Katharine McPhee

27.5.06

Katharine Hope McPhee (born March 25, 1984) is an American singer who was the runner-up on the fifth season of American Idol.

Early career

Born in the Sherman Oaks district of Los Angeles, McPhee has been singing since the age of two. Her mother, Peisha Burch McPhee^[1], a vocal coach and accomplished cabaret singer, recognized a talent for music in her daughter and started training her. McPhee graduated in the class of 2002 from Notre Dame High School after which she attended The Boston Conservatory for three semesters with a concentration in musical theater. She left because she met a manager who wanted her to try out for parts during the television pilot season in Los Angeles. She did a pilot and an independent film.^[2] At the Cabrillo Music Theater in Thousand Oaks, California, she performed the title role in a musical theatre production of Annie Get Your Gun. In June 2005 she played Anna Muir in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, a musical by Scott DeTurk and Bill Francoeur, at NoHo Arts Center in North Hollywood.

American Idol

During her initial audition for American Idol in San Francisco, she sang "God Bless the Child." Judge Randy Jackson said she was the best voice he had heard so far that season, judge Paula Abdul praised her looks, and judge Simon Cowell said she was amazing and "current." McPhee's mother had gone with her to the audition, and Cowell made a comment about the possibility that the elder McPhee was a stage mother.

In the final cut-down show for the Top 24, McPhee was the first to be put through and, in excitement, kissed all three judges on the lips. She cried both when she passed her initial audition and when she made it into the Top 24.

In the first round of the semi-finals, she sang Barbra Streisand's version of Buddy Johnson's "Since I Fell for You," again earning high praises as Cowell said that out of the four "very, very good vocalists" of the night, she was the best.

During the week leading to the third round of the semi-finals, where McPhee sang Aretha Franklin's "Think," she was rumored to be quitting due to pregnancy. However, during the performance show on March 7, 2006, she denied this accusation, later attributing it to a poor choice of clothing. Host Ryan Seacrest, with tongue-in-cheek, asked about her and fellow Idol contestant Kevin Covais.

During the week preceding the top 3 show, McPhee visited her former high school for her hometown celebration.^[3]

McPhee's run on American Idol led to the popular use of the term "McPheever," coined by Ralph Garman of Los Angeles radio station KROQ's morning show Kevin and Bean, and also "McPhan," "McPhaith" and "Kat Pack."

On the May 23, 2006, edition of NBC's Today Show, Katie Couric mentioned news reports saying that Katharine's greatest assets are her looks and strong fan base, while her greatest liability is the fact that her performances suffer when she is under pressure.

On 24 May 2006, Katharine finished second to Taylor Hicks, the winner of American Idol.

Post-Idol

Her first single, including the tracks "My Destiny" and "Think", will be released June 20th.^[4]

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Trivia

McPhee lists Whitney Houston and Brian McKnight as her favorite artists.
McPhee has a sister named Adriana, who was born on June 30, 1982.
McPhee is left handed.
McPhee is 5'8" (173 cm).
McPhee was rumored to be a Scientologist. In the past, McPhee had attended and completed two individual courses in Scientology.^[5] However, according to an May 12, 2006 interview on Los Angeles radio station KROQ 106.7, McPhee stated she "dabbled in Scientology" because of a former love interest but is not a Scientologist; according to her, she was "quickly out the door." ^[6] During a May 26, 2006 interview with Ryan Seacrest on Larry King Live, she once again explained that she is not a Scientologist, and only looked into it because of a former love interest.
McPhee has a dog named Lily.
McPhee has a goddaughter who was born during McPhee's run in Hollywood.

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