The sixth season of ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to ...

'' premiered on the

Fox Broadcasting Company The Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly known simply as Fox and stylized in all caps as FOX, is an American commercial broadcast television network owned by Fox Corporation and headquartered in New York City, with master control operations ...

as a two-night, four-hour premiere special on January 16 and January 17, and ran until May 23, 2007.

Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive. He is the creator of '' The X Factor'' and ''Got Talent'' franchises which have been sold around the world. He has judged on ...

Paula Abdul Paula Julie Abdul (born June 19, 1962) is an American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality. She began her career as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers at the age of 18 and later became the head choreographe ...

, and

Randy Jackson Randall Darius Jackson (born June 23, 1956) is an American record executive and television presenter, perhaps best known as a judge on ''American Idol'' from 2002 to 2013. Jackson began his career in the 1980s as a session musician playing ba ...

returned to judge once again, and

Ryan Seacrest Ryan John Seacrest (born December 24, 1974) is an American media personality and producer. He is the co-host of '' Live with Kelly and Ryan'', as well as the host of multiple media shows including ''American Idol'', ''American Top 40'', and ' ...

returned as host. A new record of 74 million votes were cast in the finale round, and a new record of 609 million votes were cast in the entire season (the seasonal total record was surpassed by the tenth season and the finale vote record was broken by the eleventh season).

Jordin Sparks Jordin Sparks-Thomas (born December 22, 1989) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame in 2007 after winning the sixth season of ''American Idol'' at age 17, becoming the youngest winner in the series' history. Her self-titled debu ...

won the competition with Blake Lewis as the first runner-up and

Melinda Doolittle Melinda Marie Doolittle (born October 6, 1977) is an American singer who finished as the third place finalist on the sixth season of ''American Idol''. Prior to her appearance on ''American Idol'', Doolittle worked as a professional back-up sin ...

finishing third. Jordin Sparks is also the youngest winner of the competition, winning at age 17, as well as the first winner from outside the

Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

. Sparks remained the last female winner until the twelfth season.

Regional auditions

The Auditions were held in the following cities: Auditioning contestants were required to be between the ages 16 and 28 on August 6, 2006 (born between August 7, 1977 and August 6, 1990). Guest judges were used for audition this season. Guest judges – Jewel – Minneapolis audition

Carole Bayer Sager Carole Bayer Sager (born Carol Bayer on March 8, 1947) is an American lyricist, singer, and songwriter. Early life and career Bayer Sager was born in Manhattan, New York City, to Anita Nathan Bayer and Eli Bayer. Her family was Jewish. She grad ...

– New York audition

Olivia Newton-John Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Awards, Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one s ...

– Los Angeles audition Many of the people who auditioned had trouble with the double doors, with many often going towards the wrong door on their way out; this was spoofed by ''Idol'' later in the season with "audition footage" featuring

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American retired singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a painter, having created works under his birt ...

. This did not seem to be a problem for the seventh season as both doors were accessible. An elderly man named Sherman Pore auditioned in Los Angeles this year after a successful petition drive to convince the producers to waive the age-limit rule so he can audition. He explained that he did it to ease the pain and suffering of his female companion who was dying of cancer, but had died shortly before he can audition before the judges. He later released an album for the benefit of cancer research. Another contestant that year was Melissa Sgambelluri, also known as "Fountain girl" for her appearance in the promo and opening sequence celebrating in a fountain after winning her golden ticket. Jordin Sparks, the eventual winner this season, failed to pass through her audition in Los Angeles, but later won an audition in Seattle as a reward for winning a local Fox-affiliate-sponsored contest called Arizona Idol.

Hollywood week

The

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

rounds of the audition process were held over four days in November 2006 at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. The first round consisted of each contestant singing one song a capella of their own choosing in front of the judges and all the other contestants of the same gender. Contestants were then told whether they were moving on or going home, in groups of six. This extended over the first two days, first females, then males. The second round took place on the second and third day, and consisted of groups of three or four contestants choosing, rehearsing, and then performing one of nine pre-selected songs. Groups were reviewed and contestants were then judged individually as to whether they were moving on or going home. The third round took place on the fourth day, and consisted of individual contestants performing a song from a pre-selected list, accompanied by a piano and backup singers. Contestants were again informed of whether they had made the cut or not.

Green mile

The final pre-audience voting cut down took place at the

Pasadena Civic Center The Pasadena Civic Center District is the civic center of and a historic district in Pasadena, California. The district is roughly bounded by Walnut and Green Streets and Raymond and Euclid Avenues. History Construction on the buildings in the ...

on January 14 or 15, 2007, just before the regional audition shows began airing. Without any further auditioning, but possibly with some audience research having taken place, the 40 remaining contestants were reduced to 24. In a process taking a whole day, contestants waited in a sitting room until one by one, they went up an elevator and took a long walk to the other end of the Center's Gold Room. Then the three judges told them whether they have made it onto the stage show or are cut. Those cut at this phase included the "fountain girl" in the opening credits, Melissa Sgambelluri. The 24 semifinalists were announced February 14, 2007.

Semifinals

The semifinals began on February 20. There were three shows each week for the three weeks of the semifinals. The February 20 through May 16 shows originated from

CBS Television City Television City, alternatively CBS Television City, is an American television studio complex located in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles at 7800 Beverly Boulevard, at the corner of Fairfax Avenue. Designed by architect William Pereira and Ch ...

. The live show portion of the semifinals began on February 20, 2007, with the names announced on February 14, 2007. Starting with 12 women and 12 men, the women and men perform on weekly separate shows and on the result shows, and the bottom two contestants each night are eliminated from the competition. The semifinals took place over three weeks, meaning that six from each gender will be eliminated over the course of the competition, leaving the other six to form the top 12. The females performed on the first night, followed by the males thereafter.

