'Idol' odds 'n ends: Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox visit 'Ellen'

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

>Lee DeWyze made his first talk show appearance on who else's show but Ellen DeGeneres' very own Ellen yesterday. Watch his interview and performance of "Hallelujah" below (why he didn't perform "Beautiful Day" I don't know):

Crystal Bowersox also appeared on the show, where she performed "Up to the Mountain" after joining Lee on Ellen's signature couch.

>It looks like Paula Abdul is getting the last laugh after all. CBS announced earlier this week that Paula will star as executive producer, lead judge, coach, mentor and advocate of the network's new reality series Got to Dance. Per TheWrap.com:

Based on a popular British show that began last year on Sky TV, the series will see the former choreographer return to her dance roots. Like "Idol" or "So You Think You Can Dance," amateur contestants from across the coutnry will audition for Abdul and a panel of experts before performing live in the semi-finals and finals to compete for the "Got to Dance" championship.

So basically it's CBS's version of So You Think You Can Dance? Good for Paula. Regardless, it's not impossible for her to also co-judge X-Factor in Fall 2011, so hopefully there's still room for that to happen.

>Carrie Underwood and Jennifer Hudson took part in the tribute special for Brooks & Dunn on CBS's ACM Presents: Brooks & Dunn - The Last Rodeo, which aired last Sunday (if you didn't know about this it was probably because you were watching the Lost or The Celebrity Apprentice finales). Watch Carrie perform the duo's "Neon Moon" below:



Watch Jennifer's performance of "Believe" below:



Who knew Jennifer could sing country so well? The special was a way to say a final farewell to Brooks & Dunn, who are in the process of breaking up after 20 years of performing together and are doing one last concert tour together. Ratings-wise the special pulled in a 1.8 adults 18-49 rating and an average of 10.1 million viewers over two hours.

>Aside from having winners and runners-up on her show, Ellen DeGeneres might be setting herself up with a backup career to supplement her talk show if the Idol producers yank her contract prematurely, as she announced on her show Wednesday that she was starting her own record label, eleveneleven, with the first artist signed being 12-year-old YouTube sensation Greyson Chance. Per Reuters:

"Greyson ... inspired me to start a record label called eleveneleven. He is my first artist and we are making a record together," DeGeneres said in a statement released on Tuesday.

DeGeneres said she will continue to use her show as a platform to find new artists, whom she will sign to eleveneleven. The record label is being set up in collaboration with Telepictures Productions.

Greyson visited Ellen to perform on Wednesday. Watch his performance of the original song "Broken Hearts" below:



So what do you think, will this move give Ellen the street cred she needs to hang onto her judging slot on Idol? She's signed for something like four seasons anyway, but if there was a real need she could easily wiggle out of that commitment. Regardless, this might end up being the smartest business decision Ellen has made yet.

>It's not surprising this year's Idol season finale was the lowest-rated (and watched) one on record, but it's amazing to actually compare these numbers with the numbers from seasons' past. Robert Seidman at TVBytheNumbers put together a handy chart of rating scores and total viewers from all nine seasons:

09/04/2002 American Idol - Season 1 10.8 23.02
05/21/2003 American Idol - Season 2 16.8 38.06
05/26/2004 American Idol - Season 3 12.0 28.84
05/25/2005 American Idol - Season 4 12.5 30.27
05/24/2006 American Idol - Season 5 14.2 36.38
05/23/2007 American Idol - Season 6 11.5 30.76
05/21/2008 American Idol - Season 7 11.4 31.688
05/20/2009 American Idol - Season 8 10.0 28.86
05/26/2010 American Idol - Season 9 8.2 24.2

Wow, the word "ouch" seems to come to mind when looking at those figures together. Although TV ratings have been on a steady decline in general over the past 10 years, Idol's finale seems to be an exception to the rule and is more based on factors like the quality of its competitors and the general buzz going into the finale, which explains Season 2's, Season 5's and Season 7's high numbers, as well as Season 3's (and now Season 9's) low numbers. This might be one trend that won't continue after the quality of this past season left a bad taste in most people's mouths.

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IDOL LIVE predix: Carrie at the 2010 ACM Awards

It's not all that surprising to think that Carrie Underwood is the sole Idol alum to be vying for multiple awards at the 2010 Academy of Country Music Awards tonight.

