The first season of ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...

'' premiered on June 11, 2002 (under the full title ''American Idol: The Search for a Superstar'') and continued until September 4, 2002. It was won by

Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of ''American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her debu ...

. The first season was co-hosted by

Ryan Seacrest Ryan John Seacrest (born December 24, 1974) is an American media personality and producer. He is the co-host of ''Live with Kelly and Ryan'', as well as the host of multiple media shows including ''American Idol'', ''American Top 40'', and '' ...

and Brian Dunkleman, the latter of whom left the show after the season ended. The winner,

, signed with

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

, the label in partnership with American Idol's

19 Recordings 19 Recordings Inc. (registered in the United Kingdom as 19 Recordings Ltd.) is a New York-based record label owned by 19 Entertainment. Founded in London by British entrepreneur Simon Fuller in 1999 as the music division of 19 Entertainment, the ...

. Immediately post-finale, Clarkson released two singles, including the coronation song, "

A Moment Like This "A Moment Like This" is the debut single by American singer Kelly Clarkson. The song was written by Jörgen Elofsson and John Reid from British house music project Nightcrawlers) and produced by Stephen Ferrera and Steve Mac. It was released ...

". "A Moment Like This" went on to break a thirty-eight-year-old record held by

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

for a song's biggest leap to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It jumped up from number fifty-two to number one in just one week. She held that record for five years but she reclaimed that record back in 2009 with her hit single "

My Life Would Suck Without You "My Life Would Suck Without You" is a song by American singer Kelly Clarkson from her fourth studio album, '' All I Ever Wanted'' (2009). The song features songwriting credits from Max Martin, Lukasz Gottwald, and Claude Kelly and production cre ...

" when it jumped up from number ninety-seven to number one. Clarkson has enjoyed a successful recording and talk show hosting career since winning, with multiple-platinum albums, numerous Top 10 hit singles, three

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

and five

Emmy Awards The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

. Runner-up Justin Guarini also signed with RCA Records, eventually debuting an album in 2003 after the conclusion of season 2. RCA dropped him shortly after its debut. In addition to Clarkson and Guarini, also signed were

Nikki McKibbin Katherine Nicole McKibbin (September 28, 1978 – November 1, 2020) was an American rock music singer-songwriter who finished third in the debut season of the reality television series ''American Idol''. Before ''American Idol'', McKibbin appeare ...

Tamyra Gray Tamyra Monica Gray (born July 26, 1979) is an American actress, singer and songwriter, who finished fourth place on the first season of the musical reality competition ''American Idol'' in 2002. Post ''American Idol'', Gray has begun acting on B ...

R. J. Helton Richard Jason "R.J." Helton (born May 17, 1981; as Rolando Alberto de Jesus Rivas, Jr.) is an American Contemporary Christian music artist, who first came to prominence as the fifth place finalist on the American Idol (season 1), first season of ...

, and Christina Christian. After the finale, a special show in Las Vegas was also shown on September 23, 2002, where all 30 of the contestants who made the judges' initial cut performed in a two-hour concert.

Regional auditions

Auditions were held in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, and

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

in the spring of 2002, and around 10,000 attended the auditions. One of the more prominent auditioners was Tamika Bush who objected to the judges' critiques and their pronunciation of her name. She was later invited back to critique the contestants' semifinal performance.

Kristin Holt Kristin Nicole Adams, née Holt, is a television personality, entertainment news correspondent, singer, and viral video creator. Adams first rose to public awareness on ''American Idol''. Between 2005 and 2008, Kristin served as the second host ...

, who auditioned in Dallas, was put through to the Hollywood rounds, but in her rush to embrace the judges, fell and slipped under the judges' table. Kelly Clarkson was notable for being largely absent in the audition episode, and she remains the only winner whose audition was not aired in the original broadcast. The other top 10 finalists in Season 1 whose auditions were not shown were Nikki McKibbin and EJ Day.

