American Idol (season 2)

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American Idol
Season 2
American Idol logo.svg
Hosted by Ryan Seacrest
Judges Paula Abdul
Simon Cowell
Randy Jackson
Winner Ruben Studdard
Runner-up Clay Aiken
Finals venue Gibson Amphitheatre
Release
Original network Fox
Original releaseJanuary 21 (2003-01-21) 
May 21, 2003 (2003-05-21)
Season chronology
 Previous
Season 1
Next 
Season 3
List of episodes

The second season of American Idol premiered on January 21, 2003, and continued until May 21, 2003. The title of show was shortened from American Idol: The Search for a Superstar to just American Idol. [1] Brian Dunkleman quit after the first season, [2] and Ryan Seacrest therefore became the lone host beginning with the second season.

Contents

The second season was won by Ruben Studdard, who defeated Clay Aiken by 134,000 votes out of the 24 million votes recorded.

Studdard released his coronation song "Flying Without Wings" after the show, which reached number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Aiken also released a single with "This Is the Night." He was the first non-winning contestant to have a Billboard Hot 100 number one. It was also the biggest U.S. single of 2003, selling over one million copies and reaching six times platinum status in Canada as well as number one in New Zealand. [3]

In addition to Studdard and Aiken, Kimberley Locke, Joshua Gracin, Kimberly Caldwell, and Carmen Rasmusen all signed with various record labels.

Regional auditions

Auditions were held in the fall of 2002 in the following cities: [4]

American Idol (season 2) – regional auditions
CityDate(s)Audition venue [5] Callback venueGolden tickets
Detroit, Michigan October 21, 2002Atheneum Suites Hotel22
New York City, New York October 24–28, 2002 [6] Regent Wall Street Hotel Rhiga Royal Hotel [7] 35
Atlanta, Georgia October 27, 2002 AmericasMart Callanwolde Fine Arts Center [8] 46
Nashville, Tennessee October 30, 2002 Nashville Municipal Auditorium Wildhorse Saloon 30
Miami, Florida November 2–6, 2002 [9] Fontainebleau Hilton Hotel [10] 20
Austin, Texas November 6–10, 2002Doubletree HotelHyatt Regency [11] 36
Los Angeles, California November 18–20, 2002 Rose Bowl [12] Renaissance Hollywood Hotel [13] 45
Total number of tickets to Hollywood234

The number of auditions increased significantly after the success of the first season, [14] [15] and arenas and stadiums began to be used to hold the first auditions from this season onward. [5] [16] Around 70,000 attended auditions this season and 234 were selected to proceed on to the Hollywood round. Radio DJ Angie Martinez was originally signed up as a fourth judge, [17] but quit after a few days, stating that "it became too uncomfortable for me to tell someone else to give up on their dream." [18]

Amber Riley was rejected by producers and did not get to audition for the judges, [19] but later went on to co-star on the television series Glee as Mercedes Jones.

Hollywood week

The contestants performed in a series of rounds and the number of contestants trimmed was in each round. In the first round, the 234 contestants performed a song, after which 114 were eliminated. In the second round, the remaining 120 contestants were asked to compose a melody for one of five sets of lyrics, and 40 more were cut. In the third round, the contestants were separated by gender and performed in small groups. The remaining 48 boys chose from The Carpenters' "Superstar," Seal's "Kiss from a Rose," and Barry Manilow's "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again," while the remaining 32 girls chose from Melissa Manchester's "Don't Cry Out Loud," Freda Payne's "Band of Gold," and Dionne Warwick's "You'll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart)."

In the last round, each of the remaining 48 contestants performed solo. After their performances, the contestants were then divided into three groups of sixteen and placed in separate rooms. One group was eliminated, and 32 contestants proceeded on to the semifinal rounds.

Semifinals

The format changed slightly in the second season; instead of three groups of ten, the semifinalists were grouped into four groups of eight. The singers performed solo on a new and improved stage with piano accompaniment by Michael Orland, and the performances were pre-taped. There was no live audience, although family members of contestants were present in the Red Room where the contestants were placed.

The results of the public vote were announced live the next day. From each group, two were selected to proceed on to the top 12. Nine of those who failed at any of previous stages, including the Hollywood rounds and the initial regional auditions, were given one more chance to perform again in the Wild Card show. Each of the three judges put one contestant from the Wild Card group through to the top 12, with the final one selected by the public vote.

