Nicholas James Fradiani IV (born November 15, 1985) is an American singer and actor from Guilford, Connecticut. He rose to regional attention as the lead singer of pop/rock band Beach Avenue when they won the Battle of the Bands at Mohegan Sun in 2011. He gained national recognition in 2014 when he competed on the ninth season of the reality talent show America's Got Talent, although he only made it to "Judgment Week".
In 2015, Fradiani entered as a solo singer on the fourteenth season of American Idol. Fradiani won the show in May 2015, becoming the first winner from the Northeast region. He released an album, Hurricane, with Big Machine Label Group in August 2016. He has subsequently released a six-song EP in fall 2017, as an indie artist and toured with The Alternate Routes.
Early life and education
Fradiani was born on November 15, 1985, in New Haven, Connecticut. He is the son of Nick Fradiani III, a musician who, as of 2016, regularly performs at Water's Edge Resort and Spa, as well as in clubs and restaurants, and on cruise ships, and Elizabeth Fradiani (née Maher). He is of three-quarters Italian and one quarter Irish descent. His father gave his son a drum set when he was two years old, and encouraged him to learn to play piano and later guitar. Fradiani has a sister, Kristen, who was born a day before his sixth birthday on November 14, 1991. Kristen and their paternal cousins Jamie and Nicole attend Southern Connecticut State University. Their paternal cousin, Dean Fradiani Jr., son of the elder Nick's late brother Dean Fradiani Sr., is the owner of Fradiani Landscaping, LLC, in East Haven.
Fradiani graduated from Guilford High School in 2004.
Fradiani has a bachelor's degree in history from Wheaton College, Norton, Massachusetts. He intermittently worked as a substitute teacher at schools while mainly focusing on picking up gigs at local bars wherever he could. He also briefly held a daytime job as a computer software salesman.
Music career
2011–14: Beach Avenue
Fradiani rose to regional attention as the lead singer of Milford, Connecticut-based pop/rock band Beach Avenue when they won the Battle of the Bands at Mohegan Sun in 2011. The five-member band released original materials including the Something to Believe In EP in June 2012 and Driving That Road EP in July 2013. In 2014, they released two singles: "Coming Your Way" and "Feel the Beat."
The members of the band are: Nick Fradiani, IV – lead vocals and guitar Nick Abraham – lead guitar, mandoline, and backing vocals Nick Fradiani, III (Fradiani's father) – keyboards and backing vocals Jonah Ferrigno – bass Ryan Zipp – drums
Three members of the band, Fradiani, Abraham and Zipp, gained national recognition 2014 when they competed on the ninth season of the reality talent show America's Got Talent, singing their original song "Coming Your Way". Fradiani cites singing the original song on the show as his "biggest career break". The audition was aired on NBC in July 2014, and the song reached No. 53 on the iTunes Pop Singles Chart; it sold 6,000 copies in the first week after the televised audition. All four judges voted "yes" for the band to go to the next round. The band made it to "Judgement Week", broadcast on July 22 and 23, where they played another of their original songs titled "Feel the Beat" before elimination from the competition. "Coming Your Way" remained in the Top 200 for over two weeks, selling more than 10,000 copies.
2015: American Idol
Fradiani auditioned in New York City and his golden ticket song was Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes". During Hollywood Week, he sang "Babylon" by David Gray. He sang Train's "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" during the House of Blues Showcase, earning his spot in the Top 24. He was announced as the winner on May 13, 2015, with Clark Beckham finishing as runner-up. Fradiani's winning song was "Beautiful Life", recorded on Big Machine label. "Beautiful Life" was the FIFA 2015 Women's World Cup official anthem. Fradiani headlined the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2015, a thirty-seven city tour over eight weeks featuring the top five contestants.