Nashville Star
Encyclopedia
Nashville Star is an American reality
television program
. It was transmitted during mid-2008 on NBC
, following five seasons on USA Network
. It premiered on March 8, 2003, and its five seasons on USA made it the longest-running competition series on cable television. In Canada
, the show aired on CMT through season 5, but moved to E! beginning with season 6. CMT
in the United States reaired each episode in season 6.
It was similar to American Idol
, in that performers had to sing to impress both celebrity judges and the public via call-in and/or internet votes. Unlike American Idol, however, the performers were limited to country music
. This restriction was relaxed for Season 6, allowing for the finalists to choose from many genres of music, but the songs were arranged to maintain a country sound.
On March 13, 2009, it was confirmed that the series had been canceled by NBC and would not be returning for a seventh season.
, finalists performed one song per week individually and face criticism and/or praise from a panel of three judges. At the end of the show, voting opened to the viewing public, who cast votes by calling a toll-free telephone number
or logging on to the show's official website (texting was added as a voting option in 2008). The performer with the fewest number of votes was eliminated.
However, because Nashville Star aired only once per week, eliminations were not announced until the following week. The finalists who have not been eliminated are called in random order to the stage one-by-one to perform until there are only two remaining. At that point, one was called to perform and the other was eliminated for receiving the lowest amount of votes from the previous week. The finalists did not know the order in which they will perform, and had less than one minute to prepare once their names are called. No votes are tallied on the season finale.
Much like American Idol, the judges were present to offer criticism to the finalists in an attempt to sway the voting public. Unlike Idol, however, Nashville Stars judges did not participate in the preliminary auditions (leaving that task to the show's producers), but they did act as mentors to the finalists (beginning with the 2008 season). The audition process was not seen on-air on USA Network versions, except for the first season (2003 season), but portions of it was seen in a montage during the premiere of the NBC version. Beginning with the 2008 move to NBC, the judges did assist producers in narrowing the field from 50 to 12. Each season (except for 2005), the judges eliminated finalists based on consensus on the premiere episode without sending the vote to the public (the process continued for a few more episodes during the first two seasons).
Whereas American Idol generally elevated people off the street to stardom, Nashville Star finalists were usually already somehow involved in the country music industry, but may not have attained a record deal on a major label
. Past finalists have included studio musicians, background singers, and independent artists. Finalists were usually songwriters, in addition to being singers. In each season, one episode was dedicated to songs written by the finalists. Nashville Star did not have the same age limits as American Idol, and performers in their 30s and 40s were finalists, although most were in their 20s.
Nashville Star always featured a live band, led by John Bohlinger
.
made appearances as a guest performer live on both shows within two weeks of each other. Also, Patti LaBelle
appeared as a guest judge on Star one week after mentoring
on Idol. David Foster
did the same, although two weeks apart.
In 2007, five days after Jewel
's debut as the new host of Nashville Star, she appeared as a guest judge on the season premiere of American Idol. The Idol segments, however, were taped several weeks before she was named host of Nashville Star.
Finalists live together for the entire run of the show. During the first two seasons, the finalists lived in a large house near Nashville's Music Row
. Beginning with the 2005 season, finalists shared a large suite at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center
. Excerpts of the finalists' interaction with each other in their living environment are often edited into the show.
In addition, most episodes include an established country music act making a guest appearance to perform a song.
Nashville Star is produced by Reveille Productions
and originates live (except for each season's premiere episode, which is taped) from the Acuff Theatre at the Opry
Entertainment Complex in Nashville, Tennessee
. Audience members are required to have tickets, which are distributed free of charge except for a standard handling fee. The competition has historically taken place over the months of March and April, though it moved to January and February for the 2007 season and the summer months in 2008.
in Season 4, and Warner Bros. Music
in Seasons 5 & 6), a performance on the Grand Ole Opry
, and a pickup truck (Chevrolet
from 2005–2007, Toyota in 2008). The 2008 season will also award the winner a performance at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. The top 4 finalists each season have been involved in "The Nashville Star Tour", where they perform together on a tour of small venues for a few months following the season.
took a jab at Star on the air, calling it American Idol "without the talent."
Fifth-season judge Blake Shelton
told the New York Times, “I think it’s disastrous that there hasn’t been a winner to go on to be a consistent star in Nashville. In order for the show to have credibility and for it to take another step, we need a Carrie Underwood
to come out of it." Despite this, the show was a ratings hit for USA Network
, and was moved to broadcast network television after five seasons.
In 2005, finalist Tamika Tyler blamed producers for attempting to influence fans to vote against her, after she was voted off on an early-season episode. Tyler claims that video clips of a confrontation between her and eventual winner Erika Jo concerning the difference in their ages were doctored and taken out of context as they were presented on the show. The show's producers would refute the claims; however, in 2006, the focus of the videos shifted from interactions between finalists to a behind-the-scenes look at each finalist preparing for his or her performance.
Behind the scenes, a ticketing snafu
early in the 2005 season saw hundreds of angry ticketholders turned away at the door for taping of the first live show after the house filled. This was caused by an e-mail
system sending out messages to anyone requesting tickets for the show, stating they had a reserved ticket (gold), when in actuality, it was 'reserving' a general admission ticket (blue). The expectation was that a percentage of those requesting tickets would be no-shows. The process was reformed for the remainder of the season with the elimination of standby tickets (blue) being given out in advance, and the addition of a standby queue (first-come-first-serve with no guarantee of entry). This system also had its faults, most notably at the season finale, when several fans, who had traveled from Texas and had been at the front of the line for more than 12 hours, were turned away. In 2006, the ticketing was outsourced to Ticketmaster
where tickets could be obtained free (plus usual $2 per ticket handling fee). The standby queue was still an option for those without tickets. An audience coordinating company was enlisted to help ensure each taping had a capacity crowd.
During the fifth episode of the 2007 season, no finalist was eliminated. However, host Jewel
teased an elimination several times from the beginning of the episode, only to reveal at the very end that the previous week's show experienced "technical difficulties" and the voting results were discarded. Neither USA Network, nor Reveille Productions, would comment publicly on the "technical difficulties". Interestingly, had the show eliminated a finalist that week, the finale episode would have only featured two performers, instead of the usual three.
As stated below and on this page
, the winner of season 6 was supposed to perform at the closing ceremony
of the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
, China
, which was also shown on NBC in the U.S. However, that performance did not occur; no reason was ever given for the cancellation.
slot on Tuesday nights. As a result of the move, O'Dell chose to leave the show due to her hosting commitments at Access Hollywood
, which is taped in Los Angeles
. Since then, the show has had a different host each year, consisting of hit-making country singers.
A Weekly guest judges during 2006 mostly included bona fide musicians, but also included comedian Larry the Cable Guy
and WWE
superstar John Cena
who both appeared in character for promotional consideration.
.
The standings for 2003 were:
The first winner of Nashville Star, in the spring of 2003, was 41-year-old Buddy Jewell
. On the strength of his win, Jewell's self-titled album
released via Columbia Records
earned him a gold record and two top-five country hits in "Help Pour Out the Rain (Lacey's Song)
" and "Sweet Southern Comfort
", both at #3. With the release of a second album, Times Like These
, Jewell saw declining sales and was dropped from the label. That season's runner up, John Arthur Martinez
, has released several independently produced albums, and one under a major banner.
Miranda Lambert
finished third. Her debut album, Kerosene
, debuted on the Billboard country albums chart at #1 upon its 2005 release, and with a platinum certification from the RIAA, it is the best-selling album from a Nashville Star contestant. Her second album, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
, is certified gold and has produced three more Top 20 hits, one of which ("Gunpowder & Lead
") reached #7 in 2008. Her third album, Revolution
, gave her her first #1 "The House That Built Me
". At the 2010 Academy of Country Music
Awards, Lambert won 3 awards including Top Female Vocalist, Video of the Year for 'White Liar' and Album of the Year for 'Revolution'. She was also named Female Vocalist of the Year at the 2010 Country Music Association Awards
. She is widely considered to be the most successful contestant in the history of the show, although Season 4 winner Chris Young has more #1 country singles (four) than Lambert (two).
The standings for 2004 were:
*No finalist was eliminated on the Week 4 show due to a "technical glitch" during Week 3's show.
Nashville Star began its second season on March 6, 2004. In 2004, the winner was 33-year-old Brad Cotter
, who enjoyed very limited success after his win. Cotter was one of ten finalists eliminated by the judges on the first episode, but was allowed back into the competition after he was selected by viewers to be the one of those ten saved. The format was changed after the 2004 season and that element of the competition was scrapped.
Cotter won a recording contract with Sony Music on its Epic Records
label. His first album, Patient Man
, performed poorly, selling less than 140,000 copies. He was subsequently dropped from the roster. Cotter remains on tour opening for other country artists, such as Mark Chesnutt
and Restless Heart
.
However, runner-up George Canyon
(also 33 years old) experienced a result similar to Miranda Lambert. He didn't win a record deal from the show and has not achieved success in the U.S., but he has become a country music star in his native Canada
, where he was signed by Universal Music and has released three successful albums.
Following the season, third-place finisher Matt Lindahl began appearing in television, radio, billboard, and print advertisements for Purity Dairies
, a regional dairy company based in Nashville. In the television and radio ads, Lindahl (along with his band) sings, acts, and plays the washboard - an instrument that he also played on Nashville Star.
In 2007, Lance Miller signed with Warner Bros. Records
and appeared on Star to perform his first single.
Sixth-place finisher Brent Keith was a top 36 semi-finalist on the eighth season of American Idol
, but was not voted through to the finals.
, record label executive Anastasia Brown, and singer/songwriter (and Poison
frontman) Bret Michaels
.
The standings for 2005 were:
The 2005 winner was 18-year-old Erika Jo
from Mount Juliet, Tennessee — the first female and youngest overall winner. Her victory was watched by the show's largest-ever USA Network audience, when over three million people tuned in to see the finale on April 26. It marked the first time the show ranked among the top ten cable shows of the week.
