Anoop Desai Biography

Anoop Manoj Desai (born December 20, 1986) is an American singer-songwriter best known for his time as a contestant on the eighth season of American Idol. Motivated by the death of his friend Eve Carson, Desai auditioned for American Idol. Desai made American Idol history by being the first ever 13th finalist on American Idol. Favored to win by celebrities including Ellen DeGeneres and Keith Urban, Desai achieved a sixth-place finish, becoming the second Indian American to advance to the final stages of American Idol.