American Idol season 6

American Idol season 6
File:AmericanIdoltitlecard.jpg
Created by	Simon Fuller
Directed by	Bruce Gowers
Starring	Ryan Seacrest Paula Abdul Simon Cowell Randy Jackson
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	25 (as of March 28, 2007)
Production
Executive producers	Nigel Lythgoe Ken Warwick Simon Fuller
Running time	Varies
Original release
Network	FOX, CTV
Release	January 16, 2007

The sixth season of American Idol premiered on the FOX Broadcasting Network on January 16,2007 and will run until May 23,2007. Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson returned to judge once again, and Ryan Seacrest returned as host.

Broadcast schedule

Beginning in mid-November 2006, FOX began airing teaser clips of the upcoming sixth season. First a bad contestant was highlighted, with judge Cowell giving his usual horrified grimace, then by early December another began airing, a girl singing "Stormy Weather" as the judges looked on approvingly. Following this, a new commercial began to air, showcasing eventual top 24 contestant Leslie Hunt.

The season premiere began as a two-night, four-hour premiere special on January 16 and 17. Starting the following week, regularly scheduled hours of the program will air at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Tuesdays and 9 p.m. ET/PT on Wednesdays.

The audition shows were spread over eight episodes, each covering one of the seven cities toured as well as a "Best of the Rest" episode. They aired on Jan. 16 (Minneapolis), 17 (Seattle), 23 (Memphis), 24 (East Rutherford), 30 (Birmingham), 31 (Los Angeles), February 6 (San Antonio), and February 7 ("The Best of the Rest"). Guest judges for that leg of the process included Olivia Newton-John, Carole Bayer Sager and Jewel. The Hollywood round episodes aired on February 13 and 14. The Top 24 were announced on February 14. Voting rounds began on February 20.

TV Guide Channel will bring back a second season of Idol Tonight, the live pre-show to American Idol, which will air on Wednesdays starting in March. The show will feature former Idol runner-up Justin Guarini as a correspondent along with Kimberly Caldwell and Rosanna Tavarez. Additionally American Idol Extra, a behind-the-scenes show, will also return for a second season, corresponding with the start of the finals in March. It will air Thursdays on Fox Reality.

Regional auditions phase

Locations

The Auditions were held in the following cities:

• Pasadena, California (billed as the Los Angeles auditions during the broadcast): Rose Bowl - August 6
• San Antonio, Texas: Alamodome - August 11
• East Rutherford, New Jersey (billed as the New York City auditions during the broadcast): Continental Airlines Arena - August 14
• Birmingham, Alabama: Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex - August 21
• Memphis, Tennessee: FedEx Forum - September 3
• Minneapolis, Minnesota: Target Center - September 8
• Seattle, Washington: KeyArena - September 19

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).

Structure of auditions

Auditions for the show were held in the seven cities shown above. As reported in The Los Angeles Daily News, the 2006 process was especially difficult: the 10,000 or so contestants waited in long lines, then were herded before two young assistant producers and given roughly 15 seconds to perform one song. At that point the large majority of them were summarily rejected.

Survivors of the first phase were typically then seen by Idol's executive producers, and only if surviving that cut (because they were especially good and fit what Idol was looking for, or especially bad in some novel way) were seen by Cowell, Abdul, and Jackson. The contestants then had one chance to impress the judges by singing a song of their choice a cappella. Then the judges each gave them either a "yes" or a "no" to continue to the next round. If they received a majority of yeses, the contestant would receive a "golden ticket" that qualified them for the "Hollywood Rounds". If rejected, the auditioner returned home.

Hollywood phase

The so-called "Hollywood" phase of the audition process were held over four days in mid-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 a capella. Groups were reviewed and contestents 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 a couple of backup singers. Contestants were again informed of whether they had made the cut or not.

Cut down to 24

The final pre-audience voting cutdown took place at the Pasadena Civic Center on January 14 or 15, 2007, just before the regional audition shows began airing (although at least one contestant had been shown a tape of the show in advance). 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 wait in a sitting room until one by one, they go up an elevator and take a long walk to the other end of the Center's Gold Room. Then the three judges tell them whether they have made it onto the stage show or are cut.

The show capturing this phase was aired February 14, 2007.

Semi-finalists

Template:Spoiler The semi-finals began on February 20, with the names announced on February 14. There were three shows each week for the three weeks of the semi-finals.