Erika Jo's self-titled album
debuted at #5 on the country album charts, but quickly fell out of the top ten, selling just over 118,000 copies in the year following its release. The video for the first single, "I Break Things", initially received heavy rotation on CMT
and GAC
, but the song was largely ignored by country radio and only reached #53 on the Billboard Magazine country charts. One subsequent single ("I'm Not Lisa
") was released, but it also failed to attract substantial attention. She was later dropped from the Universal South roster. Erika Jo occasionally makes concert appearances and has become a semi-regular performer on (but not a member of) the Grand Ole Opry
since her victory.
Second-place finisher Jason Meadows
released an album 100% Cowboy via the independent Baccerstick label in 2008, and although the album charted, none of its three singles did. Fourth place Jayron Weaver went on to form with Delnora Reed a duo named Blue Eyed Grass.
Phil Vassar and Anastasia Brown returned as regular judges, with a third seat occupied by guest judges, which included:
The standings for 2006 were:
The 2006 winner was 20-year-old Chris Young
. Nashville Star began its fourth season on March 14, 2006 with a slightly altered set, two new hosts in Wynonna & Cowboy Troy, and only two regular judges. A guest judge occupied the third seat each week. The format remained unaltered, though the length of the season was reduced by one week, and one finalist was eliminated on the season premiere (by judges' decision) to compensate. Two Foot Fred's "Small Talk" segment also made its debut in 2006. The season ended on May 2, 2006 with Young—from nearby Murfreesboro, Tennessee
—crowned champion. His self-titled debut album was released on October 3, 2006 and debuted at #3 on the Billboard country chart, although its singles both missed Top 40. Young charted in the Top 40 for the first time in 2008 with "Voices
", and reached Number One in 2009 with "Gettin' You Home (The Black Dress Song)
" and "The Man I Want to Be
". "Voices" was then re-released in 2010 and also went on to reach Number One. Sixth-place finisher Kristen McNamara was a top 36 finalist on the eighth season of American Idol
, but was not voted into the Top 13. Fourth-place finisher Matt Mason would go onto win the first season of CMT's Next Superstar
.
(lead singer of Alabama
) and Blake Shelton
.
The standings for 2007 were:
*No finalist was eliminated on the Week 5 show due to "technical difficulties" during Week 4's show.
The above ten were chosen from over fifty Regional Finalists, selected from local area callbacks and auditions. The Regional Finals were held in Nashville, TN on November 1, 2, and 3, 2006 at The Stage.
The 2007 winner of Nashville Star was 29-year-old Angela Hacker
from Muscle Shoals, Alabama
, who finished just ahead of her younger brother, Zac. It was the first time that siblings had competed, let alone finished in the top two.
The fifth season debuted on USA Network and CMT Canada at 10 pm EST
on January 11, 2007. There were several changes to the show, including an earlier start date and new night. The series moved to January and February, and aired live on Thursdays at 10 pm EST rather than Tuesdays. Jewel replaced Wynonna
as host, with Cowboy Troy returning as co-host. The format remained mostly unaltered, except the judges eliminated two finalists (one male, one female) on the premiere episode. Sonic Drive-In
was the presenting sponsor for 2007. The season finale aired March 1, 2007.
Following the season, Angela Hacker's album was released on Warner Bros. Records
but was only available at Wal-Mart
. Fifth-placer Whitney Duncan
, who had previously charted the duet "My World Is Over" with Kenny Rogers
in 2004, signed to Warner as well, charting with "When I Said I Would". Her debut album, Right Road Now, was first slated for release in mid-2008 but was delayed repeatedly due to poor performance of its singles. It was eventually released in early 2010, and Duncan soon after parted ways with the record label.
In Season 6, the show moved from USA Network to NBC. The move to NBC (and E! in Canada) came with a few format changes to the show, including the first time auditions were shown on-air. Also, the on-screen judges presided over the initial auditions for the first time. The minimum age was lowered to 16 (from 18), and duos and trios were allowed to compete. The field was expanded to twelve finalists (groups count as one finalist), the largest field since Season 1. The show also received a new set, opening, and theme song. Beginning with the second episode, the show was broadcast in high-definition for the first time; the premiere retained the SDTV 480p format.
Season 6 of Nashville Star premiered on NBC
on June 9, 2008, at 9PM Eastern/Pacific. Its heavily-promoted first broadcast, a two-hour premiere, earned a 2.2 rating, its first hour finishing fourth and its second hour finishing second among the four major networks. Despite the relatively low ratings for a network show, the premiere attracted the most viewers for a single episode in the show's history, outdrawing all episodes broadcast on USA Network. The second episode lost 18 percent of its debut audience. The show during season 6 placed fourth in the first hour and placed second overall in the second hour of the broadcast. Billy Ray Cyrus
hosted the sixth season. The winner of the first-ever NBC season was 32-year old Melissa Lawson.
The finalists for 2008 were:
The sixth season featured judges Jeffrey Steele
, John Rich
, and Jewel
(who hosted Season Five). For the first time, the judges also acted as mentors to the finalists, and Rich was said to produce the winner's album (which, as of February 2009, has not yet been produced). The winner was promised a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records
, a Toyota Tundra
pickup truck, and the opportunity to perform at the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
.
The sixth season also brought Nashville Star to the American CMT
network for the first time. The cable network rebroadcast each episode the following Friday. Beginning with the show's second episode, CMT's Katie Cook
joined the show as a correspondent.
For the first time in the show's history, a companion radio show was developed to complement the television program. Nashville Star Radio debuted each Thursday evening on XM
's "Highway 16
". NSR featured the week's performances from the television show, as well as exclusive in-studio performances and interviews with the finalists and judges.
AT&T
became a major sponsor of the show, placing their logo on screen with each finalist's call-in vote line. AT&T sponsored the same service on American Idol
. Also, Toyota replaced Chevrolet
as a sponsor, and offered its signature Tundra pickup as a prize to the winner.
Guest Performers for the 2008 season included Taylor Swift
, Trace Adkins
, Danity Kane
, and Blake Shelton
.
32-years old Melissa Lawson won. Lawson had made it to the Top 75 on season 4 of American Idol. She released a single "What If It All Goes Right" that charted at #43 on the US Country charts and #79 on the general US chart. Second-placed Gabe Garcia, went in to form the Gabe Garcia Band.
Coffey Anderson
(also written Cofféy Anderson), a Los Angeles
, California
resident but originally from Bangs, Texas
finished 4th. He had briefly been a contestant on season 2 of American Idol in 2003, making it to the Hollywood round. Coffey Anderson has released four albums: Southern Man, Me and You and the spiritual Chrstian albums Inspiration Vol. 1 and Worship Unplugged 1. He enjoys huge popularity online, particularly with his compositions "Memphis", "Southern Man", "Rock 'n Roll Sally", "All Ye", "Let me Love You" and "Can I". He also has his own indie label Coffey Entertainment, LLC.
Third-placer Shawn Mayer is currently releasing songs digitally, and fifth-placer Ashlee Hewitt is currently songwriting and working with close friend and fellow country singer Katie Armiger
.
With the release of "Teddy Gentry's Best New Nashville" through the Cracker Barrel music program in all 601 Cracker Barrel locations in 42 states, sixth-placer Laura Fedor becomes the first ever non-major-label-signed artist to be allowed in their music program, and the only artist besides the winner to have a prominent national release on a respected label.
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
. It was transmitted during mid-2008 on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, following five seasons on USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
. It premiered on March 8, 2003, and its five seasons on USA made it the longest-running competition series on cable television. In Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the show aired on CMT through season 5, but moved to E! beginning with season 6. CMT
Country Music Television
Country Music Television, or CMT, is an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming includes music videos, taped concerts, movies, biographies of country music stars, game shows, and reality programs...
in the United States reaired each episode in season 6.
It was similar to American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, in that performers had to sing to impress both celebrity judges and the public via call-in and/or internet votes. Unlike American Idol, however, the performers were limited to country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
. This restriction was relaxed for Season 6, allowing for the finalists to choose from many genres of music, but the songs were arranged to maintain a country sound.
On March 13, 2009, it was confirmed that the series had been canceled by NBC and would not be returning for a seventh season.
Comparisons to American Idol
In a format nearly identical to the final round of American IdolAmerican Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, finalists performed one song per week individually and face criticism and/or praise from a panel of three judges. At the end of the show, voting opened to the viewing public, who cast votes by calling a toll-free telephone number
Toll-free telephone number
A toll-free, Freecall, Freephone, 800, 0800 or 1-800 number is a special telephone number which is free to the calling party, and instead the telephone carrier charges the called party the cost of the call...
or logging on to the show's official website (texting was added as a voting option in 2008). The performer with the fewest number of votes was eliminated.
However, because Nashville Star aired only once per week, eliminations were not announced until the following week. The finalists who have not been eliminated are called in random order to the stage one-by-one to perform until there are only two remaining. At that point, one was called to perform and the other was eliminated for receiving the lowest amount of votes from the previous week. The finalists did not know the order in which they will perform, and had less than one minute to prepare once their names are called. No votes are tallied on the season finale.
Much like American Idol, the judges were present to offer criticism to the finalists in an attempt to sway the voting public. Unlike Idol, however, Nashville Stars judges did not participate in the preliminary auditions (leaving that task to the show's producers), but they did act as mentors to the finalists (beginning with the 2008 season). The audition process was not seen on-air on USA Network versions, except for the first season (2003 season), but portions of it was seen in a montage during the premiere of the NBC version. Beginning with the 2008 move to NBC, the judges did assist producers in narrowing the field from 50 to 12. Each season (except for 2005), the judges eliminated finalists based on consensus on the premiere episode without sending the vote to the public (the process continued for a few more episodes during the first two seasons).
Whereas American Idol generally elevated people off the street to stardom, Nashville Star finalists were usually already somehow involved in the country music industry, but may not have attained a record deal on a major label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
. Past finalists have included studio musicians, background singers, and independent artists. Finalists were usually songwriters, in addition to being singers. In each season, one episode was dedicated to songs written by the finalists. Nashville Star did not have the same age limits as American Idol, and performers in their 30s and 40s were finalists, although most were in their 20s.
Nashville Star always featured a live band, led by John Bohlinger
John Bohlinger (entertainer)
John Bohlinger is an American musician and writer who works primarily in television as a band leader/music director for NBC's program Nashville Star and The GAC Network's series, The Next GAC Star, the 2009/2010/2011 "CMT Music Awards", CMT's Christmas Special featuring "Larry The Cable Guy" as...
