Paul Derek Jolley (born January 28, 1990) is an American singer from Palmersville, Tennessee who finished in 9th place on season 12 of American Idol.
Background[]
Paul, who grew up in Palmersville, Tennessee, admitted that he would like to be a country/pop singer. He even referred to himself as the male version of Taylor Swift.
American Idol[]
Paul auditioned in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and was sent to Hollywood after the Judges admired his singing of the song "I Won't Let Go". Once in Hollywood, he was sent straight to the A Capella performance, which wasn't aired on national TV. During the other half of the Hollywood Rounds, he sang "Don't You Wanna Stay" and "Blown Away" which sent him on to the Top 40. While in Las Vegas, he sang "Tonight I Wanna Cry" which gave him a spot in the Top 20. In the Top 20, he sang "Just a Fool". That performance impressed America, and he was sent on through to the Top 10. Once entering the finals, his victory song was "Alone". During the Top 10, Paul performed "Amazed" by Lonestar, which was performed by Scotty McCreery during season 10. The result of his performance of the song helped him make it to the Top 9. During the Top 9, Paul performed "Eleanor Rigby", which had been previously been covered by season 7 winner David Cook and Michael Lynche of season 9, from the Lennon-McCartney songbook. The result of him performing the song resulted in him finishing in 9th place.
Performances[]
| Episode | Theme | Song choice | Original artist | Order # | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audition | Auditioner's Choice | "I Won't Let Go" | Rascal Flatts | N/A | Advanced |
| Hollywood Round, Part 1 | A Capella | Not aired | N/A | Advanced | |
| Hollywood Round, Part 2 | Group Performance | "Don't You Wanna Stay" | Jason Aldean feat. Kelly Clarkson | N/A | Advanced |
| Hollywood Round, Part 3 | Solo | "Blown Away" | Carrie Underwood | N/A | Advanced |
| Las Vegas Round | Personal Choice | "Tonight I Wanna Cry" | Keith Urban | 1 | Advanced |
| Top 20 (10 Men) | Personal Choice | "Just a Fool" | Christina Aguilera feat. Blake Shelton | 6 | Advanced |
| Victory Song | "Alone" | I-Ten | 1 | ||
| Top 10 | Music of the American Idols | "Amazed" | Lonestar | 5 | Safe |
| Top 9 | The Beatles | "Eleanor Rigby" | The Beatles | 6 | Eliminated |
Post Idol[]
Paul was a part of the American Idols Live tour, which kicked off on July 19, 2013 in Kent, Washington and ended on August 31, 2013 in Nashville. He released a Christmas single, "Happy Christmas", on December 6, 2013. His first single, "Healed", was released on January 28, 2014.
Discography[]
Singles:
- "Happy Christmas" (2013)
- "Healed" (2014)