Mother is a cabaret singer and vocal coach who helped Katharine hone her craft
At her initial audition for American Idol, sang "God Bless the Child
" Her Idol fan frenzy was branded "McPheever" but wasn't enough to lift her to the title; she placed second behind Season 5 winner Taylor Hicks
Appeared in 2008's The House Bunny, playing a pregnant hippie sorority sister
Also sang the single from the film, a cover of the Waitresses' "I Know What Boys Like
" Was among the galaxy of stars who sang on the remake of the charity song "We Are the World," retitled "We Are the World: 25 for Haiti," which raised funds for victims of the January 2010 earthquake in that country