American Idol Final 12
Hometown: Tampa, Fla.
Voted Off: Week 1 (March 15th)
Claim to Fame: Melissa never seemed to establish her own identity on the show. Viewers voted her off after she flubbed the lyrics to Stevie Wonder's "Lately" in front of the Motown legend during rehearsal and then later in performance.
Kevin Covais
Hometown: Levittown, N.Y.
Voted off: March 22nd (Week 2)
Claim to Fame: Affectionately known as "Chicken Little," the bespectacled teenager won the hearts of grandmothers everywhere (at least according to Simon) for his earnest crooning. But personality wasn't enough to keep him in the competition, and he was booted off in the second week.
Lisa Tucker
Hometown:Anaheim, Calif.
Voted off: March 29th (Week 3)
Claim to Fame: At the auditions, Simon said that Lisa was the most talented 16-year-old ever to enter the competition, but she didn't fare well in the final rounds. Lisa was sent home in the third week after a failed attempt to cover Kelly Clarkson's "Because of You."
Mandisa
Hometown: Antioch, Tenn.
Voted off: April 5th (Week 4)
Claim to Fame: Arguably the most powerful female voice among the contestants, Mandisa seemed a sure bet to last until the show's final weeks. But she was voted off during "Country Week" after her version of Shania Twain's "Any Man of Mine" drew mixed reviews from the judges.
Bucky Covington
Hometown:Rockingham, N.C.
Voted off:April 12 (Week 5)
Claim to Fame: Bucky was this season's country boy. He had difficulty singing songs from the 50's and by Stevie Wonder in the first few weeks of the finals, but he somehow managed to hang on. Bucky was sent home after singing Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girl" in Week 5.
Ace Young
Hometown: Denver, Colo.
Voted off: April 19 (Week 6)
Claim to Fame: Ace quickly developed his own fan base thanks to his smoldering good looks, but his singing was uneven. He slicked back his long hair and put on a suit to croon Bobby Darin's "That's All" in Week 6, but the performance wasn't good enough to keep him in the competition.
Kellie Pickler
Hometown: Albemarle, N.C.
Voted off: April 26 (Week 7)
Claim to Fame: Kellie was raised by her grandfather after her mom left town and her dad wound up in prison. She was known on the show for her frequent malaprops and bubbly personality. She was sent home after singing "Unchained Melody."
Paris Bennett
Hometown: Fayetteville, Ga.
Voted off: May 3 (Week 8)
Claim to Fame: Paris had a baby voice when she talked, but when she opened her mouth to sing, she demonstrated a vocal ability way beyond her 17 years. In her final week she sang Prince's "Kiss" and Mary J. Blige's "Be Without You."
Chris Daughtry
Hometown: McLeansville, N.C.
Voted off: May 10 (Week 9)
Claim to Fame: Simon commented that Chris was the first artist in the show's history who refused to compromise. The good-looking rocker was favored to win the competition early on. That's why the judges and Chris himself looked completely shocked when it was announced he was voted off in the ninth week.
Elliott Yamin
Hometown: Richmond, Va.
Voted off:May 17 (Week 10)
Claim to Fame: Elliott impressed the judges with his interpretations of "Moody's Mood For Love" and "A Song For You" and his soulful style. He got 33.06% of the votes in his final week, only .2% behind the finalist in second place.
Katharine McPhee
Runner-up
Age: 22
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Claim to Fame: Katharine looks and sings like a pop idol, but she lost to the more experienced Taylor Hicks.
Taylor Hicks
Winner
Age: 25
Hometown: Birmingham, Ala.
Claim to Fame: The salt-and-pepper-haired bluesman stood apart from the rest of the pack with his smoky vocals and musicianship.