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katharine McPhee's biography
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Katharine Hope McPhee (born March 25, 1984) is an American Pop/R&B singer who was the runner-up to Taylor Hicks on the fifth season of American Idol in 2006.
Early years
McPhee moved with her parents and sister to Sherman
Oaks when she was 12 years old. McPhee has been singing
since the age of two. Her mother, Patricia Burch McPhee
(stage name Peisha Arten), a vocal coach and
accomplished cabaret singer, recognized a talent for
music in her daughter and decided to train her. Her
father, Daniel McPhee, is a television producer and her
older sister, Adriana Burch McPhee (born June 30, 1982)
is an aspiring producer as well. McPhee has a pet
Chihuahua named Nena that sometimes accompanies her to
photo shoots and recording sessions.
McPhee graduated in 2002 from Notre Dame High School. At
Notre Dame, McPhee was a student body vice president, a
varsity swimmer, and a thespian. She performed in school
plays with her elder sister Adriana; both sisters were
Homecoming Princess nominees in their senior year.
Afterward, McPhee attended Boston Conservatory for three
semesters, majoring in musical theater. McPhee left the
college due to her manager's suggestion that she try out
for television pilots in Los Angeles. In a People news
article it was reported that she was rejected in "only
195 out of 200 auditions." She was eventually cast as
"Paramount Girl" in the 2006 musical film about the life
of Hank Garland, Crazy Other early acting endeavors
included lead actress in local professional productions
of Annie Get Your Gun and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. She
was nominated in 2005 for the Theatre L.A. Ovation Award
for her lead role in Annie Get Your Gun. McPhee was also
part of a failed mall-based MTV soap opera entitled You
Are Here, playing the older sister of a more popular
younger sister. In the soap opera she was jealous of her
popular younger sister.
American Idol
McPhee was persuaded by a boyfriend to try out for
American Idol. She auditioned in San Francisco, and sang
"God Bless the Child," originally performed by Billie
Holiday. Paula Abdul said that McPhee was "absolutely
beautiful", Randy Jackson hailed her audition as
potentially the best so far that season, and Simon
Cowell complimented her for being "current" and her
audition being "absolutely fantastic".
In the final cut-down show for the Top 24, McPhee was
one of the first to be put through and, in excitement,
kissed all three judges on the lips.
McPhee listed Whitney Houston and Brian McKnight as her
favorite artists in the American Idol interview of the
top 24 semi-finalists.
During the week leading to the third round of the
semi-finals, she was rumored to be quitting due to
pregnancy. However, during the performance show on March
7, 2006, she denied this accusation, attributing it to a
poor choice of clothing. Host Ryan Seacrest, with
tongue-in-cheek, later asked about her and fellow Idol
contestant Kevin Covais; McPhee denied any relationship.
During the week preceding the top three show, McPhee
visited her former high school for her hometown
celebration.
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. She also referred to her fans as the "Kat Pack".
McPhee was congratulated by Congressman Brad Sherman of
Sherman Oaks, the 27th district of California, who
raised a flag in her honor at the United States Capitol
on the day of the finale show.
McPhee was credited with performing K.T. Tunstall's
"Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" during the Idol final
run.
During the competition, McPhee roomed with fellow
contestant Kellie Pickler, and when Pickler was
eliminated, she roomed with Paris Bennett.[9]
Post-Idol
On June 6, 2006, Sony BMG and 19 Entertainment
announced that McPhee had signed to American Idol series
creator Simon Fuller's 19 Recordings Limited and Sony
BMG's RCA Records.
McPhee's debut single, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/My
Destiny" was released on June 27, 2006 by RCA Records.
"Somewhere Over The Rainbow" peaked at #12 on the
Billboard Hot 100 and "My Destiny" peaked at #60.
Thirty-two weeks after its release, Somewhere Over the
Rainbow/My Destiny had climbed to #4 on the Billboard
Hot Singles Sales charts. It was 2nd highest
best-selling single of 2006 after Taylor Hicks' "Do I
Make You Proud?".
