The Next American Idol

Brooke was born in 1983 and her hometown is Mesa, AZ. She graduated high school from Heritage Academy in 2001.

She worked as a nanny prior to auditioning for Idol. She is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Brooke currently lives with her husband in Van Nuys, California.

Brooke began singing at age 15 and also plays the piano and guitar, with her vocal skills and piano playing impressing all three judges during Hollywood week.

Brooke has also performed as a solo artist with a backup band. Her first album "Songs from the Attic" was released in 2005. Her first music video "Free" was directed by Braden Barty which she acts out her story as a beauty school drop out who moves to Hollywood to pursue her singing career.

Carly was born on September 12, 1983, is an Irish singer, currently living in San Diego, CA. Smithson released an album for MCA Records called Ultimate High in 2001 as Carly Hennessy.

The album failed to find an audience, selling fewer than 400 copies despite MCA Records spending over $2 million on the production and promotion of the album. The album was released on November 13th, 2001. Its commercial failure was documented in an article in The Wall Street Journal. Despite low record sales, she later won a Meteor Award in 2003 for Best Irish Female Singer.

Hennessy was signed to MCA Records during the same time period that Randy Jackson was the senior vice president of A&R at MCA Records. Hennessy was at MCA in 1999. Randy started at MCA in 1998 and was there for 4 years.

Chikezie Eze, more commonly known as simply Chikezie was born on September 11, 1985, in Inglewood, California, is an American singer of Nigerian heritage. He began singing when he was 13 years old.

Before auditioning for "American Idol," he was a Transportation Security Administration screener and a cashier. He also studied singing at Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, California.

He has a younger brother and an older sister. He attended High School at the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies in West LA. He also attended and was a member of the El Camino College Applied Music Program in Torrance, California.

David James Archuleta was born on December 28, 1990 in Miami, Florida, is an American singer and a finalist on American Idol's seventh season as of March 2008.

At the age of twelve, Archuleta won the Junior Singers competition on Star Search. He ended up winning grand prize on Star Search 2. On one episode, he sang against then 13-year-old Alexandréa Lushington, who also became a "top 20" semi-finalist on American Idol alongside Archuleta.

Archuleta lives in Murray, Utah and is a student at Murray High School. If his bid to become the next American Idol fails, he plans to continue school and keep singing.

The only regular job he has had was over the summer of 2007 as a sound "techie" at a park amphitheater. He once suffered partial vocal paralysis but refrained from risky surgery and feels he has fully recovered.

David Roland Cook was born on December 20, 1982 in Houston, Texas, is a singer. He currently lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but has also lived in Blue Springs, Missouri.

He graduated from University of Central Missouri in 2006 with a degree in graphic design. He is not related to fellow Idol contestant Kristy Lee Cook.

Cook has been singing since he was in the second grade. He also plays the guitar and bass guitar. Cook was the lead singer and guitarist of the band Axium from 1999 until 2006. Cook formed Axium in his junior year at Blue Springs South High School with drummer Bobby Kerr.

One of the band's songs, "Hold," was picked up by AMC Theatres Movie Tunes and was played before previews on 5,000 screens nationwide. Cook released an independent album, Analog Heart, in 2006. The album was chosen as the fourth-best CD released in 2006 by website Music Equals Life.

Jason Rene Castro was born on March 25, 1987, is an American singer. Born in Dallas, Texas, and raised in Rowlett, Texas, he currently resides in Rockwall, Texas.

His parents are Colombian, and he is the first person in his family to be born in the United States.

He plays guitar and grew up playing drums and didn't start singing until he was in college. Castro attended Rowlett High School and graduated in 2005. He was a member of the high school soccer team.

Castro was a junior, majoring in construction science at Texas A&M University before auditioning for American Idol.

Kristy Lee Cook was born on January 14, 1984 in Seattle, Washington to Larry and Carlene Cook but currently lives in Selma, Oregon.

She signed her first contract with BMI in 2001, when she was 17 years old; Britney Spears agreed to make a cameo appearance in her first music video.

In her American Idol intro video, she said that she enjoys riding horses and kick boxing. She is the sister-in-law of Arena Football quarterback John Dutton.

