American Idol (season 2)
The second season of American Idol premiered on January 21, 2003, and continued until May 21, 2003. The title of show was shortened from American Idol: The Search for a Superstar of Season 1 to just American Idol. Brian Dunkleman quit after the first season, and Ryan Seacrest therefore became the lone host in Season 2 as well as all subsequent seasons. Kristin Holt was a special correspondent.
It was won by Ruben Studdard. It was the first season to crown a male winner, and the first season to have a finale with two male contestants, Studdard and Clay Aiken.
Studdard released his coronation song "Flying Without Wings" after the show and reached number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Aiken also released a single with "This Is the Night", written by Chris Braide, Aldo Nova and Gary Burr. It became the first non-winning contestant to have a Billboard Hot 100 number-one. It was also the biggest US single of 2003, selling over one million copies and reaching six times platinum status in Canada as well as number 1 in New Zealand.
In addition to Studdard and Aiken, Kimberley Locke, Joshua Gracin, Kimberly Caldwell, and Carmen Rasmusen have signed with various record labels.
Regional auditions
Auditions were held in the fall of 2002 in the following cities:The number of auditioners increased significantly after the success of the first season, and arenas and stadiums started to be used to hold the first auditions from this season onwards when the Rose Bowl in Pasadena was used this season instead of the hotel originally planned. Around 70,000 attended the auditions this season and 234 were selected to proceed on to the Hollywood round. Radio DJ Angie Martinez was originally signed up as a fourth judge, but quit after a few days, stating that "it became too uncomfortable for me to tell someone else to give up on their dream". Paula Abdul was absent from the Atlanta audition.
At the Miami auditions, one failed auditioner was Edgar Nova who, after being rejected, tried to get back again and had to be escorted off the premise. Nova then auditioned in Los Angeles, but with a different hairstyle to avoid recognition, and was again unsuccessful.
Another auditioner named Bryan Washington auditioned in Atlanta, Georgia, and made it to Hollywood, but did not make it into the top 32. He was also overweight at the time of his American Idol audition, and later became a contestant on The Biggest Loser
Auditioner Amber Riley was rejected by producers and did not get to audition for the judges, but later went on to co-star on the television series Glee as Mercedes Jones.
Hollywood week
The contestants performed in a series of rounds and number of contestants trimmed in each round. In the first round they performed a song, in the second round they were asked to compose a melody for one of five set of lyrics, and 80 remained after this round. In the third round the contestants were separate into the girls and boys and they performed in small groups. They chose a song from "Superstar", Seal's "Kiss from a Rose", Barry Manilow's "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again", Freda Payne's "Band of Gold", and Dionne Warwick's "You'll Never Get to Heaven ". During the group performance, Corey Clark, who was later to claim a relationship with Paula Abdul, sang to Paula directly and kissed her hand. 48 contestants were left at the end of this round.In the last round each contestants performed solo. After their performances, the contestants were then divided into three groups of sixteen and placed in separate rooms. One group was eliminated, and 32 contestants proceeded on to the semi-final rounds.
Semi-finals
The format changed slightly in Season 2; instead of three groups of ten, the semi-finalists were grouped into four groups of eight. The singers performed solo in a new improved stage with piano accompaniment by Michael Orland, and the performance pre-taped. There were no live audience although family members of contestants were present in the Red Room where the contestants were placed.The results of the public vote were announced live the next day. From each group, two were selected to proceed on to the top 12, and those selected reprised their performance in the result show. Nine of those who failed at any of previous stages were given one more chance to perform again in the wild-card show. Each of the three judges put one contestant from the wild-card group through to the top 12, with the final one selected by the public vote.
Semi-final Group 1
Semi-final Group 2
Semi-final Group 3
Semi-final Group 4
Wild Card
Finalists
- Ruben Studdard is from Birmingham, Alabama and auditioned in Nashville, Tennessee with Stevie Wonder's "Ribbon in the Sky".