Semifinalists

Females *Sabrina Sloan (born October 31, 1979) is originally from

Mission Viejo, California Mission Viejo ( ; corruption of ''Misión Vieja'', Spanish for "Old Mission") is a commuter city in the Saddleback Valley in Orange County, California, United States. Mission Viejo is considered one of the largest master-planned communities e ...

but now calls

Studio City, California Studio City is a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California, in the southeast San Fernando Valley, just west of the Cahuenga Pass. It is named after the studio lot that was established in the area by film producer Mack Sennett in 192 ...

her home. Sloan toured the United States as part of the Broadway musical '' Hairspray'' under her maiden name, Sabrina Scherff. She earned her bachelor's degree from

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

in Musical Theatre and Communication Studies. She was later signed to a recording contract with

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...

, as part of a duet with Sundance Head. She was also part of the First National Tour cast with another Broadway musical, ''

In The Heights ''In the Heights'' is a musical with concept, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. The story is set over the course of three days, involving characters in the largely Dominican American neighborhood of ...

''. *

Antonella Barba Antonella Maria Barba (born November 26, 1986) is an American singer. Born in Santa Monica, California and raised in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, Barba rose to prominence while competing on the sixth season of ''American Idol''. She attracted m ...

(born November 26, 1986) auditioned with her best friend Amanda Coluccio and made it to Hollywood. An undergraduate at

The Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by U.S. ...

, she is originally from

Point Pleasant, New Jersey Point Pleasant is a borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was down from 19,306 in 2000 but still up from 18,177 in 1990. The Borough is a Jersey Shore community s ...

. She made it to Round 3 with Coluccio and both passed the group round (although their third member, Baylie Brown, did not). Coluccio was eliminated in the cut for the top 40. While Barba appeared on the show, racy photographs of her emerged, including photographs of Barba

topless Toplessness refers to the state in which a woman's breasts, including her areolas and nipples, are exposed, especially in a public place or in a visual medium. The male equivalent is barechestedness, also commonly called shirtlessness. Expose ...

along with other women on a beach. A full segment concerning the controversy on multiple episodes of

MSNBC MSNBC (originally the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company) is an American news-based pay television cable channel. It is owned by NBCUniversala subsidiary of Comcast. Headquartered in New York City, it provides news coverage and political ...

Countdown with Keith Olbermann ''Countdown with Keith Olbermann'' is an hour-long weeknight news and political commentary program hosted by Keith Olbermann that aired on MSNBC from 2003 to 2011 and on Current TV from 2011 to 2012. The show presented five selected news stories ...

(as recent as March 2007). Photos of Barba posing in a wet T-shirt in the fountain of the

National World War II Memorial The World War II Memorial is a national memorial in the United States dedicated to Americans who served in the armed forces and as civilians during World War II. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The memorial consists ...

in Washington, D.C. also surfaced; however, Barba's friend Coluccio has stated that the sexually explicit photos were fake. Barba is currently a

non-partisan Nonpartisanism is a lack of affiliation with, and a lack of bias towards, a political party. While an Oxford English Dictionary definition of ''partisan'' includes adherents of a party, cause, person, etc., in most cases, nonpartisan refers s ...

spokesperson for ElectionMall's Voter Space. *Leslie Hunt (born March 23, 1982) is from

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

, who was featured in an ''American Idol'' commercial before Season 6 started. She is a self-described indie rocker. She suffers from the autoimmune disease

lupus Lupus, technically known as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue in many parts of the body. Symptoms vary among people and may be mild to severe. Commo ...

. She is currently the lead singer for

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. I ...

band District 97. *Alaina Alexander (born July 21, 1982) auditioned in Los Angeles. She is from

West Hollywood, California West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. It is considered one of the most prominent gay villages in ...

. Before her ''American Idol 6'' audition, Alexander revealed that after struggling for six years to make it in the music business in Los Angeles she had decided she was not going to sing anymore and had decided to go to college instead. She considered ''American Idol'' to be her last chance to pursue a singing career. For her Los Angeles audition, Alexander sang "Feeling Good" by

Michael Bublé Michael Steven Bublé ( ; born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer. A four-time Grammy Award winner, he is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American Songboo ...

. *Nicole Tranquillo (born August 13, 1985) is from Wernersville, Pennsylvania. She gained a vocal major at the University of the Arts. She auditioned in Memphis. *Amy Krebs (born May 2, 1984) is from Federal Way, Washington. She is fluent in German. She auditioned in Seattle. Males * Jason "Sundance" Head (born July 9, 1978) auditioned in Memphis and lives in

Porter, Texas Porter is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County in southeastern Texas within the metropolitan area. In 2010, its population was estimated at 25,769.Roy Head Roy Kent Head (January 9, 1941 – September 21, 2020) was an American singer, best known for his hit song " Treat Her Right". Career Roy Kent Head was born in Three Rivers, Texas and achieved fame as a member of musical group The Traits from ...

, who had a number-two single with "Treat Her Right" in 1965; the song was second on the charts to

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

, which Jason said made his dad dislike them. He sang the classic hit "

Stormy Monday "Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just as Bad)" (commonly referred to as "Stormy Monday") is a song written and recorded by American blues electric guitar pioneer T-Bone Walker. It is a slow twelve-bar blues performed in the West Coast blu ...

". He later became a contestant on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

's eleventh season of ''

The Voice The Voice may refer to: Fictional entities * The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics * The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe * The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...

'' and won the competition as a member of Team Blake. *

Jared Cotter Jared Lincoln Cotter (born June 17, 1981) is an American pop/ R&B singer, songwriter and model. He has hosted a number of TV shows, and he co-wrote the number 1 song " Down" by Jay Sean.