McPhee toured with Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, and
performed in three of his concerts during his tour in
the United States from June 9 through June 11, 2006.
In June 2006, 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.
You start doing something you love doing and the weight
just started falling off me. I was still eating... It
was a really amazing thing that happened with me and my
body has just been kind of falling to its natural state
and I don't know if it's finished going where it wants,
but it's doing its thing.
-- Katharine McPhee, People
McPhee missed the start of the American Idols LIVE!
Tour 2006, due to severe bronchitis and laryngitis.
McPhee commented on her illness in a public interview,
saying "I just have to sing easily so I can get through
the tour... I bruised [my vocal cords] because I was
doing so much coughing". McPhee eventually joined
the tour on July 28, in Washington, D.C. just in time
for all ten finalists to visit the White House to meet
President George W. Bush.
On July 21, 2006, Broadway World announced that McPhee
is co-producing Michael Albanese's play Red Herring
along with Robert Hawk, Angelina Bruno, and Jeff Kasal.
McPhee was quoted in the promo as describing a desire to
become involved in theatre, 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.
McPhee and her sister appeared on debut of The Dr. Keith
Ablow Show on September 18, 2006 to discuss her
struggles with a reading problem, bulimia, and her
childhood fear of her father. On the show, McPhee stated
that she was thought to have a learning disability
during her middle school years but was finally diagnosed
with a vision problem.
On December 2, 2006, McPhee attended VH1's "Big in '06
Awards" along with Melissa McGhee and won the award for
"Big 'It' Girl".
McPhee sang at the Tournament of Roses Parade along with
Lisa Tucker on January 1, 2007.
McPhee made a cameo appearance on the January 19, 2007
lonelygirl15 episode, "Truth or Dare".
On January 11, 2007, it was confirmed that McPhee would
play herself in the Ugly Betty episode, "I'm Coming
Out," which aired on February 1.
She also co-hosted TRL for a whole week, February 18,
2007, to February 23, 2007, and on her last day, Friday,
she introduced the World Premiere of her first music
video, for her first single Over It. The video peaked at
#1 on March 1, 2007
She appeared as a guest on The Tyra Banks Show (air date
2/27/07).
McPhee was #1 on AOL's Top 10 sexiest Idol Contestants.
2007: Katharine McPhee
Katharine McPhee
McPhee's self-titled debut album sold 116,000 copies its
first week, debuting at #2 on the Billboard 200 chart.
The first single was the Top 40 hit, "Over It".
McPhee is not scheduled to perform on American Idol
season 6, though the rumor was brought up to McPhee when
having an online chat. When asked, she said she had not
been asked just yet and asks fans to keep their "fingers
crossed." She said the only show she might perform on
would be the finale.
Katharine just won the award for "Exciting New Vocalist"
at the Young Hollywood Awards on April 22nd.
Katherine was named the second sexiest woman in the
world, finishing behind Jessica Alba in FHM's 100
Sexiest Women in the World poll.
Mcphee was also one of People Magazine's "100 Most
Beautiful People of 2007" along with Idol champion,
Carrie Underwood.
Her first single's music video from her self-titled
album, "Over it", hit #1 on both TRL and VH1 top 20
countdown. "Over it" debuted at number 1 on the VH1 top
20 countdown, and has maintained number 1 for 3
consecutive weeks. It is still at #1 position as of
4/29/07.
Personal life
Katharine is currently in a relationship with actor
Nick Cokas, 42. She said so during an interview in
Canada on April 13th 2007. He's been with her since
before Idol.
Religious views
According to a May 12, 2006 interview on Los Angeles
radio station KROQ 106.7 (Kevin and Bean), McPhee stated
she "dabbled in Scientology" because of a former love
interest but is not a Scientologist; according to her,
she was "quickly out the door." This was later confirmed
on the Tyra Banks show and on Glenn Beck. |
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