Color key:

  This contestant was chosen by the public to advance.
  This contestant was not chosen by the public, and had to perform again for the judges.
  This contestant was not chosen by the public, but was chosen by the judges as a Wild Card pick.
  This contestant was eliminated.

Contestants are listed in the order they performed.

Group 1 (February 5)

ContestantSongResult
Kimberly Caldwell "Come to My Window"Wild Card (3rd)
Patrick Fortson"Un-Break My Heart"Eliminated
J. D. Adams"All in Love Is Fair"Eliminated
Trenyce "Love Sneakin' Up On You"Wild Card
Meosha Denton"How Do I Live"Eliminated
Bettis Richardson"Thank You"Eliminated
Charles Grigsby "Overjoyed"Safe
Julia DeMato"Son of a Preacher Man"Safe

Group 2 (February 12)

ContestantSongResult
Clay Aiken "Open Arms"Wild Card (3rd)
Candice Coleman"Piece of My Heart"Eliminated
Rebecca Bond"Caught Up in the Rapture"Eliminated
Jacob John Smalley"Anytime"Eliminated
Hadas"You Light Up My Life"Eliminated
Ruben Studdard "Superstar"Safe
Kimberley Locke "Over the Rainbow"Safe
Jennifer Fuentes"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)"Eliminated

Group 3 (February 19)

ContestantSongResult
Kimberly Kelsey"It's All Coming Back to Me Now"Eliminated
Jordan Segundo"For Your Love"Eliminated
Vanessa Olivarez "Out Here on My Own"Safe
Rickey Smith"One Last Cry"Safe
Samantha Cohen"Something He Can Feel"Eliminated
Louis Gazzara"How Am I Supposed to Live Without You"Eliminated
Equoia Coleman"The Way We Were"Eliminated (3rd)
George Trice"Unchained Melody"Eliminated

Group 4 (February 26)

ContestantSongResult
Sylvia Chibiliti"Didn't We Almost Have It All"Eliminated
Chip Days"A Song for You"Wild Card
Juanita Barber"What About the Children"Eliminated
Patrick Lake"When I See You Smile"Eliminated (3rd)
Nasheka Siddall"Open My Heart"Wild Card
Josh Gracin "I'll Be"Safe
Ashley Hartman"Touch Me in the Morning"Eliminated
Corey Clark "Foolish Heart"Safe

Wild Card round (March 5)

ContestantSongResult
Kimberly Caldwell"I Feel the Earth Move"Saved [lower-alpha 1]
Clay Aiken"Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"Safe
Nasheka Siddall"Wind Beneath My Wings"Eliminated
Carmen Rasmusen "Can't Fight the Moonlight"Saved [lower-alpha 2]
Olivia Mojica"Because You Loved Me"Eliminated
Janine Falsone"We Belong"Eliminated
Chip Days"Rock with You"Eliminated
Aliceyn Cooney"Angel"Eliminated
Trenyce"Let's Stay Together"Saved [lower-alpha 3]
  1. Randy Jackson's Wild Card choice
  2. Simon Cowell's Wild Card choice
  3. Paula Abdul's Wild Card choice

Top 12 finalists

Back - Joshua Gracin, Clay Aiken, Kimberly Caldwell, Kimberley Locke, Charles Grigsby, Carmen Rusmusen, Trenyce, Ruben Studdard
Seated - Julia DeMato, Corey Clark, Vanessa Olivarez, Rickey Smith Ai 2 finalists.jpg
Back - Joshua Gracin, Clay Aiken, Kimberly Caldwell, Kimberley Locke, Charles Grigsby, Carmen Rusmusen, Trenyce, Ruben Studdard
Seated - Julia DeMato, Corey Clark, Vanessa Olivarez, Rickey Smith

Finals

Color key:

  This contestant was saved by the public vote.
  This contestant was in the bottom two or three, but was saved by the public vote.
  This contestant was eliminated.
  This contestant won American Idol.
  This contestant was the runner-up.

Top 12 – Motown (March 12)

Lamont Dozier served as a guest mentor this week. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.