(born June 17, 1981) is from Kew Gardens, New York (listed as

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18 ...

on the show) and attended

Newfield High School Newfield High School is a public high school in Selden, New York, United States. It is located north of Middle Country Road (Route 25) on Marshall Drive. History and overview As suburban growth spread into central Suffolk county in the 1950s, ...

. He auditioned in New York City. Cotter played basketball in college, but quit to start his music career. His rendition of "Let's Get It On" dedicated to his parents was named one of VH1's most memorable reality moments. Cotter also worked with singer-songwriter

Jay Sean Kamaljit Singh Jhooti (born 26 March 1981), better known by the stage name Jay Sean, is a British singer and songwriter. He debuted in the UK's Asian Underground scene as a member of the Rishi Rich Project with " Dance with You", which reache ...

, featuring in the album '' My Own Way'' and co-writing the Billboard number one song " Down". *Adrian Joseph "A.J." Tabaldo (born January 3, 1986) auditioned in Los Angeles and is from

Santa Maria, California Santa Maria (Spanish for "St. Mary") is a city near the Central Coast of California in northern Santa Barbara County. It is approximately northwest of Santa Barbara and northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Its population was 109,707 at the 202 ...

. Tabaldo is half-Filipino and half-Portuguese, and auditioned for ''American Idol'' five times. *Nicholas "Nick" Pedro (born July 9, 1981) auditioned in New York and is from

Taunton, Massachusetts Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County. Taunton is situated on the Taunton River which winds its way through the city on its way to Mount Hope Bay, to the south. At the 2020 cen ...

. Pedro dropped out of the competition the previous season after forgetting the lyrics of "Buttercup" in Hollywood. This audition, he gave a soulful rendition of "Fly Me to the Moon" which earned him a second chance to fulfill his ''Idol'' aspirations. Nick's feat seemed especially noteworthy as, unlike all other contestants making it this far, Nick received no experience ever onstage prior to Idol. *Rudy Cardenas (born April 3, 1978) auditioned in Seattle and is from

North Hollywood, California North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The Nor ...

. Originally from

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

, he is part of a Los Angeles-based band called M-Pact. In his audition, he sang Journey rock classic "Open Arms". Although Simon was unimpressed with his singing, Rudy made it to Hollywood with the support of the other two judges. In Hollywood, he sang " How Deep Is Your Love" together with Chris Sligh, Blake Lewis, and Tom Lowe in group round. The judges were impressed by their vocals. *Paul Kim (born March 26, 1981) auditioned in Los Angeles. He is from

Saratoga, California Saratoga is a city in Santa Clara County, California. Located in Silicon Valley, in the southern Bay Area, its population was 31,051 at the 2020 census. Saratoga is an affluent residential community, known for its wineries, restaurants, and attra ...

, and attended Monta Vista High School. Kim, being

Korean-American Korean Americans are Americans of Korean ancestry (mostly from South Korea). In 2015, the Korean-American community constituted about 0.56% of the United States population, or about 1.82 million people, and was the fifth-largest Asian American ...

, his motivation for auditioning was to alter the stereotypical Asian image that William Hung gave during the previous seasons. His performance received unanimous praise from the judges as Randy mentioned that Kim has one of the best male vocals he has heard this season. In contrast to their early praise, the judges mentioned when they put him through that Paul made it to the top 24 by "a split decision". He sang barefoot during all of his performances. He is also known as P. Keys.

Performances

Color key:

Top 24

Top 20

Top 16

Finalists

The 12 finalists were announced on March 8, 2007. As in past years, the top 12 will appear on the annual compilation album while the top 10 will be the participants in the ''American Idol'' summer concert tour. Also as in past years, one finalist was eliminated every week, with the exception of the April 25 show, when all contestants were declared safe. As a result, two of the participants were eliminated on the May 2, 2007 results program. The following is first in reverse chronological order by elimination date, then in alphabetical order by family name, where applicable.

Finals

There are 11 weeks of finals and 12 contestants compete and one finalist eliminated per week based on the American public's votes. The exception was on the Top 6 week, where the first week being non-elimination and the following week was a double-elimination. Color key:

Top 12 – Diana Ross

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups ...

served as the guest mentor this week.

Top 11 – British Invasion

British singers Peter Noone and

Lulu Lulu may refer to: Companies * LuLu, an early automobile manufacturer * Lulu.com, an online e-books and print self-publishing platform, distributor, and retailer * Lulu Hypermarket, a retail chain in Asia * Lululemon Athletica or simply Lulu, ...

served as the guest mentors this week.

Top 10 – No Doubt/Songs That Inspired Gwen Stefani

Gwen Stefani Gwen Renée Stefani (; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, fashion designer and actress. She is a co-founder, lead vocalist, and the primary songwriter of the band No Doubt, whose singles include " Just a Girl", " Spiderweb ...

served as the guest mentor this week.

Top 9 – American Classics

served as the guest mentor this week

Top 8 – Latin

Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series '' In Living Color'', where she re ...

, who would go on to become a future judge of the show, served as the guest mentor this week.

Top 7 – Country

Martina McBride Martina Mariea McBride (née Schiff, born July 29, 1966) is an American country music singer-songwriter and record producer. She is known for her soprano singing range and her country pop material. McBride was born in Sharon, Kansas, and rel ...

served as the guest mentor this week.

Top 6 (first week) – Inspirational Songs (Idol Gives Back)

Owning to a special theme week, ''Idol'' Gives Back, Seacrest announced that the week was a non-elimination, and that the votes cast for this week will be rolled over to the following week's performances.

Top 6 (second week) – Bon Jovi

With the previous week's being non-elimination, votes were accumulative on both last week and this week shows and the two contestants receiving the two fewest count of votes at the end of this round were eliminated.

Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American rock band formed in 1983 in Sayreville, New Jersey. It consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X, and bassist Hugh McDonald. Original bassist Alec John such qu ...

and

David Bryan David Bryan Rashbaum (born February 7, 1962) is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the keyboard player for the rock band Bon Jovi, with which he also co-wrote songs and performed backing vocals. In 2018, Bryan was inducted int ...

served as guest mentors this week.

Top 4 – Barry Gibb

For the first time this season, contestants performed two songs.

Barry Gibb Sir Barry Alan Crompton Gibb (born 1 September 1946) is a British musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He rose to worldwide fame as a member of the Bee Gees, one of the most commercially successful groups in the history of popula ...

served as the guest mentor this week.

Top 3 – Judge's Choice, Producer's choice, Contestant's Choice

The contestants sang three songs determined by the judges, the producers, and themselves.

Top 2 – Contestant's Choice, Previous Song, Winner's single

Grand Finale

The Grand Finale of season 6 aired on May 23, 2007, live from the

Kodak Theatre The Eastman Kodak Company (referred to simply as Kodak ) is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in analogue photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorpor ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

was announced as the winner at 10:05pm EDT (the show ran over its allotted time), with Blake Lewis as the runner-up. Guest performers included

Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive director. He was the founder and front man of the Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he was also chief ...

BeBe & CeCe Winans BeBe & CeCe Winans are an American gospel music brother and sister duo. BeBe and CeCe Winans are the seventh and eighth of the Winans family's ten children, most of whom have had gospel music careers. Together, they have received several awards ...

Gladys Knight Gladys Maria Knight (born May 28, 1944), known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer, actress and businesswoman. A seven-time Grammy Award-winner, Knight recorded hits through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with her family group Gladys K ...

and

. Every past winner of ''Idol'' also performed, except for

Fantasia Barrino Fantasia Monique Barrino-Taylor (born June 30, 1984), known professionally by her mononym Fantasia, is an American R&B singer and actress. She rose to fame as the winner of the third season of the reality television series ''American Idol'' in ...

who was appearing in ''

The Color Purple ''The Color Purple'' is a 1982 epistolary novel by American author Alice Walker which won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction.

'' in New York City. After

Carrie Underwood Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10, 1983) is an American singer. She rose to prominence after winning the fourth season of ''American Idol'' in 2005. Her single " Inside Your Heaven" made her the only country artist to debut atop the ''Bil ...

performed "

I'll Stand by You "I'll Stand by You" is a song recorded by English-American rock band the Pretenders from their sixth studio album, '' Last of the Independents'' (1994). The song was written by Chrissie Hynde and the songwriting team of Tom Kelly and Billy ...

Clive Davis Clive Jay Davis (born April 4, 1932) is an American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer. He has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer, in 2000. From 1967 to 19 ...

gave a speech extolling the state of "the ''American Idol'' album franchise", then presented Underwood with a special award for achieving 6 million U.S. album sales for her album '' Some Hearts''.

Performances

* Blake Lewis and

sang "

I Saw Her Standing There "I Saw Her Standing There" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It is the opening track on the band's 1963 debut UK album '' Please Please Me'' and their debut US album '' Introducing... The ...

". *

sang "

4 in the Morning "4 in the Morning" is a song by American singer Gwen Stefani from her second studio album ''The Sweet Escape'' (2006). It was written by Stefani and co-written and produced by Tony Kanal, with additional production by Mark "Spike" Stent. Inter ...

" via satellite. *

Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of '' American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her de ...

sang "

Never Again "Never again" is a phrase or slogan which is associated with the lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides. The phrase may originate from a 1927 poem by Yitzhak Lamdan which stated "Never again shall Masada fall!" In the context of genoci ...

". *Top 6 male finalists sing "

Ooo Baby Baby "Ooo Baby Baby" is a song written by Smokey Robinson and Pete Moore. It is a classic 1965 hit single by The Miracles for the Tamla (Motown) label. The song has inspired numerous other cover versions by other artists over the years, including c ...

", then are joined by

for a medley of " Being with You" and " The Tears of a Clown". *Blake Lewis beatboxed with

Doug E. Fresh Doug E. Fresh (born September 17, 1966) is a Barbados-born American rapper, record producer, and beatboxer, also known as the "Human Beat Box". The pioneer of 20th-century American beatboxing, Fresh is able to accurately imitate drum machines an ...

, performing variations upon "The Show". *Top 6 female finalists sing "

I Heard It Through the Grapevine "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is a song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for Motown Records in 1966. The first recording of the song to be released was produced by Whitfield for Gladys Knight & the Pips and released as a ...

", then are joined by

to sing a medley of "

I Feel a Song (In My Heart) "I Feel a Song (In My Heart)" is a song written by Tony Camillo and Mary Sawyer. The song was originally recorded by Sandra Richardson in 1971 Gladys Knight & the Pips recording In 1974, the song was recorded by Gladys Knight & the Pips and was ...

" and "

Midnight Train to Georgia "Midnight Train to Georgia" is a song by Gladys Knight & the Pips, their second release after departing Motown Records for Buddah Records. Written by Jim Weatherly, and included on the Pips' 1973 LP ''Imagination'', "Midnight Train to Georgia" ...

". *

sang "

For Once in My Life "For Once in My Life" is a song written by Ron Miller and Orlando Murden for Motown Records' Stein & Van Stock publishing company, and first recorded in 1965. It was written and first recorded as a slow ballad. There are differing accounts of ...

". *

sang "Hold Up the Light" with BeBe and

CeCe Winans Priscilla Marie Winans Love, known professionally as CeCe Winans, (born October 8, 1964) is an American gospel singer. She rose to prominence as a member of the duo BeBe & CeCe Winans; before launching an acclaimed solo career. Winans has been ...

