Myajc.com exclusive: my farewell 'American Idol' retrospective

After 600-plus hours, thousands of songs and countless “dawgs” out of Randy Jackson’s mouth, “American Idol” is dimming its lights one last time Thursday and crowning its 15th and final winner.

The Fox show has long lost its spot at the top of the pop culture zeitgeist, but it has left its mark on TV history.

Five most successful ‘Idol’ alums

1. Carrie Underwood. The season 4 winner became a country A-lister, selling more albums than any “Idol” and hosting the CMA Awards for eight years running. Her single “Before He Cheats” was a crossover smash. And she helmed NBC’s live “Sound of Music” in 2013.

2. Kelly Clarkson. As the first winner, she exemplified both sweetness and vocal prowess, generating more than a dozen major hits, including the Grammy-winning “Since U Been Gone.” She is now considered pop royalty.

3. Adam Lambert. He parlayed a second-place finish season 8 into worldwide stardom. He now splits time between solo work and leading the legendary rock band Queen.

4. Jennifer Hudson. Although she only finished sixth season 3, she became an Oscar winner courtesy of “Dreamgirls” and has notched other notable film roles. She has a small part in the upcoming HBO film shot in Atlanta “Confirmation.”

5. Chris Daughtry. He is by far the most successful pop-rock male artist from “Idol,” with hits such as “It’s Not Over” and “Feels Like Tonight.” In a shocker, he finished fourth season 5.

Ryan Seacrest at the season XIV Grand Finale at Dolby Theatre on May 13, 2015 in Hollywood, California.

Five most notable Georgia-connected ‘Idols’

1. Ryan Seacrest. As the show’s host, the Dunwoody High School grad parlayed “Idol” into a production company that turned the Kardashians into a worldwide phenomenon, a syndicated morning radio show and host of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.”

2. Phillip Phillips. The Leesburg native and season 11 winner is the only Georgia “Idol” winner. He brought a Dave Matthews-esque vibe and turned the song “Home” into a massive hit. Despite a contractual dispute with the company that manages “Idol” winners, 19 Entertainment, he is expected to perform on the series finale.

3. Diana DeGarmo. The season 3 runner-up placed Snellville on the map as a teenager in 2004. She has since toured the nation in various theater productions, starred in “The Young and the Restless” and married fellow “Idol” finalist Ace Young.

4. Bo Bice. The Alabama native and season 4 runner-up has lived in Cumming the past four years. He is now the lead singer for Blood, Sweat & Tears.

5. Lauren Alaina. The season 10 runner-up from Rossville is still working her way up the country music food chain after recovering from vocal polyp surgery. Her voice, she told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution last year, is stronger than ever.

William Hung in 2004 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Four wackiest folks on ‘Idol’

1. Corey Clark. He allegedly had an affair with judge Paula Abdul and was booted from season 2 because he didn’t reveal a police record. He later sued “Idol’ for racial discrimination with other “Idol” alums, but the suit was thrown out.

2. William Hung. He was the quintessential clueless bad singer on “Idol” season 3. His cringe-worthy version of “She Bangs” is better known than the original by Ricky Martin.

3. Sanjaya. He had a quirky personality and a marginal voice that managed to generate votes week in and week out. The website Vote for the Worst took credit for getting him to seventh place season 6. One week, he wore a ridiculous “faux hawk,” practically mocking his haters.

4. “Pants on the Ground.” Atlanta’s Larry Platt was decades too old to qualify to win the show season 9, but he did entertain the judges and America with his catchy song “Pants on the Ground” about folks “lookin’ like a fool with their pants on the ground!”

AMERICAN IDOL: Top 3 Revealed: L-R: Contestants Trent Harmon, La'Porsha Renae and Dalton Rapattoni on AMERICAN IDOL airing Thursday, March 31 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. © 2016 FOX Broadcasting Co. Cr: Michael Becker/ FOX. This image is embargoed until Thursday, March 31,10:00PM PT / 1:00AM ET

Assessing the top three season 15 ‘Idol’ singers

La’Porsha Renae

Who she is: A 22-year-old single mom and call representative from Mississippi with big natural hair, a cute daughter and a past abusive husband.

Why she could win: She brings full-bodied vocal ability and emotional weight to anything she sings, be it Bon Jovi or Mary J. Blige.

Why she might not: Her sometimes histrionic approach to every song isn’t everybody’s cup of tea.

Trent Harmon

Who he is: A 25-year-old Mississippi farm boy who loves theater and church. He suffered through mono during the Hollywood rounds but survived.

Why he could win: He has a bluesy style, a great falsetto and a confident milieu, whether he’s singing ZZ Top’s “Sharp Dressed Man” or George Jones’ “Tennessee Whiskey.”

Why he might not: His facial contortions can be distracting.

Dalton Rapattoni

Who he is: A 20-year-old Texas rocker who looks suspiciously like Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong.

Why he could win: The tweens and teens clearly love his spiky hair, his penetrating blue eyes and emotive vocals.

Why he might not: He is by far the weakest vocalist of the trio, often off key and snipping lyrics off in an annoying fashion.

TV PREVIEW

“American Idol,” 8 p.m. Tuesday (retrospective), 8 p.m. Wednesday (performance show), 8 p.m. Thursday (series finale), Fox