Katharine McPhee Signs With 19 Recordings Limited/RCA Records; AMERICAN IDOL Runner-Up′s First Single Released June 27
Double-A Sided OVER THE RAINBOW/ MY DESTINY Available Digitally and at Retail
The most-talked about female singer of 2006, Katharine McPhee, has signed with Simon Fuller′s 19 Recordings Limited and RCA, in conjunction with legendary music industry executive Clive Davis, chairman of BMG U.S. and RCA Records.
McPhee, the runner-up on season five of AMERICAN IDOL, will have her first single released on June 27. The double-A sided OVER THE RAINBOW / MY DESTINY will be available in stores and as a digital download. McPhee performed both songs on the finale of AMERICAN IDOL, the third most-watched TV program of the year, after the Superbowl and the Academy Awards. At one point during the live broadcast, 43 million viewers were watching the season finale. MY DESTINY was written by Harry Sommerdahl, Hanne Sorvaag, Tim Baxter and OVER THE RAINBOW is the classic song written by Harold Arlen and E.Y. "Yip" Harburg for the motion picture THE WIZARD OF OZ.
The 22-year-old McPhee lives in Sherman Oaks, Calif. and has been singing since she was two years old. She auditioned for AMERICAN IDOL in San Francisco and was sent to Hollywood by judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson. She continued to impress the judges week after week, landing in the top 24 and then the top 12. That′s when America started voting for contestants, and they quickly fell in love with the talented McPhee.
Now McPhee will join the ranks of AMERICAN IDOL finalists with hit records. To date, 20 "Idol" contestants have appeared on the Billboard charts, and McPhee is certain to become the 21st as soon as her single is available.
The 19 Group of Companies was founded by Simon Fuller in 1985 and to date has been involved in the creation of 109 Number 1 singles and 87 Number 1 albums with an impressive tally of 296 Top 40 albums and 465 Top 40 singles.
Fuller created and managed the Spice Girls, who became a global phenomenon under his guidance, selling over 38 million albums. In 1998, Fuller′s 19 launched S Club 7, which has sold over 10 million CDs worldwide, while its four television series were sold to over 100 countries around the world.
In 2001, Simon Fuller′s 19TV created and produced the television phenomenon POP IDOL and in 2002, AMERICAN IDOL. POP IDOL launched the singing careers of Will Young and Gareth Gates in the UK, while AMERICAN IDOL did the same for Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken, Fantasia, Diana Degarmo, Bo Bice and Carrie Underwood in the United States.
