The Beginning

The Beginning

The audition process is often long, beginning with thousands of candidates strategically interviewed and eliminated before being individually auditioned by show producers Ken Warwick and Nigel Lythgoe . They then audition before the three main judges - Simon Cowell (one of the judges from Pop Idol and The X Factor), Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson - in selected cities across the United States. Sometimes a celebrity fourth judge may be added. These are generally held at large convention centers where thousands of people wait in line for auditions. Past audition cities have included: New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Atlanta, Seattle, New Orleans, Chicago, Greensboro, Washington, D.C., Houston, Honolulu, Denver, Detroit, St. Louis, Boston, Las Vegas, Orlando, Nashville, Memphis, Dallas, Cleveland, Birmingham, San Antonio and Austin.
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 usually takes 2-4 rounds). Contestants are required to sing a cappella. Those who impress the 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). 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.

Much like the original Pop Idol version, one of the most popular portions of each season are initial episodes showcasing American Idol hopefuls auditioning before the panel of judges. These early episodes focus mainly on the poorest performances from contestants who often appear oblivious to their lack of star talent. 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. Other examples include a man dressed in pajamas with no shoes (whose comments made Cowell explode with laughter) and a transvestite who kisses Cowell on the cheek after her audition wraps up. Poor singers often face intense and humbling criticism from the judges, and especially from Cowell, who can be harsh and blunt in his rejections. Typically the judges express disgust or dismay or suppressed laughter. Some poor performances have attained notoriety on their own; these have included Season 1's portrayal of Lady Marmalade, Season 2's performance of Madonna's Like a Virgin by Keith Beukelaer and Season 3's rendition of Ricky Martin's She Bangs by William Hung.

American Idol Rewind

Season 1 (2002)
Kelly Clarkson Winner
Justin Guarini September 4
Nikki McKibbin August 28
Tamyra Gray August 21
RJ Helton August 14
Christina Christian August 7
Ryan Starr July 31
A.J. Gil July 24
Jim Verraros July 17
EJay Day July 17

Season 2 (2003)
Ruben Studdard Winner
Clay Aiken May 21
Kimberley Locke May 14
Joshua Gracin May 7
Trenyce April 30
Carmen Rasmusen April 23
Kimberly Caldwell April 16
Rickey Smith April 9
Corey Clark April 2
julia DeMato March 26
Charles Grigsby March 19
Vanessa Olivarez March 12

Season 3 (2004)
Fantasia Barrino Winner
Diana DeGarmo May 26
Jasmine Trias May 19
LaToya London May 12
George Huff May 5
John Stevens April 28
Jennifer Hudson April 21
Jon Peter Lewis April 14
Camile Velasco April 7
Amy Adams March 31
Matthew Rogers March 24
Leah LaBelle March 17

Season 4 (2005)
Carrie Underwood Winner
Bo Bice May 25
Vonzell Solomon May 18
Anthony Fedorov May 11
Scott Savol May 4
Constantine Maroulis April 27
Anwar Robinson April 20
Nadia Turner April 13
Nikko Smith April 6
Jessica Sierra March 30
Mikalah Gordon March 24
Lindsey Cardinale March 16

Season 5 (2006)
Taylor Hicks Winner
Katharine McPhee May 24
Elliott Yamin May 17
Chris Daughtry May 10
Paris Bennett May 3
Kellie Pickler April 26
Ace Young April 19
Bucky Covington April 12
Mandisa April 5
Lisa Tucker March 29
Kevin Covais March 22
Melissa McGhee March 15

Season 6

Season 6 of American Idol aired on January 16 2007 on Fox Network as Two nights and Four hour premiere.The season will last till late May. Once again Simon Cowell,Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson have returned as judges and Ryan Seacrest as the Host.

The audition shows will be spread over seven episodes, each covering one of the seven cities toured. They will air on Jan. 16, 17, 23, 24, 30, 31, and February 6.