20 years ago today, Jennifer Hudson was eliminated from American Idol: “From Idol to EGOT baby!!!”
Putting In The Work✌️20?????
I regret to inform you that the high school freshmen were born in
20 -
🤢
200 -
🤢🤢
2009.
🤮🤮🤮
I graduated in 2010. My niece was born in 2009 I should have made this connection already.
My sister is almost 10 years younger than me and she hit 21 a few years ago.
Shit is crazy. 20s went too fast
Ohh don’t worry, your 30’s will go twice as fast. 🤙
S A M E.
No... No this can't be right. Run the numbers again. 😭
2009 wtaf 😳
I work in a high school and nearly died when I saw them.
That’s not possible
Simple, who watched live 9/11’s on CNN? When I started to hear and read answers like „I hadn't been born yet“ i realised that i became an old fart.
sorry there’s no way this is right
I GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL in 2009
2008 if they where born later in the year
I have one. Our ‘little’ 10lb boy is now 6’1 and 190 asking about starting driving lessons.
wtf why are you letting a baby drive?
The way these types of shows have runner ups and ppl who don’t win become more famous than winners barring Kelly clarkson needs to be studied
Carrie Underwood and Scotty McCreery are well respected in country but yeah, you’re right.
I would argue Fantasia has done really well too.
When I See U is an R&B classic period
But she could and should be bigger. Fantasia can SANG
Only in the US, though. I live in Australia and nobody here knows her.
My uncultured is showing, I forgot they won 😭good point though.
She does the Sunday night football theme for crying out loud. Carrie is very successful
For 10 seasons! She is the resident SNF singer!
Did that get watched outside of the US?
Everything I know about that show, I learned from Ann and Leslie on Parks & Rec
lol are you thinking of Friday night lights? Sunday night football is the banner NFL game of the week, for which Carrie Underwood sings the theme song; Friday night lights is a fictional, scripted drama (based on a nonfiction book) about a football team in a small town in West Texas.
Probably, I don't know.
You have theme songs for actual sport events??
That's thrown me off so much, I didn't even read the rest of your comment properly
It's not the national anthem?
Sunday night football is the only weekly sporting event I can think of that has a theme song. Others have like… theme-ish music but not a whole production like SNF has. Maybe others do and I’m not just thinking of them, though.
The national anthem is separate from the theme song. The national anthem is sung before every NFL game though it’s not always televised.
Anyway, here’s Carrie’s SNF theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DKoCThd7-U
Also of note, it’s to the tune of Joan Jett’s “I Hate Myself for Loving You,” which, coincidentally, is how I feel about the NFL.
I’ll add to this: the footage behind her in the theme changes to footage of whichever two teams are playing that particular evening. The lyrics used to change in at least one of the theme songs (MNF) to work in the names of the players based on which teams were playing that particular game.
MNF also has a theme song. It’s Chris Stapleton these days, whom I love. https://youtu.be/GMEgK5MX4sM?si=3hO8C_Q6eSoZsFS9
This is an older one: https://youtu.be/QmQFz3WugQE?si=8Wlf8IrcnhXX2XPI
Oh duh, how could I forget “are you ready for some football”?
Hahah. No worries! I reread your comment like 5x going back and forth in my brain, thinking “There’s def a MNF song, too…right???” before ‘Are you ready for some football?’ popped in my brain so you’re all good. 🤣
Waiting All Day for Sunday Night plays ahead of the prime time game every Sunday night, and I'm sorry because I know she can sing, but it's absolutely terrible.
No offense but worldwide sporting events have theme songs too so I really don’t understand your confusion.
Clay Aiken had a decent career for a while, too. Not giant, but he made a couple decent albums.
Clay Aiken was also a runner up though, he lost to Ruben Studdard
Did carrie win?
Yes, Carrie Underwood crushed her season. Simon said something along the lines of her being the one winner with the potential to be bigger than Kelly.
He said that she was going to sell more albums than any other contestant, IIRC. Something about sales.
In that case he was right. Carrie has sold 15 mill to Kelly’s 13.5.