Below are the categories in which she's nominated, mostly made possible by her latest release Play On (predictions are in bold):

Entertainer of the Year
Kenny Chesney
Toby Keith
Brad Paisley
George Strait
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood

Top Female Vocalist
Miranda Lambert
Reba McEntire
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Lee Ann Womack

Album of the Year
American Saturday Night, Brad Paisley
Lady Antebellum, Lady Antebellum
Play On, Carrie Underwood
Revolution, Miranda Lambert
The Foundation, Zac Brown Band

Song of the Year
"Cowboy Casanova," Carrie Underwood
"Need You Now," Lady Antebellum
"People Are Crazy," Billy Currington
"White Liar," Miranda Lambert
"You Belong With Me," Taylor Swift

Vocal Event of the Year
"Hillbilly Bone," Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins
"Honky Tonk Stomp," Brooks & Dunn and Billy Gibbons
"I Told You So," Carrie Underwood and Randy Travis
"I'm Alive," Kenny Chesney and Dave Matthews
"Seeing Stars," Jack Ingram and Patty Griffin

As evident in my picks, tonight will not be as kind to Carrie as the awards ceremony has been in years past due to the intense competition. Instead, Lady Antebellum will be the main beneficiary of this competition, as Taylor Swift is not usually thought of very highly by the academy. But Carrie should have no problem taking home the "Top Female Vocalist" honors, as she's done so for the past three years (four if you count her winning "New Female Vocalist of the Year" in 2006).

Be sure to view the full list of nominations. The ACM Awards will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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'Idol' odds 'n ends: Kara DioGuardi poses nude for 'Allure'

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

>Kara DioGuardi was one of five female celebrities to pose nude for the latest issue of Allure magazine. The photo, which can be seen to the right, shows a side of Kara none of us have seen before. Of the shoot, Kara said:

"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.

>Katharine McPhee has been busy filming her new NBC pilot The Pink House, and there have been a few moles that have gone to tapings to report back. Below is a very low quality video capture of a scene featuring Kat:



According to reports, Kat and her fellow female co-star Ashley Madekwe are not the main focus of the show, but are still integral to the plot. Instead, the two guys who move from Mineapolis to California, played by Michael Cassidy and Zach Cregger, are the main focus.

>Kris Allen performed a set at the Zone Lounge in Sacramento, Calif, on Tuesday, where he had nothing but positive things to say to his fans, especially about Walmart and Chris Daughtry. Watch him talk about the two former topics and perform his original "Send Me All Your Angels" below:



Kris talked about how there are "three Walmarts in every town" in Arkansas and how Daughtry teased him when he visited the Season 8 Idol contestants during rock week. Daughtry helped Kris co-write "Angels," which is why his name came up during the pre-performance banter.

>Diana DeGarmo and Ace Young chatted with BroadwayWorld.com about their experiences in the Broadway music Hair thus far alongside fellow castmember Kyle Riabko. Watch the interview below:



Diana, Ace and the rest of the new tribe can be seen at the Al Hirschfeld Theater at the following times: Tuesday @ 7pm, Wednesday @ 2pm & 8pm, Thursday - Friday @ 8pm, Saturday @ 2pm & 8pm, Sunday @ 3pm.

>Ayla Brown, who joined the team over at CBS's The Early Show last week as a special contributor, appeared yesterday to do a piece on a six-year-old cancer patient named Hannah Lowe, and a song Ayla wrote and recorded for her through the Songs of Love Foundation. Watch the piece below:



The song, appropriately titled "Hannah's Song," is now available to download for a small $5 donation. Funds raised through the organization will go toward putting smiles on the faces of children like Hannah, so go ahead and donate for a good cause!

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'Idol' odds 'n ends: Syesha Mercado promotes 'Dreamgirls' on 'Good Day LA'

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

>Syesha Mercado appeared on Good Day LA this morning to promote the LA run of the national tour of Dreamgirls, in which she's currently starring. Watch the segment below:

Syesha said she got to work with Diane Warren between Idol and Dreamgirls and that she wants people to see her as "Syesha the artist." She also said she tries to do yoga and work out to keep her stamina fresh, which is necessary for the show. Dreamgirls is at the Ahmanson Theatre now through April 4.