, with whom she used to sing backup. *The 12 finalists sang " Time After Time" in a Ford music video which featured outtakes of the previous music videos. *

sang her charity single "

". *The

African Children's Choir The African Children's Choir is a large choir made up of children ages 7 to 12 from several African nations. Since its inception, the choir has included children from Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana. Many of th ...

performed. * Sanjaya Malakar performed "

You Really Got Me "You Really Got Me" is a song written by Ray Davies for English rock band the Kinks. The song, originally performed in a more blues-oriented style, was inspired by artists such as Lead Belly and Big Bill Broonzy. Two versions of the song were ...

" with Joe Perry of

Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whitford (guitar). Their style, which is rooted in blues ...

as well as an appearance by "The Crying Girl", Ashley Ferl. *

Green Day Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a ...

performed their charity single "

Working Class Hero "Working Class Hero" is a song by John Lennon from his 1970 album ''John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band'', his first album after the break-up of the Beatles. Theme Stridently political, the song is a commentary on the difference between social class ...

". * Taylor Hicks sang " Heaven Knows". *

Ruben Studdard Ruben Studdard (born September 12, 1978) is an American singer and actor. He rose to fame as winner of the second season of ''American Idol'' and received a Grammy Award nomination in 2003 for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for his recording of ...

, with Jordin Sparks, sang " You're All I Need to Get By". *

Bette Midler Bette Midler (;'' Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American singer, actress, comedian and author. Throughout her career, which spans over five decades, Midler has received numerous accolades, including four Golden ...

sang "

Wind Beneath My Wings "Wind Beneath My Wings" (sometimes titled "The Wind Beneath My Wings" and "Hero") is a song written in 1982 by Jeff Silbar and Larry Henley. The song was first recorded by Kamahl in 1982 for a country and western album he was recording. Kamahl tal ...

". *An ensemble tribute to ''

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'' is the eighth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. Released on 26May 1967, ''Sgt. Pepper'' is regarded by musicologists as an early concept album that advanced the roles of sound composi ...

'' with the past ''Idol'' winners as well as the top 12. Included were portions of "

" featuring Kelly Clarkson and Joe Perry, " A Day in the Life" featuring Taylor Hicks, "

She's Leaving Home "She's Leaving Home" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon, and released on their 1967 album ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. Paul McCartney wrote and sang the verse and John Lennon ...

" featuring Carrie Underwood, "

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1967 album ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. It was written primarily by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnersh ...

" featuring Ruben Studdard, and "

With a Little Help from My Friends "With a Little Help from My Friends" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, from their 1967 album ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. It was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and sung by drummer Ringo Starr (as Sgt. Pep ...

" from the top 12. *Jordin Sparks performed the songwriter contest winning single " This Is My Now" after the announcement of her victory.

Elimination chart

Color key:

''American Idol'' songwriter contest

On the April 3, 2007 show,

announced the first American Idol Songwriter: a songwriting contest. Following an open online submission process where over 25,000 submissions were received, twenty songs were selected for competition by

Simon Fuller Simon Fuller (born 17 May 1960) is a British entrepreneur, artist manager, and film and television producer renowned for nurturing and inspiring world class entertainment talent. He is the creator of the ''Idols'' TV format, including the UK s ...

and A&R representatives of his

19 Entertainment 19 Entertainment is a producer of entertainment properties for television with a focus on music. Founded by Simon Fuller in London in 1985, the company co-produced ''Pop Idol'' in the United Kingdom with Thames Television in 2001. The ''Idol serie ...

. Beginning May 2, 2007 and ending May 8, 2007, with "one online vote per fan", the American public were able to listen to snippets from each song and rated them on a scale from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest) on the American Idol Songwriter website. On the May 22, 2007 show, the two finalists performed the winning song, " This Is My Now". The song was released as a single by

, the winner of American Idol Season 6. The titles of the twenty songs are: *"Close to Me" – Michael Doane and AnneMarie Milazzo *"Forever Starts Today" – Erin Boheme and CJ Vanston *"If You Ask Me To" – Jennifer Hamady and Shedrick Mitchell *"I'm Going to Be Me" – Lane Lenhart *"In Your Eyes" – Colin Armstrong *"I Saw Stars" – Reed Waddle *"Lost (Without You)" – Cal Harris, Jr. *"Love Me till the Lonely's Gone" – Michael Patzig and Tracey Naples *"The Next Big Thing" – Ray Grant and Sam Sims *"One Night" – Kelley Hill *"Right Here with Me" – Kelli Trontell and Don Gatlin *"Secrets and Lies" – Drew Yowell and Byron Zanos *"Send Me on My Way" – Matthew Rogers and Scott Young *"Someday" – Nelson Kole *"This Is My Now" – Jeff Peabody and Scott Krippayne – Contest Winner *"Tonight" – Kelly Corsino *"Waking in a Dream" – R. J. Martinez and Stacy Hogan *"When You Need a Moment" – Christie Leigh *"With All the Love Your Heart Can Hold" – Robin Randall and Diana De Witt *"You Never Gave Up on Me" – Billy Aerts and Burton Collins

Controversies

*There was controversy surrounding the judges' comments over the audition of a

Special Olympics Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in ...

participant named Jonathan Jayne. American Idol producer

Ken Warwick Ken Warwick is a British television executive producer and director, most noted for producing the reality television series ''American Idol'', and ''Pop Idol''. Before being a producer he was a dancer/choreographer, previously being a member of BBC ...

responded saying that "It's not a conscious decision, It's just that the further we go in the series, there are less and less good singers, so the numbers are made up by more bad ones." Warwick said that he thinks everyone has the right to audition, and added that in some instances when there are singers with certain disabilities who just want to meet the judges, the producers will "turn the cameras off and bring them in. We give them a good experience." *A series of provocative photos surfaced on the Internet of Season 6 Top 24 Contestant

. *Teenager Sanjaya Malakar was seen as the season's most polarizing and talked about American Idol contestant, as he continued to survive elimination for several weeks. The weblog Vote for the Worst and satellite radio personality

Howard Stern Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American radio and television personality, comedian, and author. He is best known for his radio show, '' The Howard Stern Show'', which gained popularity when it was nationally syndicated on terr ...

both encouraged fans to vote for Sanjaya. However, on April 18, after over 38 million votes, Sanjaya was voted off. *On Tuesday, April 17, 2007, the day after the

Virginia Tech massacre The Virginia Tech shooting was a spree shooting that occurred on April 16, 2007, comprising two attacks on the campus of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States. Seung-Hui Cho, an ...

