Melinda Doolittle
Season 6 · Eliminated 3rd
Where are they now
Melinda Doolittle released the single Deck the Halls (feat. Scott Bradlee) on December 4, 2025. Since 2011 she has co-hosted TVLine's Reality Check with Michael Slezak. Her EP You're the Reason was released on November 12, 2013.
Key figures
- Career score18 points of 100Rank on Encore Index: #83 (tie) of 688
- Billboard 200 albums1 album on the Billboard 200Rank on Encore Index: #51 (tie) of 94
- Studio albums2 studio albumsRank on Encore Index: #71 (tie) of 238
- Wikipedia views, 12 months16,132 pageviewsRank on Encore Index: #142 of 303
- Wikipedia views since 2015285,266 pageviewsRank on Encore Index: #129 of 303
Known for
Interest over time
Monthly views of the English Wikipedia article, July 2015 – September 2026.
Career
- 2007
American Idol, season 6
Eliminated 3rd
- 2007
She performed on the American Idols Live! Tour 2007 with the season 6 top 10. The tour ran from July 6 to September 23, 2007.
- 2007
In November 2007 she sang at a White House dinner in the East Room during a social dinner for America's Promise.
- 2008
Sony BMG released her first single, My Funny Valentine, in February 2008.
- 2008
In July 2008 it was announced that she had signed with the independent label Hi Fi Recordings.
- 2008
She was a guest performer on the Michael W. Smith Caribbean cruise in July 2008 and joined his Christmas tour that year. She is featured with Smith on Amazing Love on the Billy: The Early Years soundtrack.
- 2009
Coming Back to You was released on February 3, 2009, on Hi Fi Recordings. It peaked at 58 on the Billboard 200, 39 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and 3 on Independent Albums. It sold just over 10,900 copies in its first week.
- 2010
Beyond Me: Finding Your Way to Life's Next Level, her book about her life before, during, and after American Idol, was released on April 20, 2010.
- 2011
Since 2011 she has co-hosted TVLine's weekly American Idol recap series Reality Check with Michael Slezak.
- 2013
She released the album Lift Every Voice: The Historic Songs of James Weldon Johnson on February 12, 2013.
- 2013
The EP You're the Reason was released on November 12, 2013, on Sonador Entertainment. It includes the single Never Giving Up.
- 2025
She released the single Deck the Halls (feat. Scott Bradlee) on December 4, 2025.
More milestones
- Date not documented
It's Your Love, a single from Coming Back to You, peaked at number 29 on the US Adult Contemporary chart.
- Date not documented
She has worked as a singer and backup singer since 1999.
- Date not documented
She sang an old-school style cover of Britney Spears's Toxic with Postmodern Jukebox on their album Squad Goals.
Discography
| Title | Type | Year | Label | RIAA certification | U.S. sales | Billboard peak | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Melinda Doolittle | EP | 2007 | 19 Entertainment | Not documented | 38,000January 10, 2008 | Not documented | |
| Coming Back to You | Album | 2009 | Hi Fi Recordings | Not documented | 53,000January 17, 2010 | No. 58Billboard 200 | |
 It's Your Love: The Radio Remixes | EP | 2009 | MPCA Recordings, L.L.C. | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented | |
| Coming Back to YouAlternate edition | Album | 2012 | MPCA | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented | Apple Music: Coming Back to You |
| Lift Every Voice: The Historic Songs of James Weldon Johnson | Album | 2013 | Curb Records, Inc. | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented | Apple Music: Lift Every Voice: The Historic Songs of James Weldon Johnson |
| You're the Reason | EP | 2013 | Sonador Entertainment | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented |
Cover images: Cover Art Archive (MusicBrainz).
Sources
- iTunes Search API album results for Melinda Doolittle — Apple.
- Melinda Doolittle (Wikipedia revision 1371033456) — Wikipedia, August 24, 2026.
- You're the Reason (EP) (Wikipedia revision 1303056861) — Wikipedia, July 28, 2025.
- The best-selling Idol albums from 2009 — USA Today (Idol Chatter), January 17, 2010.
- The Ultimate SoundScan Sales/Download Checklist — USA Today, January 10, 2008.
- American Idol season 6 — Wikipedia, July 26, 2026.
- List of American Idol finalists — Wikipedia, June 10, 2026.
- American Idols Live! Tour 2007 (Wikipedia revision 1322937451) — Wikipedia, November 18, 2025.
- Coming Back to You (Wikipedia revision 1321775572) — Wikipedia, November 12, 2025.
- MusicBrainz release groups for Melinda Doolittle — MusicBrainz.
- Monthly pageviews of the English Wikipedia article "Melinda Doolittle", July 2015 – September 2026 — Wikimedia Foundation.
- Melinda Doolittle Performs on July 4th with Boston Pops — MJS Big Blog, July 4, 2015.
- 'American Idol' Remembers Mandisa With Emotional Tribute By Alum Colton Dixon, Melinda Doolittle and Danny Gokey — Deadline, April 29, 2024.
- 'American Idol' pays tribute to Mandisa — CNN, April 30, 2024.
