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The third season of American Idol premiered on Monday, January 19, 2004, and continued until May 26, 2004. The third season was won by Fantasia Barrino, who defeated Diana DeGarmo by an approximate margin of 2% (1.3 million votes); the vote total (65 million votes) was then the highest recorded vote total in the show's history. This season also featured future EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson, who finished seventh in the competition.
Both Fantasia and Diana DeGarmo released a single after the finale. Fantasia's first single, released in June 2004 on the RCA record label, entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number one, making Fantasia the first artist in the history of Billboard to debut at number one with their first single. In addition to Fantasia and Diana DeGarmo, Jasmine Trias, LaToya London, George Huff, Jennifer Hudson, and Camile Velasco all released albums since the season ended. This is also, to date, the only season in the show's history to produce multiple Grammy Award winners, courtesy of Fantasia (in 2011) and Hudson (in 2009 and 2017), as well as produce an Academy Award and Tony Award winner, courtesy of Hudson (in 2007 and 2022, respectively).
Unlike previous seasons, the semifinalists this season performed in front of a small studio audience with orchestral accompaniment on a backing tape. This was also the first season to feature two guest judges in one week: the duo Ashford & Simpson appeared during the top 10 week.
Auditions were held in the summer of 2003 in the following cities:[1]
| Preliminary date | Preliminary venue | Filming date(s) | Filming venue | Golden tickets | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, California | August 3, 2003 | Rose Bowl | September 2003 | Renaissance Hollywood Hotel[2] | 25 | |
| Houston, Texas | August 13, 2003 | Minute Maid Park | September 4–5, 2003[3] | InterContinental Houston[4] | 13 | |
| Atlanta, Georgia | August 20, 2003 | Georgia Dome | September 2003 | Atlanta Convention Center at AmericasMart[5] | 24 | |
| New York City, New York | August 25, 2003 | Jacob K. Javits Convention Center | August 29, 2003 | Waldorf-Astoria Hotel[6] | 29 | |
| San Francisco, California | September 22, 2003 | Pac Bell Park | September 2003 | Renaissance Parc 55 Hotel[7] | 10 | |
| Honolulu, Hawaii | September 30, 2003 | Aloha Stadium | October 4–5, 2003 | Sheraton Waikiki Hotel[8] | 17 | |
| Total number of tickets to Hollywood | 118 | |||||
In this season, over 80,000 attended the auditions in 6 cities. A prominent audition was William Hung, a University of California, Berkeley student, who became a surprise cult figure following his tuneless rendition of Ricky Martin's "She Bangs" at the San Francisco audition.[9] He was later invited back to perform on a special edition "Uncut, Uncensored and Untalented." His appearance on the show landed him a record deal with Koch Records and he released an album soon afterwards.[10]
There were 117 contestants in the first Hollywood round which was held at the Pasadena Civic Center in Pasadena, California. The contestants first came onto the stage in groups, but each performed solo. They were also asked to write original lyrics and melody for one of ten song titles given and perform their song the next day. After their performances, they were divided into four groups and one group was eliminated.
In the next round, the remaining 87 contestants performed in groups in three. The men and the ladies were separate and they were each given three different songs to choose: the ladies had The Supremes' "You Can't Hurry Love," Vonda Shepard's "Tell Him," or Candi Staton's "Young Hearts Run Free"; the men had Billy Joel's "Tell Her About It," Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up," or The Drifters's "Up on the Roof." 30 contestants were cut and 57 then advanced to the next stage where they performed solo. The contestants were then divided into three groups and placed in separate rooms, with one group sent home. 32 contestants remained for the semifinals.
George Huff replaced Donnie Williams after the latter was disqualified, following a DUI arrest.[11]
Unlike previous seasons, the contestants this season performed in front of a small studio audience with orchestral accompaniment on a backing tape. As with the second season, two performers from each group were selected by public vote to proceed on to the top 12, and those who failed at any of the previous stages were given a second chance in the Wild Card round.
During the Wild Card round, twelve contestants were invited back to participate. However, after being evaluated during the week in rehearsals, only eight were chosen by the judges to perform that night. One performer was chosen by public vote, and one performer was chosen by each of the three judges.
Four contestants in the wildcard round were eliminated by the judges before they had the chance to sing: Lisa Leuschner, Eric Yoder, Tiara Purifoy, and Marque Lynche.