Contestant Motown songResult
Kimberley Locke"Heat Wave"Bottom three
Joshua Gracin"Baby I Need Your Loving"Safe
Charles Grigsby"How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)"Safe
Kimberly Caldwell"Nowhere to Run"Safe
Rickey Smith"1-2-3"Safe
Julia DeMato"Where Did Our Love Go"Bottom two
Clay Aiken"I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)"Safe
Vanessa Olivarez"You Keep Me Hangin' On"Eliminated
Corey Clark"This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)"Safe
Carmen Rasmusen"You Can't Hurry Love"Safe
Trenyce"Come See About Me"Safe
Ruben Studdard"Baby I Need Your Loving"Safe
Non-competition performance
PerformersSong
Top 12"Heat Wave"

Top 11 – Movie soundtracks (March 19)

Gladys Knight served as a guest mentor this week. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.

ContestantSongFilmResult
Corey Clark"Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" Against All Odds Bottom two
Ruben Studdard"A Whole New World" Aladdin Safe
Trenyce"I Have Nothing" The Bodyguard Safe
Clay Aiken"Somewhere Out There" An American Tail Safe
Kimberly Caldwell"The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)" Mermaids Safe
Joshua Gracin"I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" Armageddon Safe
Carmen Rasmusen"Hopelessly Devoted to You" Grease Safe
Charles Grigsby"You Can't Win" The Wiz Eliminated
Rickey Smith"It Might Be You" Tootsie Safe
Julia DeMato"Flashdance... What a Feeling" Flashdance Bottom three
Kimberley Locke"Home" The Wiz Safe
Non-competition performances
PerformersSong
Top 11"Footloose"
"(I've Had) The Time of My Life"
Kelly Clarkson "Anytime"

Top 10 – Country rock (March 26)

Olivia Newton-John served as a guest mentor this week. [21] Contestants are listed in the order they performed.

Contestant Country rock songResult
Joshua Gracin"Ain't Goin' Down ('Til The Sun Comes Up)"Safe
Trenyce"I Need You"Safe
Kimberley Locke"I Can't Make You Love Me"Safe
Corey Clark"Drift Away"Safe [lower-alpha 1]
Carmen Rasmusen"Wild Angels"Safe
Rickey Smith"I've Done Enough Dyin' Today"Bottom three
Kimberly Caldwell"Anymore"Bottom two
Ruben Studdard"Sweet Home Alabama"Safe
Julia DeMato"Breathe"Eliminated
Clay Aiken"Someone Else's Star"Safe
Non-competition performances
PerformersSong
Top 10"Where the Blacktop Ends"
"God Bless the U.S.A."
  1. Corey Clark was disqualified before the following week's performance.

Top 8 – Disco (April 1)

Verdine White served as a guest mentor this week. Because of Corey Clark's disqualification, no one was eliminated after this round. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.

Contestant Disco songResult
Rickey Smith"Let's Groove"Safe
Carmen Rasmusen"Turn the Beat Around"Bottom two [lower-alpha 1]
Kimberly Caldwell"Knock on Wood"Safe
Clay Aiken"Everlasting Love"Safe
Trenyce"I'm Every Woman"Bottom two [lower-alpha 1]
Ruben Studdard"Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe"Safe
Kimberley Locke"It's Raining Men"Bottom three
Joshua Gracin"Celebration"Safe
Non-competition performances
PerformersSong
Top 8"A Night to Remember"
"Boogie Wonderland"
Lee Greenwood"God Bless the U.S.A."
  1. 1 2 It was never revealed whether Trenyce or Carmen had received the fewest number of votes that week as both were declared safe.

Top 8 – Billboard number ones (April 9)

Lionel Richie served as a guest mentor this week. Contestants performed one song from the list of Billboard number one hits, and are listed in the order they performed.

ContestantSongResult
Clay Aiken"At This Moment"Safe
Kimberley Locke"My Heart Will Go On"Bottom three
Rickey Smith"Endless Love"Eliminated
Kimberly Caldwell"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You"Bottom two
Joshua Gracin"Amazed"Safe
Carmen Rasmusen"Call Me"Safe
Trenyce"The Power of Love"Safe
Ruben Studdard"Kiss and Say Goodbye"Safe
Non-competition performances
PerformersSong
Top 8"All Night Long (All Night)"
Kelly Clarkson "Miss Independent"

Top 7 – Billy Joel (April 16)

Smokey Robinson served as a guest mentor this week. Contestants performed songs from the Billy Joel discography, and are listed in the order they performed.

