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The eighth season of '' American Idol'' premiered on Tuesday, January 13, 2009, and concluded on May 20, 2009. Judges Simon Cowell,
Paula Abdul Paula Julie Abdul (born June 19, 1962) is an American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality. She began her career as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers at the age of 18 and later became the head choreograph ...
, and
Randy Jackson Randall Darius Jackson (born June 23, 1956) is an American record executive and television presenter, perhaps best known as a judge on ''American Idol'' from 2002 to 2013. Jackson began his career in the 1980s as a session musician playing bas ...
continued to judge the show's contestants, along with
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 '' ...
as host. The season introduced Kara DioGuardi as the fourth judge on the ''Idol'' panel. It was also Abdul's final season as a judge. Kris Allen, a native of
Conway, Arkansas Conway is a city in the U.S. state of Arkansas and the county seat of Faulkner County, located in the state's most populous Metropolitan Statistical Area, Central Arkansas. Although considered a suburb of Little Rock, Conway is unusual in that ...
, was announced the winner of the competition on May 20, 2009, defeating runner-up Adam Lambert after nearly 100 million votes were cast. This was the second season where both of the final two contestants had been in the bottom three or two at least once before the finale, with the first being season three. The eighth season saw numerous changes to the format of the show. There were 36 semi-finalists instead of 24, and thirteen finalists instead of twelve, nine contestants chosen by the public and four by the judges in a wild card round. Another addition was the "save," which was used on the top seven results show to veto Matt Giraud's elimination. Multiple contestants from this season were signed to record deals. This includes winner Kris Allen, who was then signed to
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 ...
/
Jive Records Jive Records was an American independent record label founded by Clive Calder in 1981 as a subsidiary to the Zomba Group. In the US, the label had offices in New York City and Chicago. Jive was best known for its successes with hip hop, R&B, an ...
, runner-up Adam Lambert, Danny Gokey, Allison Iraheta, Lil Rounds, Anoop Desai,
Michael Sarver Michael Sarver (born March 28, 1981) is an American singer who was the tenth place finalist on the eighth season of ''American Idol''. Early life Sarver was born in Sulphur, Louisiana, and graduated from Sulphur High School. He has two child ...
, and Mickey Guyton.


Changes from previous seasons

Several changes were planned for season eight. Fox Entertainment president Kevin Reilly stated that ''Idol'' would feature fewer " William Hung-like" contestants and "funny auditions," and would quickly move its focus to the potential singers during the earlier stages of the competition, thus moving the season at a faster pace. Mike Darnell, president of Fox's alternative programming, said the contestants would be more emotional and that viewers would learn more about them and their pasts than they had in the previous season. Songwriter and record producer Kara DioGuardi was added as a fourth judge on the panel. She had previously collaborated with Celine Dion, Hilary Duff,
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
,
Enrique Iglesias Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler (; (born 8 May 1975) is a Spanish singer and songwriter. He started his recording career in the mid-1990s on the Mexican indie label Fonovisa and became the bestselling Spanish-language act of the decade. By the ...
, Leona Lewis and Christina Aguilera, and produced several Top 40 hits. As a songwriter, she had already worked with several American Idol alumni and winners, including Kelly Clarkson,
Carrie Underwood Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10, 1983) is an American singer. She rose to prominence after winning the fourth season of ''American Idol'' in 2005. Her single "Inside Your Heaven" made her the only country artist to debut atop the ''Bill ...
,
David Archuleta David James Archuleta (born December 28, 1990) is an American pop singer. At ten years old, he won the children's division of the Utah Talent Competition, leading to other television singing appearances. When he was twelve years old, he becam ...
and David Cook.Associated Press
Meanwhile, Ken Warwick became the new executive producer, as Nigel Lythgoe had left the show to focus on '' So You Think You Can Dance'' and his new show with Simon Fuller, ''
Superstars of Dance ''Superstars of Dance'' was an American reality television show, first broadcast on January 4, 2009, on NBC. The show featured dance routines from eight countries from six continents. It was hosted by Michael Flatley, co-creator of ''Riverdance'' ...
''. ''
Idol Gives Back ''Idol Gives Back'' was the name of a charitable campaign that spanned two episodes of ''American Idol'' during its sixth season. A second ''Idol Gives Back'' concert and fundraiser occurred on April 9, 2008, during the seventh season of the s ...
'' was canceled for season 8, as the economic crisis and recession, left ''Idol'' officials uncomfortable asking financially struggling viewers to donate. The semifinals saw the biggest change as the wild card round returned for the first time since the third season. After voters picked three finalists from each of three groups of 12 semi-finalists, the judges selected eight of the previously eliminated 27 semifinalists to return and perform a song on the March 5, 2009, show. They were judged by the panel, instead of a vote by the viewers, with four advancing to the finals. Although the finals had been billed from the beginning of the season as a set of 12 contestants, the judges announced at the last minute that they would be advancing a fourth wild card/thirteenth contestant, Anoop Desai, as well. The eighth season also marked the first time that auditions were conducted outside the continental United States, when the show traveled to U.S. territory San Juan, Puerto Rico to screen potential contestants.


