Jerry Lee Lewis's annual Labor Day MDA telethon featured a bunch of Idol alums as usual, including Constantine Maroulis and Ace Young. David Archuleta also stopped by to premiere his new song "Things Are Gonna Get Better." Watch the performance below:
The winner of the latest version of IDOL LIVE's 2010 edition of the poll of the week champion series for readers' favorite seventh-place finalist of all nine seasons was no surprise.
Jennifer Hudson of Season 3 took in nine votes, or 37% of all 24 votes cast during the course of the week. While this number isn't very high at all, it's pretty easy to believe that J-Hud is the most popular seventh-place finalist of all time due to her post-Idol success.
The next closest placing was was Season 7's Kristy Lee Cook's showing in second thanks to seven votes (29%), while Season 9's Tim Urban nabbed four votes (16%).
In the next round, readers will be asked which 6th-place finalist is their favorite of all nine seasons. Voting will be open for exactly one week.
Ryan Starr 1 (4%)
Kimberly Caldwell 0 (0%)
Jennifer Hudson 9 (37%)
Anwar Robinson 2 (8%)
Ace Young 1 (4%)
Sanjaya Malakar 0 (0%)
Kristy Lee Cook 7 (29%)
Lil Rounds 0 (0%)
Tim Urban 4 (16%)
Total votes: 24
The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:
>Is it possible Ryan Seacrest could become the next Oprah? There are rumors floating around that he's considering launching back into the daytime talk circuit with a show of his own, but not until 2011. Per Zap2It.com:
According to LARadio.com, Seacrest and CBS are sidling up to talks for Seacrest about hosting and executive producing a show that would premiere in the fall of 2011. It would also likely be a package deal that would include his radio shows as well.
The rumblings about Seacrest making a move come as the end of his current radio contract nears its end. He's currently with KIIS-FM, a Clear Channel-owned station, but his deal there expires in November.
If anyone is thinking to his or herself, "wait a minute, didn't Ryan already have his own talk show?" your mind isn't playing tricks on you. Back in '04 Ryan spent his afternoons on On-Air with Ryan Seacreast, which had a lifespan of only a few months.
>Adam Lambert's "Glam Nation Tour" with fellow Season 8 finalist Allison Iraheta and Orianthi kicked off at the Kirby Center in Wilkes Barre, Pa., on Fri., June 4. Watch fan video of him performing "Fever" below:
The closing release emphasized that Hair recouped its entire $5,760,000 investment four months into the run and has generated a profit. The show weakened at the box office after the original cast departed for London, grossing $351,992 for the week ending June 6 and playing to 46.50% of capacity. The London production, which opened in April at the Gielgud Theatre will close on September 4, and according to a statement from the producers, “Many of the members of the current Broadway Tribe and London Tribe will take part in the tour.”
The last thing Ace Young got to sing on Idol's fifth season before being eliminated was none other than "That's All," which isn't much of a send-off song. Maybe it was the slicked-back bun? Or possibly it was Simon's mostly positive critique. Either way, Ace went out on a high note with the performance, which can be relived below:
The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:
"This shoot was less about beauty than about taking a risk and showing people a side of me they never have seen," says the American Idol judge. She was proud to have the confidence to strip down for the camera after struggling with binge eating and depression in her early 20s. "Back then I was a size 6 or 8; now I'm more like a size 2. Food is not what I use to anesthetize myself anymore." She didn't diet or work out like a maniac in preparation, but she did make one change: cutting way back on salt. "I can really retain water," she says.Others to take part in the shoot, which was titled "THE NAKED TRUTH: 5 CELEBRITIES BARE IT ALL FOR ALLURE," include singer Colbie Caillat and actress Regina Hall.
The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:
>It was revealed this week that Diana DeGarmo and Ace Young will be members of the new cast taking over the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Hair starting Tues., March 9. According to an article on NYTimes.com:
Mr. Young, who made his Broadway debut in 2008 as Kenickie in the last revival of “Grease,” had been previously reported as in negotiations to play the merry-making hippie in “Hair.” (Berger does more audience crowd work than anyone else in the production.)