Structure of auditions

There are usually three stages in the audition process in every season, the first stage being the open call audition advertised. In this stage those auditioning each sings briefly in groups of five in front of selectors, though some may be asked to sing further. Most of those who attended are eliminated at this stage with only a limited number of auditioners selected to proceed further. In the second round they sing in front the executive producers and more are eliminated. In some later years a further round may be added before this round of audition. In the last round those who survive the first two-stage sing in front of the judges and this is the audition shown on television. Those who gain at least two "yes" votes from the three judges then receive a golden ticket to Hollywood. In the first season, the second and third stage of the audition may take place within a single day, but in the following seasons each stage of the audition may take place on separate days. The initial audition venue need not necessarily be the final audition venue in front of the judges, and in later seasons, up to three separate venues may be used for the auditions in each city. The venues and dates of the second audition in front of the producers are not specifically listed in these pages. In the early seasons, the entire audition process in each city took place within a relatively short span of time, three days in the case of Season 1, but became progressively extended in later seasons until the callback date may be many weeks after the initial auditions.

Hollywood week

The Hollywood week rounds were held in Pasadena Civic Center where 121 contestants competed for a place in the finals. The contestants first emerged on stage in groups of nine or ten but performed solo unaccompanied, and those who did not impress the judges were cut after the group finished their individual performances. The 65 singers who were selected to proceed on to the next round were then separated by gender and given a crash course to learn their next song overnight, which they were expected to perform the next day in small groups. The girls' song was

Dionne Warwick Marie Dionne Warwick (; born December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. Warwick ranks among the 40 biggest U.S. hit makers between 1955 and 1999, based on her chart history on ''Billboards Hot 100 pop singles cha ...

's "

I Say a Little Prayer "I Say a Little Prayer" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for Dionne Warwick, originally peaking at number four on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 pop singles chart in December 1967. On the R&B Singles chart it peaked at number ...

" and the boys' song was

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

's "

For Once in My Life "For Once in My Life" is a song written by Ron Miller and Orlando Murden for Motown Records' Stein & Van Stock publishing company, and first recorded in 1965. It was written and first recorded as a slow ballad. There are differing accounts of ...

". Many, however, frequently forgot the lyrics. Again, those who failed to impress were cut immediately after their performance. The 20 singers who were cut were given their last chance to voice their opinion to the judges. In the final round, the remaining 45 were given new songs to learn and each performed solo and a cappella. The Top 15 were first announced, and the judges then selected 15 more out of the remaining 30. The 30 were split into two groups and the judges then went to each group to announce the chosen group. Delano Cagnolatti was initially amongst those announced as the Top 30, but he was later disqualified for falsifying his age, and became the first person to be disqualified on ''American Idol''. He was replaced by

EJay Day Earl "EJay" Day Jr. (born September 13, 1981) is an American singer and songwriter, who placed tenth during the first season of ''American Idol''. Originally not chosen to advance into the voting rounds, Day was brought back to replace another ...

Semi-finals

The 30 contestants who reached this stage in this season were referred to in the show as the finalists. Before their performance, the contestants took part in intensive music workshop where they were given vocal coaching by Debra Byrd and advice by stylists. The contestants were held in the Red Room before they each emerged to perform solo with piano accompaniment. There was no studio audience at this stage and the performance was pre-taped. The audience voted after each round of performance, and the results of the vote were announced the next day live. A total of 3.3 million votes were cast in the first week of voting. Below are the three semi-final groups with contestants listed in their performance order. In each group, three people advanced to the next round, based on votes by the viewers. Color key:

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Wild Card Round

Following those nine singers advancing, five of the remaining 21 semi-finalists were selected by the judges to compete in the Wild Card round. Following another performance by each Wild Card contender, the judges selected one contestant to advance to the final group of 10.

Finals

The finals were broadcast live, in front of a live studio audience. The finals lasted for eight weeks, each finalist performed a song or songs selected from a weekly theme. During the first few weeks, contestants sang one song each. By the top four week, the contestants sang two songs each, and in the finale the two finalists performed three songs apiece. The results of public vote were revealed in the night following the performance night in the results show. The three or two contestants in the later rounds who received the lowest number of votes were typically called the Bottom Three or Two. From the bottom three, one contestant was sent to safety so that two contestants remained and finally the contestant who received the fewest votes was eliminated from the competition. A farewell video with montage of the eliminated contestant is shown. This season largely set the pattern for later seasons, such as group performance by the contestants during the result shows, hometown visits for the top 3, and performing the songs for the top 2 that would be released immediately after the finale. In this season, there were no guest mentors apart from the

Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; born May 12, 1928) is an American composer, songwriter, record producer and pianist who composed hundreds of pop songs from the late 1950s through the 1980s, many in collaboration with lyricist Hal David. A six-time Gra ...

week where the composer helped the contestants prepare their songs. The finale was between

and

Justin Guarini Justin Guarini (born Justin Eldrin Bell; October 28, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter and actor who in 2002 was the runner-up on the first season of ''American Idol''. Early life Guarini was born in Columbus, Georgia. His father, Eldr ...

