Skylar Laine Harden (born February 4, 1994) is an American country singer from Brandon, Mississippi who finished in 5th place on season 11 of American Idol.
Early Life[]
Laine graduated from Brandon High School a year early and was working in her family's store, which they have run for 70 years, when she tried out for Idol. Her musical influences are George Jones, Waylon Jennings, and Miranda Lambert. Laine has been compared by some to country music icon Reba McEntire.
American Idol[]
Laine auditioned for the show in Houston, impressing the judges with her rendition of the Pistol Annies hit "Hell on Heels". She continued to impress not only the judges but also the public with her voice and strong performances such as her rendition of The Faces classic "Stay With Me", which helped earn her a spot in the top 13. Her best performance to date is her version of the Bette Midler hit "Wind Beneath My Wings". Laine, however, was eliminated on May 3, 2012, finishing in 5th place.
Personal Life[]
After they had performed the Kenny Rogers-Dolly Parton hit song "Islands in The Stream", rumors surfaced about a possible romance between Laine and fellow contestant Colton Dixon. Laine denied it, saying at the time that she had a boyfriend. Dixon denied the rumors as well.
Laine is now single.
Post-Idol[]
Laine appeared on various talk shows like Live with Kelly and Anderson after her elimination. She also appeared at Kohl's in Los Angeles to help promote the AI Authentic Icon clothing collection. Laine even got to perform "Turn On the Radio" with country legend Reba McEntire at the Idol finale on May 23, 2012.
Laine signed a deal with 19 Recordings and has since moved to Nashville, where she is currently working on her first album. Her EP, Skylar Laine: American Idol Season 11 Highlights, was released at Walmart stores on July 3, 2012 and has sold 33,000 copies as of September 2012. However, in January 2013, Laine announced that she had left 19 Management due to them not being able to help her find a record deal. She continues to work on new music and even posted 6 songs on her official website for her fans to listen to and enjoy.
Kickstarter campaign[]
Laine announced in September 2014 that she had started a fundraising campaign via Kickstarter.com to raise $8,000 so that she could record her first EP, which will consist of original music. She successfully reached her goal on October 22, 2014 by raising a grand total of $8,713.
New EP[]
Laine's debut EP, Dirl Covered Lace, was released on July 10, 2015. The song features the single, "Night on Fire".
Discography[]
EPs:
- Skylar Laine: American Idol Season 11 Highlights (2012)
- Dirt Covered Lace (2015)