Keeping up with Will Makar

Upon finishing in the Top 16 on the fifth season of Idol, Will Makar of The Woodlands, Tex., went on to make the most of his limited time on the show. In 2006, Will signed a record deal with independent record label Double Deal Brand Records, and began work on his debut album. After beginning it more than one year ago, Will's debut single, "I Won't Make It Out," was released to digital retailers in March 2007 and can be streamed on his official music MySpace page.

His debut self-titled EP was released to Amazon MP3 on May 27, 2008, and will be added to iTunes shortly. It features five tracks, many of which Will wrote or co-wrote, including "I Wonder" and "For You."

Will has also made many local appearances since being eliminated from Idol, including singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" with the Houston Symphony Orchestra on July 4, 2006, and at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Moral Courage Award Dinner sponsored by Holocaust Museum Houston on May 12, 2008.

Jordin performs on 'So You Think You Can Dance'

In case you missed it, Jordin Sparks performed her latest single "One Step At a Time" on Thursday's results show for FOX's So You Think You Can Dance. Watch the performance below:



Earlier in the week, Jordin walked home with two BET awards - one for Heart Break Video for "No Air" and another for CoverGirl & Olay's Beautiful Face.

Guitar Hero to join Idols Live! tour

The hugely popular video game Guitar Hero will have a place on the American Idols Live! tour this summer. According to an article published on Melodika.net, the Activision, Inc. phenomenon will be featured in a video that will air during intermission of every concert in which the 10 finalists will be shown playing Guitar Hero: World Tour, which will be released in the fall. Iain Pirie, head of 19 Entertainment U.S., said the following of the partnership:

"The American Idols Live! Tour is for families to immerse themselves in the Idol experience first-hand, and what better way to bring a personalized, super star feeling to life than by playing Guitar Hero. Integrating Guitar Hero into the tour gets fans actively involved and provides an added dose of entertainment that we know they’ll love."

Also available at the concerts will be booths where fans can play Guitar Hero: Aerosmith and Guitar Hero: On Tour.

The partnership between the Guitar Hero franchise and Idol began on May 22, when two commercials featuring David Cook and David Archuleta playing the game in a recreation of the famous scene from Tom Cruise's film Risky Business aired during the finale.

Carmen Rasmusen and husband expecting

After the hoopla of the past two weeks surrounding the 17 pregnant girls at Gloucester (Mass.) High School, is it comprehensible that a pact among Idol alums was made to get pregnant together? In an article published merely two days before Season 5's Paris Bennett admitted to being pregnant and engaged, Season 2's sixth-place finalist Carmen Rasmusen tells ReserveBranson.com that she and husband Brad Herbert are expecting a child due around Christmas Eve.

Carmen is currently starring in the "America's Favorite Finalists" show at The Grand Palace in Branson, Mo., with other alums Brandon Rogers (Season 6), Haley Scarnato (Season 6), RJ Helton (Season 1), Scott Savol (Season 4) and Vonzell Solomon.

Carmen told ReserveBranson.com that the most memorable aspect of being on Idol was the fact that she was a role model to many young girls:

“That has meant more to me than any amount of money or fame — to know that maybe I’ve influenced someone in the way that I’ve lived my life. Some people might say they don’t want to be in an example, but like it or not, we are in the spotlight. To me that’s the neatest thing,”

So which Idol alum will be the next to announce that she is with child? For the record, IDOL LIVE's money is on Juanita Barber.

Paris Bennett is PREGNANT...and engaged

Paris Bennett, Season 5's fifth-place finalist, the cute 16-year-old granddaughter of Ann Nesby (remember, the one who wowed the judges with her rendition of "Fever" at her audition?) has confirmed that she is in fact pregnant and engaged. Per Paris' Official Street Team's MySpace...

There's been a heavy gossip about Paris after the AARP concert pics, and I'm happy to tell you that Paris verified that she is pregnant and engaged. HUGE congratulations!! This is what she said in her own words:

well I was goin to do a special blog for my fans but yes im engaged and with child a girl and her name will be Egypt... she will be here in october just before the holiday album in november is released and the sophomore album in january!

The street team is holding the thumbs up, Paris!!!!

