The fifth season of American Idol began on January 17, 2006, and concluded on May 24, 2006. Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell, and Randy Jackson returned as judges, while Ryan Seacrest returned as host. Taylor Hicks was named the winner, while Katharine McPhee was the runner-up. 18 contestants (including all of the top 10 and a few semifinalists) got record deals – nine of them with major labels.
Regional auditions Auditions were held in seven cities in the summer and fall of 2005. An audition was originally planned for Memphis, Tennessee, but that was canceled due to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort that was taking place there, and replaced by Las Vegas, Nevada, and Greensboro, North Carolina.
+American Idol (season 5) – regional auditions City Preliminary date(s) Preliminary venue Filming date(s) Filming venue Golden tickets San Francisco, California August 18, 2005 Cow PalaceUnknown Parc 55 San Francisco 18 Austin, Texas August 25–26, 2005 Frank Erwin Center September 28, 2005 12 Boston, Massachusetts August 31, 2005 Gillette Stadium October 27, 2005 Seaport Hotel and World Trade Center 28 Denver, Colorado September 11, 2005 Invesco Field at Mile HighUnknown Colorado Convention Center 37 Chicago, Illinois September 16, 2005 Soldier Field September 20, 2005 W Hotel34 Greensboro, North Carolina October 3, 2005 Greensboro Coliseum October 6, 2005 Marriott Downtown 33 Las Vegas, Nevada October 10–11, 2005 Las Vegas Convention Center October 12–13, 2005 Renaissance Las Vegas 11 Total number of tickets to Hollywood 175
One notable audition this season was Paula Goodspeed, a fervent fan of Paula Abdul, who auditioned in Austin. In 2008, Goodspeed made headlines when she committed suicide outside Abdul's home. Abdul later claimed that she had objected beforehand to Goodspeed being at the audition because she knew Goodspeed and had been frightened by her past behavior, but the producers overrode her objection. Producers Ken Warwick and Nigel Lythgoe denied being aware of her fears or that they would put her in danger.
Hollywood week The Hollywood semifinal rounds were held at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles and consisted of 175 contestants. The first round of semifinals consisted of a solo a cappella performance with each contestant choosing one song from a list of twelve that were given to each contestant two weeks in advance. Those who did not impress the judges were sent home the following day. After this round, the contestants were separated into four groups, with three groups going through (with 44 contestants chosen). In the Pasadena Civic Center, each were individually taken to the judges' station where they learned whether they would proceed or not. Twenty were cut and the final twenty-four (twelve men and twelve women) were selected.
Semifinals The semifinals began on February 21, 2006, with the names announced on February 15, 2006. Starting with twelve women and twelve men, the women and the men performed weekly on separate shows, and on the results show, the bottom two women and bottom two men were eliminated each week. The semifinals took place over three weeks, resulting in six women and six men making up the top 12.
Color key:
Top 24 (February 21 & 22) Contestants are listed in the order they performed. +Top 24 (Female contestants) Contestant Song Result Mandisa "Never" Safe Kellie Pickler "How Far" Safe Becky O'Donohue "Because the Night"Eliminated Ayla Brown "Reflection" Safe Paris Bennett "Midnight Train to Georgia" Safe Stevie Scott "To Where You Are"Eliminated Brenna Gethers "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" Safe Heather Cox "When You Tell Me That You Love Me" Safe Melissa McGhee "When the Lights Go Down" Safe Lisa Tucker "I Am Changing" Safe Kinnik Sky "Get Here" Safe Katharine McPhee "Since I Fell for You" Safe+Top 24 (Male contestants) Contestant Song Result Patrick Hall "Come to My Window"Eliminated David Radford "Crazy Little Thing Called Love"Safe Bucky Covington "Simple Man" Safe Will Makar "I Want You Back" Safe Sway Penala "Reasons" Safe Chris Daughtry "Wanted Dead or Alive" Safe Kevin Covais "One Last Cry" Safe Gedeon McKinney "Shout" Safe Elliott Yamin "If You Really Love Me" Safe Bobby Bennett "Copacabana"Eliminated Ace Young "Father Figure" Safe Taylor Hicks "Levon" Safe
