Original sentence: Smithson has states that the album did not have the opportunity to find an audience, due to the record company's merger with a parent company   Though some established artists like Sheryl Crow survived the merger, yet-to-be-released artists did not; Smithson's album was released, but with limited promotion
Edited sentence: David Cook, the 2008 American Idol winner, had also previously released an album; Kristy Lee Cook was signed to Arista Nashville and was managed by Marty Rendleman and signed with Britney Spears’ production company in 2001; Michael Johns’ band, Film, was signed, then dropped, by Madonna’s Maverick label; Robbie Carrico sang with Boyz-N-Girlz United; David Archuleta was involved in Season 1's American Idol telecast, won $100,000 on Star Search as 2003's Junior Champion and was signed, then dropped, from a record label; and finally Brooke White released an album with New Millenium Records in 2006  and sang professionally as the opening act for Phil Vassar on tour.Figures surrounding the album have been consistently misrepresented.For whatever reason, these other Idol contestants with professional pasts did not seem to receive the same negative scrutiny that Smithson did regarding the release and ultimate failure of her 2001 CD.Many American Idol fans purported that these explanations were not relevant and that a contestant with an already failed album was not relevant to the American Idol competition.She stated that her album's failure was related to the implosion of her record company, as well as on the date of its release.The album did not have the opportunity to find an audience, due to the record company's merger with a parent company   Though some established artists like Sheryl Crow survived the merger, yet-to-be-released artists did not; Smithson's album was released, but with limited promotion.The tragic events in September 2001, she claimed, were in direct contrast with the sentiment of the bubbly, pop album.Though many of the Season 7 American Idol finalists had similar professional pasts, Carly Smithson's past was far more publicized and seemed to cause the greatest frustration.When she appeared on American Idol, Smithson received a great deal of negative press for this failed record attempt in 2001