Katharine McPhee was born Sherman Oaks(LA),she has been singing since the age of two. Her mother, Peisha McPhee, is a vocal coach and accomplished cabaret singer, and she recognized a talent for music in her daughter and started training her.She graduated in the class of 2002 from Notre Dame High Schoolafter which she attended The Boston Conservatory
for three semesters majoring in musical theater. She left due to to her
manager, who wanted her to try out for parts during the television
pilot season in Los Angeles. She worked on a television pilot and an
independent film which is slated to be
released in late 2006.She was persuaded by her actor
boyfriend Nick Cokas to try out for American Idol after her lackluster success in breaking into film. He drove her to the San Francisco auditions for American Idol
by her boyfriend, and she sang 'God Bless the Child' to the judges,
Abdul stated that she was beautiful, Jackson hailed it as the best
audition so far that season, and Cowell complimenting that she was
"current", not a wannabe that he presumed after she informed them that
her mother was a singer.In the final cut-down show for the Top 24, McPhee was the first to be
put through and, in excitement, kissed all three judges on the lips.
She wept when she passed her initial audition and when she made it into
the Top 24.McPhee's run on American Idol led to the popular use of the term 'McPheever', coined by Ralph Garman of Los Angeles radio station KROQ's morning show Kevin and Bean. Other terms used include 'McPhan' (McFans are also the name for McFly fans), 'McPhaith' and 'Kat Pack'.She was also congratulated by Congressman Brad Sherman of Sherman Oaks, the 27th district of California, by raising a flag in her honor at the United States Capitol on the day of the finale show.After coming second to Taylor Hicks,
McPhee was quoted in news publications as having said, "I don't need
sad faces or anyone to feel bad for me. I have got a record deal,
pretty much. It wasn't about winning the title, I just wanted to give
the best performance I could," regarding her runner-up status
Her debut single, "Somewhere Over The Rainbow/My Destiny"
was released on June 27, 2006 by RCA Records. It was a record breaker,
reaching 12th position on Billboard's Hot 100, the highest point of the
70-year-old song.McPhee toured with Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli,
performing in three of his concerts during his
tour in the United
States from June 9 through June 11, 2006, less than a month after the
finale.
The duo
performed "The Prayer" (which McPhee sang with Bocelli during
Idol's Love Song Week) and "Somos Novios"/"It's Impossible". She and
Bocelli later appeared on JC Penney's Concert for Kids.
On June 6 2006, it was announced that McPhee had signed to series creator Simon Fuller's 19 Recordings Limited and BMG's RCA Records. It was also announced at that time that her first single would be a double A-side, reflecting the fact that, a la Judy Garland, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" had became her signature song., McPhee revealed to "People" magazine that she previously suffered from bulimia. After a period of about five years, she began treatment after qualifying for American Idol. During her run on American Idol, she lost 30 lbs.
McPhee missed the start of the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2006, due to severe bronchitis and laryngitis. She was due to return July 27, 2006 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, ending her three-week hiatus.
McPhee commented on her illness in a public interview, and was quoted
as, "I just have to sing easily so I can get through the tour... I
bruised
because I was doing so much coughing".
McPhee was scheduled to join the tour on July 27 in Pittsburgh, but her
flight from New York City was delayed and then cancelled due to
inclement weather, so she ended up joining the tour the following day,
July 28, in Washington D.CMcPhee's debut album will be released November 14, 2006icks' and Kellie Pickler's albums
McPhee is co-producing Michael Albanese's play Red Herring
with boyfriend Nick Cokas, Robert Hawk, Angelina Bruno, and Jeff Kasal.
McPhee described her desire to become involved, stating that although
"audiences know me best from 'American Idol'... my passion has always been theatre." The play will be a part of the 10th Annual New York International Fringe Festival.
On August 1, 2006, McPhee suffered a hair-line fracture in her left
foot after tripping backstage at an American Idol Tour stop in Charlotte, North Carolina. McPhee will continue to perform on the American Idols Live Tour, despite the injury
She performed "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" before a live audience
for the JAM JCPenney "The Concert for America's Kids", which was hosted
by Dr. Phil and was presented on CBS on Thursday, August 23, 2006.
McPhee later performed with Andrea Bocelli that night.
Published: August 28, 2006
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