Cause next time that he cheatsss….. ooooh it wont be on meeeeee…. 🎼
I remember that. That was after she sang the song by Heart.
Kelly will always be the best to me.
Carrie is the highest selling winner
As one of the dozen Kelly Clarkson stans in existence, I would like to take this opportunity to encourage everyone to listen to her masterpieces ‘Sober’ and ‘Irvine’:
Sober:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Be4ci589Guk&pp=ygUUS2VsbHkgY2xhcmtzb24gc29iZXI%3D
Irvine:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dCalNw4wSjs&pp=ygUMSXJ2aW5lIGtlbGx5
I see you fellow stan! My December was woefully underrated.
I'm not a huge Kelly fan but My December is etched in my memory (in a good way). The cd got stuck in the CD player in my dad's SUV so it was all we listened to for like two years lmao
Ugh My December should have gotten so much more attention. Like Irvine is SO good
Do people not like Kelly???
I don’t think people dislike her by any means! Her music just isn’t super popular nowadays, so unless you regularly follow her talk show most people don’t keep up with her.
Oh okay! I'm a fan. I listen to her more now because I have her Sirius XM station saved in my car lol.
You know how there's Dad rock? Kelly is considered to be Mom pop unfortunately. Her covers have been get more popular with younger kids though (an observation i am basing solely on my younger siblings diacussions so grain of salt that).
Well, I like her song “since you’ve been gone”
Isn't it because the record deals the winners get signed into are usually garbage and there's never any proper promotion from their team/labels? Where as rumner ups or people eliminated go on to earn record deals that are probably less restricted and better for the artists.
I remember Justin & Kelly got roped into a beach musical movie no one seems to recall 😅 But all the winners after seemed to maybe make a few rounds on Morning Shows and release an album.
Underwood and Clarkson are the only ones I can think of that really stuck with it and made huge names for themselves that people know today.
Lmao I just posted the legendary mens necktie skirt in a different thread
I watched the new Puss in Boots today and goldilocks seemed to be wearing a men’s tie shirt in it! I was astounded and inspired. No idea it came from this movie!
I remember tie skirts being in teen magazines in the late 90s!
From Justin to Kelly! We all remember it 🤣
Well it’s if it’s the last two contestants it’s not out of the possibility that it will be a coin flip of who will be the most successful
Except for obvious cases like Adam Lambert vs Kris Allen. It was so clear who is going to be a star and who will be your run-of-the-mill singer.
One direction came in 3rd on the xfactor
It's the same in other countries. The only popular winner in Norway was the first season winner ftom 2003. He is still a big name. After that, most winners fade away after a year, and are never heard from again. But those that got 5th 10 years ago are still making albums. Heck the bottom half from 2004 are still active.
It was so bad people did not want to win, and begged their fans to vote... But not to much. Tho Idol was scrapped in favor of The Voice.
As a former Claymate I concur
Doesn't need to be studied to know they're all talented people and it's more about what they do with it after the show that matters .
Also the exposure coupled with social media can accelerate a fan base.
You can't predict the future lol
Fantasia had a better musical career while JHud had a better acting career. Both are successful in their own right.
They were on a singing show, not acting show. Nobody could've predicted Jhud would go the acting route.
This is so true for here in the UK too. Over many seasons of the X Factor, u could tell you the name of 2 winners that had maybe 1 or 2 songs released (bae Little Mix), and then never heard of again.
However the runners up went on to have massive careers, tons of hits... JLS, Olly Murs, One Direction...
Yes, Kelly Clarkston has proven herself.
I thought it was something to do with the contracts the winners get/sign that boxes them into what the show wants or something
My theory is:
If they get eliminated you go follow them on SM so you don’t miss out on what they do going forward. If they win, you think they got this amazing record deal. Just wait for their album to come out, right?
It doesn’t because they got a horrible record deal through winning. It’s better to lose. You get to pick and choose record label offers. I think when you join you agree to be signed to a certain label if you win. Idt you can get out of it and idk if a lawyer could get you out.
You see this in sports a lot too
We love an underdog round here
Yeah Adam Lambert is doing pretty well.
a actual performer that I like almost said exactly what you said and I'm in total agreement with both of you .