Ms. DeGarmo, who has been rumored for awhile as in line for a role in “Hair,” had her Broadway debut in 2006 as the character Penny Pingleton in the musical “Hairspary."
Phil is very exciting to announce that he is hitting the road with Natalie Grant and Britt Nicole this Spring on the Love Revolution Tour. Make sure to check out his tour dates and mark your calendars for all the fun! Check back regularly because more dates are going to be added soon.The tour will kick off on Sat., March 20, at Grace Chapel in Mason, Ohio, according to a schedule on Grant's official Web site.
The inspirational film is based on the autobiography of 19-year-old champion surfer Bethany Hamilton, who, for over six years, has defied all odds to compete and win professional championships after losing her arm in a shark attack at age thirteen.Below is video of Carrie filming the other day in Hawaii:
The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:
>Ace Young is the latest Idol alum to pop the question, as he and girlfriend Allison Fischer were recently engaged. According to UsMagazine.com:
The 28-year-old singer - who finished seventh on the fifth season of the hit Fox show - recently popped the question to Allison Fischer, 20, his costar on Broadway's Grease.There is no wedding date for the two at the moment.
"I have nothing to do until later, but I'm so weird I'll probably be watching from the wings anyway."Allison Iraheta, on the other hand, said she will be singing three songs while on the tour, including "Cry Baby" by Janis Joplin.
>Also on the Season 8 train, an exclusive album at Walmart featuring songs from the Top 10 was released this past Tuesday. The album features two tracks from Kris Allen and Adam Lambert and select studio versions that were available to purchase throughout the season on iTunes. The album is $10.00 in Walmart retail locations nationwide and online.Things are beginning to get a little ridiculous on IDOL LIVE's poll of the week champion series, as another Season 7 alum once again advanced to the finals of the series.
Kristy Lee Cook was voted the favorite seventh-place finalist of all eight seasons, taking in 41 votes (49%) in all, which was far ahead of the 22 votes (26%) that favorite Jennifer Hudson was able to muster.
The only other placing worth mentioning is Ace Young's third-place finish with 11 votes, or 13% of the total.
In the next installment of IDOL LIVE's poll of the week champion series, readers are asked which sixth-place finalist is their favorite of all eight seasons. Voting will be open for exactly one week.
Ryan Starr 0 (0%)
Kimberly Caldwell 6 (7%)
Jennifer Hudson 22 (26%)
Anwar Robinson 1 (1%)
Ace Young 11 (13%)
Sanjaya Malakar 0 (0%)
Kristy Lee Cook 41 (49%)
Lil Rounds 2 (2%)
Total votes: 83
The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:
>David Cook and David Archuleta are taking the stage together, only this time there's a little less competition. The seventh season's winner and runner-up are over in Manila, Philippines, where they will perform in concert together at the Mall of Asia concert grounds on Sat., May 16. The two passed clearance in their H1N1 tests, so all things are a go.
>Another Season 7 finalist, Brooke White, was in the news this week when a press release was issued regarding her upcoming album release, High Hopes & Heartbreak. The album was originally set for a June 2 drop date but has since been delayed until July 21. It will be released on the newly formed June Baby Records and will be produced by Randy Jackson.
>Blake Lewis was on FOX Reality Channel's American Idol Extra Wednesday night, where he sat down with co-hosts Jillian Reynolds and Ace Young for a few words before performing Rihanna's "Disturbia."
Season 5's Ace Young was announced as the new host of FOX Reality Channel's American Idol Extra. Joining him with hosting duties will be Good Morning LA co-host and FOX NFL Sunday weather girl Jillian Reynolds.
Now in its fourth season, AI Extra will premiere on Thurs., March 26. There is no word on why Ace replaced former host J.D. Roberto, but many would consider this a upgrade.
In the fifth installment of the debut album champion series for the IDOL LIVE poll of the week, Chris Daughtry's debut album won with a resounding margin among the albums from Season 5 alums included in the poll. Daughtry's album took home 74 votes, good for 62% of the vote - a larger percentage than president-elect Barack Obama's total vote percentage.
