Sunday, August 29, 2010

Katharine McPhee's 'Unbroken' trivia giveaway - win a copy!

UnbrokenIf you do not yet own Katharine McPhee's latest album Unbroken, here's your chance to win a copy through IDOL LIVE's Unbroken trivia giveaway! Just answer the following question and follow the instructions below to get your hands on the CD.

Question:
Katharine recently took part in the Hunger-Free Summer Initiative to help raise awareness for child food insecurity, appearing on On the Record with Greta Van Susteren to promote the initiative. About how many children did she say go hungry during the summer?

Instructions:
To qualify to win a copy of Unbroken, please tweet or email your answer to the above trivia question to @IDOLLIVE or idollive.net@gmail.com (if you choose to tweet, please include your email address within the tweet).

If you are one of the first three to get the trivia question correct, you will receive a congratulations email requesting your name and mailing address. Upon receipt of the winners' names and mailing addresses, the CD will be mailed to the winners.

Please note: IDOL LIVE is not responsible for any delays or issues relating to mail delivery of the CD. The contest will be open until Friday, Sept. 3 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Submissions will be accepted until three winners have submitted their mailing addresses. Upon receiving all three, a blog post will announce the conclusion of the giveaway for the week. Any further questions should be directed to idollive.net@gmail.com.

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'Idol' Hot 100: Adam Lambert's "If I Had You" #32 (9/4/10)

If I Had YouTwo tracks by Idol alums made headway while two other tracks went in the opposite direction on Billboard's Hot 100 chart for the chart week of Sept. 4.

Adam Lambert once again saw his latest single "If I Had You" gain ground on the chart, this time by 10 spots to #32. Carrie Underwood's "Undo It," on the other hand, was off by 11 spots to #56.

Daughtry's "September" saw the opposite come true, with a #91-80 jump, while Fantasia's "Bittersweet" was down slightly, #79-82.

Full chart positions courtesy of Billboard are below:

Hot 100
32 42 Adam Lambert, "If I Had You"
56 45 Carrie Underwood, "Undo It"
80 91 Daughtry, "September"
82 79 Fantasia, "Bittersweet"

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Saturday, August 28, 2010

'Idol' odds 'n ends: Fantasia dishes on suicide attempt on 'GMA'

The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:

>For the first time since her botched suicide attempt, Fantasia spoke out about the ordeal when she appeared on Good Morning America on Tuesday to promote the release of her latest album, Back to Me. In her interview with Robin Roberts, Fantasia said she "just wanted to be away from the noise." Watch the interview below:



Fantasia also squeezed in a few live performances for the crowd in the studio, including a televised performance of "Bittersweet."

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>Speaking of Idol alums performing on morning shows, Chris and the boys from Daughtry took to Rockefeller Plaza on Fri., Aug. 20 to perform for The Today Show's Summer Concert Series. Watch the band perform "September" below:



Daughtry also performed "Feels Like Tonight" for the television audience during the set.

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>Kelly Clarkson recently teased about a big duet with an act people have been wanting her to record with for ages, but for now fans will just have to settle for her being featured on a track with Jason Aldean. Per USAToday.com's "Idol Chatter":
The new album from country singer Jason Aldean will feature a duet with Kelly Clarkson called Don't You Wanna Stay.
Don't You Wanna Stay is due out Nov. 2, which more than likely will be before Kelly's latest disc hits retail and digital outlets.

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>It was announced about one week ago that Kris Allen will be opening for Lifehouse on its current tour beginning in October.
10/15 MGM Foxwoods, Manshucket, CT
10/16 Orpheurm Theatre, Boston, MA
10/17 Roseland Ballroom, New York, NY
10/20 The Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA
10/23 Tropicana Show Room, Atlantic City, NJ
10/24 Dar Constitution Hall, Washington DC
10/26 Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA
10/29 Drury University, Springfield, MO
10/30 Choctaw Casino Events Center, Grant OK
10/31 Verizon Wireless Theatre, Houston TX
11/2 Palladium Ballroom, Dallas TX
11/4 Uptown Theatre, Kansas City, MO
11/5 Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL
11/6 The Fillmore, Detroit, MI
11/9 Pagent, St Louis, MI
11/11 Eagles Ballroom, Milwaukee, WI
11/12 Val Air Ballroom, Des Moines, IA
11/14 Ogden Theatre, Denver, CO
11/15 In The Venue, Salt Lake City, UT
11/16 Knitting Factory, Reno, NV
11/18 Gibson Amphitheater @ Universal Studios, Universal City, CA
11/19 The Joint @ Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
11/20 Pechanga Casino, Temecula, CA
11/21 Masonic Center, San Fransisco, CA
11/23 WaMu Theatre, Seattle, WA
11/24 Roseland Theatre, Portland, OR
Kris has already opened for the likes of Lady Antebellum, Maroon 5, Keith Urban and Daughtry, so it's encouraging for Kris that Lifehouse is interested in having him on board for the remainder of its North American tour.

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>Kimberley Locke and her mom appeared on the series premiere of WETV's You're Wearing That!? on Thurs., Aug. 19. In the episode, Kim and her mom get advice from a fashion expert on how to change up their look. Watch a clip from the episode below:



Kim also recently sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "God Bless America" during the Los Angeles Dodgers game on Fri., Aug. 20.

