For season 17, it’s Drake Milligan, the actor and country singer who portrayed Elvis Presley on the CMT series Sun Records and appeared on American Idol in 2018. He’s now taking a shot at America’s Got Talent. He wowed the judges in his audition with the original song, “Sounds Like Something I’d Do.” That song hit No. 1 on the country iTunes charts the next morning. Then the crooner went on a mission to prove he wasn’t a one-trick pony. For his second performance, his honky-tonk infused “Kiss Goodbye All Night” earned a standing ovation from all four judges and the live audience. Sofia Vergara said he was “the whole package.” “I will predict that tomorrow that song will be No. 1 on the country chart again, I promise you,” Howie Mandel chimed in. “You have a good chance of winning this whole thing.” Simon Cowell was getting into the country mood too! He said, “A lot of people after performing on the auditions and the song goes to No. 1, they would just walk and not compete. The fact that that happened and you still came back to this competition … I was concerned about that. In my opinion, you are the real deal. You are a great songwriter. You have charisma. I am kind of with Howie here. Based on tonight, let’s forget the cheese thing, this is, in my opinion, the best performance of the night.” During a press conference after the show, Drake said that it never crossed his mind not to return. “From the first moment I stepped on that Got Talent stage, all I wanted to do was come back and be in front of that crowd and be in front of the judges again. It’s so much fun to feel that energy from the crowd and to know that millions of people are watching. I couldn’t wait to come back.”
Watch Drake Milligan’s America’s Got Talent performance
After that crowd-pleasing performance, we have a lot of questions for the singer who already has a record deal with Stoney Creek Records and a full-length album set to drop on Sept. 15. “I’ve had a record deal for a while in Nashville and we’ve really just been trying to find a way to break it out," Drake told Parade.com. “They’re totally excited about this opportunity on America’s Got Talent. I feel like it’s such a great way to get in front of America and be in front of millions of people and show them my country music.” Here’s everything you need to know about Drake Milligan, including his age, hometown, new album details and much more.
How old is Drake Milligan?
Drake Milligan was born June 1, 1998. That makes Drake 24 years old.
Where is Drake Milligan from?
George Strait, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings are all from Texas. Add to that list Drake Milligan, who was born in Dallas/Fort Worth suburb of Mansfield, Texas.
Where does Drake Milligan live?
Drake Milligan lives in Nashville, Tennessee. He was a senior in high school when he landed the CMT gig and moved to Nashville, where he still lives in 2022.
Who inspired Drake Milligan?
Drake Milligan found inspiration in an unlikely place—watching an Elvis impersonator at a ’50s-themed hamburger joint, according to an article in Fort Worth weekly. “That was kind of the turning point,” he told the magazine. “I saw that guy and went home thinking Elvis was just the coolest thing in the world. I started researching everything I could about him and listened to all his songs. Got a costume and dressed up as him for Halloween…It started me on singing, and my first gigs in high school were playing around as an Elvis tribute artist.” But it is more than Elvis that Drake looked to for inspiration to develop his own personal style. “It was really just trying to incorporate all my influences into one. I’ve gotten a lot of traditional country influences, ‘90s country influences, even new country influences along with Elvis, along with a lot of the classic kind of crooners like Sinatra. Trying to combine all those into one kind of melting pot definitely worked.”
Who are Drake Milligan’s parents?
Aside from growing up in Texas, Drake Milligan credits his parents for feeding his country music roots. “We had all the George Jones, Merle Haggard, Alan Jackson and George Strait CDs,” he told Sounds Like Nashville. His father runs a scrap yard and listens to George Strait. “My mom was cool too,” he said. His mom, a veterinarian, “had all the Waylon Jennings and outlaw stuff that she loved.”
What are Drake Milligan’s best songs?
