American Idol (season 8) American Idol (season 8) The eighth season of "American Idol" premiered on January 13, 2009, and concluded on May 20, 2009. Judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson continued to judge the show's contestants, along with Ryan Seacrest as host. The season introduced Kara DioGuardi as the fourth judge on the "Idol" panel. It was also Abdul's final season as a judge. Kris Allen, a native of Conway, Arkansas, was announced the winner of the competition on May 20, 2009, defeating runner-up Adam Lambert after nearly 100 million votes. This was the second season where both of the final
Charles Jackson (judge) Charles Jackson (judge) Charles Jackson (31 May 1775 – 13 December 1855) was an American jurist. He was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Jackson was the son of Newburyport merchant and Continental Congress Massachusetts delegate Jonathan Jackson and Hannah Tracy. He graduated from Harvard University in 1793, studied law with Chief Justice Parsons, and began to practice in 1796 at Newburyport. In 1803, he relocated to Boston, where, associated with Judge Hubbard, he had a most lucrative practice, probably more lucrative than any other in New England had been up until that time. Jackson was judge of the Massachusetts Supreme Court