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Thursday, August 26, 2010

Katharine McPhee concludes Hunger-Free Summer Initiative in Houston

Katharine McPhee last week capped off her contribution to the U.S. Hunger-Free Summer Initiative for Kids co-sponsored by the ConAgra Foods Foundation and Feeding America this summer in an effort to combat child food insecurity. She sang for children at the LINC in Houston, Tex., on Tues., Aug. 17, including a performance of her cover of "Brand New Key," which can be watched below:



Over the course of the summer of 2010, 23 food banks received funding, including the Houston Food Bank, to champion the fight against child hunger by developing new approaches to increase awareness of the problem and access to services that can aid in achieving the goal of eliminating hunger. Kat traveled the country, performing at multiple community locations including in Orlando, Fla., and Santa Ana, Calif., that help children receive adequate nutritional meals when out of school.

For more information on the initiative, visit the official websites of the ConAgra Foods Foundation and Feeding America.

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Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Poll of the week: Arch attacks rest of runners-up

It wasn't even a contest for the latest round of IDOL LIVE's poll of the week champion series for 2010, as perennial favorite David Archuleta destroyed all eight fellow runners-up for the weeklong voting period.

Arch earned 545 of all 567 votes cast over the week, good for 100% (even though the poll itself says his total stands at 96% - something is obviously awry). Surprisingly, not even Adam Lambert's fans spent time on the poll. Let's see if Arch's fans can repeat in two weeks when he faces off in the champion series final against all other winners from each round.

In the next round (the second-to-last, by the way), readers will be asked which winner is their favorite of all nine seasons. Voting will be open for exactly one week.

Justin Guarini 1 (0%)
Clay Aiken 4 (0%)
Diana DeGarmo 2 (0%)
Bo Bice 2 (0%)
Katharine McPhee 4 (0%)
Blake Lewis 1 (0%)
David Archuleta 545 (96%)
Adam Lambert 4 (0%)
Crystal Bowersox 4 (0%)

Total votes: 567

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HITS estimates: 'Play On' #46 w/ 8.7k

Play OnIt looks as though IDOL LIVE's reporting of Idol-related album sales according to HITS Daily Double's Top 50 building album sales chart will be saved next week by Fantasia's Back to Me debut, because Carrie Underwood's album seems to be on its last legs in terms of making an appearance on the chart.

Carrie's Play On was actually up this week sales-wise, climbing 5% to 8.7k copies. It was down on the chart side, however, slipping #41-46.

As usual, be sure to check out Billboard for official positions available for the Billboard 200 on Thursday.

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Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Flashback: Judd Harris's "Travelin' Band"

Idol's fourth season was virtually a wash thanks to the superstardom of Carrie Underwood, and it shows when you look at the crew that was left in the dust, especially in the semifinals. Judd Harris was one of those contestants who tried his best but fell short. Watch him perform Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Travelin' Band" during Top 24 week below:



The judges' generic, neither good nor bad comments didn't help Judd's cause, as he blended in with the rest of the 11 guys who performed that night. Despite a good vocal showing, the song choice was completely wrong, and thus Judd had to disappear into obscurity following his elimination.

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'Idol' Hot 100: Adam Lambert's "If I Had You" #42 (8/28/10)

If I Had YouJust like in that new Jennifer Aniston / Jason Bateman movie, there was a switch that took place among Idol-related tracks on Billboard's Hot 100 chart for the chart week of Aug. 28.

Adam Lambert's latest single "If I Had You" finally surpassed Carrie Underwood's leggy "Undo It," as the former rose 12 spots to #42 while the latter slid nine spots to #45. This is the first time since the week of June 12 that "Undo It" has not led artists from the franchise.

Continuing to make strides thanks to recent publicity was Fantasia's "Bittersweet," which was up #90-79 ahead of her album release today. And Daughtry's latest single "September" was up three spots to #91.

Full chart positions courtesy of Billboard are below:

Hot 100
42 54 Adam Lambert, "If I Had You"
45 36 Carrie Underwood, "Undo It"
79 90 Fantasia, "Bittersweet"
91 94 Daughtry, "September"

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Friday, August 20, 2010

'Idol' odds 'n ends: Steven Tyler preps for 'Idol' judgeship by falling off stage

The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:

>Steven Tyler is all but confirmed to be a judge for Idol's 10th season, but he doesn't seem to be slowing down to save his energy for coming up with critiques, as evidenced by his multiple falls while performing onstage, including the most recent episode at a show in Toronto. Per Zap2It:
After quickly rebounding from his accidental stage dive, Tyler sprung up and yelled to the crowd, "It ain't gonna happen again!"

Let's hope not. The lights and video floor on the "American Idol" can be awfully disorienting.
That's actually really good advice, especially since if the lights don't disorient him, they'll probably at least melt his face clear off. Then who would replace the replacement?