- Clay Aiken auditioned in Atlanta, Georgia with Heatwave's "Always and Forever". He studied at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he graduated with a degree in special education.
- Kimberley Locke is from Nashville, Tennessee where she auditioned with Judy Garland's "Over the Rainbow".
- Joshua Gracin is from Oceanside, California, where he was stationed while serving in the Marine Corps. He auditioned in Los Angeles with O-Town's "All or Nothing".
- Trenyce is from Bartlett, Tennessee and auditioned in Nashville with Whitney Houston's "I Learned from the Best". She turned down a record deal at 14 and she auditioned using her full name, LaShundra "Trenyce" Cobbins.
- Carmen Rasmusen is from Bountiful, Utah and auditioned in Los Angeles. She did not make the semi-final initially but was brought back for the wild card show and put through to the final.
- Kimberly Caldwell – Prior to American Idol, she had appeared on Star Search, where she won five times as a junior vocalist, and in '.
- Rickey Smith auditioned in Nashville with Brian McKnight's "One Last Cry". He worked as a teacher before the show. Smith was killed in a car crash on May 6, 2016, making him the second American Idol finalist to die after seventh season finalist, Michael Johns.
- Corey Clark is from San Bernardino, California, and auditioned in Nashville with Jackson 5's "Never Can Say Goodbye". He was disqualified hours after the website The Smoking Gun revealed his misdemeanor charges of battery and resisting arrest on March 31, 2003.
- Julia DeMato is from Brookfield, Connecticut and auditioned with Toni Braxton's Un-Break My Heart.
- Charles Grigsby auditioned in Detroit.
- Vanessa Olivarez''' is from Atlanta, Georgia and auditioned in Atlanta with Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody".
Finals
During Top 9, it was announced that Corey Clark had been disqualified.
In most weeks the bottom vote-getter performed his or her song again after their elimination was announced, but at Top 5 and Top 9 both the bottom 2 vote-getters performed their song.
Top 12 – Motown
- Guest judge and mentor: Lamont Dozier
| Order | Contestant | Song | Result |
| 1 | Kimberley Locke | " Heat Wave" | Bottom 3 |
| 2 | Joshua Gracin | "Baby I Need Your Loving" | Safe |
| 3 | Charles Grigsby | "How Sweet It Is " | Safe |
| 4 | Kimberly Caldwell | "Nowhere to Run" | Safe |
| 5 | Rickey Smith | "1-2-3" | Safe |
| 6 | Julia DeMato | "Where Did Our Love Go" | Bottom 2 |
| 7 | Clay Aiken | "I Can't Help Myself " | Safe |
| 8 | Vanessa Olivarez | "You Keep Me Hangin' On" | Eliminated |
| 9 | Corey Clark | "This Old Heart of Mine " | Safe |
| 10 | Carmen Rasmusen | "You Can't Hurry Love" | Safe |
| 11 | Trenyce | "Come See About Me" | Safe |
| 12 | Ruben Studdard | "Baby I Need Your Loving" | Safe |
- Group performance: " Heat Wave"
Top 11 – Movie Soundtracks
- Guest judge: Gladys Knight
| Order | Contestant | Song | Featured film | Result |
| 1 | Corey Clark | "Against All Odds " | Against All Odds | Bottom 2 |
| 2 | Ruben Studdard | "A Whole New World" | Aladdin | Safe |
| 3 | Trenyce | "I Have Nothing" | The Bodyguard | Safe |
| 4 | Clay Aiken | "Somewhere Out There" | An American Tail | Safe |
| 5 | Kimberly Caldwell | "The Shoop Shoop Song " | Mermaids | Safe |
| 6 | Joshua Gracin | "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" | Armageddon | Safe |
| 7 | Carmen Rasmusen | "Hopelessly Devoted to You" | Grease | Safe |
| 8 | Charles Grigsby | "You Can't Win" | The Wiz | Eliminated |
