American Idol winner coming to Wayne State on Friday

An American Idol winner is coming to Wayne State College this week.

August 23, 2022Updated: August 23, 2022
News Channel NebraskaBy News Channel Nebraska

WAYNE, Neb. -- An American Idol winner is coming to Wayne State College this week.

Maddie Poppe, who won the 16th-season crown in 2018, will perform on campus at 8:00 p.m. on Friday. The concert closes out the first week of classes on campus.

The free event, which is open to the public, will be held in the college’s Willow Bowl amphitheater.

Poppe is a multi-instrumentalist—playing the guitar, piano, and ukulele in her unique indie pop and folk music.

She won American Idol by beating runner-up Caleb Lee Hutchinson and third-place contestant Gabby Barrett.

In addition to her American Idol victory, Poppe won a People’s Choice Award for her turn on the show, had Whirlwind hit the top two on the iTunes Pop Charts, and went on to become a hot guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Live With Kelly & Ryan and Good Morning America. 

She has also toured the country opening for Ingrid Michaelson and headlined her own tours, including a popular Christmas run.

The 24-year-old is a native of Clarksville, Iowa, which is a town of 1,264 people located just north of Cedar Rapids. She grew up playing music with her father, who is also a guitarist.

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