Contestant Billy Joel songResult
Kimberly Caldwell"It's Still Rock and Roll to Me"Eliminated
Ruben Studdard"Just the Way You Are"Safe
Kimberley Locke"New York State of Mind"Safe
Carmen Rasmusen"And So It Goes"Bottom two
Joshua Gracin"Piano Man"Safe
Trenyce"Baby Grand"Bottom three
Clay Aiken"Tell Her About It"Safe
Non-competition performances
PerformersSong
Top 7"The Longest Time"
"God Bless the U.S.A."

Top 6 – Diane Warren (April 23)

Diane Warren served as this week's guest mentor and guest judge. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.

Contestant Diane Warren songResult
Kimberley Locke"If You Asked Me To"Safe
Clay Aiken"I Could Not Ask for More"Safe
Trenyce"Have You Ever?"Bottom three
Joshua Gracin"That's When I'll Stop Loving You"Bottom two
Carmen Rasmusen"Love Will Lead You Back"Eliminated
Ruben Studdard"Music of My Heart"Safe
Non-competition performance
PerformersSong
Top 6"Shine"

Top 5 – Music from the 1960s & Neil Sedaka (April 30)

Neil Sedaka served as a guest judge this week. Contestants performed two songs each: one from the 1960s and one from the Neil Sedaka discography. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.

ContestantOrderSongResult
Ruben Studdard1"Ain't Too Proud to Beg"Bottom two
6"Breaking Up Is Hard to Do"
Trenyce2"Proud Mary"Eliminated
7"Love Will Keep Us Together"
Joshua Gracin3"Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye"Safe
8"Bad Blood"
Kimberley Locke4"I Heard It Through the Grapevine"Safe
9"Where the Boys Are"
Clay Aiken5"Build Me Up Buttercup"Safe
10"Solitaire"
Non-competition performances
PerformersSong
Top 51960s medley
Top 10"What the World Needs Now Is Love"
Justin Guarini "I Saw Your Face"

Top 4 – Bee Gees (May 7)

Robin Gibb served as a guest judge this week. Contestants performed two songs each from the Bee Gees discography, and are listed in the order they performed.

ContestantOrder Bee Gees songResult
Joshua Gracin1"Jive Talkin'"Eliminated
5"To Love Somebody"
Clay Aiken2"To Love Somebody"Safe
6"Grease"
Kimberley Locke3"I Just Want to Be Your Everything"Bottom two
7"Emotion"
Ruben Studdard4"Nights on Broadway"Safe
8"How Can You Mend a Broken Heart"
Non-competition performance
PerformersSong
Top 4 Bee Gees medley

Top 3 (May 14)

Contestants performed three songs each: one drawn "randomly" from a fishbowl (ie. chosen by the show's producers), one chosen by one of the judges, and one chosen by the contestant. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.

ContestantOrderSongResult
Kimberley Locke1"Band of Gold" [lower-alpha 1] Eliminated
4"Anyone Who Had a Heart" [lower-alpha 2]
7"Inseparable"
Ruben Studdard2"Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" [lower-alpha 1] Safe
5"Smile" [lower-alpha 3]
8"If Ever You're in My Arms Again"
Clay Aiken3"Vincent" [lower-alpha 1] Safe
6"Mack the Knife" [lower-alpha 4]
9"Unchained Melody"
Non-competition performances
PerformersSong
Top 3"Up Where We Belong"
"Reunited"
"Solid"
Tamyra Gray "Over the Rainbow"
Justin Guarini "Unchained Melody"
  1. 1 2 3 This song was drawn "randomly" from a fishbowl.
  2. Song chosen by Randy Jackson
  3. Song chosen by Simon Cowell
  4. Song chosen by Paula Abdul

Top 2 – Finale (May 21)

The two finalists performed three songs each.

ContestantOrderSongResult
Ruben Studdard1"A House is Not a Home"Winner
3"Imagine"
5"Flying Without Wings"
Clay Aiken2"This Is the Night"Runner-up
4"Here, There and Everywhere"
6"Bridge over Troubled Water"
Non-competition performances
PerformersSong
Paul Anka "My Way"
Top 12 [lower-alpha 1]
with Kelly Clarkson
"One Voice"
Kelly Clarkson "Miss Independent"
Top 12 [lower-alpha 1] Medley:
"Let's Groove"
"Baby Love"
"The Tears of a Clown"
"Midnight Train to Georgia"
"Words"
"Physical"
"That's When the Music Takes Me"
"Hello"
"Rhythm of the Night"
Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken
& Kimberley Locke
"Superstar"
"Over the Rainbow"
"On the Wings of Love"
Ruben Studdard "Flying Without Wings"
Clay Aiken "Bridge over Troubled Water"
Ruben Studdard & Clay Aiken "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"
  1. 1 2 Corey Clark and Joshua Gracin were absent from the finale.

