Can you believe that the mega-hit singing competition television series American Idol
premiered 20 years ago? It originally aired on Fox, running for 15 seasons before going on a
two-year hiatus. In 2018, It was revived by ABC and has been airing on that network ever since.
The singing competition programming format has a rich history. Back in the mid-20th century,
the talent search variety show was a very popular genre. Shows like 1947s Doorway to
Fame and 1949s Opportunity Knocks can be seen as early examples of this programming
format. Another notable talent contest television series was NBC's The Gong Show, which premiered
in 1976. The show 'Star Search' brought the genre back into relevance in the mid-80s.
When American Idol premiered in 2001, it paved the way for a new generation of
talent competition shows that have since become a staple of network programming.
It started as an addition to the popular Idols format based on the British Television series
Pop Idol, but once it made its way across the Atlantic, American Idol went on to
become one of the highest-rated reality television shows in the United States.
Kelly Clarkson was the first singer to win the competition when she beat
out Justin Guarini for the show's top spot. Since then,
19 other singers have been crowned the competition's victor. Join us as we take
a look back at the American Idol winners while checking in to see what they are up to today.
Kelly Clarkson
Considered to be American idol's second most successful winner, idol Kelly Clarkson still
is enjoying a thriving career in the spotlight twenty years after clinching victory in 2002.
After winning the inaugural season, Clarkson was given a record deal with RCA Records.
She released her debut album later that year and appeared in the film From Justin to Kelly.
Since then, Clarkson has released eight studio albums,
won eight Grammys, published a children's book, and has been given her own daytime talk show.
Ruben Studdard
When then-25-year-old Ruben Studdard beat out Clay Aiken
for the title of Idol in 2003, he was known as the 'velvet teddy bear'.
After winning the competition, Studdard went on to make a name for himself as both an R&B
and gospel singer. In 2003, he was nominated for a Grammy for best male R&B vocal performance.
Studdard has since put out numerous studio albums and has appeared on 'The Biggest Loser'.
In 2018, Studdard released a Luther Vandross tribute album titled 'Ruber Sings Luther'.
Fantasia Barrino
Since coming out victorious in the third season of Idol, Barrino has recorded seven albums. She's
been nominated for 12 Grammy awards, winning one for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 2011.
Fantasia has also appeared on Broadway in the 2007 musical The
Color Purple and then again in the 2013 production After Midnight. In 2006,
her memoir Fantasia: Life is Not a Fairytale was adapted into a Lifetime original movie.
Fantasia married wealthy businessman Kendall Taylor in 2015. A few years later,
the couple welcomed their first child into the world, a daughter named Keziah. Fantasia is also
the mother of two other children, Dallas and Zion, whom she had in previous relationships.
Carrie Underwood
Underwood was just a 22-year-old college kid when she won 'Idol' in 2005.
Since then, she has dominated the charts; releasing multiple albums,
winning seven Grammies, and over a dozen CMA awards.
While Kelly Clarkson might be considered to be one of American Idol's biggest success stories, Carrie
Underwood's whopping $140 million net worth proves that she is the show's most significant winner.
In 2010, she set the Guinness World Record for most country number 1 hit
songs for a female artist in the United States.
In 2013, the 'Drinking Alone' singer made her acting debut in NBC's The Sound of Music: Live.
Taylor Hicks
After becoming the oldest American Idol winner at the age of 29 in 2006, Hicks released his
debut hit single 'Do I Make You Proud' which reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
He has since put out three studio albums – the last of which came out in 2009.
In 2012, he became the first American Idol winner to have a long-term residency in Vegas.
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Jordan Sparks
Jordin Sparks became the youngest American Idol contestant to win
the competition when she won in 2005.
She then put out her debut self-titled album, which went platinum with the hit single 'No Air.
She has since won numerous awards,
including an AMA award in 2008. In 2009, she was nominated for her first Grammy.
Sparks made her Broadway debut in 2010 and transitioned to the big screen when she
appeared in 2012's Sparkle. The singer then took a five-year hiatus
before putting out her third studio album, Right Here Right Now, in 2015.
David Cook
Cook beat out David Archuleta and Jason Castro to become the winner
of the seventh season of American Idol in 2008. He subsequently released his
debut self-titled album, which went on to be certified platinum.
His follow-up 2011 albums This Loud Morning
and 2015's Digital Vein failed to perform quite as well as his first.
In 2009, his brother Adam died of brain cancer. In 2015,
he married his long-time girlfriend, Racheal Stump, in Nashville, Tennessee.
Kris Allen
In 2009, Kris Allen beat out Adam Lambert
in what is largely considered to be the biggest upset in the contest's history.
