Melinda Doolittle

S6 · Eliminated 3rd

As of December 4, 2025

Melinda Doolittle released the single Deck the Halls (feat. Scott Bradlee) on December 4, 2025. Since 2011 she has co-hosted TVLine's Reality Check with Michael Slezak. Her EP You're the Reason was released on November 12, 2013.⁠[1][2][3]

Career

After the show

  1. July 6, 2007–September 23, 2007She performed on the American Idols Live! Tour 2007 with the season 6 top 10. The tour ran from July 6 to September 23, 2007.⁠[6]
  2. November 2007In November 2007 she sang at a White House dinner in the East Room during a social dinner for America's Promise.⁠[2]
  3. February 2008Sony BMG released her first single, My Funny Valentine, in February 2008.⁠[2]
  4. July 2008In July 2008 it was announced that she had signed with the independent label Hi Fi Recordings.⁠[2]
  5. July 2008–2008She was a guest performer on the Michael W. Smith Caribbean cruise in July 2008 and joined his Christmas tour that year. She is featured with Smith on Amazing Love on the Billy: The Early Years soundtrack.⁠[2]
  6. February 3, 2009Coming Back to You was released on February 3, 2009, on Hi Fi Recordings. It peaked at 58 on the Billboard 200, 39 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and 3 on Independent Albums. It sold just over 10,900 copies in its first week.⁠[2][7]
  7. February 12, 2013She released the album Lift Every Voice: The Historic Songs of James Weldon Johnson on February 12, 2013.⁠[1][8]
  8. November 12, 2013The EP You're the Reason was released on November 12, 2013, on Sonador Entertainment. It includes the single Never Giving Up.⁠[2][3]
  9. December 4, 2025She released the single Deck the Halls (feat. Scott Bradlee) on December 4, 2025.⁠[1]

Date not documented

  1. It's Your Love, a single from Coming Back to You, peaked at number 29 on the US Adult Contemporary chart.⁠[2][8]
  2. She has worked as a singer and backup singer since 1999.⁠[2]
  3. She sang an old-school style cover of Britney Spears's Toxic with Postmodern Jukebox on their album Squad Goals.⁠[2]

Discography

TitleTypeYearLabelRIAA certificationU.S. salesListen
Melinda Doolittle⁠[2][8]EP200719 Entertainment38,000⁠[2][9]January 10, 2008
Coming Back to You⁠[7][8]Album2009Hi Fi Recordings53,000⁠[2][10]January 17, 2010
It's Your Love: The Radio Remixes⁠[1][8]EP2009MPCA Recordings, L.L.C.
Coming Back to You⁠[1]Alternate editionAlbum2012MPCAApple Music
Lift Every Voice: The Historic Songs of James Weldon Johnson⁠[1][8]Album2013Curb Records, Inc.Apple Music
You're the Reason⁠[3][8]EP2013Sonador Entertainment

Awards

Checked October 7, 2026; none found.

Other activity

  • April 20, 2010Beyond Me: Finding Your Way to Life's Next Level, her book about her life before, during, and after American Idol, was released on April 20, 2010.⁠[2]
  • 2011Since 2011 she has co-hosted TVLine's weekly American Idol recap series Reality Check with Michael Slezak.⁠[2]