Judges' Save

Another change in the ''Idol'' format is judges' save, an element previously used in France's '' Nouvelle Star'' (''French Idol''). The judges were given the power to exercise a veto on one eliminated contestant in the finals and spare them from elimination for that particular week. This can only be invoked up until the Final 5 (Final 6 for the
thirteenth In music or music theory, a thirteenth is the note thirteen scale degrees from the root of a chord and also the interval between the root and the thirteenth. The interval can be also described as a compound sixth, spanning an octave pl ...
, fourteenth and seventeenth seasons.) The following week two contestants will be eliminated if the save is used because nobody is eliminated on the week that the save is used, except in eleventh and thirteenth seasons when only one contestant was eliminated. The save can only be used once per season and it must be unanimous. The new format change was revealed on March 11, 2009. The first recipient of the Judges' Save was Matt Giraud and the last when the show was on Fox was Qaasim Middleton. The twelfth season is the only season the judges' save was not used. Placings of the recipients have ranged from eighth place to runner-up. The judges' save retired after the fifteenth season, but returned in the seventeenth season (with the show airing on ABC), when the judges saved Laci Kaye Booth.


Regional auditions

Auditions began July 17 the previous year, and were held in the following cities: Contestants were required to be between the ages 16 and 28 on July 15, 2008, and eligible to work in the United States. Contestants were ineligible if they had previously reached the semifinal in Season 1-3 and 7, or the top 44 from season 4 and 5, or top 40 from season 6. They were also ineligible if they held then current recording or management contracts or if they were not U.S. citizens or landed immigrants (i.e. temporary residents). One auditioner who received widespread publicity was Katrina Darrell, also known as "Bikini Girl", for auditioning in her bikini. She reached the Hollywood stage but was cut in the group round.


Hollywood week

For this season, the Hollywood round moved from the Orpheum Theatre to the
Kodak Theatre The Eastman Kodak Company (referred to simply as Kodak ) is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in analogue photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorpor ...
, which was previously used for the finale in seasons 1 and 3–6. In addition, the Hollywood round was extended to two weeks. In the first round, the 147 contestants each sang a short solo a cappella performance of any song. The next round had the remaining 107 contestants performing in groups of three or four. Group rounds had returned since season 6. The 72 contestants that passed group day performed one more solo song, this time accompanied by a band, before being narrowed down to 54. The final 54 then went to the "judges' mansion" in Los Angeles for the final results, and the Top 36 were announced. Some contestants had a sing-off to determine who would enter the top 36. Lacey Brown, who lost in a sing-off with 9th placer Megan Joy, later made the following season's Top 12 where she became the first finalist voted out.


Semifinals

The 36 contestants performed in three groups of twelve and sang songs that were ''Billboard'' Hot 100 hits. In each group, three people advanced to the next round via a public vote, while the next highest vote recipient of the remaining ten contestants in each group. Each week two males advanced however it was never revealed who was the highest voted and which advanced through the non-gender specific slot. Color key:


Group 1


Group 2

Due to the 2009 Speech to the Joint Session of the United States Congress that held on February 24, which falls on a Tuesday, the performance show was moved to Wednesday, February 25, and results on Thursday, February 26.


Group 3


Wild Card

Following those nine singers advancing, judges pick eight of the remaining 27 semi-finalists to compete in the Wild Card round. Following another performance by each Wild Card contender, the judges selected four contestants to advance to the final group of 13.


