Skip to main contentAccess keys help

[an error occurred while processing this directive]
BBC News
watch One-Minute World News
Last Updated: Tuesday, 10 June, 2003, 11:04 GMT 12:04 UK
American Idols begin chart battle
Ruben Studdard (right) with fellow finalist Clay Aiken
Clay Aiken (left) is reported to be outselling Ruben Studdard
American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken could upstage winner Ruben Studdard in the charts as the pair have released their debut singles on the same day.

Aiken's cover of Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water is reported to be outselling Studdard's Flying Without Wings, originally recorded by Irish boy band Westlife.

Online retailer Amazon's sales chart puts Aiken at number one, with Studdard trailing at number nine.

In the American Idol 2 final on US television in May, Studdard beat Aiken by just 130,000 votes out of a total of 24 million.

Album plans

More than 38 million people tuned in to watch them compete after thousands of hopefuls had been whittled down to just two.

Studdard and Aiken will be guests on The Oprah Winfrey Show on US TV on Tuesday.

Justin Guarini - the runner-up in the first American Idol series - is also due to appear on the show. He is releasing his debut album on the same day.

Meanwhile, Studdard and Aiken are looking to September to release their first albums.

A third series of American Idol is being planned for 2004.




SEE ALSO:
Idol rivals set for chart battle
06 Jun 03  |  Entertainment
Idol final attracts 38m
23 May 03  |  Entertainment
American Idol 2: Your views
23 May 03  |  Entertainment
Ruben is America's Idol
22 May 03  |  Entertainment
American Idol's album tops chart
24 Apr 03  |  Entertainment
Pop Idols: Where are they now?
21 May 03  |  Entertainment


RELATED INTERNET LINKS:
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites


PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

News Front Page | Africa | Americas | Asia-Pacific | Europe | Middle East | South Asia
UK | Business | Entertainment | Science/Nature | Technology | Health
Have Your Say | In Pictures | Week at a Glance | Country Profiles | In Depth | Programmes
AmericasAfricaEuropeMiddle EastSouth AsiaAsia Pacific