Friday, December 6, 2024

American Idol: Samantha Diaz aka Just Sam Returns to Show Sunday Four Years After Winning

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Samantha Diaz is returning to “American Idol” this Sunday.

Diaz, aka Just Sam, won the content four years ago, in 2020. She arrived there as New York subway performer, or busker.

After she won, her career did not take off. Diaz returned to the subway platform, where she’s been ever since.

Her 2020 win coincided with the beginning of COVID. She admitted in a later interview “no one wanted to work in a studio.”

“Back in 2021, I was super embarrassed to be going back to the trains. I didn’t want people to know that I legit needed the money & I didn’t want people to know that it wasn’t optional,” Diaz wrote, in a since-deleted post. “I was disappointed in myself for allowing myself to fall so low after winning Idol, but then I had to take it easy on me and remember that I started my journey with Idol at 20 years old. Not even knowing anything about Hollywood or the music industry.”

Two days ago, Diaz — who has a phenomenal voice and deserves a real music career — posted this message to Instagram:

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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