Not many probably even recall this, but Clay Aiken was actually cut from the show during round 32. He later returned for the "Wild Card" round. His memorable performance of Elton John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" sent him to the final 12, and essentially into the life of fame that he leads today. He made his mark with his stirring ballads and his incredible physical transformation while on the show. Clay has since been known to say of his initial appearance that he looked like Opie! Clay's life has been non-stop action since his time on "Idol," with eight tours under his belt and numerous rounds on the talk show circuit. His first post-show tour was one that he co-headlined with Kelly Clarkson, called the "Independent Tour." When he saw the demand for his singing, he immediately launched a summer tour. Clay set off on the "Jukebox Tour," performing songs from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s, with some songs from his album Measure of a Man and his upcoming CD. His third tour was established as a Christmas tour, due to the success on the charts of a number of his Christmas songs. Entitled "The Joyful Noise Tour," it featured a conductor and a 30-piece orchestra. Interestingly enough, the tour featured a series of vignettes written by Clay himself. A cast of actors, dancers and back-up singers helped to tell the story of an elderly woman who had lost the Christmas spirit but found it again with the help of a young boy. In certain cities, Clay was supported by the local philharmonic or symphony. Even some local choirs from high schools and elementary schools were able to get in on the act. He has made such an impression with these holiday tours that he has just embarked on his fourth one. Obviously, he is able to tour this extensively due to the tremendous commercial success he has seen in his career. Clay's first solo album, Measure of a Man, debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and was, with 613,000 copies sold in its first week, the highest-selling debut for a solo artist in 10 years, and the highest debut of any Idol. The album received RIAA Double Platinum certification only a month later. Clay later won the Fan's Choice Award at the American Music Awards ceremony, and his single "This Is the Night/Bridge Over Troubled Water" won the Billboard award for the Best-Selling Single of 2003. His sophomore effort was a holiday album titled Merry Christmas With Love, which set a new record for fastest-selling holiday album in the Soundscan era (since 1991). His third album, A Thousand Different Ways, was released in September of 2006. The album contains ten cover songs, and four originals, one of which Clay co-wrote. Debuting at #2 on the Billboard chart, this primarily cover CD made Clay the fourth artist to ever have his first three albums debut in the Top 5. On his Myspace page, Clay says of A Thousand Different Ways, "This time, Clive Davis, Jaymes Foster [the albums executive producer] and I came up with the songs together. I also felt more confident in the studio while we were recording. Before, it was all just a bunch of knobs and controls. Now, I'm comfortable offering my opinion on how the arrangements and mixes should sound." Never losing steam, Clay released a fourth album last year, which was a holiday EP consisting of four Christmas songs. He is said to have recently interviewed producers for his next album, which, if history can predict, will surely be a huge success. It seems as though everything Clay touches ends up a success. He penned a New York Times best-selling book "Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life with Allison Glock." He's also not afraid to branch out--he was the executive producer for a 2004 televised Christmas special, "A Clay Aiken Christmas." This January, he will even take his turn on Broadway, reprising the role of Sir Robin in "Monty Python's Spamalot." Clay has acquired quite a loyal fanbase of which he is very grateful. As is stated on his MySpace page, "I like surrounding myself with people I know and love. It is this authenticity that his millions of fans have responded to, an almost supernatural earnestness that feels unconventional in the cynical world of today." He also recently submitted a touching story for the book "Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul" about a profound effect he had on one of his fans without even realizing it. Even more impressive than Clay's achievements in the music industry is his tireless dedication to the causes that are near and dear to his heart. He created the Bubel/Aiken Foundation in 2003, accepted a UNICEF ambassadorship in 2005, and, in 2007, he was appointed by George W. Bush to a committee that acts in an advisory capacity to the President and the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. The committee acts on matters pertaining to programs and services for persons with intellectual disabilities. Clay's reason for creating the Bubel/Aiken foundation was a personal one, as he worked with Diane Bubel's son, Michael, who has autism. The foundation helps to integrate children with disabilities into the same environment as their non-disabled peers. As he states on his Myspace page, "You know, my mother has always been someone who urged me to help people in need. Maybe thats it. I dont think its something you can learn. Its just something you do." Clay made the day of his many fans when he appeared as a surprise on the season five American Idol finale. Even more shocked was Michael Sandecki, who had just received a "Golden Idol" award for "Best Impersonator" for his Clay-like qualities. Clay, himself, had changed his look quite dramatically at that point, so it wasn't until he belted out "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" that many recognized him. Clay can now be heard on the American Idol Rewind series, as he provides the narration. Can't remember what Clay looked like when he first tried out? Take a peek! Check out this photo of Clay singing later on in the season, looking quite stylish in a suit! You'll definitely want to see this photo of Clay performing with his doppelganger Michael Sandecki! Happy Birthday Clay!