In the days of VCRs, my dad recorded the elimination episode for the rest of the family to watch when we all got home that evening. I remember we watched with bated breath as Ryan Seacrest said, “The person who is safe… is…” and then the screen cut to blue. The show ran over its expected time allotment so it didn’t fully record on the VHS. We had to Google on our dialup internet who got kicked off. It was a dramatic night.
Iconic
Oh my god, this exact thing happened to me with one of the American Idol finales (Season 6, 7 or 8, I can't remember). "The winner of American Idol is..." and then the tape cut off. 💀
“If I can do it, so can you!” Respect but I have zero talent, so no, I don’t think I can.
Your Reddit avatar is pretty cool, I consider that a talent
literally my first thought lol
Im not the one to quickly shout pessimism but even when being realistic about this - she clearly meant this to those within her field. Does not apply to people who hadnt sung a note in their life lmao.
Then again, that shouldn’t stop anybody to pursue what they want.
Autotune and AI can change that!
People are always so quick to thank their god, when all it really is, is genetics and a LOT of practice.
I think you’re kinda missing the point of believing in God though by saying it’s genetics lol. And even the practice comes down to believing you have any talent to go by in the first place & then the opportunity, time, health & support to be able to practice.
They aren't the only one with genetics and a lot of practice. Some people have better genetics, practice a lot more and might even get small opportunities but won't reach anywhere.
Idol was so good back in the day J Hudson, Fantasia, Clay Aiken, Reuben Studdard! Prime time tv
Adam Lambert 😭😭
Chris Daughtry!
His was the last season I watched. I am a Freddie Mercury stan, and very prejudiced against anyone - other than George Michael - covering Queen. Yet, the second I heard Adam's Bohemian Rhapsody audition, I was gobsmacked. And he just kept nailing it. Mad World and Whole Lotta Love were ridiculously good. And I completely disagree with the flak he got for Ring of Fire and Feeling Good. 🤷♀️ One of the most talented and charismatic performers to have ever emerged from that show.
His Cher "Muffin Man" is one for the ages.
And Believe!
Yeah!
I Stan!!!!
I LOVEd loved loved Chris Daughtry. Was SO mad when he was eliminated!!
Season 5 had the most talented all around top ten contestants of all seasons. They all had/have careers to this day. Idol has gone downhill ever since.
Me too
Omg, your comment made have a vivid flashback to “there’s something ‘bout the way you look tonight”
Hold up, what do you mean 20 years ago?
If you busted a nut at that same time, your kid would be old enough to vote in their first Presidential Election.
Now you don't have to put it that way
Don’t think crusty socks are allowed to vote.
What are you talking about? Senior Citizens in Kentucky are some of the nations biggest voter turn out.
I refuse to believe this was 20 years ago. I remember watching the episode live with my mom. I voted for Jennifer and was crushed she was sent home.
I remember it because some smart ass thought they were so witty bashing on Fantasia because she left her kid for a few months to do the show "on a gamble." (Yes, she was white, in case you were wondering)
Like, Fantasia was a teen mother who was at best functionally illiterate at the time she got on the show. What other opportunities was she realistically gonna get to better her life otherwise? Yeah, it was a huge risk that thankfully paid off and now that 2 yr old toddler can afford to attend any college she chooses.
To this day, I am still befuddled what the actual fuck that chick thought she was achieving with that comment when her ass was the second most uncoordinated person in our color guard besides me. But that was my first year ever doing that, and she'd apparently been to competitions in her San Diego high school, so what was her excuse? 🙃
Fantasia was functionally illiterate?
From Wikipedia:
In September 2005, Barrino published a memoir, dictated to a freelance writer, titled Life Is Not a Fairy Tale. In it, she revealed she was functionally illiterate.
I don't know this either!
I'm curious how she learned her songs for the show.
Probably just listened to them being sung by somebody else and then practiced them in her own way.
Probably however people learned music for the thousands of years before we had written language
Yeah it was a whole thing. I'm happy for her success.