Color key:
Contestants are listed in the order they performed.| Contestant | Song | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diana DeGarmo | "I've Got the Music in Me" | Safe (2nd) | |
| Marque Lynche | "Wind Beneath My Wings" | Eliminated | |
| Ashley Thomas | "Crazy" | Eliminated | |
| Katie Webber | "Orange Colored Sky" | Wild Card | |
| Erskine Walcott | "Open Arms" | Eliminated | |
| Jennifer Hudson | "Imagine" | Wild Card | |
| Matthew Metzger | "Walking in Memphis" | Wild Card (3rd) | |
| Fantasia Barrino | "Something to Talk About" | Safe (1st) |
| Contestant | Song | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Rogers | "What You Won't Do for Love" | Safe (2nd) | |
| Briana Ramirez-Rial | "Don't Know Why" | Eliminated | |
| Noel Roman | "This I Promise You" | Eliminated | |
| Kara Master | "I'm Outta Love" | Eliminated | |
| Lisa Leuschner | "Sweet Thing" | Eliminated (3rd) | |
| Jesus Roman | "Back at One" | Eliminated | |
| Camile Velasco | "One Last Cry" | Safe (1st) | |
| Marisa Joy | "Some Kind of Wonderful" | Eliminated |
| Contestant | Song | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth LeTendre | "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" | Wild Card | |
| Eric Yoder | "In the Still of the Night" | Eliminated | |
| Amy Adams | "The Power of Love" | Safe (2nd) | |
| Jon Peter Lewis | "Tiny Dancer" | Wild Card (3rd) | |
| Charly Lowry | "Chain of Fools" | Eliminated | |
| Jonah Moananu | "I Wish" | Eliminated | |
| Leah LaBelle | "I Have Nothing" | Wild Card | |
| LaToya London | "All by Myself" | Safe (1st) |
| Contestant | Song | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suzy Vulaca | "Un-Break My Heart" | Wild Card | |
| John Preator | "That's What Love Is All About" | Eliminated | |
| Heather Piccinini | "New Attitude" | Eliminated | |
| John Stevens | "She's Always a Woman" | Safe (1st) | |
| Jasmine Trias | "Run to You" | Safe (2nd) | |
| George Huff | "Always and Forever" | Wild Card (3rd) | |
| Lisa Wilson | "Come to My Window" | Eliminated | |
| Tiara Purifoy | "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" | Eliminated |
Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Song | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jon Peter Lewis | "A Little Less Conversation" | Saved | |
| Elizabeth LeTendre | "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" | Eliminated | |
| Katie Webber | "So Emotional" | Eliminated | |
| George Huff | "Lean on Me" | Saved | |
| Suzy Vulaca | "I Will Survive" | Eliminated | |
| Matthew Metzger | "When I See You Smile" | Eliminated | |
| Leah LaBelle | "Let's Stay Together" | Saved | |
| Jennifer Hudson | "I Believe in You and Me" | Saved |
This season, guests were introduced as celebrity judges and often also served as mentors for the week they appeared.
