| American Idol | |
|---|---|
| Season 2 | |
| Broadcast from | January 21, 2003–May 21, 2003 |
| Judges | Simon Cowell Paula Abdul Randy Jackson |
| Host(s) | Ryan Seacrest |
| Broadcaster | Fox Broadcasting Company |
| Finals venue | Gibson Amphitheatre |
| Winner: Ruben Studdard |
|
Ruben Studdard in a Birthday Celebration in 2006
|
|
| Origin | Birmingham, U.S. |
| Song | ""Flying Without Wings"" |
| Genre(s) | R&B, gospel |
| Runner-up | |
| Clay Aiken | |
| Chronology | |
| ◄ 2003 ► | |
The second season of American Idol premiered on January 21, 2003 and continued until May 21, 2003. The title of show was shortened from American Idol: The Search for a Superstar of Season 1 to just American Idol.[1] Brian Dunkleman quit after the first season,[2] and Seacrest therefore became the lone host in Season 2 as well as all subsequent seasons. Kristin Holt was a special correspondent.
It was won by Ruben Studdard. It was the first season to crown a male winner, and the first season to have a finale with two male contestants, Studdard and Clay Aiken, being followed by the seventh season with David Archuleta and David Cook, and then the eighth season with Adam Lambert and Kris Allen.
Studdard released his coronation song "Flying Without Wings" after the show and reached number two in U.S. Hot 100. Aiken also released a single with "This Is the Night", written by Chris Braide, Aldo Nova and Gary Burr. It became the first non-winning contestant to have a Billboard Hot 100 number-one It was the biggest US single of 2003, selling over one million copies and reaching six times platinum status in Canada as well as number 1 in New Zealand.[3]
In addition to Studdard and Aiken, Kimberley Locke, Josh Gracin, Kimberly Caldwell, and Carmen Rasmusen have signed with various record labels.
Auditions were held in the fall of 2002 in the following cities:[4]
| Episode Air Date | Audition City | Date | Audition Venue[5] | Callback Venue | Tickets to Hollywood |
| January 21, 2003 | New York, New York | October 24-28, 2002[6] | Regent Wall Street Hotel | Rhiga Royal Hotel[7] | 35 |
| Miami, Florida | November 2-6, 2002[8] | Fontainebleau Hilton Hotel[9] | 20 | ||
| Austin, Texas | November 6-10, 2002 | Doubletree Hotel | Hyatt Regency[10] | 36 | |
| January 22, 2003 | Los Angeles, California | November 18-20, 2002 | Rose Bowl[11] | Renaissance Hollywood Hotel[12] | 45 |
| Detroit, Michigan | October 21, 2002 | Atheneum Suites Hotel | 22 | ||
| January 28, 2003 | Atlanta, Georgia | October 27, 2002 | AmericasMart | Callanwolde Fine Arts Center[13] | 46 |
| Nashville, Tennessee | October 30, 2002 | Nashville Municipal Auditorium | Wildhorse Saloon | 30 | |
| Total Tickets to Hollywood | 234 | ||||
The number of auditioners increased significantly after the success of the Season 1,[14][15] and arenas and stadia started to be used to hold the first auditions from this season onwards when the Rose Bowl in Pasadena was used this season instead of the hotel originally planned.[5][16] Around 70,000 attended the auditions this season and 234 were selected to proceed on to the Hollywood round. Radio DJ Angie Martinez was originally signed up as a fourth judge,[17] but quit after a few days, stating that "it became too uncomfortable for me to tell someone else to give up on their dream".[18] Paula Abdul was absent from the Atlanta audition.
At the Miami auditions, one failed auditioner was Edgar Nova who,[19] after being rejected, tried to get back again and had to be escorted off the premise. Nova then auditioned in Los Angeles, but with a different hairstyle to avoid recognition, and was again unsuccessful. He also tried further in Season 3 and 4.
Another auditioner named Bryan Washington auditioned in Atlanta, Georgia, and made it to Hollywood, but did not make it into the top 32. He was also overweight at the time of his American Idol audition, and later became a contestant on The Biggest Loser (Season 4.)