Finalists

Kris Allen (born June 21, 1985, in Jacksonville, Arkansas, 23 years old at the time of the show) is from
Conway, Arkansas Conway is a city in the U.S. state of Arkansas and the county seat of Faulkner County, located in the state's most populous Metropolitan Statistical Area, Central Arkansas. Although considered a suburb of Little Rock, Conway is unusual in that ...
and auditioned in Louisville, Kentucky with
Leon Russell Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges; April 2, 1942 – November 13, 2016) was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling records during his 60-year career that spanned multiple genres, including rock and ...
's "
A Song For You "A Song for You" is a song written and originally recorded by rock singer and pianist Leon Russell for his first solo album '' Leon Russell'', which was released in 1970 on Shelter Records. A slow, pained plea for forgiveness and understandin ...
". Allen's interest in music began at an early age; he taught himself how to play guitar at the age of 13, as well as numerous other instruments. Prior to ''Idol'', he worked as a worship leader at New Life Church in Maumelle, Arkansas, and is a member of Chi Alpha Campus Ministries at the University of Central Arkansas, where he is a business major. Allen was announced the winner on May 20. He went on to release his first official single, " No Boundaries", which was written by Idol judge Kara DioGuardi. As a part of winning ''Idol'', Allen was signed by
Jive Records Jive Records was an American independent record label founded by Clive Calder in 1981 as a subsidiary to the Zomba Group. In the US, the label had offices in New York City and Chicago. Jive was best known for its successes with hip hop, R&B, an ...
and 19 Entertainment. Adam Lambert (born January 29, 1982, in Indianapolis, Indiana, 26 years at the time of his audition) is from San Diego, California and auditioned in San Francisco, California with Queen's " Bohemian Rhapsody". Lambert grew up in Rancho Peñasquitos, San Diego, California and attended Deer Canyon Elementary School, Mesa Verde Middle School, and Mt. Carmel High School, where he took part in theater and choir, and also performed with the school's jazz band. Lambert has been a stage actor since the age of ten, performing in such productions as '' You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown'' and '' Wicked''. He joined the band The Citizen Vein briefly. He also worked as a demo singer, and those recordings were released after his appearance on ''Idol'' in the album '' Take One''. Lambert roomed with Kris Allen during the show. Lambert was the runner-up. He was signed to RCA Records after the show and released his debut album '' For Your Entertainment''. Danny Gokey (born April 24, 1980, 28 years at the time of his audition) is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and auditioned in
Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...
. Gokey first began singing in church with his family, and has been a worship leader for his church in Milwaukee, Faith Builders International Ministries, for several years. Four weeks before Gokey auditioned for ''American Idol'', in July 2008, his wife Sophia underwent surgery due to congenital heart disease. She later died from complications regarding the extensive surgery."Milwaukee man says he's prepared to give his all to make 'Idol' finals"
by Tim Cuprisin, Feb. 13, 2009, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
He was eliminated from the Top 3 on May 13, 2009. Allison Iraheta (born April 27, 1992, in
Glendale, California Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from ...
, 16 years at the time of her audition) is from Los Angeles and auditioned in San Francisco, California. Iraheta began singing at an early age, performing at small venues for her family and friends. In 2006, Iraheta won the Telemundo television series ''Quinceañera'', where she won $50,000 and a recording contract, where only the prize money was granted. She was eliminated from the Top 4 on May 6. In making the final she became the series' youngest finalist at sixteen and turned seventeen during the Top 5 week. Her debut album, '' Just Like You'', was released on December 1, 2009, with the single " Friday I'll Be Over U". Matt Giraud (born May 11, 1985, in
Dearborn, Michigan Dearborn is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, it had a population of 109,976. Dearborn is the seventh most-populated city in Michigan and is home to the largest Muslim population in the United States pe ...
, 23 years at his time of the show) is from
Kalamazoo, Michigan Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County. At the 2010 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 74,262. Kalamazoo is the major city of the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolit ...
and auditioned in Louisville, Kentucky with
