'Idol' odds 'n ends: total of 26,000 turn out for Milwaukee, Nashville auditions

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

>The Season 10 auditions kicked off in Nashville on Thurs., July 15, where about 10,000 hopefuls stood in line on the first day (16,000 in all performed in front of producers). This week, auditions journeyed to Milwaukee, where another 10,000 turned out for a shot at becoming the next Lee DeWyze. Per a post by EW's Michael Slezak:

“The numbers of people turning up to the American Idol auditions in Nashville and Milwaukee have been incredible,” said show creator Simon Fuller, in a release. “These attendance figures are significantly up on the last few years, and there is clearly renewed excitement and interest in the show, which is great to see.”

Ryan Seacrest took us on a behind the scenes tour of the Bradley Center to see what things are like, well, behind the scenes. Watch the piece below:



Auditions will next hit New Orleans, La., on Monday. If you're interested in giving Season 10 a shot (and at this point, you might as well throw your hat in the ring!) be sure to check out AmericanIdol.com/Auditions.

>As you've probably heard by now, Chris Isaak is the latest replacement for Simon Cowell being floated around. The rumor du jour comes on the heels of a Reuters and Hollywood Reporter piece claiming Isaak met with FOX twice in recent weeks for consideration of taking over for Simon. Per the piece:

While Fox insists no decision is imminent, the clock is ticking to replace Cowell as preliminary auditions get under way for the talent show's 10th season. Peter Rice, the network's new entertainment chairman, has said he expects the new "Idol" judge to join the audition roadshow by early September.

Other potential replacements that keep coming up in the media include Harry Connick, Jr., Bret Michaels and now...apparently...Donald Trump (huh!?). If Team FOX care about sparing fans from hearing about all this speculation, they'll hurry up and name a replacement fast.

>Lee DeWyze took time to speak with AmericanIdol.com about how the tour has been going with his fellow Season 9 Top 10 finalists. Lee covered a limited range of topics dealing with the tour and offered up a limited range of answers questions posed by both fans and AI.com. One of Lee's more interesting responses:

As the American Idol, Lee is the headliner of the Season 9 tour. Since he’s the last person to perform at each show, what does he do to pass the time while he’s waiting for his set? “I’m still trying to figure it out,” Lee remarked. “I have time to listen to a full album, so I’ll pick one and listen to it. I just try and chill, because if I just sit around and wait, I’ll get tired. During Casey’s and Crystal’s sets, I’ll go watch them and listen to the crowd and get pumped up.”

Lee said he's aiming for a "folk-rock" sound on his forthcoming album and he's been writing "everything so far." Lee, who apparently has been writing since he was 16 years old, said he's anticipating his hometown stop of Chicago because all his family and friends will be there. Read the full interview at AmericanIdol.com.

>Kellie Pickler had to break some bad news to the organizers of the St. Joseph County Grange Fair in Centerville, Mich., as she backed out of her scheduled show to close out the fair on Sept. 25 due to an extension of Rascal Flatts' tour, on which she is an opening act. This news came in conjunction with fellow country artist Chris Young's withdrawal as an opening act scheduled to perform at the fair on another day. Per an article from SturgisJournal.com:

“Next year we wouldn’t be able to touch Kelly Pickler or Chris Young … they’ll be priced way out of our league,” Johnson said. “If they honor the rate we were giving (for the September shows), it’d be a bargain.”

Ironically, Johnson noted, Rascal Flatts was an opening act at the fair several years ago.
Johnson did not indicate what the fair was to pay Pickler, saying only that it was a five-figure amount. Through Wednesday, about 950 tickets to Pickler’s show had been sold. Ticket prices ranged between $25 and $35 each.

All in all, not a good situation for the organizers of the fair.

>Jordin Sparks sat down with Oliver Trevena of YoungHollywood.com this week to chat about her Battlefield tour and other things on her mind. Watch the segment below:



Jordin recounted a memorable moment on the tour where a pregnant woman was waiting by her bus and she said "the baby's coming," Jordin was asked to sign her shirt and was freaking out because the baby needed to be delivered. She said she had never encountered that before (not many have, Jordin).

