American Idol and The Voice have been dominant players in the world of competition television for over a decade. Kelly Clarkson rose to fame as the first winner of American Idol, and now, nearly 20 years later, sits on the coaching panel of Idol’s rival The Voice. While the two singing competitions have wildly different formats, it’s not surprising that a number of American Idol contestants have tried to double down on their 15 minutes of fame by later competing on The Voice, or vice versa.
American Idol is where it all began in 2002, launching the careers of Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson (who has also served on The Voice’s coaching panel), Chris Daughtry and more. The Voice came along in 2011, where artists including Cassadee Pope, Chloe Kohanski (who now goes by chloe mk) and Jordan Smith have found success.
Over the years, some contestants have used their experience from one show to grow before auditioning for the other. Others got a bad shake in one competition and decided to take their talents to another network. Whatever their reason, here are 16 contestants who tried their hand at fame on both American Idol and The Voice.
Raquel Trinidad (American Idol Season 17, The Voice Season 21)
Viewers of the latest season of The Voice might have recognized this member of Ariana Grande’s team. In 2019, Raquel Trinidad made it to the Top 20 on American Idol Season 17. She impressed the judges with performances, including “Rich Girl” by Gwen Stefani and “Tiny Dancer” by Elton John, before being sent home. When she returned to the competition stage this year for The Voice’s 21st season, Trinidad advanced to the Live Playoffs with numbers like “Valerie” and “Don’t Know Why.”
MacKenzie Bourg (American Idol Season 15, The Voice Season 3)
MacKenzie Bourg’s quiet rasp got the attention of CeeLo Green on The Voice back in 2012 on the show’s third season, where memorable performances of “Pumped Up Kicks” and “Call Me Maybe” got Bourg to the Live Playoffs before he was eliminated. In 2016, Bourg hit the American Idol stage, impressing Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick Jr. with a medley of their hits as his audition piece. Bourg made it all the way to the end of Season 15, placing fourth overall.
Shelbie Z. (American Idol Season 15, The Voice Season 5)
Shelbie Z. was a fireball of gritty country energy when she joined Blake Shelton’s team in 2013. She was cut in the Season 5 Knockout Round after her performance of Carrie Underwood’s “Last Name.” Three years later, Shelbie Z. took the song that eliminated her from The Voice and used it to audition for Season 15 of American Idol, where she made it to the Top 24 before a duet of “Bohemian Rhapsody” earned her some tough critiques, and she was eliminated.
Mark Andrew (American Idol Season 14, The Voice Season 4)
Mark Andrew made it to the Top 16 of American Idol in 2015 with a Motown Week performance of “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone.” But, two years earlier, Andrew had cut his chops over on NBC, joining Team Shakira on Season 4 of The Voice after an audition of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.” He was, however, eliminated in the Battle Round.
Adanna Duru (American Idol Season 14, The Voice Season 3)
Adanna Duru was only 15 years old when she joined Adam Levine’s team on the third season of The Voice. Although she was eliminated in the Battle Round, she took what she’d learned and headed over to Fox to compete on American Idol in 2015, at age 18. She ended Season 14 in 10th place after performances including “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” and Lady Gaga’s “You and I.”
Dexter Roberts (American Idol Season 13, The Voice Season 16)
Country crooner Dexter Roberts found success on both shows, finishing in seventh place on Season 13 of American Idol in 2014. Five years later he hit the competition stage again, earning a Four-Chair Turn, but opting to join (who else?) Blake Shelton’s team. The decision worked out, as the Brooks & Dunn fan sang “Ain’t Nothing ‘bout You” and “Believe” before reaching the finale for a duet of “Hard Workin’ Man” with his coach. Roberts placed third overall.
Jeremy Rosado (American Idol Season 11, The Voice Season 21)
Jeremy Rosado won the hearts of The Voice viewers when he talked about putting his music career on the back burner when, at age 22, he took custody of his niece and raised her as his daughter. What The Voice didn’t mention was that two years prior to becoming a father, that music career actually included an appearance on Season 11 of American Idol, where he made it to the Top 13. Now that his daughter is older, Rosado has picked up where he left off, competing on Season 21 of The Voice, where, as of this writing, he made it through to the Top 11.