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>Jordin Sparks has been busy this week in New York City gearing up for her big premiere in the Broadway musical In The Heights. As per usual, making appearances on the talk show circuit were included on her itinerary, including Live with Regis & Kelly, on which she performed the song "Breathe" yesterday. Watch the performance below:




Jordin's Broadway debut came last night, which marks the kickoff of a 12-week run at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. For schedules and ticket information for In The Heights, visit InTheHeightsMusical.com.


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>After much delay, Kris Allen's music video for second single "The Truth" premiered on VH1 on Tuesday. Watch the video below:




The video was directed by Marco Puig, who was at the helm of Kris's video for "Live Like We're Dying," and featured model Cindy Vela and Train lead singer Pat Monahan. Was the video worth the wait? Not in my opinion, unfortunately.


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>David Archuleta posted another vlog on his official YouTube channel on Tuesday in which he informed fans that work on his forthcoming album The Other Side of Down is almost complete. Watch the vlog below (if you can tolerate the annoying buzzing sound):




As expected, Arch confirmed the album has been pushed back until Tues., Oct. 5. He said he's excited to start performing live again soon and hopes he can hit the high notes in "Something 'Bout Love." The Other Side of Down is available to pre-order at Amazon.com.


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>Kellie Pickler is reportedly busy putting her own signature touch on her wedding plans, as she's looking for ways to incorporate her love of animals into the ceremony. According to a piece by Wendy Geller of Yahoo! Music:
And, we're not just talking about having a dog dressed up in a mini-tuxedo, as Underwood did at her wedding. Pickler is talking about having her reptile buddies in the mix. "I'm thinking of having the python be the ringbearer," she told PEOPLE this week.
I wonder if she'll think about asking calamari to be the flower girls? The piece goes on to say there will be no first dance with husband-to-be Kyle Jacobs because he is "'a disaster' on the dance floor." That's a little out of the ordinary, especially since Kellie is definitely the dancin' kind.

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Thursday, August 19, 2010

Ayla Brown goes country: listen to new single "My Favorite Part"

Ayla Brown has decided to take the country route on her next album. The Season 5 Top 16 contestant was profiled on Boston.com today, with an article detailing her decision to pursue a career in the country industry. Below is a snippet from the piece:

She has her reasons. OK, she's tall and beautiful. She can’t change that. But she doesn't want the sexy stuff that dominates the music industry to define her. Not like Lady Ga-Ga, Janet Jackson, or a young Madonna. She wants to be a role model for young girls.

"I don’t want to be on stage shaking my butt to get fans," says Brown. "The pop world is not where I see my future."

So the former "American Idol" contestant is embarking on a country music career. "I'm excited and nervous," she says. "It’s like starting over again."

She'll show off her new sound at Arlington's Regent Theatre tomorrow night. "It's a coming-out show for me, with my new style and band."
A live video of Ayla's new single "My Favorite Part" was also posted along with the article. Watch it below:



Ayla will be debuting her new Nashville sound tomorrow at the Regent Theatre in Arlington, Mass., with her new band at 8 p.m. For ticket information, visit RegentTheatre.com.

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Poll of the week: Melinda does a little to earn recognition among fans

In one of the last few rounds of IDOL LIVE's poll of the week champion series for 2010, one 3rd-place finalist edged out her peers in a fairly close battle.

Melinda Doolittle's 12 votes were enough to earn her 29% of all 41 votes cast, which was the largest take of all nine participants included in this round. The sixth season's second-runner-up saw her closest competition come from Elliott Yamin, who garnered nine votes (21%), followed by Danny Gokey's seven votes (17%).

There were only two finalists who failed to grab any votes during the course of the week, as Nikki McKibbin (Season 1) and Vonzell Solomon (Season 4) went scoreless in their attempts.

In the next round (the third-to-last, by the way), readers will be asked which runner-up is their favorite of all nine seasons. Voting will be open for exactly one week.

Nikki McKibbin 0 (0%)
Kimberley Locke 2 (4%)
Jasmine Trias 2 (4%)
Vonzell Solomon 0 (0%)
Elliott Yamin 9 (21%)
Melinda Doolittle 12 (29%)
Syesha Mercado 4 (9%)
Danny Gokey 7 (17%)
Casey James 5 (12%)

Total votes: 41

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Tuesday, August 17, 2010

HITS estimates: 'Play On' #41 w/ 8.3k

Play OnThe long, hot days of August sure know how to cause a drought among album sales of Idol alums, as HITS Daily Double's Top 50 building album sales chart showed once again that only one album from the franchise has incredible staying power at the moment.

Carrie Underwood's Play On continued its downward trend on the chart, as its sales were off by 17% to 8.3k copies for the week. Chart-wise, it was down #34-41, which suggests the end could be near for its Top 50 staycation.

As usual, be sure to check out Billboard for official positions available for the Billboard 200 on Thursday.

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Chat live with Season 9's Top 5 finalists (today, 5:30 p.m. ET)

Is there something you've been wanting to ask Lee DeWyze, Crystal Bowersox, Casey James, Michael Lynche or Aaron Kelly? If so, then today's your lucky day, as Idol's ninth season's Top 5 finalists will be available to answer their fans' questions in a live chat sponsored by AT&T. The chat will begin at 5:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. PT) and last approximately 30 minutes, taking place over on AT&T Share's Facebook page. The chat will be simulcast live here on IdolLive below:



AT&T is of course sponsoring the American Idols Live! Tour, which is currently stopped in Anaheim, Calif. and will wrap up on Tues., Aug. 30 in Indianapolis, Ind.