, and Kelly Clarkson was declared the winner with 58% out of 15.5 million votes cast. Over 110 million votes were cast over the entire season.Telescope Case Studies
A television special from

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

starring the top thirty-two finalists aired later, a thirty date tour with the top ten followed, as did the

box office bomb A box-office bomb, or box-office disaster, is a film that is unprofitable or considered highly unsuccessful during its theatrical run. Although any film for which the production, marketing, and distribution costs combined exceed the revenue after ...

movie titled ''

From Justin to Kelly ''From Justin to Kelly'' is a 2003 American musical romantic comedy film written by Kim Fuller and directed by Robert Iscove. The film, starring ''American Idol'' first season winner Kelly Clarkson and runner-up Justin Guarini, won the Golden R ...

''. Color key:

Week 1: Top 10 – Motown (July 17)

The first round featured double elimination, which will eliminate the two contestants with the two fewest votes cast from the America's vote.

Week 2: Top 8 – 1960s (July 24)

Week 3: Top 7 – 1970s (July 31)

Week 4: Top 6 – Big Band (August 7)

Week 5: Top 5 – Burt Bacharach ''Love Songs'' (August 14)

served as the guest mentor this week.

Week 6: Top 4 – 1980/1990s (August 21)

Each contestant sang two songs.

Week 7: Top 3 – Contestant's choice & Judges' choice (August 28)

Each contestant sang two songs, one chosen by the contestant itself and a second song by the judges.

Week 8: Finale (September 4)

The Top two performed their winner’s song, a reprise of their favorite performance of the season and another original song.

Elimination chart

Color key:

Top 10 Finalists

(born April 24, 1982 in

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...

, 20 years old at the time of the show) is from

Burleson, Texas Burleson ( ) is a city in Johnson and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas. It is a suburb of Fort Worth. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 36,690, and in 2019 it had an estimated population of 48,225. History The Missouri– ...

and auditioned in Dallas, Texas with

Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer who performed in various genres, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul. Starting her career in 1954, sh ...

' "

At Last "At Last" is a song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the musical film '' Sun Valley Serenade'' (1941). Glenn Miller and his orchestra recorded the tune several times, with a 1942 version reaching number two on the US '' Billboard'' ...

" and

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

's " Express Yourself." She performed

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

's version of "

Respect Respect, also called esteem, is a positive feeling or action shown towards someone or something considered important or held in high esteem or regard. It conveys a sense of admiration for good or valuable qualities. It is also the process of ...

" and

Vanessa Williams Vanessa Lynn Williams (born March 18, 1963) is an American singer, actress, and fashion designer. She gained recognition as the first African-American woman to receive the Miss America title when she was crowned Miss America 1984. She resigne ...

' " Save The Best For Last" in the Hollywood rounds. *

(born October 28, 1978 in

Columbus, Georgia Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee County, with which it ...

, 23 years old at the time of the show) is from

Doylestown, Pennsylvania Doylestown is a borough and the county seat of Bucks County in Pennsylvania, United States. It is located northwest of Trenton, north of Center City, Philadelphia, southeast of Allentown, and southwest of New York City. As of the 2020 cen ...

and auditioned in New York City with

The Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most o ...

's version of "

Who's Lovin' You "Who's Lovin' You" is a Motown soul song, written in 1960 by William "Smokey" Robinson. The song has been recorded by many different artists including The Miracles, who recorded the 1960 original version, The Temptations, The Supremes, Terence ...

." He performed

Oleta Adams Oleta Adams (born May 4, 1953) is an American singer and pianist. She found limited success during the early 1980s, before gaining fame via her contributions to Tears for Fears's international chart-topping album ''The Seeds of Love'' (1989). Her ...