The next closest album was Elliott Yamin's self-titled album, which totaled 20 votes (16%), followed by Katharine McPhee's nine votes (7%) for Katharine McPhee.
In this week's poll of the week, readers will be asked to vote for their favorite debut album from a Season 6 alum. You have exactly one week to vote.
Taylor Hicks (Taylor Hicks) 2 (1%)
Katharine McPhee (Katharine McPhee) 9 (7%)
Elliott Yamin (Elliott Yamin) 20 (16%)
Daughtry (Chris Daughtry) 74 (62%)
Princess P (Paris Bennett) 2 (1%)
Small Town Girl (Kellie Pickler) 6 (5%)
Ace Young (Ace Young) 0 (0%)
Bucky Covington (Bucky Covington) 3 (2%)
True Beauty (Mandisa) 1 (0%)
Forward (Ayla Brown) 1 (0%)
Will Makar (Will Makar) 1 (0%)
Stevie Scott (Stevie Scott) 0 (0%)
Total votes: 119
Diana DeGarmo emerged victorious in last week's poll of the week out of an assortment of Idol alums that have transitioned to the great white way. The Hairspray star took home 27 votes, good for 42% of the poll's 63 total votes. The next closest competitor was Clay Aiken, whose coming out of the closet this past week did not do much to bolster his standing in the poll. Clay, who will be returning to Spamalot, amassed 10 votes, or 15%.
The next two alums that received the most votes were LaKisha Jones (The Color Purple) and Ace Young (Grease), who got 5 votes (7%) and 4 votes (6%), respectively. The remaining alums barely registered on the poll, with Josh Strickland failing to take in a single vote.
In this week's poll of the week, IDOL LIVE begins the debut album champion poll series, beginning with Season 1. Only post-Idol albums will be included unless pre-Idol albums were also released following the alum's time on the show (ex. Brooke White).
Clay Aiken (Spamalot) 10 (15%)
Frenchie Davis (Rent) 1 (1%)
Diana DeGarmo (Hairspray) 27 (42%)
Fantasia (The Color Purple) 3 (4%)
Anthony Federov (The Fantasticks) 3 (4%)
Tamyra Gray (Rent) 4 (6%)
LaKisha Jones (The Color Purple) 5 (7%)
Taylor Hicks (Grease) 5 (7%)
Constantine Maroulis (The Wedding Singer) 1 (1%)
Josh Strickland (Tarzan) 0 (0%)
Ace Young (Grease) 4 (6%)
Total votes: 63
Season 5's seventh-place finalist, Ace Young, will join the cast of Grease on Broadway on Sept. 9 as Kenickie, best friend of one of the main characters, Danny Zuko. Ace is not only the second Idol alum to take part in this show, but the second Idol alum from the fifth season to star in it, as its champ Taylor Hicks is currently starring as Teen Angel.
Ace was obviously excited about taking the role, as he said of his debut on the great white way:
"That's a big side of me that a lot of people don't know. They didn't get to see that on `Idol.' You know, I have four older brothers. I was never trying to even care about what I was wearing. I was just trying to survive at the household."Taylor's run is up Sept. 7, however, so they will not be in Grease at the same time. Ace's run will last until Jan. 18, 2009.
Carrie Underwood's Carnival Ride actually improved in rankings on the Billboard Top 200 album chart for the week of Aug. 9 despite another 6% dip in sales. The disc shifted an additional 11.8k copies but inched up #43-42. Daughtry stayed even at #87, and managed to only fall 3%. Total sales now stand at 4.16 million. Jordin Sparks' self-titled album continued to slide, falling 7 spots to #108, but her 6.4k copies for the week put her total at 863k.
Noticeably missing this week were Ace Young and Jon Peter Lewis, as the former fell off the chart from #160 last week, whereas the latter's sophomore album, Break the Silence, debuted last week and missed the chart entirely. Full chart positions courtesy of 2m over on Pulse are as follows:
042 043 Carrie Underwood - Carnival Ride 11,860 -6% 12,634 2,255,032
087 087 Daughtry - Daughtry 7,142 -3% 7,353 4,164,681
108 101 Jordin Sparks - Jordin Sparks 6,448 -7% 6,908 863,581
Total sales are in bold.
