American Idol

Only Nashville Star still remains as a returning series and is the most popular. In only his second year in the NBA, LeBron James became just the 5th player to average at least 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists for an entire season, along with Oscar Robertson (6 times), John Havlicek (2 times), Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan (1 each). This series has been imitated by many other shows, among them Cupid, Superstar USA and Nashville Star (hosted by LeAnn Rimes). Frustration with Cleveland management have fueled talk that James will leave the franchise when his rookie contract expires, although James has denied that he is looking to leave the organization. One or two more cities may also be added later as there are usually late additions to the list. Despite his prodigious talents, James failed to lead his Cleveland Cavaliers to the playoffs in his first two years in the league, while fellow 2003 Draftees Carmelo Anthony and Dwayne Wade experienced some playoff success. As of now, the current list of cities (tentative) are Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Memphis and San Diego. [1] (http://www.snopes.com/photos/commercials/lebron.asp) A similiar commercial involves Mike Vick of the NFL throwing a pass into the upper deck of a stadium during practice.

The fifth season of American Idol will be held starting in January 2006 with auditions expected to be in the summer and early autumn of 2005. The Coca Cola brand Powerade sports drink included James in a series in which an off duty sports reporter and crew accidently catch James during his teams practice making 5 shots in a row from full court which was made possible by computer effects. The winner of the competition was Carrie Underwood. On March 2005, bubble gum brand Bubblilicious launched the "Lebron James Lemon Lime" flavor. It featured appearances by former auditioners of questionable talent, and celebrity cameos by Kenny G, Rascal Flatts, David Hasselhoff, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, George Benson, Billy Preston, Babyface and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Much like one of his predecessors, Michael Jordan, James has been signed by many companies to sell their products via advertisements, including Coca Cola, which contracted him to sponsor their Sprite product. The fourth season finale featuring Bo Bice and Carrie Underwood aired May 24-May 25. At 20 years and 110 days of age, he is more than two years younger than the previous record holder Kobe Bryant (22 years 161 days) and Magic Johnson (22 years 231 days).

Vonzell Solomon was the 10th contestant voted off the Top 12 on Wednesday May 18th. On April 19, 2005, after recording 32 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists against the Boston Celtics, James became the youngest player to reach 3,500 points, 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists. For the third and final song of the night, one of the standard judges (Jackson, Abdul or Cowell) chose each contestant's selection. Barry was 21 years, 261 days old when he scored 57 for the San Francisco Warriors against the New York Knicks, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. In an unprecented move, Bo Bice performed his choice completely a cappella. At 20 years, 80 days old, James eclipsed Rick Barry as the youngest player to score 50 or more points in a game. The second song the performers chose any song from any era. On March 20, 2005, James scored 56 points in a loss to the Toronto Raptors.

He chose the first song each performer would sing, many of which he produced in his career. The second-year star reached the mark at 20 years, 20 days, breaking the record held by Lamar Odom, who was 20 years, 54 days when he posted a triple-double for the Los Angeles Clippers on December 30, 1999 -- James' 15th birthday.
For the May 18 final three show, a guest judge, legendary record producer Clive Davis was added. On January 20, 2005, James achieved yet another milestone as he became the youngest player in league history to record a Triple-double with 27 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists as the Cavaliers rolled to a 107-101 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. The winner was Carrie Underwood, the first winner since Kelly Clarkson to not only win but avoid being in the bottom two or three for the entire competition. At 19 years, 272 days old, James was a full 277 days younger than Bryant had been when he reached the mark. Mario Vazquez, who was originally one of the top 12, dropped out of the competition on March 11, just days before the top 12's first performance, citing "personal issues," opening a spot in the final 12 for Nikko Smith, who had been voted off in the semi-finals the previous week. Kobe Bryant had previously held the record, having reached his 2,000th point at 20 years, 183 days.

Instead of competing in semifinal heats in which the top vote-getters are promoted to the final round, 24 semifinalists were named -- 12 men and 12 women, who competed separately, with 2 of each gender being voted off each week until 12 finalists were left. On November 27, 2004, he scored his 2,000th point, becoming the youngest player ever to attain that mark. This season also implemented new rules for the final portion of the contest. James is often associated with fellow rookie sensation Carmelo Anthony, though he has begun to separate himself as he continues to improve while Carmelo's image has taken multiple hits. He acquired mild fame by repeatedly yelling, "Can you dig it?" to the judges and for the inability of the judges to fully understand him. He was named Rookie of the Year and nearly led his team, previously the worst in the NBA, to the playoffs. Also noted was Leroy Wells from Grand Bay, Alabama who auditioned in New Orleans singing Ol' Dirty Bastard's "Got Your Money". During his rookie season, James largely met the extremely high expectations placed on him.