.
Appearing on both shows in the same season
In 2006, several musicians appeared on both American Idol and Nashville Star. Kenny RogersKenny Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
made appearances as a guest performer live on both shows within two weeks of each other. Also, Patti LaBelle
Patti LaBelle
Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry...
appeared as a guest judge on Star one week after mentoring
Mentoring
Mentorship refers to a personal developmental relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps a less experienced or less knowledgeable person....
on Idol. David Foster
David Foster
David Walter Foster, OC, OBC , is a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter, and arranger, noted for discovering singers such as Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, and Charice Pempengco; and for producing some of the most successful artists in the world, such as Céline Dion, Toni...
did the same, although two weeks apart.
In 2007, five days after Jewel
Jewel (singer)
Jewel Kilcher , professionally known as Jewel, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actress and poet...
's debut as the new host of Nashville Star, she appeared as a guest judge on the season premiere of American Idol. The Idol segments, however, were taped several weeks before she was named host of Nashville Star.
Broadcast
Regular episodes of Nashville Star run 60 minutes each. The show occasionally has a longer runtime (90 or 120 minutes), usually on season premieres and finales. The first three seasons featured nine episodes each. The series' run was cut to eight episodes beginning in 2006.Finalists live together for the entire run of the show. During the first two seasons, the finalists lived in a large house near Nashville's Music Row
Music Row
Music Row is an area just to the southwest of Downtown Nashville, Tennessee that is home to hundreds of businesses related to the country music, gospel music, and Contemporary Christian music industries...
. Beginning with the 2005 season, finalists shared a large suite at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center
Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center
Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, formerly known as Opryland Hotel, is a large hotel and convention center located in Nashville, Tennessee and owned by Gaylord Hotels, a division of Gaylord Entertainment Company...
. Excerpts of the finalists' interaction with each other in their living environment are often edited into the show.
In addition, most episodes include an established country music act making a guest appearance to perform a song.
Nashville Star is produced by Reveille Productions
Reveille Productions
Reveille Productions is an independently-owned television and motion picture studio and production company based in Los Angeles. The studio was founded by Ben Silverman in March 2002....
and originates live (except for each season's premiere episode, which is taped) from the Acuff Theatre at the Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
Entertainment Complex in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. Audience members are required to have tickets, which are distributed free of charge except for a standard handling fee. The competition has historically taken place over the months of March and April, though it moved to January and February for the 2007 season and the summer months in 2008.
Prizes
The winner of Nashville Star receives a recording contract (through Sony Music in Seasons 1 & 2, Universal South Records in Season 3, RCA Label GroupRCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
in Season 4, and Warner Bros. Music
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
in Seasons 5 & 6), a performance on the Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
, and a pickup truck (Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
from 2005–2007, Toyota in 2008). The 2008 season will also award the winner a performance at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. The top 4 finalists each season have been involved in "The Nashville Star Tour", where they perform together on a tour of small venues for a few months following the season.
Criticisms
Nashville Star was criticized from its inception as an American Idol ripoff, but the show has outlived many critics' initial predictions of failure. During Nashville Stars first season, Idol host Ryan SeacrestRyan Seacrest
Ryan John Seacrest is an American radio personality, television host, network producer and voice actor. He is the host of On Air with Ryan Seacrest, a nationally syndicated Top 40 radio show that airs on KIIS-FM in Los Angeles and throughout the United States and Canada on Premiere Radio Networks,...
took a jab at Star on the air, calling it American Idol "without the talent."
Fifth-season judge Blake Shelton
Blake Shelton
Blake Tollison Shelton is an American country music artist. In 2001, he made his debut with the single "Austin". Released as the lead-off single from his self-titled debut album, "Austin" went on to spend five weeks at Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts...
told the New York Times, “I think it’s disastrous that there hasn’t been a winner to go on to be a consistent star in Nashville. In order for the show to have credibility and for it to take another step, we need a Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Marie Underwood is an American country singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005...
to come out of it." Despite this, the show was a ratings hit for USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
, and was moved to broadcast network television after five seasons.
Controversies
In 2004, Mal Rodgers was eliminated by the judges during one of the early rounds, despite being an obvious fan-favorite (at this time, two finalists were eliminated each episode: one by the judges, one by fan-vote). At the taping, the audience loudly booed the decision to eliminate Rodgers, continuing after the show had gone off-air. For 2005, the elimination process was altered, completely removing the judges from the equation. The process was again altered in 2006, allowing judges to remove one finalist (two in 2007, back to one in 2008) on the premiere episode only, before fans get the chance to vote.In 2005, finalist Tamika Tyler blamed producers for attempting to influence fans to vote against her, after she was voted off on an early-season episode. Tyler claims that video clips of a confrontation between her and eventual winner Erika Jo concerning the difference in their ages were doctored and taken out of context as they were presented on the show. The show's producers would refute the claims; however, in 2006, the focus of the videos shifted from interactions between finalists to a behind-the-scenes look at each finalist preparing for his or her performance.
Behind the scenes, a ticketing snafu
SNAFU
SNAFU is an acronym that stands for situation normal: all fucked up. It is sometimes bowdlerized to all fouled up or similar. In simple terms, it means that the normal situation is in a bad state, as it always is, therefore nothing unexpected. It is usually used in jest, or as a sign of frustration...
early in the 2005 season saw hundreds of angry ticketholders turned away at the door for taping of the first live show after the house filled. This was caused by an e-mail
E-mail
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
system sending out messages to anyone requesting tickets for the show, stating they had a reserved ticket (gold), when in actuality, it was 'reserving' a general admission ticket (blue). The expectation was that a percentage of those requesting tickets would be no-shows. The process was reformed for the remainder of the season with the elimination of standby tickets (blue) being given out in advance, and the addition of a standby queue (first-come-first-serve with no guarantee of entry). This system also had its faults, most notably at the season finale, when several fans, who had traveled from Texas and had been at the front of the line for more than 12 hours, were turned away. In 2006, the ticketing was outsourced to Ticketmaster
Ticketmaster
Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc. is an independent American ticket sales and distribution company based in West Hollywood, California, USA, with operations in many countries around the world. In 2010 it merged with Live Nation to become Live Nation Entertainment...
where tickets could be obtained free (plus usual $2 per ticket handling fee). The standby queue was still an option for those without tickets. An audience coordinating company was enlisted to help ensure each taping had a capacity crowd.
During the fifth episode of the 2007 season, no finalist was eliminated. However, host Jewel
Jewel (singer)
Jewel Kilcher , professionally known as Jewel, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actress and poet...
teased an elimination several times from the beginning of the episode, only to reveal at the very end that the previous week's show experienced "technical difficulties" and the voting results were discarded. Neither USA Network, nor Reveille Productions, would comment publicly on the "technical difficulties". Interestingly, had the show eliminated a finalist that week, the finale episode would have only featured two performers, instead of the usual three.
As stated below and on this page
Nashville Star (season 6)
Season 6 of Nashville Star, the annual reality show and singing competition, premiered on NBC on June 9, 2008 at 9PM Eastern/Pacific. The show moved to NBC from USA Network, which had inaugurated the show and broadcast it for five seasons. For the first time, auditions were open also for duets and...
, the winner of season 6 was supposed to perform at the closing ceremony
2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony
The 2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony was held at the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest. It was directed by Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou and began at 8:00 pm China Standard Time on August 24, 2008...
of the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, which was also shown on NBC in the U.S. However, that performance did not occur; no reason was ever given for the cancellation.
Hosts
The host for the first two seasons of Nashville Star was entertainment reporter Nancy O'Dell, who also served as a consulting producer. Before the third season (2005), USA Network announced the show would move from Saturday nights to a more desirable prime timePrime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
slot on Tuesday nights. As a result of the move, O'Dell chose to leave the show due to her hosting commitments at Access Hollywood
Access Hollywood
Access Hollywood is a weekday television entertainment news program covering events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was created by former Entertainment Tonight executive producer Jim Van Messel, and is currently directed by Robert Silverstein. In previous years, Doug Dougherty and...
, which is taped in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Since then, the show has had a different host each year, consisting of hit-making country singers.
