Lakisha Jones

Big, bold and blessed with a powerhouse voice, this single mom blew away the judges — not to mention the fans — during auditions for Season 6 of American Idol, easily making it to the final 12. And although she just missed being one of the final three, there was no doubt that she had a music career ahead of her. At age 5, Jones began singing at the Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in her hometown of Flint, Michigan, and later she studied classical voice. Yet before AI, her amazing talent was squandered as she worked as a bank teller to make ends meet. Happily, Fox's reality hit plucked her from obscurity as she nailed diva anthems like "And I'm Telling You I Am Not Going" from Dreamgirls, the same song that earned former AI competitor Jennifer Hudson an Oscar.