American Idol

American Idol was FOX’s Hit show in de zomer van 2002. In American Idol werd Kelly Clarkson gevonden door audities en liveshows, waarin 12 finalisten elke week optraden en de minste volgens het publiek af viel (door een stemsysteem).

De jury bestond uit Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul en Randy Jackson. Voor deze jury deden rond de 10000 mensen auditie voor de show. Vervolgens besloot de jury wie van de 10000 door ging en kwamen daar 122 uit voort.

Uiteindelijk vielen er nog meer af en werd er een top 30 gevormd, toen was het tijd dat Amerika zijn favorieten kon kiezen. Drie weken lang werden er door het publiek 3 kandidaten gekozen voor de volgende ronde, totdat er 9 finalisten waren.

De week erna koos de jury de 5 beste die niet door waren gegaan voor een wildcard show, en lieten de beste door zodat er 10 finalisten waren.

De 10 Finalisten waren:

Week 1: Tamyra Gray, Ryan Starr, en Jim Verraros.
Week 2: Justin Guarini, Kelly Clarkson, en AJ Gil.
Week 3: Christina Christian, Nikki McKibbin, en EJay Day.
Wildcard: RJ Helton

Vervolgens kwamen de liveshows, waarin elke week de finalisten optraden en de minst favoriete kandidaat van het publiek af viel. Alleen de eerste week vielen er 2 af.

Van 10 naar 1:

EJay Day en Jim Verraros
AJ Gil
Ryan Starr
Christina Christian
RJ Helton
Tamyra Gray
Nikki McKibbin
Justin Guarini
En de winnares: Kelly Clarkson

De optredens van Kelly zijn nog steeds op internet te vinden, haar optredens in American Idol vind je in het media gedeelte van deze site.

Kelly’s optredens in American Idol

Eerste Auditie
Kelly Clarkson deed auditie in Dallas. Dallas was als ene laatste van de 7 steden waarin audities werden gehouden. Ze zong At Last en Express Yourself.
Respect
You’re All I Need
Natural Woman
Don’t Play That Song
Stuff Like That There
Walk On By
It’s Raining Men
I Surrender
Think Twice
Without You
Finale: A Moment Like This, Respect, Before Your Love

Respect
Commentaar van Jury:
Randy Jackson: “That was very, very, very good.”
Paula Abdul: “I was keeping my fingers crossed that you would sing this because I remembered how you blew me away in the previous auditions. When it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Simon Cowell: “You have a good voice but I couldn’t remember you from the previous rounds. I do remember you swapping places with Randy in the previous round.”

You’re All I Need
Commentaar van Jury:
Randy Jackson: “You sound brilliant. You sang your heart out.”
Paula Abdul: “There is so much that comes together in being a superstar and what is so great about you is that we embrace you.”
Simon Cowell: “I think you just raised the game. As they say in Texas, ‘y’all did a great job.”

Natural Woman
Commentaar van Jury:
Randy Jackson: “Kelly, Kelly . . . Kelly, Kelly, What a great song for such a great singer. You surprise me every week. I didn’t know you had all that!”
Paula Abdul: “You truely, truely are amazing. I think tonight you really, really outdid yourself. What a phenomenal, phenomenal job.”
Simon Cowell: “America is known for its great singers, and you are one of them.

Don’t Play That Song
Commentaar van Jury:
Randy Jackson: “That was absolutely brilliant. I love your voice. You give me chills.”
Paula Abdul: “You are the real deal. You have such a strong sense of yourself.”
Simon Cowell: “You have old fashioned charm about you, and I mean that in a positive way, like Patsy Cline. What’s so nice is you have an amazing voice. Some of these girls have been described as divas. I think you’re a nice person, which is one of the reasons you’re doing so well in this competition. Divas have to remember, it’s another way of saying ‘I’ve forgotten who my fans are,’ and I don’t think that will ever happen to you.”

