| Alex Preston | |
| Birth Name: | Alex Preston Philbrick |
| Birth Date: | 6 May 1993 |
| Birth Place: | United States |
| Years Active: | 2014–present |
| Occupation: | Singer |
Alex Preston Philbrick (born May 6, 1993),[1] better known as Alex Preston, is an American singer-songwriter who first came to prominence as the third-place finalist on the thirteenth season of American Idol. His self-titled debut album was released on July 21, 2015, and his second album, A Work in Progress, was released in 2018.
Alex Preston was born and raised in Mont Vernon, New Hampshire.[1] [2] He wrote his first song called "Fish Food" when he was 12. He attended Souhegan High School in Amherst, New Hampshire where he played the guitar in a jazz band, and in the percussion section in concert and a marching band.[3] He also formed a band with friends, Dustin Newhouse, Josh Brackett and Tucker Brown, called Undertow.[1] He graduated from high school in 2011,[4] and studied at the University of New Hampshire.[5]
Preston has written songs with his cousin Jo Dee Messina, the rock band Framing Hanley, and Aria Summer. His song was used in the CD "Voices for Heroes," a benefit for Sandy Hook.[6] He won the "Open For MixFest" competition organized by a radio station to open for acts such as Backstreet Boys, Gavin DeGraw and Of Monsters and Men.[6] His single "The Light Was Already Here" was released in September 2013.[7]
See main article: American Idol (season 13).
| Episode | Theme | Song choice | Original artist | Order | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audition | Auditioner's Choice | "Fairytales" (original composition) | Alex Preston | N/A | Advanced |
| Hollywood Round, Part 1 | A Capella | "Scream & Shout" | will.i.am feat. Britney Spears | N/A | Advanced |
| Hollywood Round, Part 2 | Group Performance | Not aired | Not aired | N/A | Advanced |
| Hollywood Round, Part 3 | Solo | "Fairytales" (original composition) | Alex Preston | N/A | Advanced |
| Top 31 (10 Men) | Personal Choice | "Volcano" | Damien Rice | 7 | Advanced |
| Top 13 | This Is Me | "A Beautiful Mess" | Jason Mraz | 9 | Safe |
| Top 12 | Home | "I Don't Want to Be" | Gavin DeGraw | 2 | Safe |
| Top 11 | Songs from the Cinema | "Falling Slowly" | Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová | 9 | Safe |
| Top 10 | Billboard Top 10 | "Story of My Life" | One Direction | 4 | Safe |
| Top 9 | I'm with the Band! | "Don't Speak" | No Doubt | 1 | Safe |
| Top 8 | Back to the Start | Duet "Just Give Me a Reason" with Jena Irene | Pink feat. Nate Ruess | 2 | Safe |
| Solo "Fairytales" (original composition) | Alex Preston | 12 | |||
| Top 8 | Songs from the 1980s | Duet "The Girl Is Mine" with Sam Woolf | Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney | 3 | Safe |
| Solo "Every Breath You Take" | The Police | 9 | |||
| Top 7 | Competitors' Choice | Duet "Let Her Go" with Sam Woolf | Passenger | 3 | Safe |
| Solo "The A Team" | Ed Sheeran | 7 | |||
| Top 6 | Rock 'n' Roll | "Animal" | Neon Trees | 4 | Safe |
| Country | "Always on My Mind" | Brenda Lee | 9 | ||
| Top 5 | America's Requests | Solo "Sweater Weather" | The Neighbourhood | 1 | Safe |
| Trio "Best Day of My Life" with Jena Irene & Sam Woolf | American Authors | 3 | |||
| Solo "Say Something" | A Great Big World & Christina Aguilera | 8 | |||
| Top 4 | Love Songs | "Too Close" | Alex Clare | 3 | Safe |
| "I'm Yours" | Jason Mraz | 8 | |||
| "Yellow" | Coldplay | 12 | |||
| Top 3 | Randy Jackson's Choice | "Pompeii" | Bastille | 2 | Eliminated |
| Judges' Choice | "Stay" | Rihanna feat. Mikky Ekko | 5 | ||
| Hometown's Choice | "Story of My Life" | One Direction | 8 |
His debut, self-titled album was recorded in a cabin in Lone Pine, California and was released in 2015.[8] His second album, A Work in Progress, was released in 2018. In 2019, he won a New England Emmy Award in the Special Event Coverage category for the program NH Chronicle Presents New Hampshire Idol.[9] [10]
| Year | Song | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | "The Light Was Already Here" | Non-album single |
| 2014 | "Story of My Life" | |
| "Don't Speak" | ||
| "Fairytales" | ||
| "Every Breath You Take" | ||
| "The A Team" | ||
| "Animal" | ||
| "Say Something" | ||
| "Too Close" |