Sources

10 sources

  1. iTunes Search API album results for Melinda Doolittle — Apple. Release database. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
    Cited parts (8)
    • Deck The Halls search result: "releaseDate":"2025-12-04T08:00:00Z"
    • It's Your Love Remixes copyright: “2009 MPCA Recordings, L.L.C.”
    • Lift Every Voice copyright: “2013 Curb Records, Inc.”
    • You're the Reason copyright: “2013 Sonador Entertainment”
    • Lift Every Voice search result: "releaseDate":"2013-02-12T08:00:00Z"
    • Deck The Halls search result: "collectionName":"Deck The Halls (feat. Scott Bradlee) - Single"
    • Deck The Halls copyright: “2025 Postmodern Jukebox Productions”
    • Second Coming Back to You result: "copyright":"℗ 2011 MPCA"
  2. Melinda Doolittle (Wikipedia revision 1371033456) — Wikipedia, updated August 24, 2026. Reference work (secondary). Retrieved October 7, 2026.
    Cited parts (8)
    • 2013: “Since 2011, Doolittle has been co-hosting TVLine.com's weekly American Idol recap web series, Reality Check, with Michael Slezak.”
    • Lead sentence: “born October 6, 1977”
    • Infobox, Born line (birth_date): {{Birth date and age|1977|10|6}}
    • Infobox label: “label = MPCA (2007–2011)”
    • Post-Idol: “signed with the independent label Hi Fi Recordings”
    • Infobox label: “Hi Fi Recordings (2008–2011)”
    • Post-Idol: “released by Sony BMG in February 2008”
    • Image caption: “during a social dinner in honor of America's Promise—The Alliance for Youth, November 2007”
  3. You're the Reason (EP) (Wikipedia revision 1303056861) — Wikipedia, updated July 28, 2025. Reference work (secondary). Retrieved October 7, 2026.
    Cited parts (4)
    • Infobox released: “released = November 12, 2013”
    • Infobox label: “label = Sonador Entertainment”
    • Infobox: “released = November 12, 2013”
    • Infobox type: “type = EP”
  4. American Idol season 6 — Wikipedia, updated July 26, 2026. Reference work (secondary). Retrieved October 6, 2026.
    Cited parts (1)
    • Elimination chart row Melinda Doolittle: Pl. 3, Eliminated in the Top 3 column (5/16); ratings table episode 'Top 3 Results', May 16, 2007
  5. List of American Idol finalists — Wikipedia, updated June 10, 2026. Reference work (secondary). Retrieved October 6, 2026.
    Cited parts (1)
    • Contestants table, row Melinda Doolittle: season 6, place finish 3rd
  6. American Idols Live! Tour 2007 (Wikipedia revision 1322937451) — Wikipedia, updated November 18, 2025. Reference work (secondary). Retrieved October 7, 2026.
    Cited parts (3)
    • Infobox dates: “start_date = July 6, 2007”
    • Infobox end date: “end_date = September 23, 2007”
    • Performers table: “Melinda Doolittle (3rd place)”
  7. Coming Back to You (Wikipedia revision 1321775572) — Wikipedia, updated November 12, 2025. Reference work (secondary). Retrieved October 7, 2026.
    Cited parts (4)
    • Infobox released: “released = February 3, 2009”
    • Infobox label: “label = Hi Fi Recordings”
    • Lead: “debuted at number 58 on the Billboard 200 on its first week of release, selling just over 10,900 copies”
    • Infobox: “released = February 3, 2009”
  8. MusicBrainz release groups for Melinda Doolittle — MusicBrainz. Release database. Retrieved October 7, 2026.
    Cited parts (7)
    • Release group Lift Every Voice: “2013-02-12 Album Lift Every Voice: The Historic Songs of James Weldon Johnson”
    • Release group It's Your Love: "title":"It's Your Love"
    • Release group It's Your Love: "primary-type":"Single"
    • Release group Melinda Doolittle: “2007-06-12 EP Melinda Doolittle”
    • Release group Coming Back to You: “2009-02-03 Album Coming Back to You”
    • Release group It's Your Love: The Radio Remixes: “2009-07-14 EP It's Your Love: The Radio Remixes”
    • Release group You're the Reason: “2013-11-12 EP You're the Reason”
  9. The Ultimate SoundScan Sales/Download Checklist — USA Today, published January 10, 2008. News report. Cited by another source; not opened by our researchers.
  10. The best-selling Idol albums from 2009 — USA Today (Idol Chatter), published January 17, 2010. News report. Cited by another source; not opened by our researchers.

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