Siobhan Evelyn Magnus (pronunciation: Sha-vawn) (born March 15, 1990) is an American rock singer-songwriter from Barnstable, Massachusetts who was finished in sixth place on season 9 of American Idol. She is of Irish descent. She is now the lead singer of the band Doubtful Guest.
Personal Life[]
Siobhan Magnus was born on March 15, 1990, to parents Alan and Colleen Magnus. She was raised in Barnstable, Massachusetts, along with her two older brothers Rory and Joe, her older sister Emily, and her younger sisters Ceili and Azora. Magnus' father is a singer-songwriter, her siblings play in various bands, and her brother Rory is in the film animation industry. Her grandfather is retired Barnstable judge Joseph J. Reardon. She is also the niece of Tracy Ferrie, former bassist for the Christian metal band Stryper and Alan Ware, drummer for Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra.
Magnus first started singing in a fourth grade choral concert when she sang "Tomorrow" from the play Annie.
She also previously fronted an alternative rock band called Lunar Valve, also consisting of Ralph Bousquet (lead guitar), Matthew Kohler (bass), and Jordan Bonina (drums).
American Idol[]
Magnus auditioned for American Idol in the summer of 2009 in Boston,] and was one of two Massachusetts contestants to make the semi-finals of the show.[15] Magnus emerged as an early contender after her interpretation of "Think" originally by Aretha Franklin and "Paint It Black" originally by The Rolling Stones. She is known for being able to carry a note very long and very high, which she learned while singing in the shower. Magnus' ability to hit those high notes and her dramatic performances drew comparisons to Adam Lambert. Some of her rock singing techniques have been met with criticism from Simon Cowell. On April 20, Magnus performed "When You Believe", originally a duet by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, but the judges criticized her fashion sense and general lack of direction. On the top 6 night, when she performed "Any Man of Mine", judge Kara DioGuardi told her that "she was back!" Despite praise from the judges for her performance, Magnus was eliminated the next day. Magnus was never reported to be in the Bottom 3 until the night of her elimination. Magnus' elimination came as a surprise to herself and to some viewers as she was considered one of the front-runners on the show. It was reported that as a result, many fans of Magnus had vowed to not watch the rest of the American Idol season.[ The week after Magnus' dismissal, American Idol had its lowest ratings since 2002.] Magnus is only the second contestant from Massachusetts to become a finalist in American Idol history along with season 12 contestant Angie Miller.
Performances/Results[]
| Week # | Theme | Song choice | Original artist | Order # | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audition | Auditioner's Choice | "Love of My Life" | Queen | N/A | Advanced |
| Hollywood | First Solo | "A Woman's Worth" | Alicia Keys | N/A | Advanced |
| Hollywood | Group Round | "Bad Romance" | Lady Gaga | N/A | Advanced |
| Hollywood | Second Solo | "Living for the City" | Stevie Wonder | N/A | Advanced |
| Top 24 (12 Women) | Billboard Hot 100 Hits | "Wicked Game" | Chris Isaak | 10 | Safe |
| Top 20 (10 Women) | "Think" | Aretha Franklin | 10 | Safe | |
| Top 16 (8 Women) | "The House of the Rising Sun" | The Animals | 2 | Safe | |
| Top 12 | The Rolling Stones | "Paint It, Black" | The Rolling Stones | 8 | Safe |
| Top 11 | Billboard #1 Hits | "Superstition" | Stevie Wonder | 11 | Safe |
| Top 10 | Soul | "Through the Fire" | Chaka Khan | 1 | Safe |
| Top 9 | Lennon/McCartney | "Across the Universe" | The Beatles | 8 | Safe |
| Top 9 | Elvis Presley | "Suspicious Minds" | Mark James | 6 | Safe |
| Top 7 | Inspirational Songs | "When You Believe" | Mariah Carey & Whitney Houston | 5 | Safe |
| Top 6 | Shania Twain | "Any Man of Mine" | Shania Twain | 6 | Eliminated |
*Due to the judges using their one save to save Michael Lynche, the Top 9 remained intact for another week.
After American Idol[]
After her elimination, Magnus gave several media appearances and performed "House of the Rising Sun" on The Ellen Degeneres Show, and "Paint it Black" on The Late Show with David Letterman. Letterman would go on to say to Magnus "I don't know why they voted you off, frankly I don't care. As far as I'm concerned, you should be our American Idol". Magnus also visited the If I Can Dream house and sang "I Will Come to You" by Hanson and also "Halo" by Beyoncé. She visited the house a second time with the Top 10 contestants, and sang many songs, including "Wicked Game", "No One", "Creep", and "Umbrella". She also made an appearance on The Wendy Williams Show performing "Summertime".
Lunar Valve[]
Magnus also reunited with her band, Lunar Valve, as lead vocalist. She had planned on pursuing a career with them, hoping to be signed as a band, although she didn't rule out a possible simultaneous solo music career. Lunar Valve released 3 songs on iTunes, "Where Demons Lie" on February 14, 2011, and "Now I See" and "Stalemate" on February 18, 2011.
Lunar Valve has since disbanded.
Solo career[]
Magnus released her first solo single "Beatrice Dream" on May 1, 2011. Three more singles (Escape Goat, Black Doll, & Hollywood Carousal) will be released throughout the summer with one of the songs, Black Doll, being released alongside an Edward Gorey inspired book featuring both an original story & illustrations by Magnus herself. Her debut solo album, Moonbaby, was released via Snotface Records on January 1, 2012. Magnus performed the song "Are You Ready for A Miracle" at the Cherry Blossom Parade in Washington, D.C. on April 14, 2012.
Magnus released her second solo album, Old Cape Cod, on February 28, 2013. She also released a single called "Wisdom" on July 24, 2014.
Doubtful Guest[]
On December 10, 2012 Magnus announced via her official website that she is teaming up with former members of the bands Godsmack, Fuel, Third Eye Blind, Everclear and Candlebox to form a new band called Doubtful Guest with her as the lead singer. The band was launched with a showcase in Nashville on March 27, 2013 thanks to a campaign to raise money to make the showcase happen through Kickstarter.com. They also performed at the Outside The Box Festival in Boston on July 19, 2013.
The band's music will be a combination of '90s rock hits and original material.
Tour[]
On July 8, 2014, Magnus hit the road with the rock band Boston. Her time on their tour was supposed to be until July 18, 2014, but she continued performing with Boston until August 3, 2014 In South Lake Tahoe.
She kicked off a summer tour with former Chicago guitarist Brian Stratton on June 19, 2016.
Discography[]
Lunar Valve:
- "Where Demons Lie" (2011)
- "Now I See" (2011)
- "Stalemate (2011)
Solo Singles:
- "Wisdom" (2014)
Solo Albums:
- Moonbaby (2012)
- Old Cape Cod (2013)