Genre: R&B
Jordin Brianna Sparks (born December 22, 1989) is an American pop/R&B singer, songwriter and plus-size model. On May 23, 2007, she was declared the winner of the sixth season of American Idol. She has been nominated for an American Music Award, her first, for Favorite Artist in the Adult Contemporary category.
Sparks was born in Phoenix, Arizona to Jodi Weidmann and former NFL defensive back Phillippi Sparks. She has a younger brother PJ (Phillippi Sparks, Jr) who also plays football. She lived briefly in Ridgewood, New Jersey and attended Orchard Elementary School.
Before appearing on Idol, Sparks participated in and won such talent competitions as Sprite Rising Star, GMA Academy, The Proof Is In The Pudding Contest, NBC/PAX America's Most Talented Kids, Colgate Country Showdown and the 2007 Drug Free AZ Superstar Search.
In 2006, Sparks was one of six winners who won the Phoenix Torrid search for the "Next Plus Size Model." She was flown to California, where she was used in a number of Torrid ads and promotional pieces. A full-page ad for Torrid featuring Sparks ran in the December 2006 issue of Seventeen magazine.
Sparks was never in danger of elimination. Sparks is the fourth contestant to have won without ever being in the bottom 2 or 3, along with Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, and, most recently, David Cook.
Sparks' songs from the American Idol have been on sale at the iTunes Store and the American Idol official website as Jordin Sparks (EP) (called a "bundle" on Idol official website) shortly after the finale of Idol, along with other songs that did not make the EP's cut that were being sold as individual singles. According to SoundScan figures posted in USA Today, Blake Lewis sold more digital singles than Sparks, but her mini album sold more than Lewis'.
After the finale of Idol, Sparks has made several appearances on television shows. She performed the finale song, "This Is My Now"on The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet, The Today Show, Live with Regis and Kelly, The Early Show and The View. Sparks had also appeared on Total Request Live, The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet with the runner-up of Idol, Blake Lewis, Larry King Live with contestants who made into the top ten of American Idol.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordin_Sparks