Michael Murphy

At the conclusion of the first season of NZ Idol in 2004, Taupo born teenager Michael Murphy narrowly lost to Auckland singer Ben Lummis. But Murphy's career had well and truly launched. He signed with Sony BMG and released gold selling 2005 album No Place to Land, which contained the number one single 'So Damn Beautiful'. After solo success the singer was keen to return to band life; he formed rock band 5star Fallout with old high school mates, and toured New Zealand and the United States. He returned to New Zealand in the mid 2000s to perform in musicals Grease and Rent, then went on to front rockers Written By Wolves.