No word yet on who the father is. Rumors began swirling days ago after photos of Paris, now 19, from an AARP benefit showed a baby bump under her flashy dress, which some attributed to a poor fitting job by her stylist. IDOL LIVE wishes the best for Paris and her family. (Photo courtesy of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

'Idol' BB 200: 'Carnival Ride' #33 (7/5/08)

It was another uneventful week on the Billboard Top 200 album chart for Idol alums, as Carrie Underwood's Carnival Ride held steady at #33 for the second straight week. The album decreased a scant 16% and now stands at 2.190 million copies sold. Daughtry's self-titled album took the biggest tumble, dropping 26%. Its total now stands at an impressive 4.125 million copies sold. Full numbers and chart positions courtesy of melody56 over on Pulse are as follows:

33 33 Carrie Underwood - Carnival Ride 15,337 -16% 18,349 2,190,011
68 66 Jordin Sparks - Jordin Sparks 9,823 -13% 11,315 825,396
71 57 Daughtry - Daughtry 9,356 -26% 12,593 4,125,284
97 92 Carrie Underwood - Some Hearts 7,029 -17% 8,433 6,464,561

Total sales are in bold.

'Idol' Hot 100 - "No Air" #12 (7/5/08)

Another lifeless week passed by among Idol-related entries on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week ending July 5, as an assortment of debuts of tracks from Disney's Camp Rock soundtrack pushed Jordin Sparks' duet with Chris Brown, "No Air," down #7-12. The only somewhat exciting development was the re-entry of Josh Gracin's current single, "We Weren't Crazy," which gets a sixth week back on the chart at #99. Full chart positions courtesy of shaker over on Pulse are posted below:

Hot 100
12 07 Jordin Sparks ft. Chris Brown, "No Air"
35 22 Carrie Underwood, "Last Name"
51 41 David Cook, "The Time of My Life"
99 Re Josh Gracin, "We Weren't Crazy"

'Idol' announces Season 8 audition sites

Eight cities will be overflowing with thousands of Idol hopefuls this summer as auditions for Season 8 of the phenomenon will be taking place from July 17 to Aug. 19, according to an official posting on Idol's Web Site. The lineup includes a few usual suspects like San Francisco and East Rutherford, N.J. (for all intents and purposes, New York City), but there are a few newcomers as well. The most notable locale is San Juan, Puerto Rico, the first audition city outside of the continental United States since Honolulu, Hawaii, in Season 3.

A trio of cities look like they were influenced by two recent notable finalists - Phoenix, Ariz., near Jordin Sparks' hometown of Glendale - Salt Lake City, Utah, near David Archuleta's hometown of Murray - and Kansas City, Mo., basically a stone's throw from David Cook's hometown of Blue Springs. A full schedule of audition cities and dates can be found below:

Thurs., July 17
San Francisco, CA
The Cow Palace

Mon., July 21
Louisville, KY
Freedom Hall

Fri., July 25
Phoenix, AZ
Jobing.com Arena

Tue., July 29
Salt Lake City, UT
EnergySolutions Arena

Sat., Aug. 2
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Coliseo de Puerto Rico

Fri., Aug. 8
Kansas City, MO
Sprint Center

Wed., Aug. 13
Jacksonville, FL
Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena

Tue., Aug. 19
East Rutherford, NJ
IZOD Center at the Meadowlands

IDOL LIVE poll of the week - Elliott favorite 3rd-place finalist

In last week's IDOL LIVE poll of the week, we asked which second runner-up was preferred by Idol fans. Not surprisingly, Season 5's Elliott Yamin finished on top with 45% of the vote, while Season 6's Melinda Doolittle (26%) and Season 7's Syesha Mercado (16%) were right behind. In this week's poll of the week, we ask who your favorite fourth-place finalist is of all seven seasons. You have exactly one week to vote.

Nikki McKibbin 0 (0%)
Kimberley Locke 3 (7%)
Jasmine Trias 1 (2%)
Vonzell Solomon 1 (2%)
Elliott Yamin 19 (45%)
Melinda Doolittle 11 (26%)
Syesha Mercado 7 (16%)

Total votes: 42

Ruben Studdard to wed on Saturday

The big 205 himself, Season 2 winner Ruben Studdard, will tie the knot on Saturday, according to The Associated Press. The AP reports that Ruben's representative confirmed the 29-year-old "Velvet Teddy Bear" will marry longtime girlfriend Surata Zuri McCants, 30, in Birmingham, Ala., his hometown. The couple obtained a marriage license on Monday.

