#99 Haley Scarnato

Now out of the 100s, next on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 99 finalist Haley Scarnato. She got eighth place on American Idol season 6. She announced in an interview in November 2009 that she canceled her album Strongheart after she left her management. However, she is working on her debut album. She was ranked at number 115 on The Los Angeles Times top 120 American Idol power rankings list of May 31, 2010. She is a fan of the San Antonio Spurs.

Haley Suzanne Scarnato was born to Rose and Anthony Scarnato in San Antonio, Texas, on June 15, 1982. She was a young gymnast between ages 5 and 15. She attended Jack C. Jordan Middle School. After her shoulders got dislocated, she moved onto other talents. Soon thereafter, she found her true love, talent, and passion, which are singing and music. She became a freelance singer, singing backup vocals with the Josephine Theatre, a local theater troupe, and singing in the band called The Oh So Good! Band, a llive wedding band in Texas. She attended William Howard Taft High School, named in honor of the 27th President of the United States, in San Antonio, Texas. She practices Christianity and prays before every performance.

Scarnato auditioned for American Idol season 6 in her hometown San Antonio, Texas, with the song "I Can't Make You Love Me" by Bonnie Raitt. Paula Abdul said that she had real nice control of her voice and said that it was lovely. Randy Jackson thought it was just okay and Simon Cowell agreed by saying "you look good, you sound, it's a bit cabaret". Both Simon and Randy did not think she had much originality, but all three of them agreed that she did have a good voice and decided to let her through to Hollywood. In the first Hollywood round, Scarnato performed "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" by Celine Dion and she well impressed Cowell with her vocal prowess. In the second Hollywood round, which is the group round, she performed with semifinalist Amy Krebs and two other female contestants. Cowell thought the group performance was good, but he said that was going to forget the rest of the group. Scarnato advanced to the top 40 and then to the top 24. On March 8, 2007, America voted Scarnato through to the top 12 over her roommate Sabrina Sloan. Scarnato tended to get mixed feedback from the judges and landed in the bottom 3 during the last three weeks of her time in the competition. During top 24 week, she performed "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" by Pandora's Box. During top 20 week, she performed "Queen of the Night" by Whitney Houston. During top 16 week, she sang "If My Heart Had Wings" by Faith Hill. Her performance in the finals (on top 12 week) is "Missing You" by Diana Ross. During top 11 week, she performed "Tell Him" by Billie Davis. During top 10 week, she performed "True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper, and it was her first appearance in the bottom 3; she was in the bottom 3 with Phil Stacey and my number 110 American Idol finalist Chris Sligh, who was eliminated that week. During top 9 week, she performed "Ain't Misbehavin'" by Fats Waller. She was once again in the bottom 3, with Phil Stacey and Gina Glocksen who got eliminated that week. On April 11, 2007, after performing "Turn the Beat Around" by Gloria Estefan, she was eliminated from American Idol finishing in eighth place.

After her stint on American Idol, on May 12, 2007, Scarnato sang the U.S. National Anthem for game 3 of the NBA Western Conference Semifinals between the San Antonio Spurs and the Phoenix Suns. On April 20, 2009, she sang the U.S. National Anthem once again for Game 2 for the NBA Western Conference First Round between the San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks.

On the May 25, 2007, episode of Larry King Live, it was mentioned that Scarnato would marry her fiancé on January 5, 2008. However, on October 16, 2007, in an interview with MySanAntonio.com, she stated that they were not meant to be, thus broke up during the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2007.

Haley's now out of print EP of studio version of songs that she performed on American Idol was released on iTunes along with fellow American Idol season 6 contestants.

Next up on my American Idol finalist countdown is my number 98 finalist. She was born into a middle-class family in Sunland, Los Angeles, California, to a Caucasian father and a Peruvian mother on November 21, 1982. She starred in the 2004 direct-to-video film Ring of Darkness as the lead role of Stacy and in the 2006 film Vendetta as Brigitte Douglas. She also guest starred in an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Sophia Renatta.