Gavin DeGraw Gavin Shane DeGraw (born February 4, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter. DeGraw rose to fame with his song "I Don't Want to Be" from his debut album '' Chariot'' (2003); the song became the main theme song for The WB drama series ''One Tree ...
's " I Don't Want to Be". Giraud grew up in Ypsilanti, Michigan, where he graduated from Lincoln High School in 2003. Initially eliminated from the Top 13, Giraud was chosen by the judges to rejoin the competition during the Wild Card round. Giraud was the lowest vote-getter during the Top 7, but was saved by the judges and eventually eliminated in Top 5. He released an album called ''Perspective'' in 2003 and another in 2006 called ''Mind Body and Soul''. Anoop Desai (born December 20, 1986, in Cary, North Carolina, 22 years at the time of the show) is from
Chapel Hill, North Carolina Chapel Hill is a town in Orange, Durham and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Its population was 61,960 in the 2020 census, making Chapel Hill the 17th-largest municipality in the state. Chapel Hill, Durham, and the state ca ...
and auditioned in
Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...
. Desai is an only child, whose father was born in India and mother was born in South Africa. He began his career as an actor for the television station WRAL-TV in Raleigh, North Carolina in a local television series entitled ''CentralXpress.com'', and played the character "Raj". Desai attended
Carnage Middle School The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) is a public school district located in Wake County, North Carolina. With 157,673 students in average daily membership and 194 schools as of the 2021–2022 school year, it is the largest public sc ...
and Phillips Middle School, then later went on to attend
East Chapel Hill High School East Chapel Hill High School ("East") is a public high school in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It is the second high school of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools district, which also contains Chapel Hill High School and Carrboro High School ...
, graduating in 2004. Desai's performance as a soloist on the song "She Has No Time" was included on the 2007 iteration of the annual BOCA (Best of College A Cappella) compilation album. Desai has credited his decision to audition for ''American Idol'' to the death of a friend,
Eve Carson On the morning of March 5, 2008, Eve Marie Carson was shot and killed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States where she was a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Demario James Atwater and Laurence Alvin Lovette Jr., ...
, who was murdered. Initially eliminated from the Top 13, he was chosen by the judges to rejoin the competition during the Wild Card round. His advancement to the finals made ''Idol'' history, making it a top 13. Lil Rounds (born October 20, 1984, 24 years at the time of the show) is from Memphis, Tennessee and auditioned in
Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...
with
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 "
All I Do "All I Do" is a song written and performed by Ian Thomas (Canadian musician), Ian Thomas. It was later recorded by Daryl Braithwaite as the second single from his second studio album, Edge (Daryl Braithwaite album), ''Edge''. Track listing CD si ...
" . Shortly before her audition on ''Idol'', a tornado hit Memphis, forcing Rounds to temporarily live in a motel. Her grandfather once worked with the musician B.B. King. Her performance of Dolly Parton's "
I Will Always Love You "I Will Always Love You" is a song written and originally recorded in 1973 by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. Written as a farewell to her business partner and mentor Porter Wagoner, expressing Parton's decision to pursue a solo career, ...
" in the Hollywood round impressed the judges; however, she failed to impress the judges in the finals and was eliminated in joint-seventh place with Anoop Desai. Scott MacIntyre (born June 22, 1985, 23 years at the time of the show) is from Scottsdale, Arizona and auditioned in Phoenix, Arizona. MacIntyre is the first legally blind person to audition for ''American Idol''. MacIntyre began practicing music at the age of six. Home-schooled until the age of fourteen, he later attended Arizona State University's Barrett Honors College and Herberger College of the Arts soon afterwards. In 2005, ''USA Today'' named him one of its twenty College Academic All-Stars. He obtained his master's degree at Royal Holloway, University of London and the Royal College of Music, where he studied on a Marshall Scholarship. MacIntyre produced his first CD when he was eleven, and has recorded five more CDs since then. He was accepted to both Oxford University and Cambridge University for further graduate-level education. Megan Joy (born September 18, 1985, 23 years at the time of the show) is a single mother from Sandy, Utah and auditioned in Salt Lake City, Utah with Helen Morgan's " Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man". Initially eliminated from the Top 13, Joy was chosen by the judges to rejoin the competition during the Wild Card round. In high school, Joy unsuccessfully tried out for numerous performance groups, including choir, and never had any singing lessons before her audition on ''Idol''. Joy graduated from
