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 to just American Idol. Ryan Seacrest returned as the host after Brian Dunkleman quit after the previous season, and Seacrest became the lone host beginning with this season.
The second season was won by Ruben Studdard, who defeated Clay Aiken by 134,000 votes out of the 24 million votes recorded.
Studdard released his coronation song "Flying Without Wings" after the show, which reached number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Aiken also released a single with "This Is the Night." He was the first non-winning contestant to have a Billboard Hot 100 number one. It was also the biggest U.S. single of 2003, selling over one million copies and reaching six times platinum status in Canada as well as number one in New Zealand.
In addition to Studdard and Aiken, Kimberley Locke, Joshua Gracin, Kimberly Caldwell, and Carmen Rasmusen all signed with various record labels.
Regional auditions Auditions were held in the fall of 2002 in the following cities: +American Idol (season 2) – regional auditions City Date(s) Audition venue Callback venue Golden tickets Detroit, Michigan October 21, 2002 Atheneum Suites Hotel 22 New York City, New York October 24–28, 2002 Regent Wall Street Hotel Rhiga Royal Hotel 35 Atlanta, Georgia October 27, 2002 AmericasMart Callanwolde Fine Arts Center10/15: Flashback! Idol Rewind in the ATL 2002 46 Nashville, Tennessee October 30, 2002 Nashville Municipal Auditorium Wildhorse Saloon 30 Miami, Florida November 2–6, 2002Fontainebleau Hilton Hotel 20 Austin, Texas November 6–10, 2002 Doubletree Hotel Hyatt Regency 36 Los Angeles, California November 18–20, 2002 Rose Bowl Renaissance Hollywood Hotel 45Total number of tickets to Hollywood 234
The number of auditions increased significantly after the success of the first season, and arenas and stadiums began to be used to hold the first auditions from this season onward. Around 70,000 attended 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."
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 the number of contestants trimmed was in each round. In the first round, the 234 contestants performed a song, after which 114 were eliminated. In the second round, the remaining 120 contestants were asked to compose a melody for one of five sets of lyrics, and 40 more were cut. In the third round, the contestants were separated by gender and performed in small groups. The remaining 48 boys chose from The Carpenters' "Superstar," Seal's "Kiss from a Rose," and Barry Manilow's "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again," while the remaining 32 girls chose from Melissa Manchester's "Don't Cry Out Loud," Freda Payne's "Band of Gold," and Dionne Warwick's "You'll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart)."
In the last round, each of the remaining 48 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 semifinal rounds.
Semifinals The format changed slightly in the second season; instead of three groups of ten, the semifinalists were grouped into four groups of eight. The singers performed solo on a new and improved stage with piano accompaniment by Michael Orland, and the performances were pre-taped. There was 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. Nine of those who failed at any of previous stages, including the Hollywood rounds and the initial regional auditions, 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.
Color key:
Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Group 1 (February 5) Contestant Song Result Kimberly Caldwell "Come to My Window" Wild Card (3rd) Patrick Fortson "Un-Break My Heart" Eliminated J. D. Adams "All in Love Is Fair" Eliminated Trenyce "Love Sneakin' Up On You" Wild Card Meosha Denton "How Do I Live" Eliminated Bettis Richardson "Thank You" Eliminated Charles Grigsby "Overjoyed" Safe Julia DeMato "Son of a Preacher Man" Safe
Group 2 (February 12) Contestant Song Result Clay Aiken "Open Arms" Wild Card (3rd) Candice Coleman "Piece of My Heart" Eliminated Rebecca Bond "Caught Up in the Rapture" Eliminated Jacob John Smalley "Anytime" Eliminated Hadas "You Light Up My Life" Eliminated Ruben Studdard "Superstar" Safe Kimberley Locke "Over the Rainbow" Safe Jennifer Fuentes "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" Eliminated
Group 3 (February 19) Contestant Song Result Kimberly Kelsey "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" Eliminated Jordan Segundo "For Your Love" Eliminated Vanessa Olivarez "Out Here on My Own" Safe Rickey Smith "One Last Cry" Safe Samantha Cohen "Something He Can Feel" Eliminated Louis Gazzara "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" Eliminated Equoia Coleman "The Way We Were" Eliminated (3rd) George Trice "Unchained Melody" Eliminated
Group 4 (February 26) Contestant Song Result Sylvia Chibiliti "Didn't We Almost Have It All" Eliminated Chip Days "A Song for You" Wild Card Juanita Barber "What About the Children" Eliminated Patrick Lake "When I See You Smile" Eliminated (3rd) Nasheka Siddall "Open My Heart" Wild Card Josh Gracin "I'll Be" Safe Ashley Hartman "Touch Me in the Morning" Eliminated Corey Clark "Foolish Heart" Safe
