American Idol Wiki

Simon Phillip Cowell (born October 7, 1959) is an English record executive, television producer, and entrepreneur who is best known in both the UK and the United States as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, American Idol, Britain's Got Talent,The X-Factor, and America's Got Talent. He also owns the televison production and music publishing house Syco.

As a judge, Cowell is known for his blunt, honest yet sometimes brutal criticisms, insults, and wisecracks about contestants and their abilitites. He is also known for combining activites in television and music, promoting singles by various artists including TV personalities.

Post Idol[]

After leaving American Idol in May 2010, Cowell returned as judge and executive producer of the American version of his hit British talent show The X-Factor, which premiered on Fox on September 21, 2011. The X-Factor reunited Cowell with his fellow former Idol judge Paula Abdul, but the reunion was short-lived as Abdul was fired after the show's first season. The show, however, was renewed for both a second season, which did well, and a third season, which started in September 2013. The show was officially canceled on February 9, 2014.

Official Media[]

Personal Life[]

On February 14, 2014, Cowell became a first-time father when his girlfriend, Lauren Silverman, gave birth to a son, Eric, who is named after Cowell's father who passed away in 1999.

American Idol
Seasons
(FOX) ยท1 ยท2 ยท3 ยท4 ยท5 ยท6 ยท7 ยท8 ยท9 ยท10 ยท11 ยท12 ยท13 ยท14 ยท15 โ€” (ABC) ยท16 ยท17 ยท18 ยท19 ยท20 ยท21 ยท22 ยท23 ยท24
Judges
 ยทSimon Cowell (Seasons 1-9) ยทPaula Abdul (Seasons 1-8) ยทRandy Jackson (Seasons 1-12)
 ยทKara DioGuardi (Seasons 8-9) ยทEllen DeGeneres (Season 9) ยทJennifer Lopez (Seasons 10-11|13-15)
 ยทSteven Tyler (Seasons 10-11) ยทNicki Minaj (Season 12) ยทMariah Carey (Season 12) ยทKeith Urban (Seasons 12-15)
 ยทHarry Connick, Jr. (Seasons 13-15) ยทKaty Perry (Seasons 16-22) ยทLionel Richie (Seasons 16+) ยทLuke Bryan (Seasons 16+) ยทCarrie Underwood (S4; Seasons 23+)
Personnel
 ยทRyan Seacrest (Seasons 1+) ยทBrian Dunkleman (Season 1) ยทSimon Fuller (Seasons 1-15) ยทNigel Lythgoe (Seasons 1-7/10-12) ยทMegan Wolflick (Seasons 14+) ยทJimmy Iovine (Seasons 10-12) ยทScott Borchetta (Seasons 14-15) ยทBobby Bones (Seasons 16-19) ยทRickey Minor (Seasons 4-9/13-15) ยทRay Chew (Seasons 10-12) ยทKristopher Pooley (Seasons 16+) ยทMichael Orland (Seasons 1-17) ยทDebra Byrd (Seasons 1-10)(โ€ ) ยทPeggi Blu (Seasons 10-11) ยทPeisha McPhee (Seasons 10-13) ยทAdriana McPhee (Seasons 17+) ยทDevin Velez (S12; Seasons 22+) ยทAllison Iraheta (S8; Seasons 13-15) ยทFelicia Barton (S8; Seasons 16+) ยทSharon Wilbur (S8; Seasons 16+)
Winners
 ยทKelly Clarkson ยทRuben Studdard ยทFantasia Barrino ยทCarrie Underwood ยทTaylor Hicks ยทJordin Sparks ยทDavid Cook
 ยทKris Allen ยทLee DeWyze ยทScotty McCreery ยทPhillip Phillips ยทCandice Glover ยทCaleb Johnson ยทNick Fradiani
 ยทTrent Harmon ยทMaddie Poppe ยทLaine Hardy ยทJust Sam ยทChayce Beckham ยทNoah Thompson ยทIam Tongi ยทAbi Carter ยทJamal Roberts
Runners-Up
 ยทJustin Guarini ยทClay Aiken ยทDiana DeGarmo ยทBo Bice ยทKatharine McPhee ยทBlake Lewis ยทDavid Archuleta ยทAdam Lambert ยทCrystal Bowersox ยทLauren Alaina ยทJessica Sanchez ยทKree Harrison ยทJena Irene ยทClark Beckham ยทLa'Porsha Renae ยทCaleb Lee Hutchinson ยทAlejandro Aranda ยทArthur Gunn ยทWillie Spence (โ€ ) ยทHunterGirl ยทMegan Danielle ยทWill Moseley ยทJohn Foster
Notable Alumni
 ยทAce Young ยทAlex Lambert ยทAlex Preston ยทAllegra Miles ยทAngie Miller ยทAva Maybee ยทBeane ยทBenson Boone ยทBreanna Nix ยทBriston Maroney ยทBrooke White ยทBucky Covington ยทCameron Whitcomb ยทCarly Smithson ยทCasey Abrams ยทCatie Turner ยทChris Daughtry ยทColin Stough ยทColton Dixon ยทDaniel Seavey ยทDanny Gokey ยทDavid Brown ยทElliott Yamin ยทFrancisco Martin ยทGabby Barrett ยทGrace Kinstler ยทHaley Reinhart ยทHunter Metts ยทJack Blocker ยทJacob Lusk ยทJames Durbin ยทJAX ยทJen Hirsh ยทJennifer Hudson ยทJeremiah Lloyd Harmon ยทJimmie Allen ยทJohnny Keyser ยทJosh Gracin ยทJoshua Ledet ยทJuliana Chahayed ยทKaeyra ยทKayla Mickelsen ยทKellie Pickler ยทKimberley Locke ยทLaci Kaye Booth ยทLaToya London ยทLauren Daigle ยทLauren Spencer-Smith ยทLeah Marlene ยทLiahona Olayan ยทMara Justine ยทMargie Mays ยทMary Jo Young ยทMatt Giraud ยทMelinda Ademi ยทMelinda Doolittle ยทMichael J. Woodard ยทMycale Guyton ยทNadia Turner ยทNikko Smith ยทParis Bennett ยทPaul McDonald ยทPhil Stacey ยทRayvon Owen ยทRobbie Rosen ยทSanjaya Malakar ยทSkylar Laine ยทSophia Wackerman ยทTamyra Gray ยทTasha Layton ยทTim Halperin ยทTodrick Hall ยทTori Kelly ยทVonzell Solomon ยทWรฉ Ani ยทZachariah Smith
Coronation Songs
 ยท"A Moment Like This" ยท"Flying Without Wings" ยท"I Believe" ยท"Inside Your Heaven" ยท"Do I Make You Proud?"
 ยท"This Is My Now" ยท"The Time of My Life" ยท"No Boundaries" ยท"Beautiful Day" ยท"I Love You This Big" ยท"Home"
 ยท"I Am Beautiful" ยท"As Long as You Love Me" ยท"Beautiful Life" ยท"Falling" ยท"Going, Going, Gone"
 ยท"Flame" ยท"Rise Up" ยท"23" ยท"One Day Tonight" ยท"I'll Be Seeing You" ยท"This Isn't Over" ยท"Heal"
R.โ€ .P.
 ยทNikki McKibbin ยทRickey Smith ยทLeah LaBelle ยทMarque Lynche ยทMandisa ยทMichael Johns ยทJoanne Borgella ยทC.J. Harris
โ€” ยทAlexis Cohen ยทAustin Sisneros ยทDoug Kiker ยทHaley Smith ยทJairon Jackson ยทMarlon Lindsey ยทMary Iaconelli ยทPaula Goodspeed