Forbes Top Earning American Idols 2011
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<table border="0" cellSpacing="0" cellPadding="6" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="border: 1px inset currentColor;" class="alt2">Oh Goodie.
Forbes magazine
has updated their Top Earning American Idols list. Here’s the latest:
1.
Carrie Underwood – 20 million
2. (tie)
Adam Lambert and
Chris Daughtry – 6 million
4.
Fantasia Barrino – 4 million
5.
Jordin Sparks – 3 million
6.
Kelly Clarkson – 2.5 million
7.
Jennifer Hudson – 2 million
8.
Kellie Pickler – 1.8 million
9.
Clay Aiken – 1.5 million
10. (tie)
Katharine McPhee,
David Archuleta,
David Cook – 1 million
Recent contestants
Kris Allen,
Lee DeWyze,
Crystal Bowersox and
Ruben Studdard narrowly missed the list this year.
The top ten money-making Idol alums combined to earn $50 million over the past year alone.
These numbers are based on estimated pretax income earned from
May 2010 to May 2011, before subtracting agent and manager fees. The totals were compiled with the help of data from Pollstar, RIAA and others, as well as extensive interviews with industry insiders including managers, concert promoters, publicists, agents and, in some cases, the musicians themselves. </td></tr></tbody></table>
Forbes Top Earning American Idols 2011 | mjsbigblog
4. Fantasia Barrino ($4 million)
Season Three’s champ cashed in on new album Back to Me and 38 shows; will star in film Mahalia! later this year.
5. Jordin Sparks ($3 million)
The youngest winner in the show's history, Sparks debuted at age 17 and broke out with "No Air," a duet with Chris Brown that has sold 4 million digital copies to date – making it the best-selling single ever by any American Idol contestant.
7. Jennifer Hudson ($2 million)
Hudson’s yearly take is a bit low due to a paucity of tour dates, but she remains one of Idol's greatest successes, winning an Oscar in 2006 for her role in Dreamgirls. She recently signed on as spokeswoman for Weight Watchers.