Sam Woolf Complete Bio & Career
Sam, who was born in West Bloomfield, Michigan and raised in Bradenton, Florida, was a senior in high school when he tried out for the show. He had completed a five-week program at the Berklee College of Music in Boston in the summer of 2013 and was selected as one of the 28 top songwriters for the school's singer showcase.
Sam auditioned for the show in Boston singing "Lego House" by Ed Sheeran. Impressed by his vocals, the judges sent him through to Hollywood where he did well and made it to the top 30. Sam then took on the David Gray song "Babylon", which earned him a place in the top 13.
For "Songs from the Movies" week, Sam decided to try the Beatles classic "Come Together", which has been covered by various Idol alum such as season 7's Carly Smithson, season 8 winner Kris Allen, and season 12 winner Candice Glover. The song, featured in the film Across The Universe, got Sam a bit of a mixed reaction from the judges with Harry Connick, Jr. calling his performance "average". Sam ended up in the bottom 3 but avoided elimination and made the American Idols Live tour, much to the delight of his fans.
For "America's Request" week, Sam sang "How to Save A Life" by The Frey and "Sing" by Ed Sheeran. He got praise from the judges, who told him that they felt that he was improving every week. He then teamed up with Alex Preston and Jena Irene on "Best Day of My Life" by American Authors. However, those performances would be his last as he was eliminated on May 1, 2014, finishing in 5th place.
He got to perform with Phillip Phillips at the Idol finale on May 21, 2014 and even graduated from Braden River High School on May 30, 2014. Sam got the chance to work with Grammy Award-winning producer Danny Blume on his music. His debut EP, Pretend, was released via his official website on December 23, 2014.