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Revision as of 18:25, 27 February 2008

American Idol season 7
File:AmericanIdoltitlecard.jpg
Created bySimon Fuller
Directed byBruce Gowers
StarringRyan Seacrest
Paula Abdul
Simon Cowell
Randy Jackson
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes14 (as of February 26, 2008)
Production
Executive producersNigel Lythgoe
Ken Warwick
Simon Fuller
Running timeVaries
Original release
NetworkFox Broadcasting Company
ReleaseJanuary 15, 2008 –
May 21, 2008

The seventh season of American Idol, which premiered on January 15, 2008, is the current season of the annual popular reality show and singing competition. Ryan Seacrest continues to host the show with Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson returning as judges. The successful program continues to search for and discover the best young singer in the country, through a series of nationwide auditions along with weekly rounds of intense competition and eliminations airing live, based on public voting by phone during the results shows typically airing on Thursdays.

Early process

Regional auditions

For Season 7, auditions were held in the following cities:[1]

Contestants were required to be between the ages of 16 and 28 on July 28, 2007, and eligible to work in the United States. Those ineligible include former contestants who reached the top 40 of past seasons, those holding recording or management contracts, or those who are not US citizens or landed immigrants (i.e. permanent residents).

Hollywood phase

As in years past, the Hollywood round took place at the Pasadena Civic Center in Pasadena over a period of four days. A total of 164 contestants were invited from the seven audition cities. This year the process was altered slightly to ensure that no talent would be prematurely dismissed.

On the first day, all of the contestants took the stage individually and sang for the judges. For the first time ever, contestants had the option of either being accompanied by the band or playing an instrument themselves. Some were shown playing the keyboard, guitar, or even the drums. If the judges approved of the contestant's performance, they received a "free pass" to the third day of auditions. Unlike previous seasons, contestants whose performances were not considered good enough were given a second chance on day two. They were required to line up on stage in small groups, and sing a short segment of a song a cappella. After each group had finished, the judges then cut all of those who they felt were not talented enough. Those who were not cut joined the recipients of the free passes on day three of the Hollywood round. Each of these remaining contestants sang with not only a band, but with three backup singers. This is a similar setup to that which is used in the semifinals and finals and replaced the group performances required in past seasons. After each performance, the judges decided whether or not to cut the contestant. By the end of the day, only 50 contestants were remaining.

Semi-finalists

The semi-finalists were officially announced on February 13, 2008.

Girls Guys
Name Age Hometown Name Age Hometown
Joanne Borgella 25 Hoboken, NJ David Archuleta 17 Murray, UT
Kristy Lee Cook 24 Selma, OR Colton Berry 18 Staunton, VA
Amy Davis 25 Lowell, IN Robbie Carrico 26 Melbourne, FL
Asia'h Epperson 19 Joplin, MO Jason Castro 20 Rowlett, TX
Alexandréa Lushington 17 Atlanta, GA Chikezie 22 Inglewood, CA
Kady Malloy 18 Houston, TX David Cook 25 Tulsa, OK
Ramiele Malubay 20 Miramar, FL Garrett Haley 17 Elida, OH
Syesha Mercado 21 Sarasota, FL David Hernandez 24 Phoenix, AZ
Amanda Overmyer 23 Mulberry, IN Michael Johns 29 Perth, Australia/
Buckhead, GA
Carly Smithson 24 Dublin, Ireland/
San Diego, CA		 Luke Menard 29 Crawfordsville, IN
Alaina Whitaker 16 Tulsa, OK Danny Noriega 18 Azusa, CA
Brooke White 24 Mesa, AZ Jason Yeager 28 Grand Prairie, TX