The most notable contestant in the early episodes was Mary Roach, who auditioned in Washington D.C. Her rendition of Carole King's "I Feel The Earth Move", as well as her comments to the judges that followed her audition, brought considerable negative attention (including false rumors of mental illness) and comparisons to William Hung. Cleveland confirmed his selection as the #1 pick over a month before the draft, and contract negotiations were concluded some time in advance. Among the music featured in the program: on January 19, 2005, "Look At Me" written by Sara Hickman and performed by her 8-year-old daughter Lily (from the album Big Kid). Because James was seen as a consensus first pick, the 2003 NBA Draft Lottery was described by many as the "LeBron Lottery." James's hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, successfully drew the first pick. The music celebrities featured were:. He then signed a contract with Nike for $90 million over 7 years. While in the past seasons celebrity guest judges have been invited to participate during the competition, this was the first season where guest judges were invited to participate in the auditions. To the surprise of no one, LeBron officially declared for the draft on April 25, 2003.

Auditions were held from August to October 2004. He also earned MVP honors at the McDonald's All-American Game, the EA Sports Roundball Classic, and the Jordan Capital Classic. Louis, Missouri, New Orleans, Louisiana, Las Vegas, Nevada, Cleveland, Ohio, Orlando, Florida and San Francisco, California. Basketball and to the All-USA First Team. Auditions were held in Washington, DC, St. Mary won a third state title, and James, for an unprecedented third time, was named Mr. The fourth season of American Idol premiered on January 18, 2005. Despite the distractions, St. Vincent-St.

Paul Anka made an appearance in the Season Finale. James's team was forced to forfeit one of their wins as a result. The third season was also shown in Australia on Network Ten about half a week after episodes were shown in the US. James appealed, and a judge blocked the ruling, reducing the penalty to a two-game suspension, allowing him to play the remainder of the season. During the season, controversy over the legitimacy of the contest increased as geeky rocker Jon Peter Lewis and young crooner John Stevens stayed afloat while others were unexpectedly eliminated. When James later accepted two jerseys from a Cleveland sports store worth $845 in exchange for him posing for pictures to be displayed on its walls, the OHSAA stripped him of his eligibility. After a nationwide vote of more than 65 million votes in total, Fantasia Barrino won the "American Idol" title and Diana DeGarmo was runner up. Under the OHSAA guidelines, no amateur may accept any gift valued over $100 as a reward for athletic performance.

The third season of American Idol premiered on January 19, 2004. Gloria James touched off a firestorm of controversy when she was allowed to use her son's future earning power as collateral to secure a bank loan to buy an $80,000 Hummer H2 for his 18th birthday, prompting an investigation by the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA). Paul Anka made an appearance during the Season finale. Celebrities such as Shaquille O'Neal were attending his games, a few of which were being televised nationally on ESPN2 and on pay-per-view. Clark also alleged that Abdul gave him preferential treatment on the show because of their alleged romance. The petition was unsuccessful, but it led to an unprecedented level of attention on him as he entered his senior year. "King" James was already on the covers of Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine. The rumor mills were buzzing once again in 2005 when Season Two contestant Corey Clark, who was himself kicked off the show because of a police record he had not disclosed to the show, alleged that he had had an affair with judge Paul Abdul. LeBron then attempted to declare for the NBA draft, petitioning for an adjustment to the rule stating that a player must finish high school in order to be eligible.

Controversy arose when semi-finalist Frenchie Davis was booted from the show, after topless pictures she had taken four years before the show aired surfaced. Mary failed to defend their title as it moved up to the more-challenging Division II. Despite Studdard's win, Aiken has enjoyed more widespread popularity. Vincent-St. Out of 24 million votes cast, Studdard finished just 130,000 votes ahead of Aiken, although there remains controversy over the validity of the reported results. St. In season two with Seacrest as the lone host, Ruben Studdard was the winner with Clay Aiken as runner up. He also began using the nickname "King" James.