Top 20 (February 28 & March 1) Contestants are listed in the order they performed. +Top 20 (Female contestants) Contestant Song Result Katharine McPhee "All in Love Is Fair" Safe Kinnik Sky "Here for the Party" Bottom three Lisa Tucker "Who's Lovin' You" Safe Melissa McGhee "Why Haven't I Heard from You" Safe Heather Cox "Hero"Eliminated Brenna Gethers "Last Dance"Eliminated Paris Bennett "Wind Beneath My Wings" Safe Ayla Brown "I Want You to Need Me" Safe Kellie Pickler "Something to Talk About" Safe Mandisa "Cry" Safe+Top 20 (Male contestants) Contestant Song Result Taylor Hicks "Easy" Safe Elliott Yamin "Moody's Mood for Love" Safe Ace Young "If You're Not the One" Safe Gedeon McKinney "A Change Is Gonna Come" Safe Kevin Covais "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" Bottom three Sway Penala "Overjoyed"Eliminated Will Makar "Lady" Safe Bucky Covington "The Thunder Rolls" Safe David Radford "The Way You Look Tonight"Eliminated Chris Daughtry "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" Safe
Top 16 (March 7 & 8) Contestants are listed in the order they performed. +Top 16 (Female contestants) Contestant Song Result Paris Bennett "Conga" Safe Lisa Tucker "Here's Where I Stand" Safe Melissa McGhee "What About Love" Safe Kinnik Sky "If I Ain't Got You" Eliminated Katharine McPhee "Think" Safe Ayla Brown "Unwritten"Eliminated Mandisa "I'm Every Woman" Safe Kellie Pickler "I'm the Only One" Safe+Top 16 (Male contestants) Contestant Song Result Gedeon McKinney "When a Man Loves a Woman"Eliminated Chris Daughtry "Broken" Safe Kevin Covais "Vincent" Safe Bucky Covington "Wave on Wave" Safe Will Makar "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)"Eliminated Taylor Hicks "Takin' It to the Streets" Safe Elliott Yamin "Heaven" Safe Ace Young "Butterflies" Safe
Top 12 finalists
Taylor Hicks was from Birmingham, Alabama. He performed "A Change Is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke at his original audition in Las Vegas. He performed Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" in Hollywood. Katharine McPhee was from Los Angeles, California. She auditioned in San Francisco with Billie Holiday's "God Bless the Child," and Randy Jackson said her audition was the best he'd heard yet that season. In Hollywood, she performed Dionne Warwick's "I'll Never Love This Way Again," "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)," and "My Funny Valentine." Elliott Yamin was born in Los Angeles, California, but grew up in Richmond, Virginia. He auditioned in Boston. In Hollywood, he performed Rascal Flatts' "Bless the Broken Road" and "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)." Chris Daughtry was from McLeansville, North Carolina. He auditioned in Denver with Joe Cocker's "The Letter." In Hollywood, he performed Samantha Sang's "Emotion." Paris Bennett was from Fayetteville, Georgia, and was the granddaughter of Grammy Award winner Ann Nesby. She sang "Cowboy Take Me Away" by the Dixie Chicks at her original audition in Greensboro. In Hollywood, she performed LeAnn Rimes's "Can't Fight the Moonlight" and Samantha Sang's "Emotion." Kellie Pickler was from Albemarle, North Carolina. She originally auditioned in Greensboro. Ace Young was from Denver, Colorado, where he auditioned. In Hollywood, he performed Shai's "If I Ever Fall in Love" and Samantha Sang's "Emotion." Bucky Covington was from Rockingham, North Carolina. He auditioned in Greensboro. Mandisa was from Antioch, Tennessee. She had a successful original audition in Chicago, where she performed Alicia Keys's "Fallin'." In Hollywood, she performed Freda Payne's "Band of Gold." Lisa Tucker was from Anaheim, California, and auditioned in Denver with Whitney Houston's "One Moment in Time." Kevin Covais was from Levittown, New York. For his audition in Boston, he sang "You Raise Me Up". In Hollywood, he performed Shai's "If I Ever Fall in Love." Melissa McGhee was from Tampa, Florida, but she auditioned in Denver with "Can't Fight the Moonlight" by LeAnn Rimes.