' version of " Get Here" in the Hollywood rounds. *

(September 28, 1978 - November 1, 2020) in

Grand Prairie, Texas Grand Prairie is a city in Dallas, Tarrant, and Ellis counties of Texas, in the United States. It is part of the Mid-Cities region in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It had a population of 175,396 according to the 2010 census, making it t ...

, 23 years old at the time of the show) auditioned in Dallas with her married name Nikki Ozment. She had previously been on ''

Popstars ''Popstars'' is an international reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Realit ...

'' and auditioned with

Gloria Gaynor Gloria Gaynor ( née Fowles; born September 7, 1943) is an American singer, best known for the disco era hits "I Will Survive" (1978), " Let Me Know (I Have a Right)" (1979), " I Am What I Am" (1983), and her version of "Never Can Say Goodbye" ( ...

's "

I Will Survive "I Will Survive" is a song by American singer Gloria Gaynor, released in October 1978 as the second single from her sixth album, '' Love Tracks'' (1978). It was written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris. A top-selling song, it is a popular di ...

" and

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...

's "

One Moment in Time "One Moment in Time" is a sentimental ballad by American singer Whitney Houston and written by Albert Hammond and John Bettis, produced by Narada Michael Walden for the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul, South Korea. It was released by Arista Re ...

." She performed

The Righteous Brothers The Righteous Brothers are an American musical duo originally formed by Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield but now comprising Medley and Bucky Heard. Medley formed the group with Hatfield in 1963. They had first performed together in 1962 in the Los ...

' version of "

Unchained Melody "Unchained Melody" is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. North wrote the music as a theme for the prison film '' Unchained'' (1955), hence the song title. Todd Duncan sang the vocals for the film soundtrack.Robert Rodri ...

" in the Hollywood rounds. McKibbin died on November 1, 2020, after suffering an aneurysm, making her the fourth ''American Idol'' finalist to die, following

Leah LaBelle Leah LaBelle Vladowski (September 8, 1986 – January 31, 2018) was an American singer. She rose to prominence in 2004 as a contestant on the third season of ''American Idol'', placing twelfth in the season finals. In 2007, LaBelle b ...

in 2018, Rickey Smith in 2016, and Michael Johns in 2014. *

(born July 26, 1979 in

Takoma Park, Maryland Takoma Park is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Washington, D.C., Washington, and part of the Washington metropolitan area. Founded in 1883 and incorporated in 1890, Takoma Park, informally called "Azalea C ...

, 22 years old at the start of the season) is from

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

and auditioned there with

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...

's "

Vision Of Love "Vision of Love" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey for her eponymous debut studio album (1990). It was written by Carey and Ben Margulies. After being featured on Carey's demo tape for Columbia Records, the song wa ...

." She had appeared on TV commercials and worked with other artists before auditioning for Idol, and was crowned Miss Atlanta in 1998. She performed

' version of " Get Here" in Hollywood. *

(born May 17, 1981 in

Pasadena, Texas Pasadena () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, within the metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 151,950, making it the twentieth most populous city in the state of Texas, as well as the second-largest cit ...

, 21 years old at the time of the show) is from

Cumming, Georgia Cumming is a city in Forsyth County, Georgia, United States, and the sole incorporated area in the county. It is a suburban city, and part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. In the 2020 census, the population is 7,318, up from 5,430 in 2010. Su ...

, and auditioned in Atlanta with

's "

Never Can Say Goodbye "Never Can Say Goodbye" is a song written by Clifton Davis and originally recorded by The Jackson 5. The song was originally written and intended for the Supremes; however, Motown decided it would be better for the Jackson 5. It was the first s ...

". He had made demo CDs before appearing on ''American Idol''. *Christina Christian (born June 21, 1981 in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, 21 years old at the time of the show) and auditioned in Miami, Florida with

's "

Isn't She Lovely? "Isn't She Lovely" is a song by Stevie Wonder from his 1976 album, ''Songs in the Key of Life''. The lyrics celebrate the birth of his daughter, Aisha Morris. Wonder collaborated on the song with Harlem songwriter and studio owner Burnetta "Bunny ...

" She performed

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups o ...

' version of "

Ain't No Mountain High Enough "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" is a song written by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson in 1966 for the Tamla label, a division of Motown. The composition was first successful as a 1967 hit single recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and ...

