1. American Idol: the Springboard to Success
Critics have turned up their noses at the monumentally successful American Idol
program, sometimes even using words like “superficial” and “meaningless” to
describe it. Yet, many of the young stars of this Fox fixture have become
household names, to the extent that it is safe to say that Idol jump-started their
careers. Here are just some of the post-Idol success stories.
Carrie Underwood. Former Idol winner Carrie Underwood leads the pack of the
wealthiest idols. In the past year alone, this award-winning country star brought
home over 20 million dollars, garnered in part from her 80-venue tour. She has
earned more in the past 12 months than have the other top five Idol earners
combined.
Chris Daughtry. This native of North Carolina has gained fame not only as the
lead vocalist for the rock band Daughtry, but also because of his talent as a
guitarist. In Season Three of American Idol, many watchers were aghast when
Chris failed to win the top prize. Yet, this rocker and fan favorite has parlayed his
success into a six million-dollar dividend over the past year. During this time, he
has been promoting his most recent album, Leave This Town. In addition, he has
collaborated with such rock and roll luminaries as Sevendust and Carlos Santana.
Adam Lambert. Another runner-up Adam Lambert lost to Chris Allen in Season
Eight. Nevertheless, he has become one of the most successful of all the former
Idols and has done very well for himself of late. Like Daughtry, he netted six
million dollars because of his global concert appearances, the very successful
Glam Nation tour. To the joy of his many devotees, he performed 116 shows.
Since Idol, Lambert has released the very successful album, For Your
Entertainment, and is working on its successor which is due to be released in the
next few months.
Fantasia Berrino. Fantasia Barrino may not have earned as much as some of her
peers, netting a paltry four million dollars this year, but success can be measured in
other ways. Take the fact that she is starring in The Color Purple on Broadway, for
instance. If that’s not enough, she has also been highly visible on several TV
reality shows.
Jordin Sparks. This winner of Season Six was the youngest Idol to gain top
honors. However, she has not let youth get in the way of success. Since her victory,
she has released two award-winning albums and been in a Tony award-winning

2. Broadway show, as well as bringing home three million dollars this year.
Kelly Clarkson. Doesn’t it seem like only yesterday when Kelly Clarkson won
during the first Idol season? Years may have passed, but this multi-talented
musician continues to appeal to a wide fan base. Last year, she earned 2.5 million
dollars. Kelly has put out four successful studio albums to date, with a fifth
scheduled for release in the near future. Clearly, this charter American Idol winner
has done the show proud with her enduring career and financial success.
Jennifer Hudson. Although she only attained seventh place during Season Three,
Jennifer Hudson continues to be very popular. Last year alone, she earned two
million dollars. Her self-titled debut album won a Grammy, and her second album,
titled I Remember Me and released in 2011, reached number two on the Billboard
charts. In addition, she remains famous for her role in Dream Girls and her
endorsement of Weight Watchers.
Kelly Pickler. She may have come in sixth place on Season Five, but that has not
kept Kelly Pickler from the limelight. Recently, she bolstered her popularity when
she opened for country mega-star Taylor Swift, earning 1.8 million dollars in the
process.
Clay Aiken. This Season Two runner-up brought in a more-than-respectable 1.5
million dollars this past year. By anyone’s standards, this is an acceptable salary.
Since his success on Idol, Clay has appeared on several television shows, written a
New York Times bestselling book, acted in a Broadway show, and produced a
2006 Christmas special, among other accomplishments.
Katharine McPhee. Since her stint on Season Five of American Idol in which she
was the runner-up, Katherine McPhee has remained in the celebrity spotlight,
releasing two successful albums. She earned one million dollars this past year, and
will soon be starring in the NBC series Smash.
David Archuleta. This singer, actor, and instrumentalist was the runner-up during
Season Seven. This year, he earned a cool one million dollars, and continues to
sing and play. In a nod to his younger fans, he has made guest appearances on both
Nickelodeon and Disney television series.
David Cook. This season Seven winner has also padded his wallet to the tune of a
cool million this year. Most recently, Cook covered the Simple Minds song “Don’t
You (Forget About Me)” which became the send-off tune for contestants leaving

3. weekly episodes of American Idol’s Season Ten.
American Idol is looked upon by some as a frilly exercise in superficial pop
artifice. However, even its most blatant detractors cannot deny the range of talent
that has sprung from this Fox series. From country diva to glam rock king, from
award-winning Broadway actor to bestselling author, Idol has been the veritable
cradle for the success of a decade of young talent. Time will go by and judges and
procedures will change, but chances are, American Idol will continue to spawn
successful and wealthy celebrities for several years to come.