American Idol: Stick a Fork in it—Maybe

American Idol: Stick a Fork in It—Maybe

Love it or hate it, A.I. put music in the mainstream

by Dendy Jarrett

Fifteen years. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long since American Idol debuted in June of 2002 and captivated the nation.

Yes, you could make an argument that American Idol sucked the soul out of the winning artists and created a generation of cookie-cutter artists. But that’s only half the story. What American Idol did achieve was seduce the public into paying attention to music—on prime-time network television, no less. And it also spawned myriad shows of a similar, musically-oriented nature including The Voice, America’s Got Talent, The Sing-Off, and more.

On Thursday, April 7th, American Idol took its final bow. The show is no more…in theory. We’ll see about that.

American Idol went out with a star-studded night of now very familiar artists, this season’s finalists, and current and former judges. Included in the lineup were faces you may have forgotten but where you probably said, “Hey, I remember that contestant!”

The night was full of primarily stellar performances by Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, season 2 runner-up Clay Aiken, Fantasia Barrino, season 3 runner-up, Diana DeGarmo. There was an incredible performance by Carrie Underwood and judge, Keith Urban.

There were also performances by season 5 successes (and one of my favorite years): winner Taylor Hicks, runner-up Katharine McPhee, and great performances by Chris Daughtry, Bucky Covington, Mandisa, Kellie Pickler, and Elliott Yamin.

Other great performances included Jennifer Hudson, Jordin Sparks, David Cook, Kris Allen, Lee DeWyze, Scotty McCreery, Phillip Phillips, Candice Glover, Caleb Johnson, Nick Fradiani and others.

As you might expect, the show also had some light moments with former original judges Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell, and Randy Jackson. As usual, Paula and Simon were poking fun at each another. And there was even a brief performance by season 3’s…uh…”sensation,” William Hung.

Critics may have felt the show had long outlived its usefulness, yet A.I. continued to have high ratings. While they were down from the show’s pinnacle, they were still high by the standards of other shows. Long-time advertiser/supporter Ford Motor Company never abandoned the show—so either someone’s lawyer really knows how to lock in a deal, or they saw a very good reason to continue their support. And no one can ignore the fact that in 2004 A.I. had become the most-watched show on U.S. television, and it maintained that position for the next seven consecutive seasons.

For me, the 15-year run—and many spin-offs—proves that yes, the world still loves music. People can’t get enough of good talent, especially in the context of a competition (remember, Elvis Presley got his start by winning a high school talent show). While there were times when I could easily wonder about some who thought they could sing when in reality they couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket, the show did produce some serious talent over the years—many of whom would never have become household names otherwise.

The finale ended with the announcement of the final American Idol winner, Trent Harmon with runner-up La’Prosha Renae (who was one of Trent’s biggest supporters). And just like that…fifteen years came to an end.

Or did it? In an emotional moment, show host Ryan Seacrest thanked the world for watching and said, “Good night America…(long pause) for now.”

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Dendy Jarrett is the Publisher and Director of Harmony Central. He has been heavily involved at the executive level in many aspects of the drum and percussion industry for over 25 years and has been a professional player since he was 16. His articles and product reviews have been featured in InTune Monthly, Gig Magazine, DRUM! and Modern Drummer Magazines.