With the 9th season of American Idol winding down, it’s time to look back at Idol contestants of the past and how they fared in the real world afterwards. The premise of the show is to find a person who will be a top selling artist, discovered from within the masses to live on as pop superstars who rule the music industry. The show doesn’t always get it right, though. Of the 8 completed seasons of American Idol, only a cherished few have come to accomplish what the creators had envisioned, and some of the most successful have not been winners on the show.
The majority of the Idol winners have turned out to be duds in their post-Idol careers, and some who haven’t won have garnered commercial success in music, acting, and even publishing. In this first of a series, we take a look back at former Idol contestants who’ve made it big in the music industry. The six artists presented here, though not all winners on the show, have each made their own indelible mark in the entertainment field and we can all thank American Idol for bringing them to us.
Kelly Clarkson
The very first American Idol surely embodies what the creators of the show had in mind when they conceived of the idea. Within months of earning the 1st season’s crown by beating out runner-up Justin Guarini, Clarkson had already garnered a number one hit with “A Moment Like This” and gone platinum with her first album, “Thankful”. To date, Clarkson is the biggest selling American Idol contestant in history, topping out at over 22 million albums sold worldwide. Here are some of Kelly’s post-American Idol accomplishments:
– Clarkson’s had 11 singles to reach the top 20 on Billboard’s Hot 100 charts, including two number ones (“A Moment Like This” in 2002 and “My Life Would Suck Without You” in 2009).
– Two of her albums (2003’s “Thankful” and 2009’s “All I Ever Wanted”) have reached #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Albums chart. 2007’s “My December” reached #2 in 2007 and “Breakaway” hit #3 in 2004.
– Kelly’s been nominated for 5 Grammy’s and has won twice (Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for “Since You’ve Been Gone” and Best Pop Vocal Album (“Breakaway”) in 2006.
– Kelly has made several forays into acting, including the 2003 film “From Justin to Kelly”, and appearances on Reba, King of the Hill, Saturday Night Live, and Madtv.
– In addition to selling 22.3 million albums, Kelly boasts singles sales of over 30 million worldwide.
Carrie Underwood
Carrie earned the American Idol crown in the show’s 4th season, beating out Bo Bice, and has surely rivaled if not surpassed Clarkson’s success. The first and only country singer to win the crown, Underwood has had astounding success in the music industry. All three of Carrie’s albums (“Some Hearts”, “Carnival Ride” and “Play On”) have reached #1 on Billboard’s Country Albums chart. Her debut reached #2 on the magazine’s Pop Albums chart and her subsequent works also hit #1 on the same chart. Altogether, Underwood has sold well over 11 million albums and her accomplishments have been many:
– Carrie has won 4 Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist, Best Female Country Vocal Performance in 2007 (“Jesus Take the Wheel”), 2008 (“Before He Cheats”), and 2009 (“Last Name”).
– Carrie has also won 8 Academy of Country Music Awards, 5 American Music Awards, 8 Billboard Music Awards, and a great many other prestigious honors.
– She’s had 10 songs to chart in the Top 40 of Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart, and has appeared on the magazines various charts numerous times, including Top Artists of the Year for 2009.
Chris Daughtry
Chris Daughtry placed 4th in American Idol’s 5th installment, bested by Elliott Yamin, Katherine McPhee, and winner Taylor Hicks. Regardless of his finish in the standings, Daughtry was clearly the winner of this most-watched season of American Idol, having garnered more commercial success than any of the other contestants that year. Soon after his elimination from the show, he was signed to a deal with RCA and recorded his first album, “Daughtry”, which became a number one for his band of the same name. Here are some of Chris Daughtry’s post-Idol accomplishments:
– Both of the band’s albums, “Daughtry” and “Leave This Town” have reached the pinnacle on Billboard’s Albums Chart.
– Altogether, Daughtry has sold more than 5 million records.
– 7 of the 9 singles released by the band have reached the top 40 on Billboard’s Hot 100.
– Daughtry has won several prestigious music industry awards, including 4 American Music Awards and a People’s Choice Award.
– Daughtry has become a mainstay on the pop music scene ever since Chris’ appearance on Idol, garnering him a top spot on this list for American Idol’s of all time.