According to her RMG page, Cook was signed to RCA Records in 1999 and the first artist signed to Spears' production company. RCA put Cook, along with other artists, on hold and eventually dropped them.

Michael Johns was born on October 20, 1978 in Perth, Western Australia, is an Australian rock/soul singer-songwriter.

He moved to the United States from Australia in 1998 and lived in Buckhead, Georgia for six years, performing at local venues solo and with local band Film. He now lives in Los Angeles, California with his Texan wife.

Johns is a keen sportsman and this was his focus prior to his singing career.

He won a tennis scholarship at the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Georgia to become a professional tennis player. He also played Australian rules football for the USAFL club Atlanta Kookaburras.

Johns is unrelated to Michael Johns, the American business executive, former White House speechwriter, and prominent conservative writer of the same name.

Ramiele Macrowon Malubay was born on September 6, 1987 in Saudi Arabia.

Malubay grew up in the Philippines and the United States and graduated from Zephyrhills High School in Zephyrhills, Florida. She spent most of her early years in the Philippines, but currently resides in Miramar, Florida.

Ramiele is currently a nursing student at Broward Community College.

She started Polynesian Dancing when she was in the first grade and started singing at the age of twelve. She can speak fluent Tagalog & Ilocano.

On YouTube, there is a video in which she sings the Philippine National Anthem, "Lupang Hinirang".

Syesha Mercado was born on January 2, 1987, is a singer-songwriter and an actress.

She currently resides and attends Florida International University in Miami, Florida.

Syesha grew up in Sarasota, Florida and graduated from Booker High School - Visual and Performing Art in 2005, where she was in the Theater department.

At the 2005 Florida Theater Conference and the 2005 South Eastern Theater Conference Syesha won "Best Supporting Actress" for Seussical the Musical.

Ryan has built a thriving career with his multiple ventures into all types of media. Quite the entrepreneur, Ryan hosts and produces several radio & television programs, and has built his Ryan Seacrest Production Company into a healty enterprise.

Ryan recently received his very own star on the prestigious Hollywood Walk of Fame, he was also twice voted a Most Eligible Bachelor by People magazine and was included in its 50 Most Beautiful List. Ryan was also included in Forbes annual Celebrity 100 Power List, joining Tom Cruise, Oprah Winfrey and Tiger Woods.

Ryan reaches millions of fans through the world's most popular radio countdown show, 'American Top 40, which he took over from the legendary Casey Kasem. With Ryan at the mike, the show remains an institution in radio entertainment and is heard on more stations in more markets than ever before.

Ryan also hosts 'On Air with Ryan Seacrest', the Number 1 morning show in Los Angeles.

Does this guy ever sleep?

Randy Jackson is a Grammy award winning producer and has been active in the music industry for over 20 years. He started out playing bass at the early age of 13, but his big break came when he joined the band Journey.

As both a musician and producer, he spent 8 years as vice president of A&R at Columbia Records and then went on to serve as senior vice president of A&R at MCA Records for another 4 years.

In his illustrious past, Randy has performed and toured with Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Madonna, Elton John and Destiny's Child, to mention a few. He has worked on over a thousand Gold and Multi-Platinum albums. His many contributions have helped to sell over 200 Million albums worlwide. When you consider his talent, vast studio knowledge and performing, touring and record company experience, Randy is undoubtedly one of today's most highly regarded music industry experts.

Randy lives in Los Angeles with his wife and 3 children.

Paula is one of the most recognized pop singers and choreographers in film, television, video, live tours and stage. Her famous work in choreography includes Emmy-winning contributions to 'The Tracey Ullman Show', her own performance on 'The American Music Awards' and her choreography for the Academy Awards, for which she earned an Emmy nomination.

Other triumphs include her award-winning work with Janet Jackson, which earned two MTV Video Awards, and working with such music legends as Aretha Franklin, George Michael, Luther Vandross, INXS, Heart and Prince. Paula's favorite memory is dancing alongside her own idol, Gene Kelly, in the Diet Coke commercial that was inducted into the Coca-Cola Hall of Fame Museum as one of that company's top commercial campaigns.

