The American Idol season 8 contestant Ricky Braddy was also a contestant on The Voice where he made it through the different stages until he got to become one of the top 13 singers on the show for that season. Braddy discovered his talent at an early age in the church where he was raised so music has always been part of his life.
He has so much passion for singing so he decided to commit most of his life to singing and chasing his music career. The singing competitions he has been involved in have helped him gain more fame.
Who is Ricky Braddy?
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The 36-year old Ricky Braddy was born and raised in Nashville together with his family. He is from Elizabeth City, North Carolina but he spent most of his years in Nashville. Braddy joined a Christian group at the age of 16 travelling and spreading the gospel with the group. He is a graduate of Belmont University with a degree in commercial vocal performance.
In 2013, Braddy released a limited-edition debut EP through his website and later went back to his hometown for an EP release show It is no longer available on digital music sites.
His Early Years In The Ministry
Braddy was raised in a conservative southern community and so his early years were mostly spent in the church participating in most of the activities. After he joined the Christian ministry, he spent close to three years travelling within the United States. After he left the ministry, he became a worship leader at a church in Nashville. He was strong in his faith and beliefs when he was still young.
He Led A Double Life
The talented singer carried a heavy burden for years while he was working hard to spread his faith. He could not disclose to those close to him at that time that he was gay because of how conservative everyone in his circle was. He was scared he would be rejected by his friends and family so he decided to hide his sexuality until he realized he was actually living a double life.
Ricky Braddy Competed In American Idol and The Voice
At the age of 25, Braddy auditioned for the American Idol talent competition in Louisville and he made it through but he was unfortunately eliminated. Luckily for him, he was brought back as a wildcard and so he came back and continued competing but his luck did not last long as he was eliminated again from the competition.
He was also on NBC’s The Voice season 17 in 2019 as a top 20 contestant but did not make it through to the finals.
He Revealed His Sexuality On TV
Braddy decided to reveal his true self after he auditioned for the voice and became a contestant on the television show. He shared his secret with the whole world on national television after he had summoned courage and with all honesty, he took the decision and acknowledged his sexuality regardless of what people would feel about him.
He became an inspiration for those who are worried about being accepted by their family and friends and his actions conveyed a strong message.
It Was In College That Ricky Braddy First Discovered Secular Music
Throughout his life, he was only exposed to gospel music until he went to college and got introduced to secular music. He then began to consider himself a musician and since then, it has become a great part of his life and he decided to pursue a career as a professional in music. He was part of the Dove-Award winning gospel group Karen Peck and New River, a Southern gospel group based in Gainesville Georgia between 2015 to 2017. His former group members described his voice as one of the most powerful, amazing, anointed, and powerful.
He Has A Fair Social Media Following
The singer is more active on Instagram and with about 5752 followers, following 258 on Instagram as of October 2020. He is always posting pictures relating to his professional and personal life and his fan base is gradually increasing over time.
It is obvious that Braddy is still strong in his faith judging from his Instagram page where he maintains a hashtag that says, “seeking first His kingdom”. But He has not shared much about how his family and church reacted to his disclosure about his sexuality.
