Competition shows have a way of making stars out of its competitors thanks to being watched by millions of fans. Things for these people turn out in a variety of ways. Stars like David Archuleta earn major net worths, stars like Ruben Studdard keep making music, and some like Antonella Barba get arrested.
Rock Star was a singing show that was looking for the next great rock frontman, and the competition was fierce. JD Fortune won the first season of the show, and his life underwent massive changes ever since.
Let's take a closer look at Rock Star and how things played out for JD Fortune after winning it all.
'Rockstar' Was A Competition Show For Rock Singers
During the 2000s, Rock Star made its way onto the small screen, and it was a singing competition show geared towards rock fans of all ages. Instead of spreading the love to other genres, this show was all about finding a rockin' singer who could take the reins of a major band.
In total, there would be two seasons of the show, each of which featured a different band. Season one looked to find a new singer for INXS, whereas season two was all about finding a singer for the supergroup, Rock Star Supernova. The latter season's band featured rock icons like Tommy Lee and Jason Newsted.
The premise of the show was familiar enough, and there was a wealth of talent on each season. Naturally, rock fans tuned in, and they supported their favorite singers on their path to a potential victory and place in a major recording act.
This is what ultimately placed JD Fortune in prime position to win season one of the show and snag the gig of a lifetime.
JD Fortune Became The Lead Singer Of INXS
In 2005, JD Fortune was able to outlast the rest of the show's competitors to earn the lead singer spot for INXS. Suddenly, the unknown Fortune was in a major rock band, and the guys had a lot of positive momentum at first.
The band soon found success with songs like "Pretty Vegas" and "Afterglow," and suddenly, INXS was thriving once more. Fortune played a major part in the group's resurgence, and there was hope that more hits were on the horizon.
Sadly, things did not end well for Fortune and his time with the band.
In 2009, Fortune claimed that the band left him at an airport after booting him from the band, but the band refuted this claim.
"Not only are we shocked by the claims, but even the place the supposed incident was to have taken place is also a mystery to the band," said record company head, Chris Murphy.
Now, the two sides reconciled, and Fortune rejoined the guys. However, he would subsequently receive his walking papers after being replaced by Ciaran Gribbin.
It's been years since Fortune won the show and eventually split with INXS, and people would love to know what he is up to now.
JD Fortune Is Keeping The Dream Alive
So, what is singer JD Fortune up to these days? Well, in what should come as a surprise to no one, Fortune has been busy making music in recent years.
The singer might not have been a lasting member of INXS, but he still kept plugging along in the music business. On his social media accounts, Fortune has linked some of his most recent releases, which fans will certainly enjoy.
Not only has Fortune done plenty of solo work, but he was also fronting his own band, Fortune. It sure sounds like the singer was having a much better time with that band than he did with INXS.
When speaking about this some time ago, Fortune said, "There was a two year period where I didn’t even hear from the band. I just kept writing. It feels sort of like I was never even in INXS. It feels like I’ve been with Fortune the whole time because we all get along so well. We had a conference call last night and were talking about how much we miss each other and the vibe about just playing together. When we play we really play and make the songs the stars."
Clearly, music was always in the cards for the singer, regardless of how things would have panned out with INXS.
He never blossomed into a rock star like the show's name eluded to, but JD Fortune kept rocking and pursuing his passion in music.