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Idol Moments
Carrie Underwood
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Published: October 23, 2008
Updated: 10/22/2008 09:55 am
American Idol winners are again everywhere.
This week, the Billboard magazine music charts that track the Top 20 best-selling performers in various categories contain songs or albums by five Idol contestants.
The ranks include Carrie Underwood, who is performing at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Joel Coliseum.
Underwood won Idol in 2005, and, three years later, she is on two charts: Her single, "Just a Dream," is at No. 3 on the country charts, and her album, Carnival Ride, is at No. 8 on the country-album charts.
Idol is without question the quintessential American populist entertainment experience. During Idol season (Season Eight cranks to life in 2009) "real" people -- Joe Sixpack, Jane Winebox, even Louie Liquorbottle or Sadie-Mae Still -- can sit on the family sofa/milk crate and cast their valued votes for the singers who they enjoy the most. Mind you, these are not necessarily the singers with the most talent -- a kink that has caused the show embarrassment in recent years, but one that has worked out to the benefit of all involved.
Adding to the show's magnetic pull, the singers are all regular people blessed with great … well, blessed with the ability to carry a tune somewhere, quite often to the top of the pop charts. And American Idol is all about "pop" music -- as in "popular music," the original definition of the word.
The winner is not chosen by the panel of celebrity judges, who, while exerting some influence and plenty of ego, are largely there for to-and-fro entertainment value, the guys/gals you love to hate/love. There is sinister Simon Cowell (boo! boo!); cuckoo cutie Paula Abdul (what is she on, anyway?); informed Randy Jackson (a bona-fide gifted musician) and, coming next year, Kara Dioguardia, a hit-factory songwriter who has crafted radio-ready tunes for The Pussycat Dolls, Jessica and Ashley Simpson, Jewel, Celine Dion and other pop confections.
So in all things Idol -- at least during the televised voting portions -- it's the people who have the power. Up to 31 million viewers have voted on a single night for a winner.
A contestant can either be sent back to everyday life, or he or she can be vaulted into the rarified air of the exploited entertainer, allowed to dance atop the charts, a fresh tabloid-ready star. And it all rests in your hands.
That's democracy, baby!
As Underwood heads to town, relish is taking the opportunity to see how past winners and runners-up have fared, as well as a few of the contestants who were kicked to the curb, only to prove Idol wrong -- really, really wrong.
SEASON ONE:
Kelly Clarkson, winner. Idol's first winner is also its most successful. Clarkson, who is an exceptional singer, has sold more than 19 million albums worldwide, and racked up eight Top 10 singles. She began her post-Idol career as a pop singer, but has, through an endorsement and tour with Reba McEntire, crossed over into the country-music market. She's in for the long haul.
Justin Guarini, runner-up. Guarini followed the first season with a Top 20 album that quickly fizzled. An attempt to swing in a more jazz-oriented direction failed to jump-start a stalled career. Stick a fork in him. He's done.
SEASON TWO:
Ruben Studdard, winner. Great voice, nice guy, big appetite. His debut album, Soulful, had the largest first-week sales (400,000 copies) of any album by any singer in Idol history. He earned a Grammy nomination, but failed to sustain a pop career, turning to gospel, losing weight, and selling millions of albums. A return to a pop career flopped, and he was dropped by his record label. Don't count him out, but don't count on him, either.
Clay Aiken, runner-up. North Carolina's own Clay Aiken -- he's a native of Raleigh -- is the most successful male performer in Idol history. He's sold millions of albums. He's written a best-selling book. He's worked in theater. And his personal life has kept the tabloids busy. An unlikely star, with a decent voice -- but he's going to stick around. The next Barry Manilow?
SEASON THREE: Fantasia Barrino, winner. Fantasia -- as she is now known -- hails from High Point, wields an enormously soulful voice, and has the sort of rags-to-riches personal story made for memoirs and TV movies -- each of which has been done. She has sold millions of albums and enjoyed a few Top 10 singles (a few of which reached No. 1) -- but critics have consistently said that her recording career has not yet captured or tapped her full potential. She has also appeared on Broadway in The Color Purple. Look for her to find mass success by returning to her gospel roots.