Semi-finals

Weekly Song Themes

Males

David Archuleta (11394) (born December 28, 1990 in Miami, Florida) is a 17-year-old from Murray, Utah who auditioned in San Diego. When he was younger, he suffered from partial vocal paralysis. In 2003, at the age of 12, he sang on several episodes of the television show Star Search.[7][8][9][10][11][12][13] On one episode, he sang against then 13-year-old Alexandréa Lushington, who is a fellow semi-finalist this season.[13][10]
  1. "Shop Around" (The Miracles)
  2. "Imagine" (John Lennon)
Robbie Carrico (73070) (born November 13, 1981 in Beckley, West Virginia) is a 26-year-old from Melbourne, Florida who auditioned for the show in Miami. His professional singing career prior to Idol includes being a member of the pop group Boyz N Girlz United, which opened for Britney Spears during her "...Baby One More Time" tour in 1999.[14][15][13] The band's song "Messed Around" was written and produced by JC Chasez from *NSYNC.[14] In his free time, he drag races cars.
  1. "One" (Three Dog Night)
  2. "Hot Blooded" (Foreigner)
Jason Castro (16755) (born March 25, 1987) is a 20-year-old from Rockwall, Texas who auditioned in Dallas. The show was unable to air his audition of "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley, which Nigel Lythgoe noted was "one of the best performances [the show] ever had," because one of the three rights-holders to the song declined clearance.[16] In 2006, he appeared on Cheyenne Kimball's MTV reality TV series, as her real-life dating interest.[16]
  1. "Daydream" (The Lovin' Spoonful)
  2. "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" (Andy Gibb)
Chikezie (613)
  1. "More Today Than Yesterday" (The Spiral Starecase)
  2. "I Believe to My Soul" (Donny Hathaway)
David Cook (36214)
  1. "Happy Together" (The Turtles)
  2. "All Right Now" (Free)
David Hernandez (4713)
  1. "In the Midnight Hour" (Wilson Pickett)
  2. "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" (The Temptations)
Michael Johns (474) (born October 20, 1978 in Perth, Western Australia) is a 29-year-old, originally from Australia, who lives in Buckhead, Georgia and auditioned in San Diego. Prior to Idol, he joined the band The Film under the name Michael Lee and was scheduled to release an album in 2003.[13] The album was never released, and Johns left the band. He then created a new band, The Rising, and was under contract with Madonna's Maverick Records label.[17] Maverick dropped the band's contract before an album was released, but The Rising released the album independently of the Maverick label. After moving to the United States in 1998, Johns changed his name from Michael Lee to Michael Johns.[17]
  1. "Light My Fire" (The Doors)
  2. "Go Your Own Way" (Fleetwood Mac)
Luke Menard (34763) (born December 1, 1978 in Crawfordsville, Indiana) He auditioned for the sixth season, but he did not made it to Hollywood. Prior to Season 7 of Idol he was a member of the a cappella group Chapter 6 and has toured with them for the past 6 years.
  1. "Everybody's Talkin'" (Harry Nilsson)
  2. "Killer Queen" (Queen)
Danny Noriega (1356) (born September 29, 1989 in Azusa, California)
  1. "Jailhouse Rock" (Elvis Presley)
  2. "Superstar" (The Carpenters)
Jason Yeager (22880) He appeared and was a finalist in Making The Band, a reality show that eventually led to the formation of boy band O-Town.
  1. "Moon River" (Andy Williams)
  2. "Long Train Runnin'" (The Doobie Brothers)
Colton Berry (55501)
  1. "Suspicious Minds" (Elvis Presley) - Eliminated February 21, 2008
Garrett Haley (3590)
  1. "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" (Neil Sedaka) - Eliminated February 21, 2008