There are no format changes from season 4 and 5. The semi-finals featured the contestants (24 total) divided by gender with the 12 male singers singing on Tuesdays and the 12 female singers on Wednesdays. Each person had the chance to select a song to sing live in front of the judges. Following the show's airing, each U.S. timezone would have two hours to vote by phone or by text-messaging. On Thursday, the two of each group with the lowest amount of votes were eliminated each week until the finals.

The 24 semi-finalists, announced February 14, 2007, were:

Females	Males
Alaina Alexander	Rudy Cárdenas
Antonella Barba	Jared Cotter
Melinda Doolittle	Sundance Head
Stephanie Edwards	Paul Kim
Gina Glocksen	Blake Lewis
Leslie Hunt	Sanjaya Malakar
LaKisha Jones	Nicholas Pedro
Amy Krebs	Chris Richardson
Haley Scarnato	Brandon Rogers
Sabrina Sloan	Chris Sligh
Jordin Sparks	Phil Stacey
Nicole Tranquillo	A.J. Tabaldo

Females

Sabrina Sloan (35422) File:Sabrina sloan.jpg Sabrina Sloan. (born June 28, 1979) is 27 years old and is originally from Mission Viejo, California but now calls Studio City, CA 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 in Musical Theatre and Communication Studies. I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You) (Aretha Franklin) All the Man That I Need (Whitney Houston) Don't Let Go (Love) (En Vogue)- Eliminated March 8, 2007

Antonella Barba (2123) File:Antonella barba.jpg Antonella Barba. (born February 8, 1987), age 20, auditioned with her best friend Amanda Coluccio and made it to Hollywood. An undergraduate at The Catholic University of America, she is originally from Point Pleasant, New Jersey. 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. Recently, there has been emergence of racy photographs which include Barba topless along with other women on a beach. These pictures have received mainstream attention including a February 27, 2007 featured article in USA Today, a full segment concerning the controversy on the February 26, 2007 edition of FOX News' The O'Reilly Factor and also on multiple episodes of MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann (as recent as March 2007), both of which showed images of the Vote for the Worst pages featuring these images. Photos of Barba posing in a wet t-shirt in the fountain of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. have also surfaced; however, Barba's friend Coluccio has stated that the sexually explicit photos were fake.. I Don't Want to Miss a Thing (Aerosmith) Because You Loved Me (Celine Dion) Put Your Records On (Corinne Bailey Rae)- Eliminated March 8, 2007

Leslie Hunt (73560) File:Leslie hunt.jpg Leslie Hunt. (born March 23, 1982), a 25-year-old dog walker from Chicago, Illinois, 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. (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (Aretha Franklin) Feeling Good (Nina Simone) - Eliminated March 1, 2007

Alaina Alexander (66442) File:Alaina alexander.jpg Alaina Alexander. (born July 21, 1982) auditioned in Los Angeles. She is 24 years old and from West Hollywood, California. 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 Buble. Brass in Pocket (The Pretenders) Not Ready to Make Nice (Dixie Chicks) - Eliminated March 1, 2007

Nicole Tranquillo (60162) File:Nicole tranquillo.jpg Nicole Tranquillo. (born August 13, 1985) is 21 years old and from Wernersville, Pennsylvania. She gained a vocal major at the University of the Arts. She auditioned in Memphis. Stay (Chaka Khan) - Eliminated February 22, 2007

Amy Krebs (80984) File:Amy krebs.jpg Amy Krebs. (born May 2, 1984) is 22 years old and is from Federal Way, Washington. She is fluent in German. She auditioned in Seattle. I Can't Make You Love Me (Bonnie Raitt) - Eliminated February 22, 2007

Males

Jason "Sundance" Head (53540) File:Sundance head.jpg Sundance Head. (born January 22, 1979) auditioned in Memphis and lives in Porter, Texas. He is 28 years old and is the son of Roy Head, who had a number-two single with "Treat Her Right" in 1965; the song was second on the charts to The Beatles, which Jason said made his dad dislike them. He sang the classic hit "Stormy Monday." Nights in White Satin (The Moody Blues) Mustang Sally (Wilson Pickett) Jeremy (Pearl Jam) - Eliminated March 8, 2007

Jared Cotter (8067) File:Jared cotter.jpg Jared Cotter. (born June 17, 1981) is from Kew Gardens, New York (listed as Long Island on the show). He is 25 years old and auditioned in New York City. Jared played basketball in college, but quit to start his music career. Back at One (Brian McKnight) Let's Get It On (Marvin Gaye) If You Really Love Me (Stevie Wonder) - Eliminated March 8, 2007