, in which a student named

Seung-Hui Cho Seung-Hui Cho (, properly Cho Seung-hui; January 18, 1984 – April 16, 2007) was a Korean-born mass murderer responsible for the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007. Cho killed 32 people and wounded 17 others with two semi-automatic pistols on Apr ...

used guns to kill 32 students and professors before committing suicide, while contestant

Chris Richardson Christopher Michael Richardson (born February 19, 1984) is an American singer-songwriter who was the fifth-place finalist on the sixth season of ''American Idol''. Personal life Richardson was born in Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe ...

and

were discussing the shooting after Chris's critique,

apparently appeared to be rolling his eyes at the incident, when he was actually speaking to

and did not hear what Chris had said. On the results show the next day, Cowell stated: "I may not be the nicest person in the world, but I would never, ever, ever, disrespect those families or those victims, and I felt it was important to set the record straight." To clear Cowell's name, a video was shown on the result show which showed Cowell and Abdul talking with an inset of Chris and Seacrest discussing the shooting. Also, Seacrest began the performance show by acknowledging what had happened the day before. * Fans and critics alike were stunned at

's departure.

admitted that the sixth season's crown should have rightfully gone to Melinda. Executive producer

Nigel Lythgoe Nigel Lythgoe OBE (; born 9 July 1949), also known as Nasty Nigel, is an English television and film director and producer, television dance competition judge, former dancer in the Young Generation and choreographer. He was the producer of the ...

responded, noting that " 'Idol'' producerswere so engrossed with the mentors and didn't really focus on the Melinda Doolittles of the show." *During the finale, the show went over its scheduled 2-hour time limit and ended at 10:09 PM EST; the previous two seasons' finales also ran over time. As a result, many users who recorded the program on DVRs reported that as recordings of the broadcast concluded at the program's scheduled end time of 10:00PM, they missed the announcement of the winner. Fox executives issued an apology, and a

TiVo TiVo ( ) is a digital video recorder (DVR) developed and marketed by Xperi (previously by TiVo Corporation and TiVo Inc.) and introduced in 1999. TiVo provides an on-screen guide of scheduled broadcast programming television programs, whose fea ...

spokesperson advised users to "pad" recordings of live broadcasts by adding several minutes of extra recording time "as insurance".

Reception

U.S. Nielsen ratings

Live + same day ratings ''American Idol'' ended the season as the top show of the 2006–2007 TV season. Its Wednesday episodes ranked first with an average of 30.02 million viewers, followed by the Tuesday episodes which averaged 29.54 million. The premiere episode became the series' highest rated debut episode, viewed by 37.44 million viewers and receiving a 15.8/36 Nielsen rating in the Adult 18-49 demographic. Live + 7 day (DVR) ratings

Critical response

Awards and nominations

Related programming

American Idol Extra (season 2) '' American Idol Extra'', a behind-the-scenes show, also returned for a second season, corresponding with the start of the finals in March. It aired Thursdays on

Fox Reality Fox Reality Channel was an American pay television channel. It was launched on May 24, 2005, and was owned by the Fox Entertainment Group. It featured many shows that were originally on the Fox network (or produced by Fox). The channel also feat ...

. Idol Gives Back 2007 On the March 8, 2007 results show,

announced an initiative to give back to people in poverty in both Africa and the United States (including those affected by

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

). The event took place over two episodes of the series. For every vote cast immediately following the April 24, 2007 broadcast, many sponsors donated funds to the

Charity Projects Entertainment Fund Charity Projects Entertainment Fund (CPEF) is a North American charity committed to fighting extreme poverty in the United States and Africa. It was founded in 2007 by Richard Curtis, Kevin Cahill and Simon Fuller. In April 2007 the fund teamed ...

. The fund will distribute the money raised to many charities in the US as well as in Africa.

News Corporation News Corporation (abbreviated News Corp.), also variously known as News Corporation Limited, was an American multinational mass media corporation controlled by media mogul Rupert Murdoch and headquartered at 1211 Avenue of the Americas in New ...

pledged to donate 10 cents for every vote made to the show for the first 50 million calls, that is, up to $5 million. MySpace created a special profile page for the event in order to spread the word. Donations from viewers were accepted by phone and website during the April 25, 2007 results show, in a manner similar to a telethon. Near the end of the broadcast, Seacrest announced the show raised 30 million

US dollars The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

, with the final tally coming on May 1, 2007. As of May 1, 2007, over $70 million has been raised as a result of Idol Gives Back. Between contestant performances, video vignettes showing the judges and Seacrest visiting and observing squalid conditions in Africa and the United States were aired. Similar vignettes were aired during the results show. For this special, the voting period was doubled to four hours following the show, rather than the usual two. In response to the anticipated call volume, each contestant was assigned two toll free numbers. Over 70 million votes were cast. The results show was broadcast from two locations—the regular American Idol stage and

Walt Disney Concert Hall The Walt Disney Concert Hall at 111 South Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles, California, is the fourth hall of the Los Angeles Music Center and was designed by Frank Gehry. It was opened on October 24, 2003. Bounded by Hope Street, Grand Ave ...