The contestants performed in a series of rounds and number of contestants trimmed in each round. In the first round they performed a song, in the second round they were asked to compose a melody for one of five set of lyrics, and 80 remained after this round. In the third round the contestants were separate into the girls and boys and they performed in small groups. They chose a song from "Superstar", Seal's "Kiss from a Rose", Barry Manilow's "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again", Freda Payne's "Band of Gold", and Dionne Warwick's "(You'll Never Get to Heaven) If You Break My Heart". During the group performance, Corey Clark, who was later to claim a relationship with Paula Abdul, sang to Paula directly and kissed her hand. 48 contestant were left at the end of this round.
In the last round each contestants performed solo. After their performances, the contestants were then divided into 3 group of 16 and placed in separate rooms. One group was eliminated, and 32 contestants proceeded on to the semi-final rounds.
The format changed slightly in Season 2; instead of three groups of 10, the semi-finalists were grouped into four groups of 8. The singers performed solo in a new improved stage with piano accompaniment by Michael Orland, and the performance pre-taped. There were no live audience although family members of contestants were present in the Red Room where the contestants were placed.
The results of the public vote were announced live the next day. From each group, two were selected to proceed on to the top 12, and those selected reprised their performance in the result show. Nine of those who failed at any of previous stages (including the Hollywood rounds and the initial regional auditions) were given one more chance to perform again in the wild-card show. Each of the three judges put one contestant from the wild-card group through to the top 12, with the final one selected by the public vote.
| Order | Contestant | Song (original artist) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimberly Caldwell | "Come to My Window" (Melissa Etheridge) | Wild Card (Top 3) |
| 2 | Patrick Fortson | "Un-Break My Heart" (Toni Braxton) | Eliminated |
| 3 | J.D. Adams | "All in Love Is Fair" (Stevie Wonder) | Eliminated |
| 4 | Trenyce | "Love Sneakin' Up on You" (Bonnie Raitt) | Wild Card |
| 5 | Meosha Denton | "How Do I Live" (LeAnn Rimes) | Eliminated |
| 6 | Bettis Richardson | "Thank You" (Boyz II Men) | Eliminated |
| 7 | Charles Grigsby | "Overjoyed" (Stevie Wonder) | Advanced |
| 8 | Julia DeMato | "Son of a Preacher Man" (Dusty Springfield) | Advanced |
| Order | Contestant | Song (original artist) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clay Aiken | "Open Arms" (Journey) | Wild Card (Top 3) |
| 2 | Candice Coleman | "Piece of My Heart" (Erma Franklin) | Eliminated |
| 3 | Rebecca Bond | "Caught Up in the Rapture" (Anita Baker) | Eliminated |
| 4 | Jacob John Smalley | "Anytime" (Brian McKnight) | Eliminated |
| 5 | Hadas Shalev | "You Light Up My Life" (Kasey Cisyk) | Eliminated |
| 6 | Ruben Studdard | "Superstar" (Delaney & Bonnie) | Advanced |
| 7 | Kimberley Locke | "Over the Rainbow" (Judy Garland) | Advanced |
| 8 | Jennifer Fuentes | "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" (Whitney Houston) | Eliminated |
| Order | Contestant | Song (original artist) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimberly Kelsey | "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" (Pandora's Box) | Eliminated |
| 2 | Jordan Segundo | "For Your Love" (Stevie Wonder) | Eliminated |
| 3 | Vanessa Olivarez | "Out Here On My Own" (Irene Cara) | Advanced |
| 4 | Rickey Smith | "One Last Cry" (Brian McKnight) | Advanced |
| 5 | Samantha Elizabeth Cohen | "Something He Can Feel" (Aretha Franklin) | Eliminated |
| 6 | Louis Gazzara | "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" (Laura Branigan) | Eliminated |
| 7 | Equoia Coleman | "The Way We Were" (Barbra Streisand) | Eliminated (Top 3) |
| 8 | George Trice | "Unchained Melody" (Todd Duncan) | Eliminated |
| Order | Contestant | Song (original artist) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sylvia Chilbilti | "Didn't We Almost Have It All" (Whitney Houston) | Eliminated |
| 2 | Chip Days | "A Song for You" (Leon Russell) | Wild Card |
| 3 | Juanita Barber | "What About the Children" (Yolanda Adams) | Eliminated |
| 4 | Patrick Lake | "When I See You Smile" (Bad English) | Eliminated (Top 3) |
| 5 | Nasheka Siddall | "Open My Heart" (Yolanda Adams) | Wild Card |
| 6 | Josh Gracin | "I'll Be" (Edwin McCain) | Advanced |
| 7 | Ashley Hartman | "Touch Me in the Morning" (Diana Ross) | Eliminated |
| 8 | Corey Clark | "Foolish Heart" (Steve Perry) | Advanced |
| Order | Contestant | Song (original artist) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimberly Caldwell | "I Feel the Earth Move" (Carole King) | Selected (Randy's choice) |
| 2 | Clay Aiken | "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (Elton John) | Selected (Public vote) |
| 3 | Nasheka Siddall | "Wind Beneath My Wings" (Mighty Clouds of Joy) | Eliminated |
| 4 | Carmen Rasmusen | "Can't Fight the Moonlight" (LeAnn Rimes) | Selected (Simon's choice) |
| 5 | Olivia Mojica | "Because You Loved Me" (Celine Dion) | Eliminated |
| 6 | Janine Falsone | "We Belong" (Pat Benatar) | Eliminated |
| 7 | Chip Days | "Rock with You" (Michael Jackson) | Eliminated |
| 8 | Aliceyn Cooney | "Angel" (Sarah McLachlan) | Eliminated |
| 9 | Trenyce | "Let's Stay Together" (Al Green) | Selected (Paula's choice) |
In this season, guests were introduced as celebrity judges, some of whom who may also act as a mentor in for the week they were on.
