William Hung

Without any musical background or performing skills to speak of, William Hung poured his heart and soul into an unabashed, albeit off-key, rendition of the Ricky Martin dance tune "She Bangs" (2000), resulting in him becoming one of the most memorable and entertaining rejects ever to appear on "American Idol" (Fox, 2002-16).

He was born William Tanakiri Hung on Jan. 13, 1983 in Hong Kong, China. Hung moved with his family to Van Nuys, CA when he was 11, and graduated from high school in Sun Valley.

Prior to his infamous televised "Idol" audition, Hung was a civil engineering major at University of California Berkeley, and someone who had no musical aspirations or any experience performing in public, save for a dormitory singing contest where he won first prize.

On a whim in the fall of 2003, Hung tried out for season three of "American Idol," a move that proved to be a ticket to sudden fame. His uninhibited, tuneless rendition of Ricky Martin's infectious, salsa-influenced hit song "She Bangs" rendered "Idol" judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson into hysterics before they cut him off mid-song.

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."