The youngest winner in American Idol history,
Jordin Sparks has proven to the world that she has a level of maturity that matches her powerful pipes. Sparks, the daughter of former star NFL player Phillippe Sparks, was born in Phoenix, Arizona on December 22, 1989. Sparks showed an affinity for singing and performing at a young age and went on to win all kinds of awards and contests. In 2006, she won a plus-size model search held by the Torrid clothing line and appeared in an ad for Torrid in the December issue of Seventeen magazine. That year, Sparks also audition
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ed for American Idol, performing in the Los Angeles tryouts; while she didn't make the cut, she later won the American Idol-affiliated contest Arizona Idol, which allowed her to audition again for the show in Seattle. She made it through to Hollywood on the strength of her rendition of Celine Dion's "
Because You Loved Me" and found a place among the 12 American Idol finalists early in 2007. Sparks continued to “
wow” the judges throughout the finals, performing winning renditions of “
I (Who Have Nothing)” and “Hey, Baby.” Her youthful energy and enthusiasm made her a crowd favorites and she never finished in the bottom three throughout the competition. Ultimately, Sparks beat out
Blake Lewis and Melinda Doolittle to become the sixth American Idol on May 23, 2007.
Post-Idol, Sparks made the rounds of all talk and entertainment programs and performed in the Idol’s live tour over the summer. Soon after, she announced a recording deal with Recordings/Jive Records/Zomba Label Group, becoming the first Idol winner to join the label group. The first single off her self-titled debut album was "
Tattoo", which was released to U.S. radio on August 27, 2007. The song has not only become the album's first top ten single but tied with Carrie Underwood's "
Before He Cheats" as the highest charting single from an Idol winner's debut album (so far peaking at #8). The album also contains such great Jordin Sparks songs as "
No Air", "Freeze", "One Step at a Time," and "Shy Boy.” Listening to it, it is plain to see that America got it right—Jordin Sparks is a true American Idol.