Katharine Hope McPhee (born March 25, 1984) is an American
pop singer, songwriter, actress, model, and television personality. She gained fame as a contestant on the
fifth season of the
Fox reality show American Idol in 2006, eventually finishing as the runner-up.
Her
self-titled debut album was released on
RCA Records on January 30, 2007 and debuted at #2 on the
Billboard 200; it has sold 381,000 copies to date.
[2] The album's first single, "
Over It", was a Pop Top 30 hit and was certified
gold in 2008.
[3] She has also established an acting career, for example co-starring in
The House Bunny in 2008 as the hippie sorority sister Harmony.
Early life
Born in Los Angeles, California, McPhee moved with her family to
Sherman Oaks at age 12. McPhee has been singing since the age of two. Her mother, Patricia Burch McPhee (stage name Peisha Arten), a vocal coach and accomplished
cabaret singer, recognized her daughter's musical talent and decided to train her. Her father, Daniel McPhee, is a television producer. McPhee has an older sister, Adriana. McPhee is of Irish, Scottish, and German descent.
[5] McPhee attended
Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, where she performed in school plays and musicals. She graduated in 2002. She attended
Boston Conservatory for three semesters, majoring in musical theater. She left college on the advice of her manager and returned to Los Angeles to try out for
television pilots.