‘American Idol’ alumni: Jordin Sparks

* Editor’s Note: This is the first of a series of blogs looking at the careers of former “American Idol” contestants with ties to Christian music.

At 20 years old Jordin Sparks is quickly becoming a veteran of the music business.

The Season 6 winner of American Idol in 2007 is establishing herself as a pop mainstay. Her second album, Battlefield peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard album charts in August and she was selected as the opening act for Britney Spears on the second leg of her tour last fall.

For the third consecutive year Sparks will be performing at the site of the Super Bowl to raise money for her foundation. The concert on Feb.3 in Miami will include a visit to Miami Children’s Hospital and feature other celebrities including Season 8 runner-up David Archuleta.

The foundation is an extension of Spark’s faith. She is the daughter of former New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys defensive back Phillipi Sparks and was raised in Glendale, Ariz. – the location of the Arizona Cardinals’ home stadium – where she honed her singing skills in church.

“I definitely recognize that I have a God-given talent,” Sparks told Everyday Christian in an interview last year. “I have a sense of inner peace, I know God gave me this wonderful voice and I feel that what He needs me to do is share it with others.”

As comfortable as Sparks may have always been on stage, she also embraces the challenge of being a Christian in the fast-paced world of popular music. She sports a purity ring indicating her intention to remain abstinent until marriage.

“My faith has been a humungous part of how I have looked at my career,” Sparks explained. “I started out singing in church very young and it took off from there. With my purity stance, I’m very careful about what I wear and the lyrics in my songs.

“The music business is a very secular world and there are always people quick to point to you as a hypocrite when you mess up with something and fall. I know that God has blessed me to be where I am and everything He has placed before me is just so amazing.”


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After Idol

Sparks' songs from the American Idol have been on sale at the iTunes Store and the American Idol official website as Jordin Sparks (EP) (called a "bundle" on Idol official website) shortly after the finale of Idol, along with other songs that did not make the EP's cut that were being sold as individual singles. According to SoundScan figures posted in USA Today, Blake Lewis sold more digital singles than Sparks, but her mini album sold more than Lewis'.[8]

After the finale of Idol, Sparks has made several appearances on television shows. She performed the finale song, "This Is My Now"on The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet, The Today Show, Live with Regis and Kelly, The Early Show and The View. Sparks had also appeared on Total Request Live, The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet with the runner-up of Idol, Blake Lewis, Larry King Live with contestants who made into the top ten of American Idol.[9][10] and 106 & Park. On July 4, 2007, Sparks performed "God Bless America" and "America the Beautiful" on Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular with Lewis and Melinda Doolittle.[11][12]

Along with television and radio appearances, Sparks has been on the cover of Entertainment Weekly, Your Prom and World and featured in VIBE, TV Guide, Glamour and other publications.

Sparks took part in the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2007 from July 6 to September 23, 2007, along with other contestants in the top ten. She revealed in an AOL interview that the concert will be more group collaborations and duets as well as bringing along her acoustic guitar.[13]

In 2007, Sparks was asked by a relative who works for SOS Children's Villages - USA in Florida to design a denim jacket festooned with Swarovski Crystal to support orphans.[14] She performed on New Year's Eve Live on FOX alongside Blake Lewis.[15] In 2008, Sparks was asked to sing at the Eagles-Cardinals NFC Championship football game.

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American Idol 2007

In the summer of 2006, Sparks auditioned twice for American Idol once in Los Angeles, CA (only auditioned for producers) and again in Seattle, WA after winning KSAZ Fox 10's "Arizona Idol." The Seattle audition is the one seen in the January 27, 2007 broadcast of American Idol where she earned a "gold ticket" and the right to appear in the Hollywood Round. American Idol judge Randy Jackson made the offhand prediction that, "Curly hair will win this year."[5] While on the show, Sparks gained a loyal fan base known as "Sparkplugs" (even having their own official fan site). On May 23, 2007, Sparks was crowned the winner of the sixth season of American Idol having never been in the bottom three. She remains the youngest winner in American Idol history. Sparks was the fourth winner never to have been voted in the bottom three (after Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Taylor Hicks);[6] Cowell said "Jordin was the most improved over the whole season -- didn't start the best, but midway through this was the girl who suddenly got momentum," he included that "Young girl, likeable, and the singer won over the entertainer [Lewis]."[7]

Sparks twice performed on seventh season, once on the Idol Gives Back results show singing her duet with Chris Brown, "No Air" and again with "One Step at a Time" on May 21, 2008, for the finale of American Idol. She also performed on the May 13, 2009 episode of Season 8 of American Idol.

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Before Idol

Before appearing on American Idol, Sparks participated in and won such talent competitions as Sprite Rising Star, Gospel Music Association GMA Academy, The Proof Is In The Pudding Contest, NBC/PAX America's Most Talented Kids, Colgate Country Showdown and the 2007 Drug Free AZ Superstar Search.

In 2006, Sparks was one of six winners who won the Phoenix Torrid search for the "Next Plus Size Model." She was flown to California, where she was used in a number of Torrid ads and promotional pieces.[2] A full-page ad for Torrid featuring Sparks ran in the December 2006 issue of Seventeen magazine

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