During Top 9, it was announced that Corey Clark had been disqualified.
In most weeks the bottom vote-getter performed his or her song again after their elimination was announced, but at Top 5 and Top 9 both the bottom 2 vote-getters performed their song.
Guest judge and mentor - Lamont Dozier
| Order | Contestant | Song (original artist) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimberley Locke | "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" (Martha and the Vandellas) | Bottom 3 |
| 2 | Josh Gracin | "Baby I Need Your Loving" (The Four Tops) | Safe |
| 3 | Charles Grisgby | "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" (Marvin Gaye) | Safe |
| 4 | Kimberly Caldwell | "Nowhere to Run" (Martha and the Vandellas) | Safe |
| 5 | Rickey Smith | "1-2-3" (Len Barry) | Safe |
| 6 | Julia DeMato | "Where Did Our Love Go" (The Supremes) | Bottom 2 |
| 7 | Clay Aiken | "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" (The Four Tops) | Safe |
| 8 | Vanessa Olivarez | "You Keep Me Hangin' On" (The Supremes) | Eliminated |
| 9 | Corey Clark | "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)" (The Isley Brothers) | Safe |
| 10 | Carmen Rasmusen | "You Can't Hurry Love" (The Supremes) | Safe |
| 11 | Trenyce | "Come See About Me" (The Supremes) | Safe |
| 12 | Ruben Studdard | "Baby I Need Your Loving" (The Four Tops) | Safe |
Result Show:
Top 12 - "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" by Martha and the Vandellas
Guest judge - Gladys Knight
| Order | Contestant | Song (original artist) | Featured film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corey Clark | "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (Phil Collins) | "Against All Odds" | Bottom 2 |
| 2 | Ruben Studdard | "A Whole New World" (Brad Kane/ Lea Salonga) |
"Aladdin" | Safe |
| 3 | Trenyce | "I Have Nothing" (Whitney Houston) | "The Bodyguard" | Safe |
| 4 | Clay Aiken | "Somewhere Out There" (Linda Ronstadt/ James Ingram) |
"An American Tail" | Safe |
| 5 | Kimberly Caldwell | "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)" (Betty Everett) | "Mermaids" | Safe |
| 6 | Josh Gracin | "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" (Aerosmith) | "Armageddon" | Safe |
| 7 | Carmen Rasmusen | "Hopelessly Devoted to You" (Olivia Newton-John) | "Grease" | Safe |
| 8 | Charles Grigsby | "You Can't Win" (Michael Jackson) | "The Wiz" | Eliminated |
| 9 | Rickey Smith | "It Might Be You" (Stephen Bishop) | "Tootsie" | Safe |
| 10 | Julia DeMato | "Flashdance... What a Feeling" (Irene Cara) | "Flashdance" | Bottom 3 |
| 11 | Kimberley Locke | "Home" (Stephanie Mills) | "The Wiz" | Safe |
Result Show:
Top 11 - "Footloose" by Kenny Loggins from "Footloose" and "(I've Had) the Time of My Life" by Bill Medley/
Jennifer Warnes from "Dirty Dancing"
Guest judge - Olivia Newton-John
| Order | Contestant | Song (original artist) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Josh Gracin | "Ain't Goin' Down ('Til The Sun Comes Up)" (Garth Brooks) | Safe |
| 2 | Trenyce | "I Need You" (LeAnn Rimes) | Safe |
| 3 | Kimberley Locke | "I Can't Make You Love Me" (Bonnie Raitt) | Safe |
| 4 | Corey Clark | "Drift Away" (John Henry Kurtz) | Safe1 |
| 5 | Carmen Rasmusen | "Wild Angels" (Martina McBride) | Safe |
| 6 | Rickey Smith | "I've Done Enough Dyin' Today" (Larry Gatlin) | Bottom 3 |
| 7 | Kimberly Caldwell | "Anymore" (Travis Tritt) | Bottom 2 |
| 8 | Ruben Studdard | "Sweet Home Alabama" (Lynyrd Skynyrd) | Safe |
| 9 | Julia DeMato | "Breathe" (Faith Hill) | Eliminated |
| 10 | Clay Aiken | "Someone Else's Star" (Davis Daniel) | Safe |
Result Show:
Top 10 - "Where the Blacktop Ends" by Keith Urban and "God Bless the USA"2 by Lee Greenwood
Note 1: Corey Clark was later disqualified due to his controversy.
