1 / 10

Fantasia Barrino - With a remarkable story and a stellar voice, Fantasia Barrino won the third season of American Idol. A high school dropout who was functionally illiterate, Fantasia’s life changed forever following her 2004 victory. She’s released three albums and was recently cast as the star of a Mahalia Jackson biopic.

Photo By Scott Gries/PictureGroup

2 / 10

Ruben Studdard - Alabama native Ruben Studdard put the “205” on the map in 2003 when he won the second season of American Idol over Clay Aiken. Studdard took the charts by storm with his debut platinum release. Seeking to repeat that sucess, Studdard went on tour with Aiken last Summer.(Photo: Tom Donoghue/PictureGroup)

3 / 10

Jennifer Hudson\r - Despite finishing in seventh place, Jennifer Hudson is arguably one of the two most successful American Idol alumni ever. The 29-year-old has an Academy Award, Golden Globe and Grammy to her name. Hudson’s second album, I Remember Me, was released earlier this year.\r(Photo: Rob Kim/Getty Images)

4 / 10

Jordin Sparks - The youngest winner of American Idol, Jordin Sparks sold more than 2 million copies of her self-titled debut album in 2007. Sparks has since transitioned from the recording booth to Broadway, starring as Nina Rosario in the musical In the Heights.(Photo: Stephen Cohen/Getty Images for Longines)

5 / 10

Cheryl Lynn - Disco star Cheryl Lynn is known for her 1978 hit “Got to Be Real,” but did you know she got her big break after performing on The Gong Show? Following her performance, record executives reached out in order to sign Lynn to a deal.(Photo: Kevin Winter/ImageDirect)

6 / 10

Leona Lewis - Singer Leona Lewis won the third season of The X-Factor, a British talent competition show. Her hit single “Bleeding Love” allowed Lewis to cross over in the United States. Her third album is scheduled for later this summer.(Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

7 / 10

Alexandra Burke - Alexandra Burke won the fifth season of The X Factor in 2008. The 22-year-old singer is a rising star in England but most Americans might not yet be familiar with her work. Burke is the first The X Factor contestant to go on to a judging panel role, serving as a judge for auditions of So You Think You Can Dance. (Photo: Danny Martindale/Getty Images)

8 / 10

Danity Kane - Aubrey O’Day, D. Woods, Shannon Bex, Dawn Richard and Aundrea Fimbres are the ladies who made up Danity Kane, a female singing group assembled during MTV’s Making the Band. Like many artists before them, Danity Kane couldn't overcome the curse of Diddy and the group split up after just two albums.(Photo: Charles Eshelman/Getty Images)

9 / 10

Susan Boyle - No singer has benefited more from a talent competition show than Susan Boyle. The Scottish singer's performance of “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables on the TV show Britain's Got Talent took the world by storm. Boyle’s debut release was the biggest-selling album in 2009 with over 9 million units sold.(Photo: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images

10 / 10

Gladys Knight - Future R&B legend Gladys Knight won the Original Amateur Hour television show contest in 1952 when she was just 7 years old. The following year The Pips were born, and the rest is history.