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Monday, August 16, 2010

Flashback: Briana Ramirez-Rial's "Don't Know Why"

If there was any one contestant to appear on stage during the Top 32 of Season 3 who would be remembered more for her appearance than for her voice, Briana Ramirez-Rial was that semifinalist. What was even more amazing was the disparity between her appearance and her voice. Watch her sing Norah Jones's "Don't Know Why" during her Group 2 performance below:



While Briana wasn't that bad looking back at this performance, Simon and Randy just felt something was off about the whole spectacle. Once those two drove the nail into her coffin, Briana's apparent tweaking out on the couch next to Ryan while she was supposed to be asking for votes didn't help her cause. In effect, Briana was ahead of her time, and had she appeared on the show in the future (especially the most recent edition) she probably would have made it further.

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'Idol' Hot 100: Carrie Underwood's "Undo It" #36 (8/21/10)

Undo ItThere were a few more signs of life shown among Idol-related tracks on Billboard's Hot 100 chart for the chart week of Aug. 21.

It was no surprise that Carrie Underwood once again led the charge, with her single "Undo It" sliding 10 spots to #36.

The single that looks to be the heir apparent of "Undo It," Adam Lambert's "If I Had You," inched ahead two spots to #54. Fantasia also saw her current single make headway up the chart, possibly due to her OD controversy last week. "Bittersweet" was up #94-90.

To add to things, Daughtry's "September" debuted on the Hot 100 at #94.

Full chart positions courtesy of Billboard are below:

Hot 100
36 26 Carrie Underwood, "Undo It"
54 56 Adam Lambert, "If I Had You"
90 94 Fantasia, "Bittersweet"
94 -- Daughtry, "September"

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Saturday, August 14, 2010

'Idol' odds 'n ends: Fantasia meets up with Antwuan Cook after being released from hospital

The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:

>The latest news in the Fantasia saga is that merely one day after being released from a Charlotte, N.C., hospital for a drug overdose and suicide attempt, she had a meeting with her "off and on" boyfriend Antwuan Cook in a local park. Per an article on People.com:
The two were spotted visiting a local park and appeared to be in deep conversation – all while cameras, presumably for her VH1 reality show, Fantasia for Real, captured the conversation.
Additionally, the 911 call was made public:



To add to things, VH1 issued a statement that the first episode of Fantasia For Real's second season, which kicks off on Sun., Sept. 19, would be changed to accommodate the incident before retracting the statement. It may just be me, but all this is sounding pretty opportunistic, especially when considering Fanny's latest album hits stores in less than two weeks. Well, if her goal (and her manager's goal) was to get the public to remember her, they surely accomplished it this week (photo courtesy of People.com).

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>After all the drama that went down this week with reports that Jennifer Lopez is out of the running to replace Ellen DeGeneres or Simon Cowell as a judge for Season 10, good ol' Nigel Lythgoe interjected to smooth out the waves made by the rumors. Accoring to Uncle Nigel:
He tells Extra, "These people don't know Jennifer Lopez. She's a wonderful woman. I've never seen her be a diva in her life!"
Well, that's hardly a denial that J. Lo has been axed from consideration, but I guess it's better than a confirmation of the news - for Lopez at least.

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>Kimberly Caldwell will today appear at the AT&T store in Tustin, Calif., where she will perform in concert beginning at 1 p.m. She will then hang around to meet and greet fans until 3 p.m. More information on the event per the media advisory:
Without RegretEvent attendees will have an opportunity to meet KIIS FM’s Manny on the Street between 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Attendees will also be able to take advantage of the promotion on the new Android™ 2.1 Powered Samsung Captivate* ($199 after mail-in rebate and 2-year agreement), with the super AMOLED screen. With the purchase of the new Samsung Captivate attendees will receive two tickets to the upcoming American Idol Concert Tour at the Honda Center, Tuesday, August 17.
The store is located at 2219 Park Ave between Tustin Ranch and Park Avenue. Kimberly's debut album Without Regret will be released on Tues., Dec. 31, and is available to pre-order at Amazon.com.

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>Jordin Sparks recently spent a day with a teen girl named Kyrie who devoted her time to charitable work with kids in Jamaica as part of Famous Footwear's "Famous for a Day" program. Watch the video below courtesy of Famous Footwear's official YouTube channel:



Jordin brought Kyrie 50 pair of shoes for the children of Jamaica in addition to hanging out with her for the day and inviting her backstage to a Jordin's concert. This isn't the first, nor will it be the last, of Jordin's charitable contributions.

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>Season 6 Top 16 contestant Asia'h Epperson is the latest Idol alum to land in hot water, at least legally, as she was arrested last night after allegedly beating up a clubgoer with her sister in Hollywood. Per TMZ:
According to sources, Epperson and another chick -- her sister -- kicked another clubgoer's butt inside Colony club.
TMZ's paps captured video of Asia'h with rapper Too Short (who?) earlier in the evening. She was released on bail early this morning. Why question is, why did TMZ have video of Asia'h before she was even arrested? Makes no sense. Either way, it's nice to see Season 6 is still being represented well.

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Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Poll of the week: Chris Daughtry nets half of all votes cast among 4th-placers

In what has to be the most obvious result to date of all rounds of this year's edition of IDOL LIVE's poll of the week champion series, Chris Daughtry mopped the floor with his fellow fourth-place finalists.

The Daughtry frontman earned 22 votes in all, good for 50% of the 44 votes cast over the past week. This is Chris's third straight victory in the champion series among finalists in his group.

Even though Daughtry ran away with this round of the poll series, it doesn't mean no other finalist earned votes. Jason Castro's 13 votes (29%) were enough for second place, while Allison Iraheta (four votes, 9%) and new mom Tamyra Gray (three votes, 6%) were further behind in third and fourth, respectively. Unfortunately, three finalists failed to receive a single vote: Josh Gracin (Season 2), LaKisha Jones (Season 6) and Michael Lynche (Season 9).

In the next round, readers will be asked which 3rd-place finalist is their favorite of all nine seasons. Voting will be open for exactly one week.

Tamyra Gray 3 (6%)
Josh Gracin 0 (0%)
LaToya London 1 (2%)
Anthony Fedorov 1 (2%)
Chris Daughtry 22 (50%)
LaKisha Jones 0 (0%)
Jason Castro 13 (29%)
Allison Iraheta 4 (9%)
Michael Lynche 0 (0%)

Total votes: 44

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Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Fantasia's manager issues statement on overdose incident

Fantasia's manager Brian Dickens has finally issued a full statement on Fantasia's alleged suicide attempt in the form of an overdose on aspirin and sleep aids. Courtesy of TMZ:

Fantasia has always been an open book. Honesty, self-respect, and personal responsibility are values she wears proudly.

Fantasia believed Mr. Cook when he told her he was not happy in his marriage and his heart was not in it. She believed him when he told her he and Mrs. Cook separated in the late summer of 2009. She believed Mr. Cook when he told her he lived elsewhere.


He even took her there. One of Mr. Cook’s most redeeming qualities was his complete devotion to his children. Fantasia fell in love with Mr. Cook and believed that he loved her.

Fantasia and Mr. Cook dated on and off for about eleven months. The pressure of the constant media attention was hard on their relationship. Fantasia gave inconsistent interviews about the status of her relationship with Mr. Cook because sometimes they were on and sometimes they were off.

When they were on, they spent most of their time together when she was not traveling with work.
Fantasia read Mrs. Cook’s Complaint against Mr. Cook for the first time yesterday. She knows some of the allegations in Mrs. Cook's complaint are totally false. There are others she strongly doubts. There is plenty she does not know.

Fantasia is heartbroken and is sorry for any pain she may have caused.

Yesterday, she was totally overwhelmed by the lawsuit and the media attention. Last night, Fantasia was hospitalized. She took an overdose of aspirin and a sleep aid.

Her injuries are not life threatening. She was dehydrated and exhausted at the time. Fantasia is stable now. She will be released from the hospital soon. Fantasia is a fighter and a survivor. This is not the hardest thing Fantasia has endured.

Fantasia will be stronger, smarter, and better for it. Her work has always inspired her and served as a source of strength. Her new album, “Back To Me,” will be released on August 24th.

The lyrics to “I’m Here” say it best:
“I Believe I Have Inside Of Me
Everything That I Need To Live A Bountiful Life
With All The Love Inside Of Me
I’ll Stand As Tall As The Tallest Tree
And I’m Thankful For Each Day That I’m Given
Both The Easy And The Hard Ones I’m Livin’
But Most Of All
Yes, I’m Thankful For Lovin’ Who I Really Am”

Fantasia sends her praise to God and her eternal gratitude to her fans, friends, and family.

God is good.
Interesting that the manager was able to squeeze in a mention of Fanny's upcoming album release, eh? Thankfully, it looks like she's going to be alright after all. Hopefully Fantasia continues to be an "open book" by explaining these actions in depth upon being released and cleaning herself up.

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HITS estimates: 'Play On' #34 w/ 10.1k

Play OnThere was once again not much to report in regard to Idol-related developments on HITS Daily Double's Top 50 building album sales chart, but the following is what info is available that might be of some interest.

For the xth week in a row (too many to count now), Carrie Underwood's Play On was the only album from the franchise to make the chart with another 10.1k copies to add to its already multi-platinum total. It was off 9% sales-wise and down three spots on the chart to #34.

For the rankings that actually matter, be sure to check out Billboard for official positions available for the Billboard 200 on Thursday.

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UPDATE: police report classifies Fantasia's overdose as "suicide attempt"

After a rough couple of days, Fantasia seems to have ended up in the hospital following an overdose. From TMZ:
Fantasia Barrino's rep has officially confirmed reports that the "American Idol" champ was rushed to a North Carolina hospital last night after a "medication overdose
This news comes after allegations of an affair with Antwuan Cook reignited last week when Cook's wife Paula singled Fanny out in a divorce petition that her involvement with Mr. Cook was the root of their breakup. The latest piece of the story is that a sex tape featuring Mr. Cook and Fanny exists.