Taylorsville High School Taylorsville High School is a public high school established in 1981, located in Taylorsville, Utah, United States. The principal is Mrs. Emily Liddell. The mascot is the Wilbur the Warrior. The current enrollment is around 2,900 students and ...
in Taylorsville, Utah in 2003. She has one son named Ryder.
Michael Sarver Michael Sarver (born March 28, 1981) is an American singer who was the tenth place finalist on the eighth season of ''American Idol''. Early life Sarver was born in Sulphur, Louisiana, and graduated from Sulphur High School. He has two child ...
(born March 28, 1981, in
Sulphur, Louisiana Sulphur (french: Soufre) is a city in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. The population was 21,809 in 2020. Sulphur is part of the Lake Charles, Louisiana, Lake Charles Lake Charles metropolitan area, metropolitan statistica ...
, 27 years at the time of the show) is from Jasper, Texas and auditioned in Phoenix, Arizona with
Boyz II Men Boyz II Men (pronounced ''boys to men''), also known as B2M, is an American vocal harmony group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are currently a trio composed of baritone Nathan M ...
's " Thank You". Sarver, an oil rig worker, began singing at the age of twelve, and has written over 890 songs for himself since that time. Sarver graduated from Sulphur High School in 1998. Alexis Grace (born August 14, 1987, 21 years at the time of the show) is from Memphis, Tennessee and auditioned in Louisville, Kentucky with
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 " Dr Feelgood". She gave birth to her daughter when she was nineteen. Grace began singing at an early age. She performed Aretha Franklin's "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man" and
Carrie Underwood Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10, 1983) is an American singer. She rose to prominence after winning the fourth season of ''American Idol'' in 2005. Her single "Inside Your Heaven" made her the only country artist to debut atop the ''Bill ...
's " Before He Cheats" in the Hollywood rounds. Jorge Núñez (born October 1, 1987, in Cidra, Puerto Rico, 21 years at the time of the show) is from Carolina, Puerto Rico, and auditioned in San Juan, Puerto Rico. For the audition, he sang " My Way" in Spanish and
Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...
's " What a Wonderful World" in English. Núñez speaks three languages fluently, English, Spanish and French. After he sang during the third semi-finals week, many people were amazed by his big voice, including
Marc Anthony Marco Antonio Muñiz Rivera (born September 16, 1968), known professionally as Marc Anthony, is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. A three-time Grammy Award and six-time Latin Gra ...
and
Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...
, who had stated they wanted to perform with him. He performed Jon Secada's "Angel" during the Hollywood round. Of the Top 13, Núñez was the only contestant who auditioned in Puerto Rico. He was the eliminated from the Top 13 in the first week of the finals, along with
Jasmine Murray Jasmine S. Murray (born December 12, 1991) is an American singer and beauty pageant titleholder from Starkville, Mississippi. She is best known for being a finalist on the eighth season of ''American Idol'' where she placed 12th–13th alongsid ...
.
Jasmine Murray Jasmine S. Murray (born December 12, 1991) is an American singer and beauty pageant titleholder from Starkville, Mississippi. She is best known for being a finalist on the eighth season of ''American Idol'' where she placed 12th–13th alongsid ...
(born March 14, 1992, in
Columbus, Mississippi Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Lowndes County, on the eastern border of Mississippi, United States, located primarily east, but also north and northeast of the Tombigbee River, which is also part of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterwa ...
, 16 years old at the time of the show) is from
Starkville, Mississippi Starkville is a city in, and the county seat of, Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States. Mississippi State University is a land-grant institution and is located partially in Starkville but primarily in an adjacent unincorporated area desig ...
and auditioned in Jacksonville, Florida. Initially eliminated from the Top 13, Murray was chosen by the judges to rejoin the competition during the Wild Card round. In addition to competing on ''Idol'', she competed in the Miss America's Outstanding Teen pageant in 2007. She was eliminated from the Top 13 in the first week of the finals, along with Jorge Núñez.


