| Stefano Langone | |
| Alias: | Stefano |
| Birth Place: | Bellevue, Washington, US |
| Origin: | Kent, Washington, U.S. |
| Years Active: | 2011–present |
| Label: | 19[1] Hollywood Records (2012–2013) |
| Website: | www.stefanomusic.com |
Stefano Langone (;[2] born February 27, 1989), known as Stefano in his recording career, is an American singer and musician from Kent, Washington. Langone placed seventh on the tenth season of American Idol. Post American Idol, Langone pursued his musical career and became an independent artist in January 2014.
Langone was born on February 27, 1989, in Bellevue, Washington, to Ernie and Carrie Langone.[3] His father is Italian and his mother is Mexican.[4] His father works as a career advisor at The Art Institute of Seattle and is also a singer and musician.[3] Langone has been singing and playing the piano since childhood. He attended Emerald Park Elementary School, Meridian Junior High, and Kentwood High School, as well as Bellevue College, where he was given a full ride scholarship.[5] He performed with Bellevue College's 'Celebration!' vocal jazz ensemble while he was a student there.[6]
Langone auditioned for the tenth season of American Idol in San Francisco, California. He advanced to the Top 13 through a wild card selection by Jennifer Lopez. Langone was eliminated from the show on April 21, 2011, finishing in seventh place.
| Episode | Theme | Song choice | Original artist | Order # | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audition | Auditioner's Choice | "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" | Marvin Gaye | N/A | Advanced | |
| Hollywood Round, Part 1 | First Solo | Not aired | N/A | Advanced | ||
| Hollywood Round, Part 2 | Group Performance | N/A | Advanced | |||
| Hollywood Round, Part 3 | Second Solo | "Sir Duke" | Stevie Wonder | N/A | Advanced | |
| Las Vegas Round | Songs of The Beatles Group Performance | "Get Back" | The Beatles | N/A | Advanced | |
| Hollywood Round Final | Final Solo | "Come Home" | Stefano Langone | N/A | Advanced | |
| Top 24 (12 Men) | Personal Choice | "Just the Way You Are" | Bruno Mars | 9 | Wild Card | |
| Wild Card | Personal Choice | "I Need You Now" | Smokie Norful | 2 | Advanced | |
| Top 13 | Your Personal Idol | "Lately" | Stevie Wonder | 10 | Safe | |
| Top 12 | Year You Were Born | "If You Don't Know Me by Now" | Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes | 6 | Safe | |
| Top 11 | Motown | "Hello" | Lionel Richie | 5 | Bottom 3 | |
| Top 11 | Elton John | "Tiny Dancer" | Elton John | 5 | Safe | |
| Top 9 | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame | "When a Man Loves a Woman" | Percy Sledge | 8 | Bottom 3 | |
| Top 8 | Songs from the Movies | "End of the Road" — Boomerang | Boyz II Men | 3 | Bottom 3 | |
| Top 7 | Songs from the 21st Century | "Closer" | Ne-Yo | 6 | Eliminated | |
Following Langone's accident he turned to music to aid his recovery. With the help of his father, he began uploading covers and original music to his YouTube account as early as May 29, 2010. His original upload garnered over 100,000 views, encouraging him to pursue a wider audience. On February 9, 2011, he auditioned for the tenth season of American Idol in San Francisco California performing Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine".
Following his Idol elimination, Langone appeared on several talk shows. He appeared on Live with Regis and Kelly on April 25, 2011, as well as The Today Show on April 26, 2011. In addition, Langone appeared on The Rachael Ray Show along with Paul McDonald and Pia Toscano on May 25, 2011. The following summer, Langone toured with the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2011, which began in West Valley City, Utah, on July 6, 2011, and ended in Manila, Philippines, on September 21, 2011.
On September 24, 2011, Langone sang the National Anthem at the Western Hockey League game opener between the Seattle Thunderbirds and Portland Winterhawks.[7] On September 26, 2011, Langone and James Durbin appeared on Dr. Drew's "Lifechangers" TV Talk show.