Ruben, who was let go from J Records last December, is currently in the studio recording another album.

Digital sales roundup: "No Air" #20 (6/21/08)

Once again, Jordin Sparks' duet with Chris Brown, "No Air," leads the two other Idol-related tracks on Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart. The song moved an additional 56.5k downloads and landed at #20 on the chart this week. David Cook hung on to a spot in the Top 40 with another 34.9k copies sold, and will fall below Carrie Underwood's "Last Name," which comes in at #42 with 32.7k sold. Full numbers and chart positions courtesy of bks over on Pulse are as follows:

20 12 Jordin Sparks ft. Chris Brown, "No Air" 56,584 -14% 65,584 2,121,229
39 23 David Cook, "The Time of My Life" 34,961 -20% 43,780 557,852
42 32 Carrie Underwood, "Last Name" 32,703 -11% 36,911 338,925

Total sales are in bold.

Simon: We should have put Josiah through

RealityTVWorld.com reported last week that Simon Cowell told the Knoxville News Sentinel that Season 7 Top 50 contestant Josiah Leming should have been sent through to the Top 24, but Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul decided against it. Said Simon on the subject:

"We should have put him through. I was all for it. I wanted him in the competition. I don't know what they were thinking. I wanted him through."

Whether or not he deserved to advance to the Top 24, Josiah is making it in the business on his own, as his debut album will be released in September on Warner Bros. Records.

Cook and Arch on 'The View'

David Cook and David Archuleta were interviewed on The View this morning. Topics covered during the interview included the Davids' love lives, the controversy with Jeff Archuleta and whether or not Arch had any resentment that he lost. Below is video of the interview and Arch's performance of "Stand By Me."



Below is video of Cook performing "The Time of My Life."

Jennifer Hudson's "Spotlight" video to premiere tonight

In a message that went out to Jennifer Hudson's mailing list earlier today, fans were alerted that the Season 3 seventh-place finalist and Academy Award-winner will premiere the video for her debut single, "Spotlight," on BET's 106 & Park tonight at 6 p.m. ET. on the red carpet of the 2008 BET Awards. The video will also premiere online tomorrow on Yahoo! Music. Watch the video below:



The single was released to iTunes on June 10. It is currently #49 on the Billboard R&B 100 chart.

'Idol' BB 200: 'Carnival Ride' #33 (6/28/08)

Carrie Underwood continues her time on the crazy Carnival Ride of the Billboard Top 200 album chart for the week of June 28. The album remains the top Idol-related chart entry, as it drops to #33 with 18.3k copies sold, an increase of 9% from a week earlier. Two other albums inched up from last week - Daughtry's self-titled album and Carrie's debut, Some Hearts, up 16% and 8%, respectively. Also noticeable is the disappearance of Clay Aiken's On My Way Here after only five weeks on the chart. Full numbers and chart positions courtesy of 2m over on Pulse are as follows:

33 Carrie Underwood - Carnival Ride 18,349 16,765 9% 2,174,674
57 Daughtry - Daughtry 12,593 10,845 16% 4,115,928
66 Jordin Sparks - Jordin Sparks 11,315 11,430 -1% 815,669
92 Carrie Underwood - Some Hearts 8,433 7,774 8% 6,457,532

Total sales are in bold.

Keeping up with Brooke Barrettsmith

Many fans were disheartened when 24-year-old Brooke Barrettsmith of Spring Grove, Ill., was cut after reaching the Top 40 on the fifth season of Idol (her younger sister, Leah, whom she auditioned with, was cut earlier in the Hollywood round).

But the Christian rocker has not let her failure on Idol deterred her motivation to pursue a career in music. Brooke, now signed to Essential Records, will release her debut, self-titled album on Aug. 19. The first single from the album, "Farewell," is now available to purchase on iTunes and can be streamed in its entirety on her official music MySpace page.