Note 2: The song was performed twice. The Iraq War had earlier been announced.
Guest judge - Verdine White
| Order | Contestant | Song (original artist) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rickey Smith | "Let's Groove" (Earth, Wind & Fire) | Safe |
| 2 | Carmen Rasmusen | "Turn the Beat Around" (Vicki Sue Robinson) | Bottom 21 |
| 3 | Kimberly Caldwell | "Knock on Wood" (Eddie Floyd) | Safe |
| 4 | Clay Aiken | "Everlasting Love" (Robert Knight) | Safe |
| 5 | Trenyce | "I'm Every Woman" (Chaka Khan) | Bottom 21 |
| 6 | Ruben Studdard | "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" (Barry White) | Safe |
| 7 | Kimberley Locke | "It's Raining Men" (The Weather Girls) | Bottom 3 |
| 8 | Josh Gracin | "Celebration" (Kool & the Gang) | Safe |
Result Show:
Top 9 - "A Night to Remember" by Shalamar and "Boogie Wonderland" by Earth, Wind & Fire/
The Emotions
Video - "God Bless the USA" by Lee Greenwood
Guest judge - Lionel Richie
| Order | Contestant | Song (original artist) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clay Aiken | "At This Moment" (Billy Vera) | Safe |
| 2 | Kimberley Locke | "My Heart Will Go On" (Celine Dion) | Bottom 3 |
| 3 | Rickey Smith | "Endless Love" (Diana Ross/ Lionel Richie) |
Eliminated |
| 4 | Kimberly Caldwell | "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" (Bryan Adams) | Bottom 2 |
| 5 | Josh Gracin | "Amazed" (Lonestar) | Safe |
| 6 | Carmen Rasmusen | "Call Me" (Blondie) | Safe |
| 7 | Trenyce | "The Power of Love" (Jennifer Rush) | Safe |
| 8 | Ruben Studdard | "Kiss and Say Goodbye" (The Manhattans) | Safe |
Result Show:
Top 8 - "All Night Long (All Night)" by Lionel Richie
Kelly Clarkson - "Miss Independent"
Guest judge - Smokey Robinson
| Order | Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimberly Caldwell | "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" | Eliminated |
| 2 | Ruben Studdard | "Just the Way You Are" | Safe |
| 3 | Kimberley Locke | "New York State of Mind" | Safe |
| 4 | Carmen Rasmusen | "And So It Goes" | Bottom 2 |
| 5 | Josh Gracin | "Piano Man" | Safe |
| 6 | Trenyce | "Baby Grand" | Bottom 3 |
| 7 | Clay Aiken | "Tell Her About It" | Safe |
Result Show:
Top 7 - "The Longest Time" and Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA"
Guest judge and mentor - Diane Warren
| Order | Contestant | Song (original artist) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimberley Locke | "If You Asked Me To" (Patti LaBelle) | Safe |
| 2 | Clay Aiken | "I Could Not Ask for More" (Edwin McCain) | Safe |
| 3 | Trenyce | "Have You Ever?" (Brandy) | Bottom 3 |
| 4 | Josh Gracin | "That's When I'll Stop Loving You" (*NSYNC) | Bottom 2 |
| 5 | Carmen Rasmussen | "Love Will Lead You Back" (Taylor Dayne) | Eliminated |
| 6 | Ruben Studdard | "Music of My Heart" (*NSYNC/ Gloria Estefan) |
Safe |
Result Show:
Top 6 - "Shine" by Ashanti
Guest judge - Neil Sedaka
| Order | Contestant | Song (original artist) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ruben Studdard | "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" (The Temptations) | Bottom 2 |
| 2 | Trenyce | "Proud Mary" (Creedence Clearwater Revival | Eliminated |
| 3 | Josh Gracin | "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye" (Don Cherry) | Safe |
| 4 | Kimberley Locke | "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (The Miracles) | Safe |
| 5 | Clay Aiken | "Build Me Up Buttercup" (The Foundations) | Safe |
