American Idol

Season 2 finalist Clay Aiken, seen here in a photo from his role in Broadway’s Spamalot, has been the center of sexuality conversations for years. Just this week, ABC News reported a story that suggests Aiken may be asexual.

There has been much speculation about the sexuality of a handful of male contestants in previous seasons of American Idol. But nobody has been allowed (or so some now out contestants say) to compete as openly gay — until now, perhaps.

Last night, Iowa native Leo Marlowe made it through to Hollywood after saying, “My mom always said she raised the perfect homecoming queen, too bad it wasn’t one of her daughters.” Simon praised him, even for being open about who he was without being obnoxious.

Cowell has been criticized in past seasons for his comments against more feminine male contestants. In Season 5, he suggested contestant Charles Berry shave his beard and wear a dress, “Because he would make a great female impersonator.” Not exactly a glowing review.

So, in a season where producers are promising to focus more on the contestant’s background, could Idol be bracing itself for the possibility of a gay winner?

It would make sense, especially considering the history of the show. The original Pop Idol winner, Will Young, is openly gay. He was the first reality Idol of any kind in the world, and he has found fair success in the industry. Young currently is working on his fourth album.

Then there’s the big gay history of American Idol. Season 1 featured Jim Verarros, an openly gay singer-turned-actor, who said in many interviews he was not allowed to discuss his sexuality during the show. But he also said he doesn’t think the show is anti-gay.

“I really don’t think that they’re trying to single out gay and transgendered people,” he told gay Web site AfterElton.com in 2006.

In October 2006, Season 1 finalist RJ Helton made headlines by publicly coming out on a SIRIUS Satellite Radio talk show. There had been speculation about Helton’s sexuality, but he also was known for his religion. Helton previously had released an inspirational CD, Real Life, in 2004.

“I can have a faith but can’t be who I want to be. So a lot of it was just personal things I needed to overcome and just be proud of who I was,” Helton said on the radio show. “… Just because I am gay does not mean I can’t love God.”

Anwar Robinson, a Season 4 finalist, was outed — sort of — when bloggers found a “man seeking man” posting on BlackPlanet.com in March 2005. Again, many people say Robinson never was closeted. His sexuality didn’t come up when I talked to him last year.

Then, the most famous of all speculation cases is Clay Aiken. The Season 2 runner-up’s sexuality is a favorite discuss for fans of the show. Just this week, ABC News released a story suggesting Aiken may be asexual. In a world where there are much larger issues to focus on than sexuality, it seems odd ABC — a network most would say is a reputable news source — would spend time talking to experts about his sexuality. Then, again, we’re also living in a world where Britney Spears making making daily headlines for going to Starbucks is the norm.

So, will Leo Marlowe or any other contestant this season be allowed to stand on the Idol stage, say, “I’m gay,” and still get America’s support? Will they be able to recognize their same-sex significant other in the audience? I’m just not sure. I guess we’ll have to wait for the possibility of an openly gay singer to break through the Top 24.

American Idol, Clay Aiken, Jim Verarros, Anwar Robinson, RJ Helton, Leo Marlowe

Some fans of American Idol Season 4 may have been waiting for Jessica Sierra to release a CD. Instead, Sierra is featured in another kind of release Tuesday — her debut sex tape.

Vivid Entertainment is releasing the tape, Jessica Sierra Superstar. The film is the latest in a line of headline-making moments in Sierra’s life. She was arrested in April and again in December, and she currently can be seen on VH1’s Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.

While this sex tape certainly isn’t endorsed by Idol, it does show how the series can make a star out of people, even if they don’t win the title. Sierra, while she hasn’t become a successful recording artist, certainly has made a name for herself — even if it’s not a good one.

Sierra was a top 10 finalist on Season 4 of Idol. She was eliminated March 30, 2005, after performing On the Side of Angels.

American Idol, Jessica Sierra

They are the moments we watch an entire season to see. It’s that last few minutes of the finale when the winner is announced and the first performance as the nation’s newest American Idol.

So, in preparation for Tuesday night’s Season 7 premiere, let’s take a few minutes to remember those moments from the first six seasons.

