Country Idols: A Look at American Idol (Part One)

American Idol returns tonight on 4Music for it's 15th, and final, season. The show has discovered stars from a variety of genres so, to commemorate Idol coming to an end, we take a look at some of the country stars that the show introduced to.

Carrie Underwood

The obvious choice to start off with is also the most successful choice.

Before auditioning for the fourth season of American Idol, Carrie Underwood had never been on an airplane; flash forward a decade later, she's jetting all over the world for shows, TV appearances and to headline festivals. She's released five studio albums - four of which now platinum and her fifth, Storyteller is already classified gold after selling half a million copies in the space of three months - and is the only country artist to have had their first five studio albums debut at either #1 or #2 on the Billboard 200. Her still relatively young career has spanned 7 Grammys and global record sales estimated at over 60 million. Since 2008, she has co-hosted the CMA awards with Brad Paisley - she has also won 5 CMA awards herself, including three consecutive Female Vocalist of the Year awards. The most staggering part of Underwood's success? Is that this paragraph is merely scraping the surface of what Carrie has achieved since taking the Idol crown in 2005. Did we also mention that she was Maria in NBC's The Sound of Music Live! in 2013, a live TV spectacle that attracted an audience of about 20 million? Nope, I don't think we did and it just shows how much Underwood has done in a decade in a career that just keeps going from strength to strength.

Scotty McCreery

Scotty McCreery auditioned in Milwaukee with his soulful rendition of Josh Turner's 'Your Man' and wowed the then judging panel of Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler who were not expecting such a mature sound from a sixteen year old. He went on to win the tenth season of American Idol at the tender age of seventeen and remains, to date, the youngest male to win the show.

Still only in his early twenties, McCreery's career is still very much in it's tentative stages but with two #1 albums already to his name as well as tours opening for Brad Paisley and Rascal Flatts and his own two headlining productions, it's already gotten off to a great start.

His third album is due sometime this year and, as hinted by McCreery himself, a UK tour - his first - may also be on the cards. 2016 looks set to be another busy and big year for the North Carolina boy.

Casey James

Shaggy haired Casey James will be remembered by some as the contestant who whipped his top off in the audition room for Victoria Beckham and Kara DioGuardi but, to others, he'll be remembered as the contestant who whipped his top off in the audition room for Victoria Beckham and Kara DioGuardi who went on to release a solid debut country album.


Although his career has gone somewhat quiet recently, the aforementioned album James released post-idol, Casey James, was well-received and spawned the singles 'Let's Don't Call It A Night' and 'Crying on a Suitcase' that both sold way over 100,000 units and it was difficult to not have heard them on country radio. Unfortunately, subsequent releases did not receive similar airplay and/or sales.

It will be interesting to see where James goes next and how he'll fare. A solid (and charming) singer, guitarist and songwriter, he has the potential to be a big player within country music. Yet regardless of whatever does happen, it can definitely be said that Casey James was a great talent discovered by the show.


Kelly Clarkson

Putting aside the platinum selling albums, the numerous Grammys and many, many, many other awards that Kelly Clarkson has went on to achieve in the world of pop after winning the inaugural season back in 2002, Clarkson has also an ever-growing presence within country music.

2010 saw her teaming up with Jason Alden on the Grammy nominated, ACA, ACM and CMA award-winning single 'Don't You Wanna Stay'. Another duet, this time on her own album Greatest Hits: Chapter One, was a duet with Vince Gill and in 2013 she released the bluesy country single 'Tie It Up' which she performed at CMA Fest that year.

Kelly has spoken often of her desire to release a full country album and has revealed in interviews that she was working on one whilst also working on her lates album, Piece By Piece. She's already made a big impact with the relatively small - in comparison to her extensive discography - contribution she's already made to country music and it feels as if it's only a matter of time before she releases that longed for, full country record. Watch this space.