Katharine McPhee
Season 5 · Runner-up
Where are they now
Katharine McPhee tours with producer David Foster in the show An Intimate Evening with David Foster and Katharine McPhee, with dates booked into 2026. She signed with the Nashville label Melody Place in 2024, and in June 2026 she was the guest vocalist on a new duet version of the late Dan Seals's song The Healing Kind.
Key figures
- Career score39 points of 100Rank on Encore Index: #25 of 365
- U.S. albums sold376,000 albums soldRank on Encore Index: #20 of 21
- Single units500,000 certified single unitsRank on Encore Index: #28 (tie) of 34
- Billboard 200 albums2 albums on the Billboard 200Rank on Encore Index: #33 (tie) of 88
- Hot 100 entries3 Hot 100 entriesRank on Encore Index: #29 (tie) of 66
- Studio albums5 studio albumsRank on Encore Index: #18 (tie) of 182
- Wikipedia views, 12 months825,781 pageviewsRank on Encore Index: #7 of 303
- Wikipedia views since 201516,941,682 pageviewsRank on Encore Index: #8 of 303
Known for
Interest over time
Monthly views of the English Wikipedia article, July 2015 – September 2026.
Career
- 2006
American Idol, season 5
Runner-up
- 2006
Signed a recording contract with 19 Recordings and RCA Records after finishing as runner-up on season 5.
- 2007
Released her self-titled debut album, which entered the Billboard 200 at number two.
- 2008
Appeared in the film The House Bunny as a member of a misfit sorority.
- 2010
Released her second album, Unbroken, on Verve Forecast; it entered the Billboard 200 at number 27.
- 2012
Starred as Karen Cartwright in the NBC musical drama Smash, which ran for two seasons.
- 2014
Starred as Paige Dineen in the CBS drama Scorpion.
- 2015
Released her fourth studio album, Hysteria, a set of pop songs.
- 2017
Released I Fall in Love Too Easily, an album of romantic standards, through BMG.
- 2018
Made her Broadway debut as Jenna in the musical Waitress at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre.
- 2019
Played Jenna in the London West End production of Waitress at the Adelphi Theatre.
- 2019
Returned to Waitress on Broadway and played Jenna until the production's final performance.
- 2022
Released the Christmas Songs EP, billed jointly with David Foster, on Loma Vista.
- 2024
Was reported on August 13, 2024 to have signed an exclusive recording contract with the Nashville label Melody Place.
- 2024
Made her Grand Ole Opry debut during the Opry's 99th birthday shows.
- 2025
Was scheduled to tour with David Foster in An Intimate Evening with David Foster and Katharine McPhee, with a stop on February 11, 2026 at the Wilson Center in Wilmington, North Carolina.
- 2026
Was the guest vocalist on a new duet version of The Healing Kind with the late Dan Seals, from the album Dan Seals and Friends: The Last Duet on Melody Place.
Discography
| Title | Type | Year | Label | RIAA certification | U.S. sales | Billboard peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| My Destiny | Single | 2006 | Not documented | Not documented | Not applicable | No. 60Hot 100 |
| Somewhere Over the Rainbow | Single | 2006 | Not documented | Not documented | Not applicable | No. 12Hot 100 |
| Over It | Single | 2007 | RCA | Gold | Not applicable | No. 29Hot 100 |
 Katharine McPhee | Album | 2007 | RCA | Not documented | 381,000December 2010 | No. 2Billboard 200 |
| Unbroken | Album | 2010 | Verve Forecast | Not documented | 45,000January 2011 | No. 27Billboard 200 |
 Christmas Is the Time to Say I Love You | Album | 2010 | Verve Forecast | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented |
| Hysteria | Album | 2015 | eOne | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented |
| I Fall in Love Too Easily | Album | 2017 | BMG | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented |
| Christmas Songs | EP | 2022 | Loma Vista | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented |
| Christmas Songs (2023 album edition)Alternate edition | Album | 2023 | Loma Vista | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented |
Cover images: Cover Art Archive (MusicBrainz).
Sources
- David Foster and Katharine McPhee to perform at CFCC's Wilson Center — WECT, September 17, 2025.
- Katharine McPhee Signs With Melody Place — MusicRow, August 13, 2024.
- Katharine McPhee joins Dan Seals to reimagine 'The Healing Kind' — The Music Universe, June 5, 2026.
- Over It (Katharine McPhee song) — Wikipedia, September 2, 2026.
- Katharine McPhee — Wikipedia, October 1, 2026.
- RIAA Gold & Platinum search: Katharine McPhee — RIAA.
- Katharine McPhee discography — Wikipedia, September 16, 2026.
- American Idol season 5 — Wikipedia, May 18, 2026.
- List of American Idol finalists — Wikipedia, June 10, 2026.
- Hicks takes 'American Idol' crown — Lawrence Journal-World (Associated Press), May 25, 2006.
- Katharine McPhee (album) — Wikipedia, July 3, 2026.
- Katharine McPhee Makes Her Broadway Debut in Waitress April 10 — Playbill, April 10, 2018.
- Katharine McPhee Makes Grand Ole Opry Debut — MusicRow, October 23, 2024.
- Katharine McPhee Chart History: Hot 100 — Billboard.
- Monthly pageviews of the English Wikipedia article "Katharine McPhee", July 2015 – September 2026 — Wikimedia Foundation.
- Chart Watch Extra: The American Idol Alumni Association — Yahoo! Music (Chart Watch, Paul Grein), March 20, 2009.
- Katharine McPhee engaged to David Foster — CNN, July 3, 2018.
- Katharine McPhee Pregnant With First Child With David Foster — Entertainment Tonight, October 8, 2020.
- Katharine McPhee Duets With Willie Spence in Moving 'American Idol' Moment — Decider, April 5, 2021.
- American Idol welcomes Katharine McPhee back for powerful duets — Fox News, April 5, 2021.
- 'The Masked Singer': Banana 'Splits' from the stage in latest reveal — FOX6 News Milwaukee, December 8, 2021.
- The Masked Singer Reveals Identity of the Banana Split: Here Are the Stars Under the Masks — Variety, December 8, 2021.
- Gwen Stefani, Alicia Keys, Katharine McPhee and more bring holiday cheer to Rockefeller tree lighting — 101.9fm The MIX (WTMX Chicago), ABC Audio, December 1, 2022.
- Christmas at Rockefeller Center 2022: How to watch the tree lighting and performances — ¡HOLA! USA, November 18, 2022.
