In honour of the top 12 being named for American Idol, Season 7 we thought we would check up on the top 10 from season one (called American Idol: The Search for a Superstar, btw) to see if indeed the journey was just beginning for them as the judges are so fond of saying on elimination night.
EJay Day - was the first to be eliminated and has been very quiet since his departure from the show. According to Wikipedia, he is currently performing on cruise ships. Enough said.
EJay Day - was the first to be eliminated and has been very quiet since his departure from the show. According to Wikipedia, he is currently performing on cruise ships. Enough said.
Jim Verraros- was the next to be sent home. Jim has been busy since he left the show putting out an indie CD and an album for Koch Records as well as starring in the gay-themed romantic comedy Eating Out and the sequel, the cleverly named (or maybe not), Eating Out 2, Sloppy Seconds. More information on Jim is available on his website
AJ Gil - apparently has taken to calling himself Juda, according to his MySpace page. His website states that AJ or if you prefer Juda has taken on many new exciting projects and that the site will be soon updated (yeah, and I'm still waiting for that restaurant to re-open that closed for renovations two years ago). Checkout his MySpace page for Juda's latest music.
Ryan Starr - voted second sexiest female in Idol history behind Katherine McPhee. Her single "My Religion" has sold over 360,000 copies on iTunes but has yet to release a full album. Starr has also appeared in such TV shows as CSI, That 70's Show, and The Surreal Life. More info can be found on her site
Christina Christian - has continued in the business with various acting and hosting gigs. She will portray a young Celia Cruz in an upcoming documentary. Her songs and bio can be found on her MySpace page.
RJ Helton - what was it with all the "J"s that season. RJ put out a Christian album in 2004 which according to Wikipedia sold over 21,000 copies. His website states that RJ was in the Jan.08/07 US Weekly magazine and they are working on a RJ book. Yes, a book!?!?
Tamyra Gray - considered by many to be the second best talent to come out of season one. But for all her singing talent she has been more successful in acting. Appearing in Boston Public, Tru Calling, and Las Vegas. She also married Sam Watters, from the 90's group Color Me Bad (he was the odd looking one).
Nikki McKibbin - released an album in 2007 called Unleashed on Chenoa Records. Her videos can be seen at her website and more music can be heard on her MySpace page. Nikki also appeared on Fear Factor and Battle of the Network Reality Stars. 
Justin Guarini - the runner-up with the "hair" has had a rough go of it. From the failure of "From Justin to Kelly" movie to disappointing album sales. But he is still performing around the US and has acted in a couple of independent films. Justin put out a jazz album in 2006 called Stranger Things Can Happen and is recording a new album. His website and MySpace page is very well maintained and updated, unlike the other finalists. I always felt he should have been more successful.
Kelly Clarkson - let's see; the most successful idol winner ever, over 18 million albums sold worldwide, multiple awards, worldwide tours, and thousands of adoring fans. Yeah, I think she's done all right with this whole idol thing.