He was known for reaching his fans through his TV performances, but now Sanjaya Malakar will be testing out his abilities on the stage. He will be a special singing guest in the Intiman Theatre's production of Black Nativity in Seattle. Season one's Karma Johnson will also appear, along with season three's Leah Vladowski (who competed as Leah LaBelle). Each "Idol" alumnus will be singing a solo during the two performances at the annual holiday production. The three singers are alumni of the Total Experience Gospel Choir. Karma appeared in Black Nativity in 2001, and Vladowski made her debut at age 12 in the first five runs, 1998-2002. This year's 10th anniversary production begins Nov. 28 and opens Dec. 1 for a run through Dec. 28. As noted on Playbill.com, the first act "retells the Christmas story through the words of the great American poet, Langston Hughes." The second act transforms the entire theatre "into a joyous nondenominational church presided over by Pastor Patrinell Wright and the Reverend Dr. Samuel B. McKinney." You saw his many hairstyles on the show, but you won't want to miss this adorable photo of Sanjaya when he was young!

Blake Lewis is thankful that his runner-up status on "Idol" will most likely help to make his debut album a success. As he reports to Billboard via Yahoo!, "Being on 'American Idol' was the lottery ticket. It's one of the most amazing experiences I'll never have again ever in my life. I'm not a big fan of television at all, but it's an amazing way of communicating with people. I tell people that all I was put on this earth to do is communicate my art to people, and what better way to do that (than) on 'American Idol."' Blake is also very proud of the amount of creative control he had in putting this album together. He co-wrote 12 of the 13 tracks for the CD, Audio Day Dream, which is due out on December 4th. Billboard also reports that Blake created "specialized intros and outros" for each of the songs. If you're hoping to catch a glimpse of Blake promoting his album, you will be thrilled to know that he will be appearing on quite a few TV shows in December. He'll also be heavily promoting the album on the Internet. He's been excellent at communicating with his fans via the virtual world thus far, and he'll be doing even more outreach during the coming month. While reaching his fans is a huge goal of Blake's, having fun while making the album was also of utmost importance. He refers to the people he worked with as a "dream team." One of those people was fellow finalist and good buddy Chris Richardson, who co-wrote the song "What'cha Got 2 Lose" with Blake and J.R. Rotem. "I don't want to be put in a box," Blake said in the article. "If there's any box I could be put in, it's pop music. The surprise is that, hopefully, it's an album you've never heard before, but it's very pop and mainstream. I just go with my gut feeling and my instincts and intuition. I did that on the show, and that's how I approached (the album), too." Billboard's Chuck Taylor is also confident that the album will make a huge splash in the music industry. As he notes, Blake's first single, "Break Anotha" "is a lightning rod of rock'n'funk, meshing busy, skittish production and enough tempo stops and starts to build one clever three-minute jam. Vocally, Lewis channels Justin Timberlake with fluffed harmonic layers and falsetto as he sings a rapid-fire lyric about a playa..." With Blake's message boards already going crazy for his early work, Taylor goes on to say "the stylish 26-year-old has the looks of a teen idol, and clearly, 'AI' fever has never been more prominent." Wanna get in on the excitement? Watch Blake's album trailer now!

It's that time of year again...the time to reflect on 2007 and all of the amazing things that have happened. Entertainment Weekly has done just that in naming its 25 Entertainers of the Year, one of whom is our own Carrie Underwood! As author Jeff Labreque notes, "Underwood further solidified her country bona fides with a confident, twangy No. 1 album, Carnival Ride, that vindicated all the promise and possibility American Idol aspires to offer." The article walks us through all of the impressive accomplishments achieved by Carrie in 2007, beginning with her performance (and two wins) at the 49th annual Grammy Awards, and ending with her song "Ever, Ever After" being featured in the new film Enchanted. Check out the article to find out all the incredible things she accomplished in between! In the meantime, make sure to watch our latest Q & A session with Carrie to find out directly from the source what this year has meant to her!

