May 26th, 2004: Diana DeGarmo pulls off upset victory, wins 2004 "American Idol" Crown

[49ersFootball]

It was Wednesday night, May 26th, 2004 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, CA as millions of Americans were watching all over the country. The battle between front-runner Fantasia Barrino & underdog Diana DeGarmo was hotly contested: the Judges, singing experts, etc., the previous night had crowned Fantasia the winner after her show-stopping performance of "I Believe", where Simon declared that was Fantasia's acceptance speech.

What would happen next would have major ramifications in later Seasons down the road....

Fantasia Barrino & Diana DeGarmo performing duet, "I Knew You Were Waiting" before Ryan Seacrest announced the results.

 

[49ersFootball]

Seacrest comes with the results, holding that card very tightly....

Earlier in the morning of Wednesday, May 26th, 2004, Seacrest found out the results from Nigel Lythgoe (who told Seacrest to keep it secret & NOT tell anybody until the end of the Results Show when it's the appropriate time). Seacrest hung up the phone & was distressed & shocked by the results "WOW. Just cannot believe this upset was completely out of nowhere, Nigel told me to keep this very secret to myself which I will do because I don't want to get in trouble with the higher-ups."

Later that evening at the Kodak Theatre:
Soon afterwards, it was time for the reading of what the Judges thought about Tuesday night's performances & you can see someone inside the audience was nervous as heck, "I hope the results aren't as close as last year." Over at the Judges Panel, Simon Cowell's attire was annoying considering his white dress shirt needed serious adjustments, Paula Abdul with her beautiful self & Randy Jackson was excited as always, proclaiming the 3rd Season had the best Top 12 ever.

 

[ejpsan]

The problem with shows like American Idol is that the winners tend to be the most acceptable, blandest performers in the contests.
Very few winners go on to have long lasting careers, it is no surprise that the winners with the most impact were from the earlier seasons like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood but since then the spotlight has been on the ones who were eliminated earlier in the contests like Chris Daughtry, Jennifer Hudson, and Adam Lambert.
Other winners like Taylor Hicks have basically faded in to the background and are on the cruise line, Dinner Theater, and casino lounge act circuits.
Flip the order of the finalists and there is not going to be any real difference in their careers.

 

[49ersFootball]

The problem with shows like American Idol is that the winners tend to be the most acceptable, blandest performers in the contests.
Very few winners go on to have long lasting careers, it is no surprise that the winners with the most impact were from the earlier seasons like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood but since then the spotlight has been on the ones who were eliminated earlier in the contests like Chris Daughtry, Jennifer Hudson, and Adam Lambert.
Other winners like Taylor Hicks have basically faded in to the background and are on the cruise line, Dinner Theater, and casino lounge act circuits.
Flip the order of the finalists and there is not going to be any real difference in their careers.

Jordin Sparks was in some movies including "Sparkle" from 2012.

 

[ejpsan]

Jordin Sparks was in some movies including "Sparkle" from 2012.

And that kind of proves my point, she has had middling record sales, no real breakthrough roles, for what it is worth she is doing Lifetime Christmas movies not Hallmark Christmas movies, Lifetime movies.
American Idol became more of who was more likeable then who had actual talent and so back to my original point that the winners after the earlier seasons were the ones who appealed more to the middle of the road viewers who votes.
The real cultural impact that American Idol has had is not in music but the proliferation of talent contests like The Voice and America's Got Talent on television.

 

[49ersFootball]

And that kind of proves my point, she has had middling record sales, no real breakthrough roles, for what it is worth she is doing Lifetime Christmas movies not Hallmark Christmas movies, Lifetime movies.
American Idol became more of who was more likeable then who had actual talent and so back to my original point that the winners after the earlier seasons were the ones who appealed more to the middle of the road viewers who votes.
The real cultural impact that American Idol has had is not in music but the proliferation of talent contests like The Voice and America's Got Talent on television.

Katherine McPhee was in some movies as well & was on NBC's "Smash".

 

[ejpsan]

I liked her on Scorpion.

 

[49ersFootball]

I liked her on Scorpion.

My cousin told me she should've won Season 5 of "American Idol".

 

[ejpsan]

When I saw Taylor Hicks first preformed on Season Five, my first reaction was that he was the next Wayne Newton, and I was right when a few years later I saw him preform at Paris Las Vegas.

 

[49ersFootball]

Onto the results.....

After Seacrest read aloud the full critiques of the respective performances of Barrino & DeGarmo including comments from the Judges, everyone was on the edge of their seats including via satellite (Raleigh, NC & Atlanta, GA where the respective fan-bases of Fantasia & Diana were awaiting the announcement of the winner of 2004 "American Idol"). "The winner of American Idol 2004 is............. DIANA DEGARMO!"

Soon afterwards, there was a loud gasp from a group of people in the audience of the Kodak Theatre. The spunky 16-year-old teenage girl from Snellville, GA had pulled off the biggest upset ever in "American Idol" history.

When the cameras moved towards the Judges, Randy & Paula stood up & applauded both DeGarmo & Barrino for getting to the Final 2 & outlasting everyone who auditioned, while Simon stood there sitting down shocked & dumbfounded at what had occurred, the lip reading of Simon was saying, "What in the F***** ?" Barrino & DeGarmo hugged each other, crying hysterically before Seacrest interrupted to tell everyone it was time for Diana's performance of the song, "I Believe". Over at the GeorgiaDome in Atlanta, GA, the celebration was wild non-stop & cheering as they watched via satellite.