Guarini's self titled album was a flop, selling just 130,000 copies to date. Basketball and a spot on the All-USA First Team. Since then it has sold nearly 2 million copies, and includes such hits as "Since U Been Gone" (#2 on Billboard) and "Breakaway" (#6 on Billboard). In James's junior year, he averaged 29 points and 8 rebounds and was once again named Mr. Her first album Thankful debuted at #1, went double-platinum, and spawned the grammy-nominated hit "Miss Independent." Her sophomore album Breakaway debuted in November 2004 at #3 on the Billboard Charts. He added to his resume by being first-team all-state in high school football. Since winning, Clarkson has gone on to a successful musical career. Basketball" and USA Today selected him for the All-USA First Team, making him the first sophomore to be honored with such a nomination.

Numerous television specials starring the ten finalists followed, as well as the box office bomb entitled From Justin to Kelly. He was named Ohio's "Mr. Kelly Clarkson won, with Justin Guarini coming in second. Mary won another state title. In the first season the show was co-hosted by Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman. Vincent-St. The number next to a contestant's name denotes the number of times he or she was in the "Bottom Three". He averaged 25 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals as a sophomore as St.

Kelly Clarkson came in second after Norway's Kurt Nilsen. Mary High School 2000 State Championship team. In December 2003, winners of eleven different national Idol competitions were collected for a World Idol competition in London. Vincent-St. A spin-off series called American Juniors premiered on June 3, 2003. James first captured attention following a solid freshman year for the Division III St. This process is repeated each week until the one remaining contestant is declared the winner. His combinations of size, strength, and athletisism have many people predicting him to become the greatest player of all time.

Over the course of the episode, two are revealed as being "safe" for the week, and the loser is sent home after performing one final song to end the episode. Although he primarily plays the small forward position, he is capable of playing point guard and shooting guard as well. The bottom three vote-getters are separated from the remaining contestants. Today James, who stands 6 feet 8½ inches (2.05 m) and weighs 241 pounds, is one of the most versatile players in the NBA. In any case, each week on the following night's live "results" episode, the contestant with the fewest votes is sent home. A neighborhood couple befriended the boy and taught him basketball, for which he almost immediately showed a gift. However in Season Two, in the final three, one song was chosen randomly from a bowl, with one chosen by the performer and one by the judges. The identity of James's father has always been a mystery; the Akron Beacon Journal has reported that he is dead.

Instead, each contestant sings three songs: one of their own choice, one chosen by the judges, and one chosen by record executive Clive Davis. Born to a single mother, James was raised by her and a succession of her boyfriends, many of whom had criminal records. When there are three finalists remaining, themes are no longer used. LeBron James (born December 30, 1984 in Akron, Ohio) is an NBA basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Artists around whom themes have been based include Barry Manilow, Gloria Estefan, and Elton John. ISBN 1886228744. Some themes are based on music recorded by a particular artist, and the finalists have a chance to work with that artist in preparing their performances. Morgan, David Lee: LeBron James: The Rise of a Star, Gray & Company Publishers 2003.

Themes have included Motown, disco, big band music, and Billboard #1 hits. ISBN 0312322291. In the finals, which last eleven weeks, each finalist performs a song live in primetime from a weekly theme (two songs in later rounds). Martin's Griffin 2003. They can however watch movies, since they have no known distracting effect on the contestants. Jones, Ryan: King James: Believe the Hype, St. The only time when a contestant can be free from this rule as if he or she gets voted out.

This is to keep the contestants safe from terrorists, epidemics, paparazzi, and to distance contestants from distractions that might be detrimental to their singing ability. This stops contestants from using cell phones (unless between family members or during an emergency), the Internet (especially chatting and message boards), leaving the Hollywood jurisdiction, leaving their apartments without consent, watching TV (especially News and Sports), listening to radio stations, and reading newspapers during their duration in the competition. Also contestants are contracted to be "conclaved" from the outside world. Contestants who failed the test have not been allowed to proceed in the competion.

Semifinalists are also subjected to drug tests, in order to avoid scandals involving drug usage. Several finalists have been disqualified for revelations that surfaced late in the competition. Semifinalists (and in some cases, other contestants as well) must submit to background checks and may be summarily disqualified for past behavior deemed undesirable, such as an arrest record. This was changed to the procedure (see above) in the 4th season due to the abundace of females (and no males left in the final 4) in the third season.