Finals

There are 11 weeks of finals and 13 contestants compete and at least one finalist eliminated per week based on the American public's votes. New to this series is the "Judge's save", where the judges can veto the elimination for one contestant, making the week a non-elimination, but by doing so, the week after the save is used will become a double elimination. The first week of 'Top 13' is a double elimination, making it the first season in ''American Idol'' to have two double elimination weeks in the final phase. Color key:


Top 13 – Michael Jackson

During the first week, Alexis Grace's phone number was temporarily replaced from 1-866-IDOLS-13 to 1-866-IDOLS-36 as the former number was not owned by the program (see telephone number controversy below). This episode reran on June 29, 2009, in a tribute to the death of Michael Jackson on June 25. To date, this became the only episode of the show to by Fox. Cowell had originally hoped for Jackson to perform on the show as part of his comeback tour.


Top 11 – Grand Ole Opry

Contestants performed songs based on the country music concert,
Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...
, for this week. Country singer
Randy Travis Randy Bruce Traywick (born May 4, 1959), known professionally as Randy Travis, is an American country music and gospel music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actor. Active from 1978 until being incapacitated by a stroke in 2013, he has recor ...
served as the guest mentor this week.


Top 10 – Motown

Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive director. He was the founder and front man of the Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he was also chief ...
served as the guest mentor this week. The show aired on a Wednesday/Thursday, March 25 and 26, as the Tuesday was pre-empted by the White House Press Conference.


Top 9 – Popular iTunes Downloads

Contestants performed songs which they have charted high in their music streaming library
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
.


Top 8 – Year They Were Born


Top 7 (first week) – Songs of the Cinema

Film actor/director Quentin Tarantino served as the guest mentor this week.


Top 7 (second week) – Disco


Top 5 –

Rat Pack The Rat Pack was an informal group of entertainers, the second iteration of which ultimately made films and appeared together in Las Vegas casino venues. They originated in the late 1940s and early 1950s as a group of A-list show business frie ...
Standards

The contestants sang one song from an entertainer. Entertainer and comedian Jamie Foxx served as the guest mentor this week.


Top 4 – Rock music

For the first time this season, each contestant performed two songs: a solo and one duet with a fellow contestant.
Slash Slash may refer to: * Slash (punctuation), the "/" character Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Slash (Marvel Comics) * Slash (''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'') Music * Harry Slash & The Slashtones, an American rock band * Nash th ...
served as the guest mentor this week.


Top 3 – Judges' choice and Contestants' choice

Each contestant sang two songs, each chosen by the judges and the contestant itself.


Top 2 – Contestant's choice, Simon Fuller's choice & Winner's single

Each contestant sang three songs, chosen by the contestant, the mentor Fuller, and one song for their debut single, " No Boundaries".


Elimination chart

Color key:


Other performances


Group song

*Top 36/Group 1: " I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz *Top 36/Group 2: " Closer" by Ne-Yo *Top 36/Group 3: " Hot n Cold" by
Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Known for her influence on modern pop music and her Camp (style), campy style, she has been ...
*Top 13: " I Want You Back/ ABC Medley" by The Jackson 5 *Top 11: " T-R-O-U-B-L-E" by Travis Tritt *Top 10: "
Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...
" Medley: " You Keep Me Hangin' On" by The Supremes/" You're All I Need to Get By" by
Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo ar ...
and Tammi Terrell/" Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell *Top 9: " Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey *Top 8: " Can't Get You Out of My Head" by
Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
*Top 7 (week 1): "
Maniac Maniac (from Greek μανιακός, ''maniakos'') is a pejorative for an individual who experiences the mood known as mania. In common usage, it is also an insult for someone involved in reckless behavior. Maniac may also refer to: Film * ' ...
" by Michael Sembello from '' Flashdance'' *Top 7 (week 2): " Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" by The Jacksons; choreographed by Paula Abdul *Top 5: " It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" and " I Got Rhythm" *Top 4: " School's Out" by Alice Cooper *Top 3: The Top 3 did not perform a group routine. *Top 2: Top 13 performed " So What" by Pink and Top 2 performed Queen's " We Are The Champions" who were guest performers


Guest performances

In addition, songs are played during the elimination night to promote an artist, single, album, or the show itself. Included is a list of those songs with their ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
and Hot Digital Songs reactions.