Following her performance, Diana was surrounded by the remaining Top 12 finalists: Leah LaBelle, Matthew Rogers, Amy Adams, Camile Velasco, Jon Peter Lewis, Jennifer Hudson, John Stevens, George Huff, LaToya London & Jasmine Trias as the closing credits rolled non-stop, confetti was falling all over the stage.

 

[PresidentZinn]

Eric the Actor must be happy.

 

[49ersFootball]

Eric the Actor must be happy.

You must be referring to Ace Young right ? LOL.

 

[49ersFootball]

Highlights from the After Party

 

[49ersFootball]

Good Day Live TV Show
9:00 AM PST, Thursday, May 27th, 2004
Fox 11 KTTV-TV Studios, Los Angeles, CA

​

Steve Edwards, Dorothy Lucey & Jillian Barberie were getting ready to interview the Winner & Runner-Up of 2004 "American Idol" Season 3 via satellite (both Diana & Fantasia were outside the Kodak Theatre getting ready for the special interview).

 

[49ersFootball]

And that kind of proves my point, she has had middling record sales, no real breakthrough roles, for what it is worth she is doing Lifetime Christmas movies not Hallmark Christmas movies, Lifetime movies.
American Idol became more of who was more likeable then who had actual talent and so back to my original point that the winners after the earlier seasons were the ones who appealed more to the middle of the road viewers who votes.
The real cultural impact that American Idol has had is not in music but the proliferation of talent contests like The Voice and America's Got Talent on television.

I should note that Ruben Studdard had bad luck since winning Season 2, getting dropped from his record label, etc.,

 

[49ersFootball]

The Experts Opinion

Many of the "American Idol" experts were shocked by Diana's upset victory. Some accused the voters of being hypocrites by lying to pollsters & people when some said they would be voting for Fantasia, but vote for Diana in private. 2002 "American Idol" 4th Place Finalist Tamyra Gray tried her best to put together her thoughts on how the upset victory the previous night occurred: "The American people thought Diana was the better singer, even personally I would've preferred Fantasia to be the winner of course. But like Simon said earlier, you let Americans vote, you have to live with the decision."

Elton John expressed some concern about the ramifications in future Seasons going forward: "While Diana might have won "American Idol" last night, I'm concerned about the possible ramifications in future Seasons going forward as there is a group of people out there in the Middle part of America, who are hostile towards minority singers & prefer to voting for those, who look like them."

 

[49ersFootball]

Clarkson
11:48 AM PST, Thursday, May 27th, 2004
Sacramento, CA.

​

2002 "American Idol" Winner Kelly Clarkson was getting ready for an interview with Fox 7 KTBC-TV Austin via satellite, she was being advised on how the via satellite would work, etc., she also was thinking to herself, "How the Hell did Diana win last night ? What's really going on ?" while she politely congratulated Diana on the victory, she deep-down, expressed skepticism that Diana could handle the highs & lows of the music industry & everything else in general.

 

[49ersFootball]

Studdard
1:54 PM CST, Thursday, May 27th, 2004
New Orleans, LA

​

For 2003 "American Idol" Winner Ruben Studdard, he was working on getting more albums released despite hitting some rough roadblocks along the way. His surprise victory in Season 2 over front-runner Clay Aiken by a narrow, close margin due to controversy, was considered by some with strong suspicion. However, despite the problematic issues from others , who were skeptical on Studdard's music career & sustainability in the music industry, Studdard pressed forward on making music.

 

[49ersFootball]

"On-Air with Ryan Seacrest"
2:00 PM PST, Thursday, May 27th, 2004
Hollywood & Highland Complex Studios, Hollywood, CA.

​

"American Idol" TV Host Ryan Seacrest also hosted the syndicated TV Talk Show (the same name from his Morning Radio Show), where it featured well-known guests such as Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, the cast of CW's "Angel" TV Show & countless others. This show also capitalized & rightfully so, upon the fact Seacrest also hosted "American Idol" concurrently by featuring eliminated contestants who had been eliminated from the popular talented TV Show the night before.

On this day, Seacrest featured Winner Diana DeGarmo, Runner-Up Fantasia Barrino & "American Idol" Judge Randy Jackson. They also featured commentary from the night before from both Simon Cowell & Paula Abdul particularly Simon, who continued to disparage Diana (which he did throughout the entire 3rd Season from the get-go beginning from the auditions in Honolulu, HI).

 

[49ersFootball]

2004 "American Idol" Top 10 Tour Dates announced:

Following the successful, most shocking & outstanding 3rd Season, it was announced the Top 10 consisting of Diana DeGarmo, Fantasia Barrino, Jasmine Trias, LaToya London, George Huff, John Stevens, Jennifer Hudson, Jon Peter Lewis, Camile Velasco & Amy Adams would begin on July 14th, 2004. This was sponsored by Kellogg's Pop-Tarts. This was the 3rd in the series of the American Idols Tour (beginning with Season 1 in 2002 & Season 2 in 2003). The first of the American Idols Live! Tour 2004 would begin in Salt Lake City, UT. Initially, 48 tour dates were originally planned, but 3 shows were later added in Honolulu, HI in response of demands from the hardcore fans of Velasco & Trias, as well as one tour show in Singapore.