Elimination chart

Color key:

  Winner
  Runner-up
  Saved by the public
  Saved by the judges
  Wild Card
  Bottom two or three
  Did not perform
  Disqualified
  Eliminated
American Idol (season 2) - Eliminations
ContestantPl.SemifinalsWild CardTop 12Top 11Top 10Top 8Top 7Top 6Top 5Top 4Top 3Finale
2/52/122/192/263/53/123/193/264/1 [lower-alpha 1] 4/94/164/234/305/75/145/21
Ruben Studdard 1N/ASafeN/AN/AN/ASafeSafeSafeSafeSafeSafeSafeBottom twoSafeSafeWinner
Clay Aiken 2N/AWild Card (3rd)N/AN/ASavedSafeSafeSafeSafeSafeSafeSafeSafeSafeSafeRunner-up
Kimberley Locke 3N/ASafeN/AN/AN/ABottom threeSafeSafeBottom threeBottom threeSafeSafeSafeBottom twoEliminated
Joshua Gracin 4N/AN/AN/ASafeN/ASafeSafeSafeSafeSafeSafeBottom twoSafeEliminated
Trenyce 5Wild CardN/AN/AN/ASavedSafeSafeSafeBottom twoSafeBottom threeBottom threeEliminated
Carmen Rasmusen 6SavedSafeSafeSafeBottom twoSafeBottom twoEliminated
Kimberly Caldwell 7Wild Card (3rd)N/AN/AN/ASavedSafeSafeBottom twoSafeBottom twoEliminated
Rickey Smith8N/AN/ASafeN/AN/ASafeSafeBottom threeSafeEliminated
Corey Clark 9N/AN/AN/ASafeN/ASafeBottom twoSafeDisqualified
Julia DeMato10SafeN/AN/AN/AN/ABottom twoBottom threeEliminated
Charles Grigsby 11SafeN/AN/AN/AN/ASafeEliminated
Vanessa Olivarez 12N/AN/ASafeN/AN/AEliminated
Aliceyn CooneyEliminated
Chip DaysN/AN/AN/AWild Card
Janine Falsone
Olivia Mojica
Nasheka SiddallN/AN/AN/AWild Card
Juanita BarberN/AN/AN/AEliminated
Sylvia ChibilitiN/AN/AN/A
Ashley HartmanN/AN/AN/A
Patrick LakeN/AN/AN/AEliminated (3rd)
Samantha CohenN/AN/AEliminated
Equoia ColemanN/AN/AEliminated (3rd)
Louis GazzaraN/AN/AEliminated
Kimberly KelseyN/AN/A
Jordan SegundoN/AN/A
George TriceN/AN/A
Rebecca BondN/AEliminated
Candice ColemanN/A
Jennifer FuentesN/A
HadasN/A
Jacob John SmalleyN/A
J.D. AdamsEliminated
Meosha Denton
Patrick Fortson
Bettis Richardson
  1. None of the bottom three were eliminated due to Corey Clark's disqualification.


Controversies

The finale vote had been controversial due to the smallness of the margin. Ryan Seacrest also added fuel by mistakenly announcing the difference in vote count first as 13,000, then 1,335, but eventually revealed later to be around 130,000. [22] There was much discussion in the communication industry about the phone system being overloaded, and that more than 150 million votes were dropped, making the voting results suspect. [23] In an interview prior to the start of the fifth season, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe revealed that Clay Aiken had led the fan voting from the wild card week onward until the finale. [24]

There was controversy when contestant Frenchie Davis was disqualified from the competition after it was revealed that she had once posed for topless photos on the Internet. Shortly afterwards, she landed a role in the Broadway musical Rent . [25]