| 9 | Rickey Smith | "It Might Be You" | Tootsie | Safe |
| 10 | Julia DeMato | "Flashdance... What a Feeling" | Flashdance | Bottom 3 |
| 11 | Kimberley Locke | "Home" | The Wiz | Safe |
- Group performance: "Footloose" and " The Time of My Life"
Top 10 – Country rock
- Guest judge: Olivia Newton-John
| Order | Contestant | Song | Result |
| 1 | Joshua Gracin | "Ain't Goin' Down " | Safe |
| 2 | Trenyce | "I Need You" | Safe |
| 3 | Kimberley Locke | "I Can't Make You Love Me" | Safe |
| 4 | Corey Clark | "Drift Away" | Safe1 |
| 5 | Carmen Rasmusen | "Wild Angels" | Safe |
| 6 | Rickey Smith | "I've Done Enough Dyin' Today" | Bottom 3 |
| 7 | Kimberly Caldwell | "Anymore" | Bottom 2 |
| 8 | Ruben Studdard | "Sweet Home Alabama" | Safe |
| 9 | Julia DeMato | "Breathe" | Eliminated |
| 10 | Clay Aiken | "Someone Else's Star" | Safe |
- Group performance: "Where the Blacktop Ends" and "God Bless the USA"
Top 8 (first week) – Disco
- Guest judge: Verdine White
| Order | Contestant | Song | Result |
| 1 | Rickey Smith | "Let's Groove" | Safe |
| 2 | Carmen Rasmusen | "Turn the Beat Around" | Bottom 2 |
| 3 | Kimberly Caldwell | "Knock on Wood" | Safe |
| 4 | Clay Aiken | "Everlasting Love" | Safe |
| 5 | Trenyce | "I'm Every Woman" | Bottom 2 |
| 6 | Ruben Studdard | "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" | Safe |
| 7 | Kimberley Locke | "It's Raining Men" | Bottom 3 |
| 8 | Joshua Gracin | "Celebration" | Safe |
- Group performance: "A Night to Remember" and "Boogie Wonderland"
- Guest Performance: "God Bless the USA" by Lee Greenwood
Top 8 (second week) – Billboard Number Ones
- Guest judge: Lionel Richie
| Order | Contestant | Song | Result |
| 1 | Clay Aiken | "At This Moment" | Safe |
| 2 | Kimberley Locke | "My Heart Will Go On" | Bottom 3 |
| 3 | Rickey Smith | "Endless Love" | Eliminated |
| 4 | Kimberly Caldwell | " I Do It for You" | Bottom 2 |
| 5 | Joshua Gracin | "Amazed" | Safe |
| 6 | Carmen Rasmusen | "Call Me" | Safe |
| 7 | Trenyce | "The Power of Love" | Safe |
| 8 | Ruben Studdard | "Kiss and Say Goodbye" | Safe |
- Group performance: "All Night Long "
- Guest Performance: Kelly Clarkson - "Miss Independent"
Top 7 – Billy Joel
- Guest judge: Smokey Robinson
| Order | Contestant | Song | Result |
| 1 | Kimberly Caldwell | "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" | Eliminated |
| 2 | Ruben Studdard | "Just the Way You Are" | Safe |
| 3 | Kimberley Locke | "New York State of Mind" | Safe |
| 4 | Carmen Rasmusen | "And So It Goes" | Bottom 2 |
| 5 | Joshua Gracin | "Piano Man" | Safe |
| 6 | Trenyce | "Baby Grand" | Bottom 3 |
| 7 | Clay Aiken | "Tell Her About It" | Safe |
- Group performance: "The Longest Time" and "God Bless the USA"
Top 6 – Diane Warren
- Guest judge and mentor - Diane Warren
| Order | Contestant | Song | Result |
| 1 | Kimberley Locke | "If You Asked Me To" | Safe |
| 2 | Clay Aiken | "I Could Not Ask for More" | Safe |
| 3 | Trenyce | "Have You Ever?" | Bottom 3 |
| 4 | Joshua Gracin | "That's When I'll Stop Loving You" | Bottom 2 |
| 5 | Carmen Rasmusen | "Love Will Lead You Back" | Eliminated |
| 6 | Ruben Studdard | "Music of My Heart" | Safe |
- Group performance: "Shine"
Top 5 – 1960s/Neil Sedaka
| Order | Contestant | Song | Result |
| 1 | Ruben Studdard | "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" | Bottom 2 |
| 2 | Trenyce | "Proud Mary" | Eliminated |
| 3 | Joshua Gracin | "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye" | Safe |
