independent EP entitled "Interim" on July 2, 2010. The EP consisted of five original acoustic songs recorded as a live performance in a studio setting.

The year 2010 was also a big year for his songwriting. He co-wrote the song "Aftermath" for Adam Lambert's debut CD For Your Entertainment.{{cite news|last1=Parker |first1=Lyndsey |title=Aftermath Gets Better: Adam Lambert Releases Remix To Benefit The Trevor Project |url=https://music.yahoo.com/blogs/reality-rocks/aftermath-gets-better-adam-lambert-releases-remix-to-benefit-the-trevor-project.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140618145928/https://music.yahoo.com/blogs/reality-rocks/aftermath-gets-better-adam-lambert-releases-remix-to-benefit-the-trevor-project.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 June 2014 |access-date=17 June 2014 |publisher=Yahoo! Music |date=9 March 2011 }} In late September 2010, the song was a #1 single in Finland.{{cite news|last1=Wheeler|first1=Katrina K.|title=American Idol: Adam Lambert's Aftermath hits #1 in Finland|publisher=The Examiner|date=30 September 2010}} In June 2010, Australian singer Michael Paynter released the song "Love the Fall" featuring The Veronicas which was co-written by Ferras and Gary Clark. It became the most added song to Australian radio in the first week of July and was the first top-20 single on the ARIA chart for Paynter, and was later certified Platinum.{{cite news|last1=Byrnes|first1=Holly|last2=Adams|first2=Cameron|title=Reality show The Voice gives seasoned Australian singers another career shot|url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/entertainment/television/reality-show-the-voice-gives-seasoned-australian-singers-another-career-shot/story-fncaks2k-1226624612306|access-date=17 June 2014|publisher=Courier Mail|date=21 April 2013}}

Ferras continued concentrating on songwriting and in January 2011, German singer Lena Meyer-Landrut performed the song "Good News" which was co-written by Ferras and Audra Mae for the Eurovision Song Contest 2011.{{cite news|last1=Klier|first1=Marcus|title=Live: First semi final in Germany|url=http://esctoday.com/16626/live_first_semi_final_in_germany/|access-date=17 June 2014|publisher=Esc Today|date=31 January 2011}} Four tracks co-written by Ferras were also included on the Ricky Martin record "Musica+Alma+Sexo" which was released on February 1, 2011. Ferras co-wrote the song "Galaxy" with Richard Vission and was released as a duet by Australian recording artists Jessica Mauboy and Stan Walker in 2011.{{cite AV media notes |title=Get 'Em Girls (Deluxe Edition) |others=Jessica Mauboy |date=2011 |type=CD liner |publisher=Sony Music Australia }} The song was released digitally in October 2011 as the fifth single from Mauboy's second studio album. It peaked at number 13 on the Aria Singles Chart and number seven on the Aria Urban Singles Chart.{{cite web |title=Jessica Mauboy Feat. Stan Walker - Galaxy |url=http://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Jessica+Mauboy+feat.+Stan+Walker&titel=Galaxy&cat=s |website=Australian Charts |access-date=17 June 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140723051522/http://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Jessica+Mauboy+feat.+Stan+Walker&titel=Galaxy&cat=s |archive-date=23 July 2014 }} It was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for selling over 70,000 digital copies. "Galaxy" also debuted at number 40 on the New Zealand Singles Chart.

Ferras released his self-titled EP on June 17, 2014, after becoming the first artist to sign with Katy Perry's Metamorphosis Music. He had first met Perry in 2007 when both were artists at Capitol Records.{{cite news|last1=Grow|first1=Kory|title=Katy Perry Launches New Label Metamorphosis Music, Signs Ferras|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/katy-perry-launches-new-label-metamorphosis-music-signs-ferras-20140617|access-date=17 June 2014|publisher=Rolling Stone|date=17 June 2014}} The first single of the album is titled "Speak in Tongues". The album also features a ballad called "Legends Never Die", which is a duet with Ferras and Perry. The EP contains a total of five songs and was released on iTunes. It was also announced that Ferras would be appearing as the support artist on the North American leg and in some shows in the Asian leg of Perry's Prismatic World Tour.{{cite news|title=Katy Perry launches record label through Capitol|url=http://www.buffalonews.com/article/20140617/AP/306179547/1265|access-date=17 June 2014|publisher=Buffalo News|date=17 June 2014}}

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• Official [http://www.ohferras.com Ferras] website

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{{Ferras}}

Category:1982 births

Category:Living people

Category:American pop rock singers

Category:American pop pianists

Category:American male pianists

Category:Singers from Illinois

Category:People from Macoupin County, Illinois

Category:American people of Jordanian descent

Category:Unsub Records artists

Category:21st-century American singers

Category:21st-century American pianists

Category:21st-century American male singers