American Idol

Guide Note

American Idol is a FOX reality show in which contestants sing to compete for a million dollar recording contract. The singers are judged by Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Paula Abdul. Guests are eliminated if they receive the lowest vote total from the American public each week.

The process

Contestants audition for the three judges in different towns in the United States to earn a "Golden Ticket" to Hollywood, entitling them a chance to compete against all other "Golden Ticket" winners before being cut to the final 24 by the judges. The final 24 go on the live show on FOX, and one male and female are eliminated every week until it is down to the final 12 where the contestants are eliminated one at a time. The top 10 finalists go on tour after the season finale.

The staff

Show executive and judge Simon Cowell is the harsh British judge who is unforgiving in his opinions and controversial criticisms. He earns $40 million per season of the show.

Grammy Award winning judge Paula Abdul enjoyed musical success in the 1980s and 1990s with number one hits like "Forever Your Girl", "Opposites Attract", "Straight Up", and "Cold Hearted Snake."

Randy Jackson is an executive producer and accomplished bass player. His "Dawgisms" such as "wud up dawg" and "it was OK dawg" have been his signature statements when addressing the finalists.

American Idol is hosted by former children's game show host Ryan Seacrest.

The winners

The previous winners of each season are Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, and Jordin Sparks.

Fast Facts

  1. Based on: Pop Idol (UK version)
  2. Created by: Simon Fuller
  3. Host: Ryan Seacrest
  4. Judges: Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson
  5. Premiere: June 11, 2002
  6. New episodes: Tuesdays and Wednesdays
  7. Seasons: 7
  8. Current season premiere: Jan. 15, 2008
  9. Notable winners: Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood

The Mahalo Top 7

  1. Official Site: American Idol
  2. Wikipedia: American Idol
  3. Official Music Site: American Idol Music
  4. IMDb: American Idol WARNING: Pop-ups
  5. TV.com: American Idol
  6. Message Board: IdolMe.com WARNING: Ad-heavy site
  7. Entertainment Weekly: American Idol

American Idol Episode Guide

American Idol News and Articles

American Idol Season 7 Top 2

Top Selling American Idol Contestants

  1. Kelly Clarkson
  2. Carrie Underwood
  3. Chris Daughtry
  4. Clay Aiken
  5. Ruben Studdard
  6. Fantasia Barrino
  7. Bo Bice
  8. Josh Gracin
  9. Taylor Hicks
  10. Kellie Pickler

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