Kris Allen Wins American Idol 2009
Early life:
Kris Allen was born in Jacksonville, Arkansas to Kimberly (née Wood) and Neil Allen. He has one younger brother named Daniel who is a student and cheerleading coach at the University of Central Arkansas. Allen attended Murrell Taylor Elementary School, Fuller Middle School and Mills University Studies High School, where he was active in the school's orchestra as a viola player and later went on to win a spot in his state's all-state orchestra.
Along with the viola, Allen taught himself how to play the guitar at age 13, and is also proficient with the piano and the ukulele.[8] In 2007, he self-produced an album entitled Brand New Shoes with college friends and bandmates Michael Holmes (drums) and Chase Erwin (bass). Songs from the album began being widely distributed during his time on Idol.
Allen is a devout evangelical Christian. He was a worship leader at New Life Church in Maumelle, Arkansas, as well as at the Chi Alpha campus ministry of the University of Central Arkansas, where he was a business major.[9] He has done missionary work around the world, including in Burma, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Spain and Thailand.
On September 26, 2008, he married longtime girlfriend Katy O'Connell Allen.
