American Idol

American Idol has become a juggernaut of television almost since its inception in 2002. American Idol only came to the Fox Network after being turned down by several others. It is based on the United Kingdom series "Pop Idol," a singing contest seeking undiscovered talent. The winner will receive a recording contract. The show featured co-hosts Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman in its first season. Three people involved in the music industry judge the aspiring superstars:

• Randy Jackson - Randy, an electric bassist, who has played with notable acts such as Blue Oyster Cult, Journey, Carlos Santana, Billy Joel, and The Charlie Daniels Band. He has also produced such people as Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, and Mariah Carey (whom he has known since she was a teen).
• Paula Abdul - Paula began her career as an LA Lakers cheerleader, but her choreography helped quickly led to a career in music, which included several pop hits in the late 80s/early 90s.
• Simon Cowell - Simon was a judge on Britain's "Pop Idol" during the first season and created American Idol. It has been Simon's judging style that has been, at least in part, responsible for American Idol's success. Simon, who was a consultant for BMG and owner of two record companies, tells contestants exactly what he think of their singing ability, even to the point of being dubbed nasty. This gained a lot of media attention for the show and it seems that whether fans love him or hate him, they continue to tune in to see what he will say next.

Continue to read more about American Idol. You can click on the season to see the results of the competition. I also have some of my favorite american idol sites that I have found here.

American Idol Seasons - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

The winner of American Idol Season 7 was David Cook.

Season 8 American Idol

Latest American Idol News

Additional American Idol Resources