Paula has won many awards, to include a Grammy Award, seven MTV Awards, two Emmy Awards, two People's Choice Awards and two Kids' Choice Awards. She has also been honored with a Star on Hollywood Boulevard and inducted into Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Hall of Fame.

Simon Cowell's trademark candor and eye for talent during his last six seasons on "American Idol" has made him a household name in the United States.

Simon, through his UK-based media and entertainment company, SyCo, is the creator and executive producer of "American Inventor" and "America's Got Talent," and serves as a celebrity judge on AMERICAN IDOL, "Pop Idol," "The X Factor" and "Britain's Got Talent." Simon has orchestrated the careers of numerous recording artists, including the pop-opera quartet Il Divo. He sold more than 150 million records and 70 No. 1 singles in the United States and the UK during his 16-year tenure with Sony BMG.

Simon is venturing into features with a music-themed project tentatively titled "Star Struck," which he is producing through SyCo. Inspired by the 1980 film "Fame," "Struck" is set behind the scenes of a TV singing competition and follows contestants trying to make it to the top.

Simon was recently ranked third on the Forbes TV Faces list and 21st on the 2007 Forbes Celebrity 100 Power List. In 2006, he was named 2006 UK Personality of the Year by Variety, and in 2004 was named one of the Top Entertainers of the Year by Entertainment Weekly.

Simon lives in Los Angeles and the UK.

American Idol is an annual American televised singing competition, which began its first season on June 11, 2002. Part of the Idol franchise, it originated from the reality program Pop Idol created by British entertainment executive Simon Fuller, which was first aired in 2001 in the United Kingdom. Due to its consistently-dominant ratings, American Idol has become perhaps the single most-important program on US television.

"American Idol" is the most-watched and No. 1 television show in United States, capitalizing on its popularity and strikes in Hollywood. Hosted by Ryan Seacrest, the hit series empowers viewers to discover America's next solo singing superstar by voting for their favorites to win the coveted American Idol title. Thousands of people turned out to the open calls for the "American Idol".

Every year, thousands of hopefuls from across the nation audition for a shot at stardom and a chance to be the next American Idol. The show's judges – Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson - winnow down the competitors to a select group of semifinalists who sing their hearts out each week for the studio audience and the television viewers. The judges have their say after every performance, but it's the viewing public that determines who will advance to the next round of the competition and who will return back. Voting via telephone and text messaging begins immediately after each performance show and the results are announced during the following night's broadcast.

American Idol is often noted for advertising its sponsors during the show's runtime. Being the number-one-rated show in the United States, it costs around $700,000 for a 30-second commercial.

iTunes has joined as a Season 7 major sponsor in the U.S., but feels more like a part of the show than a typical commercial sponsor. All performances are now available via iTunes.com and contestants continue to learn their songs and rehearse with iPods, which has been the case since the show debuted, even before Apple Inc. got involved.

Coca-Cola is a major sponsor in the U.S., and all the judges, hosts, and contestants are seen consuming beverages out of cups bearing the Coca-Cola logo although video evidence suggests Abdul pretends to drink from one cup in which there is no liquid.

Text voting is made possible by AT&T Mobility, formerly Cingular Wireless. It was provided by Cingular Wireless before AT&T acquired that company.

Kellogg and Pop-Tarts are also two major sponsors, especially of the cast tour that follows the end of every season.

Products from the Ford Motor Company also receive prominent product placement; contestants appear in Ford commercials on the results shows, and the final two of Seasons 4, 5 and 6 each won free Mustangs. Previous contestants Kelly Clarkson and Taylor Hicks have also been tapped to do commercials for Ford. Also, in the top 24's studio, in the red room there is a glass table with a Ford tire inside of it. The camera routinely captures the logo.

Clairol hair care products also sponsors the show, with contestants usually getting Clairol-guided hair makeovers after the first two or three episodes during the round of 12.

Seasonal rankings based on average total viewers per episode of American Idol on FOX. Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps.

As per survey, 1st Season had viewers of 41 millions across the world including the finals. And the viewers in the 2nd Season has been increased to 60 millions, 3rd Season had 53 million viewers, 4th Season 58 million viewers, 5th Season 68 million viewers and 6th Season 56 million viewers.

A growing number of television executives have begun to regard American Idol as a programming force unlike any seen before.