Megan Joy

Megan Joy (born September 18, 1985, as Megan Joy Knudsen), formerly known as Megan Joy Corkrey, is an American singer-songwriter and actress from Sandy, Utah, who was the ninth place finalist on the eighth season of American Idol.

Joy auditioned for the eighth season of American Idol in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2008, coincidentally on her birthday.

She sang "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II.

Simon Cowell said she had a seriously good voice and he loved it and Kara DioGuardi said that Joy was an interesting girl and that she had an incredible face.

Joy then advanced to the Hollywood audition rounds with all of the judges saying yes.

Joy had to have a sing-off with another contestant (later identified as Lacey Brown, who eventually became a Season 9 contestant) who hoped to make the competition's Top 36, with Joy being the one picked by the judges.

Cowell has said during his critique on Joy's "Put Your Records On" performance during the semi-final rounds that she "had a rough middle stage in the competition" referring to the Hollywood audition rounds.

Joy was not one of the three finalists chosen out of her semi-final performance group.

Joy returned for the "Wild Card" show, sang KT Tunstall's "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" and was selected by the judges to be in the Top 13.

Joy kicked off her run in the finals with mostly negative critiques from the judges on her performance of the Jackson 5's "Rockin' Robin".

DioGuardi praised Joy for being able to put her signature on everything she touches and with Randy Jackson in agreement adding "That's so Megan".

Randy added that the song choice didn't really allow her to be Megan.

Paula said that she felt disconnected from Joy and that "we didn't hear that sound that we love[from you]".

During Grand Ole Opry week, Joy had caught the Influenza B virus and was so sick with the flu that she was hooked up to an IV just minutes before taking the stage.

Despite being so ill, Joy pulled off a rendition of Patsy Cline's "Walkin' After Midnight."

All four judges were extremely impressed with Joy's performance and Simon Cowell even said, "You should have the flu every week!".

On Motown Night, Joy performed a cover of the Stevie Wonder classic "For Once in My Life" and mentor, Smokey Robinson, said that he believed she was one of the most original contestants American Idol has ever had on the show.

On Top Downloads night, Joy performed "Turn Your Lights Down Low" and she thought the judges were going to feel her this time but they didn't. The judges thought her performance was not good.

DioGuardi said that it was not the song choice for her and she thought Adele would've been better.

She then added that she really liked Joy but thought she was in trouble.

On her elimination night, when Megan Joy was asked by Ryan Seacrest on what she thought about what Simon Cowell said about her performance of "Turn Your Lights Down Low" the previous night on Top Downloads Week, she said "I love you Simon, but I didn't really care", in response to him calling her performance "boring, indulgent, and monotonous".

Joy released her debut album, Megan Joy, on April 25, 2012.

She fronts classical folk project, Bloody Cabaret, and indie rock band, VadaWave.

Joy was featured on the single "Another Man" by Jonny "Itch" Fox, which reached a peak position at number twelve on the Australian singles chart.

Joy used to work as a type designer for a company called SendOutCards.

She has a mom, a stepdad, a sister, and a brother named CJ.

According to Joy, she began to sing at a very young age.

She has stated that she is musically inspired by, among others, Björk after listening to her when she was 16.

Joy revealed that she "tried out for everything I could think of during junior high, in high school – didn't make anything," she added that "Even the choir that anyone can be in, I wouldn't even make like a silly little solo."

"It was sad," Joy said.

"I cried a lot in those years."

"I've never tried writing [songs], so I don't know what's inside, but maybe it's something super different and awesome that, you know, is new."

Joy originally had no plans to audition for American Idol because she thought she would "never in a million years" even make it past round one of auditions.

However, her friends and family encouraged her to try out for the show and she did.

Joy has said that "for the first time in my life, it was a crossroads where anything can happen, so why not go for what I love to do."

Joy revealed that right before Idol, "I was at my lowest."

"I was depressed and miserable. I lost myself. Idol gave me myself back. I fell back in love with music and got back my confidence."

She has also said that, "My goals at that time was to move out of my mom's, save up enough money to go back to school, and figure out what I was going to do with myself."

Joy is a graduate of Taylorsville High School in Taylorsville, Utah.

Before American Idol, Joy has said that she has never had any formal singing classes.