American Idol Finale Audience Off From Last Year

LOS ANGELES—The "American Idol" triumph of 17-year-old Jordin Sparks drew nearly 6 million fewer viewers than last year's finale, in the latest sign that U.S. television's highest-rated show may have finally hit its peak.

According to a final tally from Nielsen Media Research on Thursday, 30.7 million fans watched as the Arizona teenager was crowned the youngest champion at the end of the sixth installment of Fox network's amateur singing contest.

The Wednesday night total is down 16 percent from the 36.4 million who tuned in to see gray-haired soul crooner Taylor Hicks claim victory at the conclusion of last year's competition.

For the season as a whole, "American Idol" was down slightly in average overall audience compared with 2006, and off a bit more in ratings for viewers aged 18 to 49, the key young-adult crowd most prized by advertisers.

That marks the first year-to-year decline in the show's Nielsen numbers since its 2002 inception, despite media hype and Internet buzz this year surrounding two contestants -- the racy photos of Antonella Barba and the wacky-haired sensation stirred by Sanjaya Malakar.

Moreover, the show that has built Fox into a prime-time powerhouse for young viewership has continued to grow steadily older.

Nielsen figures show the median age of "Idol" viewers has risen from 34 to 41 during the past five years, and that viewers over 50 now account for about a third of the show's audience, compared to less than 20 percent in 2003.

Jordin Sparks will be named the new American Idol - if North America's most popular and embarrassing TV addiction really is a singing competition.

Last night, the 17-year-old Arizona native blew her competition, 25-year-old Blake Lewis from Seattle, out of the running with two phenomenal performances which should earn her the Idol crown.

In front of more than 4,000 fans inside Hollywood's Kodak Theatre and millions of viewers around the world, the final two went head-to-head for cheers, votes and words of encouragement from the judges.

Singing three selections - a favourite from the past season, a new pick and the corny Idol song - they both gave it their all in hopes of becoming the next Taylor Hicks or Kelly Clarkson.

Here's how it went.

Round One goes to Blake Lewis.
Lewis picked his favourite song from the past season, Bon Jovi's You Give Love a Bad Name. While the performance certainly showed off his mad beat-boxing skills, it was a terrible choice for highlighting his smooth vocals.

Judge Simon Cowell, as always, called it correctly, saying although Lewis shouted the words at times, he killed the song.

"You're not the best singer in the competition, but you are the best entertainer I think we've had," he added.

As for Sparks, she sang Christina Aguilera's Fighter, which the judges agreed was a great vocal performance, but lacked anything extra.

"You were brilliant. It sounded amazing," said Randy Jackson, who felt Sparks won the first round based on her voice, but Lewis stole it based on entertainment value.

Paula Abdul, who apparently had a broken nose, called it a tie, but Cowell spilt the panel's indecision by going with Lewis.

Round two goes to Jordin Sparks.

In a total shocker, Lewis picked a Maroon Five song. This time, with She Will be Loved, he let his vocals shine, but left his personality back stage.

"You sounded great," Abdul told him, before Cowell rang in with his criticism of the song choice. "It was good. It was safe. It wasn't as good as the first song."

Sparks, also remaining tightly in the conventional box, chose Martina McBride's A Broken Wing, which earned her rave reviews on an previous Idol episode. Once again, she hit it out of the park, wowing the fans in the Kodak Theatre with her insane voice.

"That was flawless. I think better than the original," said Jackson.

Added Cowell, "Now that was good."

Round three goes to Jordin Sparks.

Painful is the only word to describe Lewis' performance of this season's cheesy Idol song, This is My Now, written by two guys from Seattle. It's not that he messed up the lyrics or cracked his voice, he just had difficulty singing a sappy ballad that has nothing to do with the kind of music he'll eventually record.

"I thought that was a little odd," said Cowell, as Lewis nodded in agreement. "I think we have to judge you tonight primarily on your first two performances."

Sparks, on the other hand, seemed a perfect match for the emotional tune.

"You just wiped the floor with Blake on that song," Cowell told the tearful singer.

But it was Jackson who truly summed up the night. "You were the best singer tonight. You deserve it all."

The two-hour American Idol final result's show airs tonight on Fox and CTV. tara.merrin@sunmedia.ca

Jordin Sparks - Awards

A list of awards and honors that Jordin Sparks has received in the course of her career.

Coca Cola Rising Star 2002

Family Night Talent Show Five-time 1st Place Finals Winner at Mr. Lucky's in Glendale, Arizona, 2003

Glendale Youth Fest 2003: Teen Talent Show, 1st Place

GMA (Gospel Music Association) Academy, Washington, D.C., Overall Spotlight Winner & Country/Southern Gospel First Place Winner, 2004

Country Thunder Young Guns Second Place Winner, 2004

The Proof Is In The Pudding Talent Winner, Phoenix, Arizona, 2004

NBC/PAX America's Most Talented Kids, 2005

Colgate Country Showdown, Arizona state title, 2006.

