Jordin Sparks

David Archuleta isn't the first toothy teen singer to win over America on national TV. Last year, Arizona native Jordin Sparks became the youngest Idol winner ever. She was 17.

A devoted Christian, Sparks credits her faith and her father, retired football pro Phillipi Sparks, for keeping her grounded during her years as a child performer.

After competing on TV shows like "America's Most Talented Kid" and singing the national anthem in stadiums, Sparks auditioned for "Idol" in Los Angeles but didn't make the cut. Undeterred, she earned a spot on a local version of "Idol" and another chance to impress Paula, Randy and Simon. And impress she did. Her spot-on rendition of Celine Dion's Because You Loved Me prompted Randy Jackson to exclaim: "You're a natural." A few months later, a record-setting 74 million voters chose between finalists Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis, with Sparks the winner. In a few months, she'd sign to Jive Records, the home of Justin Timberlake, R. Kelly and UGK.

Sparks' first single, Tattoo, went platinum but her self-titled debut registered the lowest first-week sales (119,000 copies) of any "Idol" champ. No Air, a dramatic duet with Chris Brown featuring dark synths and a thumping backbeat, quieted naysayers by reaching the top 10 and selling over half a million digital units. Sparks' debut has since gone gold and she's been tapped to join Alicia Keys and Ne-Yo on a three-month tour that kicks off in April.