American Idol Winner Reveals Worrying Tour Update After Being Dropped By Record Label & Desperately Booking New Gigs

American Idol‘s Noah Thompson just gave a tour update that appeared to shed light on whether he can make a living as a singer and musician. American Idol season 20 featured many talented performers, including HunterGirl and Leah Marlene, but it was Noah who triumphed over them all after wowing fans with covers of Rihanna’s “Stay” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide,” among many other songs. While he signed a contract with 19 Recordings, the executives there ended up dropping him from their roster after he released an EP. As a result, Noah transitioned into being an independent artist.

Noah just promoted his next gig on Instagram, but the most surprising part of the post was that his November 13 show at The Local Nashville in Nashville, Tennessee, is free to the public, meaning he will not be making any money from this concert. Noah’s Instagram post mentioned that he’ll be “playing lots of new music” and he hopes that fans will show up. In an Instagram Story, also about his Nashville gig, the American Idol winner said, “It’s going to be my first full band show back in Nashville in, like, freaking forever.”

What Noah Thompson’s Free Concert Means For His Career

Noah Is Trying To Make A Living As A Musician

Noah has been trying to make a living out of being a professional singer and musician ever since winning American Idol. Being dropped by his record label didn’t stop him from continuing to pursue his dreams and goals. He’s been putting in the hard work of writing, recording and releasing new songs; filming music videos; and performing shows across the country.

It’s not cheap to book recording studios or to film music videos. Based on his comment, he’s got a “full band” whose members need to be paid for their work. That money needs to come from somewhere. So either the band is also not getting paid for this Nashville show or Noah’s having to spend his own money to ensure they are taken care of since he doesn’t have a major record label giving him their financial support.

Our Take On Noah Thompson’s Free Concert

Noah Hopes To Gain New Fans

It’s possible Noah is using a free show as a way to get his name out to music fans who don’t know him. Nashville is the country music capital of the world; locals and tourists alike probably discover new artists all the time there, so he’s giving them a way to hear his music and hopefully start streaming his catalog when they get home. On the other hand, a free show means he’s not earning a paycheck to help raise his young family. No matter the reason, hopefully, the Nashville show has great turnout and he leaves with more fans.

Source: Noah Thompson/Instagram

American Idol is a reality singing competition that adds to the international “Idol” brand, conceived initially in the U.K. as Pop Idol. Holding massive auditions across the U.S., American Idol invited several contestants to perform in front of a panel of judges that would determine whether or not they’d go on to future rounds for a chance at competing in the fully televised premiere of the show. Contestants are voted off each week by American participation via voting through various mediums, and the winner of the competition would be given a contract with a record label to secure a future as America’s next musical idol. 

Cast

Ryan Seacrest , Brian Dunkleman , Paula Abdul , Simon Cowell , Randy Jackson , Kara DioGuardi , Ellen DeGeneres , Jennifer Lopez , Steven Tyler , Mariah Carey , Nicki Minaj , Keith Urban , Harry Connick Jr. , Luke Bryan , Katy Perry , Lionel Richie

Release Date

June 11, 2002

Seasons

22

Streaming Service(s)

FOX

Franchise(s)

American Idol

Showrunner

Nigel Lythgoe

Franchise

Idol, American Idol

Creator(s)

Simon Fuller

Production Company

Fremantle North Americ, 19 Entertainment

Producers

Simon Fuller , Simon Jones , Nigel Lythgoe , Ken Warwick , David Hill

Avg Episode Length

2-3 hours

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