In 2021, Drake Milligan released a five-song, self-titled EP. These are some of the best songs from his debut album:
“Sounds Like Something I’d Do”
“Kiss Goodbye All Night”
“Over Drinkin’ Under Thinkin'”
When does Drake Milligan’s album come out in 2022?
America’s Got Talent isn’t talking about Drake’s record deal but his label sure is! They’ve promoted it via press releases, social posts and interviews. His full-length debut album, Dallas/Fort Worth, comes out Sept. 15, the day after the winner of AGT will be named.
How many songs are on Drake Milligan’s new album?
The album features 14 tracks produced by the legendary Tony Brown (George Strait, Reba McEntire) and songwriter/producer Brandon Hood. Double-barreled baritone vocals match electrifying honky-tonk hooks, Western swing two-steppers, country pop balladry and more, as Milligan uncorks exuberant themes of trouble-making fun, young romance, life-sustaining love and more.
What’s the name of Drake Milligan’s album?
Drake Milligan’s full-length album debut Dallas/Fort Worth will highlight how the two cities are the ying and yang of their region. “As a native son of the Dallas/Fort Worth area, I’ve always been intrigued by the difference between the two cities, he said in a release. “First there’s Dallas: a city determined to prove that everything really is bigger in Texas. Then, just 30 miles to the west, there’s Fort Worth: a city that holds true to its Stockyard roots with a taut rope around its cowboy brand. My goal was to bring those same distinctions to the two parts of this album. On Dallas, the songs have a little more polish on their boots. On Fort Worth, there are nods to those traditional Honky-Tonkin’, Western swingin’, cowboy culture roots that I’m based in.”
Drake Milligan’s Dallas/Fort Worth Tracklist
- “Sounds Like Something I’d Do” (Drake Milligan/Brett Beavers/Terry McBride) 2. “Kiss Goodbye All Night” (Drake Milligan/Brandon Hood/ Josh Jenkins/Phil O’Donnell) 3. “Hating Everything She Tries On” (Drake Milligan/Brent Anderson/Lynn Hutton) 4. “She” (Drake Milligan/Brandon Hood/John Pierce) 5. “Bad Day To Be A Beer” (Drake Milligan/Marv Green/JT Harding) 6. “Hearts Don’t Break Even” (Drake Milligan/Brandon Hood/Liz Rose)7. “Dance Of A Lifetime” (Drake Milligan/Brandon Hood/Phil O’Donnell) 1. “Over Drinkin’ Under Thinkin’” (Drake Milligan/Brice Long/Brett Beavers) 2. “Tipping Point” (Drake Milligan/Brandon Hood/Terry McBride/Josh London) 3. “Don’t Look Down” (Drake Milligan/Brandon Hood/John Pierce) 4. “Goin’ Down Swingin’” (Drake Milligan/Brandon Hood/Phil O’Donnell 5. “Save It For A Sunny Day” (Drake Milligan/Marv Green/Tim Nichols)6. “Long Haul” (Drake Milligan/Brandon Hood/Bob DiPIero7. “Cowboy Kind Of Way” (Drake Milligan/Brandon Hood/Terry McBride)
What happened to Drake Milligan on American Idol?
Drake Milligan competed on American Idol season 1 on ABC in 2018, but ultimately dropped out. At the time he posted on Instagram that he “wasn’t quite ready for that platform yet, and that it would be a better step for [him] to focus on [his] music first. “It was a very tough decision, and it in no way reflects my experience during the audition process… Everyone on the show was very kind and I feel absolutely blessed and gracious to have been a part of it!”
Is Drake Milligan in the America’s Got Talent Finals?
You bet! “If I’m lucky enough to move on, hopefully, we can keep raising the bar more,” Drake said, urging his fans to vote for him. “I feel like I came out really swinging with ‘Sounds Like Something I’d Do,’ and now with ‘Kiss Goodbye All Night.’ I’ll be very excited to hopefully sing a new song. I’ve got a ton of new material up in Nashville and, hopefully, I’ll be able to do one of those.”
