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

    The eighth season of American Idol began on January 13, 2009.Official Site: American Idol Announces Season 8 Schedule (December 15, 2008) On May 20th, 2009 Kris Allen beat Adam Lambert to become the 2009 American Idol E!: [1] (May 20, 2009)

    Auditions for season nine are scheduled to begin June 14, 2009, with Boston as the first stop.http://blog.zap2it.com/americanidol/2009/06/auditions-for-season-9-of-american-idol-announced-.html

    1. Based on: Pop Idol (UK version)
    2. Created by: Simon Fuller
    3. Host: Ryan Seacrest
    4. Judges: Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi
    5. Premiere: June 11, 2002
    6. New episodes: Tuesdays and Wednesdays
    7. Seasons: 8
    8. Current season premiere: January 13, 2009Official Site: American Idol Announces Season 8 Schedule (December 15, 2008)
    9. Notable winners: Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood

  • Top 10

  • Season 8 Changes

    Ken Warwick announced on December 16, 2008, that season 8 of American Idol would feature several changes. Those changes include:

  • Season 9 Audition Locations

    June 12-15: Gillette Stadium, Boston

    June 16-18: Georgia Dome, Atlanta

    June 28-30: Rose Bowl, Los Angeles

    July 7-9: Orlando Arena, Orlando

    July 12-14: Mile High Stadium, Denverhttp://blog.syracuse.com/idolthoughts/2009/06/idol_tidbits_adam_out_on_the_t.htmlc

  • The process

    Contestants auditioned for the four judges in different towns and cities throughout the United States and Puerto Rico in hopes of earning a "Golden Ticket" to Hollywood.

    Once in Hollywood, "Golden Ticket" winners competed against each other before being reduced to the final 36, which were chosen by the judges.

    From there, contestants go on the live show and are narrowed down to the top 12 by a vote of the American public. The top 10 contestants will go on a summer-long tour.

  • 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 on 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.

    Kara DioGuardi is a Grammy Award-nominated songwriter. Idol announced on August 25, 2008, that DioGuardi would be joining the show as a fourth judge.

    American Idol is hosted by producer and E!News host Ryan Seacrest.

  • Prior Winners

  • Prior Runner-ups

  • Idol and Apple

    In March of 2009, a new American Idol iPhone and iPod Touch application were introduced that will stream exclusive videos from the show each week.CNET: Another stage for American Idols--the iPhone (March 9, 2009)

Categories

Entertainment  |  Television  |  Reality Shows  |  Music  |  American Idol