Singers Carrie Underwood, Adam Lambert
and Chris Daughtry top Forbes' list of top-earning American
Idols.
According
to Forbes, American Idol season four winner Underwood
raked in $20 million over the past year, making the country music
singer the highest paid Idol alum.
Lambert and Daughtry, who each earned
$6 million, tied for a second place finish on the list.
Lambert, the 29-year-old American
Idol season 8 runner-up, concluded his worldwide Glam Nation tour
to support his freshman album For Your Entertainment with a
performance in London, England. He played 116 dates in 12 months.
After Idol's conclusion, Lambert
confirmed rampant media speculation that he's gay in an interview
with Rolling Stone. In an E! True Hollywood Story
hour-long special, Lambert talked about his decision to share his
personal life with his fans.
“My fans have been really supportive
of my choice to be open and upfront about my sexuality and my
lifestyle,” Lambert said. “I have come from the belief that
hiding something from people and manipulating what they think of you
is far more offensive and disrespectful than just being upfront and
being who you are.”
Forbes estimated the singers' incomes
based on data from Pollstar, RIAA and others, as well as interviews
with industry insiders.
R&B singer Fantasia Barrino, who
won American Idol's third season, earned $4 million, while
Jordin Sparks, the show's youngest winner at 17, raked in $3 million.