Carly Smithson
Season 7 · Eliminated 6th
Where are they now
On September 4, 2025, it was announced that We Are the Fallen, with vocalist Carly Smithson, would perform one song with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra on September 12, 2025. She also sings in The Tribe.
Key figures
- Career score17 points of 100Rank on Encore Index: #87 (tie) of 688
- Billboard 200 albums1 album on the Billboard 200Rank on Encore Index: #51 (tie) of 94
- Studio albums1 studio albumRank on Encore Index: #124 (tie) of 238
- Wikipedia views, 12 months19,393 pageviewsRank on Encore Index: #126 of 303
- Wikipedia views since 2015342,998 pageviewsRank on Encore Index: #118 of 303
Interest over time
Monthly views of the English Wikipedia article, July 2015 – September 2026.
Career
- 1999
Carly Hennessy signed with MCA Records in June 1999.
- 2001
Ultimate High, her debut album under the name Carly Hennessy, was released by MCA on November 13, 2001, and sold 378 copies in its first three months.
- 2002
Smithson was dropped from MCA in 2002.
- 2008
American Idol, season 7
Eliminated 6th
- 2008
Smithson completed the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2008, which ran from July 1, 2008, to September 12, 2008.
- 2009
On June 18, 2009, it was announced that Smithson would join Ben Moody in We Are the Fallen. Plans for her post-Idol solo album were scrapped.
- 2009
We Are the Fallen made their official debut in Los Angeles on June 22, 2009.
- 2009
On October 28, 2009, it was announced that We Are the Fallen, including Smithson, had signed with Universal Republic.
- 2010
We Are the Fallen released Tear the World Down on May 10, 2010, in the United Kingdom and on May 11, 2010, in the United States, on Universal Republic.
- 2010
Smithson began singing in the Las Vegas production of Cirque du Soleil's Viva Elvis in December 2010. The production closed in August 2012.
- 2011
On May 27, 2011, Ben Moody wrote that Universal Republic had dropped We Are the Fallen and that the band would not disband.
- 2014
Smithson was a table judge for American Idol season 14 stadium auditions from June 18, 2014, through July 30, 2014.
- 2016
On April 7, 2016, Smithson appeared on the American Idol farewell episode and performed Dolly Parton's Here You Come Again.
- 2025
On September 4, 2025, Blabbermouth reported that We Are the Fallen, with Carly Smithson, were scheduled to perform one song with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra on September 12, 2025.
More milestones
- Date not documented
Tear the World Down debuted at No. 33 on the Billboard 200, with 13,000 copies sold that week.
Discography
| Title | Type | Year | Label | RIAA certification | U.S. sales | Billboard peak | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultimate High | Album | 2001 | MCA Records | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented | Apple Music: Ultimate High |
| Tear the World DownWe Are the Fallen | Album | 2010 | Universal Republic | Not documented | Not documented | No. 33Billboard 200 | Apple Music: Tear the World Down |
Cover images: Cover Art Archive (MusicBrainz).
Awards
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Meteor Ireland Music Award | Best Irish Female Singer | Won |
Sources
- Former Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody's We Are the Fallen announces first live performance in 14 years — Blabbermouth, September 4, 2025.
- Meet the Tribe — The Tribe.
- American Idol season 7 — Wikipedia, July 29, 2026.
- List of American Idol finalists — Wikipedia, June 10, 2026.
- Carly Smithson (Wikipedia revision 1371039789) — Wikipedia, August 24, 2026.
- Ultimate High (Wikipedia revision 1355211397) — Wikipedia, May 20, 2026.
- We Are the Fallen (Wikipedia revision 1373589417) — Wikipedia, September 6, 2026.
- iTunes album search for We Are the Fallen — Apple.
- Tear the World Down (Wikipedia revision 1350471750) — Wikipedia, April 22, 2026.
- iTunes album search for Carly Smithson or Hennessy — Apple.
- Monthly pageviews of the English Wikipedia article "Carly Smithson", July 2015 – September 2026 — Wikimedia Foundation.
- Watch: Amazing video of Dublin girl Carly Smithson singing on the last ever American Idol — Dublin Live, April 8, 2016.
- American Idol names Harmon its final winner — USA Today, April 7, 2016.
