American Idol

Searching for Superstars

by Beth Rowen

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Millions of loyal fans, billions perhaps, watch American Idol every week. Since its debut in 2002, American Idol has created a new crop of pop stars, from Kelly Clarkson to Carrie Underwood. Country singer Underwood proved her star power at the 2006 Grammy Awards, when she took home trophies for Best New Artist and Best Female Vocal Performance. Her success continued at the 2007 Grammy Awards, where she won Best Female Country Vocal. In addition, Jennifer Hudson met stunning success as she crossed over into acting. She earned an Oscar for her performance in Dreamgirls (2006). Hudson returned to music in 2008 with her self-titled debut album, Jennifer Hudson, which sold more than 500,000 copies within five weeks of its release.

American Idol often ranks as the most-watched show on television, and for the past four years it has landed the No. 1 spot for kids ages 6 to 17 for the overall television season. In an effort to keep the show fresh, the eighth season introduced a number of changes: Kara DioGuardi joined the show as the fourth judge; Hollywood week extends from two or three shows in one week to five shows over two weeks; and season eight will have 36 semifinalists instead of the traditional 24.