Harold Elwin Bice, Jr., who goes by his stage name of Bo Bice, is a musician of American origin. His claim to fame was his appearance on American Idol, Season 4 where he was the last standing competitor against Carrie Underwood. He has released numerous albums both before and after his Idol stardom. Read on to find out more about Bo Bice’s life, career, achievements and net worth in 2018.
Bo Bice Early Life
Born on, November 1, 1975, to Harold Elwin and Nancy Brice, in Huntsville, Alabama, Bo’s parents divorced when he was quite young. Bice stayed with his mother after the divorce, and he has a host of step-sisters and brothers along with his biological siblings. In 1990, Bo’s family moved to London. He went to London Central High School where he was interested in football and playing the guitar. He formed his first band, Spinning Jenny while still in school. He left London for Alabama and completed his education at the Calhoun Community College.
Bo Bice Career
In 1995, he released a CD with his band, named, Purge. He was quite popular in the night club circuit and played in the USA, UK, Ireland and Europe.
He was also part of bands called, Blue Suede Nickel and SugarMoney. He recorded albums before his Idol career, namely, “Ex Gratia” and “Recipe for Flavor.” He also recorded a song with Johnny Neel.
In 2005, American Idol set the age limit for Idol singers to 18-28. That year, Bice’s family encouraged and persuaded him to audition for Idol. He was one of the oldest contestants to appear, but fortunately, his performance was greeted with applause and enthusiasm for the judges. He finished the season as a runner-up to Carrie Underwood.
After Idol, he signed a deal with RCA Records and released his first single, a rendition of “Inside Your Heaven.” When it was released, it ranked at Number 2 in the Billboard Hot 100. He performed at, Bonnaroo Music Festival, a Birmingham concert, and Farm Aid. He also featured in All That I Am, an album by Carlos Santana.
In 2005, he married his long-time sweetheart, Caroline Fisher. They had their first child that year itself. They have had three more children since then. In 2005, he was hospitalized due to a condition called, intussusception. This caused him to drop out of his tour, He only appeared for its last leg. That same year he released his album, The Real Thing.
In 2006, he embarked on another tour. However, he was plagued by medical problems. RCA eventually ended its deal with Bice.
Hence, Bice eventually created his own label, Sugar Money/StratArt. His album, See the Light was released in 2007. He made appearances in, American Chopper: The Series, as well as a tour, called, It Was Forty Years Ago Today.
In 2010, he also appeared in the show, Don’t Forget the Lyrics! And managed to win around $50, 000 for his charity, MusiCares.
Awards & Achievement
In 2005, Bo won the Teen Choice Award for ‘Choice TV Reality/Variety Star – Male’ because of his participation in American Idol.
Net Worth of Bo Bice
Bo Bice has an estimated net worth of $2 million. His revenue stems from his musical career, selling albums and CDs and royalties from his music.
Bo Bice started off his career in Idol as one of the oldest contestants to make an appearance in the TV show. However, his foray into music was from an extremely young age, and his passion for it only grew with time. He has released successful albums and songs, and his fans are eagerly waiting for his next musical release.