YouTube has created a number of stars over the years, some of them so famous today that
you’ve most likely heard of their names.
So join us as we count 10 YouTubers Who Became Celebrities
Justin Bieber If you haven’t heard this name in the last
few years then it’s safe to assume you’ve been living under a rock, no, a massive boulder
in fact.
Justin Bieber today is one of the world’s most popular artists and earns plenty more
than anyone needs.
However, it was only a few years ago that young Bieber was still unheard of, posting
YouTube videos of him perform as a 12 year old.
These videos convinced executives at Island Def Jam Recordings to sign Bieber to huge
deal, skyrocketing him into stardom.
Susan Boyle The name Susan Boyle was completely unheard
of up until 2009 when she made her entrance on Britain’s Got Talent, and sang “I Dreamed
a Dream” from Les Miserables.
Overnight the video became viral and at the time, the most viewed video ever.
Out of nowhere the 47 year old from Scotland was appearing on “Good Morning America”
and finding phone calls from record executives around the world.
Today her bank account sits at over $30 million dollars, and largely thanks to YouTube.
Carly Rae Jepsen Interestingly enough, Bieber is largely responsible
for the rise to fame of this young recording artist.
Carly Rae Jepsen was already somewhat popular in her native Canada by finishing third on
Canadian Idol.
However, she didn’t hit the road to U.S. fame until Bieber tweeted that “Call Me
Maybe” was “possibly the catchiest song I’ve ever heard.”
Bieber managed to misspell Jepsen’s name in the tweet, but there’s a good chance
all the fame and money she’s gained has earned her forgiveness.
Soulja Boy The Chicago-born hip hop artist relied heavily
on social media presence to make his breakthrough, including YouTube and MySpace.
The song he is most known for is without a doubt “Crank That” which he originally
published himself on his YouTube page.
The song would go on to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Eventually, he was discovered by hip hop producer Mr. Collipark and Soulja Boy signed a deal
with Interscope Records.
He earned $7 million in 2010, making him one of the highest earning hip hop stars for that
year, and he has since released numerous tracks and albums.
Kate Upton The bombshell model who’s been featured
on the cover of Sports Illustrated multiple times owes part of her success to a couple
of YouTube videos.
Upton was struggling to find work when she posted a video of herself “doing the Dougie”
at an L.A. Clippers game; the video was quickly viewed millions of times and gained her 170,000
Twitter followers.
Upton doesn’t have any trouble finding work now; she’s earned millions from modelling
and advertising jobs over the past few years.
Avery Molek The youngest star on this list, Avery Molek
became a YouTube phenomenon after his parents uploaded videos of the six year old playing
the drums.
Avery’s prodigy-like skills attracted the attention of some local venues, and eventually
caught the eye of KISS drummer Eric Singer.
Avery’s recent gigs have included “Good Morning America” (with Brad Paisley) and
an appearance on “LIVE With Kelly and Michael.”
Ray William Johnson Here’s a YouTuber that many have heard of
as he was once the biggest channel on YouTube, being the first channel ever to hit 5 million
subscribers.
Johnson started up his YouTube series “Equals Three” while at Columbia preparing to become
a lawyer.
The format featured Johnson adding commentary to the most recent viral videos, and this
became very popular indeed.
At one point, he had created 6 of the 20 most watched YouTube videos of the month.
His channel continues to be popular, with over 10 million subscribers and over 3 billion
views in total, although the channel’s popularity has declined due to Johnson no longer being
the host for the Equals Three show.
Havard Rugland This Norwegian soccer player became a YouTube
hit after uploading his “Kickalicious” video featuring impressive trick shots.
That video eventually found its way into NFL circles, and Rugland is now a member of the
Detroit Lions.
Philip DeFranco Philip DeFranco is one of the original YouTubers
who started his channel in the very early days of the site.
He quickly built up a large audience with his commentary on recent news stories, allowing
him to make a career out of online videos.
His revenue comes from more than just his videos though, he’s been paid by corporations
and TV shows such as Carl’s Jr, and he has a sponsorship deal with Netflix.
In 2013 DeFranco sold the assets associated with his YouTube presence to Revision3, an
online-only TV network, and became an executive at the company.
He continues to post videos on his channel to this day.
Cody Simpson The Australian-born teen star, who’s also
an accomplished swimmer, uploaded videos of him covering songs by the Jackson 5 and Justin
Timberlake in 2010.
He was subsequently discovered by record producer Shawn Campbell.
Simpson has appeared in a number of TV shows in the last few years, and released two studio
albums.