American Idol Season 9 Winner Lee DeWyze to Release Debut Album, Live It Up, on November 16 on 19 Recordings/RCA Records

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Last May, Lee DeWyze thrilled millions of fans when he was crowned the Season 9 winner of American Idol. Now the wait is over for original music from this self-taught singer, songwriter, and guitarist, who will release his major-label debut album, Live It Up, on November 16 on 19 Recordings/RCA Records. Lee's first single "Live It Up" will debut 'On Air with Ryan Seacrest' October 13.

"Putting out an album on a major label is truly a dream come true," says 24-year-old DeWyze, a native of Mount Prospect, IL, who had built up a sizeable following on the Chicago club scene when he first auditioned for Idol in June 2009 at the urging of his bandmates. He was the only male contestant never to land in the competition's bottom three contestants. "I'm excited for all the people who supported me throughout Idol to hear what I can do with my own songs. The album shows a whole different side of me and I'm so proud of it."

Working with top-notch collaborators such as Toby Gad, John Shanks, and Espionage, to name a few, DeWyze co-wrote most of the songs on Live It Up, which he recorded while on the road over the summer with the American Idols Live Tour. "To see my name listed in the credits on each song was really important to me because I'm a songwriter," DeWyze says, "I also loved working with such talented writers. They all brought so much to the table and really helped me flesh out my sound."

Live It Up is an engaging blend of rootsy pop, rock and folk, anchored by DeWyze's soulful, rough-edged voice and bright-sounding acoustic guitar. "I grew up listening to Simon & Garfunkel, The Mamas & the Papas, Cat Stevens, and Kris Kristofferson," DeWyze says. "I love hard-edged vocals over pretty melodies — that's what I'm about. I really admire guys like Dave Matthews and Ray LaMontagne, and to now be on the same record label as them — it just blows my mind."

More details about Live It Up will be announced soon. For more about Lee, please visit www.leedewyzeofficial.com.

Follow Lee here:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/leedewyze

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/leedewyze

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/leedewyze

For hi-res photos and more: http://www.rcamusicgrouppress.com/index.php?artist=Lee_DeWyze

SOURCE RCA Records