—and included many celebrity actors and personalities. The show also included numerous performers; for a full list of performances, see the main article.

Ellen DeGeneres Ellen Lee DeGeneres ( ; born January 26, 1958) is an American comedian, television host, actress, writer, and producer. She starred in the sitcom ''Ellen'' from 1994 to 1998, which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for " The Puppy Episode". Sh ...

co-hosted the event from the Disney Hall stage. Proceeds from ticket sales benefited the fund. Videos of the results show's performances are available for purchase on

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mu ...

, with proceeds going to charity. Due to the "charity" theme of the show, no contestant was eliminated on the April 25 results show. This was a surprise both to viewers, to whom Seacrest promised the "most shocking elimination ever", and to the contestants. When Ryan Seacrest was about to eliminate Jordin Sparks he said since it was a charity night none of the contestants were voted off, and the votes from that week were added to the votes from the following week to eliminate two singers. Both weeks saw a two-hour extension of the regular two-hour voting window, and in the end, the two-week combined voting totaled 135 million votes. Idol Chat (season 3)

TV Guide Channel The American cable television, cable and satellite television network Pop (American TV channel), Pop was originally launched in 1981 as a barker channel service providing a display of localized electronic program guide, channel and program listings ...

aired its third season of ''Idol Chat''. Idol Tonight (season 2)

brought back a second season of ''Idol Tonight'', the live pre-show to ''American Idol'', which aired on Wednesdays starting in March. The show features former Idol runner-up

Justin Guarini Justin Guarini (born Justin Eldrin Bell; October 28, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter and actor who in 2002 was the runner-up on the first season of ''American Idol''. Early life Guarini was born in Columbus, Georgia. His father, Eldr ...

as a correspondent along with

Kimberly Caldwell Kimberly Ann Caldwell-Harvey is an American singer, actress and television hostess. She rose to fame when she was a finalist on the second season of ''American Idol''. After her American Idol stint, Caldwell was an entertainment correspondent ...

and

Rosanna Tavarez Rosanna Tavarez (born February 10, 1977) is an American singer, television host, dancer, and teacher. She rose to prominence in 2001 as a contestant on the American version of the reality television franchise ''Popstars''. As one of the show's fiv ...

International broadcasts

UK edition For the UK back-to-back repeat of the performance and results shows on the following Friday night on

ITV2 ITV2 is a British free-to-air television channel owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998. For a number of years, it had the largest audience share after the five analogue terrestrial stations, ...

Cat Deeley Catherine Elizabeth Deeley (born 23 October 1976) is an English television presenter and actress. From 1998 to 2002, she hosted the ITV children's show '' SMTV Live,'' for which she won a BAFTA Children's Award, and its spin-off chart show '' ...

presents additional sections preceding and following each commercial break, and follows the end of the show with a short interview with that week's eliminated contestant.

Music releases

Music releases Unlike previous seasons the top 12 compilation album did not come out while the show was airing. The top 12 recorded studio versions of each of the songs they sang on the show. The songs were available for purchase on AmericanIdol.com as digital downloads through the night of the finale. Sparks' and Lewis' songs (except Sparks' "Livin' on a Prayer") remained available on the Idol website and

iTunes Store The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...

through June 20, 2007,. Originally, a collage of the finalists' head shots from the top 24 photo shoot was used as album art on AmericanIdol.com, with the title ''American Idol 6: Greatest Moments''; at present, the covers of Sparks' and Lewis' EPs are used instead. The '' American Idol: Season 6 – "Greatest Hits" & "The Collector's Edition"'' were eventually released on June 12, 2007 on iTunes/Americanidol.com. This is the only season that the season's collection is ''not'' distributed by

Sony BMG Sony BMG Music Entertainment was an American record company owned as a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann. The venture's successor, the revived Sony Music, is wholly owned by Sony, following their buyou ...

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also ...

. Sparks' first non-''American Idol'' single was the top hit (peaking at number eight) "

Tattoo A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing ...

", which received platinum certification. Her second single was the Billboard Hot 100 number three hit "

No Air "No Air" is a song by American singers Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown. The song was written by James Fauntleroy II, Harvey Mason Jr., Steve Russell, Erik Griggs and Damon Thomas. It was released in the United States on February 11, 2008, and serv ...

" with Chris Brown. The song went to number one in several countries, and also topped Billboard's Pop Airplay chart. "No Air" had been certified platinum in April but recently passed the 3 million copies mark. It stands as the best-selling single by any Idol contestant. Sparks released a third single off her album, " One Step at a Time", which peaked at number 17. "One Step at a Time" has so far sold over a million copies and is certified platinum. Sparks released her second album

Battlefield A battlefield, battleground, or field of battle is the location of a present or historic battle involving ground warfare. It is commonly understood to be limited to the point of contact between opposing forces, though battles may involve troops ...

in July 2009. The album's

title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title. Title track may a ...

became Jordin's fifth top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 10. This makes Jordin Sparks the only ''American Idol'' contestant to have their first five singles become Top 20 Hits. Blake Lewis's first single was " Break Anotha!", which failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. His second single, "

How Many Words "How Many Words" is the official second single by the singer-songwriter Blake Lewis, from his debut album '' A.D.D. (Audio Day Dream)''. The song was expected to be followed by "Know My Name", and then "Without You". However, due to being dropped ...

", also failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 25 in the Bubbling Under chart (Hot 100 equivalent = 125). Shortly afterward, Lewis confirmed that he had been dropped by Arista records. His album sales are just over 300,000. The drop also canceled his apparent plans for a third single release. " This Is My Now" as performed by

was released as a

radio single In music, a single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album. One can be released for sale to the public in a variety of formats. In most cases, a single is a song that is released separate ...