| 4 | Kimberley Locke | "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" | Safe |
| 5 | Clay Aiken | "Build Me Up Buttercup" | Safe |
| 6 | Ruben Studdard | "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" | Bottom 2 |
| 7 | Trenyce | "Love Will Keep Us Together" | Eliminated |
| 8 | Joshua Gracin | "Bad Blood" | Safe |
| 9 | Kimberley Locke | "Where the Boys Are" | Safe |
| 10 | Clay Aiken | "Solitaire" | Safe |
- Top 5 group performance: 1960's medley
- Top 10 group performance without Corey Clark: "What the World Needs Now Is Love" by Jackie DeShannon
- Guest Performance: Justin Guarini - "I Saw Your Face"
Top 4 – Bee Gees
| Order | Contestant | Song | Result |
| 1 | Joshua Gracin | "Jive Talkin'" | Eliminated |
| 2 | Clay Aiken | "To Love Somebody" | Safe |
| 3 | Kimberley Locke | "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" | Bottom 2 |
| 4 | Ruben Studdard | "Nights on Broadway" | Safe |
| 5 | Joshua Gracin | "To Love Somebody" | Eliminated |
| 6 | Clay Aiken | "Grease" | Safe |
| 7 | Kimberley Locke | "Emotion" | Bottom 2 |
| 8 | Ruben Studdard | "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" | Safe |
- Group performance: Bee Gees medley
Top 3 – Random from a bowl of Producers' picks, Judges' Choice, Idol's Choice
- Group performance: "Up Where We Belong", "Reunited", "Solid"
- Guest Performance: Tamyra Gray - "Somewhere Over The Rainbow"
- Guest Performance: Justin Guarini - "Unchained Melody"
Top 2 – Finale
- Guest Performance: Paul Anka - "My Way"
- Note 1: Corey Clark and Joshua Gracin were absent from the group.
Ruben Studdard emerged as the winner with Clay Aiken as a very close runner-up. Out of 24 million votes recorded, Studdard finished just 134,000 votes ahead of Aiken, and the smallness of the margin of victory made this result highly controversial.
Elimination chart
Color key:Other ''Idol'' contestants
- Rhian and Cara Morgan of The Morgan Twins who auditioned for this season of American Idol but was cut in Hollywood, later auditioned for the fourth season of The Voice as a duo. They made it to the battle rounds, but were eliminated.
- Patrick Fortson auditioned for the fifteenth season of The Voice under the name "Patrique Fortson", joining Team Jennifer. He was eliminated in the live playoffs
Season 3 Contestants
- Lisa Leuschner - Auditioned in season 2 and was cut in Hollywood.
- Matthew Metzger - Auditioned in season 2 and made it to the Top 48.
Controversies
There was controversy when contestant Frenchie Davis was disqualified from the competition after topless photos of her surfaced on the Internet. Shortly afterwards, she landed a role in the Broadway musical Rent.
Corey Clark was also disqualified from the show because, according to the Idol producers, Clark had a police record he had not disclosed to the show. However, in 2005, contestant Corey Clark alleged in an interview on ABC's Primetime Live and in a book, They Told Me to Tell the Truth, So... The Sex, Lies and Paulatics of One of America's Idols, that he and judge Paula Abdul had an affair while he was on the show and that this contributed to his removal. Clark also alleged that Abdul gave him preferential treatment on the show and tips on song choice. A subsequent investigation by an independent counsel hired by Fox "could not corroborate the evidence or allegations provided by Mr. Clark or any witnesses". Paula Abdul was therefore considered exonerated but an "enhanced non-fraternization policy" was put in place after the investigation.
