Michael Johns

1. 2002

   Record deal

   In 2002 he was signed to Maverick Records as a solo artist under his birth name, Michael Lee.

2. 2003

   Release · August 26, 2003

   The Rising released the five-track EP Live at the Apple Store on Maverick on August 26, 2003.

3. 2003

   Release · September 16, 2003

   The Rising released the 11-track album Future Unknown on Maverick on September 16, 2003. Its song Cradle received some airplay, and the album was also released on iTunes in 2008.

4. 2004–2005
5. 2006

   Other

   He started using the name Michael Johns in 2006 as an homage to his stepfather, whose name is John.

6. 2007

   Television · July 2007

   He auditioned for the seventh season of American Idol at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego in July 2007.

7. 2008

   American Idol, season 7

   Eliminated 8th

   January 15 – April 10, 2008

8. 2008

   Television · April 9, 2008 – April 10, 2008

   He finished in eighth place, eliminated after singing Dream On in the Top 8 week. Sources give two elimination dates, April 9, 2008, during Idol Gives Back, and April 10, 2008, the Top 8 results show.

9. 2008

   Tour · July 1, 2008 – September 13, 2008

   As the eighth-place finalist, he joined the American Idols Live! Tour 2008, which ran from July 1 to September 13, 2008.

10. 2008

    Release · December 2008

    In December 2008 he released Another Christmas, a one-track release on TRP records of a song he wrote in 2006. Half the proceeds were advertised for the Red Cross and half to fight ALS.

11. 2009

    Chart

    Heart on My Sleeve debuted at number 27 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart and peaked at number 22 in 2009.

12. 2009

    Chart

    Hold Back My Heart debuted at number 97 on the Billboard 200 with 5,000 copies sold, and peaked at number 12 on Independent Albums.

    
13. 2009

    Release · January 20, 2009

    Three Rings Projects released the soundtrack Don't Look Down on January 20, 2009. He sang on all but one of the vocal tracks. The 17-track album, Don't Look Down – The Height of Competition, is credited to TRP records.

    
14. 2009

    Release · April 14, 2009

    Heart on My Sleeve, written by James Morrison and John Shanks, was released on iTunes on April 14, 2009, on TRP and Downtown. It sold 5,000 copies in two weeks.

15. 2009

    Release · June 23, 2009

    His third studio album, Hold Back My Heart, was released on June 23, 2009, through Downtown Records.

    
16. 2010–2011
17. 2012

    Television

    He appeared briefly in a 2012 episode of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

18. 2012

    Release · June 11, 2012

    He released the three-song EP Love & Sex on BUTR Records on June 11, 2012.

    
19. 2013
20. 2014

    Release · February 28, 2014

    He released the single Day Breaks Sun on February 28, 2014.

    
21. 2014

    Release · March 14, 2014

    He released the single Now or Never on March 14, 2014.

    
22. 2014

    Other · August 1, 2014

    He died in Tustin, California, on August 1, 2014, at age 35. BBC News on August 3, 2014, reported that Fox and his family confirmed the death and that no cause was given. The article reported that The Hollywood Reporter attributed it to a blood clot in his ankle.

23. 2014

    Other · November 18, 2014

    On November 18, 2014, the coroner reported that he had died of dilated cardiomyopathy, and that a fatty liver also contributed to his death.

More milestones

1. —Date not documented

   Record deal

   After Maverick, he signed with Columbia Records, which later dropped him.

2. —Date not documented

   Other

   As a teenager he played the Coachman in Pinocchio at the Regal Theatre and sang in the choir for Anything Goes at His Majesty's Theatre.

3. —Date not documented

   Other

   He was in a band called Film for 18 months.