" in Hollywood *

Ryan Starr Tiffany Montgomery (born November 21, 1982), known professionally as Ryan Starr, is a singer who finished seventh on the first season of ''American Idol''. She went on to release a successful single on iTunes and participated in a handful of ...

(born November 21, 1982 in Sunland, California, 18 years old at the time of the show and now runs a popular fashion blog called
sheisryan
) she auditioned in Los Angeles. Her audition song was

Bill Withers William Harrison Withers Jr. (July 4, 1938 – March 30, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He had several hits over a career spanning 18 years, including "Ain't No Sunshine" (1971), "Grandma's Hands" (1971), " Use Me" (1972) ...

' " Lean On Me." She performed

' "

Ain't No Sunshine "Ain't No Sunshine" is a song by Bill Withers from his 1971 album '' Just As I Am,'' produced by Booker T. Jones. The record featured musicians Donald "Duck" Dunn on bass guitar, Al Jackson Jr. on drums and Stephen Stills on guitar. String arrang ...

" in the Hollywood rounds. * AJ Gil (born July 5, 1984 in

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

, 17 years old at the start of the season; 18 during the remaining episodes) is from

Tacoma, Washington Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, Washington, Olympia, and northwest of Mount ...

and auditioned in Seattle, Washington with "

The Star-Spangled Banner "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the b ...

". *

Jim Verraros James Conrad Verraros (born February 8, 1983) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor, who placed ninth on the American Idol (season 1), first season of ''American Idol.'' Child of deaf adult, Raised by deaf parents, he is fluent in American ...

(born February 8, 1983 in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, 19 years old at the time of the show) is from

Crystal Lake, Illinois Crystal Lake is a city in McHenry County in the U.S. state of Illinois. Named after a lake southwest of the city's downtown, Crystal Lake is 45 miles northwest of Chicago. The population is 40,269 as of the 2020 Census, a 1.2% decrease from 201 ...

, and auditioned in Chicago with

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

's version of "

When I Fall In Love "When I Fall in Love" is a popular song, written by Victor Young (music) and Edward Heyman (lyrics). It was introduced in the film '' One Minute to Zero'' as the instrumental titled "Theme from One Minute to Zero". Jeri Southern sang on the fir ...

." He grew up with Deaf parents and is fluent in ASL (American Sign Language). He performed

' "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" in Hollywood. *

(born September 13, 1981 in

Lawrenceville, Georgia Lawrenceville is a city in and the county seat of Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States. It is a suburb of Atlanta, located approximately northeast of downtown. As of the 2020 census, the population of Lawrenceville was 30,629. In 2019, the ...

, 20 years old at the time of the show) did not originally qualify for the semifinals, but was later chosen to replace disqualified contestant Delano Cagnolatti. He auditioned in Atlanta with

' " Get Here."

Controversy

It was revealed during the season that around 100 phone-phreak hackers with power-dialing hardware and software were able to place as many as 10,000 votes a night from a single phone line with the touch of a button. However, FremantleMedia, which produces the show, contended that the hackers have had 'statistically insignificant' effect on the vote. Simon Cowell also insisted that Tamyra Gray's unexpected ouster from the show only strengthened the producers' contention that the voting was fair. Nevertheless, concerns were raised about possible unfairness in the situation of a tight vote. Ken Warwick later said in Season 5 that equipment was put in place afterwards to address this issue but it allegedly has never detected such a problem since. Idol contestants were reported to having to sign a 'phone book-thick' contract that gives producers 'sole discretion' to pick the winners and change the rules. Controversy erupted when the winner of Season 1, Kelly Clarkson, was invited to sing "

" in a deal arranged by her then management company,

19 Entertainment 19 Entertainment is a producer of entertainment properties for television with a focus on music. Founded by Simon Fuller in London in 1985, the company co-produced ''Pop Idol'' in the United Kingdom with Thames Television in 2001. The ''Idol serie ...

, at a special commemoration for the first anniversary of

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...

at Washington's

Lincoln Memorial The Lincoln Memorial is a U.S. national memorial built to honor the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is on the western end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., across from the Washington Monument, and is in the ...