Trenyce was also found to have been arrested on felony theft charge; however, Nigel Lythgoe considered her offense to be minor and one which she has been honest about, therefore "warranted no concern regarding her participation in the show."
During the Top 10, a problem with the telephone system resulted in some votes not being registered for Julia DeMato; however, Fox insisted that the mistake would not have made any difference in Julia DeMato being voted off.
During the course of the contest, Studdard became known for wearing 205 Flava jerseys representing his area code; when asked about them early in the season, Studdard told Seacrest that he was "just representing 205". Shortly after the end of the contest, Studdard sued 205 Flava, Inc. for $2 Million dollars for using his image for promotional purposes. 205 Flava responded by alleging that Studdard had accepted over $10,000 in return for wearing 205 shirts, and produced eight cashed checks to validate their claim. The allegations, if true, were a clear violation of the American Idol rules. The lawsuit was settled out of court.
Some questions were raised about the participation of Joshua Gracin, who was then in the Marine Corps, in American idol during the time of the Iraq War. He later missed both the finale performance night as well as the Idol tour that year after being recalled to duty by the Marines.
Some speculation about Vanessa Olivarez' dismissal and treatment by American Idol surfaced in 2007. During the show, Olivarez took part in a scripted joke where, after Seacrest had asked Olivarez to read a cue card taking the viewers to a commercial, Olivarez would reply by saying, "Ryan, I'm a real artist, not a performing monkey like you, so why don't you read your own script?" However, viewers booed, and Olivarez was voted off afterwards, a result of what some thought to be negative public perception of her due to the joke. It was suggested that she was deliberately ousted because she had come out as a lesbian to other contestants. She had also posed nude for an ad campaign for the animal rights group PETA after she was voted off. Olivarez was the only finalist omitted from the Season 2 CD, and she was not chosen for the tour after Joshua Gracin was recalled to the Marines.
U.S. Nielsen ratings
The number of average viewers per episode this season was 21.7 million, an increase of 71% over season 1. Its Wednesday episodes finished as the third most-watched show of the year averaging 21.93 million, and the Tuesday episodes fifth at 21.56 million. The show ranked second in the coveted 18/49 demographic for the 2002-2003 season. This season's finale episode still ranks as the most-watched single episode in Idol history at 38.1 million, the finale night itself averaged 33.7 million when the pre-show special is taken into consideration. The show also helped Fox become the season's number three network in total viewers for the first time.A couple of specials were aired later in the year - From Justin To Kelly: The Rise of Two American Idols on June 20, 2003, and American Idol: Christmas Songs on November 25, 2003, the latter of which was ranked number 30 with total viewer number of 10.9 million, and number 28 in the 18/49 demo with a 4.1 rating.
Releases
Major releases
- "Bridge over Troubled Water"/"This Is the Night"
- "Flying Without Wings"/"Superstar"
- Measure of a Man
- Soulful
- "Sorry 2004"
- "8th World Wonder"
- "The Way/Solitaire"
- "Photograph"
- "What If"
- One Love
- Josh Gracin
- Merry Christmas with Love
- I Need an Angel
- Carmen
- Corey Clark
- "Coulda Been"
- '"Favorite State of Mind"
- A Thousand Different Ways
- The Return
- "All Is Well"
- "Nothin' Like the Summer"
- Based on a True Story
- Nothin' Like the Summer
- We Weren't Crazy
- On My Way Here
- Tried and True
- Without Regret
Minor or independent releases
- The One
- Jordan
- Charles Grigsby
- Use Your Gift
- George Trice - released in the summer of 2007