This year American Idol is coming to a close after 15 amazing seasons on the air. It has been one of my favorite shows and I’ve watched it since 2010, when I was eight. It has been a great show for artists giving famous singers like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks, Jennifer Hudson, Fantasia, Ruben Studdard, Chris Daughtry, Adam Lambert, and Kellie Pickler their start. But as they say, all good things must come to an end.

This show originated off of another show in Britain called “Pop Idol.” This was a very successful show featuring young artists trying to show the world their talent. The original judges for the show were Simon Cowell, a strict man from England who is a producer, Paula Abdul, a successful pop artist and dancer of the time, and Randy Jackson ,also involved in music management. They were a tremendous trio for the show and the best judges that it has ever had. When they left the show, it seemed that the quality of the talent chosen declined, yet it has picked back up again during certain years. Other judges included Kara DioGuardi, Ellen DeGeneres, Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, Keith Urban, and Harry Connick, Jr. I believe that the original three were the best because Simon was so strict that he made everyone get better. Paula was able to comfort the artists leaving the show and knew about performing, and Randy was very knowledgeable in all aspects. The host, Ryan Seacrest, really made the show as well. He really got people to listen and watch and knew how to make people wait in suspense.

Many people that came out of this show were just small town dreamers wanting to sing for the rest of their lives. Kelly Clarkson was the winner of season 1 and is my favorite artist to come off the show. She had a true emotional connection to many of the songs she sang due to the fact that her father left her when she was six years old. Kelly was living in her car at the time she auditioned and just wanted to pay her rent, but ended up winning. She just kept getting better and better every week, and ended up becoming incredible. They gave her a song called “A Moment Like This.” This started off her career and she has become a superstar. Kelly also came back for the last season and sang “Piece by Piece” at the end of the show, which is a very emotional song. It had many of the judges crying. Here is the link to that performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FHYBQxURQo

Carrie Underwood and Kellie Pickler were two country girls wanting a career in music as well. Carrie had an incredibly powerful voice and her range was insane. Kellie had that country sound that was enjoyed by many. However, Kellie didn’t end up winning the show–she lost against Taylor Hicks in season 5. Carrie did win in season 4 of Idol and has gone on to be the face of country music for women, winning many Grammys and having tons of hit albums.

Fantasia and Jennifer Hudson were two of the stand out power houses of season 3. They were called the divas of idol and really sang from the heart. Jennifer had been picked on by many people about her weight over the years and Fantasia had been abused by her husband. This gave them the emotion that they needed to make people connect to their singing. However, they were so alike that they ended up splitting the vote and were in the bottom three during the week of the top 8. Jennifer got sent home after losing the vote by a small margin. She still went on to make more music and also win a Grammy for her performance in Dreamgirls. Fantasia never again was in the bottom three and in fact ended up winning the show. She appeared on Broadway for many years afterward.

Jordin Sparks and Ruben Studdard were fan favorites of Idol the years that they were on. Jordin was very talented and could pretty much sing the phonebook. She had a very strong and powerful voice and was also a plus-size model. Jordin ended up winning season 6 of idol at only 17 years old. She was the youngest idol to ever win. Ruben was a big teddy bear with a soft and sweet iconic voice. He sounded very familiar to the late Luther Vandross. Ruben also won the show in season 2 of idol.

Finally, Chris Daughtry and Adam Lambert were the rockers of American Idol. Daughtry was loved by many fans and had that rough rocker sound that no one else could copy. He just sounded like Daughtry and nobody else. As for Adam, he was an incredible vocalist. He had the true soul that everyone liked to hear and the range and tone to go with it. He always picked all the right songs and many fans loved his black hair. Surprisingly, neither Adam or Daughtry won the show. Adam lost to Kris Allen in season 8 of idol. Daughtry lost to Taylor Hicks in season 5.

As you can see many ordinary people rose to stardom due to American Idol. From Kelly Clarkson to Carrie Underwood, Idol is the only show that has produced such talent that has survived in the industry still today. Even though I was sad to see it go after 15 seasons, I think that it was about time. The Voice on NBC has taken over the world of singing shows due to their unique mentoring one-on-one and blind auditions with the artists. However, Simon Fuller, who produced Idol, isn’t giving up just yet. Ryan Seacrest hinted at a reincarnation of the show at the conclusion of the last episode of Idol: “Goodbye for now America.” Simon Fuller was interviewed and said that the end of this show is giving him a chance to come up with new ideas to keep Idol modern and loved by the younger generation. He wants to create new rules for the show and come up with new concepts. So, is this really the “Farewell Season,” or will Idol be back again to be enjoyed by the masses? I guess we’ll find out in a couple of years.