Finals Color key:
Top 12 – Stevie Wonder (March 15) Stevie Wonder served as a guest mentor this week. Contestants performed one song from his discography and are listed in the order they performed. Contestant Stevie Wonder song Result Ace Young "Do I Do" Bottom three Kellie Pickler "Blame It on the Sun"Safe Elliott Yamin "Knocks Me Off My Feet"Safe Mandisa "Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing"Safe Bucky Covington "Superstition"Safe Melissa McGhee "Lately" Eliminated Lisa Tucker "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" Bottom two Kevin Covais "Part-Time Lover"Safe Katharine McPhee "Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)"Safe Taylor Hicks "Living for the City"Safe Paris Bennett "All I Do" Safe Chris Daughtry "Higher Ground" Safe + Non-competition performance Performers Song Stevie Wonder "My Love Is On Fire"
Top 11 – Music from the 1950s (March 22) Barry Manilow served as a guest mentor this week. Contestants are listed in the order they performed. Contestant Song Result Mandisa "I Don't Hurt Anymore"Safe Bucky Covington "Oh, Boy!" Bottom two Paris Bennett "Fever"Safe Chris Daughtry "I Walk the Line"Safe Katharine McPhee "Come Rain or Come Shine"Safe Taylor Hicks "Not Fade Away"Safe Lisa Tucker "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?" Bottom three Kevin Covais "When I Fall in Love" Eliminated Elliott Yamin "Teach Me Tonight"Safe Kellie Pickler "Walkin' After Midnight"Safe Ace Young "In the Still of the Night"Safe + Non-competition performance Performers Song Barry Manilow "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing"
Top 10 – Music from the 2000s (March 29) Contestants are listed in the order they performed. Contestant Song Result Lisa Tucker "Because of You" Eliminated Kellie Pickler "Suds in the Bucket"Safe Ace Young "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" Bottom three Taylor Hicks "Trouble"Safe Mandisa "Shackles (Praise You)"Safe Chris Daughtry "What If"Safe Katharine McPhee "The Voice Within" Bottom two Bucky Covington "Real Good Man"Safe Paris Bennett "Work It Out"Safe Elliott Yamin "I Don't Want to Be"Safe + Non-competition performance Performers Song Shakira & Wyclef Jean "Hips Don't Lie"
Top 9 – Country music (April 5) Kenny Rogers served as a guest mentor this week. Contestants are listed in the order they performed. Contestant Country song Result Taylor Hicks "Take Me Home, Country Roads"Safe Mandisa "Any Man of Mine" Eliminated Elliott Yamin "If Tomorrow Never Comes" Bottom two Paris Bennett "How Do I Live" Bottom three Ace Young "Tonight I Wanna Cry"Safe Kellie Pickler "Fancy"Safe Chris Daughtry "Making Memories of Us"Safe Katharine McPhee "Bringing Out the Elvis in Me"Safe Bucky Covington "Best I Ever Had (Grey Sky Morning)"Safe + Non-competition performance Performers Song Kenny Rogers "I Can't Unlove You"
Top 8 – Queen (April 12) Queen band members Brian May and Roger Taylor served as guest mentors for this week. Contestants performed one song from the Queen discography and are listed in the order they performed. Contestant Queen song Result Bucky Covington "Fat Bottomed Girls" Eliminated Ace Young "We Will Rock You" Bottom three Kellie Pickler "Bohemian Rhapsody"Safe Chris Daughtry "Innuendo"Safe Katharine McPhee "Who Wants to Live Forever"Safe Elliott Yamin "Somebody to Love" Bottom three Taylor Hicks "Crazy Little Thing Called Love"Safe Paris Bennett "The Show Must Go On"Safe +Non-competition performancePerformersSongTop 8Queen medley
Top 7 – Great American Songbook (April 19) Rod Stewart served as a guest mentor this week. Contestants performed one song from the Great American Songbook and are listed in the order they performed.