Stuff Like That There
Commentaar van Jury:
Randy Jackson: “One of the most natural great singers I’ve heard in a long time.”
Paula Abdul: “I could see you on film, TV, stage. You have it all Kelly. You have it all.”
Simon Cowell: “Thank God we’ve ended with you because this show is about finding a star, not feeling sorry for people who aren’t very good. You were absolutely brilliant.”

Walk On By
Commentaar van Jury:
Randy Jackson: “This wasn’t your greatest performance, for me, but you definitely tried to make the song your own. It wasn’t your greatest, but you did good..”
Paula Abdul: “I think you made Walk On By your own..”
Simon Cowell: “You’ve proven over three weeks that you’re more than a good singer. Thank God you entered this competition. We didn’t pick up on you earlier. I truely believe you are going to become a huge star.”

It’s Raining Men
Commentaar van Jury:
Randy Jackson: “That was amazing. I think you could sing anything and make it sound good.”
Paula Abdul: “Your voice is bigger than two weather girls put together.”
Simon Cowell: “That was great, I’m looking foward to Round Two because I know what you and the others have in store. It will be a battle of the voices. That was good, but I think there’s better to come.”

I Surrender
Commentaar van Jury:
Randy Jackson: “It’s really hard to sing Mariah, Whitney, and Celine because these are the three big females. You just sang that Celine song and you sang the hell out of it. That was brilliant.”
Paula Abdul: “Way to go, touchdown.”
Simon Cowell: “I know how stressed your vocals are this week. The fact that you can even talk is a miracle. Singing like this is amazing. I think you just moved yourself up in the same league as Celine and Mariah.”

Think Twice
Commentaar van Jury:
Randy Jackson: “I did not love that song. The song is very boring to me. You sang unbelievable. You could sing anything. You were brilliant. You have an amazing voice.”
Paula Abdul: “Think twice about your beautiful voice. You are amazing. Everyone knows that. The song wasn’t the best song, but you sang it beautifully.”
Simon Cowell: “Justin’s song was probably the better song, but you are the best singer in this competition and you proved it.”

Without You
Commentaar van Jury:
Randy Jackson: “This is a tough song we gave you. I recorded that song with Mariah Carey, who did an amazing job. We thought that you could handle this and you did your thing.”
Paula Abdul: “We couldn’t wait for you to sing it. You melodically changed it and made it your own. It’s your stage.”
Simon Cowell: “It was an amazing performance. Congratulations.”

A Moment Like This, Respect, Before Your Love
Commentaar van Jury:
Randy Jackson: “You sang unbelievable tonight. Every aspiring singer in America that is out there watching should listen to Kelly. That’s what it’s all about. It makes me proud to be a part of this show because you are a phenomenal talent.”
Paula Abdul: “Enjoy this moment. Both of you have done an amazing, wonderful, tremendous job. Tremendous, stupendous, amazing. Kelly, you have a voice that can make grown men cry and young boys wish that they were grown men.”
Simon Cowell: “You both did great. Justin is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. After the horrors of some of the artists I met at the VMA awards, these two are a credit to what pop stars are really all about. If it was my vote who was the American Idol, you have to give it to Kelly Clarkson.”

Finale Uitslag
Commentaar van Jury:
Randy Jackson: “I think that America is going to prove me right and vote for one of the best performers last night. Kelly Clarkson should be the winner. Kelly, Kelly, Kelly did her thing.”
Paula Abdul: “Kelly Clarkson, you sang your butt off.”
Simon Cowell: “If America gets it right, they’re going to make the American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson.”

Sinds 20 september 2006 wordt het eerste seizoen herhaald maar dit keer met nieuwe interviews, beeldmateriaal e.d. en heet de show “American Idol Rewind”. Ook werd Kelly’s auditie eindelijk in zijn geheel uitgezonden.

Kelly kwam 25 April 2007 terug naar American Idol seizoen 6, in de speciale goede doelen show: ‘Idols Give Back’. Kelly is sinds de finale van seizoen 3 niet meer in de show geweest maar volgt het dit seizoen weer op tv omdat ze eindelijk tijd heeft om het weer te volgen. Vorige jaren was ze op tournee.