>Kimberley Locke premiered a snippet of her new single "Strobe Light" in a chat with fans on Monday night. A clip of the single can be listened to below:



"Strobe Light," which was produced by Cutfather and Paparazzi and is courtesy of Randy Jackson's record label Dream Merchant 21 Records, will be available to purchase on iTunes on Tues., April 6.

>Entertainment Weekly reported Tuesday that Tamyra Gray and her husband Sam Watters are expecting their first child. Tamyra was expectantly excited, as she told EW:

”I’m just trying to take care of myself and enjoy it,” she said. ”This is way harder than Idol.”

Tamyra said the baby is due in July and they will be surprised with its sex.

>Anoop Desai's new single "My Name" was released on iTunes Tuesday. He took to Philadelphia's The 10! Show on Tuesday to perform an acoustic version of the song, which can be watched below:



The studio version can be listened to here. Anoop went on to promote his new single elsewhere throughout the week including ABC News NOW.

>Lacey Brown continued her post-Idol farewell tour this week, as she stopped by CBS's The Late Show with David Letterman on Monday to chat about her short time on the show. Watch her segment below:



Lacey did fairly well on "What a Wonderful World" and had a nice back-and-forth with Letterman. If only she had sounded that good last week.

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Carrie Underwood receives six ACM Award nominations

Carrie Underwood is already having a great week, and it's only Tuesday. The nominees for the 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards were announced this morning on CBS's The Early Show, which revealed that Carrie nabbed six noms in all, tying Miranda Lambert and just one shy of Lady Antebellum. An interesting tidbit is that Carrie is the only Idol-related artist to be nominated for any awards.

This comes one day after Carrie made her guest appearance on the "Hook" episode of CBS's sitcom How I Met Your Mother.

Below are the categories that Carrie has a chance to be victorious in (keep in mind - the "sixth" nomination is Carrie's role as a producer on "Cowboy Casanova" in addition to being the song's artist):

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Kenny Chesney
Toby Keith
Brad Paisley
George Strait
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Keith Urban
Zac Brown Band

TOP FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Miranda Lambert
Reba McEntire
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Lee Ann Womack

ALBUM OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company(s)]
American Saturday Night - Brad Paisley (Arista Nashville)
Produced by: Chris DuBois, Frank Rogers
Lady Antebellum - Lady Antebellum (Capitol Records Nashville)
Produced by: Victoria Shaw, Paul Worley
Play On - Carrie Underwood (19/Arista Nashville)
Produced by: Mark Bright
"Quitter" Produced by Max Martin & Shellback for Maratone Productions and Mark Bright
Revolution - Miranda Lambert (Columbia Nashville)
Produced by: Frank Liddell, Mike Wrucke
The Foundation - Zac Brown Band (Southern Ground / Bigger Picture / Atlantic)
Produced by: Keith Stegall, Zac Brown

SONG OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Composer(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]
Cowboy Casanova - Carrie Underwood
Composers: Mike Elizondo, Brett James, Carrie Underwood
Publishers: Brett James Cornelius Music (ASCAP), Carrie Okie Music (BMI), Rincon Ave Music
(ASCAP), Stage Three Songs (ASCAP)
Need You Now - Lady Antebellum
Composers: Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott
Publishers: EMI Foray Music (BMI), Darth Buddha (ASCAP), Dwhaywood Music (BMI), Hillary Dawn Publishing (SESAC), Radiobullets Publishing (BMI), Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI), Year Of The Dog Music (ASCAP)
People Are Crazy - Billy Currington
Composers: Bobby Braddock, Troy Jones
Publishers: Crozier Music Enterprises LLC (BMI), Mighty Nice Music (BMI), Sony/ATV Tree Publishing (BMI), Tiltawhirl Music (BMI)
White Liar - Miranda Lambert
Composers: Natalie Hemby, Miranda Lambert
Publishers: Pink Dog Publishing (BMI), Sony/ATV Tree Publishing (BMI), Tiltawhirl Music (BMI)
You Belong With Me - Taylor Swift
Composers: Liz Rose, Taylor Swift
Publishers: Sony/ATV Tree Publishing (BMI), Taylor Swift Music (BMI)