In season 1, 5 contestants were chosen, and judges chose one to advance to the finals. Each judge chose one semifinalist to advance to the final round, and a studio audience vote determined the final wildcard spot, rounding out the field of twelve finalists. When all the semifinal shows had been completed, there was a wildcard phase. Each week for four (three for season one) weeks, one group would perform with the top two (three for season one) vote-getters from each group advancing to the finals.

In the first season, they were 30 contestants, divided into three groups of ten. During the middle seasons, the semifinal round consisted of 32 semifinalists who were divided into four groups of eight. At the end of the semifinal rounds, the six men and six women who remain advance to the finals. On the following night's episode the results of the nationwide vote are announced, and the bottom two vote-getters are eliminated each week.

Callers are allowed to vote as many times as they like for any number of contestants. Viewers have two hours following the broadcast of the show in their time zone to phone in votes for their favorite contestant by calling a toll-free number (viewers may also send text messages to vote). Each contestant performs live (in the eastern and central time zones), in primetime, a song of his or her choice, and receives critiques from the judges, who, from this point on, serve almost entirely in an advisory capacity, with little direct influence on the results. On three consecutive weeks, the male semifinalists perform only against the other men, and the women only against the other women.

Once in Hollywood, the three judges narrow the initial field of several hundred down to a group of 24 semifinalists, divided equally between men and women, who are invited to perform in the live portions of the show. His case was not taken up by the EEOC. In early 2003, a 50-year-old college professor named Drew Cummings filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, charging the show with age discrimination because producers denied him an audition due to his age. For the fourth season, the upper age limit was raised to 28 to attract more mature and diverse contestants.

citizens and, for the first three seasons, had to be 16 to 24 years of age. Contestants must be U.S. Some poor performances have attained notoriety on their own; these have included season two's performance of Madonna's "Like a Virgin" by Keith Beukelaer and season three's rendition of Ricky Martin's "She Bangs" by William Hung. Typically the judges express disgust or dismay or suppressed laughter.

Poor singers often face intense and humbling criticism from the judges, and especially from Cowell, who can be harsh and blunt in his rejections. These "contestants" have been selected by the preliminary panels in a negative sense, a typical combination is lack of singing ability combined with vanity regarding their "talent." Others are selected for human interest potential, the 2005 auditions featured a "cannibal" who had sampled human flesh in an anthropology class and an aspiring female prize fighter. These early episodes focus mainly on the poorest performances from contestants who often appear oblivious to their lack of star talent. One of the most popular portions of each season are initial episodes showcasing American Idol hopefuls auditioning before the panel of judges.

The contestants selected despite lack of singing talent for appearance before the panel provide a major attraction to the viewing audience as they simultaneously proclaim their talent while turning out gut-wrenching performances which are ridiculed by the judges. Those who impress a majority of the judges move on to the second round auditions which take place in Hollywood (typically only several dozen out of the thousands in each city move on). Contestants are required to sing a cappella. In order to be eligible, the contestants are not permitted to have any current recording or talent management agreements (but may have had one at some point in the past). Based on turnout and availability, producers select a certain number from the crowd to audition before the three judges (this may take several rounds).

These are generally held at large convention centers where thousands of people wait in line for auditions. In the show, hosted by Ryan Seacrest, hopeful contestants, after being screened by preliminary panels which select for singing talent or humorous potential and human interest, audition before three judges (Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson) in cities across the United States (sometimes a celebrity fourth judge is added). Each contestant gets a contract by one Bertelsmann's many music labels because Bertelsmann owns a 50/50 stake in Sony BMG. American Idol is produced by Fremantle North America which is owned by German Bertelsmann AG.

The show is a competition in which viewers can call in and vote on contestants to determine the best "undiscovered" young singer in the United States, with the winner receiving a major record deal, although some runners-up have achieved enough fame to ink record deals of their own. American Idol is a television show featured on the Fox Network in the United States, based on the popular British show Pop Idol. American Idol Season 4: The Showstoppers (2005). American Idol Season 3: Greatest Soul Classics (2004).

"What the World Needs Now" (single) (2003). "God Bless The U.S.A." (single) (2003). American Idol: The Great Holiday Classics (2003). American Idol Season 2: All Time Classic American Love Songs (2003).

American Idol Greatest Moments (2002). February 2, Brandy. February 1, LL Cool J. January 26, Kenny Loggins.

January 25, Gene Simmons of KISS. January 18, Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray.