William Hung

Though Hung did not make it to the semi-final rounds in Hollywood, he became an overnight celebrity shortly after his audition episode aired. Viewers were apparently both entertained and charmed by Hung's sincerity and humility, especially after judge Cowell berated him for his lack of singing or dancing abilities. Hung quickly gained a cult following online, with one fan site reportedly recording four million hits within its first week. He received countless offers to appear on top-rated talk and radio shows, and was even parodied on "Saturday Night Live" (NBC, 1975-) - the ultimate pop cultural confirmation on having "made it." He even starred in the documentary "William Hung: Hangin' with Hung" (2004), which detailed his sudden rise to stardom. To extend his 15 minutes of fame, he took every opportunity that came his way, including guest roles on a number of comedy shows such as "MADtv" (Fox, 1995-2009) and "Arrested Development" (Fox, 2003-06); a cameo in a low-budget Chinese film; and even released the album Inspiration in 2004. Hung's solo album sold more than 100,000 copies during the first few months of its release, which, of course, featured his memorable rendition of "She Bangs."