What Happened To Trent Harmon After American Idol?
It's hard to believe just how many stars we know and love today got their start on "American Idol." The Fox mega-hit that made the move to ABC produced famous name after famous name after famous name, particularly in the early days of its run, with the likes of Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, and Adam Lambert all getting their start on the then Simon Cowell fronted talent search.
In 2016, it was Trent Harmon's time to join the ranks of those famous faces when longtime host Ryan Seacrest crowned him the official winner of "American Idol" Season 15 (which, as fans may remember, was initially dubbed the show's farewell season after Fox announced it would not be producing more episodes). With the support of judges Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Lopez, and Keith Urban (who all made some serious bank from the show, by the way), plus in-house mentor and head of Big Machine Records Scott Borchetta, Harmon pit La'Porsha Renae to the post to become the next American Idol. But what has he been up to since appearing on TV screens across America week after week?
Trent Harmon hasn't given up on music
Trent Harmon had a pretty busy 2016. Following his "American Idol" win that year, Harmon released his self-titled debut EP after signing with Big Machine Records. The EP contained two singles, "Falling" which hit #27 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart and "There's A Girl," which hit the exact same peak position and #18 on Billboard's Country Airplay chart. Two years later, Harmon — who toured with Rasacal Flatts and Dan + Shay — released his first full length album, titled "You Got 'Em All," which didn't quite meet the dizzying heights some "Idol" alumni have seen at #34 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart. He released one single from the album with the same title, which reached #18 on Billboard's Country Airplay chart.
As well as releasing his own music, Harmon's also an accomplished songwriter, having penned the likes of Shawn Austin's "What Do I Know?" and JoJo Mason's "Better on You." He's also still playing music for his fans and shared a touching message on Instagram about his journey in August alongside a performance video. "I'm not Kelly Clarkson or Chris Daughtry or Carrie Underwood — I know that. I don't get invited back to the show to sing my greatest hits and relive all that was. I'm good with that. I'm healthy, my family and friends are all healthy; I have money to pay my bills and my dogs are asleep next to me. God's been good," he captioned it.
Trent Harmon is happily married
As well as having plenty going on with his career since his "American Idol" days, it seems like a lot has has happened in Trent Harmon's personal life too. Trent proposed to his now wife, Kathleen Harmon, in 2019 and the two tied the knot the following year, with the singer/songwriter sharing a gorgeous video showing their big day on Instagram. In August 2022, the two celebrated their third anniversary together with Kathleen posting a gushing message for her husband on her Instagram page. "Happy 3 year Anniversary to my very best friend. I am so incredibly thankful for you and these 3 fun years together. We are about to embark [on] a brand new chapter, and I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for us," she wrote.
As for what's next for Trent? It seems the star is still focused on music and making his way around the country for shows, as his Instagram bio reads "See you at the show!" alongside a link to his upcoming gigs. As of October 2022 though, Trent is no longer listed on Big Machine's roster of artists.