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Dossier
AI Through the Years

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THE FUTURE NOW Archuleta, McPhee (l.), Cook, Clarkson (r.)
Through seven long seasons of rejects, wannabes, and superstars, American Idol has left us with a lengthy list of winners and losers, some winnier (Kelly Clarkson) and others much losier (Diana DeGarmo). With David Cook newly crowned as 2008's Idol, and with young David Archuleta added to the ranks of the show's esteemed runners-up, what better time to check in and see how success on AI is treating America's favorite prime-time vocalists of yesteryear?

Season One
Winner: Kelly Clarkson
Label Status: Under contract with RCA records
Album Sales: Three albums released. Thankful went double platinum, Breakaway six times platinum, and My December platinum.
Other: Working on a new album out this fall and scrubbing off eye-liner.

Runner-up: Justin Guarini
Label Status: Producing jazz/soul/funk album with new label 3AM
Album Sales: Two albums released. Self-titled debut flop on RCA and Stranger Things Have Happened, another flop, released through his own production company.
Other: Turned down offer to star in Broadway's Good Vibrations, accepted offer to move back in with his parents.

Season Two
Winner: Ruben Studdard
Label Status: Dropped from J Records in 2007
Album Sales: Three progressively worse albums released. Soulful debuted at number one and went platinum. I Need an Angel was certified gold, and The Return, the flop that would have Studdard dropped, has sold about 235,000 copies.
Other: Playing Fats Waller in a nation tour of musical Ain't Misbehavin', eating.

Runner-Up: Clay Aiken
Label Status: Under contract with RCA
Album Sales: Five albums released, including one exclusively for Wal-Mart. One album went double platinum, another platinum and another gold.
Other: Starring in Spamalot, wearing make-up.

Season Three
Winner: Fantasia Barrino
Label Status: Under contract with J Records
Album Sales: Two albums released. Free Yourself went platinum and Fantasia went gold.
Other: Starred in The Color Purple on Broadway, learned to read.

Runner Up: Diana DeGarmo
Label Status: Signed to John Rich's (of country scholok duo Big and Rich) label
Album Sales: Her only album, Blue Skies, was a dismal failure.
Other: Appearing in commercials for burger chain Zaxby's; telling people what Zaxby's is.

Season Four
Winner: Carrie Underwood
Label Status: Under contract with Arista records (RCA's country subsidiary).
Album Sales: Two albums released. Some Hearts went seven times platinum, Carnival Ride double platinum.
Other: Appeared on People's 2007 and 2008 100 Most Beautiful People lists and named "Sexiest Female Musician" by Victoria's Secret.

Runner-up: Bo Bice
Label Status: Desiring a more authentic country sound, Bice left big-label RCA to produce on his own.
Album Sales: Two albums released. Debut The Real Thing on RCA went gold, while self-produced second album See the Light didn't fare nearly as well.
Other: Mulling a name and hair-style change.

Season Five
Winner: Taylor Hicks
Label Status: Dropped from Arista after first album, producing second album independently.
Album Sales: Self-titled debut album went platinum.
Other: Releasing the interestingly titled Whomp at the Warfield for his Soul Patrol fans, continuing to cover up blonde scandal.

Runner-up: Katharine McPhee
Label Status: Dropped from Arista after first album sucked too hard
Album Sales: Self-titled debut album debuts at number two on the Billboard Top 200 Albums.
Other: Supposedly recording Whitney Houston-esque arias for her independently produced second album, considering a drug habit.

Season Six
Winner: Jordin Sparks
Label Status: Signed to Jive Records.
Album Sales: Self-titled debut album has thus far gone gold.
Other: Touring with Alicia Keys.

Runner-up: Blake Lewis
Label Status: A.D.D. (Audio Day Dream) released under Arista records to subpar sales. If previous trends are any indication, Arista may ax the Jamiroquai-wannabe soon.
Album Sales: A.D.D. failed to go gold.
Other: Presiding over the third worst post-Idol album sales (beating out only DeGarmo and Guarini), beatboxing on the 6 Train.

By Evan Mulvihill   05/22/08 2:20 PM
Related: American Idol, David Archuleta, David Cook, Dossier, Kelly Clarkson, Pop
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