Agina Alvarez (American Idol Season 11, The Voice Season 4)
Agina Alvarez made it to Hollywood on Season 11 of American Idol in 2012 before being eliminated. The powerful singer had a similar experience the next year on The Voice, joining Adam Levine’s team as a one-chair turn on Season 4, but being eliminated in the Battle Round.
Colton Swon/Swon Brothers (American Idol Season 9, The Voice Season 4)
Colton Swon reached the Top 48 of American Idol in 2007 after auditioning with “Boondocks.” But, it was when he brought his brother Zach along six years later that success really came. The Swon Brothers sang “American Girl” in the Blind Auditions for Season 4 of The Voice, joining Blake Shelton’s team and making it all the way to third place — the highest finish of any group to this day.
Luke Edgemon (American Idol Season 9, The Voice Season 4)
Luke Edgemon made it to Hollywood Week on American Idol in 2010, but was eliminated from a packed Season 9. In 2013, Edgemon earned a spot on Team Shakira for The Voice’s fourth season with his audition of “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” He lost his Battle but was stolen by Team Usher, before losing again in the Knockout Round.
Keith Semple (American Idol Season 9, The Voice Season 9)
Irish singer Keith Semple earned a Golden Ticket to Hollywood on American Idol Season 9 in 2010. However, he was disqualified from the competition because he did not have permanent residency in the U.S., which was required by the Fox series. Semple tried his hand on The Voice Season 9 in 2015, joining Adam Levine’s team. He made it to the Top 24 before being eliminated after a performance of “To Be With You.”
Jamar Rogers (American Idol Season 8, The Voice Season 2)
Jamar Rogers appeared on American Idol in 2009, with his journey ending at the Green Mile of Season 8. But, opportunity presented itself just a few years later, as Rogers joined The Voice, which was in Season 2 in 2012. Rogers impressed CeeLo Green with his audition of “Seven Nation Army,” and he made it all the way to the Semifinals, before being cut when four singers were eliminated from the Top 8.
Sundance Head (American Idol Season 6, The Voice Season 11)
A memorable name can’t hurt when you’re competing for America’s vote, but it was Sundance Head’s vocal instrument that found him success on both singing competitions. In 2007 he made it to the Top 16 of American Idol’s sixth season with performances that included “Nights in White Satin” and “Mustang Sally.” But in 2016, he took it all the way to the end, winning Season 11 of The Voice as a member of Blake Shelton’s team with songs like “No One” by Alicia Keys (who was a coach that season) and “At Last.”
Jon Peter Lewis/Midas Whale (American Idol Season 3, The Voice Season 4)
In 2004, Jon Peter Lewis competed on Season 3 of American Idol, receiving high praise from Simon Cowell and Sir Elton John. JPL finished eighth overall. In 2013, JPL recruited his friend Ryan Hayes to join Season 4 of The Voice as the duo Midas Whale. They got a Four-Chair Turn and joined Adam Levine’s team, making it to the Knockout Round.
The Morgan Twins (American Idol Season 2, The Voice Season 4)
Rhian and Cara Morgan showed some truly “twinning” behavior as they sang Alicia Keys’ “Fallin’” in their auditions for both American Idol in 2003 and The Voice in 2013. The identical twins were eliminated in Hollywood in Idol’s second season, as well as the Battle Rounds in The Voice’s fourth season, after earning a Four-Chair Turn and joining Blake Shelton's team.
Frenchie Davis (American Idol Season 2, The Voice Season 1)
If we’re talking old school singing competition divas, even Kelly Clarkson might step aside for Frenchie Davis, who was a favorite to win American Idol Season 2 before being disqualified because she'd taken some topless photos earlier in her career. It was a disheartening ending, and an ironic twist after her audition performance of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.” Eight years later, when The Voice premiered in 2011, Davis made her triumphant return. She joined Christina Aguilera’s team and placed fifth overall in the competition.
As American Idol gears up for its 20th season, which will premiere on ABC in early 2022, The Voice is in the midst of its 21st season on NBC. Despite some overlap in its contestants, the competitions remain stunningly different, and you need to look no further than Season 16 of American Idol to prove that. Maddie Poppe, who won American Idol in 2018 didn’t even get a chair turn when she auditioned for Season 10 of The Voice in 2016.
While we wait on a premiere date for American Idol Season 20, check out our 2021 Fall TV schedule to see what’s coming through the end of the year.
