Live Like We're Dying
by Kris Allen

Although previous contestants played their own instruments on American Idol, few benefited so greatly from the experience as Kris Allen, whose classic singer/songwriter vibe earned him a first place finish in 2009. Pitted against powerhouse vocalist Adam Lambert at the show's conclusion, Allen wisely emphasized his wide-ranging abilities as a musician, playing piano during a soulful rendition of "Ain't No Sunshine" and strumming the guitar for an acoustic take on Kanye West's "Heartless." The in...