Melinda Doolittle Shares Hilarious Throwback with Jordin Sparks
Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic Reading Time: 3 minutes
Melinda Doolittle and Jordin Sparks may have been competing against each other on Season 6 of American Idol, but their friendship has withstood the test of time. Doolittle shared a throwback photo of the pair dressed up for the American Idol tour that traveled across the U.S. in 2007. Their outfits are the definition of fashion in the early 2000s.
“When this pops up in your memories, and you wonder if the American Idol tour made you look like an Oompa Loompa on purpose. They clearly liked @jordinsparks more,” Doolittle captioned the throwback photo.
Doolittle was the audience favorite on Season 6 of American Idol. Some even projected that she would make it to the Top 2 next to Blake Lewis. The feedback she received from the judges each week was positive and she found a huge fan in Simon Cowell. He even came forward and said he believed Doolittle deserved to win the season.
Melinda Doolittle Brings Back ‘American Idol’ Memories with Good Friend Jordin Sparks
Sparks ended up winning the show at just 17 years old. Doolittle and Sparks have remained great friends for over a decade since they both shared the unique experience of appearing on the show. The pair posed together in a 2014 Instagram post where Doolittle called Sparks her “family for life.”
Both Sparks and Doolittle returned to the Season 15 American Idol series finale on FOX to perform. They posed for an Instagram photo with Sanjaya Malakar. In 2020, Doolittle visited Sparks, her husband Dana Isaiah, and their son Dana Isaiah Thomas Jr.
“Out of all the things I gained from being on @americanidol, the family is the most important. I don’t have words for how much @jordinsparks means to me…and now I’ve adopted her gorgeous family as my own!” Doolittle captioned the photo.
Sparks Found Tremendous Success After ‘Idol’
Sparks has gone on to become one of the most successful American Idol winners of all time. Her debut album featuring the singles “Tattoo” and “No Air” sold over 1 million copies. Her 2009 Battlefield album was released as Sparks was touring with the Jonas Brothers. She just celebrated the 12-year milestone of the album.
Sparks took her talents to Broadway to play Jenna Hunterson in Waitress in 2019. She competed on The Masked Dancer as Exotic Bird this year. She acted in the movie Sparkle and has long been involved in philanthropic work. Sparks and Doolittle teamed up with the Malaria No More initiative in Africa to help raise awareness for malaria prevention programs.
Doolittle Jumpstarted Her Career By Appearing on the Show
Doolittle released her first studio album, Coming Back to You, in 2009. She released a second album in 2013. Doolittle is a published author and wrote the book Beyond Me: Finding Your Way to Life’s Next Level. She also hosted TV Line’s Reality Check.
Doolittle has performed everywhere from the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame to The White House. She headlined her own show full of R&B classics called Great American Soul Book. She now hosts her own lifestyle podcast and recently appeared on Better Together TV.
“After American Idol, I had no idea what would happen, and this journey has been more than I could have ever asked for,” Doolittle said reflecting on her career in 2018.
Doolittle continues to watch American Idol and even called out the Season 19 judges for their confusing critiques. She criticized the judges for telling Grace Kinstler that she needed to figure out what genre she likes to sing. She also felt like the judges were being hypocritical for applauding Casey Bishop for singing songs from all genres.
It is so interesting when former contestants give their opinions on the show that has changed so much since it first aired in 2002. Sparks and Doolittle both found successful careers from American Idol. They are also both winning the internet over with their long-lasting friendship.