| Season | Host | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (2003) | Nancy O'Dell | |
| 2 (2004) | Nancy O'Dell | |
| 3 (2005) | LeAnn Rimes LeAnn Rimes LeAnn Rimes is an American country/pop singer. She is known for her rich vocals and her rise to fame as an eight-year-old champion on the original Ed McMahon version of Star Search, followed by the release of the Patsy Cline-intended single "Blue" when Rimes was only age 13, resulting in her... |
Sara Evans Sara Evans Sara Lynn Evans is an American country singer and songwriter.Evans was one of the few traditional-styled singers to emerge from Nashville in the late 1990s, according to Allmusic. Since emerging in the late 1990s, Evans has made five No. 1 Country hits and Gold and Platinum-certified albums by... substituted for Rimes during episodes 7 and 8 due to vocal cord Vocal folds The vocal folds, also known commonly as vocal cords, are composed of twin infoldings of mucous membrane stretched horizontally across the larynx... injury; Cledus T. Judd Cledus T. Judd Barry Poole is an American country music artist who records under the name Cledus T. Judd. Known primarily for his parodies of popular country music songs, he has been called the "Weird Al" Yankovic of country music, and his albums are usually an equal mix of original comedy songs and parodies... is co-host, but credited as "Special Correspondent" |
| 4 (2006) | Wynonna | Cowboy Troy Cowboy Troy Troy Lee Coleman III is an American musician, better known by his stage name Cowboy Troy, who performs country rap. He is a member of the MuzikMafia, an aggregation of country music singer-songwriters whose membership also includes Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson and James Otto... was co-host; Two Foot Fred hosts "Small Talk" segment |
| 5 (2007) | Jewel Jewel (singer) Jewel Kilcher , professionally known as Jewel, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actress and poet... |
Cowboy Troy was co-host; Two Foot Fred hosts "Small Talk" segment |
| 6 (2008) | Billy Ray Cyrus Billy Ray Cyrus William "Billy" Ray Cyrus is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist, who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon... |
Katie Cook Katie Cook Katie Cook is an American actress, host and correspondent with the Country Music Television network in the United States. She has been with the network since 2001. She currently hosts CMT Insider. Cook often appears as the host of CMT's live or recorded segments from red carpet events and has... was co-host, but credited as "Correspondent" |
Judges
The show has seen a revolving door of judges as well, with recording industry executive Anastasia Brown serving the longest (a three-season stint from 2005–2007). 2008 marked the first time a recording industry executive was not a member of the panel, and also the first time judges co-acted as mentors.| Season | Judge 1 | Judge 2 | Judge 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (2003) | Robert K. Oermann | Tracy Gershon | Charlie Robison Charlie Robison Charles Fitzgerald "Charlie" Robison is an Texas Country singer/songwriter, who was raised in Bandera, Texas. His brother is singer/songwriter Bruce Robison... |
| 2 (2004) | Billy Greenwood | Tracy Gershon | The Warren Brothers |
| 3 (2005) | Phil Vassar Phil Vassar Phil Vassar is an American country music artist. Vassar made his debut on the country music scene in the late 1990s, co-writing singles for several country artists, including Tim McGraw , Jo Dee Messina , Collin Raye , and Alan Jackson Phil Vassar (born May 28, 1964 in Lynchburg, Virginia) is an... |
Anastasia Brown | Bret Michaels Bret Michaels Bret Michaels is an American musician, actor, director, screenwriter, producer and reality television personality. He first gained fame as the lead vocalist of the glam metal band Poison. Besides his career as lead singer, he has several solo albums to his credit, as well as one chart single... |
| 4 (2006) | Phil Vassar | Anastasia Brown | Weekly Guest JudgeA |
| 5 (2007) | Randy Owen Randy Owen Randy Owen is an American country music artist. He is known primarily for his role as the lead singer of Alabama, a country rock band which saw considerable mainstream success throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Although Alabama only records new albums on occasion, Owen himself has maintained a career... |
Anastasia Brown | Blake Shelton Blake Shelton Blake Tollison Shelton is an American country music artist. In 2001, he made his debut with the single "Austin". Released as the lead-off single from his self-titled debut album, "Austin" went on to spend five weeks at Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts... |
| 6 (2008) | Jeffrey Steele Jeffrey Steele Jeffrey LeVasseur is an American country music singer and songwriter, more commonly known by the name Jeffrey Steele... |
John Rich John Rich (musician) John Rich is an American country music singer-songwriter. From 1992 to 1998, he was a member of the country music band Lonestar, in which he played bass guitar and alternated with Richie McDonald as lead vocalist... |
Jewel Jewel (singer) Jewel Kilcher , professionally known as Jewel, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actress and poet... |
A Weekly guest judges during 2006 mostly included bona fide musicians, but also included comedian Larry the Cable Guy
Larry the Cable Guy
Daniel Lawrence Whitney , better known by his stage name and character Larry the Cable Guy, is an American comedian, actor, and former radio personality....
and WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
superstar John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
who both appeared in character for promotional consideration.
Winners
| Season | Winner | Second | Third | Fourth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (2003) | Buddy Jewell Buddy Jewell Buddy Jewell Jr. is an American country music artist who was the first winner on the USA Network talent show Nashville Star. Signed to Columbia Records in 2003, Jewell made his debut on the American country music scene with the release of his self-titled album, which produced the singles "Help... |
John Arthur Martinez John Arthur Martinez John Arthur Martinez is an American country music artist. Martinez finished in second place on the first season of the USA Network talent show Nashville Star... |
Miranda Lambert Miranda Lambert Miranda Lambert is an American country music artist who gained fame as a finalist on the 2003 season of Nashville Star, where she finished in third place and later signed to Epic Records. Lambert made her debut with the release of "Me and Charlie Talking", the first single from her 2005 debut... |
Brandi Gibson |
| 2 (2004) | Brad Cotter Brad Cotter Brad Cotter is an American country music singer who won the 2004 season of Nashville Star a talent competition on the USA Network. Signed to Epic Records that year, he released his debut album Patient Man, which produced three singles on the Billboard country charts, including the #35 "I Meant To"... |
George Canyon George Canyon George Canyon is a Canadian country music singer. He was runner up Nashville Star 2 in 2004. He grew up in Fox Brook, Pictou County, Nova Scotia and later lived in Hopewell, Nova Scotia before he moved west. He currently lives in High River, Alberta... |
Matt Lindahl | Lance Miller |
| 3 (2005) | Erika Jo Erika Jo Erika Jo Heriges , known simply by the stage name Erika Jo, is an American country music recording artist who was declared winner of the 2005 season of the Nashville Star television program. Eighteen years old at the time, Erika Jo is both the youngest person to win the competition and the first... |
Jason Meadows Jason Meadows Jason Meadows is a country music artist signed to Baccerstick Records. He was raised in Calera, Oklahoma. Meadows was a second-place finalist on the third season of the USA Networks talent show Nashville Star... |
Jody Evans | Jayron Weaver |
| 4 (2006) | Chris Young | Casey Rivers | Nicole Jamrose | Matt Mason |
| 5 (2007) | Angela Hacker Angela Hacker Angela Hacker is an American country music singer. In 2007, she was the winner of the USA Network talent show Nashville Star. Her brother Zac finished second the same year. She released an album via Warner Bros. Records in 2007, although it did not chart and produced no singles.-Biography:Angela... |
Zac Hacker | David St. Romain | Joshua Stevens |
| 6 (2008) | Melissa Lawson Melissa Lawson Melissa Ann Lawson is an American country music singer. On August 4, 2008, she was declared the winner of the television program Nashville Star, a country music singing competition which airs on NBC. Signed to Warner Bros. Records Nashville, she released her debut single "What If It All Goes... |
Gabe Garcia | Shawn Mayer | Coffey Anderson Coffey Anderson Coffey Anderson is an American singer-songwriter originally from Bangs, Texas. His unique brand of country music blends in distinct influences from pop, contemporary Christian, gospel and soul that has attracted many. He came to fame through his YouTube videos and in 2008 took part in Nashville Star... |
Season 1 (2003)
Season 1 was broadcast on USA Network and presented by Nancy O'Dell. Judges were country music historian Robert K. Oermann, record label executive Tracy Gershon, and singer/songwriter Charlie RobisonCharlie Robison
Charles Fitzgerald "Charlie" Robison is an Texas Country singer/songwriter, who was raised in Bandera, Texas. His brother is singer/songwriter Bruce Robison...
.
The standings for 2003 were:
| Place | Name | Sex | Age | Hometown | Week Eliminated |
| 1 | Buddy Jewell Buddy Jewell Buddy Jewell Jr. is an American country music artist who was the first winner on the USA Network talent show Nashville Star. Signed to Columbia Records in 2003, Jewell made his debut on the American country music scene with the release of his self-titled album, which produced the singles "Help... |
M | 41 | Osceola, Arkansas Osceola, Arkansas -Notable natives & residents:* Bill Alexander, U.S. Representative from First Congressional District, 1969–1993* David Barrett, New York Jets cornerback* Maurice Carthon, former NFL and USFL player and NFL assistant coach... |
Winner |
| 2 | John Arthur Martinez John Arthur Martinez John Arthur Martinez is an American country music artist. Martinez finished in second place on the first season of the USA Network talent show Nashville Star... |
M | 41 | Marble Falls, Texas Marble Falls, Texas Marble Falls is a city in Burnet County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,959 at the 2000 census.Marble Falls is about northwest of Austin and north of San Antonio... |
Finale (May 3, 2003) |
| 3 | Miranda Lambert Miranda Lambert Miranda Lambert is an American country music artist who gained fame as a finalist on the 2003 season of Nashville Star, where she finished in third place and later signed to Epic Records. Lambert made her debut with the release of "Me and Charlie Talking", the first single from her 2005 debut... |
F | 21 | Lindale, Texas Lindale, Texas Lindale is a city in Smith County, Texas, United States. The town had an estimated population of 5,024 in 2006. It is part of the Tyler, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:... |
Finale (May 3, 2003) |
| 4 | Brandi Gibson | F | 21 | Arlington, Kentucky Arlington, Kentucky Arlington is a city in Carlisle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 395 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Arlington is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:... |
Week 8 (April 26, 2003) |
| 5 | Brandon Silveira | M | 24 | Hanford, California Hanford, California Hanford is an important commercial and cultural center in the south central San Joaquin Valley and is the county seat of Kings County, California. It is the principal city of the Hanford-Corcoran, California Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Kings County, including the cities... |
Week 7 (April 19, 2003) |
| 6 | Amy Chappell | F | 27 | Hutchinson, Kansas Hutchinson, Kansas Hutchinson is the largest city in and the county seat of Reno County, Kansas, United States, northwest of Wichita, on the Arkansas River. It has been home to salt mines since 1887, thus its nickname of "Salt City", but locals call it "Hutch"... |
Week 6 (April 12, 2003) |
| 7 | Jamey Garner | M | 32 | Chester, Illinois Chester, Illinois Chester is a city located on the bluffs of the Mississippi River Valley in Randolph County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,400 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Randolph County and is located south of St. Louis, Missouri.-History:... |
Week 5 (April 5, 2003) |
| 8 | Prentiss Varnon | M | 22 | Uvalde, Texas Uvalde, Texas Uvalde is a city in and the county seat of Uvalde County, Texas, United States. The population was 14,929 at the 2000 census.Uvalde was founded by Reading Wood Black in 1853 as the town of Encina. In 1856, when the county was organized, the town was renamed Uvalde for Spanish governor Juan de... |
Week 4 (March 29, 2003) (Judges' decision) |
| 9 | Travis Howard | M | 32 | Chalybeate Springs, Georgia | Week 4 (March 29, 2003) |
| 10 | Tasha Valentine | F | 21 | Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As... |
Week 3 (March 22, 2003) (Judges' decision) |
| 11 | Kristen Kissling | F | 22 | Topeka, Kansas Topeka, Kansas Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was... |
Week 3 (March 22, 2003) |
| 12 | Ann Louise Blythe | F | 24 | San Lorenzo, California San Lorenzo, California San Lorenzo , also known as San Lorenzo Village is a census-designated place in Alameda County, California, United States. The population was 23,452 at the 2010 census.-Geography:... |
Week 2 (March 15, 2003) (Judges' decision) |
The first winner of Nashville Star, in the spring of 2003, was 41-year-old Buddy Jewell
Buddy Jewell
Buddy Jewell Jr. is an American country music artist who was the first winner on the USA Network talent show Nashville Star. Signed to Columbia Records in 2003, Jewell made his debut on the American country music scene with the release of his self-titled album, which produced the singles "Help...
