Rayvon Owen (born June 27, 1991) is an American singer from Richmond, Virginia who finished in 4th place on season 14 of American Idol.
Background[]
Before trying out for Idol, Rayvon, a graduate of Belmont University, was working as a vocal coach in his hometown of Richmond, Virginia.
American Idol[]
Rayvon auditioned for American Idol Season 14 with "Wide Awake" by Katy Perry and earned a Golden Ticket to Hollywood. While in Hollywood, he advanced passed the judgement and group rounds and performed "Ordinary People" by John Legend for the final solo round. During the Top 24, he performed "Lay Me Down" by Sam Smith and was voted into the Top 16. He performed "My Girl" by The Temptations during the Top 16 and was eventually voted into the finals. During the Top 12, he performed a reprise of his audition song and advanced to the Top 11. He performed "Burn" by Ellie Goulding during the first week of the Top 11 and performed "Stayin' Alive" by The Bee Gees the second week. After escaping the Bottom 3, he performed "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears only to enter the Bottom 2. After a new twist with the "Fan Save" with Twitter, he was declared safe while fellow contestant Daniel Seavey was sent home. For the Top 8, he performed "Since U Been Gone" by Kelly Clarkson, which resulted in him making the top 8 thanks to the Idol Fan Save. For Billboard Hits week, Rayvon sang "Set Fire to The Rain" and received the Idol Fan Save for a third consecutive time. For the Top 6, he performed "Long Train Runnin'" by The Doobie Brothers and "Always on My Mind" by Brenda Lee. For the Top 5, he performed Sam Smith's "I'm Not the Only One" and "Go Your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac and was declared safe after being in the Bottom 2 or 3 for six consecutive weeks. For the Top 4, he performed "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum and "Believe" by Justin Bieber. He was eliminated finishing in 4th place on May 6, 2015.
Performances[]
| Episode | Theme | Song choice | Original artist | Order # | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audition | Auditioner's Choice | "Wide Awake" | Katy Perry | N/A | Advanced |
| Hollywood Round, Part 1 | A Capella | "Ordinary People" | John Legend | N/A | Advanced |
| Hollywood Round, Part 2 | Group Performance | "Since U Been Gone" | Kelly Clarkson | N/A | Advanced |
| Hollywood Round, Part 3 | Solo | "Try a Little Tenderness" | Otis Redding | N/A | Advanced |
| Showcase Week | Personal Choice | "Lay Me Down" | Sam Smith | N/A | Advanced |
| Top 24 | Contestant's Choice | "Jealous" | Nick Jonas | 13 | Advanced |
| Top 16 | Motown | "My Girl" | The Temptations | 5 | Advanced |
| Top 12 | Back to the Start | "Wide Awake" | Katy Perry | 2 | Safe |
| Top 11 (first week) | Get the Party Started | "Burn" | Ellie Goulding | 1 | Safe |
| Top 11 (second week) | Movie Night | "Stayin' Alive" | The Bee Gees | 3 | Bottom 3 |
| Top 9 | 80s Night | "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" | Tears for Fears | 9 | Bottom 2 |
| Top 8 | Kelly Clarkson | "Since U Been Gone" | Kelly Clarkson | 8 | Bottom 2 |
| Top 7 | Billboard Top 100 Hits | "Set Fire to the Rain" | Adele | 7 | Bottom 2 |
| Top 6 | American Classics | "Long Train Runnin'" | The Doobie Brothers | 6 | Bottom 2 |
| "Always on My Mind" | Brenda Lee | 12 | |||
| Top 5 | Arena Anthems | "I'm Not The Only One" | Sam Smith | 5 | Bottom 2 |
| "Go Your Own Way" | Fleetwood Mac | 10 | |||
| Top 4 | Judges' Hometown/Soul | "Need You Now" | Lady Antebellum | 4 | Eliminated |
| "Believe" | Justin Bieber | 7 |
Post Idol[]
Rayvon was a part of the American Idols Live tour, which kicked off on July 7, 2015 in Clearwater, Florida. He released his first EP, Air, on September 25, 2015. The EP features a duet with season 12 winner Candice Glover. He also recorded a jazzy-style cover of the R.Kelly hit "Ignition (Remix)" with Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox, which was released on December 10, 2015. He also made a cameo appearence in Jax's music video for her song "La La Land". His new single, "Can't Fight It", was released on February 12, 2016.
Personal Life[]
In an interview with Billboard's Fred Bronson, posted on Billboard's website on February 14, 2016, Rayvon revealed that he is gay. He admitted that the reason he didn't mention his sexuality while he was on the show was because he hadn't told his mother at the time.
Rayvon became engaged to his boyfriend, Shane Bitney Crone, on March 2, 2018. Singer Demi Lovato, a friend of the couple, helped with the proposal, which took place at her concert in Los Angeles.
Discography[]
Singles:
- "Ignition (Remix)" (collaboration with Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox) (2015)
- "Can't Fight It" (2016)
EPs:
- Air (2015)