VOCAL EVENT OF THE YEAR [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company] (Off Camera Award)
Hillbilly Bone - Blake Shelton featuring Trace Adkins (Reprise Records / Warner Music Nashville)
Producer: Scott Hendricks
Honky Tonk Stomp - Brooks & Dunn featuring Billy Gibbons (Arista Nashville)
Producer: Ronnie Dunn, Terry McBride
I Told You So - Carrie Underwood featuring Randy Travis (19/Arista Nashville)
Producer: Mark Bright
I'm Alive - Kenny Chesney with Dave Matthews (Blue Chair/BNA)
Produced by: Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney
Seeing Stars - Jack Ingram featuring Patty Griffin (Big Machine Records)
Produced by: Jack Ingram, Jeremy Stover

Las Vegas' MGM Grand will be the setting for the ACMs, which will be televised live on CBS on Sun., April 18 at 8 p.m.

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Clips of Carrie Underwood starring on 'How I Met Your Mother' released

The buzz just keeps building on Carrie Underwood's much anticipated guest appearance on CBS's hit sitcom How I Met Your Mother airs on Monday. Today, three snippets from the episode featuring Carrie were made public, which show her to be showing off her assets in her sitcom acting debut. Watch one of the clips below:

 

A commercial also went into rotation highlighting the episode, so if you're planning on watching CBS over the next week, be sure to keep an eye out for it. Carrie's episode of How I Met Your Mother, titled "Hooked," will air on Mon., March 1 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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52nd Annual Grammy Awards wrap-up

It wasn't the best night for Idol alums at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards. Although there was only one win by an Idol alum (Carrie Underwood's "I Told You So" duet with Randy Travis for the "Best Country Collaboration With Vocals" category), there was a nice showing by Carrie and Jennifer Hudson in the 3D tribute to Michael Jackson in which they sang "Earth Song" alongside Celine Dion, Usher and Smokey Robinson. Watch the performance below (and beware: you won't see much if you don't have those ridiculous 3D glasses):

As for my predictions, I went 2-5. I'm still in disbelief that Taylor Swift's "White Horse" beat out Carrie's "Just a Dream" in the "Best Female Country Vocal Performance" category. That's tragic.

Aside from the boring show itself, there were a ton of alums to go around actually at the show, many of whom appeared on the red carpet. As usual, Ryan Seacrest was on hand to do red carpet coverage for E in addition to presenting. He caught up with many including Carrie, Jennifer and Kara DioGuardi. Also in attendance was Adam Lambert, who got roasted Stephen Colbert at the beginning of the night.

All in all a very Idol-deserted affair.

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IDOL LIVE predix: Alums at the Grammys

It's that time of year once again when the music industry does its best to highlight the brightest spots of the previous year in music. Although the Grammys are notorious for offering up a few surprises, especially in the big" categories," it's a good bet this time around will be pretty straight forward.

The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards will be about one young artist - Taylor Swift. Expect her to sweep in the coveted Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year categories in addition to some country and a few pop categories.

Just like last year, I'm taking a stab at how Idol alums will fare tonight. My predictions are below:

Best Pop Vocal Album: The Black Eyed Peas, The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies)

Kelly Clarkson definitely deserves the nomination for her fourth album All I Ever Wanted, and many will argue the album deserves the win. But this category will be reserved as a place to make up for The Black Eyed Peas not taking home a statue in some of the bigger categories. Therefore, it seems likely that their multi-platinum The E.N.D. will triumph this time around. Still, many media outlets are calling this for Kelly, so there could still be some good surprises tonight.

Best Female Country Vocal Performance: Carrie Underwood, "Just A Dream"

Swift will be bringing home a whole lotta gold tonight, but the "Best Female Country Vocal Performance" category will not have her name reserved on the winner's envelope. Her "White Horse" entry was not as well-known as some of her more popular singles, and Carrie Underwood's #1 "Just a Dream" hasn't really had the chance to win her some hardware. Add to this the fact that Carrie is a perennial favorite to win at the Grammys and things look bright for her going into tonight.

Best Country Collaboration With Vocals: Brad Paisley & Keith Urban, "Start a Band"

Since Carrie should be victorious in "Female Country Vocal Performance," the fact that she and Randy Travis will lose out here shouldn't be too hard to stomach. Brad Paisley and Keith Urban won for "Start a Band" at last year's Academy of Country Music Awards, and they are good bets to repeat tonight.

Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album: Jeremy Camp, Speaking Louder Than Before

Admittedly this category is hard for me to gauge, and even though Mandisa's Freedom is a great album, it seems unlikely that she will be recognized for this LP over the more commercially successful Speaking Louder Than Before. Therefore, it appears her record at the Grammys will be extended to 0-2.

Best Musical Show Album: David Caddick & David Lai, producers (Leonard Bernstein, composer; Stephen Sondheim, lyricist) (New Broadway Cast with Matt Cavenaugh, Josefina Scaglione & Others), West Side Story

The last category isn't so much a referendum on the Idol alums attached to their respective entry (Ruben Studdard and Frenchie Davis on the 30th anniversary cast recording of Ain't Misbehavin') as it is the popularity of the shows themselves. That said, West Side Story is a classic that has always received widespread accolades, and the recent revival has been a success, so it only seems fitting it takes this category.

Even though I don't have every Idol alum nominated taking home a Grammy, I hope I'm wrong on the ones I don't have confidence in. It's always good to seem alums recognized for their work in the industry. And it'll be worth tuning in just to see Carrie and Jennifer Hudson partake in the tribute to Michael Jackson.

The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards air at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

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Jordin Sparks, Kris Allen do anthem honors at NFL playoff games

There was a whole lotta Idol action at the two big NFL playoff games this afternoon, as Jordin Sparks sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the AFC Championship game between the Indianapolis Colts/New York Jets broadcast on CBS. Watch the performance below:

Not to be outdone, another Idol champ, Kris Allen, had anthem duties at the NFC Championship face-off between the New Orleans Saints and the Minnesota Vikings, which aired on FOX. Watch his rendition below:



The Colts defeated the Jets 30-17 while the Saints topped the Vikings by a score of 31-28. The two champs will travel to Miami for Super Bowl XLIV on Sun., Feb. 7. Jordin and Kris, however, will not.

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More Katharine McPhee appearances during album's release week

Katharine McPhee made multiple appearances this past week in support of her sophomore album Unbroken, which was released this past Tuesday. Kat stopped by FOX News Channel's On the Record with Greta van Susteren for a 10-minute chat on Thursday, which can be viewed below:

In addition to the usual chatter about her music and hairstyle, Kat was able to discuss her involvement in the "McPhee Outreach" program that has enabled her to fund a pre-school for about 90 kids in the African nation of Burkina-Faso.

Yesterday, Kat performed "Had It All" and "Keep Drivin" on CBS' Saturday Early Show during the show's "Second Cup Cafe" segment. She chatted with co-host Erica Hill about her songwriting and what it was like for her to take time off from recording between her first and second albums. Watch the performance of "Had It All" and a short interview below:


Watch CBS News Videos Online

Kat also made a few small appearances, including a few performances on New York's CW affiliate WPIX, where she also performed "Had It All" and "Keep Drivin."

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'Idol' odds 'n ends: Blake Lewis unveils new single choice

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

>Blake Lewis revealed his new single choice, "Heartbreak on Vinyl," and sent a link for fans to listen to a remix of the song by LA Riots in an e-mail sent to fans. In the e-mail, Blake also mentioned a fan-made video that made Yahoo!'s Top 10 Most Awesome Music Videos of 2009, which can be viewed below:

In addition to the LA Riots remix, the single will include remixes by Chew Fu and Bimbo Jones and will be available digitally on Tues., Jan. 19.

>Carrie Underwood will take a stab at acting in her first guest appearance on a CBS sitcom when she stars in an episode of How I Met Your Mother. Per The LA Times:

Underwood will make her acting debut on the CBS sitcom as a love interest for Ted (Josh Radnor), CBS confirmed. Her character, Tiffany, is an enigmatic pharmaceutical sales rep.

The newly-engaged Carrie recently took her comedy skills on a test drive on her variety special that aired on FOX last month. The episode will air sometime in March.

>Katharine McPhee's latest stop in support of her sophomore album Unbroken was on NBC's Today Show, which aired yesterday. Kat spoke with co-host Hoda Kotb and America's Got Talent judge Piers Morgan. Watch the segment below:



After fending off the usual comments about her "new" (and by "new" it's really 8-9 months-old) hairstyle, Kat spoke about why she decided to name her album Unbroken and what was behind her covering the quirky song "Brand New Key."