Kelly Clarkson: A Moment Like This

Ruben Studdard: Flying Without Wings

Fantasia Barrino: I Believe

Carrie Underwood: Inside Your Heaven

Taylor Hicks: Do I Make You Proud

Jordin Sparks: This Is My Now

American Idol, Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks

Jordin Sparks responds after it’s announced she was the sixth winner in American Idol history. Sparks was the fourth female and youngest winner ever on the show.

Four girls. Two guys. In the first six seasons of American Idol, twice as many females have won the top prize — a recording contract and instant fame. And the two guys recently lost their recording contracts. So, does it matter if you’re male or female when it comes to capturing America’s votes on the FOX reality hit?

I’m not sure it does, but here’s a look back at the lives and success of the first six Idol champions.

Kelly Clarkson
Born Kelly Brianne Clarkson, this 25-year-old has enjoyed major success since becoming the first American Idol winner. In September 2002, Clarkson beat out runner-up Justin Guarini with 58 percent of the votes.

Clarkson, who is set to start touring this week with country superstar Reba McEntire, has released three CDs — Thankful, Breakaway and My December. Thankful debuted in April 2003 at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and since has sold more than 3 million copies worldwide. Breakaway sold more than 11 million copies, and last year’s My December has been certified platinum (1 million copies).

The original Idol is a Grammy Award-winning musician, and she seems to be slowing down no time soon. Let’s just hope she doesn’t attempt to recreate Grease in another box-office flop like From Justin to Kelly.

Ruben Studdard
Born Christopher Ruben Studdard, the 29-year-old was known as “the Velvet Teddy Bear” and often wore jerseys featuring “205″ to honor his native Birmingham, Ala., area code. Studdard garnered 134,000 more votes than runner-up Clay Aiken to take the Season 2 title. About 24 million votes were cast for that season’s finale.

Studdard has released three discs — Soulful, I Need an Angel and The Return. Soulful debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard charts, but none of the CDs have garnered major attention. In all, Studdard has sold just more than 2.4 million albums total, which led to his recently being dropped from J Records for falling short of label expectations.

Aiken has released four CDs since the show and has become a much more successful artist. In fact, aside from Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, no finalist on the show has sold more albums.

Fantasia Barrino
Fantasia Monique Barrino simply became Fantasia when she started her rise to the top during American Idol’s third season. She drew much attention — and a little controversy — for being a single mother. She ultimately beat out runner-up Diana DeGarmo in May 2004 by earning 1.3 million more fan votes.

After taking the title, Fantasia released her debut, Free Yourself. Four Grammy nominations followed. In 2006, her second CD, a self-titled album, was released. But it has been success on the Broadway stage in The Color Purple that really has helped Fantasia make a splash on the music scene. The singer also released a book on the heels of announcing she struggled with literacy.

The critically praised acting Fantasia does on stage in The Color Purple certainly is not the same kind of praise she got from her role as herself in the made-for-TV movie Life is Not a Fairy Tale: The Fantasia Barrino Story. Of course, it was Lifetime’s second-most-watched program ever.

Carrie Underwood
She has, without question, become the most successful American Idol winner. Carrie Marie Underwood, now 24, beat out Bo Bice to take the Season 4 title.

Upon the release of her debut, Some Hearts, it was clear Underwood soon would be a country superstar. She won numerous country music awards, as well as two of the four Grammys in which she was nominated for in late 2006. Some Hearts produced a number of hit singles, helping it lock in several weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard country charts.

Last year, Underwood released her sophomore effort, Carnival Ride, which was certified double-platinum in December. The singer has sold more than 13 million albums in just two years.

Taylor Hicks
He arguably has the most vocal fans of any American Idol winner. Despite the Soul Patrol’s support, Taylor Hicks (born Taylor Reuben Hicks) has not found major success on the music charts.

After beating out Katharine McPhee to win Season 5, Hicks released a self-titled disc featuring the blues and classic R&B sounds he was known for on the show. Unfortunately, the disc failed to sell even 1 million copies and resulted in being dropped from his record label earlier this month.

Hicks is a strong live performer and continues to tour post-Idol, just as he did before rising to fame on the reality hit. Much like many other contestants, Hicks also released a book about his life, Heart Full of Soul: An Inspirational Memoir About Finding Your Voice and Finding Your Way. It officially is the longest title for any memoir released by an Idol contestant.

Jordin Sparks
She was the youngest American Idol winner ever. So, it was quite an impressive run for Jordin Sparks (born Jordin Brianna Sparks), who beat out beat-boxing Blake Lewis to win the Season 6 Idol crown.