Runner-up in the 2007 Drug Free AZ Superstar Search. Tempe, Arizona www.drugfreeaz.com

Plus-size model search winner for Torrid

Winner of KSAZ's "Arizona Idol" contest, giving her a guaranteed chance to audition in front of the judges.

Winner of Arizona Idol 2006

American Idol Winner, May 2007

Jordin Sparks - Songs

On Sparks' old website, new songs have been released, three of which the first three have been co-written with Gary Leach.

"The Inside"
"When The Pain Goes Away"
"Just Me"
"Crazy"
"Give Me One Reason"
"Reflection"

Jordin Sparks - Albums

For Now

Released: November, 2003 (U.S)
RIAA certification: N/A

The new album will include her single: This is My Now. (as stated on the American Idol finale)

American Idol - Season 6 - Finals

Week 1 - 13 March 2007 with special guest Diana Ross, she performed Diana Ross' song "If We Hold On Together" from the Land Before Time series. All three judges were impressed with her stellar vocal performance, and even went as far as saying that she had earned herself a spot in the "three-girl race" with fellow competitors Lakisha Jones and Melinda Doolittle.
Week 2 - 20 March 2007 with special guest Lulu, Sparks sang "I (Who Have Nothing)", first made popular by Ben E. King in 1963, and also recorded by Shirley Bassey and Tom Jones. A reviewer on EW.com called her performance "powerful" and "passionate", ranking it one of the top-20 Idol performances of all time.
Week 3 - 27 March 2007 with special guest Gwen Stefani, Jordin performed "Hey Baby", originally performed by No Doubt in 2001.
Week 4 - 3 April 2007 with special guest Tony Bennett, Sparks sang "On a Clear Day". She received fairly positive reviews from the judges. That week it was announced that she had been voted in the top 3 alongside Lakisha Jones and Melinda Doolittle.
Week 5 - 10 April 2007 with special guest Jennifer Lopez, Sparks sang "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You", originally recorded by Gloria Estefan & The Miami Sound Machine in 1987. She received fairly positive reviews.
Week 6 - 17 April 2007 with special guest Martina McBride, Sparks sang "A Broken Wing". After a standing ovation from the audience and positive reviews from Judges Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul, Simon said that it was the first time he had believed that "based on that performance, you [Jordin] could win American Idol." During the results, Jordin was placed in a group alongside Chris Richardson and Phil Stacey, which later was revealed to be the safe group of the night.
Week 7 - 24 April 2007 during the Idol Gives Back special, Jordin sang "You'll Never Walk Alone." Judge Randy Jackson said “I think that’s one of the best vocals by any contestant ever on this show, ever in six seasons, and it’s from someone that’s seventeen years old.” On the results show the following night, after Ryan Seacrest had gone through all the contestants but her and Chris Richardson, he announced that Chris was safe. He mentioned how it was "extremely shocking" that the results turned out like this, but it turned out to be a twist as Jordin was also safe. Because it was a charity night, nobody was let go. Instead, the votes from this week would be added to next week's votes, and it will eliminate not one contestant, but two contestants.
Week 8 - 1 May 2007 with special guest Bon Jovi, Sparks sang "Livin' on a Prayer". She received mixed reviews for her performance. Randy said that she had pitch problems during the lower notes of the song, and Simon even went as far as to say it was "terrible" and on the verge of shrieking. After a combined total of Weeks 7 and 8's votes, Jordin survived elimination night. Phil Stacey and Chris Richardson were voted off that week.
Week 9 - 8 May 2007 with special guest Barry Gibb, who was the lead singer of the Bee Gees, Jordin performed "To Love Somebody". Gibb said Jordin sang the song better than anyone he had ever seen. The three judges all agreed that it was the best performance and vocal so far for the night. Jordin then sang "Woman in Love", which was not received as well. Randy and Paula agreed that it wasn't her best and was slightly pitchy. Simon went so far to say that she was too pageant-y and old-fashioned, and said that "you are 17, Jordin" to remind her to stay young.
Week 10 - 15 May 2007 Jordin first sang Rose Royce's "Wishing on a Star" which was Simon's choice and received good reviews from Paula and Randy but a bad review from Simon, who did not like the arrangement. She also sang Donna Summer's "She Works Hard For the Money" which recieved good reviews by all three judges. Lastly, she sang Shirley Bassey's "I (Who Have Nothing)" which received very good reviews from Randy and Paula but Simon didn't like the song choice.
Week 11 - 22 May 2007 Jordin's first song of the night was Christina Aguilera's "Fighter" and received good reviews. She also sang Martina McBride's "A Broken Wing" and for her last performance Scott Krippayne & Jeff Peabody's " This is My Now" which got a standing ovation. That next night, she was declared the "American Idol". She is the fourth winner to never have been in the bottom three or two during the final twelve, after Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Taylor Hicks.