Females

Kristy Lee Cook (77610) (born January 4, 1984) is a 24-year-old horse trainer from Selma, Oregon who allegedly sold her prized horse in order to afford the trip to audition in Philadelphia. In 2001, she was signed to a major label, Arista Nashville.[18][13] Cook also signed with Britney Spears' production company, and Spears herself was supposed to have a cameo in Cook's first video.[18][13] At the time of signing, she was managed by the former manager of LeAnn Rimes.[18][13] In 2005, she released a CD called Devoted with Ren-Hen Records.[19]
  1. "Rescue Me" (Fontella Bass)
Asia'h Epperson (50641) is a 19-year-old from Joplin, Missouri who auditioned in Atlanta. Two days before the auditions, her father died in a car accident.
  1. "Piece of My Heart" (Janis Joplin)
Alexandréa Lushington (41800) (born February 13, 1991) is a 17-year-old from Douglasville, Georgia who auditioned in Atlanta. In 2004, she sang against fellow Idol semi-finalist David Archuleta on an episode of the television show Star Search.[13][10]
  1. "Spinning Wheel" (Blood, Sweat & Tears)
Kady Malloy (16874) (born May 9, 1989 in Houston, Texas)
  1. "A Groovy Kind of Love" (The Mindbenders)
Ramiele Malubay (74854) is a 20-year-old from Miramar, Florida who auditioned in Miami. She is the only Asian American to make it the semi-finals in this season. She is also a Filipino American and her favorite singer is Regine Velasquez.
  1. "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" (Dusty Springfield)
Syesha Mercado (67235) (born January 7, 1987) is a 21-year-old from Sarasota, Florida who auditioned in Miami. During Hollywood week, she became ill and almost completely lost her voice. In preparation for her final audition, she went on voice rest and wrote down everything she had to say on a pad of paper. Prior to American Idol, she appeared on The One: Making a Music Star, a short-lived program on ABC.[20] The show was cancelled after two weeks due to low ratings.[20]
  1. "Tobacco Road" (The Nashville Teens)
Amanda Overmyer (39933) is a 23-year-old nurse from Mulberry, Indiana.
  1. "Baby, Please Don't Go" (Van Morrison)
Carly Smithson (175) (born September 26, 1983 in Dublin, Ireland) is a 24-year-old professional singer and tattoo parlor owner from San Diego, California.
Main article: Carly Smithson
  1. "The Shadow of Your Smile" (Tony Bennett)
Alaina Whitaker (12709) (born February 21, 1991 in Tulsa, Oklahoma)
  1. "More Today Than Yesterday" (The Spiral Starecase)
Brooke White (88122) is a 24-year-old nanny from Mesa, Arizona who auditioned in Philadelphia. During her audition, she admitted to never having seen a rated-R movie due to having strict parents, prompting Cowell to state that the show will "bring her over to the dark side." In 2005, she released an album titled Songs From the Attic under New Millenium Records.[21]
  1. "Happy Together" (The Turtles)
Joanne Borgella (82653) (born May 26, 1982 in Hoboken, New Jersey)
Main article: Joanne Borgella
  1. "I Say a Little Prayer" (Dionne Warwick) - Eliminated February 21, 2008
Amy Davis (20929)
  1. "Where the Boys Are" (Connie Francis) - Eliminated February 21, 2008

Elimination grid

Legend
Female Male Top 12 Top 24
Stage: Semi-Finals Finals
Week: 2/21 2/28 3/6 3/12 3/19 3/26 4/2 4/9 4/16 4/23 4/30 5/7 5/14 5/21
Place Contestant Result
1-20 David Archuleta
Robbie Carrico
Jason Castro
Chikezie Eze
David Cook
Kristy Lee Cook
Asia'h Epperson
David Hernandez
Michael Johns
Alexandrea Lushington
Kady Malloy
Ramiele Malubay
Luke Menard
Syesha Mercado
Danny Noriega
Amanda Overmyer
Carly Smithson
Alaina Whitaker
Brooke White
Jason Yeager
21-24 Colton Berry Elim
Joanne Borgella
Amy Davis
Garrett Haley

Changes from past seasons

The show has made a few changes this year, including allowing contestants to use musical instruments,[22] an element that originated on Australian Idol and can also be seen on Norwegian Idol and Canadian Idol.

Also, due to last year's rampant criticism and media accusation of the judges and producers being very harsh and disrespectful during last season's auditions, this year the judges are noticeably more compassionate and were not as "mean" during the auditions to the contestants.[23]

Nigel Lythgoe acknowledged that the show suffered last year when finalists failed to top the excitement and star quality of performers from previous seasons; on the other hand, he said producers erred by giving too much air time to famous mentors like Jennifer Lopez with individual projects to promote rather than delving deep into contestants' back stories to foster a stronger connection with viewers. "We felt as though we made mistakes last year with not really pushing and introducing the talent as well as we have done in the past," he said.[24] According to Lythgoe, the number of mentors will be reduced, in an effort to provide more emphasis to the contestants. [25]

