What Happened To Phillip Phillips After American Idol?

Phillip Phillips shocked "American Idol" judges when he performed a sultry cover of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" for his Season 11 audition. Phillips went on to have an impressive run on the popular singing show, as he was crowned the season's winner in 2012. Following his win, he spoke to Entertainment Weekly about his time on the show. "It's not as easy as you think," Phillips said. "... I just feel so blessed right now, it's so overwhelming." The Georgia native discussed his victory song, "Home," admitting that while he liked the track, it wasn't something he would write.

However, Phillips proved to be wrong about the Drew Pearson-produced track. The single went on to sell 278,000 downloads within its first week of release — and it became the second biggest debut from an "American Idol" alum, behind Kelly Clarkson. The song also landed Phillips his first Billboard Top 10 hit after peaking at No. 6. Although the singer enjoyed immediate success following his stint on the competition show, his career has had its ups and downs.

During his time on "American Idol," Phillip Phillips endured extensive health complications. The singer underwent seven kidney surgeries while competing, and an eighth immediately after. In a 2012 interview with People, he shared, "It's the toughest year of my life, but it's going to be exciting, too." Phillips further explained that his health had improved, and that he was looking forward to kick-starting his career.

Phillips went on to amass a moderately successful start. His song, "Gone, Gone, Gone," reached the Top 25 and spent 30 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. However, a third single from his self-titled album failed to cross the Top 50. The entertainer also had a falling-out with "American Idol's" record label, 19 Entertainment. Phillips filed a lawsuit against the company but ultimately settled outside of court, per The Post and Courier.

Following Phillip Phillips' 2015 lawsuit against 19 Entertainment — one among several huge scandals that rocked "American Idol" — he signed with Interscope Records. Shortly after, he released his third album, "Collateral," which he said was inspired by that period in his life. "It was really tough," he told People. "I had a lot to tell in these songs because so much happened in these past three years." He revealed that many songs were about heartbreak, but not the kind that results from a romantic quarrel.

Phillips' personal life also appears to have blossomed in recent years. In 2015, the "We've Got Tonight" singer married his girlfriend, Hannah Blackwell, seven years after their first meeting, according to Entertainment Tonight. The couple expanded their family in 2019 by welcoming their first child, Patch Shepherd Phillips. "Sunday morning our little boy made a fast entrance into the world. I cried more than he did," Phillips wrote in a post on Instagram. "Hannah was an absolute rockstar in delivery, and she has been such an amazing mom these last four days."