Katharine McPhee is an American pop singer who found fame as a runner-up in the fifth series of American Idol in 2006. Before appearing on the show she had spent some time acting, but it was her parents who encouraged her to try out for the television talent show. Her performances were well received by the panel but she eventually lost out to Taylor Hicks. Nonetheless she went on to sign with RCA Records and released a debut single “Somewhere Over the Rainbow/My Destiny” which reached No.12 on the Billboard charts. She toured with the Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli during 2006 and contributed to his Under the Desert Sky album. Her own album Katharine McPhee was released in 2007 and debuted at No.2 in the charts.