. Some critics suggested that Clarkson's appearance would turn a somber occasion of national mourning into a "giant promotional opportunity". Kelly Clarkson herself considered withdrawing from the commemoration, saying "I think it is a bad idea ... If anybody thinks I'm trying to market anything, well, that's awful." and added "I am not going to do it." She was however unable to withdraw from the event.

US Nielsen ratings

Season one of ''American Idol'' was a surprise summer hit show of 2002 and had an average viewership of 12.7 million per episode. It was the summer's highest-rated show in the 18/49 demographic.

''American Idol Rewind''

Re-edited episodes of American Idol season 1 were being shown in syndication as ''American Idol Rewind''. The new episodes featured commentary from some of the first season's top 30, including

, Christina Christian,

, Angela Peel, and Kelli Glover. Rewind also showcased footage that was not seen in the initial run of season 1, including

's full audition.

Releases

Compilations

* American Idol: Greatest Moments (Album, 2002) *American Idol: The Great Holiday Classics (Feat. Kelly Clarkson, Justin Guarini, Tamyra Gray, Christina Christian - Album, 2003) *Christmas in a Fishbowl (Feat. Nikki McKibbin, Brad Estrin - Album, 2004) * Voyces United for UNHCR (Feat. Alexandria Bachelier, Brad Estrin – Album, 2006) *American Christmas (Feat. Nikki McKibbin, RJ Helton, Alexis Lopez - Album, 2008) *American Christmas 2 (Feat. Nikki McKibbin, RJ Helton, Alexis Lopez - Album, 2010)

Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of ''American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her debu ...

* "

Before Your Love "Before Your Love" is a song recorded by American pop singer Kelly Clarkson. On September 17, 2002, RCA Records, RCA released it as a Double A-side, double-A side with "A Moment Like This" as her coronation single after winning the American Idol ...

" / "

" (Single, 2002) *'' Thankful'' (Album, 2003) * " Miss Independent" (Single, 2003) * "

Low Low or LOW or lows, may refer to: People * Low (surname), listing people surnamed Low Places * Low, Quebec, Canada * Low, Utah, United States * Lo Wu station (MTR code LOW), Hong Kong; a rail station * Salzburg Airport (ICAO airport code: LO ...

" (Single, 2003) * "

The Trouble with Love Is "The Trouble with Love Is" is a song by American singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson, for her debut studio album '' Thankful'' (2003). The song was written by Clarkson with its producers Evan Rogers and Carl Sturken. It was released as the fourth a ...

" (Single, 2003) *'' Breakaway'' (Album, 2004) * " Breakaway" (Single, 2004) * "

Since U Been Gone "Since U Been Gone" is a song recorded by American singer Kelly Clarkson from her second studio album, '' Breakaway'' (2004). The song, which was written and produced by Max Martin and Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald, was released as the lead sing ...

" (Single, 2005) * "

Behind These Hazel Eyes "Behind These Hazel Eyes" is a song by American singer Kelly Clarkson for her second studio album, '' Breakaway'' (2004). It was written by Clarkson with the song's producers Max Martin and Dr. Luke. The song was released on April 12, 2005, as ...

" (Single, 2005) * "

Because of You Because of You may refer to: Music Albums * ''Because of You'' (James Darren album), 2001 * ''Because of You'' (Ne-Yo album), 2007, and the title song (see below) * ''Because of You'' (Tony Bennett album), 1952, and the title song, a cover ...

" (Single, 2005) * " Walk Away" (Single, 2006) *''

My December ''My December'' is the third studio album by American singer Kelly Clarkson. The album was released on June 22, 2007, through RCA Records. Clarkson confirmed the name of the album in her journal on her fanclub website on February 27, 2007. Sin ...

'' (Album, 2007) * "

Never Again "Never again" is a phrase or slogan which is associated with the lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides. The phrase may originate from a 1927 poem by Yitzhak Lamdan which stated "Never again shall Masada fall!" In the context of genocide ...

" (Single, 2007) * "

Sober In cryptography, SOBER is a family of stream ciphers initially designed by Greg Rose of QUALCOMM Australia starting in 1997. The name is a contrived acronym for ''S''eventeen ''O''ctet ''B''yte ''E''nabled ''R''egister. Initially the cipher wa ...