Corey Clark was also disqualified from the show because, according to the Idol producers, Clark had a police record he had not disclosed to the show. However, in 2005, contestant Corey Clark alleged in an interview on ABC's Primetime Live and in a book, They Told Me to Tell the Truth, So... The Sex, Lies and Paulatics of One of America's Idols, that he and judge Paula Abdul had had an affair while he was on the show and that this contributed to his removal. [26] Clark also alleged that Abdul gave him preferential treatment on the show and tips on song choice. A subsequent investigation by an independent counsel hired by Fox "could not corroborate the evidence or allegations provided by Mr. Clark or any witnesses". [27] Paula Abdul was therefore considered exonerated but an "enhanced non-fraternization policy" was put in place after the investigation. [27]

During the Top 10, a problem with the telephone system resulted in some votes not being registered for Julia DeMato; however, Fox insisted that the mistake would not have made any difference in her being voted off. [28]

During the course of the contest, Studdard became known for wearing 205 Flava jerseys representing his area code; when asked about them early in the season, Studdard told Seacrest that he was "just representing 205". Shortly after the end of the contest, Studdard sued 205 Flava, Inc. for $2 Million dollars for using his image for promotional purposes. 205 Flava responded by alleging that Studdard had accepted over $10,000 in return for wearing 205 shirts, and produced eight cashed checks to validate their claim. The allegations, if true, were a clear violation of the American Idol rules. [29] The lawsuit was settled out of court. [30]

U.S. Nielsen ratings

The number of average viewers per episode this season was 21.7 million, an increase of 71% over the first season. [31] Its Wednesday episodes finished as the third most-watched show of the year averaging 21.93 million, and the Tuesday episodes fifth at 21.56 million. [32] The show ranked second in the coveted 18/49 demographic for the 2002–2003 season. [33] This season's finale episode still ranks as the most-watched single episode in Idol history at 38.1 million, the finale night itself averaged 33.7 million when the pre-show special is taken into consideration. The show also helped Fox become the season's number three network in total viewers for the first time. [34]

Episode list
ShowEpisodeAir dateWeek
rank
18-49
rating
Viewers
(in millions)
1"New York, Miami & Austin Auditions" [35] January 21, 2003412.426.5
2"Special: American Idol revisited" [35] January 21, 2003711.323.6
3"Pasadena & Detroit Auditions" [35] January 22, 2003511.824.9
4"Atlanta & Nashville Auditions" [36] January 28, 2003411.624.1
5"Hollywood Week" [36] January 29, 2003212.626.0
6"Top 32: Group 1" [37] February 4, 200399.720.1
7"Top 32: Group 1 results" [37] February 5, 2003109.419.3
8"Top 32: Group 2" [38] February 11, 200389.720.0
9"Top 32: Group 2 results" [38] February 12, 2003119.018.7
10"Top 32: Group 3" [39] February 18, 200399.219.7
11"Top 32: Group 3 results" [39] February 19, 2003197.4
12"Special: Best of the Worst" [39] February 19, 2003118.819.5
13"Top 32: Group 4" [40] February 25, 200359.720.0
14"Top 32: Group 4 results" [40] February 26, 2003128.717.1
15"Wildcard Show" [41] March 4, 200338.518.7
16"Wildcard Results" [41] March 5, 200348.518.0
17"Top 12 Perform" [42] March 11, 2003210.322.0
18"Top 12 Results" [42] March 12, 200398.718.3
19"Top 11 Perform" [43] March 18, 2003210.021.1
20"Top 11 Results" [43] March 19, 200347.917.2
21"Top 10 Perform" [44] March 25, 200319.419.8
22"Top 10 Results" [44] March 26, 200328.719.0
23"Top 9 Perform" [45] April 1, 200329.621.2
24"Top 9 Results" [45] April 2, 200349.720.3
25"Top 8 Perform" [46] April 8, 200329.720.1
26"Top 8 Results" [46] April 9, 200339.419.2
27"Top 7 Perform" [47] April 15, 200318.820.0
28"Top 7 Results" [47] April 16, 200348.418.1
29"Special: Halfway Home" [48] April 21, 2003126.214.1
30"Top 6 Perform" [48] April 22, 200349.620.6
31"Top 6 Results" [48] April 23, 200369.319.5
32"Top 5 Perform" [49] April 29, 200329.720.4
33"Top 5 Results" [49] April 30, 200339.020.2
34"Top 4 Perform" [50] May 6, 2003410.122.2
35"Top 4 Results" [50] May 7, 2003210.422.7
36"Top 3 Perform" [51] May 13, 2003410.723.4
37"Top 3 Results" [51] May 14, 2003211.425.3
38"Top 2 Special" [52] May 19, 200387.416.9
39"Top 2 Showdown" [52] May 20, 2003311.225.7
40"Finale Pre-show Special" [52] May 21, 2003213.130.4
41"American Idol Season 2 Finale" [52] May 21, 2003116.838.1

A couple of specials were aired later in the year - From Justin To Kelly: The Rise of Two American Idols on June 20, 2003, and American Idol: Christmas Songs on November 25, 2003, the latter of which was ranked number 30 with total viewer number of 10.9 million, [53] and number 28 in the 18/49 demo with a 4.1 rating.