The teenager, much like other winners Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Taylor Hicks, never was in the bottom two or three during elimination episodes of the show. Sparks’ self-titled debut CD was released in November and features the first single, Tattoo. The CD has sold more than 450,000 copies since its release.

Sparks recently released her second single, No Air, which is a duet with Chris Brown.

So, what do you think? Even though the numbers and awards seem to show Carrie Underwood is the most successful winner to date, do you think someone else is the ultimate American Idol?

American Idol, Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Fantasia, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks

If you haven’t picked up the January copy of Glamour magazine — and you’re a Carrie Underwood fan — you’ll definitely want to check it out.

The Season 4 American Idol winner-turned-country megastar graces the cover in a white and pink dress with her signature smile and long blonde hair. Inside, Underwood talks about going from a small-town girl to a six-time platinum-selling artist, thanks to her debut Some Hearts.

Glamour sent the singer to Max Azria and J. Mendel fashion shows with a diary to take notes. One of the pages from the diary is printed as part of the spread. “Max had some really beautiful skirts and dresses that were very flowing and feminine! I loved the muted colors!” she wrote.

Underwood talks to the magazine about her rise to fame, which included the most surreal moment of her last year — attending the Grammys.

“The Grammys were pretty awesome — to look across the aisle and see Ludacris,” she said. Hmmm. Who would have thought Carrie Underwood to be a Ludacris fan?

As part of the magazine’s 365 beauty tips and tricks, Idol alum Jennifer Hudson also is featured in the “6 reasons to try bangs already” section. She’s pictured alongside stars including Jennifer Garner, Kate Moss and Halle Berry.

Both Underwood and Hudson were part of the recent Movies Rock, which featured a star-studded cast of popular musicians singing favorite tunes from classic movies. Underwood delivered an incredible performance of Julie Andrews’ title song from The Sound of Music. Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson performed Somewhere from West Side Story.

American Idol, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Movies Rock, Glamour

It seems Jessica Sierra is getting in more hot water than with the law.

Gossip site TMZ.com has reported the 2005 American Idol finalist is the star of a sex tape expected to be distributed sometime before Season 7 begins. A still photo from the tape shows the singer naked in a bathtub, holding a cigarette.

This news comes after Sierra’s Dec. 1 confrontation with police at a Tampa nightclub. She was arrested and charged with disorderly intoxication, resisting arrest and violating conditions of her parole on previous charges of battery and drug possession.

Sierra is expected to remain in jail without bail until her next hearing Dec. 20. She was sentenced in November to 12 months probation for the previous battery and drug charges.

The wannabe Idol had entered a California rehab program this summer, and her treatment was expected to be part of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, an upcoming reality show on VH1.

American Idol, Jessica Sierra, Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew

Daughtry, led by former American Idol finalist Chris Daughtry, racked up four nominations for the 50th Grammy Awards.

It’s going to be a monumental year at the Grammy Awards, for sure. Not only is it the 50th year for the music industry’s most celebrated and recognizable night, but it also is the year American Idol is most represented with nominations.

Six former Idol contestants and/or winners are nominated in several categories, led by Daughtry with four nominations. The rock band fronted by Season 5 finalist Chris Daughtry is nominated in the Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group and Best Rock Song categories for It’s Not Over; Best Rock Album; and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group for Home.

Ace Young shares part of the Best Rock Song nomination, being named as a co-writer of the hit.

Season 3 winner-turned-Broadway star Fantasia garnered three nominations in R&B categories. She is nominated in the Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song for When I See You, as well as in the Best Contemporary R&B Album category for her self-titled release.

Multiple Grammy and Idol winners Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood also made the short list for the 50th Grammys. Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood was nominated in the Best Female Country Vocal Performance category for Before He Cheats from her debut release, which helped her carry away some awards at last year’s ceremony. Underwood also is a nominee in the Best Country Collaboration category
for her work on Oh Love. She is up against the original Idol, Kelly Clarkson, who is a Best Country Collaboration nominee for her Reba McEntire debut, Because of You.

The sixth Idol finalist to be recognized at the awards is Mandisa, who earned a nod in the Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album category for her CD True Beauty.

The Grammy awards will be broadcast at 8/7c Feb. 10 on CBS.

