American Idol season 9
The ninth season of American Idol premiered on Fox on Tuesday, January 12, 2010, and concluded on Wednesday, May 26, 2010. Simon Cowell, Kara DioGuardi, and Randy Jackson returned as judges and were joined by Ellen DeGeneres, who was brought on as a replacement for Paula Abdul after a series of guest judges filled in for the auditions. Idol Gives Back returned on April 21, 2010. The top 24 semifinal format used in the fourth through seventh seasons also returned this season. Cowell, DioGuardi, and DeGeneres all left the show after this season, although only Cowell's departure was announced in advance.
Lee DeWyze, a folk rocker from Mount Prospect, Illinois, won the competition, beating out fellow folk rocker Crystal Bowersox, who was the runner-up. Multiple contestants from this season were signed to record deals including DeWyze, Bowersox, Casey James, Michael Lynche, and Siobhan Magnus. Several contestants who did not even make it to the semifinals eventually had a breakthrough in the music industry, including Tori Kelly, Lauren Daigle, and Tasha Layton.
Changes from previous seasons
did not return to the judges panel, having announced in the beginning of August 2009 that she was leaving the show due to unresolved contract negotiations. Victoria Beckham, Mary J. Blige, Shania Twain, Katy Perry, Avril Lavigne, Joe Jonas, Neil Patrick Harris, and Kristin Chenoweth were brought on as guest judges during the auditions.After making the decision to utilize guest judges in Abdul's absence, Fox chairman Peter Rice said that they would find a permanent fourth judge before the season premiere in January 2010. Ellen DeGeneres confirmed on September 9, 2009, that she would be joining the show as the new permanent fourth judge for the rounds held at CBS Television City for Hollywood Week and thereafter.
Additionally, Simon Cowell announced shortly before the ninth season began that it would be his last season on American Idol. Cowell left the show to begin preparations for an American version of his singing competition The X Factor. DeGeneres announced on July 29, 2010, that she would not return to the judges panel because it was not the "right fit" for her. Kara DioGuardi also announced on September 3, 2010, that she would not return as a judge for the tenth season.
Regional auditions
Auditions began on June 14, 2009, less than a month after the previous season's finale. During this stage, a series of guest judges filled in on the judging panel. Auditions were held in the following cities.Hollywood week
Held at the Kodak Theatre for the second straight year, the first day of Hollywood Week featured the 181 contestants from the auditions round singing solo with the option of playing an instrument. Ellen DeGeneres made her first appearance as a judge at this time. 96 contestants advanced. The next round required the contestants to split into groups and perform. 71 advanced to the final round of Hollywood requiring a solo performance. 46 made it to the final round, where the judges spoke to the contestants one-by-one to tell them whether they had made the final 24.Semifinals
The semifinal format used during the fourth through seventh seasons was revived for this season. Starting with twelve women and twelve men, the women and men performed weekly on separate shows, each performing a Billboard Hot 100 song, and on the results show, the bottom two contestants from each group were eliminated from the competition. The semifinals took place over three weeks, meaning that six men and six women were eliminated, leaving the other six men and six women to form the top 12. The women performed on the first night, and the males the next night. However, the men and women switched on March 2 and March 3, because Crystal Bowersox had been hospitalized due to complications from diabetes.Color key:
Top 24
Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Top 20Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
|