UPDATE: Video from outside Fantasia's home has been obtained by Charlotte's NBC affiliate WCNC. The reporter said the police report classified the incident as an "suicide attempt":



Fantasia's third studio album, Back to Me, is set to hit stores in exactly two weeks. Her VH1 reality series Fantasia For Real will return on Sat., Oct. 2.

Of course, we all hope and pray things will turn out well for the Season 3 champ. Stay tuned for the latest developments on Fanny's saga.

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Blake Lewis visits Cali AT&T store

Blake Lewis made an appearance at the Topanga Canyon Boulevard AT&T store in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Saturday, where he signed autographs for fans in addition to posing for photos. The appearance, which lasted about two hours, was in support of Blake's a signed limited edition double LP of Heartbreak on Vinyl, his sophomore release.

American Idol Season Six Runner-Up Blake Lewis (left) posing for a picture with a young fan, Abby Charbonneau (right), during an appearance at the Woodland Hills AT&T retail store on Saturday, August 7, 2010. Photo: AT&T handout.
Event attendees had an opportunity to win signed copies of Blake's limited edition double LP “Heartbreak on Vinyl” scheduled to be released on August 24. Additionally, they were able to take advantage of the promotion on the new Android™ 2.1 Powered Samsung Captivate with the super AMOLED screen. Upon purchasing the new Captivate, attendees became eligible to receive two tickets to the upcoming American Idol Concert Tour at the Staples Center, on Fri., August 13.

Late last month Blake gave his two cents on the Idol judging musical chairs, saying:
"It's a sad day to read about Ellen leaving and rumors of Kara now leaving, too. Ellen will be sadly missed on AI. She added humor to the panel. If it’s true that Kara is leaving, too, there will be an even greater hole to fill. Like every great show that recasts its characters, the ones leaving will be missed and hopefully the new members will be embraced. I heard other rumors of J LO and Steven Tyler as potential new judges. I think this is what the show has been needing since I was on - constructive comments from huge stars who have made it doing what the contestants want to do. Britain has already done this and it's worked. I’m interested to see what the new American Idol will have to offer."

To pre-order the special edition of Heartbreak on Vinyl, visit BlakeLewisOfficial.com.

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Monday, August 9, 2010

Flashback: Patrick Forston's "Un-Break My Heart"

Raise your hand if you remember Patrick Forston (it's okay if you don't, since I didn't). The gospel/soul singer tried his best on Idol's second season, where he appeared in Group 1 of the semifinals and performed "Un-Break My Heart" by Toni Braxton. While Patrick's vocals seemed to gain a good response from Paula and Randy, it was the issue of style that made this performance especially memorable. Watch the ordeal below:



While Simon probably had a point, it's ironic thinking about how Ruben Studdard was able to actually win the same season wearing similar outfits from time to time. Even though Patrick's vocals were a little too similar to Toni's, it's fair to say his clothes are what set him apart, and the fact that Papa Forston was willing to come forth and defend his son against the evil Season 2 Simon was definiyely respectable.

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Saturday, August 7, 2010

'Idol' Hot 100: Carrie Underwood's "Undo It" #26 (8/14/10)

Undo ItThere was no real rhyme or reason to how Idol-related tracks performed on Billboard's Hot 100 chart for the chart week of Aug. 14.

Carrie Underwood's "Undo It" finally cooled off this week as evidenced but the track's two-spot drop to #26. Adam Lambert, on the other hand, saw his "If I Had You" spurt ahead 13 spots to #56 on the heels of increased airplay.

Fantasia's "Bittersweet" seems to be following in the footsteps of Kelly Clarkson's "All I Ever Wanted," as the former rose just one spot to #94 on the chart. Expect it to start going backwards relatively soon.

On the Bubbling Under chart, however, Daughtry held on with an 11-spot jump to #2 for latest single "September." Expect a debut on the main chart by this time next week.

Full chart positions courtesy of Billboard are below:

Hot 100
26 24 Carrie Underwood, "Undo It"
56 69 Adam Lambert, "If I Had You"
94 95 Fantasia, "Bittersweet"

Bubbling Under
02 13 03 Daughtry, "September"

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Friday, August 6, 2010

'Idol' odds 'n ends: Nigel wants Paula Abdul back as a judge

The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:

>Upon officially acknowledging his return to Idol for the show's 10th season (and his first since Season 7), Nigel Lythgoe made one of his trademark controversial statements: that he'd fully support (and actively try) to get Paula Abdul back on the judging panel. As unlikely as this actual scenario sounds, Nigel said it anyway:

One of his first ideas is to bring back one of the show's most beloved judges: Paula Abdul. Lythgoe told Daily Variety that despite her commitment to headline a new dancing show on CBS, he'd love to get Abdul back in the "Idol" fold. "I still love Paula," he said. "She's signed to CBS, probably exclusively, but I'd recommend we have her in a heartbeat."

