Blake Lewis almost managed to win the sixth season of “American Idol,” but ended up coming just short of a victory. He ultimately lost to Jordin Sparks, who went on to have a much more successful singing career. Still, the singer debuted at number 10 on the U.S. chart with his debut album, “Audio Day Dream,” so things weren’t all bad for the second-place contestant.
Unfortunately, things began fizzling out on the professional side once Lewis left “American Idol” and was out of the spotlight. His next few albums didn’t fare nearly as well, and it doesn’t seem like he will be making a comeback. It’s quite a shame too since the singer has one of the most inspiring and heartwarming backstories of all “American Idol” contestants.
Lauren Alaina - $800,000
Lauren Alaina was the runner-up in "American Idol’s" 10th season against Scotty McCreery. This didn’t stop the young singer from getting signed with Mercury Nashville/Interscope Records and releasing her first two albums. She did relatively well, and both albums ended up reaching second and third places on the U.S. Country charts.
Aliana has been quite active since her debut on "American Idol." While her fame never reached the levels that McCreery did, she managed to develop a successful country music career. Since then, the country singer has been touring across the United States and performing live in front of large crowds that love her music and style.
Jennifer Hudson - $20 Million
You’d think that the top of our list would be filled with the show’s winners, but as you can tell, sometimes losing the battle doesn’t mean you’ve lost the war. Jennifer Hudson is one of the best stories of a dropout from "American Idol" reaching fame and glory, as she ended up in seventh place on the show’s third season, and we all know where that ended up.
The singer didn’t let any defeat stop her and went on to become a successful singer and actress. Her first two albums went gold, and she even had a chance to play as Effie White in "Dreamgirls." Hudson’s many ventures include being a coach on "The Voice," and even becoming a spokesperson for "Weight Watchers." She’s currently worth over $20 million.
David Archuleta - $5 Million
David Archuleta had an interesting history with reality TV shows and ended up almost winning the title of Junior Grand Champion on "Star Search." He decided to try his luck again on the seventh season of "American Idol" and ended up finishing in second place, again. Funnily enough, the singer actually got to compete with Alexandréa Lushington in both TV shows.
Since then, his debut album also reached second place, which seems to be a consistent pattern among his ventures. The singer has also spent considerable time and resources on philanthropy. He is a devout Christian and recently completed a missionary trip to Chile. Archuleta is doing quite well, and even did a song for the 2014 film, "Meet the Mormons."
Kellie Pickler - $5 Million
Kellie Pickler picked herself right back up after her crushing loss in "American Idol," and went straight into "Dancing with the Stars," where she ended up taking the show and winning. This doesn’t mean that the artist failed in her musical ventures, as her debut album quickly went gold after its release. It even produced three top 20 singles, which is very impressive!
Since then, the young performer got to host her own show called "Pickler and Ben," a lifestyle and beauty daytime TV show on CMT. She even became the star of her very own reality TV show, titled "I Love Kellie Pickler." With so many successful entertainment ventures, it’s no surprise that Pickler managed to secure herself a comfortable net worth of $5 million.