. On the strength of his win, Jewell's self-titled album
Buddy Jewell (album)
Buddy Jewell is the third studio album by American country music singer Buddy Jewell. The album was Jewell's major-label debut and his first album since winning season one of Nashville Star. As part of the Nashville Star prize, the album was produced by Clint Black and recorded entirely in ten...
released via Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
earned him a gold record and two top-five country hits in "Help Pour Out the Rain (Lacey's Song)
Help Pour Out the Rain (Lacey's Song)
"Help Pour Out the Rain " is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music artist Buddy Jewell. It was released in May 2003 as the lead-off single from his 2003 self-titled third album Buddy Jewell. It peaked at number 3 on the United States Billboard Hot Country Singles &...
" and "Sweet Southern Comfort
Sweet Southern Comfort
"Sweet Southern Comfort" is the title of a song written by Rodney Clawson and Brad Crisler, and recorded by American country music artist Buddy Jewell. It was released in October 2003 as the second single from his 2003 self-titled third album Buddy Jewell...
", both at #3. With the release of a second album, Times Like These
Times Like These (Buddy Jewell album)
Times Like These is the fourth studio album by American country music singer Buddy Jewell. The album was released on April 26, 2005 by Columbia Records...
, Jewell saw declining sales and was dropped from the label. That season's runner up, John Arthur Martinez
John Arthur Martinez
John Arthur Martinez is an American country music artist. Martinez finished in second place on the first season of the USA Network talent show Nashville Star...
, has released several independently produced albums, and one under a major banner.
Miranda Lambert
Miranda Lambert
Miranda Lambert is an American country music artist who gained fame as a finalist on the 2003 season of Nashville Star, where she finished in third place and later signed to Epic Records. Lambert made her debut with the release of "Me and Charlie Talking", the first single from her 2005 debut...
finished third. Her debut album, Kerosene
Kerosene (album)
- Personnel :Musicians* Richard Bennett – guitar* Chad Cromwell – drums* Eric Darken – percussion* Natalie Hemby – background vocals* Joey Huffman – keyboards* Jay Joyce – guitar* Miranda Lambert – background vocals, lead vocals...
, debuted on the Billboard country albums chart at #1 upon its 2005 release, and with a platinum certification from the RIAA, it is the best-selling album from a Nashville Star contestant. Her second album, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Upon its release, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend received general acclaim from most music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 85, based on 15 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".Stephen Thomas...
, is certified gold and has produced three more Top 20 hits, one of which ("Gunpowder & Lead
Gunpowder & Lead
"Gunpowder & Lead" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Miranda Lambert on her 2007 album Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. The album's third single, it became Lambert's first Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs in July 2008...
") reached #7 in 2008. Her third album, Revolution
Revolution (Miranda Lambert album)
Upon its release, Revolution received general acclaim from most music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 85, based on 11 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".Rolling Stone magazine...
, gave her her first #1 "The House That Built Me
The House That Built Me
"The House That Built Me" is a song written by Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin, and recorded by American country artist Miranda Lambert. It was released in March 2010 as the third single from her third studio album, Revolution. It is the fastest-rising single of her career, reaching the Top 20 in...
". At the 2010 Academy of Country Music
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
Awards, Lambert won 3 awards including Top Female Vocalist, Video of the Year for 'White Liar' and Album of the Year for 'Revolution'. She was also named Female Vocalist of the Year at the 2010 Country Music Association Awards
Country Music Association Awards
The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards, or the CMAs, and not to be confused with the ACM Awards, are voted on by business members of the Country Music Association. The first CMA awards were presented at an untelevised ceremony in Nashville's Municipal Auditorium in 1967...
. She is widely considered to be the most successful contestant in the history of the show, although Season 4 winner Chris Young has more #1 country singles (four) than Lambert (two).
Season 2 (2004)
Nancy O'Dell returned as judge. Record label executive Tracy Gershon returned as a judge, joined by radio personality Billy Greenwood and country artists The Warren Brothers. The show was broadcast on USA Network.The standings for 2004 were:
| Place | Name | Sex | Age | Hometown | Week Eliminated |
| 1 | Brad Cotter Brad Cotter Brad Cotter is an American country music singer who won the 2004 season of Nashville Star a talent competition on the USA Network. Signed to Epic Records that year, he released his debut album Patient Man, which produced three singles on the Billboard country charts, including the #35 "I Meant To"... |
M | 33 | Opelika, Alabama Opelika, Alabama Opelika is a city in and the county seat of Lee County in the east central part of the U.S. state of Alabama. It is a principal city of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area. According to 2010 Census, the population of Opelika was 26,477... |
Winner |
| 2 | George Canyon George Canyon George Canyon is a Canadian country music singer. He was runner up Nashville Star 2 in 2004. He grew up in Fox Brook, Pictou County, Nova Scotia and later lived in Hopewell, Nova Scotia before he moved west. He currently lives in High River, Alberta... |
M | 33 | Fox Brook, Nova Scotia, Canada | Finale (May 1, 2004) |
| 3 | Matt Lindahl | M | 28 | Snellville, Georgia Snellville, Georgia Snellville is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States, east of Atlanta. The population was 15,351 at the 2000 census. The city's mayor, Jerry Oberholtzer, was elected to a 4-year term in 2007. The city's commercial and residential development has grown enormously in recent years... |
Finale (May 1, 2004) |
| 4 | Lance Miller | M | 33 | Fairfield, Illinois Fairfield, Illinois Fairfield is the county seat of Wayne County, Illinois, United States, the site of Frontier Community College, , , and Airtex; an auto parts manufacturing facility... |
Week 8 (April 24, 2004) |
| 5 | Jennifer Hicks | F | 35 | Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home... |
Week 7 (April 17, 2004) |
| 6 | Brent Keith | M | 24 | Blanchester, Ohio Blanchester, Ohio Blanchester is a village in Clinton and Warren Counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 4,220 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Blanchester is located at .... |
Week 6 (April 10, 2004) |
| 7 | Marty Slayton | F | 37 | Alamo, Tennessee Alamo, Tennessee Alamo, Tennessee, is a town in Crockett County, Tennessee. Its population was 2,461 at the time of the 2010 U.S. Census. Alamo, for interesting historical reasons, is the county seat of Crockett County, Tennessee... |
Week 5 (April 3, 2004) |
| 8 | Sheila Marshall | F | 31 | Nacogdoches, Texas Nacogdoches, Texas Nacogdoches is a city in Nacogdoches County, Texas, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the city's population to be 32,996. It is the county seat of Nacogdoches County and is situated in East Texas. Nacogdoches is a sister city of Natchitoches, Louisiana.Nacogdoches is the home of... |
Week 5 (April 3, 2004) |
| 9 | Mal Rogers | M | 24 | Antrim, Northern Ireland | Week 3 (March 20, 2004) (Judges' decision) |
| 10 | Stacy Michelle | F | 33 | Memphis, Tennessee Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers.... |
Week 3 (March 20, 2004) |
| 11 | Gregory DeLang | F | 39 | San Angelo, Texas San Angelo, Texas San Angelo is a city in the state of Texas. Located in West Central Texas it is the county seat of Tom Green County. As of 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total population of 93,200... |
Week 2 (March 13, 2004) (Judges' decision) |
*No finalist was eliminated on the Week 4 show due to a "technical glitch" during Week 3's show.
Nashville Star began its second season on March 6, 2004. In 2004, the winner was 33-year-old Brad Cotter
Brad Cotter
Brad Cotter is an American country music singer who won the 2004 season of Nashville Star a talent competition on the USA Network. Signed to Epic Records that year, he released his debut album Patient Man, which produced three singles on the Billboard country charts, including the #35 "I Meant To"...
, who enjoyed very limited success after his win. Cotter was one of ten finalists eliminated by the judges on the first episode, but was allowed back into the competition after he was selected by viewers to be the one of those ten saved. The format was changed after the 2004 season and that element of the competition was scrapped.
Cotter won a recording contract with Sony Music on its Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
label. His first album, Patient Man
Patient Man
Patient Man is the debut album from American country music artist Brad Cotter, who in 2004 was declared the winner of the television talent show Nashville Star.. It features the single "I Meant To", a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts in 2004...
, performed poorly, selling less than 140,000 copies. He was subsequently dropped from the roster. Cotter remains on tour opening for other country artists, such as Mark Chesnutt
Mark Chesnutt
Mark Nelson Chesnutt is an American country music singer. Chesnutt recorded and released his first album, Doing My Country Thing, in the late-1980s on private independent record label, Axbar Records, with the vinyl album version now a collector's item...
and Restless Heart
Restless Heart
Restless Heart is an American country music band established in 1984. The band's original members were John Dittrich , Paul Gregg , Dave Innis , Greg Jennings , and Verlon Thompson...
.
However, runner-up George Canyon
George Canyon
George Canyon is a Canadian country music singer. He was runner up Nashville Star 2 in 2004. He grew up in Fox Brook, Pictou County, Nova Scotia and later lived in Hopewell, Nova Scotia before he moved west. He currently lives in High River, Alberta...
(also 33 years old) experienced a result similar to Miranda Lambert. He didn't win a record deal from the show and has not achieved success in the U.S., but he has become a country music star in his native Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, where he was signed by Universal Music and has released three successful albums.
Following the season, third-place finisher Matt Lindahl began appearing in television, radio, billboard, and print advertisements for Purity Dairies
Purity Dairies
Purity Dairies is a Nashville, Tennessee, based dairy company operated by the Ezell family. It offers products throughout Tennessee, Alabama, and Kentucky. The company is owned by Dean Foods.-History:...
, a regional dairy company based in Nashville. In the television and radio ads, Lindahl (along with his band) sings, acts, and plays the washboard - an instrument that he also played on Nashville Star.
In 2007, Lance Miller signed with Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
and appeared on Star to perform his first single.
Sixth-place finisher Brent Keith was a top 36 semi-finalist on the eighth season of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, but was not voted through to the finals.