She also talked about her upcoming 3-month stint on Broadway in In the Heights, which kicks off on Thurs. Aug. 19.

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'Idol' odds 'n ends: New (old) Jordin Sparks tracks a'leakin'

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

>It seems Jordin Sparks is now getting the Kelly Clarkson treatment, as a few songs have leaked over the past week including "Die Tryin'" and "Alive." Listen to "Die Tryin'" complete with annoying DJ voice overs below:

You can also listen to a clip of "Alive" here. Both songs were most likely leftovers from the Battlefield era, so it's probably unlikely either will appear on her forthcoming third album. Still, not a fun situation for Jordin.

>The nominees for the 2010 Teen Choice Awards were revealed Monday, and as usual there was no shortage of Idol-related entries in the various categories spanning music and TV. See a list of all categories including Idol-related entries below:

Choice TV: Reality Competition Show
“American Idol”
“America’s Next Top Model”
“Dancing with the Stars”
“Project Runway”
“Randy Jackson Presents: America’s Best Dance Crew”

Choice TV: Male Reality/Variety Star
Paul “DJ Pauly D” DelVecchio, “Jersey Shore”
Lee DeWyze, “American Idol”
Brody Jenner, “The Hills”
Bret Michaels, “Celebrity Apprentice”
Michael “The Situation” Sorrentino, “Jersey Shore”

Choice TV: Female Reality/Variety Star
Crystal Bowersox, “American Idol”
Kristin Cavallari, “The Hills”
Lauren Conrad, “The Hills”
The Kardashians, “Keeping Up with the Kardashians”
Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, “Jersey Shore”

Choice Music: Male Artist
Justin Bieber
Jason Derulo
Drake
Adam Lambert
Usher

Choice Music: Female Country Artist
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Gretchen Wilson

Well, some of those look like they'll be a cakewalk (Carrie's, Adam's), but others will be a little bit tougher (Crystal's). The 2010 TCAs will be broadcast on FOX on Mon., Aug. 9.

>Although he's been out of the Idol picture for the past two seasons, it would be out of character for Nigel Lythgoe to keep his opinions of the show he produced for seven seasons. In a recent article published by Canada's Times & Transcript, Nigel was quoted as saying Season 9 "wasn't a vintage year" among other things. Per the article:

"The team took their eye off the ball a little bit and was more worried about the judges and what was happening with them than it was regarding the talent last year. It became about Kara (DioGuardi) joining and making the fourth judge, Paula (Abdul) leaving, Ellen (Degeneres) joining and Simon leaving and much more about them and concentrating on that than on the talent that they were finding."

Even though Nigel can be annoying much of the time, he's right on the money here. However, I wouldn't put it past Nigel to be using this strategy in the hopes of plopping himself at the judges' table in the spot reserved for the "acid-tongued Brit."

>Crystal Bowersox is currently collaborating with Wayne Wilkins ahead of her forthcoming debut studio album, and as Billboard reported yesterday, Crystal is already impressing him with her songwriting experience. Per an article on Billboard.com:

"She's the real deal," producer/songwriter Wayne Wilkins -- who hit the studio with Bowersox on Wednesday (June 16) -- tells Billboard.com. "I've only worked with a couple of 'Amerian Idol' contestants before, and in terms of songwriting, she's the most developed on that front. She literally could sit in a room with anybody, grab a guitar and start writing."

Wilkins has previously collaborated with Jordin Sparks on "Battlefield" and David Archuleta on songs like "Touch My Hand," and he said Crystal already brought an album's worth of material to the table. The two have also been writing with Priscilla Hamilton. Sounds like things are running pretty smoothly over in Camp Crystal.

