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From losers to winners
By Nestor Torre
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:40:00 04/20/2008
MANILA, Philippines - When Michael Johns was eliminated from “American Idol” two weeks ago, fans all over the world loudly protested. Michael was a contest favorite; some music buffs even thought he could go all the way to the top. Alas, the show’s “voting population” thought otherwise. Now his fans are disconsolate—and mad as heck.
Not to worry, Johns loyalists. This is definitely not the end of the road for your favorite, who has “star” written all over him. We can expect him to clinch an album deal soon.
We aren’t indulging in musical fantasy. If you follow the post-“Idol” careers of some of the past finalists, you can get proof positive that winners and losers have benefited greatly from their “Idol” exposure.
Stellar career
Season One produced winner Kelly Clarkson, who’s gone on to enjoy a stellar career that just keeps getting better. Runner-up Justin Guarini also had his moment in the show biz sun, though he has since faded away. Finalist Tamyra Gray keeps popping up here and there— she may be doing even better than Guarini.
Season Two winner Ruben Studdard continues to perform, but he’s been roundly upstaged by “loser” Clay Aiken, who now rates a heftier talent fee than Studdard. “Blame” that on the fact that Aiken looks better, so he has the female teen demographic going for him.
Season Three’s Fantasia Barrino has had some success in the recording and musical theater fields—but so has runner-up Diana DeGarmo. The biggest upset has been scored by “failed” batchmate Jennifer Hudson, who beat hundreds of young singers (including Fantasia) to clinch her attention-calling role in “Dreamgirls”—which won her an Oscar nod, to boot!
Carrie Underwood topped Season Four, and her stellar career is fairly humming along. Runner-up Bo Bice and finalist Constantine Maroulis are also working hard to make it.
Season Five’s Taylor Hicks has proven to be a relative disappointment in the recording field, and runner-up Katharine McPhee is doing better. But the best news comes from “reject” Chris Daughtry, whose album’s sales reached hit status. Kelli Pickler’s career is soaring, too.
In contention
Last year’s winner, Jordin Sparks, hasn’t become a major player yet, but she’s still in contention. Her freshman disc has sold 425,000 units and spun off a hit single, “Tattoo.” Studdard’s 2006 album, “The Return” sold only 236,000 copies.
Hicks’ album sold 699,000 copies—not bad, but far off the 1 million mark hit by the first albums of past “Idol” champions.
The biggest sellers are Clarkson, Underwood and Daughtry, whose albums have gone multiplatinum. Daughtry’s debut album sold 3.6 million copies! He finished only fourth to Hicks!
The most surprising losers-to-winners “magicians” are William Hung and Sanjaya Malakar. William wasn’t even a finalist, but he was so “interestingly mediocre” that he generated a cult following. His first album, “Inspiration,” landed in the Top 40 sales charts! Other novelty albums like “Hung for the Holidays” and “Miracle” followed, and he performed everywhere—from shopping malls to sporting events.
Initially regarded as a one-joke oddity with a very short shelf life, William was able to parlay his unique combination of bad singing and great tenacity into a fairly long career.
Donny & Marie 2
What about Sanjaya? After he was voted out of the finals, he shared in an interview with TV Guide that he was focusing on a solo album, acting and modeling. He and his sister Shyamali are also gearing up to star in a variety show. Shades of Donny and Marie Osmond!
William and Sanjaya have had to deal with more than their share of vicious ridicule—but, look who’s laughing all the way to the bank! Michael Johns has a lot more going for him, so for this latest Idol “loser,” things are decidedly looking up.
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