" (Single, 2007) * "

One Minute "One Minute" is a song recorded by American recording artist Kelly Clarkson taken from her third studio album, ''My December'' (2007). The song served as the album's second single in Australia on September 18, 2007, through 19 Recordings and RC ...

" (Single, 2007) * " Don't Waste Your Time" (Single, 2007) *'' All I Ever Wanted'' (Album, 2009) * "

" (Single, 2009) * "

I Do Not Hook Up "I Do Not Hook Up" is a song recorded by American singer Kelly Clarkson for her fourth studio album, '' All I Ever Wanted'' (2009), released as the second single from the album. It was written by Kara DioGuardi, Greg Wells and Katy Perry. Perry ...

" (Single, 2009) * " Already Gone" (Single, 2009) * " All I Ever Wanted" (Single, 2010) * " Don't You Wanna Stay" (Single, 2010) *'' Stronger'' (Album, 2011) * " Mr. Know It All (Single, 2011) * "

Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" is a song by American recording artist Kelly Clarkson and the title song from her fifth studio album, '' Stronger'' (2011). Originally titled as "What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger)", the song served as the album's ...

" (Single, 2012) * " Dark Side" (Single, 2012) *'' Greatest Hits: Chapter One'' (Album, 2012) * "

Catch My Breath "Catch My Breath" is a song by American pop artist Kelly Clarkson, from her first greatest hits album, '' Greatest Hits – Chapter One''. One of the three newly recorded songs for ''Chapter One'', it was released as the album's lead single thro ...

" (Single, 2012) * " Don't Rush" (Single, 2012) * " People Like Us" (Single, 2013) *"

Tie It Up "Tie It Up" is a song by American recording artist Kelly Clarkson, written by Ashley Arrison, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne and released as a stand-alone single by RCA Records and Columbia Nashville on June 25, 2013. Background and release " ...

" (Single, 2013) *''

Wrapped in Red ''Wrapped in Red'' is the sixth studio album by American singer Kelly Clarkson, released on October 25, 2013 by RCA Records. The album is a follow-up to her first greatest hits album, '' Greatest Hits – Chapter One'', and its companion extend ...

'' (Album, 2013) * "

Underneath the Tree "Underneath the Tree" is a song by American singer Kelly Clarkson from her sixth studio album and first Christmas album, ''Wrapped in Red'' (2013). She co-wrote the track with its producer Greg Kurstin. It is a Christmas-themed song that sings ...

" (Single, 2013) * "

" (Single, 2014) *'' Piece by Piece'' (Album, 2015) *" Heartbeat Song" (Single, 2015) * '

Meaning of Life The meaning of life, or the answer to the question: "What is the meaning of life?", pertains to the significance of living or existence in general. Many other related questions include: "Why are we here?", "What is life all about?", or "What ...

''(Album, 2017) * "

Love So Soft "Love So Soft" is a song by American singer Kelly Clarkson, from her eighth studio album, '' Meaning of Life'' (2017). Accompanied by another track "Move You", it was released on September 7, 2017, by Atlantic Records as the lead single from th ...

" / "

Move You "Move You" is a song by American singer Kelly Clarkson, from her eighth studio album, ''Meaning of Life'' (2017). It was produced by Nick Ruth, who had written it with Molly Kate Kestner and Amy Kuney. A soul rock power ballad, it was released by ...

" (Single, 2017) * "

Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...

" (Single, 2017) * "

I Don't Think About You "I Don't Think About You" is a song by American singer Kelly Clarkson, from her eighth studio album, ''Meaning of Life'' (2017). It was written and produced by the production duo The Monarch, with co-writing by American singer Harlœ and pianist ...

" (Single, 2018) * "

Heat In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is al ...

" (Single, 2018) * " Broken & Beautiful" (Single, 2019) *" I Dare You" (Single, 2020) *"

Under the Mistletoe ''Under the Mistletoe'' is the first Christmas album and second studio album by Canadian singer Justin Bieber. The album was released on November 1, 2011. The album debuted at number one on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling 210,000 copie ...

" (Single, 2020) *" All I Want for Christmas Is You" (Single, 2020)

Justin Guarini Justin Guarini (born Justin Eldrin Bell; October 28, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter and actor who in 2002 was the runner-up on the first season of ''American Idol''. Early life Guarini was born in Columbus, Georgia. His father, Eldr ...