Color key:
Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Song | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| LaToya London | "Ain't Nobody" | Safe | |
| Amy Adams | "You Make Me Feel Brand New" | Bottom three | |
| Matthew Rogers | "Hard to Handle" | Safe | |
| Camile Velasco | "Son of a Preacher Man" | Safe | |
| Jon Peter Lewis | "Drift Away" | Safe | |
| Fantasia Barrino | "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" | Safe | |
| George Huff | "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" | Safe | |
| Jennifer Hudson | "Baby I Love You" | Bottom two | |
| John Stevens | "Lately" | Safe | |
| Leah LaBelle | "You Keep Me Hangin' On" | Eliminated | |
| Jasmine Trias | "Inseparable" | Safe | |
| Diana DeGarmo | "Think" | Safe |
| Performers | Song | |
|---|---|---|
| Top 12 | Soul medley | |
| Clay Aiken | "Solitaire" |
Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Country song | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diana DeGarmo | "A Broken Wing" | Bottom three | |
| George Huff | "I Can Love You Like That" | Safe | |
| Fantasia Barrino | "Always on My Mind" | Safe | |
| John Stevens | "King of the Road" | Safe | |
| Camile Velasco | "Desperado" | Bottom two | |
| Jennifer Hudson | "No One Else on Earth" | Safe | |
| Jon Peter Lewis | "She Believes in Me" | Safe | |
| Jasmine Trias | "Breathe" | Safe | |
| Matthew Rogers | "Amazed" | Eliminated | |
| LaToya London | "Ain't Goin' Down ('Til the Sun Comes Up)" | Safe | |
| Amy Adams | "Sin Wagon" | Safe |
Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson served as mentors and guest judges. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Motown song | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camile Velasco | "For Once in My Life" | Safe | |
| Jon Peter Lewis | "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)" | Safe | |
| LaToya London | "Ooo Baby Baby" | Bottom three | |
| Amy Adams | "Dancing in the Street" | Eliminated | |
| John Stevens | "My Girl" | Safe | |
| Jennifer Hudson | "Heat Wave" | Bottom two | |
| Jasmine Trias | "You're All I Need to Get By" | Safe | |
| Diana DeGarmo | "Do You Love Me" | Safe | |
| Fantasia Barrino | "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" | Safe | |
| George Huff | "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" | Safe |
Elton John served as a mentor and guest judge. Contestants performed songs from Elton John's discography and are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Elton John song | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fantasia Barrino | "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" | Safe | |
| Jon Peter Lewis | "Rocket Man" | Safe | |
| Jasmine Trias | "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" | Bottom two | |
| John Stevens | "Crocodile Rock" | Safe | |
| Camile Velasco | "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" | Eliminated | |
| George Huff | "Take Me to the Pilot" | Safe | |
| Diana DeGarmo | "I'm Still Standing" | Bottom three | |
| LaToya London | "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" | Safe | |
| Jennifer Hudson | "Circle of Life" | Safe |
| Performers | Song | |
|---|---|---|
| Top 9 (Men) | "Daniel" | |
| Top 9 (Women) | "Bennie and the Jets" | |
| Top 9 | "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" | |
| Tamyra Gray | "Raindrops Will Fall" |
Quentin Tarantino served as a mentor and guest judge.[12] Contestants chose songs featured in movies and are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Song | Film | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Huff | "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" | Against All Odds | Safe | |
| Jennifer Hudson | "I Have Nothing" | The Bodyguard | Safe | |
| Jon Peter Lewis | "Jailhouse Rock" | Jailhouse Rock | Eliminated | |
| Diana DeGarmo | "My Heart Will Go On" | Titanic | Bottom three | |
| Fantasia Barrino | "Summertime" | Porgy and Bess | Safe | |
| Jasmine Trias | "When I Fall in Love" | Sleepless in Seattle | Safe | |
| John Stevens | "As Time Goes By" | Casablanca | Bottom two | |
| LaToya London | "Somewhere" | West Side Story | Safe |
Barry Manilow served as a mentor and guest judge. Contestants performed songs from his discography and are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Barry Manilow song | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diana DeGarmo | "One Voice" | Safe | |
| George Huff | "Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again" | Safe | |
