Pop-rock musician Phillip Phillips wowed “American Idol” fans and judges in season 11 with spot-on covers of iconic songs including Steve Wonder’s “Superstition”, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”, and Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle”. Phillips’ scratchy vocals, reminiscent of his own idol Dave Matthews, are exemplified in his chart-topping debut single “Home” as well as sweet, mellow tracks like “So Easy”. His platinum-selling first album The World from the Side of the Moon includes the upbeat love song “Gone, Gone, Gone”, which is sure to be a wedding song for Phillips fans for years to come. The Georgia-born singer/songwriter wound up taking home the title of American Idol, but only after dealing with congenital kidney issues that landed him in the hospital for eight surgeries during the “Idol” season. Phillips recovered in time for the “American Idol LIVE Tour”, performing major-market concerts alongside the season’s nine other top contestants. The 46-city trek sold more than a quarter of a million tickets overall, placing it at No. 62 in the Top 200 North American tours of 2012.