It was another uneventful week on the Billboard Top 200 album chart, as Carrie Underwood retained her status as the highest-ranking Idol alum for the Aug. 2 chart week. Her album, Carnival Ride, stayed virtually flat, adding another 12.6k copies for a 2.24 million total take. Daughtry and Jordin Sparks both had small decreases, as the former's self-titled album dropped #80-87 with 7.3k copies and the latter's self-titled effort tumbled 15 spots to #101 with an additional 7k copies sold. Totals stand at 4.16 million and 857k, respectively.
And Season 5's seventh-place finalist finally made his debut on the chart this week, as Ace Young's self-titled album debuted at #160 with 4.1k copies sold. It does not look like it will be sticking around much longer. Full chart positions courtesy of Heidi Klum over on Pulse are as follows:
043 036 Carrie Underwood - Carnival Ride 12,634 0% 12,657 2,243,172
087 080 Daughtry - Daughtry 7,353 -6% 7,842 4,157,539
101 086 Jordin Sparks - Jordin Sparks 6,908 -10% 7,650 857,184
160 * Ace Young - Ace Young 4,137 999% 10 4,173
Total sales are in bold.
Although it was not nearly as much of a blowout as the previous IDOL LIVE poll of the week, Kristy Lee Cook had a healthy victory over Jennifer Hudson in last week's poll. Kristy Lee took 17 votes, good for 42% of the total sample, to Jennifer's 12 votes (30%). The competition started out exciting, but in the end Ace Young could only muster six votes (15%) and Kimberly Caldwell four votes (10%). In this week's poll of the week, we ask who your favorite eighth-place finalist is. You have exactly one week to vote.
Ryan Starr 0 (0%)
Kimberly Caldwell 4 (10%)
Jennifer Hudson 12 (30%)
Anwar Robinson 1 (2%)
Ace Young 6 (15%)
Sanjaya Malakar 0 (0%)
Kristy Lee Cook 17 (42%)
Total votes: 40
The successful crop from Season 5 is not finished churning out new music, as a semifinalist's EP was added to iTunes today, while a finalist's debut album is up for pre-order, slated for a July 15 release on the leading digital music store. Top 16 finisher Will Makar's debut self-titled EP, which popped up on Amazon MP3 a few weeks ago, has finally been added to iTunes.
As for seventh-place finalist Ace Young, his upcoming self-titled album is currently available to pre-order, and can now be streamed in full on AOL Music. The album will officially be released on Tuesday.
Two former finalists will make appearances on the upcoming episode of the FOX series Bones, which stars David Boreanez and Emily Deschanel as two FBI forensics agents that must solve how people were killed by studying their remains.
Ace Young, who came in seventh on Season 5, and Brandon Rogers, who finished 12th on Season 6, will appear as singers in a karaoke club. Ace sings Nickelback's "Far Away," while Brandon sings "My Corner of the Sky" from the musical Pippin.
The episode will air Mon., May 12 at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.
A press release announcing the initial lineup at the 2008 Idol Camp was released on Thursday. 'Idol' alums that will make appearances and mentor the camp's attendees include Season 4 runner-up Bo Bice, Season 5 seventh-place finalist Ace Young and Season 3 eighth-place finalist Jon Peter Lewis.
Young and Lewis both appeared at the camp last year, when it was held in Northfield, Mass. The camp will be held at Pali Mountain in Lake Arrowhead, Calif. from June 15 - June 28, June 29 - July 12, July 13 - July 26, July 27 - August 9, August 10 - August 23.
Since placing seventh on season five of American Idol, Ace Young has laid the foundations of a musician's career. After releasing his debut single "Scattered" to iTunes in Oct. 2006, Young co-wrote "It's Not Over," the No. 4 debut single of fellow Idol alum Chris Daughtry's band Daughtry. Young was nominated for a Grammy Award for the writing credential.
Young is now assembling his debut album, and he addressed his fans in a vlog late last month on the album's progress, which can be viewed below. A snippet of his new single "Addicted" is now up on his MySpace page.