>Two Idol alums launched new blogs this week. Kimberly Caldwell recently tweeted about her new blog, which basically seems to be a Twitter feed on her site:

Check out my blog: kimberlycaldwell.tumblr.com Good news about the pup! 3:21 PM Jan 7th from Echofon

Meanwhile, Felicia Barton similarly revealed her new blog, as she announced via her own Twitter account:

thanks to everyone that is following me on my new blog!..I am really excited about it!!!... www.followingfelicia.blogspot.com 11:11 PM Jan 7th from web

>Since CBS failed to broadcast David Archuleta's halftime performance at the Brut Sun Bowl in San Antonio, Tex., on Thurs., Dec. 31. Watch him perform "Don't Stop Believin'" below:



David also sang his songs "Crush" and "Zero Gravity" during the halftime set. Prior to halftime he also sang "God Bless America."

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David Archuleta Christmas update

David Archuleta has been making the most of his hit Christmas album Christmas From the Heart, as he's been touring across the country in support of it. But Arch has also been able to contribute to a lot of other projects in his spare time.

David was recently interviewed by Tony Rossi of The Christophers on the podcast "Christopher Closeup," in which he spoke about his experiences caroling around Christmas time as a kid, some of the tracks he recorded for his album and the importance of giving, especially at this time of year. The interview can be streamed in its entirety here.

And Arch currently has not one but two free downloads from Christmas From the Heart on iTunes this week, as his rendition of "The First Noel" is included in a 20-song "Holiday Sampler" in addition to Christmas classic from other artists like Amy Grant, Toby Keith and Lady Antebellum. This comes just as Arch's song "Joy to the World" is the featured free iTunes "Holiday Single of the Week." Listen to "The First Noel" below:

And it was recently announced that David will serve as part of the "Helen of Troy Halftime Show" at the Sun Bowl on Thurs., Dec. 31. From the press release:

David Archuleta will perform at the Helen of Troy Halftime Show at the 76th Annual Brut Sun Bowl on Dec. 31 at the Sun Bowl Stadium. The Brut Sun Bowl is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 31 at noon at Sun Bowl Stadium in EL PASO, Texas. The game will be broadcast live nationally in high definition on CBS for the 42nd consecutive year. Tickets for the Brut Sun Bowl range in price from $15 to $60 and can be purchased by calling (915) 533-4416 or (800) 915-BOWL or go on-line at www.ticketmaster.com.

It looks like David has plenty of activities that are keeping his plate full during this holiday season.

Don't forget to purchase Christmas From the Heart, now available in stores nationwide and at Amazon.com.

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Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood among 2010 Grammy Award nominees

Tonight's Grammy Award Nomination Concert on CBS lacked any mention of anything Idol (with the exception of second-long clips of Adam Lambert and Chris Daughtry singing along in a montage of The Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling" and a clip of Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone" music video), there were a few nominations for alums of the franchise, which can be seen below:

Best Pop Vocal Album - All I Ever Wanted, Kelly Clarkson

Best Female Country Vocal Performance - "Just A Dream," Carrie Underwood

Best Country Collaboration With Vocals - "I Told You So," Carrie Underwood & Randy Travis

Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album - Freedom, Mandisa

Best Musical Show Album - Ain't Misbehavin' Robert Sher, producer (Various, composer; Various, lyricist) (30th Anniversary Cast Recording With Ruben Studdard, Frenchie Davis & Others)

Although there seem to be less Idol nominees this year than last, it's always good to see at least some thrown in the mix. Still, the fact that none are represented in the major categories is a little disappointing.

The 2010 Grammy Awards will air on CBS on Sun., Jan. 31, at 8 p.m. ET. A full list of nominees for all categories can be found here.

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'GMA' cancels Adam Lambert's concert set for tomorrow

Well, looks like the first casualty of Adam Lambert's controversial performance at the 2009 American Music Awards is the second-biggest promotional venue during his album release week. Good Morning America has officially canceled Adam's concert at the Hudson Theatre, which was set to air tomorrow on the ABC morning program.

According to a GMA official:

"Given his controversial American Music Awards performance, we were concerned about airing a similar concert so early in the morning."