>Speaking of upcoming Idol-related albums, Fantasia's team updated us on the status of her upcoming release, including a title, track list and album cover. For starters, Fantasia's third studio effort is titled Back to Me, and it will be released on Tues., July 27. Per the press release:

Comedian, actor and radio personality Steve Harvey also became involved in the album process by coming up with the album title after a recent radio interview with the songstress. “Steve Harvey suggested the album title and it describes perfectly where I am in my life right now,” states Fantasia. “I’ve willingly let the world into my life through my book, the Lifetime television movie and now the VH1 reality show. Now, it’s time to go back to how things used to be when America first laid their eyes on me on American Idol. I want to focus everyone’s attention back to me and back to music that everyone can relate to and enjoy.”

The album's lead single, "Bittersweet," is currently #9 on the Urban Adult Airplay chart. Back To Me is now available to pre-order at Amazon.com.

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'Idol' to experience scheduling changes for Season 10

Since the likelihood that planes for a tenth season of Idol will be scrapped are lower than low, we all might as well suck it up and plan to return to FOX on Tuesdays and Wednesdays beginning January 2011. The actual amount of time we spend planted in our seats on these two days of the week will apparently vary, though, as FOX announced its 2010-11 TV schedule with a few noticeable differences in the network's stalwart enterprise.

Let's begin with the good news: results shows will be slashed in half to a half-hour each Wednesday, airing from 8:30-9 p.m. This marks the first time the show will revert to this (much better) time slot since, well, Season 3 or 4 (either way it was too long ago). More good news comes in the debunking of the rumors that Idol would be shifting to a Wednesday/Thursday schedule.

The bad news, however (besides Simon leaving), is that all performance episodes that are not long enough to be two hours will instead be 90 minutes. So, yes, even the Top 3 performance episode will last 90 minutes rather than one hour. Something tells me this plan might fall through when the producers realize how taxing it will be on the contestants.

Either way, at least it seems something is being done to rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic fix the show.

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30 'Idol' alums to partake in Feeding America initiative

Ahead of next week's Idol Gives Back special, FOX today issued a press release with a who's who of former finalists that will be taking part in activities that support Feeding America’s local food banks.

As many as 30 past contestants have signed up to participate in the initiative to sort and prepare food donated to local food banks across the country beginning tomorrow. Below is a full list of scheduled appearances:

TUESDAY, APRIL 13

THE LOS ANGELES REGIONAL FOOD BANK, LOS ANGELES – Kimberley Locke, Didi Benami, David Hernandez, Amy Adams, Chikezie, Mikalah Gordon, Elliott Yamin, Kevin Covais, Michael Johns, LaToya London and Brandon Rogers will pack food in boxes for senior citizens and young children in need at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.

UTAH FOOD BANK, SALT LAKE CITY – Megan Joy will assist a group of 30 volunteers who will sort through food-drive donations, divide them into categories and prepare food boxes.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14

GREATER CHICAGO FOOD DEPOSITORY, CHICAGO – Gina Glocksen and Amanda Overmyer will join a group of volunteers to pack disaster relief boxes for Feeding America.

SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE, NASHVILLE –Lacey Brown, Bucky Covington, Melinda Doolittle, Bo Bice, Phil Stacey and Mandisa will work with other volunteers to pack disaster-relief boxes for Feeding America.

FOOD LIFELINE, SEATTLE – Blake Lewis will assist a group of volunteers in sorting and repacking products to be distributed to families in need.

THURSDAY, APRIL 15

JAN HUS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, NEW YORK – Ace Young, Diana DeGarmo, Jorge Núñez, Julia DeMato and RJ Helton will lend a helping hand to hungry New Yorkers by delivering food with City Harvest.
HOUSTON FOOD BANK, HOUSTON – LaKisha Jones will be working with a group of volunteers who will inspect donated food and prepare it to be re-distributed to 400 agencies.

FEEDING AMERICA TAMPA BAY, TAMPA – Melissa McGhee will spread hope to people in need by working with a group of volunteers to sort and package food.

FRIDAY, APRIL 16

UNITED WAY COMMUNITY FOOD, BIRMINGHAM – Ruben Studdard will label cans and pack boxes.
THREE SQUARE, LAS VEGAS – Danny Gokey will assist a group of volunteers to sort through donated food that will be used to feed local families in need.