| 6 | Ruben Studdard | "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" (Neil Sedaka) | Bottom 2 |
| 7 | Trenyce | "Love Will Keep Us Together" (Neil Sedaka) | Eliminated |
| 8 | Josh Gracin | "Bad Blood" (Neil Sedaka) | Safe |
| 9 | Kimberley Locke | "Where the Boys Are" (Connie Francis) | Safe |
| 10 | Clay Aiken | "Solitaire" (Neil Sedaka) | Safe |
Result Show:
Top 5 - 60's medley (Various)
Group1 - "What the World Needs Now Is Love" by Jackie DeShannon
Justin Guarini - "I Saw Your Face"
Guest judge - Robin Gibb
| Order | Contestant | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Josh Gracin | "Jive Talkin'" | Eliminated |
| 2 | Clay Aiken | "To Love Somebody" | Safe |
| 3 | Kimberley Locke | "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" | Bottom 2 |
| 4 | Ruben Studdard | "Nights on Broadway" | Safe |
| 5 | Josh Gracin | "To Love Somebody" | Eliminated |
| 6 | Clay Aiken | "Grease" | Safe |
| 7 | Kimberley Locke | "Emotion" | Bottom 2 |
| 8 | Ruben Studdard | "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" | Safe |
Result Show:
Top 4 - Bee Gees medley
| Order | Contestant | Song (original artist) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimberley Locke | "Band of Gold" (Freda Payne) | Eliminated |
| 2 | Ruben Studdard | "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" (Stevie Wonder) | Safe |
| 3 | Clay Aiken | "Vincent" (Don McLean) | Safe |
| 4 | Kimberley Locke | "Anyone Who Had a Heart" - Randy Jackson (Dionne Warwick) | Eliminated |
| 5 | Ruben Studdard | "Smile" - Simon Cowell (Charlie Chaplin) | Safe |
| 6 | Clay Aiken | "Mack the Knife" - Paula Abdul (Louis Armstrong) | Safe |
| 7 | Kimberley Locke | "Inseparable" (Natalie Cole) | Eliminated |
| 8 | Ruben Studdard | "If Ever You're in My Arms Again" (Peabo Bryson) | Safe |
| 9 | Clay Aiken | "Unchained Melody" (Todd Duncan) | Safe |
Result show:
Top 3 - Medley - "Up Where We Belong", "Reunited", "Solid" (Various)
Tamyra Gray - "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" (Judy Garland)
Justin Guarini - "Unchained Melody" (Todd Duncan)
| Order | Contestant | Song (original artist) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ruben Studdard | "A House is Not a Home" (Dionne Warwick) | Winner |
| 2 | Clay Aiken | "This Is the Night" (Clay Aiken) | Runner-Up |
| 3 | Ruben Studdard | "Imagine" (John Lennon) | Winner |
| 4 | Clay Aiken | "Here, There and Everywhere" (The Beatles) | Runner-Up |
| 5 | Ruben Studdard | "Flying Without Wings" (Westlife) | Winner |
| 6 | Clay Aiken | "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (Simon & Garfunkel) | Runner-Up |
Paul Anka - "My Way"1 (Frank Sinatra)
| Finale result show | ||
| Performer | Song | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| Top 121 and Kelly Clarkson | "One Voice" | Barry Manilow |
| Kelly Clarkson | Miss Independent | Kelly Clarkson |
| Top 121 | Let's Groove Baby Love |
Earth, Wind & Fire The Supremes |
| Top 3 | Solitaire (Ruben) Over the Rainbow (Kimberley) |
The Carpenters Judy Garland |
| Ruben Studdard | Flying Without Wings | Westlife |
| Clay Aiken | Bridge Over Troubled Water | Simon & Garfunkel |
| Top 2 | "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" | McFadden & Whitehead |
| Ruben Studdard | Flying Without Wings | Westlife |
The two night season finale was held at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, California.
