Madeline Mae Poppe (born December 5, 1997) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and the season 16 winner of American Idol. She is a multi-instrumentalist—playing the guitar, piano, and ukulele. Prior to winning American Idol, Poppe released an independent album titled Songs from the Basement. Poppe released her first studio album, Whirlwind, with Hollywood Records in 2019.
Maddie Poppe was born to Trent and Tonya Poppe in Clarksville, Iowa. As a young girl, Poppe loved to sing for her family, but did not start performing until she was in middle school. She graduated Clarksville High School in 2016, attended Iowa Central Community College and then went to Hawkeye Community College. Her father is also a musician and is a guitarist. She used to perform with her father and his band at the Pioneer Days festival. She got her start performing at the Butler County Fairgrounds in Allison, Iowa. Poppe had also been a stagehand, setting up equipment for musicians at the county fair.
Poppe has talked about not wanting to settle for things she did not like to do. She remarked, "I was trying to get gigs while I was supposed to be paying attention to a lecture." More than fame, Poppe has a career longevity and the enjoyment of being in music and performing.

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