. It debuted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart at number 15. On May 24, 2007, the winner

and runner-up Blake Lewis released five-song EPs on

; though only iTunes calls them "EPs", they are also available as "bundles" for the same price on AmericanIdol.com through June 20, 2007. Sparks' EP contained the winner's single, " This Is My Now", as well as four songs she performed on ''Idol'': "

I (Who Have Nothing) "I (Who Have Nothing)" (sometimes billed as "I Who Have Nothing") is an English language cover of the Italian song "''Uno dei Tanti''" (English: "One of Many"), with music by Carlo Donida and lyrics by Giulio "Mogol" Rapetti. The initial versio ...

", "

A Broken Wing "A Broken Wing" is a song written by James House, Sam Hogin and Phil Barnhart, and recorded by American country music singer Martina McBride. It was released in September 1997 as the second single from McBride's album ''Evolution''. In January ...

", " To Love Somebody", and "

Wishing on a Star "Wishing on a Star" is a slow ballad written by former The Undisputed Truth member Billie Rae Calvin and produced by Norman Whitfield. The song was originally offered to Barbra Streisand for her album project but later declined. It was first ...

". Lewis' EP did not contain "This Is My Now"; all of the tracks were songs he performed on the show: "

You Give Love a Bad Name "You Give Love a Bad Name" is a song by American rock band Bon Jovi, released as the first single from their 1986 album ''Slippery When Wet''. Written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Desmond Child about a woman who has jilted her lover, ...

", "

Time of the Season "Time of the Season" is a song by the British rock band the Zombies, featured on their 1968 album ''Odessey and Oracle''. It was written by keyboard player Rod Argent and recorded at Abbey Road Studios in August 1967. Over a year after its origin ...

", " I Need to Know", "

Love Song A love song is a song about romantic love, falling in love, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. A comprehensive list of even the best known performers and composers of love songs would be a large order ...

", and " When the Stars Go Blue". On June 12, 2007, Apple released five song EPs for the rest of the top 12 finalists (

LaKisha Jones LaKisha Ann Jones (born January 13, 1980) is an American singer. She placed fourth on the sixth season of ''American Idol''. Personal life Jones was born at Hurley Medical Center in Flint, Michigan, to a teacher at the Flint Foundation Academy. ...

Phil Stacey Joel Philip Stacey (born January 21, 1978) is an American singer who first gained national attention on season 6 of the television talent show ''American Idol''. After being eliminated from the competition on May 2, 2007, he was signed to a recor ...

, Sanjaya Malakar,

Haley Scarnato Haley Suzanne Scarnato (born June 15, 1982) is an American singer who was the 8th-place finalist on the sixth season of ''American Idol (season 6), American Idol''. Early years Scarnato was born in San Antonio, Texas to Rose and Anthony Scarnato. ...

Gina Glocksen Gina Glocksen (born July 4, 1984) is an American singer, who was the ninth-place finisher on the sixth season of ''American Idol''. She was eliminated on April 4, 2007. She previously appeared in season 5. Glocksen is the first among the few con ...

Chris Sligh Charles Christopher Sligh (born April 13, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, producer and pastor who was a finalist on the sixth season of ''American Idol'', finishing in tenth place. He has released 14 albums since 2001 as a solo artist, wi ...

, Stephanie Edwards and Brandon Rogers) along with the compilation album as a collector's edition of the season's songs. Each of the songs are also available for individual purchase. Phil Stacey, tied for fifth place with Chris Richardson, is now signed to Lyric Street and has released his first single "If You Didn't Love Me". Richardson recently produced his first single, "All Alone". Tenth place finalist Chris Sligh recently released a Christian album after signing with Brash Music. Jordin Sparks *''

'' *''

'' (

)'' Blake Lewis *'' A.D.D. (Audio Day Dream)'' ( Blake Lewis) *''

Heartbreak on Vinyl ''Heartbreak on Vinyl'' is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Blake Lewis released on October 6, 2009 by Tommy Boy Records. A double LP pressed on red vinyl with only 500 copies was released on August 13, 2010. The vinyl contai ...

'' ( Blake Lewis) Melinda Doolittle *'' Coming Back to You (

)'' *''My Funny Valentine'' (Melinda Doolittle) LaKisha Jones *'' So Glad I'm Me (

)'' Chris Richardson *''All Alone'' Phil Stacey *''

'' *'' Into the Light'' Sanjaya Malakar *''Dancing to the Music in my Head'' (EP) Chris Sligh *''

Running Back To You "Running Back to You" is the lead single from American singer and actress Vanessa Williams' second studio album, '' The Comfort Zone'' (1991). It features samples from The J.B.'s "The Grunt" (1970) and John Davis and the Monster Orchestra's "I C ...

(

)'' Stephanie Edwards *''On Our Way'' (single) *''Here I Am'' (single) Leslie Hunt *"From the Strange to a Stranger" *"Your Hair Is on Fire" *"Wait for It" Amanda Coluccio *''Fly Away'' (single) *''Now That I Found You'' (single) Sarah Burgess *''Didn't Matter That'' (single) *''One'' Sean Michel *''The Thrill of Hope'' Sherman Pore *''For My Lady Love'' Idolsmusic.com
Source �

Concert tour

American Idols LIVE! Tour 2007 American Idols Live! Tour 2007 was a summer concert tour in the United States and Canada featuring the top 10 contestants of the sixth season of ''American Idol'', which aired in 2007. It was sponsored by Kellogg's Pop-Tarts. The 59-date tour ...

References

External links

Official American Idol Contestants Website
* {{TopUSTVShows American Idol seasons 2007 American television seasons