The two-hour Idol Gives Back special airs Wed., April 21, and will feature appearances by President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, former President George W. Bush, Brad Pitt, Bono, Reese Witherspoon, Miley Cyrus, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Annie Lennox, Daughtry, Carrie Underwood, Mariah Carey, Gwen Stefani, Josh Groban, P!nk, Céline Dion, Robin Williams, Ben Stiller and more.

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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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Simon Cowell's departure signals the end of 'Idol' as we know it

It's official: Season 9 will be Simon Cowell's final season of American Idol. But you already knew that.

The question is, what does this mean for the show's future? Well, for starters, ratings are not going to increase as a result of the move, and in fact, they will most likely drop (by quite a large margin most likely). Simon makes the show, even though he often causes most of the "problems" concerning allegations of manipulation and the like, so by him leaving there will be an unfulfillable void.

Now, if rumbles of America's Got Talent judge Piers Morgan replacing Simon ring true, he would probably be an okay choice but will always be seen as a second-rate Simon. Besides this obvious drain on Idol, there's also that threat of Simon's new venture, at least new on this side of the pond, as he will bring his hit series X Factor to FOX beginning in Fall 2011. If Simon is smart and nabs Paula Abdul to help him out as a judge on that show, it will likely recreate the kind of luster that Idol as seemed to have lost over the past few seasons. Even though the show itself would not be a threat to Idol physically, it is certainly one theoretically.

Simon is smart enough to pull off this kind of scheme, and according to this piece by Richard Rushfield over at TheDailyBeast.com that's been circulating around the net this afternoon, Simon is just the man to put this plan into motion. One of the more interesting comments in the article came not from Simon, but from former producer Nigel Lythgoe, who said:

“There's been so much talk on Idol about the judges, the judges; it's not about the judges. It's about the talent."

Now Nigel knows just as well as anyone that this was once true, but sadly, it isn't anymore. As evidenced by the handling of the past season's finalists, the show and its staff are not into the actual contestants as much as they are their bottom dollar. But that's the least of the show's problems.

Regardless of how Simon's career turns out come the end of May, it's easy to see that Idol is on a downward spiral that will need a miracle to get out of.

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Season 9's schedule through Top 12 (March 17)

It's no secret that Idol's ninth season launches on FOX on Tuesday, and last month the network released the show's schedule through the Top 12 results episode, which will take place on Wed., March 17. Below is the schedule, courtesy of GiveMeMyRemote.com:

* Tuesday, Jan. 12 (8:00-10:00 PM) Season Premiere, Part 1 – Boston Auditions Episode
* Wednesday, Jan. 13 (8:00-9:15 PM) Season Premiere, Part 2 - Atlanta Auditions Episode
* Tuesday, Jan. 19 (8:00-9:00 PM) Chicago Auditions Episode
* Wednesday, Jan. 20 (8:00-9:00 PM) Orlando Auditions Episode
* Tuesday, Jan. 26 (8:00-9:00 PM) Dallas Auditions Episode
* Wednesday, Jan. 27 (9:00-10:00 PM) Los Angeles Auditions Episode
* Tuesday, Feb. 2 (8:00-9:00 PM) Denver Auditions Episode
* Wednesday, Feb. 3 (9:00-10:00 PM) “The Road to Hollywood” Auditions Episode
* Tuesday, Feb. 9 (8:00-9:00 PM) Hollywood Round, Part 1
* Wednesday, Feb. 10 (9:00-10:00 PM) Hollywood Round, Part 2
* Tuesday, Feb. 16 (8:00-9:00 PM) Hollywood Round, Part 3
* Wednesday, Feb. 17 (9:00-10:00 PM) Hollywood Round, Part 4
* Top 24 Semifinalists Announced
* Tuesday, Feb. 23 (8:00-10:00 PM) Top 12 Female Semifinalists Perform
* Wednesday, Feb. 24 (8:00-10:00 PM) Top 12 Male Semifinalists Perform
* Thursday, Feb. 25 (8:00-9:00 PM) First Results Show (ET live/PT tape-delayed) – Two Male and Two Female Contestants Eliminated
* Tuesday, March 2 (8:00-10:00 PM) Top 10 Female Semifinalists Perform
* Wednesday, March 3 (8:00-10:00 PM) Top 10 Male Semifinalists Perform
* Thursday, March 4 (8:00-9:00 PM) Results Show (ET live/PT tape-delayed) – Two Male and Two Female Contestants Eliminated
* Tuesday, March 9 (8:00-9:00 PM) Top 8 Female Semifinalists Perform
* Wednesday, March 10 (9:00-10:00 PM) Top 8 Male Semifinalists Perform
* Thursday, March 11 (8:00-9:00 PM) Results Show (ET live/PT tape-delayed) – Two Male and Two Female Contestants Eliminated; Finalists Revealed
* Tuesday, March 16 (8:00-10:00 PM) Finalists Perform (ET live/PT tape-delayed)
* Wednesday, March 17 (9:00-10:00 PM) Results Show (ET live/PT tape-delayed) – One Contestant Eliminated