| Jennifer Hudson | "Weekend in New England" | Eliminated | |
| Jasmine Trias | "I'll Never Love This Way Again" | Safe | |
| LaToya London | "All the Time" | Bottom three | |
| John Stevens | "Mandy" | Safe | |
| Fantasia Barrino | "It's a Miracle" | Bottom two |
Gloria Estefan served as a mentor and guest judge. Contestants performed songs from her discography and are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Gloria Estefan song | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fantasia Barrino | "Get on Your Feet" | Safe | |
| George Huff | "Live for Loving You" | Bottom two | |
| LaToya London | "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" | Safe | |
| John Stevens | "Music of My Heart" | Eliminated | |
| Jasmine Trias | "Here We Are" | Bottom three | |
| Diana DeGarmo | "Turn the Beat Around" | Safe |
Contestants performed two songs each and are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Big band song | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Diana DeGarmo | "Someone to Watch Over Me" | Safe |
| "Get Happy" | ||
| George Huff | "Cheek to Cheek" | Eliminated |
| "What a Wonderful World" | ||
| LaToya London | "Too Close for Comfort" | Safe |
| "Don't Rain on My Parade" | ||
| Jasmine Trias | "The Way You Look Tonight" | Bottom two |
| "Almost Like Being in Love" | ||
| Fantasia Barrino | "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" | Safe |
| "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" |
Donna Summer served as a mentor and guest judge. Contestants performed two songs each and are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Order | Disco song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jasmine Trias | 1 | "Everlasting Love" | Safe |
| 5 | "It's Raining Men" | ||
| LaToya London | 2 | "Love You Inside Out" | Eliminated |
| 6 | "Don't Leave Me This Way" | ||
| Fantasia Barrino | 3 | "Knock on Wood" | Bottom two |
| 7 | "Holding Out for a Hero" | ||
| Diana DeGarmo | 4 | "This Is It" | Safe |
| 8 | "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" |
| Performers | Song | |
|---|---|---|
| Top 4 with Donna Summer | "Bad Girls" "Hot Stuff" "Heaven Knows" "She Works Hard for the Money" "Last Dance" | |
| Top 4 with Clay Aiken | "Fantasy" | |
| Donna Summer | "MacArthur Park" |
Clive Davis served as a mentor and guest judge. Contestants performed three songs each: one chosen by Clive Davis, one chosen by one of the judges, and one chosen by themselves. Contestants are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Order | Songs | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jasmine Trias | 1 | "Saving All My Love for You" | Eliminated |
| 4 | "Mr. Melody" | ||
| 7 | "All by Myself" | ||
| Fantasia Barrino | 2 | "Chain of Fools" | Safe |
| 5 | "A Fool in Love" | ||
| 8 | "The Greatest Love of All" | ||
| Diana DeGarmo | 3 | "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" | Safe |
| 6 | "Because You Loved Me" | ||
| 9 | "Don't Cry Out Loud" |
| Performers | Song | |
|---|---|---|
| Tamyra Gray | "Star" "Raindrops Will Fall" | |
| Guy Sebastian | "Angels Brought Me Here" |
The two finalists performed three songs each, and are listed in the order they performed.
| Contestant | Order | Songs | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diana DeGarmo | 1 | "I Believe" | Runner-up |
| 3 | "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" | ||
| 5 | "Don't Cry Out Loud" | ||
| Fantasia Barrino | 2 | "All My Life" | Winner |
| 4 | "Summertime" | ||
| 6 | "I Believe" |
| Performers | Song | |
|---|---|---|
| Paul Anka | "My Way" | |
| Tamyra Gray | "The Star-Spangled Banner" | |
| Kelly Clarkson & Ruben Studdard with Fantasia Barrino & Diana DeGarmo | "The Impossible Dream (The Quest)" | |
| Kelly Clarkson | "Beautiful Disaster" | |
| Top 12 | "Reach Out I'll Be There" "1-2-3" "Heaven Knows" "She Works Hard for the Money" "Solid" "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" "I'm Still Standing" "I Made It Through the Rain" | |
| Ruben Studdard | "What If" | |
| Diana DeGarmo | "I Believe" | |
| Fantasia Barrino | "Dreams" | |
| Fantasia Barrino & Diana DeGarmo | "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" | |
| Fantasia Barrino | "I Believe" |
After a nationwide vote of more than 65 million votes — more than the first two seasons combined — Fantasia Barrino won American Idol over Diana DeGarmo.
Kelly Clarkson is quoted in the June 14, 2004 People magazine as saying she voted for Fantasia: "I just hit redial, redial."