A.J. Tabaldo (66398) File:Aj tabaldo.jpg AJ Tabaldo. (born January 3, 1985) auditioned in Los Angeles and is from Santa Maria, California. He is 22 years old. Tabaldo is half-Filipino and half-Portuguese, and auditioned for American Idol five times. Never Too Much (Luther Vandross) Feeling Good (Michael Bublé) - Eliminated March 1, 2007

Nicholas Pedro (10377) File:Nicholas pedro.jpg Nicholas Pedro. (born April 24, 1981) is 25 years old. He auditioned in New York and is from Taunton, Massachusetts. Pedro dropped out of the competition last 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. Now and Forever (Richard Marx) Fever (Peggy Lee) - Eliminated March 1, 2007

Rudy Cárdenas (59576) File:Rudy cardenas.jpg Rudy Cardenas. (born April 3, 1978) auditioned in Seattle and is from North Hollywood, California. Originally from Venezuela, the 28-year-old 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. Free Ride (Edgar Winter Group) - Eliminated February 22, 2007

Paul Kim (74201) Paul Kim. (born March 26, 1981) auditioned in Los Angeles. He is from Saratoga, California, and attended Monta Vista High School. Kim is 25 years old, and being Korean-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". Careless Whisper (Wham!) - Eliminated February 22, 2007

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 will be eliminated every week.

The following is first in alphabetical order by family name, then reverse chronological order by elimination date, if applicable.

Melinda Doolittle (57073), File:Melinda doolittle ai.jpg Melinda Doolittle. (born December 1, 1977) age 29, auditioned in Memphis, and is from Brentwood, Tennessee. Despite being a professional back-up singer, she admitted she was still tense and nervous about competing in the show. She auditioned with "For Once in My Life" popularized by Stevie Wonder, and was met with universal praise from the three judges on her vocal ability. The judges did express concern about her nerves and told her to believe in herself. She has sung back up for Aaron Neville. (Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone (Aretha Franklin) My Funny Valentine (Chet Baker and many others) I'm a Woman (Peggy Lee/Maria Muldaur) Home (Stephanie Mills/Diana Ross) As Long As He Needs Me (Shirley Bassey) Heaven Knows (Donna Summer with Brooklyn Dreams) I Got Rhythm (Ethel Merman and many others) - Top 3 April 4, 2007

LaKisha Jones (8292), File:Lakisha jones.jpg LaKisha Jones. (born January 13, 1980) a 27-year-old bank teller who performed "Think" by Aretha Franklin, and is originally from Flint, Michigan. Viewers were first introduced to Jones during the "Best of the Rest" episode. After the audition, LaKisha celebrated with her family and cried tears of happiness with her daughter. She is also the runner up of the Houston show, KPRC Local 2 Gimme the Mike, in 2005. She listed Ft. Meade, MD., on her application, also has a Houston following. And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going (Jennifer Holliday) Midnight Train to Georgia (Gladys Knight & the Pips) I Have Nothing (Whitney Houston) God Bless the Child (Billie Holliday/Diana Ross) Diamonds Are Forever (Shirley Bassey) Last Dance (Donna Summer) Stormy Weather (Lena Horne and many others) - Top 3 April 4, 2007

Blake Lewis (77804) File:Blake lewis ai.jpg Blake Lewis. (born July 21, 1981) is 25 years old and auditioned in Seattle, and is from Bothell, Washington. He is a former member of the a capella group KickShaw. Claiming to be the city's beatboxing champion, Lewis sampled a hip-hop tune to the judges before rendering Seal's "Crazy". Blake passed the auditions but Simon commented to him that "You are not that good as you think are," reminding him not to be cocky and overconfident in the future. Somewhere Only We Know (Keane) Virtual Insanity (Jamiroquai) All Mixed Up (311) You Keep Me Hanging On (The Supremes) Time of the Season (The Zombies) Lovesong (The Cure) Mack the Knife (Bobby Darin and many others)