So it looks like we won't be seeing new judge Ellen DeGeneres until Tues., Feb. 9, the first episode of the Hollywood rounds. Another interesting item of note is the fact that Wednesday's Atlanta auditions episode will last an extra 15 minutes, which is pretty unorthodox for any television program. Now watch them spend 15 minutes solely on the next Tatiana or Normund Gentle...

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Happy New Year from IDOL LIVE

Now that 2010 is officially here, IDOL LIVE would like to wish everyone a happy and safe New Year. To celebrate, enjoy last night's Idol action from television specials in case you were out partying.

As usual, Ryan Seacrest helmed Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve special on ABC, where he was aided by Dick Clark himself and Times Square correspondent Melissa Rycroft. In the segment below, watch Paula Abdul wish Clark a happy new year in a taped clip at 2:56.

Also making an appearance on the special was Daughtry, as the band performed a bunch of hits including "No Surprise," "Home" and current single "Life After You," which can be viewed below:



Meanwhile, over on FOX a few familiar faces were found performing, as Allison Iraheta and Kris Allen took part in Billboard's New Year's Eve Live special. Kris performed "Live Like We're Dying" and "Can't Stay Away." Allison performed "Friday I'll Be Over You" and "Holiday," which can be watched below:



Hopefully 2010 will be more exciting than 2009 (not that '09 wasn't exciting, but it's always good to improve!)

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Kris Allen performs "Live Like We're Dying" on SYTYCD

Kris Allen returned to television last night with another performance of "Live Like We're Dying," this time on FOX's own So You Think You Can Dance. Watch the performance below:

Although it was nice of FOX to invite Kris to perform, he once again got the short end of the stick, as Adam Lambert has been awarded a performance slot on next week's finale episode. Oh well, it was still a great venue to perform on regardless.

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"Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special" airs on FOX

It was as if the clock was turned back to 2005 during FOX's primetime lineup this evening, as Carrie Underwood commanded the stage for a full two hours with her variety special "Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special."

Carrie took to the stage nearly a dozen times to perform songs from her latest album Play On including "Cowboy Casanova," "Temporary Home," "Songs Like This" and "Mama's Song" among others. Watch her perform "O Holy Night" below:

Carrie had many friends on to perform with her during the special, including Brad Paisley, Kristen Chenoweth, Christina Applegate and fellow Idol winner David Cook. Cook performed Carrie's favorite song on his album, "Lie." Watch the performance below:



Probably the biggest surprise during the special was the amount of camera time Carrie's funny bone got. She played matchmaker with her sister Stephanie, at which she kept finding the least plausible pairings like Johnny Depp and Jack Nicholson posers. Carrie also demanded her mother get off the stage when she attempted to do a Vegas-like number.

But the funniest segment of all was when Carrie kicked off the night showing flashbacks of how she was able to rise to stardom on Idol, which included bribing the judges with cash, dognapping Ryan Seacrest's pug named Simon, using a voodoo doll to get Constantine Maroulis kicked off the show and psyching out Bo Bice before the finale by saying things about his appearance.