Season 3 (2005)
Nashville Star began its third season on March 1, 2005. The host was LeAnn Rimes and Cledus T. Judd was co-host, but credited as "Special Correspondent". Sara Evans substituted for Rimes during episodes 7 and 8 due to vocal cord injury. Judges were singer/songwriter Phil VassarPhil Vassar
Phil Vassar is an American country music artist. Vassar made his debut on the country music scene in the late 1990s, co-writing singles for several country artists, including Tim McGraw , Jo Dee Messina , Collin Raye , and Alan Jackson Phil Vassar (born May 28, 1964 in Lynchburg, Virginia) is an...
, record label executive Anastasia Brown, and singer/songwriter (and Poison
Poison (band)
Poison is an American glam metal band that achieved great success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. To date, Poison has sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 15 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100,...
frontman) Bret Michaels
Bret Michaels
Bret Michaels is an American musician, actor, director, screenwriter, producer and reality television personality. He first gained fame as the lead vocalist of the glam metal band Poison. Besides his career as lead singer, he has several solo albums to his credit, as well as one chart single...
.
The standings for 2005 were:
| Place | Name | Sex | Age | Hometown | Week Eliminated |
| 1 | Erika Jo Erika Jo Erika Jo Heriges , known simply by the stage name Erika Jo, is an American country music recording artist who was declared winner of the 2005 season of the Nashville Star television program. Eighteen years old at the time, Erika Jo is both the youngest person to win the competition and the first... |
F | 18 | Mt. Juliet, Tennessee Mt. Juliet, Tennessee Mt. Juliet is a city located in the western portion of Wilson County, Tennessee, U.S.A. It is a suburb of Nashville, and is approximately east of downtown. It is located roughly between two major national east-west routes, Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 70. As of the 2010 census, the city had a... |
Winner |
| 2 | Jason Meadows Jason Meadows Jason Meadows is a country music artist signed to Baccerstick Records. He was raised in Calera, Oklahoma. Meadows was a second-place finalist on the third season of the USA Networks talent show Nashville Star... |
M | 33 | Calera, Oklahoma Calera, Oklahoma As of the census of 2000, there were 1,739 people, 676 households, and 469 families residing in the town. The population density was 678.6 per square mile . There were 742 housing units at an average density of 289.5 per square mile... |
Finale (April 26, 2005) |
| 3 | Jody Evans | M | 28 | Donaldson, Arkansas Donaldson, Arkansas Donaldson is a town in Hot Spring County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 326 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Donaldson is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land.... |
Finale (April 26, 2005) |
| 4 | Jayron Weaver | M | 22 | Dallas, Georgia Dallas, Georgia Dallas is a city in and the county seat of Paulding County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 11,544. It was named for George M. Dallas, Vice President of the United States of America under James K. Polk.-History:... |
Week 8 (April 19, 2005) |
| 5 | Justin David | M | 31 | Marshfield, Missouri Marshfield, Missouri Marshfield is a city in Webster County, Missouri, United States. The population was 6,633 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat and part of the Springfield, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :... |
Week 7 (April 12, 2005) |
| 6 | Jenny Farrell | F | 35 | Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As... |
Week 6 (April 5, 2005) |
| 7 | Tamika Tyler | F | 33 | Coffs Harbour, Australia | Week 5 (March 29, 2005) |
| 8 | Casey Simpson | F | 19 | Cerritos, California Cerritos, California Cerritos is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, and is one of several cities that constitute the Gateway Cities of southeast Los Angeles County. It was incorporated on April 24, 1956... |
Week 4 (March 22, 2005) |
| 9 | Christy McDonald | F | 29 | Tabor City, North Carolina Tabor City, North Carolina Tabor City is a town in Columbus County, North Carolina, United States.It was named after Mount Tabor Baptist Church , which itself is named after the biblical Mount Tabor. Originally named Mt... |
Week 3 (March 15, 2005) |
| 10 | Josh Owen | M | 19 | Brownsboro, Texas Brownsboro, Texas Brownsboro is a city in Henderson County, Texas, United States. The population was 796 at the 2000 census. The community is on Texas State Highway 31.-History:... |
Week 2 (March 8, 2005) |
The 2005 winner was 18-year-old Erika Jo
Erika Jo
Erika Jo Heriges , known simply by the stage name Erika Jo, is an American country music recording artist who was declared winner of the 2005 season of the Nashville Star television program. Eighteen years old at the time, Erika Jo is both the youngest person to win the competition and the first...
from Mount Juliet, Tennessee — the first female and youngest overall winner. Her victory was watched by the show's largest-ever USA Network audience, when over three million people tuned in to see the finale on April 26. It marked the first time the show ranked among the top ten cable shows of the week.
Erika Jo's self-titled album
Erika Jo (album)
Erika Jo is the self-titled debut album of country music singer Erika Jo. It was released on June 14, 2005 by Universal South Records, following the artist's win on the 2005 season of Nashville Star...
debuted at #5 on the country album charts, but quickly fell out of the top ten, selling just over 118,000 copies in the year following its release. The video for the first single, "I Break Things", initially received heavy rotation on CMT
Country Music Television
Country Music Television, or CMT, is an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming includes music videos, taped concerts, movies, biographies of country music stars, game shows, and reality programs...
and GAC
Great American Country
Great American Country , is a Nashville, Tennessee-based country music cable television network.-History:The station launched December 31, 1995 and Garth Brooks' video "The Thunder Rolls" was the first video to air on GAC....
, but the song was largely ignored by country radio and only reached #53 on the Billboard Magazine country charts. One subsequent single ("I'm Not Lisa
I'm Not Lisa
"I'm Not Lisa" is a country music song written and recorded by American country artist Jessi Colter. It was released as a single on January 16, 1975 by Capitol Records. "I'm Not Lisa" would become Colter's first major hit as a solo artist.-Content:...
") was released, but it also failed to attract substantial attention. She was later dropped from the Universal South roster. Erika Jo occasionally makes concert appearances and has become a semi-regular performer on (but not a member of) the Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
since her victory.
Second-place finisher Jason Meadows
Jason Meadows
Jason Meadows is a country music artist signed to Baccerstick Records. He was raised in Calera, Oklahoma. Meadows was a second-place finalist on the third season of the USA Networks talent show Nashville Star...
released an album 100% Cowboy via the independent Baccerstick label in 2008, and although the album charted, none of its three singles did. Fourth place Jayron Weaver went on to form with Delnora Reed a duo named Blue Eyed Grass.
Season 4 (2006)
Wynonna was the host of the series and Cowboy Troy was co-host. Two Foot Fred hosts "Small Talk" segment.Phil Vassar and Anastasia Brown returned as regular judges, with a third seat occupied by guest judges, which included:
- Premiere (3/14/06) - Big & RichBig & RichBig & Rich is an American country music duo composed of Big Kenny and John Rich. Both members alternate as lead vocalists and play rhythm guitar...
- Week 2 (3/21/06) - comedianComedianA comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
Larry the Cable GuyLarry the Cable GuyDaniel Lawrence Whitney , better known by his stage name and character Larry the Cable Guy, is an American comedian, actor, and former radio personality.... - Week 3 (3/28/06) - World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
star John CenaJohn CenaJohn Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand.... - Week 4 (4/4/06) - Naomi JuddNaomi JuddNaomi Judd is an American country music singer, songwriter, and activist.-Personal life:She was born Diana Ellen Judd to Charles Glen Judd and his wife Pauline Judd on January 11, 1946, in Ashland, Kentucky. Her father owned a gas station; her mother started out as a homemaker but later became a...
- Week 5 (4/11/06) - David FosterDavid FosterDavid Walter Foster, OC, OBC , is a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, singer, songwriter, and arranger, noted for discovering singers such as Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, and Charice Pempengco; and for producing some of the most successful artists in the world, such as Céline Dion, Toni...
- Week 6 (4/18/06) - Patti LaBellePatti LaBellePatricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry...
- Week 7 (4/25/06) - Scott WeilandScott WeilandScott Weiland is an American musician, lyricist, and vocalist, most notable for his work with Grammy Award-winning rock band Stone Temple Pilots. Weiland is also known for his five-year career with supergroup Velvet Revolver as well as his own solo career...
& Duff McKaganDuff McKaganMichael Andrew "Duff" McKagan is an American musician and writer. He is best known for his twelve-year tenure as the bassist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
(of Velvet RevolverVelvet RevolverVelvet Revolver is an American hard rock supergroup consisting of former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum, alongside Dave Kushner formerly of punk band Wasted Youth. Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland was Velvet Revolver's lead singer from their formation until...
) - Finale (5/2/06) - Big & RichBig & RichBig & Rich is an American country music duo composed of Big Kenny and John Rich. Both members alternate as lead vocalists and play rhythm guitar...
The standings for 2006 were:
| Place | Name | Sex | Age | Hometown | Week Eliminated |
| 1 | Chris Young | M | 20 | Murfreesboro, Tennessee Murfreesboro, Tennessee Murfreesboro is a city in and the county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 108,755 according to the United States Census Bureau's 2010 U.S. Census, up from 68,816 residents certified during the 2000 census. The center of population of Tennessee is located in... |
Winner |
| 2 | Casey Rivers | M | 23 | Lindale, Texas Lindale, Texas Lindale is a city in Smith County, Texas, United States. The town had an estimated population of 5,024 in 2006. It is part of the Tyler, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:... |
Finale (May 2, 2006) |
| 3 | Nicole Jamrose | F | 33 | Schererville, Indiana Schererville, Indiana Schererville is a town in St. John Township, Lake County, Indiana, United States. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. The population was 29,243 at the 2010 census.- History :... |
Finale (May 2, 2006) |
| 4 | Matt Mason | M | 20 | Fairland, Indiana Fairland, Indiana Fairland is a town in Shelby County, Indiana, United States. The population was 315 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Fairland is located at .... |
Week 7 (April 25, 2006) |
| 5 | Jared Ashley | M | 29 | Hobbs, New Mexico Hobbs, New Mexico Hobbs is a city in Lea County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 28,657 at the 2000 census.Hobbs is the principal city of the Hobbs, New Mexico Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Lea County.-Geography:... |
Week 6 (April 18, 2006) |
| 6 | Kristen McNamara | F | 20 | Napa Valley, California | Week 5 (April 11, 2006) |
| 7 | Melanie Torres | F | 28 | Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As... |
Week 4 (April 4, 2006) |
| 8 | Monique LeCompte | F | 23 | Grand Terrace, California Grand Terrace, California Grand Terrace is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 12,040 at the 2010 census, up from 11,626 at the 2000 census. Grand Terrace is located between the cities of Riverside and San Bernardino along the I-215 corridor... |
Week 3 (March 28, 2006) |
| 9 | Shy Blakeman | M | 25 | Kilgore, Texas Kilgore, Texas Kilgore is a city in Gregg and Rusk Counties in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the home of Kilgore College, and was also the childhood home of famous classical pianist Van Cliburn... |
Week 2 (March 21, 2006) |
| 10 | Jewels Hanson | F | 31 | Fremont, California Fremont, California Fremont is a city in Alameda County, California. It was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Niles, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs... |
Premiere (March 14, 2006) (Judges' decision) |
The 2006 winner was 20-year-old Chris Young
Chris Young (musician)
Christopher Alan "Chris" Young is an American country music artist. In 2006, he was declared the winner of the television program Nashville Star, a singing competition which aired on the USA Network. After winning, he was signed to RCA Records Nashville, releasing his self-titled debut album that...