Finale

The finale took place at the Nokia Theatre on May 20, 2009. Musical Performances: "So What" (Pink) - Top 13 "Permanent" (David Cook) - David Cook "Cue the Rain" (Queen Latifah) - Queen Latifah & Lil Rounds "I'm Yours" (Jason Mraz) - Jason Mraz, Anoop Desai & Alexis Grace (the rest of the top 13 minus Kris & Adam joined at the end of the song) "Kiss a Girl" (Keith Urban) - Keith Urban & Kris Allen "Glamorous" (Fergie) - Top 13 girls (Alison Iraheta, Lil Rounds, Megan Joy, Alexis Grace & Jasmine Murray) "Big Girls Don't Cry" (Fergie) - Fergie with Top 13 girls "Boom Boom Pow" (The Black Eyed Peas) - The Black Eyed Peas "Time After Time" (Cyndi Lauper) - Cyndi Lauper & Alison Iraheta "Hello" (Lionel Richie) - Danny Gokey "Just Go" (Lionel Richie) - Lionel Richie & Danny Gokey "All Night Long" (Lionel Richie) - Lionel Richie & Danny Gokey "Beth" (KISS) - Adam Lambert "Detroit Rock City" (KISS) - KISS & Adam Lambert "Rock and Roll All Night" (KISS) - KISS & Adam Lambert "Black Magic Woman" (Santana) - Carlos Santana & Matt Giraud "Smooth" (Santana) - Carlos Santana & Top 13 "Pretty Flowers" (Steve Martin) - Megan Joy, Michael Sarver with Steve Martin playing banjo "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" (Rod Stewart) - Top 13 guys (Kris Allen, Adam Lambert, Danny Gokey, Matt Giraud, Annop Desai, Scott MacIntyre, Michael Sarver, Jorge Nunez) "Maggie May" (Rod Stewart) - Rod Stewart "We Are the Champions" (Queen) - Queen, Kris Allen & Adam Lambert (later joined by the rest of the top 13) "No Boundaries" (Kris Allen) - Kris Allen Idol Awards: Outstanding Male - Nick Mitchell (as Norman Gentle) "And I'm Not Going" (Dreamgirls) Best Attitude Katrina Derrel (bikini girl) "Vision of Love" with Kara DioGuardi Outstanding Female - Tatiana Del Toro "Saving All My Love"


Controversies


Joanna Pacitti

Joanna Pacitti, who was originally selected as a semi-finalist, created controversy due to her being previously signed to A&M and Geffen Records. Later, she was found to have been having a "private relationship" with 19 Management. She was later disqualified and replaced by Felicia Barton.


Telephone number

In the Top 13, the expected phone number for contestant Alexis Grace, 1-866-IDOLS-13, was not owned by American Idol, but by a company called Intimate Encounters, who used it as a
phone sex Phone sex is a conversation between two or more people by means of the telephone which is sexually explicit and is intended to provoke sexual arousal in one or more participants. All parties participate voluntarily; it is typically accompanied ...
line. Although host Ryan Seacrest mentioned the replacement phone number, 1-866-IDOLS-36, several times, some commentators feared that the phone number confusion could lead to Grace being inadvertently voted off the show. However, Grace was not voted off that week.


Lip-syncing

After the Top 11 program, Justin Guarini, while hosting ''Idol Wrap'' on TV Guide channel, asserted that the show's group performances were being lip-synced. Soon after Guarini's assertion was aired, a spokesperson for the producers of ''American Idol'' said, "The Idols don't lip-sync, period." The following day, the same spokesperson said that "due to extensive choreography and to balance their voices with open mics against a screaming audience, the Idols do sing along to their own prerecorded vocal track during the group performances only." The spokesperson maintained that the performers sing their solo songs live, but their performances available to download through
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
are recorded prior to airing.


Finale vote

Kris Allen's win over Adam Lambert resulted in controversy about the voting process, prompted by a claim that of the nearly 100 million votes cast, as many as "38 million" votes may have come from Arkansas, which was Kris's home state, despite the fact that the state only had a population of 2.86 million people at the time. Although the claim was later retracted, it resulted in allegations that AT&T may have influenced the results.
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelv ...
had previously denied these claims as baseless, stating that the network has no preference on who the winner might be. AT&T meanwhile said in a statement that the vote tally above was based on incorrect information and apologized by saying that "AT&T does not divulge or confirm how many votes were cast in any state." On May 27, 2009, the producers of the show stated that they "stand by the outcome" and are "absolutely certain" that "without a doubt Kris Allen is the American Idol."


Awards and nominations


Primetime Emmy Awards


Teen Choice Awards


U.S. Nielsen ratings

Season eight was the top show for the 2008–09 broadcast primetime season and took the top two spots for its Tuesday and Wednesday episodes. The viewers number for the Wednesday episodes averaged 25.527 million, while the Tuesday episodes averaged 24.741 million. The ratings were down from season seven, with the finale dropping 13% in the 18–49 demo and 9% in total viewers number.


See also

* List of American Idol episodes: Season 8 * American Idols LIVE! Tour 2009


Notes


References


External links


American Idol Official WebsiteMTV's American Idol Coverage
* {{TopUSTVShows American Idol seasons 2009 American television seasons Television shows directed by Bruce Gowers