Prior to the results show, the governors of Georgia and North Carolina — the home states of DeGarmo and Barrino, respectively — announced a friendly bet between them over which state's resident would prevail, with each wagering a VIP NASCAR ticket package and a shipment of his state's signature fruit. The bet participants were Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue and North Carolina Governor Mike Easley.[14]
Color key:
| Semifinals | Wild Card | Top 12 | Top 11 | Top 10 | Top 9 | Top 8 | Top 7 | Top 6 | Top 5 | Top 4 | Top 3 | Finale | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2/11 | 2/18 | 2/25 | 3/3 | 3/10 | 3/17 | 3/24 | 3/31 | 4/7 | 4/15 | 4/21 | 4/28 | 5/5 | 5/12 | 5/19 | 5/26 | ||
| Fantasia Barrino | 1 | Safe (1st) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom two | Safe | Safe | Bottom two | Safe | Winner |
| Diana DeGarmo | 2 | Safe (2nd) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Safe | Bottom three | Safe | Bottom three | Bottom three | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Runner-up |
| Jasmine Trias | 3 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Safe (2nd) | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom two | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Bottom two | Safe | Eliminated | |
| LaToya London | 4 | N/A | N/A | Safe (1st) | N/A | N/A | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Safe | Safe | Bottom three | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | ||
| George Huff | 5 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Wild Card (3rd) | Saved | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom two | Eliminated | |||
| John Stevens | 6 | N/A | N/A | N/A | Safe (1st) | N/A | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Bottom two | Safe | Eliminated | ||||
| Jennifer Hudson | 7 | Wild Card | N/A | N/A | N/A | Saved | Bottom two | Safe | Bottom two | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | |||||
| Jon Peter Lewis | 8 | N/A | N/A | Wild Card (3rd) | N/A | Saved | Safe | Safe | Safe | Safe | Eliminated | ||||||
| Camile Velasco | 9 | N/A | Safe (1st) | N/A | N/A | N/A | Safe | Bottom two | Safe | Eliminated | |||||||
| Amy Adams | 10 | N/A | N/A | Safe (2nd) | N/A | N/A | Bottom three | Safe | Eliminated | ||||||||
| Matthew Rogers | 11 | N/A | Safe (2nd) | N/A | N/A | N/A | Safe | Eliminated | |||||||||
| Leah LaBelle | 12 | N/A | N/A | Wild Card | N/A | Saved | Eliminated | ||||||||||
| Elizabeth LeTendre | N/A | N/A | Wild Card | N/A | Eliminated | ||||||||||||
| Matthew Metzger | Wild Card (3rd) | N/A | N/A | N/A | |||||||||||||
| Suzy Vulaca | N/A | N/A | N/A | Wild Card | |||||||||||||
| Katie Webber | Wild Card | N/A | N/A | N/A | |||||||||||||
| Heather Piccinni | N/A | N/A | N/A | Eliminated | |||||||||||||
| John Preator | N/A | N/A | N/A | ||||||||||||||
| Tiara Purifoy | N/A | N/A | N/A | ||||||||||||||
| Lisa Wilson | N/A | N/A | N/A | ||||||||||||||
| Charly Lowry | N/A | N/A | Eliminated | ||||||||||||||
| Jonah Moananu | N/A | N/A | |||||||||||||||
| Eric Yoder | N/A | N/A | |||||||||||||||
| Lisa Leuschner | N/A | Eliminated (3rd) | |||||||||||||||
| Marisa Joy | N/A | Eliminated | |||||||||||||||
| Kara Master | N/A | ||||||||||||||||
| Briana Ramirez-Rial | N/A | ||||||||||||||||
| Jesus Roman | N/A | ||||||||||||||||
| Noel Roman | N/A | ||||||||||||||||
| Marque Lynche | Eliminated | ||||||||||||||||
| Ashley Thomas | |||||||||||||||||
| Erskine Walcott | |||||||||||||||||
Both Jennifer Hudson and LaToya London, part of final twelve, were eliminated, despite high praises from the judges. After Hudson was eliminated, Elton John, who was a mentor for that season, criticized the vote as "incredibly racist" in a press conference.[15]
The elimination of both Hudson and London has been pointed out as a classic demonstration of vote-splitting in American Idol, in which the presence of similar choices reduces the votes for each of the similar choices. Hudson, London, and Barrino (who would eventually go on to win the competition) were all female, African-American, highly praised singers — all appealing to the same demographic bloc of voters. All three of these previously popular singers ended up in the "bottom three" the night Hudson was eliminated, having the lowest individual vote counts.[16]
Live + same day ratings
This season the show was ranked second overall in total viewer for the 2003–2004 TV seasons, with its Tuesday episodes taking the top spot, averaging 25.73 million viewers, while the Wednesday episodes ranked third with 24.31 million.[17] It became the top-rated show for the 18-49 demographic for the season,[18] a position it has held for all subsequent years up to and including 2011.
Note 1: The Top 8 shows were shifted to Wednesday and Thursday due to a presidential address on Tuesday.Live + 7 day (DVR) ratings
Home for the Holidays: Kelly, Ruben & Fantasia aired in November 2004.
Re-edited episodes of the third season were shown in syndication as American Idol Rewind, paired with season 4. This season could not be syndicated in full for reasons beyond control (citing its unfair voting allegations[16]) and is the only season to be edited thereof.