Langone was co-managed by 19 Entertainment and Red Light Management.[8] In January 2012, Langone announced that he has signed a record contract with Hollywood Records.[9] While recording his debut album, Langone has performed at several events. On October 15, 2011, Langone performed at Eva Longoria’s Charity Padres El Cáncer in Las Vegas.[10] On November 24, 2011, Langone performed at the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade.[11] Langone took part in the Hollywood Christmas Parade on November 27, 2011. On December 4, 2011, Langone performed at Trevor Live, an event benefiting The Trevor Project. Langone performed the National Anthem at a San Francisco 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers December 2011 game.[12] On February 8, 2012, Langone performed in a Motown music tribute at Carnegie Hall.
On April 26, 2012, Langone returned to American Idol to perform his debut single, "I'm on a Roll".[13] "I'm on a Roll" was released on iTunes on April 24. The track sold around 20,000 in its first week.[14] On July 16, Langone performed "I'm on a Roll" on Good Morning America.
Langone was co-managed by 19 Entertainment and Red Light Management. In January 2012, Langone announced that he has signed a record contract with Hollywood Records. On October 15, 2011, Langone performed at Eva Longoria's Charity Padres El Cáncer in Las Vegas. On November 24, 2011, Langone performed at the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade. Langone took part in the Hollywood Christmas Parade on November 27, 2011. On December 4, 2011, Langone performed at Trevor Live, an event benefiting The Trevor Project. Langone performed the National Anthem at a San Francisco 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers December 2011 game. On February 8, 2012, Langone performed in a Motown music tribute at Carnegie Hall.
Langone's second single "Yes to Love" was released on February 12, 2013.[15] Langone performed "Yes to Love" on American Idol on April 25, 2013.
On April 26, 2012, Langone returned to American Idol to perform his debut single, "I'm on a Roll". "I'm on a Roll" was released on April 24. The track sold around 20,000 in its first week. On July 16, Langone performed "I'm on a Roll" on Good Morning America.
Langone's second single "Yes to Love" was released on February 12, 2013. Langone performed "Yes to Love" on American Idol on April 25, 2013.
Langone released a single "Lemon Squeeze", produced by a new label SpeakerMind Productions, on October 17, 2014.[16] He released another single, "Fill My Cup," on February 17, 2015. This single was supposed to be followed by his debut, Obsession, later that year.[17] Obsession was ultimately released a year later as a five-track EP.[18]
Following the end of his recording contract, Langone collaborated with Postmodern Jukebox to perform a number of covers, including with Pia Toscano to perform a duet of Andrea Bocelli's "The Prayer on August 3, 2017, alone covered Ed Sheeran's "The Shape of You" on June 21, 2018 and with the Jonas Brothers on "Sucker" on June 21, 2019.
In 2018, Langone performed with Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds at the Kennedy Center.[19] He released the singles "Call It Love" on June 18, 2019, "Invincible" on May 14, 2020, "Next Year" on October 20, 2020, and "Why I Am Here" on December 19, 2020.
In December 2021, Langone announced he suffered from a vocal polyp which restricted the use of his vocal chords and left him on vocal rest for two months, prior to surgery which occurred earlier the next year.[20] He would begin singing again in spring 2021, when he performed the national anthem at the Stables Center for an NHL match on April 26, 2021 between the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks.[21]
Langone toured as part of Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds's Full Circle Tour which began in April 2022.
On May 28, 2009, he was involved in a near-fatal accident after being hit by a drunk driver.[22] The accident resulted in two broken arms, a fractured pelvis, and other serious injuries. In addition, Langone had to learn to walk again and has extensive scarring as a result of the accident.[23]
On May 16, 2010, Langone was arrested on suspicion of DUI a year after the accident.[24] He was later only charged with a lesser crime of first-degree negligent driving for which he pleaded guilty to negligent driving.[25]
He married Chelsea Corp in Los Angeles on July 27, 2019.
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US AC | |||
| "I'm on a Roll" (featuring New Boyz & Rock Mafia) | 2012 | 49 | rowspan="7" |
| "Yes to Love" | 2013 | — | |
| "Lemon Squeeze" | 2014 | — | |
| "Fill My Cup" (featuring Dave'Ron Madden) | 2015 | — | |
| "Call It Love" | 2019 | — | |
| "Invincible" | 2020 | — | |
| "Next Year" | 2020 | — |