American Idol: What Happened To William Hung After Season 3

William Hung won fans over during American Idol season three due to his unforgettable audition and sweet personality, and he has been up to a lot since then. Though William did not make it to Hollywood on his season, he gained a large fan following and has been using his passion for singing to inspire others. Check out everything William has done since he first appeared on the show in 2004.

While American Idol has produced many famous singers like Jennifer Hudson, Adam Lambert, and Kelly Clarkson, there have also been unusual auditions that are just as cemented in fans’ minds. Fans of the show believe that some failed American Idol auditions make for great entertainment, like AI season nine’s Larry Platt singing his original song “Pants on the Ground.” Larry and William have some of the most memorable auditions in American Idol’s history of nearly 20 seasons.

William Hung famously sang an ambitious rendition of Ricky Martin’s hit, “She Bangs,” and his name is now synonymous with the song. He won a talent show at his college, UC Berkeley, singing the same song, and even revealed that to this day, he is largely known as the “She Bangs” guy. When he was 20, he sang in front of judges Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell on American Idol season three and was mostly mocked by the panel. Though he did not get the golden ticket, William famously stayed positive and said he was setting a new example when he commented, “I already gave my best and I have no regrets at all.“

After William’s AI audition aired, he gained a large fan base and even made appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He performed the hit once again and earned a record contract, but decided to pursue a different career a few years later. William went back to college, studied to become a math teacher, and then found his calling at a sheriff’s department. He was then promoted to a job in the public health department, where he worked for nearly a decade.

William has spent several years as a motivational speaker, and he has gotten the opportunity to travel and perform all over the world, trying to spread happiness. Because of his time on American Idol, he learned how to deal with rejection and not let it affect him. William gave a Ted Talk in 2019, via TEDx Talks on YouTube, and he spoke about the effect that the show had on his life. In 2014, William from AI also got to get onstage with his idol, Ricky Martin, and help the pop legend perform “She Bangs” during his concert in Vegas. William got married in 2014, so he’s been enjoying his life outside of the reality TV spotlight.

Source: TEDx Talks/YouTube

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