One thing is apparent from this special - if Carrie ever decides to give up singing (which she should never do), she could carve out a career for herself in comedy.

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Preview of Carrie Underwood's Christmas special

FOX has been ramping up the promos for Carrie Underwood's two-hour Christmas variety special called "An All-Star Holiday Specia," which will air on the network tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET. Below is an interview Carrie did with Entertainment Tonight promoting the special:

Guest performers that will be taking to the stage include Brad Paisley, Dolly Parton David Cook and more. It will include performances of Christmas classics in addition to Carrie's own music catalog.

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Carrie Underwood performs "Temporary Home" on 'Tonight Show'

Carrie Underwood took a break from her "Cowboy Casanova" when she visited NBC's The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien this evening, instead opting to perform the critically-acclaimed ballad "Temporary Home." Watch the performance below:

So what are the chances "Temporary Home" will be single No. 2? It seems highly likely at this point, and it would make sense for "Cowboy Casanova" to be worked at Hot AC radio ASAP, so maybe that's Arista Nashville's plan. Or maybe not...

Following the performance, Carrie sat on O'Brien's couch to chat with the host about her hosting duties at the CMA Awards last week, where she joked "it's not like hosting's hard or anything," which got a laugh out of O'Brien. She also said if Kanye West contacts her about her and Brad Paisley's joke songs about him at the CMAs she'll "blame it on Brad."

Carrie also promoted her two-hour Christmas special on FOX, which premieres Mon., Dec. 7. She will next visit Ellen on Wednesday where she will perform "Cowboy Casanova."

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TCA wrap-up: Arch wins big and Adam beats Kris

Coming off a strong Idol presence at last year's event, the 2009 Teen Choice Awards was even less of the place to be if you had starred on FOX's highest-rated show, as Twilight and Miley Cyrus proved. Making waves at the staple meaningless awards show of the summer was Jordin Sparks, who made a trip up to the stage to introduce the "Dare the Jonas Brothers" segment during which viewer-submitted dares for the group were aired. Watch Jordin's segment below (begins at 5:54):

Find more videos like this on www.truveo.com.

In terms of actual awards for the franchise, David Archuleta had three attached to his name as he was the recipient of Choice Music Breakout Artist, Choice Music Love Song (for "Crush") and Choice Music Tour for his tour with Demi Lovato.

Another big Idol-related winner of the night was Adam Lambert, who defeated his Season 8 rival Kris Allen in the Choice TV Male Reality/Variety Star. Neither David nor Adam could make an appearance at the show due to being on tour at the moment.

One last big Idol-related win included American Idol taking home a surfboard for Choice TV Reality Competition at the fan-voted award show, as expected.

The Teen Choice Awards were taped yesterday at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, Calif., and aired earlier tonight on FOX.

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Message to FOX: No fourth judge

Now that word has been circulating that FOX is interested in permanently replacing Paula Abdul for the ninth season of Idol, it should be expressed that there is absolutely no need for another fourth judge.

The laundry list of reasons why this would be unnecessary and even downright irresponsible is lengthy, but there are a few major reasons that stick out above the rest. First of all, do the producers not recall how many times performance episodes ran over thanks to the extra set of critiques that were needed after each performance? Whose fault was that again? Yeah, it was your fault by the extension of Kara DioGuardi and her babbling. Remember the time Adam Lambert's performance of "Mad World" went over the broadcast's allotted time during Top 8 week? And then the next week, only two judges were allowed to critique each performance, and the overtime still amounted to two minutes? That is not a professional way to run a show.

And then of course there's the whole notion that hearing an extra critique per contestant does not affect much in terms of swaying voters to vote one way or another, it usually only reinforces one of the other judges' opinions. Plus, during auditions and in Hollywood it is Simon who gets to make the final decision when the four of them reach a stalemate. Even though he probably merits this power thanks to his role in the show's production and his stature, it is still annoying that he not only has a contract worth millions upon millions more than his fellow judges and this additional perk is solely at his discretion and he could potentially (and probably already has) denied someone a ticket to Hollywood because he just "didn't like them."

