Eliminated early on ‘American Idol’, this contestant came back as a drag queen and made history
'American Idol' has had a wide variety of seasons since the show's inception back in 2002. Adam Sanders, with the stage name Ada Vox, was one such contestant who appeared on season 12 of 'Idol'. For the unversed, he auditioned as Adam Sanders in the 'American Idol' auditions of season 12 with his iteration of 'I'd Rather Go Blind' by Etta James. The hopeful got a unanimous yes from all four judges, progressing him to the next round. Sanders made it to the Hollywood Round but, unfortunately, was eliminated before being able to make the Top 12, as reported by Collider.
In a surprising twist, Sanders then made a return in season 16 of 'American Idol' but this time, he auditioned as his drag queen persona, Ada Vox. Vox performed her rendition of 'House of the Rising Sun' by The Animals, getting a unanimous yes from all the judges. This season proved to be quite different for the hopeful, as Vox made it all the way to the Top 10 as she performed her rendition of 'Circle of Life' by Elton John from 'The Lion King'. However, Vox received the lowest number of votes alongside Michelle Sussett and Dennis Lorenzo, which led to her elimination, as reported by Fandom.
Vox made history as she became the first drag queen to make it to the top ten contestants of 'American Idol'. This historic moment could have been amplified if she had won the show. That said, this is not where Vox's story came to an end. In a report by Talent Recap, the singer then went on to audition for 'America's Got Talent' in 2013 as Adam Sanders. He recently made an appearance in 'Canada's Got Talent' season five as well, performing as his drag queen persona.
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Vox later took her talents to the global stage on the debut season of the drag-themed singing competition 'Queen of the Universe', which premiered in December 2021. Hosted by Graham Norton and judged by Michelle Visage, Trixie Mattel, Vanessa Williams, and Leona Lewis, the show featured some of the fiercest voices in drag. Vox wowed the judges and finished as a runner-up — and since then, she’s continued to shine, proving her talent belongs on any stage.
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Vox even released her own singles by the names of 'Because of You', 'Tea Time', and 'Burn'. She has even performed at various pride festivals and fundraisers for the Human Rights Campaign. Outside of drag, Sanders uses he/him pronouns. All in all, Sanders has described Vox as a performance persona, not a lived identity, and an “alter ego” for entertainment.
