Biography - Bo Bice

Bo Bice holds the distinction of being the only real rocker who has ascended the prestigious “American Idol” ranks. After his victory as the fourth-season runner-up to country superstar Carrie Underwood, Bice has found success with his debut album “The Real Thing,” which has hit Gold sales along with producing a hot single in the album’s title track.

Like fellow ‘Idol’ favorites Ruben Studdard, Taylor Hicks, and Diana DeGarmo, Bice hails from Birmingham, Alabama. Born in nearby Huntsville on November 1, 1975, Bice is one of oldest contestants that the popular variety program has seen, as he was nearly 30 years old when he auditioned. Bice’s style has a distinct southern-rock flavor, but strangely enough Bice spent two of his teenage years in London, England due to his stepfather’s travel-heavy job. It was among the British that he cultivated his love of rock music, but before graduating from London Central High School (a Defense Department school for children of Americans) Bice dropped out and moved back to Alabama. He earned a GED and attended courses at Calhoun Community College and the University of North Alabama – Florence, but his real passion, as always, was rock music. By the time Bice auditioned for ‘Idol’ in 2004, he had been performing professionally for years, mainly in night clubs as a solo artist or with various bands including the still-active SugarMoney.

Along with another popular fourth-season contestant, Constantine Maroulis, Bice brought a previously unseen rock sensibility to the ‘Idol’ competition, and it proved to be a major hit with the show’s fans. With his long-hair, deliciously gravelly vocals, and a rousing performative flair, Bice made it to second place but lost out to the virtually unstoppable Underwood, who dominated the competition like Kelly Clarkson had in the show’s first season. His popularity since ‘Idol’ has been impressive for a runner-up, as most have found dwindling success with their debut albums (besides the hugely popular Clay Aiken). “The Real Thing” debuted in late 2005, and has sold nearly 900,000 copies in the U.S. alone. Bice has recently recovered successfully from a major intestinal surgery, and is hard at work on his second major album.