This past weekend, our first-ever American Idol Kelly Clarkson returned to Southern California to perform in front of an enthusiastic and diverse crowd at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City for the latest stop on the My December tour. Following up on the success of Kelly?Õ?s multi-platinum sophomore album Breakaway, the tour features Kelly and a full band performing the rock-inspired pop that fills the tracks of Clarkson?Õ?s third album, My December. After opening up the show with ?Õ?One Minute,?Õ? Kelly continued to rock out on tracks that included ?Õ?Hole,?Õ? ?Õ?Can I Have a Kiss,?Õ? ?Õ?Don?Õ?t Waste Your Time,?Õ? and the album?Õ?s first single ?Õ?Never Again,?Õ? which brought the crowd to its collective feet. Despite the electric guitars and driving bass lines that accompany many of the songs off My December that might say otherwise, Kelly didn?Õ?t stray too far from the ballads and pop songs that she has become known for since winning American Idol back in Season 1. Kelly performed ?Õ?Sober?Õ? and her mother?Õ?s favorite track off My December, ?Õ?Be Still,?Õ? while adding now-classics, ?Õ?Because of You?Õ? and ?Õ?Breakaway?Õ? to the delight of the crowd as well. In a show filled with highlights, the moment that may have shown brightest was the unique performance of Kelly?Õ?s smash hit ?Õ?Miss Independent?Õ? off her debut album Thankful. Leading in with a guitar line intro from AC/DC?Õ?s ?Õ?Back in Black,?Õ? Kelly?Õ?s band mixed in beats from Kanye West?Õ?s ?Õ?Jesus Walks?Õ? while performing the hit single that topped Top 40 charts and permeated radio airwaves back in 2003. Kelly closed out the show an enthusiastic performance of one of her biggest hits, ?Õ?Since You?Õ?ve Been Gone,?Õ? which got everyone not only on their feet, but singing along and jumping to the beat, before the crowd sent Kelly off with a standing ovation for the night. From performing on the American Idol stage to headlining her own tour, Kelly has come a long way since being an audition hopeful just five years ago! Before embarking on this tour, Kelly took some time out to answer some questions about touring, her album, and more at Australian Idol and you can check out the video here!

Many people attribute the onset of Rock 'n Roll on "Idol" to Constantine and Bo, but Ryan Starr brought it to us in the very first season of the show. Known for her risky song choices and wearing her own fashions, Ryan got all the way to number seven during the trailblazing season. Ryan stood out during the performances that determined the Top 10--instead of going with a pop number like the rest, she sang the unusual song "The Frim Fram Sauce." The judges were sad to eventually see her go, and said as much with their comments: "You're a star, it's in your name, you'll make it." -Randy Jackson. "I don't understand, you should not be leaving us tonight. Don't worry, things are going to turn out great for you." -Paula Abdul. "You know Ryan, I think you're different from all the rest, and I think you can get what you want. Give me a call anytime; because you're about to become a star, I'll give you any help you need." -Simon Cowell. At the conclusion of the first season, Ryan went on a 32-city tour with the other finalists. After the tour wrapped up, FOX released a DVD that heavily featured Ryan, along with a select few other Idols from that first season. Ryan was also featured in the American Idol Season One official book released in mid 2003. She, along with her fellow top ten finalists, recorded an American Idol 'Greatest Hits' album, which was a success on the charts. Ryan has been anything but idle since "Idol," doing quite a bit of modeling, appearing on a number of popular TV shows and even launching her own swimsuit line, "Chained."¶ÿ She is also getting her music out there. Her single, "My Religion," peaked at #1 on the US Billboard Hot Digital Songs Chart. Ryan also revealed to MTV that she has formed a band called Aces. "'We have a great, amazing sound that's definitely rock and roll,' she said. They've recorded two songs so far and plan to release several of their tunes on a soon-to-be-launched Web site, and begin limited U.S. touring this summer. 'I don't want to show anybody anything until it's 110 percent perfect,' she said, adding that she's just started shopping a reality show about her struggles in the music business. 'Most people won't agree with this because they're hungry for money or fame, but I'm really all about the music...'" The reality show she's shopping around will apparently include snippets from her upcoming album. Ryan does a great deal of charity work, including projects with children and cleaning up Los Angeles. She also lists a number of the things she likes to do in her free time on her MySpace page, including snowboarding, surfing, playing sports, and jamming with her band. Check out this photo of Ryan chatting with Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman in the Red Room during season one! Here she is on the emotional night of her departure from the show. Happy Birthday Ryan! Ryan Starr was born on this day back in 1982!

