Richard Jason Helton, born Rolando Alberto de Jesus Rivas Jr. on May 17, 1981 in Pasadena, Texas, is an American contemporary Christian music artist. Adopted and renamed Richard Jason Helton at a young age, he began performing publicly as a child, singing in church and participating in talent shows from the age of five. Helton first gained prominence as the 5th place finalist on the inaugural season of American Idol in 2002, becoming the show’s first Wild Card contestant. Following his appearance, he released his debut album, Real Life, with GospoCentric Records in 2004. The album peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Christian Music chart and number 19 on the Heatseekers Albums chart.
