Jacquie Lee is no stranger to singing competitions. During the season 24 premiere of American Idol, the 28-year-old musician from New Jersey wowed judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Carrie Underwood.
Following a rousing performance of Nina Simone’s “I Put a Spell on You,” Lee punched her ticket to Hollywood and the next phase of the competition.
It’s no surprise Lee found success on Idol. Back in 2013, when Lee was just 16 years old, she competed on The Voice on Christina Aguilera’s team.
At the time, Lee continuously impressed with her performances. She wound up coming in second place, finishing behind Adam Levine’s Tessanne Chin.
“I didn’t want people to see me as a cover artist or a character from a TV show,” Lee told The Hollywood Reporter after her runner-up finish on The Voice. “I have something to say—I write my own music and I’m an actual artist.”
As for people that thought she’d be just another singing-series alum, Lee told the outlet, “I’m gonna prove you wrong! I believe that I have something special and I’m gonna let it show.”
Since her tenure on The Voice, Lee has continued pursuing music. She put out six EPs in the years that followed her Voice stint, most recently Hereditary in 2024.
What to Know About Jacquie Lee on American Idol
Now, more than a decade later, Lee is once set to compete on TV. In an Instagram post announcing her Idol audition, Lee wrote that she has “ALWAYS been a dreamer.”
“In this chapter of life, I like to remind myself that what a lot of people don’t see is the beneath the surface work and resilience,” she wrote. “All of the rejection, searching, learning, failing, existential crises it takes along the journey of manifesting your dreams.”
“I am so grateful for the lived experience I’ve gotten up to this point and for every opportunity to learn and grow as an artist,” Lee continued. “Through all of the hardest points of my life the last decade I’m STILL here. Chasing my dreams full speed. I think that’s pretty cool. Thanks lil jacquie:’)”
American Idol airs Mondays on ABC.
Photo by Disney/Eric McCandless
