When the cast for Season 17 of “Dancing With the Stars” was first announced, Amber Riley was almost immediately thrown into the underdog pile.
Going up against Corbin Bleu of “High School Musical” fame and recording artist Christina Milian proved to be no easy feat.
Defying the odds, Riley and Derek Hough buried the competition from the Paso Doble to the Cha Cha. Now with the mirror ball trophy in hand and all of #TeamRoughley behind her, let’s look at a few fast facts about the charismatic contender.
1. Amber on Idol – Ten years ago, at the age of 17, a humble Amber Riley auditioned for the second season of “American Idol.” We don’t know if it was the frightening anticipation of facing Simon Cowell, but the accomplished singer never made it past the producers. Ruben Studdard went on to win the competition, narrowly beating out Clay Aiken.
2. DNC Darling – Singing the national anthem unprepared can be a serious blow to the career. Ahem, Beyonce’s lip-syncing fiasco anyone? Lucky for Riley she was more than prepared when she hit the stage at the 2012 Democratic Convention. The 27-year-old belted out one of the most memorable renditions of our country’s song in recent years.
3. Lots of Sass – “Glee”was the first foray onto the big screen for most of the cast. Riley got her start just seven years in “St. Sass,”a made for TV movie that was supposed to air on the WB network. The pilot was never picked up, but the film’s writer, Ryan Murphy kept her in mind for an even bigger role years later.
4. Before Fame – During her humble beginnings, Riley assisted customers with textiles and appliances. She worked as an Ikea customer service rep for two years.
5. Almost a Dream – She auditioned for the role of Effie White in “Dream Girls,” but was passed over for Jennifer Hudson. We’re sure she had the pipes for the gig, but Hudson brings a soulfulness to the character that is hard to compete with.
6. Getting the Glee Gig – All hope was not lost on her “Dream Girls”audition. The singer belted out “And I Am Telling You” from the Broadway musical to land her spot on “Glee.” Her impressed vocals earned her a final call back for the job just two weeks later.
7. A Is For Awesome – As a big sister to many of her “Glee” castmates, Riley quickly picked up the nickname “Mama A.” The endearing star looked out for her castmates on set. There is even a Tumblr page named in her honor.
8. Amber’s Astrology – Born on February 15, 1986, Amber is an aquarius. She shares a birthday with reality star, Omarosa and fashion model, Selita Ebanks.
9. Theater Club – At one point in her career Riley considered herself to be a serious stage actress. Performing with the Los Angeles Opera she starred in renditions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Alice in Wonderland.
10. Songwriting Sensation – Riley penned a track called “Leave the Light On” for the British pop group, The Saturdays which appeared on their album, Living for the Weekends. Now we wait patiently for Riley’s first album album to debut.