. Nashville Star began its fourth season on March 14, 2006 with a slightly altered set, two new hosts in Wynonna & Cowboy Troy, and only two regular judges. A guest judge occupied the third seat each week. The format remained unaltered, though the length of the season was reduced by one week, and one finalist was eliminated on the season premiere (by judges' decision) to compensate. Two Foot Fred's "Small Talk" segment also made its debut in 2006. The season ended on May 2, 2006 with Young—from nearby Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Murfreesboro is a city in and the county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 108,755 according to the United States Census Bureau's 2010 U.S. Census, up from 68,816 residents certified during the 2000 census. The center of population of Tennessee is located in...
—crowned champion. His self-titled debut album was released on October 3, 2006 and debuted at #3 on the Billboard country chart, although its singles both missed Top 40. Young charted in the Top 40 for the first time in 2008 with "Voices
Voices (Chris Young song)
"Voices" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Chris Young. After charting in mid-2008 on the Hot Country Songs charts, "Voices" was re-released in July 2010 following Young's first two Number one singles, "Gettin' You Home " and "The Man I Want to Be." The song is...
", and reached Number One in 2009 with "Gettin' You Home (The Black Dress Song)
Gettin' You Home (The Black Dress Song)
"Gettin' You Home " is a country music song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Chris Young. It is the second single release from his second studio album, The Man I Want to Be, released on September 1, 2009...
" and "The Man I Want to Be
The Man I Want to Be (song)
"The Man I Want to Be" is the title of a song written by Brett James and Tim Nichols and recorded by American country artist Chris Young. It was released in November 2009 as the third single from his second studio album, also titled The Man I Want to Be....
". "Voices" was then re-released in 2010 and also went on to reach Number One. Sixth-place finisher Kristen McNamara was a top 36 finalist on the eighth season of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, but was not voted into the Top 13. Fourth-place finisher Matt Mason would go onto win the first season of CMT's Next Superstar
CMT's Next Superstar
CMT's Next Superstar is a new music competition series specializing in country music. It is launched by American Country Music Television specialty station CMT in partnership with producer Nigel Lythgoe and his son, Simon Lythgoe...
.
Season 5 (2007)
Jewel hosted the show and Cowboy Troy returned as co-host. Two Foot Fred returned as host of the "Small Talk" segment. Judges included Aastasia Brown, who returned for her third season at the desk. Joining her were country singers Randy OwenRandy Owen
Randy Owen is an American country music artist. He is known primarily for his role as the lead singer of Alabama, a country rock band which saw considerable mainstream success throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Although Alabama only records new albums on occasion, Owen himself has maintained a career...
(lead singer of Alabama
Alabama (band)
Alabama is a country music and southern rock band from Fort Payne, Alabama, United States. The band was founded in 1969 by Randy Owen and his cousin Teddy Gentry , soon joined by Jeff Cook...
) and Blake Shelton
Blake Shelton
Blake Tollison Shelton is an American country music artist. In 2001, he made his debut with the single "Austin". Released as the lead-off single from his self-titled debut album, "Austin" went on to spend five weeks at Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts...
.
The standings for 2007 were:
| Place | Name | Sex | Age | Hometown | Week Eliminated |
| 1 | Angela Hacker Angela Hacker Angela Hacker is an American country music singer. In 2007, she was the winner of the USA Network talent show Nashville Star. Her brother Zac finished second the same year. She released an album via Warner Bros. Records in 2007, although it did not chart and produced no singles.-Biography:Angela... |
F | 29 | Muscle Shoals, Alabama Muscle Shoals, Alabama Muscle Shoals is a city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. As of 2007, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population of the city to be 12,846. The city is included in The Shoals MSA. It is famous for its contributions to American popular music.-Geography:Muscle Shoals is located... |
Winner |
| 2 | Zac Hacker | M | 23 | Muscle Shoals, Alabama Muscle Shoals, Alabama Muscle Shoals is a city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. As of 2007, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population of the city to be 12,846. The city is included in The Shoals MSA. It is famous for its contributions to American popular music.-Geography:Muscle Shoals is located... |
Finale (March 1, 2007) |
| 3 | David St. Romain | M | 28 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South... |
Finale (March 1, 2007) |
| 4 | Joshua Stevens | M | 28 | Churchville, Iowa | Week 7 (February 22, 2007) |
| 5 | Whitney Duncan Whitney Duncan Whitney Duncan is an American country music artist, who was the fifth place finalist on the fifth season of Nashville Star. She has released one studio album and has charted on the U.S... |
F | 22 | Scotts Hill, Tennessee Scotts Hill, Tennessee Scotts Hill is a town in Decatur and Henderson Counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The population was 894 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Scotts Hill is located at .... |
Week 6 (February 15, 2007) |
| 6 | Meg Allison | F | 25 | Chicago, Illinois | Week 4 (February 1, 2007) |
| 7 | Kacey Musgraves | F | 18 | Golden, Texas | Week 3 (January 25, 2007) |
| 8 | Dustin Wilkes | M | 26 | Jefferson, Georgia Jefferson, Georgia Jefferson is a city in Jackson County, Georgia, United States. The population was 3,825 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Jackson County. Jefferson is known for its superior recreation department... |
Week 2 (January 18, 2007) |
| 9 (t) | Rickiejoleen | F | 18 | Tempe, Arizona Tempe, Arizona Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale... |
Premiere (January 11, 2007) (Judges' decision) |
| 9 (t) | Tim LaRoche | M | 36 | Gardner Gardner, Massachusetts Gardner, Massachusetts is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 20,228 as of the 2010 census. Gardner is home to Dunn State Park, Gardner Heritage State Park, Lake Wampanoag Wildlife Sanctuary, and Mount Wachusett Community College.-History:Named in honor of... -Athol, Massachusetts Athol, Massachusetts Athol is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,584 at the 2010 census.-History:Originally called Pequoiag, the area was first settled by five families in September 1735. When the township was incorporated in 1762, the name was changed to Athol... |
Premiere (January 11, 2007) (Judges' decision) |
*No finalist was eliminated on the Week 5 show due to "technical difficulties" during Week 4's show.
The above ten were chosen from over fifty Regional Finalists, selected from local area callbacks and auditions. The Regional Finals were held in Nashville, TN on November 1, 2, and 3, 2006 at The Stage.
The 2007 winner of Nashville Star was 29-year-old Angela Hacker
Angela Hacker
Angela Hacker is an American country music singer. In 2007, she was the winner of the USA Network talent show Nashville Star. Her brother Zac finished second the same year. She released an album via Warner Bros. Records in 2007, although it did not chart and produced no singles.-Biography:Angela...
from Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Muscle Shoals is a city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. As of 2007, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population of the city to be 12,846. The city is included in The Shoals MSA. It is famous for its contributions to American popular music.-Geography:Muscle Shoals is located...
, who finished just ahead of her younger brother, Zac. It was the first time that siblings had competed, let alone finished in the top two.
The fifth season debuted on USA Network and CMT Canada at 10 pm EST
North American Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
on January 11, 2007. There were several changes to the show, including an earlier start date and new night. The series moved to January and February, and aired live on Thursdays at 10 pm EST rather than Tuesdays. Jewel replaced Wynonna
Wynonna Judd
Wynonna Ellen Judd is an American country music singer. Her solo albums and singles are all credited to the singular name Wynonna. Wynonna first rose to fame in the 1980s alongside her mother, Naomi, in the country music duo The Judds...
as host, with Cowboy Troy returning as co-host. The format remained mostly unaltered, except the judges eliminated two finalists (one male, one female) on the premiere episode. Sonic Drive-In
Sonic Drive-In
Sonic Drive-In is an American drive-in fast-food restaurant chain based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, complete with carhops who sometimes wear rollerskates. As of August 31, 2010, there were 3,500 restaurants in 43 U.S. states. Sonic serves approximately 3 million customers daily.-1950s:Following...
was the presenting sponsor for 2007. The season finale aired March 1, 2007.
Following the season, Angela Hacker's album was released on Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
but was only available at Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
. Fifth-placer Whitney Duncan
Whitney Duncan
Whitney Duncan is an American country music artist, who was the fifth place finalist on the fifth season of Nashville Star. She has released one studio album and has charted on the U.S...
, who had previously charted the duet "My World Is Over" with Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
in 2004, signed to Warner as well, charting with "When I Said I Would". Her debut album, Right Road Now, was first slated for release in mid-2008 but was delayed repeatedly due to poor performance of its singles. It was eventually released in early 2010, and Duncan soon after parted ways with the record label.
Season 6 (2008)
In Season 6, the show moved from USA Network to NBC. The move to NBC (and E! in Canada) came with a few format changes to the show, including the first time auditions were shown on-air. Also, the on-screen judges presided over the initial auditions for the first time. The minimum age was lowered to 16 (from 18), and duos and trios were allowed to compete. The field was expanded to twelve finalists (groups count as one finalist), the largest field since Season 1. The show also received a new set, opening, and theme song. Beginning with the second episode, the show was broadcast in high-definition for the first time; the premiere retained the SDTV 480p format.