After his win, Allen's single 'No Boundaries' and his cover of 'Heartless'
both charted on the Billboard Hot 100.
He released his self-titled debut album later that year, and his second album,
Thank You Camellia, hit record stores in 2012.
Allen's latest album was 2016s Letting You In.
These days, Allen is enjoying family life with his wife Katy O'Connor and their three
children. It remains to be seen if he will be putting out any more albums in the future.
Lee DeWyze
DeWyze was a store painter from Illinois before his 2010 American Idol Win.
After coming out victorious, Lee went on to sign with RCA
and released his debut album Live It Up, in November of 2010.
He released three albums after his debut and has since lent his voice to songs on assorted
television shows such as Shameless, The Walking Dead, and CMT's Nashville.
His most recent release, "Ghost Stories", came out in 2021.
Scotty McCreery
At the age of 17, McCreery became the youngest male winner of American Idol in 2011.
Months after his win, he put out his debut album 'Clear As Day' which was certified platinum.
He proceeded to put out a Christmas record in 2012
and another album, "See You Tonight", a year later.
In 2016, McCreery published his memoir,
"Go Big or Go Home". Most recently, he debuted his album 'Same Truck' in 2021.
Phillip Phillips
Phillips won Idol in 2012 at the age of 21.
His debut single 'Home' went multi-platinum,
and his debut album 'The World From The Side of the Moon', peaked at number 2.
In 2014, Phillips released his follow-up album.
His career was put on hold later that year
due to a lawsuit against the 'Idol' production company, 19 Entertainment.
The company settled out of court with Phillips in 2017, which allowed him to once again get
back in the studio. The following year, he released his most recent album 'Collateral'.
Candice Glover
23-year-old, Candice Glover, became the first female American Idol since Jordin
Sparks when she won the competition in 2013.
A year later, she released her debut record, 'Music Speaks'.
After taking a hiatus, Glover released the single
'My Mistake' in 2017. She followed that up with the track 'Break Me' in 2018.
In 2017, Candice appeared in the Broadway musical 'Home for the Holidays'.
Caleb Johnson
Johnson was declared the winner of American Idol's 13th season in 2014.
Two months later, his debut album 'Testify' hit record stores and streaming services.
Johnson broke up with his record label a year later.
Caleb is now the lead singer of a new band called Caleb Johnson and the Ramblin' Saints.
The group dropped their debut album, "Born From Southern Ground', in 2019.
Nick Fradiani
This Connecticut-native won 'Idol' in 2015.
His debut album, Hurricane, was released just months later. Two years after that, he parted
ways with his label, and in 2019 he started touring in the Broadway musical A Bronx Tale.
Trent Harmon
Harmon won American Idol in 2015. That was also the last year that American Idol aired on Fox.
After season 15, the series went on a two-year hiatus before being picked back up by ABC in 2018.
Shortly after winning, Harmon released his debut
single 'Falling'. His debut album 'You Got Em All' was released three years later in 2018.
In 2019, Harmon left his label, Big Machine Records,
and has yet to announce any future projects.
Maddie Poppe
Poppe was the first American Idol contestant
to win the competition after it made the jump over to ABC.
In 2019, the Iowa-native singer put out her debut album,
Whirlwind. Later that year, she joined singer Ingrid Michelson on her 'Dramatic Tour'.
Laine Hardy
The Ameican Idol season 17 winner, Laine Hardy,
followed up his win by putting out the single 'Flame',
Hardy then headlined his first tour later that year. In 2020,
the Louisiana-Native put out two new singles 'Let There Be Country' and 'Ground I Grew Up On'.
Just Sam
Due to the COVID pandemic,
Harlem singer-songwriter Just Sam was declared the winner of 'Idol' Season 18
remotely. She has since put out two singles, 2020's 'Rise Up' and 2021's 'Africando'.
Chayce Beckham
Before winning the 19th season of American Idol in 2021,
Beckham told the LA Daily News that he had no plans of slowing down after the competition.
In April 2022, the country star put out his first studio album
'Doin' it Right' on Wheelhouse Records.
Noah Thompson
The latest American Idol winner, Kentucky-native Noah Thompson,
was crowned the competition's top dog in May of 2022.
After his victory, he told Good Morning America that he went into the competition
not even expecting to receive a golden ticket, so to hear his name at the end was amazing.
Thompson's debut single 'One Day Tonight' has since peaked
at number 48 on the Billboard US Country charts.
He's currently working on recording his first album.
Did you know that Carrie Underwood is the wealthiest American Idol
winner and that Kelly Clarkson now has her own daytime talk show? Share
your thoughts on all of your favorite 'idols' in the comments section below.
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