Colton Dixon, the breakout former American Idol rock genre star, dishes on his music, faith, love, and some pretty adorable Valentine’s Day plans.
You probably loved the Colton Dixon songs you were treated to on American Idol, and who can blame you– his strong, earthy voice, all-American good looks, and generally warm demeanor helped make him a household name with the show’s fans, and he thanks his faith and choir training for that.
“Faith has played the most important part in all this. Without it, I am nothing, and this is all meaningless,” he shared with me for TheLuxurySpot exclusively, “I believe God gave me a gift when I was 13, but it required faith and my diligence to work at it through the years. I also believe God rewarded that. I’m excited to see what doors He opens next.”
But that voice? Was that a spiritual gift or careful training? He thinks both.
“Choir was my favorite. It taught me how to sing correctly, and it expanded my ability in different genres of music other than what I listened to at the time. It also taught me how to work together with other musicians to reach a goal together.”
It’s that ability to work with other musicians that gained him serious praise and attention on American Idol— he’s a team player and still counts many of the other contestants from the show close friends of his, including Phillip Phillips and his wife, Hannah. And while Colton Dixon may be a man of great talent and faith, nothing could’ve prepared him for the experience of fame.
“We didn’t fully understand how many people watched it,” he says of the show. “I was in New York for press, and I couldn’t walk a few feet without someone new saying hello or telling me they voted for me. As my first trip to NYC, it was crazy to me that people knew exactly who I was.”
All that fame and good fortune helped him find the love of his life, Annie Coggeshall, at The Viper Room in LA.
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“She was soft-spoken, sweet and driven. But I’ll admit, it was her looks that had me do a double take. Ha! She and her folks were in the area looking for a place to live, and I was actually there rehearsing for the Idol tour. There are so many reasons why I love her, but what I appreciate most is she knows exactly who she is. What I mean by that is, she’s not going to do something just because everyone else is, and she won’t take no for an answer if she knows that it is something she needs to do. I respect her for that.”
If that doesn’t make you gush candy hearts and rose petals, then OMG– because that’s the exact type of sweet, sincere Colton Dixon that America fell in love with. I asked him if he had special plans for his very first Valentine’s Day with his new bride, and he was eager to tell me that he’d be playing a show and is eager to romance Annie in unexpected ways.
“I’m actually really excited to be playing a quick show at the Ryman in Nashville with Steven Curtis Chapman on Valentine’s Day. However, there might be a few surprises up my sleeve for my bride,” he shared, and then literally gave a super obvious wink. “I already surprised Annie with an on-demand serenade from Hershey’s Kisses Chocolates and Uber.”
I mean, an on-demand serenade. C’mon, is that the cutest or what?
Love Colton Dixon as much as we do and have more questions? Tweet ’em at @ColtonDixon and @BryceGruber. Happy Valentine’s Day!