Simon Cowell said during a recent telephone news conference, "The most important thing is the show has got to look better." "It's got to be more fun as a show, and if it is, I think more people will watch. I think it absolutely comes down to the content of what we provide the viewers."[26]

In past seasons, weekly themes were started during the first week of the top 12. As of this season they will start with the top 24. Also, there will only be 4 celebrity mentors.[citation needed]

"Best Days" by Graham Colton replaces Daughtry's hit single, "Home" for this season's elimination song, though Ferras's "Hollywood's Not America" was used during the Hollywood rounds at the end of each show.

Reaction

Referring to the season 7 premiere on January 15, 2008, The Associated Press reported "American Idol" returned as the nation's most popular TV series, but with 4 million fewer viewers than the 2007 season premiere. Tuesday's debut was seen by 33.4 million viewers, down 11 percent from the 37.4 million who watched the first show, according to preliminary ratings by Nielsen Media Research."[27]

Elimination Songs

List of songs performed or played on the elimination nights. They usually center around the theme of the week.

References

  1. ^ "Season 7 Auditions Begin July 30 in San Diego". American Idol Official Site. FOX. 2007-06-25.
  2. ^ Wilkens, John (2007-0730). "Thousands audition in S.D. for 'American Idol'". Union-Tribune. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ "Singers swarm Dallas for 'Idol' auditions". Associated Press. MSNBC. 2007-08-06.
  4. ^ Stickney, Dane (2007-08-09). "'Idol' audition crowd thins out in the afternoon". Omaha World Herald. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ WRCB TV - Channel 3 - Chattanooga, Tennessee[dead link‍]
  6. ^ News - South Carolina Now (SCNow.com)[dead link‍]
  7. ^ "Star Search: Episode 03, 01/31/2004, Story". CBS.
  8. ^ "Star Search: Episode 04, 02/07/2004, Story". CBS.
  9. ^ "Star Search: Episode 05, 02/14/2004, Story". CBS.
  10. ^ a b c "Star Search: Episode 06, 02/21/2004, Story". CBS.
  11. ^ "Star Search: Episode 07, 02/28/2004, Story". CBS.
  12. ^ "Star Search: Junior Singer Video". CBS.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h Delaveris, Lea (2008-02-19). "Ringer Singers: Some 'Idol' Contestants Aren't Novices". Columbus Dispatch.
  14. ^ a b Cantiello, Jim (2008-01-31). "Britney Spears' Ex-Boyfriend: The Next American Idol?". MTV.
  15. ^ Hickman, Breuse (2008-02-14). "Melbourne man makes cut on 'Idol'". Florida Today.
  16. ^ a b Atlas, Darla (2008-02-19). "'Idol' hopeful from Rockwall has had more hair-time than airtime". Dallas Morning News.
  17. ^ a b Ho, Rodney (2008-02-18). "ATL has several ties to 'Idol' top 24". Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  18. ^ a b c "Kristy Lee Signs In Triplicate with Arista, Britney, and BMI". BMI. 2001-08-07.
  19. ^ "Devoted on Amazon.com". Retrieved 2008-02-23.
  20. ^ a b Becnel, Thomas (2008-02-20). "Sing from the Soul, Hope for Best". Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
  21. ^ "Songs From the Attic on Amazon.com". Retrieved 2008-02-23.
  22. ^ Starr, Michael (2007-11-05). "'American Idol' Shake Up". New York Post.
  23. ^ The Associated Press: 'Idol' Ratings Down From Last Year[dead link‍]
  24. ^ The Associated Press: `American Idol' Returning for Season 7[dead link‍]
  25. ^ ""American Idol" Adding Guitar Strumming, Subtracting Mentors". Rolling Stone. 2007-11-05.
  26. ^ The Associated Press: `American Idol' Returning for Season 7[dead link‍]
  27. ^ The Associated Press: 'Idol' Ratings Down From Last Year[dead link‍]
Preceded by American Idol
Season 7 (2008) 		Succeeded by
Season 8 (2009)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=American_Idol_season_7&oldid=194462090"