Tulsa World - Tulsa, OK, USA - Now that Season 7 of "American Idol" is complete, it's time for winner David Cook and runner-up David Archuleta to take their next step.

That means trying to build and maintain a successful career in the music industry.

Some past winners have thrived, others not so much.

Here's a look at their careers and where they are today.

Season 1

WINNER: KELLY CLARKSON

Clarkson has definitely had one of the best post-"Idol" careers.

Her debut album "Thankful" went double-platinum and in 2004 she received a Grammy nomination.

With her second album, "Breakaway," she developed more of a pop-rock persona. With five Top 10 singles, she earned two Grammys.

Her

Singersroom News - New York, NY, USA - R&B singer Fantasia Barrino has become the first American Idol winner to garner huge success on Broadway. Reporting on her success since taking on the role of Celie in the musical production of The Color Purple in April, the Associated Press reported yesterday (Aug. 22) that Fantasia has "revitalized" the show, "boosted a box office that had started to slump and, some say, improved a successful commercial production that was lacking critically."

Scott Sanders, one of the show's producers, told the A.P.: "When you bring in someone who is a household name, it brings out the cynics who think that it

BuddyTV - USA - Die-hard fans of American Idol will be delighted to know that their favorite show is about to make waves in the fashion industry. Recently, FremantleMedia, the show’s producer and licensor, made a licensing agreement with Lyric Jeans, Inc. in order to create a “lyric-inspired” American Idol clothing line.

For those who are unfamiliar with the company, Lyric Jeans, Inc. specializes on designing clothes to reflect a particular song. Their unique designs allow wearers “to express themselves through the words of their favorite song.” The company is currently affiliated with a number of recording companies, including Warner Chappell, EMI,Universal,

Broadway World - New York, NY, USA - The producers of The Color Purple have announced that Fantasia will extend her critically acclaimed performance as Celie in the smash hit musical through Sunday, January 6, 2008, at the Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway).  Fantasia made her Broadway debut in The Color Purple on Tuesday, April 10, 2007, and was scheduled for a limited six month engagement.

Fantasia won the 2007 Theater World Award for her performance as Celie. Since Fantasia's May 2004 victory in "American Idol"’s Third Season, she has released two successful albums, Free Yourself and Fantasia, and has been nominated for awards as diverse as Grammy Awards, American

Eurweb.com - Los Angeles, CA, USA - The Color Purple” star Fantasia Barrino is looking to build upon her breakout success on Broadway with a lead role in another African American-themed musical currently in the works, reports New York Daily News columnists Rush & Malloy.

The “American Idol” champ is reportedly in talks to play Ada (Bricktop) Smith, an African-American expatriate in 1920s Paris who became a nightlife superstar.

“Bricktop's is a great story. She rose from humble beginnings in Alderson, W. Va., to become the toast of Paris in the Roaring '20s, where she was first employed overseas by Cole Porter to teach dances such as the Charleston

Pittsburgh Post Gazette - Pittsburgh, PA, USA - She had her doubters, and we have to admit, we were among them.

But "American Idol" winner Fantasia has just been slaying them in the aisles as Celie in the Broadway version of "The Color Purple."

Word is she's in talks to stay on the Great White Way in a new show about our girl Ada "Bricktop" Smith.

Y'all don't know about "Bricktop"?

Well, it's about time you learn, 'cause Miss Thing was a bad mama jama and the toast of 1920s Paris. We know 'cause we read her published biography eons ago.

Raised in Alderson, W.Va. (yeah, that's where Martha Stewart did time), she

Singersroom News - New York, NY, USA - American Idol winner and R&B star Fantasia Barrino has teamed up with beauty brand Suave and Dollar General Stores to award scholarships to students who are dedicated to education, as well as to recognize their invaluable role models -- especially mom's who have encouraged others to pursue their dreams through education.

The "Suave Essay Contest" invites students to write about how someone has helped them improve their life through education for the chance to win a $10,000 scholarship and a trip to New York to meet Fantasia.

Having overcome her own challenges with literacy, Fantasia Barrino is a true idol to both

Eurweb.com - Los Angeles, CA, USA - An article by Rodney Thrash of the St. Petersburg Times points out the record sales gap between the finalists of “American Idol” who record pop records, and those who sing R&B.

“Except for Taylor Hicks, last year's top vote-getter, the white winners have outsold the black ones,” writes Thrash. “To be sure, Ruben Studdard and Fantasia Barrino have done well for themselves. They've gained entry into a world that, without ‘Idol,’ would have been inaccessible. But their success has been confined to a narrower audience than that of more successful Idol alums.”

Thrash continues: “The disparity isn't so much an issue of