Grammy Awards, American Idol, Daughtry, Chris Daughtry, Ace Young, Fantasia, Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Mandisa

Carrie Underwood is now part of another No. 1. Disney’s Enchanted was No. 1 this holiday weekend at the box office. The film features a song from the Season 4 American Idol winner, Ever, Ever After.

The film raked in $35.3 million across the United States and Canada, where it played in 3,730 theaters.

Enchanted tells the story of a princess who is transported from her fairy-tale life into real-world New York. The princess is played by Amy Adams (not the Season 3 Idol finalist), and the film also features the voices of Patrick Dempsey and Susan Sarandan, among many others.

American Idol, Carrie Underwood, Amy Adams, Enchanted

Fresh from a pair of wins at the 41st Country Music Association Awards, Carrie Underwood announced she and Australian sensation Keith Urban will take the road together beginning in January for a 24-city tour.

The Love, Pain & The Whole Crazy Carnival Ride tour, which combines the titles of the latest albums by the artists, has not announced dates. But tickets for the tour are expected to go on sale Dec. 1.

“I’m looking forward to hitting the road with Carrie,” Urban is quoted as saying on Carrie’s official Web site. The Season 4 American Idol winner responded by saying, “I can’t think of a better person to begin 2008 with than Keith.”

Urban, who is married to actress Nicole Kidman, is preparing for the Nov. 20 release of his first greatest hits disc, Keith Urban: Greatest Hits. The singer, known for hits such as Days Go By and You’ll Think of Me, currently is on tour behind his last release, Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing. Since bursting onto the scene in 2000, Urban has sold more than 10 million copies and has performed countless sold-out concerts.

Underwood released her sophomore effort, Carnival Ride, weeks before taking home the CMA Awards for Single of the Year (Before He Cheats) and Female Vocalist of the Year. Carnival Ride debuted at No. 1, selling more than 500,000 copies in its first week. Thanks in part to the early success of the first single, So Small, the first-week sales for Carnival Ride also made it the top-selling album by a female artist in 2007.

As part of the Oklahoma Centennial Celebration, Underwood will perform Nov. 16 alongside more than a dozen other natives of the state including Blake Shelton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Vince Gill and the All-American Rejects.

American Idol, Carrie Underwood, Season 4, Keith Urban

Carrie Underwood accepts the CMA Award for Single of the Year.

Country music’s biggest night turned out to be a pretty big one for Carrie Underwood, too.

The 41st Annual CMA Awards were broadcast live from the Sommet Center in downtown Nashville, home of country music. The first award of the night, Single of the Year, went to the Season 4 American Idol winner for her single Before He Cheats from the debut album, Some Hearts.

Carrie Underwood performs at the 41st Annual CMA Awards in Nashville.

Underwood also performed on the show, spotlighting music from her sophomore CD, Carnival Ride. Later in the night, she took home one of the big awards, Female Vocalist of the Year. This was the second year Underwood took home the top female award. In 2006, she also won the Horizon Award, which recognized an up-and-coming performer in the genre.

Before He Cheats also was nominated in the Video of the Year category. It lost to Brad Paisley’s Online.

This year’s awards also honored Season 5 American Idol finalist Kellie Pickler, who was nominated for the Horizon Award. While she didn’t win the award — it went to Taylor Swift — Pickler did perform a pretty incredible version of her latest single, I Wonder, from Small Town Girl. The performance had Pickler in tears by the end of the song, which she co-wrote.

Pickler also got playful at the 41st awards, dancing alongside Brad Paisley during his performance. Both Underwood and Pickler have gone on the road with Paisley during his recent tours.

Also making an appearance and presenting an award at the show was Season 5 Idol finalist Bucky Covington. He helped present the Vocal Group of the Year award to Rascal Flatts.

Bucky Covington arrives at the 41st Annual CMA Awards

Carrie Underwood, CMA Awards, American Idol, Kellie Pickler, Bucky Covington, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts

Carrie Underwood quickly is cementing her long-lasting place in Nashville. The Season 4 American Idol winner took home the first award of the night — Single of the Year — at the 41st Annual CMA Awards for Before He Cheats.

Underwood is scheduled to perform later in the show. Stay tuned to watchingamericanidol.com for full coverage of tonight’s show.

Carrie Underwood, Before He Cheats, American Idol, CMA Awards