So unless the plan is to fire Kara and replace her with someone who doesn't care so much about "artistry" or to do away with Randy's role after the next "dude" or "dawg" he drops, there should be no new faces appearing on this show come Season 9. None.

Hopefully Simon Fuller & co. take note.

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Kelly Clarkson performs "Already Gone" on 'Late Show'

Kelly Clarkson chose CBS' The Late Show with David Letterman to officially launch her third single off All I Ever Wanted, "Already Gone," to a national audience. Kelly sang a stripped down version of the Ryan Tedder-penned song last night, which can be viewed below:

Kelly's vocals are really in the best shape they have been in a long time, and she looked like she was emotionally connected to the song's lyrics. Prior to this performance, "Already Gone" has been gaining exposure over the past few weeks thanks to its use as the "goodbye song" for the female competitors on FOX's So You Think You Can Dance.

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Kelly Clarkson performs on 'So You Think You Can Dance'

Kelly Clarkson last night made a stop at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, Calif., to perform her current single "I Do Not Hook Up" on the fourth week's results show of So You Think You Can Dance. Watch the performance below:

This is not the first time Kelly has been mentioned on this season of FOX's Dance, as "Already Gone," one of the songs on her current album All I Ever Wanted, is the "goodbye" song for the female dancers upon being eliminated.

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'Idol' odds 'n ends: FOX to rebroadcast Top 13 Michael Jackson episode Monday

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

>Cat Deely announced during last night's episode of So You Think You Can Dance that FOX will be rebroadcasting the Top 13 episode of Season 8, during which the theme was the songs of Michael Jackson. The two-hour episode will air in its entirety at 8 p.m. ET on Mon., June 29.

>Syesha Mercado is following in Jennifer Hudson's footsteps (sort of), as she has landed the role of Deena Jones for the upcoming national tour of the musical Dreamgirls (Jennifer played the role of Effie White in the film adaptation of the musical). The tour will kick off at the Apollo Theatre before embarking on its tour. Per Playbill:

Performances will begin at the Apollo Nov. 7 with an opening scheduled for Nov. 22. The limited run will play the Harlem venue through Dec. 6

The tour will visit the following cities: Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Chicago, Boston, Columbus, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, Costa Mesa, Cincinnati, Philadelphia.

>Speaking of Jennifer Hudson, the Oscar and Grammy winner was featured in a six-page spread in the July 2009 issue of Elle magazine. Excerpts of her interview with the magazine can be found below:

On being the youngest of three:
“I was the biggest baby. Even now, I find people younger than me babying me.”

On her faith:
“It only gets stronger. Otherwise, I would lose my mind. I always look at things two ways: through my human eye and then through a spiritual perspective. Everything happens for a reason, and God is in control of everything. My favorite hymn is ‘How Great Is Thy Faith in Him?’ And ‘Precious Lord’—who doesn’t love ‘Precious Lord’?”

On her mother’s encouragement:
“Anything she said I could do, I ended up doing. She’d say, ‘You know, I think you could be an actress, Jenny—you can act!’ And I was like, ‘Mama, whatever.’ And then I turn around and win an Oscar!”

The issue is currently available to purchase on newsstands everywhere.

>Daughtry will perform today at Donauinselfest in Vienna, Austria. The annual free music concert will also feature the bands Core, Zweitfrau and My Excellence among others.

The photo to the right is of Chris and the boys doing a sound check prior to the concert and is courtesy of Katrinsgoodiebag.se.

>The current OK! magazine features a 17-page spread dedicated to the hottest country singers out there at the moment, and naturally both Carrie Underwood and Kellie Pickler are included. Two facts about the artists are:

1. Carrie Underwood has been playing softball for nine years.

5. Kellie Pickler attributes her good calves to wearing stilettos, especially ones from Christian Louboutin.

6. Pickler also hates sleeping on other people’s mattresses.

The issue is now available on newsstands nationwide.