Brooke is currently on tour with fellow Christian rock bands Pillar, Wavorly and Building 429. The next date of the tour will be Sun., June 29, at FirstEnergy Ballpark in Lakewood, N.J.

Blake Lewis dropped by label

Idol's track record for churning out success stories is slowly skewing more negative than positive, and now Blake Lewis is the latest casualty. Blake, who was runner-up on Season 6, announced in an interview with internet radio show Maximum Threshold that he was let go by his label, Arista Records, two days ago. Blake is now the fastest Idol alum to be let go from his contract, as he was signed only last August. Season 1's runner-up Justin Guarini was at least able to last more than one year with his contract. Blake joins other alums recently let go like Taylor Hicks, Katharine McPhee and Ruben Studdard.

LaKisha Jones coaches the "Legally Blonde" girls

In a deleted scene from MTV's Legally Blonde The Musical: The Search For Elle Woods was added to YouTube recently that featured Season 6 fourth-place finalist LaKisha Jones coaching the remaining competitors on the reality series. LaKisha demonstrated the many different styles of singing, from using her head voice to bravado. Below is video of the scene:



The series is hosted by Haylie Duff and airs Mondays at 10 p.m.

Cook named ones of People's "hottest bachelors"

David Cook was recently picked as one of People magazine's "hottest bachelors" for 2008. Below is the caption the magazine used for his photo:

He can sing in front of millions of people, but the 25-year-old American Idol winner admits that his stage bravado doesn't always carry over into his personal life. "Looking a pretty woman in the eye and convincing her I'm worth taking a chance on is different. It takes a specific brand of guts, and it's not the kind I have."

There is also a behind the scenes video up on People's Web site, which can be viewed here. The issue is now on newsstands.

'Idol' Hot 100 - "No Air" #7 (6/28/08)

On the latest Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week ending June 28, Jordin Sparks' duet with Chris Brown, "No Air," spent a third straight week at #7, leading all other Idol-related singles. A rather uneventful week, the only mentionable movements are David Cook's "The Time of My Life" taking a 21-spot nosedive and Daughtry's "Feels Like Tonight" going recurrent after falling below the halfway-point threshold. Full chart positions courtesy of bks over on Pulse are posted below:

Hot 100
07 07 Jordin Sparks, "No Air"
22 23 Carrie Underwood, "Last Name"
41 20 David Cook, "The Time of My Life"

Bubbling Under
21 25 Jordin Sparks, "One Step At a Time"

IDOL LIVE poll of the week - 'Some Hearts' is best debut

In last week's IDOL LIVE poll of the week, we asked which winner's debut album regarded with the most acclaim by fans, and Carrie Underwood's Some Hearts was unsurpisingly victorious with 71% of the vote. In this week's poll of the week, we ask who your favorite second runner-up (third place finalist) is of all seven seasons. You have one week to vote.

Thankful (Kelly Clarkson) 8 (25%)
Soulful (Ruben Studdard) 0 (0%)
Free Yourself (Fantasia) 0 (0%)
Some Hearts (Carrie Underwood) 23 (71%)
Taylor Hicks (Taylor Hicks) 1 (3%)
Jordin Sparks (Jordin Sparks) 0 (0%)

Total votes: 32

Digital sales roundup: "No Air" #12 (6/14/08)

Jordin Sparks' "No Air" retakes the premier Idol spot on Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart for its latest edition for the first time in a few weeks. The song rose 4% from last week, good enough to pass David Cook's coronation single, which tumbled 45% to 43.7k downloads sold this week. "Life" did get over the 500k mark, though, which will give it a gold certification, while "Air" was pushed over the 2 million hurdle this week, enabling it to receive a double platinum certification. Full numbers and chart positions courtesy of bks over on Pulse are as follows:

12 16 Jordin Sparks, "No Air" 65,584 4% 63,179 2,064,645
23 10 David Cook, "The Time of My Life" 43,780 -45% 79,800 522,891
32 26 Carrie Underwood, "Last Name" 36,911 -6% 39,336 306,222

Total sales are in bold.