Releases

Compilations

Tour

Related Research Articles

<i>American Idol</i> American singing competition

American Idol is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to April 7, 2016, for 15 seasons. It was on hiatus for two years until March 11, 2018, when a revival of the series began airing on ABC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clay Aiken</span> American singer, actor, producer (born 1978)

Clayton Holmes Aiken is an American singer, television personality, actor, politician, and activist. Aiken finished second place on the second season of American Idol in 2003, and his debut album, Measure of a Man, went multi-platinum. He released four more albums on the RCA label, Merry Christmas with Love (2004), A Thousand Different Ways (2006), the Christmas EP All is Well (2006), and On My Way Here (2008). Since then he has released two more albums, both with Decca Records: Tried and True (2010) and Steadfast (2012). Aiken has also had eleven tours in support of his albums. In all, he has sold over 5 million albums, and is the fourth-highest-selling American Idol alumnus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruben Studdard</span> American singer

Ruben Studdard is an American singer and actor. He rose to fame as the winner of the second season of American Idol and received a Grammy Award nomination in 2003 for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for his recording of "Superstar". In the years following Idol, Studdard has released seven studio albums, including his platinum-selling debut, Soulful, and the top-selling gospel follow-up, I Need an Angel. He is most well known for his recording career, which has produced hits including "Flying Without Wings", "Sorry 2004", and "Change Me", but he has also segued into television and stage work. Most notably, he starred as Fats Waller in a national tour revival of Ain't Misbehavin', which spawned a Grammy-nominated soundtrack.

<i>Idol</i> (franchise) Reality television music competition format

Idol is a reality television singing competition format created by British television producer Simon Fuller and developed by Fremantle. The format began in 2001 with the British television series Pop Idol; its first adaptation was the South African series Idols in 2002. It has since become the world's most widely watched television franchise, as well as one of the most successful entertainment formats, adapted in over 56 regions around the world, with its various versions broadcast to 150 countries with a worldwide audience of roughly 3.2 billion people. The franchise has generated more than $2.5 billion in revenue.

<i>American Idol</i> (season 4) Season of television series

The fourth season of American Idol premiered on January 18, 2005, and continued until May 25, 2005. It was hosted by Ryan Seacrest. Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell also returned as judges. Carrie Underwood won the season with approximately 500 million votes cast in the season and 37 million for the finale, while Bo Bice was the runner-up. Underwood has since gone on to become an eight-time Grammy-winning country megastar. It was also the first season of the series to be aired in high definition.

<i>American Idol</i> (season 3) Season of television series

The third season of American Idol premiered on Monday, January 19, 2004, and continued until May 26, 2004. The third season was won by Fantasia Barrino, who defeated Diana DeGarmo by an approximate margin of 2% ; the vote total was then the highest recorded vote total in the show's history. This season also featured future EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson, who finished seventh in the competition.

<i>American Idol</i> (season 1) Season of television series

The first season of American Idol premiered on June 11, 2002, and continued until September 4, 2002. The first season was co-hosted by Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman, the latter of whom left the show after the season ended. Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell, and Randy Jackson served as judges. Kelly Clarkson won the competition, defeating Justin Guarini, who finished in second place.

The American singing competition show American Idol has generated controversy over the years in numerous areas.

<i>American Idol</i> (season 6) Season of television series

The sixth season of American Idol premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company as a two-night, four-hour premiere special on January 16 and 17, and ran until May 23, 2007. Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returned as judges, and Ryan Seacrest returned as host. A new record of 74 million votes were cast in the finale round, and a new record of 609 million votes were cast in the entire season. Jordin Sparks won the competition, while Blake Lewis was the runner-up.