Ruben Studdard emerged as the winner with Clay Aiken as a very close runner-up. Out of 24 million votes recorded, Studdard finished just 134,000 votes ahead of Aiken, and the smallness of the margin of victory made this result highly controversial.[22]
| Did Not Perform | Top 32 | Wild Card | Top 12 |
| Stage: | Semi-Finals | Wild Card |
Finals | ||||||||||||||
| Week: | 2/5 | 2/12 | 2/19 | 2/26 | 3/5 | 3/12 | 3/19 | 3/26 | 4/1* | 4/9 | 4/16 | 4/23 | 4/30 | 5/7 | 5/14 | 5/21 | |
| Place | Contestant | Result | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ruben Studdard | 1st | Btm 2 | Winner | |||||||||||||
| 2 | Clay Aiken | 3rd | 1st | Runner-Up | |||||||||||||
| 3 | Kimberley Locke | 2nd | Btm 3 | Btm 3 | Btm 3 | Btm 2 | Elim | ||||||||||
| 4 | Josh Gracin | 1st | Btm 2 | Elim | |||||||||||||
| 5 | Trenyce | Elim | Adv | Btm 2 | Btm 3 | Btm 3 | Elim | ||||||||||
| 6 | Carmen Rasmusen | Adv | Btm 2 | Btm 2 | Elim | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Kimberly Caldwell | 3rd | Adv | Btm 2 | Btm 2 | Elim | |||||||||||
| 8 | Rickey Smith | 1st | Btm 3 | Elim | |||||||||||||
| 9 | Corey Clark | 2nd | Btm 2 | DQ | |||||||||||||
| 10 | Julia DeMato | 2nd | Btm 2 | Btm 3 | Elim | ||||||||||||
| 11 | Charles Grigsby | 1st | Elim | ||||||||||||||
| 12 | Vanessa Olivarez | 2nd | Elim | ||||||||||||||
| Wild Card |
Aliceyn Cooney | Elim | |||||||||||||||
| Chip Days | Elim | ||||||||||||||||
| Janine Falsone | |||||||||||||||||
| Olivia Mojica | |||||||||||||||||
| Nasheka Siddall | Elim | ||||||||||||||||
| Semi- Final 4 |
Juanita Barber | Elim | |||||||||||||||
| Sylvia Chibiliti | |||||||||||||||||
| Ashley Hartman | |||||||||||||||||
| Patrick Lake | |||||||||||||||||
| Semi- Final 3 |
Samantha Cohen | Elim | |||||||||||||||
| Equoia Coleman | |||||||||||||||||
| Louis Gazzara | |||||||||||||||||
| Kimberly Kelsey | |||||||||||||||||
| Jordan Segundo | |||||||||||||||||
| George Trice | |||||||||||||||||
| Semi- Final 2 |
Rebecca Bond | Elim | |||||||||||||||
| Candice Coleman | |||||||||||||||||
| Jennifer Fuentes | |||||||||||||||||
| Hadas | |||||||||||||||||
| Jacob John Smalley | |||||||||||||||||
| Semi- Final 1 |
J.D. Adams | Elim | |||||||||||||||
| Meosha Denton | |||||||||||||||||
| Patrick Fortson | |||||||||||||||||
| Bettis Richardson | |||||||||||||||||
* None of the bottom 3 were eliminated on the April 2nd results show due to the disqualification of Corey Clark on previous day.
The finale vote had been controversial due to the smallness of the margin. Ryan Seacrest also added fuel by mistakenly announcing the difference in vote count first as 13,000, then 1,335, but eventually revealed later to be around 130,000.[23] There was much discussion in the communication industry about the phone system being overloaded, and that more than 150 million votes were dropped, making the voting results suspect.[24] In an interview prior to the start of the fifth season, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe revealed that Aiken had led the fan voting from the wild card week onward until the finale.[25]
A mini-controversy emerged after the finale when Simon Cowell alleged that Clay Aiken knew the results of the show nearly an hour before they were announced on-air because he had snuck a peek at Ryan Seacrest's handheld cue card backstage. On Larry King Live the next day, Aiken admitted he had indeed seen the card but could not read it in the backstage light; however, he had seen enough to determine that the name on it was too long to be "Clay Aiken". On the live broadcast, Aiken can be seen turning his body to face Studdard and whispering something in his ear right before the results were announced, a visual clue fans took as confirmation that Aiken had somehow found out he was not the winner.
