American Idol Profile: Who is Season 10 Finalist Haley Reinhart?

Haley Reinhart was named one of the top 11 finalists for Season 10 of "American Idol," the popular Fox Television musical contest and reality TV show, in 2011. As such, Reinhart is listed for the 2011 "Idols Live" nationwide tour.

Reinhart tried out for " Idol" in Milwaukee, singing The Beatles' "Oh, Darling." The pretty songbird with the dark blonde curls and the big smile had auditioned in Chicago for Season 9 the previous year, but the judges had advised her to return for another try.

It worked. "Idol" judge Jennifer Lopez even likened Reinhart to a young Stevie Nicks. Although Reinhart barely slipped by the Hollywood round and found herself in the bottom three for a few results shows, she is developing a loyal fan base.

A musical heritage

The 20-year-old Illinois singer and pianist is the daughter of two musicians. Her father Harry Reinhart is a singer and guitarist with two bands, Midnight and Traffic Jam. Her mother Patty Reinhart, previously with The Company She Keeps, also sings with Midnight. The two met 30 years ago through the band, which covers rock tunes from the 1960s and 1970s.

Reinhart and her younger sister Angela write songs together and occasionally sing with Midnight. In fact, Reinhart has sung with the band since she was eight years old.

Born September 9, 1990, in Wheeling, Illinois, Reinhart is a Midwestern gem. Graduating in 2009 from Wheeling High School, Reinhart toured in Europe with her high school jazz band, performing at the 2009 Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.

Having studied music at Harper College, Reinhart has said she is considering pursuing additional studies at Chicago's Columbia College.

A potpourri of performance styles

Reinhart blends a rare variety of musical genres, performing blues, classic rock, disco, funk, oldies, pop and more. "Idol" audiences have found her growling or yodeling in various songs.

She has said she dreams of performing Etta James' "At Last" and that she would love to sing with Elton John one day. Reinhart has had just a few weeks of formal vocal training, she credits her parents as musical influences, exposing her to countless genres.

Her favorite artists include an eclectic mix of Aaliyah, Christina Aguilera, Duffy, Avril Lavigne, Estelle, Alicia Keys, John Lennon, Ziggy Marley, Janelle Monae, Corinne Bailey Rae, Esperanza Spaulding, Britney Spears, Amy Winehouse and Stevie Wonder.

The talkative Reinhart, who is learning to Tweet, says she loves Mexican foods like guacamole and tacos and that a personal highlight of "Idol" Season 10 was meeting Kelly Clarkson, the first-ever "Idol" winner.

In the early weeks of "Idol," Reinhart sang Keys' "Fallin'," Le Ann Rimes' "Blue," Whitney Houston's "I'm Your Baby Tonight" and The Miracles' "You've Really Got a Hold on Me."

source:Linda Ann Nickerson, Yahoo! Contributor Network