Looking for a great holiday CD by an "Idol" alumnus? Want to express your opinion on your favorite Idol? Looking for information on "Idol" alumni concerts? There is virtually no better place to look for this info and much more than the MyIdol Message Boards. This forum provides a creative and fun way to share your every "Idol" thought. Check out the Grapevine below for just a few of the ongoing chats. Add your own opinion--sign up for a MyIdol account today! As much as I adore Taylor and he's always been my number one, my favorite ALBUM is Kelly Clarkson's BREAKAWAY. ?Õ?JamieHicks10 Instead of a James Bond theme, they should just have a movie theme. Any song from a movie can be sung. ?Õ?VonzellForLife YES!! 2 of my all-time favorites won big-time at the AMA's! Idol was well represented, especially at the beginning of the show, when Jimmy Kimmel brought Jordin and Pickler on stage to do a dance. Then Carrie presented an award to Daughtry! Idolmania was rampant!!! So cool!! ?Õ?lunchladylee Congrats to the 3 Idols on the countdown. Elliott should be joining them soon. I love how Jordin has Blake dancing at the end of her video. I wonder if Blake will have Jordin in his first video? ?Õ?zcatz Congratulations to both Carrie and Chris on their impressive wins tonight. Fans of both have a lot to be proud of. ?Õ?wolfpup_88 If you go by record sales and tours, then some idols have done much better than others, but if you define success as being able to perform and make music the way you want to make it, then many idols have been successful. Idol has opened doors for many young people to have careers in the entertainment industry, and not just in singing but acting, hosting, dancing, performing, etc. ?Õ?harlequin A co-worker last night brought up the idea of "The 12 Days of Christmas" with various Idol alumni! Could you imagine Kellie Pickler asking what all the items are throughout the whole song, or Paula professing her love for everyone while sentimentally crying! LOL! ?Õ?IDOL_JUNKY32 American Idol is a show that lends itself to "discovering" new talent every season, and without this show I wouldn't have been exposed to such wonderful new talent EVERY season...there is room in this world for both men (Chris and Taylor) to continue to make wonderful music for us to enjoy and for many of us to continue to enjoy them BOTH ?Õ?greeneyes49 Is anyone going to the stagecoach country music festival in California? Carrie, Kellie, and Bucky are all going to be there! There are going to be a lot of country acts as well. ?Õ?harlow Elliott's video "Wait For You" was number #1 on the countdown for a long time, and also part of the top 20 for quite awhile. I am sure his new video "One Word" will soon be up there, as it is great. ?Õ?crislovesmusic