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'Idol' alums nominated for Teen Choice Awards

As certain as the sun will rise and Ryan Seacrest will tell people they are safe, the Teen Choice Awards are once again returning to FOX this August. And, as usual, Idol alums dominate the list of nominations.

This year, the most interesting category to watch will be the "Male Reality/Variety Star" category in the TV section, where both Kris Allen and Adam Lambert are nominated. This is interesting, as the category is usually reserved only for the Idol winner. Adam received one other nomination in the "Red Carpet Icon - Male" category in the Other Stuff section, which he will easily win in.

Another rather interesting observation in terms of Idol effects is the "TV: Personality" category, which features two personalities from Idol (Simon Cowell and Ryan) and two from America's Best Dance Crew, which is produced by Randy Jackson.

But the Idol alum to score the most nominations is David Archuleta, as he is up for "Music: Breakout Artist," his single, "Crush," is up for "Music: Love Song" and his tour with Demi Lovato is nominated for "Music Tour."

See a full list of Idol-related nominees below:

TV: Reality Competition
America's Best Dance Crew
Dancing With The Stars
American Idol
America's Next Top Model
The Bachelor

TV: Personality
Ryan Seacrest - American Idol, E!
Simon Cowell - American Idol
Tyra Banks - America's Next Top Model
Lil Mama - America's Best Dance Crew
Mario Lopez - America's Best Dance Crew

TV: Male Reality/Variety Star
Kris Allen - American Idol
Brody Jenner - Bromance
Adam Lambert - American Idol
Ryan Sheckler - Life of Ryan
Rob Dyrdek - Fantasy Factory

Music: Single
Miley Cyrus - The Climb
Britney Spears - Circus
Katy Perry - Hot N Cold
Kelly Clarkson - My Life Would Suck Without You
Lady Gaga - Poker Face

Music: R&B Artist
Beyonce
Jaime Foxx
Jennifer Hudson
Ne- Yo
T- Pain

Music: Breakout Artist
Asher Roth
David Archuleta
David Cook
Kid Cudi
Lady Gaga

Music: Love Song
Crush - David Archuleta
Halo - Beyonce
How Do You Sleep - Jesse McCartney
Love Story - Taylor Swift
Lovebug - Jonas Brothers

Music: R&B Track
Beyonce - Single Ladies (Put A ring On It)
Jennifer Hudson - If This Isn't Love
Kanye West - Love Lockdown
Ne-Yo - Mad
Soulja Boy Tell 'em Featuring Sammie - Kiss Me Thru The Phone

Music Album Female Artist
Carnival Ride - Carrie Underwood
Fame - Lady Gaga
Fearless - Taylor Swift
I am… Sasha Fierce - Beyonce
One Of The Boys - Katy Perry

Music Album Male Artist
Relapse - Eminem
We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things - Jason Mraz
David Cook - David Cook
808s and Heartbreak - Kanye West
Tha Carter III - Lil Wayne

Music Tour
Jonas Brothers
Britney Spears
Demi Lovato/David Archuleta
Taylor Swift
American Idol Tour

Other Stuff Red Carpet Icon - Male
Justin Timberlake
Adam Lambert
Jonas Brothers
Zac Efron
Kanye West

The 2009 Teen Choice Awards, hosted by The Jonas Brothers, will be broadcast on Mon., Aug. 10, at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. Voting runs from now until Aug. 1 and is open to anyone between the ages of 13-19 (or anyone who says they're between this age range).

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"My Life Would Suck Without You" video clip to premiere on 'Idol'

FOX is now airing a TV spot with a tease saying a clip of Kelly Clarkson's music video for "My Life Would Suck Without You" will premiere on Wednesday's Idol episode. Watch a cap of the TV spot below:

The video was filmed back in December 2008. "My Life Would Suck Without You" is currently #1 on iTunes and is looking for a 96-spot jump to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on Wednesday.

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Ace Young to host 'American Idol Extra'

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.

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