For the Rockstar: Supernova contestant, see Ryan Star.
Ryan Starr (born Tiffany Ryan Montgomery on November 21, 1982) is an American female singer and song writer. She ranked seventh on the season 1 of the talent search television series American Idol. Starr gained a fanbase based on her vocal talents and sexy image. She has appeared in numerous movies and both reality and scripted television programs. Although her music career has been held back; her iTunes exclusive single, My Religion, landed her a place in the Guinness Book of World Records, and peaked at #1 on the US Billboard hot Digital Songs Chart selling 360,000 units.

Early life
Ryan appeared on the first season of American Idol, displaying a sultry, throaty, and smooth voice while wearing her own unique fashion designs on stage. Ryan took a different approach when she sang on TV live for the first time. Instead of the usual pop hits that other contestants were singing, Ryan chose an unusual song, "The Frim Fram Sauce," in the first group of ten vying for spots in the Top Ten.
She was the second singer from that group to be voted into the Top Ten. The following week, Ryan was the first to perform on American Idol's first live show. She sang "If You Really Love Me" by Stevie Wonder, and received praise from the judges, including this quote from Simon Cowell, "Pure star performance, loved it." The famed 'Jaded Journalist,' an online reporter from American Idol's website said, "I want to see Kelly and Ryan battle it out in the final two!"
She faltered when she sang, "You Really Got Me," a Kinks classic and was panned by the judges. Simon Cowell called it "dreadful". However, the following week Ryan sang "Last Dance" by Donna Summer and received praise from the judges.
When eliminated in 7th place, Starr received encouraging words from the judges. "You're a star, it's in your name, you'll make it." - Randy Jackson. "I don't understand, you should not be leaving us tonight. Don't worry, things are going to turn out great for you." - Paula Abdul. "You know Ryan, I think you're different from all the rest, and I think you can get what you want. Give me a call anytime; because you're about to become a star, I'll give you any help you need." - Simon Cowell.
Ryan returned with the rest of the finalists during the shows' finale and sang "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'", and went on a nationwide 32-city tour with the other finalists.
RCA, in partnership with American Idol, signed Ryan along with fellow Season One contestants Kelly Clarkson, Justin Guarini, Nikki McKibbin, Christina Christian, and Tamyra Gray (with J Records).
After the tour wrapped up, FOX released a DVD which heavily featured Ryan, along with a select few idols from the first season. Ryan was also featured in the American Idol Season One official book released in mid 2003. She, along with her fellow top ten finalists, recorded an American Idol 'Greatest Hits' album which was successful on the charts.

American Idol

"Lean on Me" (Bill Withers) (Auditions, Los Angeles, 2002)
"Frim Fram Sauce" (semi-finals; June 18, 2002)
"If You Really Love Me" (Stevie Wonder, 1971) (Motown week; July 16, 2002)
"You Really Got Me" (The Kinks, 1964) (1960s week; July 23, 2002)
"Last Dance" (Donna Summer, 1978) (1970s week; July 30, 2002) (Bottom 3; voted off)
"These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" Nancy Sinatra, (solo part in Group performance) American Idol performances
Starr has placed the blame for her stalled music career on a two-year restrictive recording contract with RCA. Under this contract, she refused to record an album claiming producers wanted to turn her into an Avril Lavigne type singer. After an intense three year legal battle she was released from contract in 2005.
Shortly after her run on American Idol, Starr made a guest appearance on the popular FOX network comedy That '70s Show, and had a guest role on an episode of the hit CBS drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. In 2004, she starred in the third season of the VH1 reality show The Surreal Life.
In 2005, Popstar! Magazine listed Ryan as the third biggest name in reality television in the world, behind Bo Bice and Kelly Clarkson. (courtesy of Popstar! Magazine with source 'Rock-Starr')
Currently, she has decided to focus more on her music, and will not be appearing on any more reality shows. Not limited to reality shows and singing, Starr had the lead role in the Direct-To-Video movie, Ring of Darkness.
Ryan Starr has been working on a new 'rock-ish' swimsuit line, "Chained," which, according to InStyle Magazine, was signed on for a two-year production contract with Lord and Taylor.
Ryan is hitting the music road in 2006–2007. She will be touring North America, and possibly China with her band. City tour dates are still TBA, however New York, Atlanta, Memphis, and Los Angeles are all confirmed. The first pit stop on her tour is the Nascar Raceway in Memphis, Tennessee on July 15, 2006. Starr will headline the show that will be aired on all FOX networks in North America.
Reports were previously made that Ryan turned down a three-album deal with Sanctuary Records. The deal supposedly required Ryan to record two pop albums before being allowed to record her rock album. These reports were later confirmed to be false by Ryan herself.

Post-American Idol
In 2007, Ryan had a featured spread in US Weekly. In the article, Ryan revealed that she will be starring in her own reality television show. The show will center around Ryan Starr's personal life, her music, and her struggles to become a rock star in a pop-driven music industry. Ryan also detailed that several networks are currently bidding for the rights for the show, MTV, Fuse, Bravo, E!, and FOX Reality. Starr also stated that the show will also see her gain the recording contract she has been searching for since she quit RCA. As Ryan has been hitting the recording studio almost daily since late 2006, it has been said that the show will also feature snippets of her upcoming album.

Ryan Starr's Reality Show & New Album
Ryan has said numerous times in interviews that she comes from a troubled past. Although she has yet to comment on exactly what this means, she has made it clear that she has cut ties with most of her immediate family. In June 2006, Ryan visited Aviva Foundation, a troubled and abused child home in northern Los Angeles. She spent the day getting to know the girls, playing various sports and games with them and also talking in-depth about their past. Ryan commented on her blog, "It was such an inspiring day to see these teens who have literally nothing, and yet they're still just like all of us; and they are fighting to make themselves better." While at the Aviva Foundation, Starr attracted media attention, and spoke out on the matter stating that something had to be done. Her love life has been kept fairly quiet; however People Magazine snapped a photo of Ryan flirting and exchanging phone numbers with Tobey Maguire. She was also seen dancing with Jake Gyllenhaal. In late 2004, Ryan purchased a house on the Santa Monica coastline with an estimated value of $3.4 million.

Personal Life and Charity

Television appearances

Commercials

Singles

"Music is life, live through it." AND MORE
"Why can't girls rock the stage too?"
"They call me a tomboy, as if that's a bad thing."
"If you don't give the best of you everyday, then you deprive the world of you"