Sanjaya Malakar (80203) (born September 10, 1989) is 17 years old. He auditioned in Seattle with his sister Shyamali, singing "Signed, Sealed, Delivered". He is from Federal Way, Washington, the same town as Amy Krebs. After Sanjaya's audition, Simon commented that he had a better voice than his sister. Both made it to Hollywood, but Sanjaya was shown tearfully embracing his sister when he made it to the top 40 in Hollywood and she was cut. Knocks Me Off My Feet (Stevie Wonder) Steppin' Out With My Baby (Tony Bennett) Waiting on the World to Change (John Mayer) Ain't No Mountain High Enough (Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell/Diana Ross) - Bottom 2 March 14, 2007 You Really Got Me (The Kinks) Bathwater (No Doubt) Cheek to Cheek (Fred Astaire and many others)

Chris Richardson (8963) (born February 19, 1984) is 23 years old. He auditioned in New York and is from Chesapeake, Virginia. During Richardson's audition Randy compared him to Justin Timberlake. I Don't Want to Be (Gavin DeGraw) Geek In the Pink (Jason Mraz) Tonight I Wanna Cry (Keith Urban) The Boss (Diana Ross) Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying (Gerry & the Pacemakers) - Bottom 2 March 21, 2007 Don't Speak (No Doubt) Don't Get Around Much Anymore (Duke Ellington and many others)

Haley Scarnato (50411) (born June 15, 1982) is a 24-year-old former wedding band singer who auditioned and lives in San Antonio. It's All Coming Back to Me Now (Celine Dion) Queen of the Night (Whitney Houston) If My Heart Had Wings (Faith Hill) Missing You (Diana Ross) Tell Him (The Exciters/Billie Davis) True Colors (Cyndi Lauper) - Bottom 2 March 28, 2007 Ain't Misbehavin' (Fats Waller, Ella Fitzgerald and many others) - Bottom 3 April 4, 2007

Jordin Sparks (80066) , (born December 22, 1989) is a 17-year-old from Glendale, Arizona who auditioned in Seattle. She was a contestant on America's Most Talented Kid in 2003 and also appeared on the program's Tournament of Champions, on which she sang the Celine Dion ballad "Because You Loved Me" in her auditions. She is the daughter of former NFL defensive back Philippi Sparks. She also performed in the Christmas "Christmastime" Tours in 2005 and 2006 for Contemporary Christian singer, Michael W. Smith. Give Me One Reason (Tracy Chapman) Reflection (Christina Aguilera) Heartbreaker (Pat Benatar) If We Hold On Together (Diana Ross) I (Who Have Nothing) (Shirley Bassey/Tom Jones; originally recorded by Ben E. King) Hey Baby (No Doubt) On a Clear Day (Barbra Streisand and many others) - Top 3 April 4, 2007

Phil Stacey (51815) (born January 25, 1978) is 29 years old and serves in the United States Navy. He auditioned in Memphis and is from Jacksonville, Florida. He missed the birth of his daughter, Machaela, to audition for Idol. He performed two songs before getting through to Hollywood: My Girl and Let's Get It On. I Could Not Ask for More (Edwin McCain) Missing You (John Waite) I Need You (LeAnn Rimes) I'm Gonna Make You Love Me (Dee Dee Warwick/The Supremes & The Temptations) - Bottom 3 March 14, 2007 Tobacco Road (The Nashville Teens) Every Breath You Take (The Police) - Bottom 3 March 28, 2007 Night and Day (Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra, and many others)- Bottom 3 April 4, 2007

Gina Glocksen (53750) File:Gina glocksen.jpg Gina Glocksen. (born July 4, 1984) is 22 years old and auditioned in Memphis, and is from Naperville, Illinois. She auditioned in Chicago during Season 5 and made it to Hollywood but was cut before the Top 40. All By Myself (Eric Carmen) Alone (Heart) Call Me When You're Sober (Evanescence) Love Child (The Supremes) Paint It, Black (The Rolling Stones) I'll Stand By You (The Pretenders) Smile (Nat King Cole and many others) - Eliminated April 4, 2007

Chris Sligh (24994) (born June 20, 1978) is 28 years old, hails from Greenville, South Carolina, and graduated from North Greenville University. He auditioned in Birmingham and sang "Kiss from a Rose" by Seal, after which Paula gave a standing ovation and stated, "I like you very much." Paula, Simon, and Randy laughed at his ambition "to make David Hasselhoff cry" (a nod to the Season 5 finale where David Hasselhoff did, in fact, cry). Typical (Mute Math) Trouble (Ray LaMontagne) Wanna Be Loved (dc Talk) Endless Love (Diana Ross & Lionel Richie) She's Not There (The Zombies) Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic (The Police) - Eliminated March 28, 2007

