Melinda Doolittle

Melinda Marie Doolittle was born on October 6, 1977, in St. Louis, Missouri. She later considered Brentwood, Tennessee, her home. Doolittle graduated from Union High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1995. Her professional singing career began in 1999 after studying music at Belmont University. Prior to her national television debut, she established herself as a skilled backup vocalist, performing with notable artists such as Michael McDonald, Kirk Franklin, Aaron Neville, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Alabama, Jonny Lang, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Carman, and Anointed.

Doolittle gained widespread recognition as a third-place finalist on the sixth season of American Idol. Her audition in Memphis, Tennessee, where she sang “For Once in My Life,” received positive feedback from judges, who noted her talent despite initial nervousness. Throughout the competition, she consistently impressed judges and viewers, never landing in the bottom two or three. Performances like “(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You’ve Been Gone” and “My Funny Valentine” earned her high praise, with Simon Cowell even stating that she should have won her season.

Following her time on American Idol in 2007, Doolittle embarked on the American Idols tour. Her debut album, “Coming Back to You,” was released in 2009 by Hi Fi Recordings and sold over 53,000 copies. In 2010, she authored the book “Beyond Me: Finding Your Way to Life’s Next Level.” She released the EP “You’re the Reason” in 2013, which included the single “Never Giving Up.” Doolittle has performed at prestigious venues such as the White House, the Kennedy Center, and Carnegie Hall, and has collaborated with artists like Michael W. Smith and Postmodern Jukebox.