It didn’t help when she released a single called Baby Mama.
The American Idol heyday honestly lasted so long. It was at peak from the first year with Kelly Clarkson in 2002 all the way to the Kris Allen/Adam Lambert season in 2009 and EVERYONE was watching it back then. It was always the #1 rated show of the week (because it wasn’t competing with the NFL since it was only on half the year, January-May). Everyone was always talking about who bombed and who was the shocking elimination and everything all the time.
My fun fact whether this comes up is that the reason she was voted off is because a lot of her voter base were in the Chicago Area and there was a big tornado throughout Northern IL that prevented folks from voting. 13 year old me was very upset to not get my vote in.
Wait this is so interesting, thanks! Not to make you feel old, but I was born 2 days after this in Chicago. Cool to know my mom went through a tornado and childbirth all in 3 days lol.
When her, Fantasia and LaToya London were in the bottom 3… literally the three best singers that year… what a mess. America did them so dirty that night and I’ll never be happy about that
Not only that but Seacrest and the producers were so shitty in that episode. Remember that they split 6 of them into two groups and then they made George Huff go step into the top group. Which meant that he had to decide which of his competitors were the top and which were the bottom.
Hated that for him.
I hate when reality show producers do this
That’s when I knew idol watchers were… sus…
I'll say it: they were racist :)))
Yes. Ha ha.
I rage quit this show when LaToya got eliminated.
Who won that year?
Fantasia
Another queen
The older seasons of American Idol were amazing. You just had to be there. I’m glad Jennifer Hudson got the career she deserved after being eliminated. This has me thinking about some people who didn’t such as Jessica Sanchez and Joshua Ledet. Adam Lambert deserves more too.
Edit: one of my favourite Idol performances was I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) by Joshua Ledet & Jessica Sanchez.
If you haven’t seen it you definitely should! It will make you wonder how BOTH of them ended up losing!!
I’m gonna go watch it again LOL
Isn’t Adam Lambert touring internationally with Queen?
True. But I still think he deserves more!!! He’s not as popular as he should be as one of the best male singers of our generation imo.
I feel like standing in the shoes of Freddie Mercury is testament to that.
I’m a huge Adam fan but I’m sure at the end of the day, he would’ve loved to make it as an independent artist. But he’s probably the only male vocalist alive that could stand in for Freddie, so Queen lucked out.
THIS……… IS AMERICAN IDOL
AaaaaaaaAHHHHHHH ooOOooooOOOOOO
It’s so amazing to see how successful both of them have become. Platinum albums, broadway shows, academy award winners/nominees. They deserve every bit of it.
fantasia has never won or been nominated for an oscar
But hopefully that door will open to her after TCP! She’s played in her one lane for awhile, growth should be on her menu.
I meant to put Emmys for Fantasia but I thought the /nominees was obvious enough to recognize I was acknowledging that they were both award nominated women.
Are there any lesser known Idol contestants who are success stories? Jennifer Hudson, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Fantasia and Adam Lambert are obviously quite successful. Also Clay Aiken and Chris Daughtry did quite well for a while.
One recent success story that surprised me is Anoop Desai (Noop Dog as Randy called him). He's appeared in guest roles on Billions and Russian Doll and has a recurring role on What We Do in the Shadows and the upcoming Under the Bridge (which stars Lily Gladstone and Riley Keough).
Diana Degarmo went on to do broadway and television. Idk if they’re technically lesser known but Kellie Pickler had success in country and Katherine MacPhee married David Foster and does television.
Forgot to mention Katharine McPhee. She was definitely one of the buzziest past contestants in the 2010s.
She's married to some rich old guy now. I don't think she's making music RN but I could be mistaken
Does Anoop still sing?
As a south Asian who grew up more on the later idol seasons, it was nice to see someone make it as far as he did on idol.
The last season I really remember was the Jessica Sanchez season and that’s only because someone from my high school was on it and made it to I think the Top 9 but got eliminated.
I don't think he does. His recent acting career seems to have begun with an off-Broadway show in 2018 but he's doing quite well for now. He's in Halina Reijn's (director of Bodies Bodies Bodies) next film with Nicole Kidman and Antonio Banderas.