Stephanie Edwards (52357) (born August 5, 1987) is 19 years old and from Savannah, Georgia. She auditioned in Memphis. How Come You Don't Call Me (Alicia Keys; originally recorded by Prince) Dangerously in Love (Beyoncé) Sweet Thing (Rufus featuring Chaka Khan) Love Hangover (Diana Ross) You Don't Have to Say You Love Me (Dusty Springfield) - Eliminated March 21, 2007

Brandon Rogers (74191) (born January 9, 1978) is 29 years old. He auditioned in Los Angeles and is from North Hollywood, California. Rogers has been a backup singer to established artists, performing on Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera's 2003 Justified and Stripped Tour and Anastacia's 2005 Encore Tour. After hearing his audition song, the judges (including guest judge Olivia Newton-John) were impressed with his vocals. Simon Cowell later mentioned he was the best auditioner coming from that city. Rock with You (Michael Jackson) Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper) I Just Want to Celebrate (Rare Earth) You Can't Hurry Love (The Supremes) - Eliminated March 14, 2007 Song themes Just as was done in season 5, the performers whose themes are performed do not appear as judges. Instead, they "coach" the contestants on the theme. Week 1 (March 13th) ~ Diana Ross Week 2 (March 20th) ~ British Invasion - Peter Noone and Lulu Week 3 (March 27th) ~ Songs by No Doubt and by singers who inspired Gwen Stefani - Gwen Stefani Week 4 (April 3rd) ~ "American Classics" - Tony Bennett Week 5 (April 10) ~ Latin Music- Jennifer Lopez Week 7 (April 24th) ~ Inspirational Music Performers on results shows Week 1 (March 14th) - Diana Ross singing "More Today Than Yesterday" from her new covers CD I Love You as well as the top 12 performing two Supremes' hits "Baby Love" and "Stop! In the Name of Love." Week 2 (March 21st) - Peter Noone performed "There's a Kind of Hush," Lulu performed "To Sir, With Love." Week 3 (March 28th) - Gwen Stefani and Akon performed "The Sweet Escape." Week 4 (April 4th) - Michael Bublé performed Frank Sinatra's "Call Me Irresponsible." Week 5 (April 11th) - Robin Thicke Other performers that have been announced include Bon Jovi, Barry Gibb, Jennifer Lopez and Martina McBride. Exit song This year, the song played during the flashback to an eliminated contestant's journey is Daughtry's "Home," replacing "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter. Semi-Finals/Finals elimination chart Legend Female Male Top 12 Top 24 Stage: Semi-Finals Finals Week: 2/22 3/1 3/8 3/14 3/21 3/28 4/4 4/11 4/18 4/25 5/2 5/9 5/16 5/23 Place Contestant Result Melinda Doolittle Top 3 LaKisha Jones Top 3 Blake Lewis Mid 3 Sanjaya Malakar Btm 2 Mid 3 Chris Richardson Btm 2 Mid 3 Haley Scarnato Btm 2 Btm 2 Jordin Sparks Top 3 Phil Stacey Btm 3 Btm 3 Btm 3 9 Gina Glocksen Elim 10 Chris Sligh Elim 11 Stephanie Edwards Elim 12 Brandon Rogers Elim 13-16 Sundance Head Elim 13-16 Sabrina Sloan Elim 13-16 Antonella Barba Elim 13-16 Jared Cotter Elim 17-20 Leslie Hunt Elim 17-20 A.J. Tabaldo Elim 17-20 Alaina Alexander Elim 17-20 Nicholas Pedro Elim 21-24 Rudy Cardenas Elim 21-24 Nicole Tranquillo Elim 21-24 Amy Krebs Elim 21-24 Paul Kim Elim Note: Bottom 2 indicates that the contestant was 'saved' last. This may or may not indicate his or her actual vote rank. Sometimes, Seacrest will announce that the contestant is in the bottom 2. Sometimes he will not. During the week of 3/21, Seacrest announced only a Bottom 2 rather than the usual Bottom 3. Idol Gives Back On the March 8, 2007 results show, Ryan Seacrest announced that the show will give back to people in poverty in both Africa and the United States: it is a combined AIDS/Hurricane Katrina relief effort. References External links Official American Idol Contestants Website USA Today's online American Idol blog American Idol Season 6 News American Idol News - Season 6 MTV's American Idol Coverage