'American Idol' Winners: Where Are They Now?

"American Idol" winners; where are they now? If you've been curious about the past winners of the popular TV show "American Idol," this is the article for you. We’ll give you the rundown on each of the “American Idol" winners from the first nine seasons.

1. Kelly Clarkson was the winner of season one. Clarkson is the most successful of the  "American Idol" winners. She has sold over twenty million albums worldwide. She has toured extensively in the years since and has appeared on several television shows, including two stints on "Saturday Night Live." She has won two Grammy Awards and has been nominated for three others.
2. Ruben Studdard was the winner of season two. Studdard received a Grammy nomination in 2003 for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for his song “Superstar." He has released four albums since his "American Idol" win. He has also performed in the theatre in "Heaven I Need a Hug" and "Ain’t Misbehavin'." Studdard created "The Ruben Studdard Foundation for the Advancement of Children in the Music Arts" to promote art education in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama.
3. Fantasia Barrino was the winner of season three. Her first single, "I Believe," debuted at number one on the Billboard Top 100. Her first album, "Free Yourself," went double platinum and earned her four Grammy nominations. Her second album contained her number-one hit “When I See You.” The single from her album released in 2010 has already reached the top ten on the R&B charts. Besides singing, she performed on Broadway in "The Color Purple."
4. Carrie Underwood was the winner of season four. This country singer another very successful "American Idol" winner. She has hosted the annual CMA Awards several times. Underwood has won five CMA awards of her own as of 2010. She was the winner of the Female Vocalist award three years in a row. She won "Single of the Year" for “Before He Cheats.” Out of her fourteen number-one hits, she wrote or co-wrote six. In July 2010 she married Canadian hockey player Mike Fisher.
5. Taylor Hicks was the winner of season five. "American Idol" fans chose Hicks as the winner of the fifth season because of his unconventional musical style. His first single debuted at number one on the charts and soon after Hicks was named the “Hottest Bachelor of the Year” by "People" magazine. He also performed in the Broadway musical "Grease."
6. Jordin Sparks was the winner of season six. Since Jordin became an "American Idol," she has opened for Alicia Keys and Jesse McCartney. She was the youngest winner at only seventeen. Her first album, "Jordin Sparks," went platinum and she has sold over nine million records so far. Besides singing, Jordin appeared in an ad in "Seventeen" magazine after she was one of the winners of Torrid’s “Next Plus-Size Model” competition.
7. David Cook was the winner of season seven. For someone who only came to the "American Idol" auditions as moral support for this younger brother, he certainly took "American Idol” fans by storm. The week following his win he broke records by having eleven of his songs debut on the Hot 100. Unfortunately, during his 2009 “Declaration” tour, dates had to be extended when David’s older brother died in May of 2009 from brain cancer. During the finale of the eighth season of "American Idol," Cook sang “Permanent” as a tribute to his brother, and sales from the song were contributed to brain cancer research.
8. Kris Allen was the winner of season eight. Allen released his self-titled album in 2009, and the single “Live Like We’re Dying,” reached number eighteen on the charts. Allen married his high school sweetheart, Katy O’Connell, in September of 2008. In 2010 Allen went on a solo tour. He has performed with greats like Keith Urban, Bare Naked Ladies and Chris Daughtry, also of "Idol" fame.
9. Lee DeWyze was the winner of season nine. DeWyze was often referred to as the paint salesman during his "American Idol” season. He was scheduled to release his first album since the win in November of 2010. After his win he performed at a concert for 41,000 fans in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and threw the opening pitch at a Chicago Cubs baseball game.