Katharine McPhee Biography

A native of Sherman Oaks, CA, McPhee began singing at age two. Her mother, Patricia McPhee, is an established singer in her own right, performing and recording as Peisha McPhee. She helped Katharine develop as a vocalist and gave her more formal training than many American Idol hopefuls receive. This California native was born to a cabaret-singer/vocal-coach mother, who groomed her for the spotlight from an early age. After high school, McPhee enrolled in the music program at Boston Conservatory.

In 2002, she attended the prestigious Boston Conservatory for three semesters where she honed her skills in musical theatre, before leaving to audition for television parts. McPhee scored roles in the film Crazy, a musical about Hank Garland, and an MTV series, You Are Here, which didn't make it to the air. She also appeared in productions of Annie Get Your Gun and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.

From Kate's very first audience for American Idol in San Francisco - where she sang God Bless The Child - , her looks and talents grabbed the judges' attention. Randy Jacksonhailed her voice as he best voice he'd heard so-far that season and even the almost-impossible-to-please Simon Cowellthought she was great.

Although initially Simon Cowell didn't think she had what it took, she began winning him over mid-season with her brassy vocals and comely appearance, and ultimately, she was named runner-up. While her fans - the Kat Pack and McPhans - happily suffered from McPheever, her critics insisted she was more of an aspiring Broadway baby than a pop star in training.

Katharine - who cites her favourite artists as Whitney Houston and Brian McKnight - says that participating in idol wasn't about the fame, "getting all these clothes and your hair and make-up done" but "getting to touch people's lives". She adds: "celebrity should be used to touch people and reach them in a way that you wouldn't reach them otherwise. I really look forward to doing that."

Once McPhee made the final 12, her performances of songs such as "Someone to Watch Over Me," "Come Rain or Come Shine," and "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" made her one of the favorites of American Idol judges and viewers. After the American Idol season ended, McPhee was signed by show creator Simon Fuller's 19 Recordings Limited label and released her first single, Somewhere Over the Rainbow/My Destiny; it became the second best-selling single of 2006.

The songstress's debut single, a double A side of Somewhere Over The Rainbow and My Destiny, which she describes as a "great, traditional pop ballad. I don't think that's going to be the overall sound of my album when it comes out, but it did its job recounting my journey on American Idol."

That summer, after bouts with bronchitis and laryngitis, she joined the rest of the finalists and Hicks on the American Idols LIVE! tour and also toured with Andrea Bocelli, who appeared on American Idol as a guest judge. McPhee began recording her self-titled debut album in the fall, working with collaborators such as Timbaland's production partner, Nate "Danja Hand" Hills, Chad Hugo of the Neptunes, and songwriter Kara DioGuardi. "Over It," which was written by the songwriting team of Billy Steinberg, Josh Alexander, and Ruth-Anne Cunningham, arrived a few weeks before Katharine McPhee was released in early 2007.

With American Idol behind her now, Katherine has her future mapped out. Like her own Idol Barbara Streisand, she's hoping for a "well-rounded career". "I definitely want to do movies. I know it sounds cliched, but we'll see how those plans play out," she says.

Sources: tvguide.com, biggeststars.com, music.aol.com.