Contestants
American Idol is an American talent reality television series which first aired in 2002. As of May 2025, there have been 23 seasons. Each season, the final round of competition features ten to fourteen singers. There have been 275 contestants who were finalists.
The show's age requirements have varied from year-to-year. Of the finalists, 84 of them were under the age of 20, including five winners and seven runners-up. First season-winner Kelly Clarkson holds the record for the highest-selling album sales worldwide, with more than 25 million copies, while fourth season-winner Carrie Underwood has the record for the highest-selling album sales in the United States, with more than 13 million copies sold.
As of 2025, seven finalists have died: Michael Johns (d. 2014), Rickey Smith (d. 2016), Leah LaBelle (d. 2018), Nikki McKibbin (d. 2020), Willie Spence (d. 2022), C. J. Harris (d. 2023), and Mandisa (d. 2024). [1] In addition, two semifinalists have also died: seventh season's Joanne Borgella (d. 2014) and third season's Marque Lynche (d. 2015, brother of Michael Lynche). [1]
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American Idol finalist Rickey Smith died in Oklahoma on May 6, 2016, in a wrong-way wreck caused by an allegedly drunk driver, KOCO reported at the time. He was 36.