Diana DeGarmo, runner-up. Her debut album flopped; attempts to revive her recording career proved dismal. She is now working in musical theater. Coming soon to a dinner theater near you.
SEASON FOUR:
Carrie Underwood, winner: Underwood's two albums have combined sales of more 10 million copies -- and the total is still mounting. She's won multiple Grammy awards, her tours do brisk business, and she is considered one of the top young stars in cookie-cutter country music.
Bo Bice, runnerup. Bice came out of the gate a Southern-rock sensation, with a No. 1 single, followed by Top 5 singles, and a Top 5 album. He was poised for superstardom -- country and rock audiences liked him -- when a prolonged period of bad health ground his career to a relative halt. Bice will be back -- bet on it.
SEASON FIVE:
Taylor Hicks, winner. Hicks is a blue-eyed soul singer who is a poor-man's Michael McDonald. Women loved the way he looked, but in this case looks failed to translate to album sales. His debut barely sold 500,000 copies -- a failure by modern music-biz standards. A memoir drew yawns. He's now on Broadway as part of the cast of Grease. File under: Flameout.
Katherine McPhee, runner-up. An audience favorite who failed to pan out. She did well with an early single, but her debut album sold poorly. She is a spokeswoman for Neutrogena, and has announced that she will record her second album, scheduled for next year, on her own. Uh-oh.
SEASON SIX:
Jordin Sparks, winner: She's a little pop, a lot of R&B, and confident enough in her appearance to be a successful plus-size model. She's got a great voice, her debut album was well-reviewed and sold in appreciable numbers, spawning some fine hit singles. She now has a single, "One Step at a Time," in the Billboard Top 20. Her career is just getting started.
Blake Lewis, runner-up: Good singer, original approach, lukewarm career. Did well with early digital singles, but his debut album bombed, and he was dropped by his label. Soon to be known as "Blake Who?"
SEASON SEVEN: David Cook, winner. Cook now has the No. 1 Adult Contemporary pop single in America, "The Time of My Life." He had a record-setting 11 singles chart in the Billboard Hot 100 the week after he won American Idol in May. His debut album of sophisticated alternative-pop is due in November. Look out.
David Archuleta, runner-up: Archuleta has teen sensation written all over him. His first post-Idol single, "Crush," released to iTunes in August, reached No. 1 in 24 hours. His album is due in November, and he is scheduled to do some work on Nickelodeon. The little girls understand.
IDOL BLEW IT: Singer Jennifer Hudson didn't make the finals in Season Three, despite having a spectacular voice and a commanding presence. No matter. Hudson won an Oscar last year for her performance in the film Dreamgirls -- it was her first film role. Her debut album, Jennifer Hudson, was just released and is sitting pretty at No. 2.
Chris Daughtry, a North Carolina boy who lived in Greensboro, didn't make the cut in Season Five of Idol. Revenge is sweetest when taken to the bank. His rock-oriented debut album Daughtry -- he leads a band of the same name -- sold a million copies in 5 weeks, making it the fastest-selling debut in history. It hit No. 1 after nine weeks, and kept on selling.
Kellie Pickler, from Albemarle, was given an early exit from Idol. She retaliated by selling 500,000 copies of her debut country album, racking up a few hit singles along the way. Her new album, Kellie Pickler, was released Sept. 30 and is at No. 9 on the Billboard album charts.
Finally, Bucky Covington, who worked on cars in Rockingham, finished eighth in Season Five of Idol. He wasn't discouraged. His debut country album, Bucky Covington, debuted at No. 1 in 2007, and spawned three Top 20 singles.
If you go
Carrie Underwood will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Joel Coliseum. Little Big Town will open the show. Tickets are $35, $45 and $55. Visit www.ticketmaster.com or call 722-6400.
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