Jennifer Hudson
Though Jennifer Hudson made an early exit on the show’s 3rd season (she ended up in 7th place), her career nonetheless soared to great heights in the years following her appearance on the show. Hers can be considered the Cinderella story of all Idoldom, as Hudson’s early exit from the show wouldn’t normally be a place from which to embark on a successful career. Her ouster was a stunner, as her powerful and soulful lyrics made her a favorite amongst fans, but her talent proved above the show’s radar for finding superstars.
Jennifer’s career took an unusual turn in her post-Idol life, as she earned a role as Effie in the 2006 film adaptation of the Broadway hit “Dreamgirls. Her moving performance earned her a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She followed her acting success with a 2008 eponymous debut, which earned the singer a Grammy Award for Best R&B;/Soul Album. Here’s more of what Jennifer’s been up to:
– In addition to her Golden Globe and Academy Awards, Jennifer also earned a Screen Actors Guild Award, an NAACP Image Award, and countless others for her role in Dreamgirls.
– Hudson has continued her acting career with lauded performances in the Sex and the City and The Secret Life of Bees.
– Her album, “Jennifer Hudson” was certified gold in the US and platinum worldwide, and her song “Spotlight” garnered her 2 Grammy nominations.
Fantasia Barrino
Fantasia was the 3rd person to be crowned the American Idol and though not nearly as successful as Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood, she’s clearly the third most successful of Idol’s eight winners to date. During her time on Idol, Fantasia wowed the judges and the audience every week with her gospel-infused, fiery style. Fantasia was clearly at home on the stage throughout the competition. Once, the Idol season had ended, the singer released her first single, “I Believe”, which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100. Here’s more of what Fantasia’s done since winning the title of American Idol:
– Her two studio albums, “Free Yourself” and “Fantasia” have sold more than 2 million copies worldwide.
– Fantasia has had 3 singles reach Billboard’s Top 40 (“I Believe”, #1 in 2004, “Truth Is”, #21 in 2004, and “When I See You”, #32 in 2007).
– She’s been nominated for a Grammy 8 times, though she’s never won.
– In the years 2006/07, Fantasia appeared in the hit Broadway adaptation of Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple”, earning her rave reviews.
– In 2006, she appeared as herself in a Lifetime Television film, “Life is not a Fairy Tale”, an adaptation of her top-selling autobiography of the same name which won her accolades for her touching confession at being functionally illiterate.
Clay Aiken
Many people were shocked at American Idol’s Season 2 finale when Clay Aiken was defeated, in the slimmest of margins, by winner Ruben Studdard. In the end, however, Aiken was clearly the winner as he went on to became the first non-winning contestants of the show to achieve great success. In all, Aiken has kept busy since his days on Idol, selling over 5 million copies collectively of his four studio albums. Here’s some more of Clay’s accomplishments since his days on Idol:
– All four of his albums have reached the top 4 on Billboard’s Album Chart, with his first, “Measure of a Man” being the only one to reach the top spot.
– He’s had 5 singles hit the Top 40 (“This is the Night” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, both #1 in 2003, “Invisible”, #37 in 2004, “The Way” and “Solitaire”, both peaking at #4 in 2004).
– In 2008, Aiken made his Broadway debut in Monty Python’s “Spamalot”, playing the character Sir Robin.
– Aiken has developed his own legion of sometimes obsessive fans known as “Claymates”.
Clearly, these six American Idol contestants, three winners and three also-rans, have each used the show as a jumping off point for successful careers in the entertainment industry. The astounding successes of Chris Daughtry, Jennifer Hudson, and Clay Aiken demonstrate a flaw in the show’s selection process. Stay tuned as this flaw is further exposed as we look at some of the show’s winners who’ve turned out to be major disappointments.
Sources:
http://www.aceshowbiz.com/celebrity/carrie_underwood/awards.html
http://www.aceshowbiz.com/celebrity/daughtry/awards.html
http://www.aceshowbiz.com/celebrity/fantasia_barrino/
http://www.aceshowbiz.com/celebrity/jennifer_hudson/biography.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Idol
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay_Aiken
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay_Aiken_discography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daughtry_discography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantasia_Barrino_discography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Hudson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly_Clarkson_discography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Kelly_Clarkson
http://kellyclarkson.com/index.htm
http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/clarkson_kelly/artist.jhtml