Nigel also said he wants to focus less on the judges and to lessen the reliance on shoving contestants' back stories in audiences' faces. Well, knowing that, count me among those thrilled to have Nigel back in charge!


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>Katharine McPhee's Unbroken ballad "Say Goodbye" might not be getting the single treatment, but it will at least be heavily featured in the upcoming Christian film I AM. Part of the song's attachment to the film includes a music video complete with scenes from the movie and shots of Katharine herself. Watch the video below:




I AM, courtesy of 20th Century Fox, is described as the following per its website:

I AM offers an insight into the true nature of our God, and fights the damaging stereotypes of His character through a gritty, non-linear drama with a plot weaving around average people violating the Ten Commandments -- one by one. We see that these commandments were not edicts from a jealous God, but a love letter to humanity -- a warning to those who don't understand the massive consequences of even the smallest sins upon ourselves and the world around us.

It will premiere on Sun., Oct. 10 (National 10 Commandments Sunday), in churches across the country before being released in theaters.


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>On average, who do you think charges more for the gigs: Kris Allen or Kellie Pickler? If you answered Kris, TheSmokingGun.com has evidence to the contrary:
Rascal Flatts $702,500
Kiss $500,000
Keith Urban $487,500
Drake $155,000
Selena Gomez $100,000
Kelly Pickler $40,000
Kris Allen $12,500

Chris Young $7,500
While it's not too surprising Kellie is pulling in more than Kris at the moment since she's a more established artist, is it even conceivable that Rascal Flatts are pulling in a whole $200k more per show than Kiss? That's more than surprising.


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>Tamyra Gray and her husband, Sam Watters, spoke with People.com about how they welcomed their daughter Sienna Marie into the world last month. Tamyra told People about the unusual manner in which they came up with her name:

“I know it sounds weird, but back in February I had a dream where she told me her name. I shared my dream with Sam and we decided we’d wait and see. It took us eight hours after her birth to name her and at the end, we went with her suggestion.”

Tamyra, now 30, said despite waiting until delivery to find out the sex of her baby, she knew instinctively that she'd be having a girl and now she has "someone to share in [her] love of fairies and tea."


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Heartbreak On Vinyl>Blake Lewis will appear at the AT&T retail store in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 7, where he will greet fans, pose for pictures and sign autographs between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. More info per a media alert:

Event attendees will have an opportunity to win signed copies of Lewis’ limited edition double LP “Heartbreak on Vinyl” scheduled to be released on August 24. Attendees will also be able to take advantage of the promotion on the new Android™ 2.1 Powered Samsung Captivate* ($199 after mail-in rebate and 2-year agreement), with the super AMOLED screen. With the purchase of the new Samsung Captivate attendees will receive two tickets to the upcoming American Idol Concert Tour at the Staples Center, Friday, August 13.

The AT&T store is located at 6203 Topanga Canyon Blvd (between Victory Blvd. and Erwin St.). Earlier in the week, fans who pre-ordered the special edition of Heartbreak on Vinyl on vinyl received the bonus MP3 track "Till We See The Sun," with just a few copies of the special edition vinyl disc available for pre-order ahead of its release on Aug. 24.

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Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Poll of the week: Brooke White wipes floor with competition

It wasn't even close this week regarding IDOL LIVE's 2010 edition of the poll of the week champion series, as Brooke White easily defeated her fellow fifth-place finalists.

Brooke's 21 votes (46%) was a while 11 votes ahead of the next-highest placing finalist, as Season 8's Matt Giraud managed to take away 22% of all 45 votes cast.

The only other alums to make a dent in this week's competition of were Season 9's Aaron Kelly (15%) and Season 6's Chris Richardson (8%).

In the next round, readers will be asked which 4th-place finalist is their favorite of all nine seasons. Voting will be open for exactly one week.

R.J. Helton 0 (0%)
Trenyce 0 (0%)
George Huff 1 (2%)
Scott Savol 1 (2%)
Paris Bennett 1 (2%)
Chris Richardson 4 (8%)
Brooke White 21 (46%)
Matt Giraud 10 (22%)
Aaron Kelly 7 (15%)

Total votes: 45

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Tuesday, August 3, 2010

HITS estimates: 'Play On' #31 w/ 11.1k

Play OnCarrie Underwood was once again the only interesting thing on HITS Daily Double's Top 50 building album sales chart this week, at least in terms of Idol-related data.

Carrie's Play On once again was the franchise's sole representative entry, as it inched ahead eight spots to #31 on the heels of an 8% sales increase to 11.1k copies for the week.

For the more important data, be sure to check out Billboard for official positions available for the Billboard 200 on Thursday.

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Flashback: Alaina Whitaker's "More Today Than Yesterday"

Season 7 was the season of talented female contestants that stumbled in the semifinals. One of the most notable cases of this trend was Alaina Whitaker's exit during Top 20 after singing The Spiral Starecase's "More Today Than Yesterday" the previous week. Watch the performance below:



While Alaina was compared by many to a young (read: young) Carrie Underwood, her inexperience is surely what got the best of her. That and the fact that she looked way too much like Carrie, and that's never a good thing when you're gunning for the same title she took only a few seasons prior.