Ever since season one, Debra Poneman had been such an avid American Idol fan that she actually e-mailed reviews to her friends after every show ?Õ? complete with editorial comment. Only one of her friends responded with her own counter-reviews, and that was Marci Shimoff, New York Times best-selling co-author of Chicken Soup for the Women?Õ?s Soul and Chicken Soup for the Mother?Õ?s Soul. Feeling that the re-caps they were sending one another were so inspired that they were worthy of the public eye, the idea for Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul was born. As Marci was busy penning another book of her own, the happy task fell to Debra of interviewing Idols from every season (as well as back-stage crew members, judges and fans). She then helped them write and edit their own stories for this just released book that features stories unlike any others, since they are in the Idol?Õ?s own words. As Debra explains, "I thought I knew everything there was to know about the Idols from watching the shows and reading magazines and blogs. When I started working with them and they started telling me their stories I spent half my time in tears. I also discovered what we?Õ?ve suspected all along -- that these are not just talented singers, but unbelievable human beings. They touch our lives with the beauty of their voices because it reflects the beauty of their souls. When people read the stories in this book about the obstacles these Idols had to overcome to be where they are today, it will really give everyone hope and belief in the power of the human spirit. That?Õ?s the purpose of this book ?Õ? not just to share the Idol?Õ?s amazing stories, but to help people see they shouldn?Õ?t give up on their own dreams no matter how impossible they seem." When Debra was asked which was her favorite Idol?Õ?s story in the book, anyone who has read it won?Õ?t be surprised by her answer ?Õ? her favorite was the story she was working on at the time. She says that one story touches your heart more than the next. When pressed, she did admit that she especially loved Carmen Rasmusen?Õ?s, Scott Savol?Õ?s, Nikki McKibbin?Õ?s, Jordin?Õ?s, Clay?Õ?s?ÕÝ.and then there was Melinda?Õ?s?ÕÝ.and Sanjaya?Õ?s?ÕÝ.and Vonzell Solomon's?ÕÝand?ÕÝ. Vonzell's story, entitled "My Earth Angel," was about a 10-year-old girl named Madison, who was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma. With doctors giving her not long to live, her wish was to come see Vonzell and the rest of the Idols perform during a taping of the live show. Vonzell's father approached a local restaurant, Leapin' Lizard, to help raise the money to get Madison and her family to L.A., and they gladly did so. Madison not only saw the Idols live, but was invited backstage and then out to dinner with Vonzell. Miraculously, Madison is now thirteen years old and a three-time cancer survivor! Debra said that every fan story either moved her to tears or laughter. She loved the charming story of little Macello Rossi who picked Carrie Underwood as the winner the first time he heard her ?Õ? and that was before he could even talk! Debra said that she ?Õ?laughed until she cried?Õ? over the story of the suburban housewife who became addicted to Idol even though Simon Cowell made her little daughters cry. She also loved the story called ?Õ?One Simple Word?Õ? written by the mother of four year old Mackenzie Johnson. Leukemia ravaged her body but her love for Ace Young kept her little soul alive. Not only did she get to go backstage during the Idols tour to meet Ace but shortly thereafter Ace showed up at her hospital bed. When Mackenzie's mother asked if she had one wish what it would be, without skipping a beat, Mack said, "I want to mawee Ace." What was even more amazing to Debra were some of the obstacles that had to be overcome by the people "behind the scenes." Makeup artist Mezhgan Hussainy's tells the account of her family?Õ?s escape from Afghanistan by foot in the black of night during the turbulent time of the Soviet invasion. She followed this with the story of what she did to eventually become the make-up artist for some of the most recognized faces in the world. Had she not escaped she would live in a country where woman are required to cover their faces. Hair stylist Dean Banowetz shares how, although he was the thirteenth of fifteen children growing up on a farm in Iowa, he made it to LA and now does hair for some of the biggest stars in the industry. Lovable judge Paula Abdul grew up too poor to take dance lessons, so she would stand in the lobby, watch her friends as they took their lessons, and imitate their moves. Even Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe tells a rags to riches story. His father was a dock worker outside of Liverpool, England, and Nigel?Õ?s love for dancing was considered totally unacceptable in his working class world. He tells how he took up boxing to prove his masculinity and how he eventually earned his father?Õ?s respect. What stood out to Debra even more than the stories of the obstacles that so many of the crew members had to overcome in their own lives was the obvious love, respect and admiration the crew members had for each other ?Õ? and for the Idols. Almost every crew member told a story of the sadness they experienced after someone that they had grown close with was eliminated. The Idols felt the same way about those who worked with them to make sure they sang and looked their best. Not surprisingly, many of the Idols talked fondly about Paula Abdul and the warmth she showed them during trying times. However, Debra said she was shocked to hear so many Idols recall warm memories of judge Simon Cowell! They shared that when the cameras were off, Simon would usually be the first one to console a departing Idol and tell them not to give up on their dreams. They even said, believe it or not, that he was the one who would greet their family members, remembering the smallest detail that an Idol had shared about their mom or grandma or brother. By working with the Idols and crew on their stories for Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul, she looks at all of the Idols and crew in a new light ?Õ? that is even brighter than before.

For American Idol and Jordin Sparks fans worldwide, the wait is finally over. Season 6 winner Jordin Sparks?Õ? self-titled debut album officially hits stores today! Working with super-producers StarGate, The Underdogs, Robbie Nevil, and Bloodshy and Avant, Jordin?Õ?s album features our Season 6 American Idol winner working with some of the top producers in the industry today. With her first single ?Õ?Tattoo?Õ? gathering spins on radio stations nationwide and a duet with R&B singer Chris Brown ("No Air") creating buzz in the American Idol world and beyond, new album release shelves nationwide will welcome Jordin?Õ?s debut effort today.¶ÿ¶ÿ¶ÿ Jordin?Õ?s first recording effort has been met with praise by those in the music industry. Entertainment Weekly spoke of Jordin?Õ?s album having ?Õ?just enough vocal flourishes?Õ? and praised the album?Õ?s easy on the ears quality.¶ÿ Before picking up your copy of Jordin Sparks, take a stroll down¶ÿmemory lane by checking out Jordin's time on Idol through our transformation gallery! Can't get enough Jordin? Make sure to check out our newest exclusive interview with Jordin, where she answered your questions submitted right here on Americanidol.com!

Ever wonder about the decorating prowess of America's most lovable judge, Paula Abdul? Wonder no more! In Style Magazine's current issue features Ms. Abdul's home for a special "Life & Home" story. The spread, complete with gorgeous photos, shows how Paula has figured out how to give her large home a luxurious yet comfortable feel. Pick up the December issue (on sale now) to catch a glimpse of her not-so-humble abode! In the meantime, check out InStyle.com!