Just Sam

Just Sam was born and raised in Harlem, New York. When she was six years old, her grandmother, Elizabeth, adopted Diaz and her sister, Anabelle, after her mother had been incarcerated.[1] She was the topic of a short documentary in 2018 called Sam, Underground, which was shot and produced by Joe Penney and Ladan Osman. In the documentary, she explained that in high school, she was bullied for how she dressed, inspiring her "Just Sam" nickname.[2]

Prior to appearing on American Idol, Just Sam made a living singing in subway trains,[3] and auditioned for America's Got Talent and the American iteration of The Voice, but neither one came to fruition.[4]

Just Sam auditioned for the eighteenth season of the singing reality show American Idol in Washington, D.C. on October 14, 2019.[5] After surviving Hollywood Week and making it into the Top 5, Just Sam received the most votes to win, and on May 17, 2020, Just Sam was crowned the winner of the eighteenth season of American Idol, beating runner-up Arthur Gunn.[6]

In a May 19, 2020 interview with Chuck Arnold of the New York Post, Just Sam stated, "I am a child of God, so that's always gonna come first. That's actually the only label that I ever want to have. But I like what I like, and that's just that, you know? And it's not men. Like, at all."[4] This makes Sam the first LGBT winner of American Idol, with Clay Aiken, David Archuleta, Adam Lambert and Crystal Bowersox coming in 2nd place in prior years.

She announced via her Instagram live on February 4, 2021, that she will upload and release her first single on February 19, which will be available on all music streaming media.