There was controversy when contestant Frenchie Davis was disqualified from the competition after topless photos of her surfaced on the Internet. Shortly afterwards, she landed a role in the Broadway musical Rent. The producers of the show added a Christian marketing team to protect and build faith viewers with faith guru Rick Hendrix after the Frenchie Davis incident.
Corey Clark was also disqualified from the show because, according to the Idol producers, Clark had a police record he had not disclosed to the show. However, in 2005, contestant Corey Clark alleged in an interview on ABC's Primetime Live and in a book, They Told Me to Tell the Truth, So... The Sex, Lies and Paulatics of One of America's Idols, that he and judge Paula Abdul had an affair while he was on the show and that this contributed to his removal.[26] Clark also alleged that Abdul gave him preferential treatment on the show and tips on song choice. A subsequent investigation by an independent counsel hired by Fox "could not corroborate the evidence or allegations provided by Mr. Clark or any witnesses".[27] Paula Abdul was therefore considered exonerated but an "enhanced non-fraternization policy" was put in place after the investigation.[27]
Trenyce was also found to have been arrested on felony theft charge,[28] however Nigel Lythgoe considered her offence to be minor and one which she has been honest about, therefore "warranted no concern regarding her participation in the show."[29]
During the Top 10, a problem with the telephony system resulted in some votes not being registered for Julia DeMato, however, Fox insisted that the mistake would not have made any difference in Julia DeMato being voted off.[29]
During the course of the contest, Studdard became known for wearing 205 Flava jerseys representing his area code; when asked about them early in the season, Studdard told Seacrest that he was "just representing 205". Shortly after the end of the contest, Studdard sued 205 Flava, Inc. for $2 Million dollars for using his image for promotional purposes. 205 Flava responded by alleging that Studdard had accepted over $10,000 in return for wearing 205 shirts, and produced eight cashed checks to validate their claim. The allegations, if true, were a clear violation of the American Idol rules.[30] The lawsuit was settled out of court.[31]
Some questions were raised about the participation of Josh Gracin, who was then in the Marine Corps, in American idol during the time of the Iraq War.[32] He later missed both the finale performance night as well as the Idol tour that year after being recalled to duty by the Marines.[33]
Some speculation about Vanessa Olivarez' dismissal and treatment by American Idol surfaced in 2007.[34] During the show, Olivarez took part in a scripted joke where, after Seacrest had asked Olivarez to read a cue card taking the viewers to a commercial, Olivarez would reply by saying, "Ryan, I'm a real artist, not a performing monkey like you, so why don't you read your own script?"[35] However, viewers booed, and Olivarez was voted off afterwards, a result of what some thought to be negative public perception of her due to the joke. It was suggested that she was deliberately ousted because she had come out as a lesbian to other contestants.[36] She had also posed nude for an ad campaign for the animal rights group PETA after she was voted off.[37] Olivarez was the only finalist omitted from the Season 2 CD, and she was not chosen for the tour after Joshua Gracin was recalled to the Marines.[38]
The number of average viewers per episode this season was 21.7 million, an increase of 71% over season 1.[39] Its Wednesday episodes finished as the third most-watched show of the year averaging 21.93 million, and the Tuesday episodes fifth at 21.56 million.[40] The show ranked second in the coveted 18/49 demographic for the 2002-2003 season.[41] This season's finale episode still ranks as the most-watched single episode in Idol history at 38.1 million, the finale night itself averaged 33.7 million when the pre-show special is taken into consideration. The show also helped Fox become the season's number three network in total viewers for the first time.[42]
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A couple of specials were aired later in the year - From Justin To Kelly: The Rise of Two American Idols on June 20, 2003, and American Idol: Christmas Songs on November 25, 2003, the latter of which was ranked number 30 with total viewer number of 10.9 million,[61] and number 28 in the 18/49 demo with a 4.1 rating.
(This list does not include pre-Idol releases)
Source: Idolsmusic.com
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