Jon Peter Lewis - Post-Idol

Post-Idol

Rather than accepting business offers to use his "Idol" fame to release a quick pop album, Lewis decided to work on his own musical style and create original music. From late 2004 to 2006, Lewis spent the majority of his time composing original music working closely with music producer Alex Gibson of Henson Recording Studios, among other notable entities in Hollywood. "Turn to Grey" was among the first songs that he wrote; he composed it while on tour with the Idol finalists. Jon recorded part of the song as a homage to Jennifer Hudson after she told him that she loved singing the song around her house.

In 2005, he collaborated with Canadian songwriter/actor James Collins to write and record "It's Christmas," which was released by EMI/Universal in Canada as part of the "Now Christmas 2" album, and went to number thirteen on the Canadian radio charts in two weeks. In addition, a second original holiday song "California Christmas" was recorded by Jon and released in 2006 for the album Breaking for the Holidays by Breaking Records. The upbeat holiday song was called a "Christmas Classic" by Chuck Taylor of Billboard magazine.

In September 2006, Lewis released his second single containing the songs "If I Go Away" and "Man Like Me" through his independent label, Cockaroo Entertainment. His limited release debut album, Stories from Hollywood, was released on his 27th birthday, November 7, 2006, making Jon the first Idol finalist to independently release an album of original songs. The album is a collection of energetic rock and roll and intimate acoustic tracks.

Jon's second full-length album, Break the Silence, hit the streets July 22, 2008. The album was released through Cockaroo Entertainment in conjunction with Adrenaline Music Group. Chris Garcia, who has worked with Santana and Michelle Branch, Dido and Jewel, produced the album under the guidance of executive producer Don Grierson, a former head of A&R for Capitol and Epic Records involved with Bob Seger, Heart, Duran Duran, Cheap Trick, Celine Dion and Tina Turner. Jon wrote or co-wrote several tracks for the album, and it features such esteemed musicians as guitarist Nick Lashley (Alanis Morissette, Natasha Bedingfield), drummer Kenny Aronoff (John Cougar Mellencamp, Indigo Girls) and Blake Mills (Jakob Dylan, Band of Horses.) The CD has received critical praise including a "Critic's Choice" review from Billboard magazine. It was called "one of the best pop/rock CD's of the year" by Monica Rizzo of People magazine and "Impressive" by Ken Barnes of USA Today. The title track single, hit the top 30 charts on Hot AC radio and in November 2008 was 1 of only 50 songs pre-programmed into all of the new iPhones on display at Apple Stores and AT&T stores across the country. Jon went on to release a self-titled EP in February 2010.

In 2009, Lewis launched an Internet show titled American Nobody. The quirky program takes an inside look at the music business as well as a tongue-in-cheek view of pop culture. The show received early critical praise. American Nobody was added to TV Guide's "Hot Web List" and the Los Angeles Times called it "the most brilliant and biting satire of Idoldom ever written."

He has been a contributor to MTV, Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone magazine, The Los Angeles Times, and AOL Entertainment, and continues to be a frequent and favorite guest of national television and top 20 radio markets.

Members of JPL's band have included Sky Elobar, Andrew Synowiec, Ian Hendrickson, Craig Macintyre, Stuart Johnson, Blake Mills, Austin Nicholsen, Adam Range and Tyler George Beus. Lewis and his band have toured throughout the country.

In 2010, Lewis produced and starred in Deep Love. The original show debuted in Idaho in October 2010 and quickly garnered enthusiastic support that positioned the show into a multi-city theatrical event.