This was pretty much guaranteed to happen after ABC, which also broadcast the AMAs, received 1,500 calls from viewers complaining about Adam's performance, and web pages to Adam's concert on ABCNews.com began to disappear last night.

Instead, the third-string broadcast morning program, CBS' Early Show, will have Adam as its musical guest. Maybe this will serve as a a wake-up call for Adam before he sabotages his own career.

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CBS using Daughtry's "Ghost of Me" in 'CSI: Miami' promos

Chris Daughtry is no stranger to the CSI franchise, as he has guest starred fulfilling the role of one "Mac Taylor" on the 100th episode of CSI: NY, last year. Now his band's music is being used to promote the eighth season of CSI: Miami. Watch the TV spot featuring "Ghost of Me" below:

This is not the first time Daughtry's music has been featured in promo spots, as five different songs including "Home" and "No Surprise" were used to promote various ESPN programs beginning in July. CSI: Miami kicks off the new season on Mon., Sept. 21.

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Matt Rogers hosts CBS' 'There Goes the Neighborhood'

Ryan Seacrest is not the only host to come out of Idol, as Season 3's 11th-place finalist Matt Rogers is now in the midst of hosting his second series. Matt, who previously hosted the Discovery Channel's Really Big Things, is now fulfilling the duty on CBS' reality series There Goes the Neighborhood, which premieres last night.

Watch a clip from the series' premiere in which Matt introduces the eight families to the premise of the competition and which family everyone thinks will be the first to leave below:

Despite the hype generated by the eye network in anticipation of the show, the ratings for Neighborhood were lackluster, as it averaged 5.08 million viewers for the hour and got a 1.6/4 rating/share with adults 18-49. In other words, it will struggle to finish out its season.

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Kris Allen and Adam Lambert perform on 'The Early Show'

Still fresh off the eighth season's finale, Kris Allen and Adam Lambert visited CBS' The Early Show on Thursday to tape performances that were broadcast on yesterday's episode. Watch Kris' interview with co-host Maggie Rodriguez and performance of "No Boundaries" below:

Kris came flat out and stated he would not be taking the country route with his post-Idol album after Rodriguez strangely found time to ask if that was the genre of music he would be pursuing.

Adam got the same treatment as Kris, complete with a mini interview with Rodriguez and a performance set of his own ("Mad World"). Watch his segment below:



Adam laughed about his rocker screech and taught Rodriquez how to do it (with the tongue out to boot) and he said his album will be "glam rock/pop/electro" and "a little bit of everything."

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Constantine Maroulis nabs a Tony Award nom

Constantine Maroulis, who placed sixth on the fourth season of Idol, may not have come close to being nominated for a Grammy Award for his musical endeavors, but he can now brag about receiving a Tony Award nomination for his endeavors in musicals.

As announced this morning, Constantine's hat was thrown into the ring for the "Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical" category for his character portrayal of Drew Bowie in the Broadway hit Rock of Ages. The show and its cast and crew received an additional four nominations including "Best Musical."

"Rock of Ages" opened on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on April 7, 2009 after a six-month run Off-Broadway. The 2009 Tony Awards will be broadcast on CBS on Sun., June 7, at 8 p.m. ET.

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Simon on 'Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'

Simon Cowell last night sat down with Craig Ferguson and his elaborate mug on CBS' The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Things discussed included Simon's two parking spots at CBS Studios, the amount of gabbing that goes on between Paula and Kara this season, and whether or not Simon will return when his contract runs up. Watch video of the segment below:

So it seems like Simon really is planning on leaving once his contract ends. As to whether the show would continue post-Cowell, that is anybody's guess. I personally think Piers Morgan could be tapped to fill in if the series is still sitting high atop the rest of the TV mountain. If not, it would probably be the right time to hang up the mics.

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Katharine performs "It Won't Hurt So Much" on 'CSI: NY'

Katharine McPhee's much anticipated guest starring role on CBS' popular crime show CSI: NY last night aired. The premise of the episode was the forensics crew and its mission to unravel a case of murder and stalking, which revolved around Kat's struggling musician character. Watch a clip of her singing an original song called "It Won't Hurt So Much" below:

The full episode will be added to CBS.com sometime later today, so keep checking back for it. Even though the entire episode was centered around Kat's character, she only received roughly five minutes of screen time when including photos of her, an audio recording of her voice and flashbacks.

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