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Sony Music Group responds to the end of its relationship with 'Idol'

With all the hullabaloo going on around the judges that will be pulling up a chair at the table next beginning at auditions this month, many have been overlooking the developments on the music release and distribution front, which for Sony Music Group ended abruptly following an eight-year relationship.

After letting Simon Fuller and 19 Entertainment do most of the talking on the issue, Sony had the following to say:

"After enjoying a successful relationship, Sony Music Entertainment wishes Simon Fuller and 19 Entertainment well in this transitional period for the 'American Idol' franchise. We look forward to continuing our relationships with the many artists on the Sony Music roster who have graduated from the 'American Idol' system, including Kelly Clarkson, Daughtry, Carrie Underwood, Fantasia, David Cook, Adam Lambert, Kellie Pickler, Jordin Sparks and David Archuleta among others and we are excited for the upcoming albums later this fall from Season 9's winner and runner-up Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox."

I guess Kris Allen and Allison Iraheta were either dropped or they're covered under "among others." It's not surprising the quote didn't name Blake Lewis, Bo Bice, Clay Aiken, Diana DeGarmo, Justin Guarini and Katharine McPhee and Taylor Hicks.

As for the beneficiary of SMG's demise, Universal Music Group, they understandably seem to be singing a happier tune at the moment:

"We like delivering hits and new artists...UMG and 'American Idol' is the right combination at the right time. Pairing the renowned expertise of Simon [Fuller] and Jimmy in developing and marketing musical talent creates a truly winning combination that will allow 'Idol's' artists to realize their fullest potential."

But is this a good bet on Fuller/19E's part? True, it's probably a cheaper deal for them in the long run, but Geffen, Interscope and A&M, while each having their own heavyweights, haven't always been at the forefront of major releases. Time will tell if this deal works in favor of next year's Lee or Crystal.

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Sunday, August 1, 2010

'Idol' odds 'n ends: Kristy Lee Cook records music and shoots deer on 'Goin' Country'

The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:

>Kristy Lee Cook might be a few years removed from the music biz, but that doesn't mean she can't keep busy with her second favorite past time - hunting. Catch Kristy on her new show Goin' Country with Kristy Lee Cook, which premiered today on Versus at 9 a.m. Watch a promo clip for the show below:



As you can tell by the clip, the whole show isn't about her shooting deer (probably just 80%), The show will feature cameos by some of KLC's friends, including Blake Lewis, so be on the lookout for that episode.

>Allison Iraheta and duet partner Orianthi appeared on FOX's So You Think You Can Dance? results show on Thursday to help their struggling single "Don't Waste the Pretty." Watch the performance below:



This single is currently hovering in the mid-70s on Mediabase's Top 40 chart, sitting at #74 w/ an audience impression of 0.172 million. It's available to purchase at iTunes.

>Kimberley Locke and her team want to give you an iPad - for free! The catch is, you have to be signed up on her street team and do some promo work to raise awareness for her music. The following is a portion of an update that was sent out to fans on her mailing list on Wednesday:
Our new SUMMER CONTEST has just launched which may result in YOU winning a brand new iPad, valued at $499 + tax. Members of this mailing list will need to ensure they are on the street steam in order to participate. To ensure you are on the street team, please follow the "Update Contact Info" link at the very bottom of this email and ensure the "street team" box is checked. Details for each weekly mission will be emailed on each Saturday from July 31st through August 27th. You could win an iPad just by promoting Kimberley's music on your websites.

If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, head over to KimberleyLockeOfficial.com for more details. Kim's next appearance will be at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Aug. 15.

>Michael Sarver's self-titled debut effort dropped this past Tuesday courtesy of Dream Records. Although the album is more gospel than country, Alison Bonaguro of CMT.com wrote about the country connection the CD has:
Michael Sarver
In fact, one song comes right out and says his dreams stretch far beyond the country line. But as you sift through the track-by-track review from the paper, it still sounds like there are a lot of country influences going on. The ones that sound like the best bets to me are "Safe," a waltz about how he will always be your home, and "Ferris Wheel," about the weightlessness you feel when you are falling in love. Then there's "Always Surviving," which I know I will love no matter what it's about, because it was written by two of Nashville's most gifted tunesmiths, Rachel Thibodeau and Rivers Rutherford.
Michael Sarver is available to purchase at Amazon for $10.99 and at iTunes for $9.99.

>With all the recent rearranging of the deck chairs on the Titanic that is American Idol, one Idol personality who probably won't be going anywhere is Debra Byrd, the show's head vocal instructor. Byrd just announced she will be holding a master class for aspiring singers called STAR SCHOOL LIVE! at the House of Blues in Cleveland, Ohio.
Byrd will kick off her tour at the House of Blues in Cleveland, Saturday, August 14, at 10AM. Private instruction is available following the master class beginning at 1:00 PM. Sign up for a 30 minute or 1 hour session. For more information, please email byrd@debrabyrd.com.

STAR SCHOOL LIVE! is made possible by Olbas Pastilles herbal lozenges and microphone manufacturing company Sennheiser. Tickets are $45 in advance, $50 the day of the show and $40 for groups of 10+ and can be purchased at HouseofBlues.com.

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