*''

'' (Album, 2003) *"Sorry" (Single, 2003) *"

" (Single, 2003) *'' Stranger Things Have Happened'' (Album, 2005) *''Revolve'' (EP, 2008) *"What You Wont Do For Love" (Single, 2016) *"A Change is Gonna Come" (Single, 2019) *"Love Has Found You" (Single, 2019)

Nikki McKibbin Katherine Nicole McKibbin (September 28, 1978 – November 1, 2020) was an American rock music singer-songwriter who finished third in the debut season of the reality television series ''American Idol''. Before ''American Idol'', McKibbin appeare ...

To Be with You "To Be with You" is a song by American rock band Mr. Big, released in November 1991 as the second single from their second album, '' Lean into It'' (1991). The ballad reached number one on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for three weeks and toppe ...

" (Single, 2006) *"The Lie" (Single, 2006) *''Unleashed'' (Album, 2007) *"Electrik" (Single, 2007) *"Here to There" (Single, 2008) *"Inconsolable" (Single, 2009) *"Made it" (Single, 2011) *"Celebrity High" (Nikki McKibbin's band Love Stricken Demise – Single, 2011) *''Psychotrip'' (Nikki McKibbin's band Love Stricken Demise – EP, 2012)

Tamyra Gray Tamyra Monica Gray (born July 26, 1979) is an American actress, singer and songwriter, who finished fourth place on the first season of the musical reality competition ''American Idol'' in 2002. Post ''American Idol'', Gray has begun acting on B ...

*'' The Dreamer'' (Album, 2004) *"Raindrops Will Fall" (Single, 2004)

RJ Helton Richard Jason "R.J." Helton (born May 17, 1981; as Rolando Alberto de Jesus Rivas, Jr.) is an American Contemporary Christian music artist, who first came to prominence as the fifth place finalist on the first season of ''American Idol''. The ...

*''Real Life'' (Album, 2004) *"Even If" (Single, 2004) *"My Devotion" (Single, 2004) *"All We Need to Know" (Single, 2004) *"Why Do We Pray" (Single, 2004)

Ryan Starr
/h2>
" My Religion" (Single, 2004) "Blue" (Single, 2008) "Broken" (Single, 2008) "Chemically" (Single, 2010) "Crazy For You" (Single, 2010)

AJ Gil
"Calling All Angels" (Single, 2003) * "She's Hot" (Single, 2003) * ''Love Me Later'' (Album, 2011) * ''Life, Death & Resurrection'' (Album, 2013) * "I Live" (Single, 2013)

Jim Verraros James Conrad Verraros (born February 8, 1983) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor, who placed ninth on the American Idol (season 1), first season of ''American Idol.'' Child of deaf adult, Raised by deaf parents, he is fluent in American ...
''Unsaid and Understood'' (Album, 2003) ''
Rollercoaster A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are o ...
'' (Album, 2005) "You Turn It On" (Single, 2005) "You're Getting Crazy" (Single, 2005) "You Make it Better" (Single, 2007) "Electric Love" (Single, 2009) "Touch (Dont U Want 2?) (Single, 2009) "Do Not Disturb" (Single, 2009) ''Do Not Disturb'' (Album, 2011)

Ejay Day Earl "EJay" Day Jr. (born September 13, 1981) is an American singer and songwriter, who placed tenth during the first season of ''American Idol''. Originally not chosen to advance into the voting rounds, Day was brought back to replace another ...
"Calling All Angels" (Single, 2003)

Other Contestants
"The Edge" (
Kristin Adams Kristin Nicole Adams, née Holt, is a television personality, entertainment news correspondent, singer, and viral video creator. Adams first rose to public awareness on ''American Idol''. Between 2005 and 2008, Kristin served as the second host ...
- Single, 2005) ''Numb'' (Angela Peel – Album, 2007) ''Human Again'' (Adriel Herrera's band Asphalt Apology – Album) Source:Idolsmusic.com

See also
American Idols LIVE! Tour 2002

Footnotes

References

External links

Official American Idol Contestants Website
* {{American Idol American Idol seasons 2002 American television seasons 2002 in American television 2002 in American music