Season 6 of Nashville Star premiered on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
on June 9, 2008, at 9PM Eastern/Pacific. Its heavily-promoted first broadcast, a two-hour premiere, earned a 2.2 rating, its first hour finishing fourth and its second hour finishing second among the four major networks. Despite the relatively low ratings for a network show, the premiere attracted the most viewers for a single episode in the show's history, outdrawing all episodes broadcast on USA Network. The second episode lost 18 percent of its debut audience. The show during season 6 placed fourth in the first hour and placed second overall in the second hour of the broadcast. Billy Ray Cyrus
Billy Ray Cyrus
William "Billy" Ray Cyrus is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist, who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon...
hosted the sixth season. The winner of the first-ever NBC season was 32-year old Melissa Lawson.
The finalists for 2008 were:
| Place | Name | Sex | Age | Hometown | Week Eliminated | |||||||||
| 1 | Melissa Lawson Melissa Lawson Melissa Ann Lawson is an American country music singer. On August 4, 2008, she was declared the winner of the television program Nashville Star, a country music singing competition which airs on NBC. Signed to Warner Bros. Records Nashville, she released her debut single "What If It All Goes... |
F | 32 | Arlington, Texas Arlington, Texas Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex... |
Winner | |||||||||
| 2 | Gabe Garcia | M | 28 | Lytle, Texas Lytle, Texas Lytle is a city in Atascosa, Bexar, and Medina counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 2,383 at the 2000 census. It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Lytle is located at... |
Finale (August 4, 2008) | |||||||||
| 3 | Shawn Mayer | F | 21 | May City, Iowa | Finale (August 4, 2008) | |||||||||
| 4 | Coffey Anderson Coffey Anderson Coffey Anderson is an American singer-songwriter originally from Bangs, Texas. His unique brand of country music blends in distinct influences from pop, contemporary Christian, gospel and soul that has attracted many. He came to fame through his YouTube videos and in 2008 took part in Nashville Star... |
M | 28 | Bangs, Texas Bangs, Texas Bangs is a city located in Brown County in West Central Texas. The population was 1,620 at the 2000 census. Bangs is the birthplace of Major League Baseball batting champion Debs Garms.-Geography:Bangs is located at .... |
Week 8 (July 28, 2008) | |||||||||
| 5 | Ashlee Hewitt | F | 20 | Lancaster, Minnesota Lancaster, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 363 people, 154 households, and 91 families residing in the city. The population density was 161.6 people per square mile . There were 193 housing units at an average density of 85.9 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 98.90% White, 28% Native... |
Week 7 (July 21, 2008) | |||||||||
| 6 | Laura and Sophie
|
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Willoughby, Ohio Willoughby, Ohio As of the census of 2000, there were 22,621 people, 10,265 households, and 5,892 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,225.3 people per square mile . There were 10,700 housing units at an average density of 1,052.6 per square mile... |
Week 6 (July 14, 2008) | |||||||||
| 7 | Pearl Heart
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Florissant, Missouri Florissant, Missouri Florissant is a second-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in northern St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The city has a total population of 52,158 in 2010 census.-History:... |
Week 5 (July 7, 2008) | |||||||||
| 8 | Tommy Stanley | M | 23 | Cushing, Oklahoma Cushing, Oklahoma Cushing is a city in Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 8,371 at the 2000 census.The city was established after the Land Run of 1891 by Billy Rae Little. It was named for Marshall Cushing, private secretary to U.S. Postmaster General John Wanamaker... |
Week 5 (July 7, 2008) | |||||||||
| 9 | Alyson Gilbert | F | 28 | Crookston, Minnesota Crookston, Minnesota As of the census of 2000, there were 8,192 people, 3,078 households, and 1,819 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,658.8 people per square mile . There were 3,382 housing units at an average density of 684.8 per square mile... |
Week 4 (June 30, 2008) | |||||||||
| 10 | Justin Gaston Justin Gaston Justin Michael Gaston is an American singer-songwriter, model, and actor who was also a contestant on Nashville Star on season 6. He finished 10th overall out of 12 contestants.-Career:... |
M | 19 | Pineville, Louisiana Pineville, Louisiana Pineville is a city in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is adjacent to the city of Alexandria, and is part of that city's Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,829 at the 2000 census.... |
Week 3 (June 23, 2008) | |||||||||
| 11 | Third Town
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Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous... (via San Antonio, Texas San Antonio, Texas San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,... ) |
Week 2 (June 16, 2008) | |||||||||
| 12 | Charley Jenkins | M | 29 | Roosevelt, Utah Roosevelt, Utah Roosevelt is a city in Duchesne County, Utah, United States. The population was 4,299 at the 2000 census.The proper pronunciation of the city's name is based on how President Theodore Roosevelt pronounced his name: according to the man himself, "pronounced as if it was spelled... |
Premiere (June 9, 2008) (Judges' decision) | |||||||||
The sixth season featured judges Jeffrey Steele
Jeffrey Steele
Jeffrey LeVasseur is an American country music singer and songwriter, more commonly known by the name Jeffrey Steele...
, John Rich
John Rich (musician)
John Rich is an American country music singer-songwriter. From 1992 to 1998, he was a member of the country music band Lonestar, in which he played bass guitar and alternated with Richie McDonald as lead vocalist...
, and Jewel
Jewel (singer)
Jewel Kilcher , professionally known as Jewel, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actress and poet...
(who hosted Season Five). For the first time, the judges also acted as mentors to the finalists, and Rich was said to produce the winner's album (which, as of February 2009, has not yet been produced). The winner was promised a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
, a Toyota Tundra
Toyota Tundra
The Toyota Tundra is a full-size pickup truck introduced by Toyota in the year 2000. It was widely considered to be the first full-size import-brand truck built with an American look and feel and a refined V8 engine. The Tundra was eventually nominated for the North American Truck of the Year...
pickup truck, and the opportunity to perform at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
.
The sixth season also brought Nashville Star to the American CMT
Country Music Television
Country Music Television, or CMT, is an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming includes music videos, taped concerts, movies, biographies of country music stars, game shows, and reality programs...
network for the first time. The cable network rebroadcast each episode the following Friday. Beginning with the show's second episode, CMT's Katie Cook
Katie Cook
Katie Cook is an American actress, host and correspondent with the Country Music Television network in the United States. She has been with the network since 2001. She currently hosts CMT Insider. Cook often appears as the host of CMT's live or recorded segments from red carpet events and has...
joined the show as a correspondent.
For the first time in the show's history, a companion radio show was developed to complement the television program. Nashville Star Radio debuted each Thursday evening on XM
XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio is one of two satellite radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Radio. It provides pay-for-service radio, analogous to cable television. Its service includes 73 different music channels, 39 news, sports, talk and entertainment channels, 21 regional...
's "Highway 16
Highway 16 (XM)
The Highway is a new country radio station to the Sirius Satellite Radio network. It is available on channel 59 on XM, channel 59 on Sirius and channel 6059 on Dish Network...
". NSR featured the week's performances from the television show, as well as exclusive in-studio performances and interviews with the finalists and judges.
AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
became a major sponsor of the show, placing their logo on screen with each finalist's call-in vote line. AT&T sponsored the same service on American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. Also, Toyota replaced Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
as a sponsor, and offered its signature Tundra pickup as a prize to the winner.
Guest Performers for the 2008 season included Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
, Trace Adkins
Trace Adkins
Tracy Darrell "Trace" Adkins is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1996 with the album Dreamin' Out Loud, released on Capitol Records Nashville. Since then, Adkins has released seven more studio albums and two Greatest Hits compilations...
, Danity Kane
Danity Kane
Danity Kane was an American female music group signed to Bad Boy Records, first established in 2005. Formed on the third installment of MTV's Making the Band reality television series, the quintet comprised members Aubrey O'Day, Wanita "D. Woods" Woodgett, Shannon Bex, Dawn Richard, and Aundrea...
, and Blake Shelton
Blake Shelton
Blake Tollison Shelton is an American country music artist. In 2001, he made his debut with the single "Austin". Released as the lead-off single from his self-titled debut album, "Austin" went on to spend five weeks at Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts...
.
32-years old Melissa Lawson won. Lawson had made it to the Top 75 on season 4 of American Idol. She released a single "What If It All Goes Right" that charted at #43 on the US Country charts and #79 on the general US chart. Second-placed Gabe Garcia, went in to form the Gabe Garcia Band.
Coffey Anderson
Coffey Anderson
Coffey Anderson is an American singer-songwriter originally from Bangs, Texas. His unique brand of country music blends in distinct influences from pop, contemporary Christian, gospel and soul that has attracted many. He came to fame through his YouTube videos and in 2008 took part in Nashville Star...
(also written Cofféy Anderson), a Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
resident but originally from Bangs, Texas
Bangs, Texas
Bangs is a city located in Brown County in West Central Texas. The population was 1,620 at the 2000 census. Bangs is the birthplace of Major League Baseball batting champion Debs Garms.-Geography:Bangs is located at ....
finished 4th. He had briefly been a contestant on season 2 of American Idol in 2003, making it to the Hollywood round. Coffey Anderson has released four albums: Southern Man, Me and You and the spiritual Chrstian albums Inspiration Vol. 1 and Worship Unplugged 1. He enjoys huge popularity online, particularly with his compositions "Memphis", "Southern Man", "Rock 'n Roll Sally", "All Ye", "Let me Love You" and "Can I". He also has his own indie label Coffey Entertainment, LLC.
Third-placer Shawn Mayer is currently releasing songs digitally, and fifth-placer Ashlee Hewitt is currently songwriting and working with close friend and fellow country singer Katie Armiger
Katie Armiger
Kaitlyn Michelle "Katie" Armiger is a country artist from Sugar Land, Texas. She was first inspired to pursue country music after winning a Houston, Texas city-wide competition for young country singers...
.
With the release of "Teddy Gentry's Best New Nashville" through the Cracker Barrel music program in all 601 Cracker Barrel locations in 42 states, sixth-placer Laura Fedor becomes the first ever non-major-label-signed artist to be allowed in their music program, and the only artist besides the winner to have a prominent national release on a respected label.
External links
(Warner Bros) (NBC)- Official site (Seasons 1 to 5) (USA Network)