AJ Gil | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Abner Juda Gil |
| Born | July 5, 1984 San Diego, California, United States |
| Genres | Pop, R&B, Christian music |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, actor |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Labels | Juda Music Productions |
Abner Juda Gil (born July 5, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor, who placed eighth during the first season of American Idol. Following his participation on the Fox reality series, he released two mixtapes, as well as several standalone singles. He also starred in the 2005 independent film Destination Fame. Throughout his career, Gil has collaborated with a variety of artists. He was the first Latino to ever place on American Idol, and several of his songs are in Spanish.
The 2002 compilation album American Idol: Greatest Moments, which reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart, features Gil covering "My Cherie Amour" by Stevie Wonder as one of its tracks. A few months after competing on American Idol, Gil went on a nationwide tour with the other season one finalists. His first radio single, "She's Hot" (featuring the artist Max-A-Million), was written for the film Destination Fame, although the song was released in 2003, two years before the film's premiere.
Upon founding his own recording studio, Juda Music Productions, Gil began a career in R&B, which culminated with the 2011 release of his first mixtape, Love Me Later. Gil's second mixtape, Life, Death & Resurrection, marked a transition to Christian music and was released in 2013.