Jordin Sparks Semi-Finals

In the first voting rounds, Sparks gave an upbeat and well-received performance of "Give Me One Reason", written by Tracy Chapman in 1995. Jordin continued to deliver solid performances including "Reflection", originally performed by Christina Aguilera and "Heartbreaker", originally performed by Pat Benatar in 1979. Jordin advanced to the final rounds.

Jordin Sparks - Audition

Jordin Sparks first auditioned in Seattle, Washington. She was featured in the audition episode aired on January 17, 2007. Sparks sang "Because You Loved Me" by Celine Dion. The judges were overall impressed with her vocals, though Simon criticized her for "being too cute," but Sparks was sent on to the Hollywood rounds of the show.

American Idol Season 6

Week #	Song Choice	Original Artist	Result
Top 24	Give Me One Reason	Tracy Chapman	Safe
Top 20	Reflection	Christina Aguilera	Safe
Top 16	Heartbreaker	Pat Benatar	Safe
Top 12	If We Hold On Together	Diana Ross	Safe
Top 11	I (Who Have Nothing)	Shirley Bassey	Safe
Top 10	Hey Baby	No Doubt	Safe
Top 9	On a Clear Day	Tony Bennett	Safe Top 3
Top 8	Rhythm Is Gonna Get You	Gloria Estefan	Safe
Top 7	A Broken Wing	Martina McBride	Safe
Top 6	You'll Never Walk Alone	Rogers and Hammerstein	Safe Non-Elimination Week
Top 6	Livin' on a Prayer	Bon Jovi	Safe
Top 4	To Love Somebody Woman in Love	Bee Gees Barbra Streisand / Bee Gees	Safe
Top 3	Wishing on a Star She Works Hard for the Money I (Who Have Nothing)	Rose Royce Donna Summer Shirley Bassey	Safe
Finale	Fighter A Broken Wing This Is My Now	Christina Aguilera Martina McBride Jordin Sparks	Winner

Jordin Sparks - Career

Sparks appeared on the January 17, 2007 broadcast of American Idol, earning a "gold ticket" and the right to appear in the Hollywood Round. American Idol judge Randy Jackson, made the offhand prediction that "Curly hair will win this year," which may have been made in reference to Sparks. Before going on to American Idol, she won Arizona Idol. In 2006, Sparks was one of two winners who won the Phoenix Torrid search for the "Next Plus Size Model." She was flown to California where she was used in a number of Torrid ads and promotional pieces. A full-page ad for Torrid featuring Jordin ran in the December 2006 issue of Seventeen magazine. Sparks finished second in 2004 at the Music in the Rockies national competition for aspiring Contemporary Christian Music artists. In 2004, Sparks appeared in America's Most Talented Kids twice, winning in her first appearance. She was one of seven to appear in a special championship edition of the show. This appearance followed two noted auditions in 2003, one with American Juniors and the other, Star Search. Sparks has performed the national anthem at various sporting events, notably for the Phoenix Suns, the Arizona Cardinals, and the Arizona Diamondbacks. She has also sung in such events as Country Thunder, a country music venue. She has appeared with Alice Cooper (in his 2004 Christmas show) and has twice toured with Christian contemporary singer Michael W. Smith. Smith has shown support of Sparks by encouraging Idol viewers to vote for her on his website. In 2003, at the age of thirteen, Sparks recorded a five-song album titled For Now, working with Matthew Ward, a legendary Christian music artist, and Gary Leach, an engineer who has worked on several of Leann Rimes' albums. She appeared in a compilation album titled Live at Mr. Lucky's in 2004. As an actress, Sparks has appeared in several plays, recently starring in a dual role as characters Deborah and Bea in Magdalene at the Plumbline Theater in Franklin, Tennessee. She's also performed several times with Vaudeville Youth Theatre Company and Valley Youth Theatre in Phoenix. Her first appearance was in March 2002 as an Emerald City dancer and as a poppy in The Wiz. She also appeared in Viet's production of Cinderella in June 2002 and another production of The Wiz in August 2002.

Jordin Sparks - Biography - Early life

Jordin Sparks was born in Staten Island, New York to Jodi Wiedmann and Phillippi Sparks, a former NFL football player for the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys. She has a younger brother PJ (Phillippi Sparks, Jr). Sparks is currently homeschooled[citation needed] and is a resident of Glendale, Arizona.

Jordin Sparks

Jordin Brianna Sparks (born on December 22, 1989 in Staten Island, New York) is an American singer. On May 23, 2007, she was declared the winner of the 2007 season of the reality television show American Idol. At 17, this makes her the youngest winner in American Idol history, as well as the first teenager to win.

American Idol (season 6) Winner

The sixth season of American Idol premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company on January 16, 2007 and ran until May 23, 2007. Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson returned to judge once again, and Ryan Seacrest returned as host. It was won by Jordin Sparks.