20? Excuse me while I puke omg….😳
20 years?!?! Nooooooo
I recall my dad being so annoyed she was eliminated that he stopped watching.
This is icon behavior
Damn, she’s an EGOT winner? Daaaaaaaamn. Get it girl!
She truly is an inspiration with an undeniable natural gift.
I want this for Latoya so badly
For a long time that show had winners who were NOT the best singers and where MANY of the winners today are no where and the legit good ones finishing 2-5 are still big today.
Didn’t Simon Cowell shade her for referring to Idol as a stepping stone toward greater things? She proved that she was a star without Idol making her one.
One of the greatest vocalists of our generation
I still say she was eliminated cause American realized she didn’t need to win, her time/exposure made her career already and the win was unnecessary
Where’s my boy Reuben Studdard? I hope he’s well ✨
Thought it was Sanjaya for real at first.
Oh no lol 💀
Wait she didn’t win????
Simon Cowell was so mean to her-I recall he made nasty comments on the outfits that she said her aunt made! My heart ached for her! She was so obviously talented and genuinely sweet. It seemed so unnecessarily cruel.
I'm glad she succeeded and had the last laugh. 💗💗💗
And this was when I stopped watching American Idol. I never agreed with the audience voting to be the reason someone stayed or not.
She was amazing and still is.
I love Jennifer Hudson! Had no idea she was an EGOT but not surprised, the lady is multitalented AND classy!!
Losing these shows is the best thing that can happen to you. Being smart enough to get a lawyer and read through contracts before signing is priceless. If you win you get put into a contract that will probably ruin your career.
If you lose, people follow you on social media to keep up with what you do in the future. If you win people think “hey, they have a record deal. They’re gonna make a whole album and I’ll hear about it when it’s released!” That never happens cause if your bad record deal and you’re fucked.
She is unbelievably talented. So happy she was able to achieve the success she’s had. Shes up there with Whitney.
It's pretty hilarious how almost everyone who lost that fuckin' show has had more success by *far* than the winners.
I always talk about this!!!!!
I remember when JHud was eliminated. I remember thinking they were stupid to do that. I was never a huge Idol fan but I remember that JHud stuck out to me. I’m so glad to see what’s happened to her since. She was clearly a star and deserves every award she’s gotten imho.
I hope she called up Simon Cowell after she got her Oscar, and simply said “fuck you bastard!”
God’s plan!
God didn’t do shit. You did it! Take credit yourself.
People are allowed to be Christian and believe in God...
I can’t stand ‘if I can do it, so can you!’
7.5 billion people can be famous singers? Right.
Luck, stars lining up, then talent, then a lot more luck.
She is saying follow your dream, not her dream.
Emmy Grammy Oscar Tony
She was good but Fantasia sang rings around everyone that season.
I still listen to her Summertime cover
I was a fan of Broadway's Dream Girls as a child. But, she stole the show in the movie. EGOT ⭐
I was a kid when this season aired, and the only thing I vividly remember about J-Hud this season was that she was dressed in silver one time and Simon Cowell referred to her as a Thanksgiving turkey. lol
Can someone tell me what EGOT is?
Emmy Golden Globe Oscar Tony (Award winner 🏆)
She has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award.
I mean... I'm sure being insanely talented also helps!
Me and my mum would watch American idol on uk tv on itv 2 and get so excited for each episode coming on I remember the fantasia and Jennifer season so clearly! Real nostalgia.
Her story is truly so inspirational
Not me trying to press play on the screenshot 🤦🏾♀️
20?… 20… nah bro I’m a fossil AINT NO WAY WAS IT TWENTY YEARS AGO
the only thing I can remember about Jennifer Hudson is that she was married to a dude who was on I Love New York...you know the spin off of Flava Flav's love comp.
Stay fabulous, JHud! I would like to see her in another Broadway musical.
The last good season of American Idol if we're being honest. (Also, i think there should be a study on how the runner up for these types of competition shows almost always ends up having a more successful career than the winner 🥴)
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