<i>American Idol</i> (season 7) Season of television series

The seventh season of American Idol began on January 15, 2008, and concluded on May 21, 2008. Ryan Seacrest continued to host the show, while Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returned as judges. David Cook was announced as the winner on May 21, 2008, defeating runner-up David Archuleta by a margin of roughly 12 million votes out of over 97 million, which was at that time the highest recorded vote total in the show's history.

The eighth season of American Idol premiered on Tuesday, January 13, 2009, and concluded on May 20, 2009. Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returned as judges, while Ryan Seacrest returned as host. This season introduced Kara DioGuardi as a permanent fourth judge. This was also Paula Abdul's last season as a judge. Kris Allen was announced the winner of the competition on May 20, 2009, defeating runner-up Adam Lambert after nearly 100 million votes were cast.

The ninth season of American Idol premiered on Fox on Tuesday, January 12, 2010, and concluded on Wednesday, May 26, 2010. Simon Cowell, Kara DioGuardi, and Randy Jackson returned as judges and were joined by Ellen DeGeneres, who was brought on as a replacement for Paula Abdul after a series of guest judges filled in during the auditions. Idol Gives Back also returned on April 21, 2010. The top 24 semifinal format used in the fourth through seventh seasons also returned this season. Cowell, DioGuardi, and DeGeneres all left the show after this season, although only Cowell's departure was announced in advance.

The tenth season of American Idol premiered on the Fox television network on January 19, 2011, and concluded on May 25, 2011. The show underwent a number of changes from the ninth season, including the return of Nigel Lythgoe as executive producer. Randy Jackson returned as judge for his tenth season, while Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler joined the judges' panel following the departures of Simon Cowell, Ellen DeGeneres, and Kara DioGuardi.

The eleventh season of American Idol premiered on Fox on January 18, 2012, and concluded on May 23, 2012. Ryan Seacrest returned as host, while Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler all returned as judges. Interscope Records chairman Jimmy Iovine, a songwriter and producer, also returned as an in-house mentor to work with the contestants on a weekly basis. This season followed the same format as the tenth season. Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler both announced that they would be leaving the show two months after the finale, although Lopez later returned as a judge for the show's thirteenth season.

<i>The X Factor</i> (American TV series) American reality television music competition

The X Factor is an American reality television music competition show created by Simon Cowell and produced by FremantleMedia North America and SYCOtv, a partnership between Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment, which aired on Fox. Based on the original UK show, and an addition to The X Factor franchise, the series found new singing talent, drawn from public auditions, and they competed against each other for votes. The winner is determined by the show's viewers via telephone, the Internet, and SMS text voting, and is awarded a recording contract with Cowell's record label Syco Music, worth $5 million in seasons one and two, and $1 million in season three. America voted for the following winners: Melanie Amaro, Tate Stevens, and Alex & Sierra, respectively.

The twelfth season of American Idol premiered on January 16, 2013, as part of the mid-season of the 2012–13 network television season. Ryan Seacrest returned as host. Randy Jackson returned for his twelfth season as judge and was joined by new judges Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, and Keith Urban, who replaced Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MK Nobilette</span> American singer

Michaela Anne Nobilette, also Emkay Brazil, most commonly known as MK Nobilette, is an American singer from San Francisco, California, who finished in tenth place on the thirteenth season of American Idol.

<i>American Idol</i> (season 14) Season of television series

The fourteenth season of American Idol, also known as American Idol XIV, premiered on the Fox television network on January 7, 2015. Ryan Seacrest returned as host, while Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Lopez, and Keith Urban returned as judges. Randy Jackson stepped down as the in-house mentor and was replaced by Scott Borchetta. Long-time sponsor Coca-Cola ended its relationship with the show.

<i>American Idol</i> (season 15) Season of television series

The fifteenth season of American Idol, also branded as American Idol: The Farewell Season, premiered on the Fox television network on January 6, 2016. Ryan Seacrest continued as host, while Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Lopez, and Keith Urban returned as judges. Scott Borchetta also returned as the in-house mentor. On April 7, 2016, Trent Harmon was announced as this season's winner, while La'Porsha Renae was the runner-up.

<i>American Idol</i> (season 19) Nineteenth season (2021) of the American reality show singing competition

The nineteenth season of American Idol premiered on February 14, 2021, on the ABC television network. Ryan Seacrest returned as host, while Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie returned as judges, and Bobby Bones returned as in-house mentor.

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