Wild Card round (March 5) Contestant Song Result Kimberly Caldwell "I Feel the Earth Move" Saved Clay Aiken "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" Safe Nasheka Siddall "Wind Beneath My Wings" Eliminated Carmen Rasmusen "Can't Fight the Moonlight" Saved Olivia Mojica "Because You Loved Me" Eliminated Janine Falsone "We Belong" Eliminated Chip Days "Rock with You" Eliminated Aliceyn Cooney "Angel" Eliminated Trenyce "Let's Stay Together" Saved
Top 12 finalists
Ruben Studdard (born September 12, 1978, in Frankfurt, Germany; 24 years old at the time of the show) was from Birmingham, Alabama, and auditioned in Nashville with Stevie Wonder's "Ribbon in the Sky." Clay Aiken (born November 30, 1978, in Raleigh, North Carolina; 24 years old at the time of the show) auditioned in Atlanta with Heatwave's "Always and Forever." Kimberley Locke (born January 3, 1978, in Hartsville, Tennessee; 25 years old at the time of the show) was from Nashville, Tennessee, where she auditioned with Judy Garland's "Over the Rainbow." Joshua Gracin (born October 18, 1980, in Westland, Michigan; 22 years old at the time of the show) was 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 (born March 31, 1980, in Memphis, Tennessee; 22 years old at the time of the show) was from Bartlett, Tennessee, and auditioned in Nashville with Whitney Houston's "I Learned from the Best." Carmen Rasmusen (born March 25, 1985, in Edmonton, Canada; 17 years old at the time of the show) was from Bountiful, Utah, and auditioned in Los Angeles. She did not make the semifinal initially, but was brought back for the Wild Card round and made it to the top 12. Kimberly Caldwell (born February 25, 1982, in Katy, Texas; 20 years old at the time of the show) auditioned in Austin with Stevie Wonder's "Superstition". She learned of her participation as a Wild Card contestant on her 21st birthday. Rickey Smith (born May 10, 1979 in Keene, Texas; 23 years old at the time of the show) auditioned in Nashville with Brian McKnight's "One Last Cry". Corey Clark (born July 13, 1980, in San Bernardino, California; 22 years old at the time of the show) auditioned in Nashville with The 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.The Fall Of Another "Idol" Julia DeMato (born March 7, 1979, in Danbury, Connecticut; 24 years old at the time of the show) was from Brookfield, Connecticut, and auditioned with Toni Braxton's "Un-Break My Heart." Charles Grigsby (born September 15, 1978, in Oberlin, Ohio; 24 years old at the time of the show) auditioned in Detroit. Vanessa Olivarez (born April 7, 1981; 21 years old at the time of the show) was from Atlanta, Georgia, where she auditioned with Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody."
Finals Color key:
Top 12 – Motown (March 12) Lamont Dozier served as a guest judge this week. Contestants are listed in the order they performed. Contestant Motown song Result Kimberley Locke "Heat Wave"Bottom three Joshua Gracin "Baby I Need Your Loving"Safe Charles Grigsby "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)"Safe Kimberly Caldwell "Nowhere to Run"Safe Rickey Smith "1-2-3"Safe Julia DeMato "Where Did Our Love Go"Bottom two Clay Aiken"I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)"Safe Vanessa Olivarez "You Keep Me Hangin' On" Eliminated Corey Clark "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)"Safe Carmen Rasmusen "You Can't Hurry Love"Safe Trenyce "Come See About Me"Safe Ruben Studdard "Baby I Need Your Loving"Safe
+ Non-competition performance Performers Song Top 12 "Heat Wave"
Top 11 – Movie soundtracks (March 19) Gladys Knight served as a guest judge this week. Contestants are listed in the order they performed. Contestant Song Film Result Corey Clark "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" Against All OddsBottom two Ruben Studdard "A Whole New World" AladdinSafe Trenyce "I Have Nothing" The BodyguardSafe Clay Aiken "Somewhere Out There" An American TailSafe Kimberly Caldwell "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)" MermaidsSafe Joshua Gracin "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" ArmageddonSafe Carmen Rasmusen "Hopelessly Devoted to You" GreaseSafe Charles Grigsby "You Can't Win" The Wiz Eliminated Rickey Smith "It Might Be You" TootsieSafe Julia DeMato "Flashdance... What a Feeling" FlashdanceBottom three Kimberley Locke "Home" The WizSafe
+ Non-competition performances Performers Song Top 11 "Footloose" "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" Kelly Clarkson "Anytime"
Top 10 – Country rock (March 26) Olivia Newton-John served as a guest judge this week. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
Contestant Country rock song Result Joshua Gracin "Ain't Goin' Down ('Til The Sun Comes Up)"Safe Trenyce "I Need You"Safe Kimberley Locke "I Can't Make You Love Me" Safe Corey Clark "Drift Away"Safe Carmen Rasmusen "Wild Angels" Safe Rickey Smith "I've Done Enough Dyin' Today" Bottom three Kimberly Caldwell"Anymore"Bottom two Ruben Studdard "Sweet Home Alabama" Safe Julia DeMato "Breathe" Eliminated Clay Aiken "Someone Else's Star" Safe
+ Non-competition performances Performers Song Top 10 "Where the Blacktop Ends" "God Bless the U.S.A."
Top 8 – Disco (April 1) Verdine White served as a guest judge this week. Because of Corey Clark's disqualification, no one was eliminated after this round. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.