Kellie Pickler: "blessed" to have been abandoned by mom

Season 5's sixth-place finalist, Kellie Pickler, recently told FOXNews.com's Pop Tarts section that she feels blessed to have been abandoned by her mother when she was young. Kellie said the following:

"It’s great to be open about everything I’ve had to overcome and this turned out to be the best thing — I am so, so blessed. My grandma filled that void of not having my mom in my life, so she was like my grandma, my mom and my best friend all in one."

Kellie also said fellow Season 5 alum Katharine McPhee has been somewhat of a "sister" to her:

"Katharine has been like a sister to me. So I was very, very honored when she asked me to be a bridesmaid at her wedding."

Kellie's new single, "Don't You Know You're Beautiful," is up on her official music MySpace page and will be available to purchase at digital retailers on Tuesday.

'Idol' racks up TCA nominations

It's summertime, which means the third-most pointless awards show is upon us - FOX's Teen Choice Awards. And it would be laughable if the network didn't throw a few bones to its most popular show. So that leaves the Idol/Nigel Lythgoe umbrella with a total of 12 nominations for the 2008 awards show, counting a few for related shows like Next Great American Band and Randy Jackson's America's Best Dance Crew. The show will be hosted by Miley Cyrus and will be broadcast on FOX on Mon., Aug. 4 at 8 p.m. ET. All Idol-related nominations are listed below.

Choice TV Reality Dance
America's Best Dance Crew
Dance War
Dancing With the Stars
So You Think You Can Dance
Your Mama Don't Dance

Choice TV Reality Music Competition
American Idol
Don’t Forget the Lyrics!
Making the Band 4
The Next Great American Band
Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious

Choice TV Personality
Heidi Klum, Project Runway
Lil Mama, America's Best Dance Crew
Ryan Seacrest, American Idol; E! News
Simon Cowell, American Idol
Tyra Banks, America's Next Top Model

Choice TV Breakout Show
America's Best Dance Crew
Gossip Girl
Miss Guided
Samantha Who?
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Choice TV Male Reality/Variety Star
Brody Jenner, The Hills
David Cook, American Idol
Rob Dyrdek and Christopher Boykin, Rob & Big
Ryan Scheckler, Life of Ryan
The Jabbawockeez, America's Best Dance Crew

Choice Hook-Up
"Low," Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain
"No Air," Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown
"Shawty Get Loose," Lil Mama featuring Chris Brown & T-Pain
"4 Minutes," Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake
"Party People," Nelly featuring Fergie

Choice Music: Breakout Artist
Colbie Caillat
Flo Rida
Jordin Sparks
Leona Lewis
Taylor Swift

Choice Music: Love Song
"Bleeding Love," Leona Lewis
"Bubbly," Colbie Caillat
"No Air," Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown
"No One", Alica Keys
"When You Look Me in the Eyes," Jonas Brothers

Choice Red Carpet Fashion Icon Female
Carrie Underwood
Hayden Panettiere
Jessica Biel
Kate Hudson
Lauren Conrad

To vote, visit the TCAs' official Web site (and remember to put you're a teen if you're not). You can vote every day until the show airs.

Cook updates fans via vlog

David Cook recorded another message to fans today to update them on his post-Idol status. In the vlog, Cook says he and his team of writers have already knocked out seven songs, and the process has been very "fruitful." He again thanked fans for supporting him and reminded them to buy their tickets to the tour as soon as possible. Below is the vlog:



In the vlog, Cook said to keep checking his official Web site for more updates.

Keeping up with Kevin Covais

Although he only managed to finish in 11th place on the fifth season of Idol, Kevin Covais is taking his brush with popularity to new heights as it has opened the door to acting. Kevin, now 18, will star alongside Drake Bell and Andrew Caldwell in the upcoming film College, which is set for a nationwide theatrical release on Aug. 29.

A few days ago, Kevin updated fans on his Web site on a role he will play in the upcoming film Labor Pains. Below is per Kevin himself:

Hey there everybody! I am very excited to announce that I have landed a role in a new film! The movie is called “Labor Pains” and I will be appearing alongside Lindsay Lohan, Chris Parnell, and Cheryl Hines in this romantic comedy. I will begin shooting shortly, and you can all look for more updates on the movie straight from me in the weeks to follow!

In the meantime, Kevin will perform with fellow Season 5 alum Ayla Brown in at the Burlington County Amplitheater in Wethampton, N.J., on Aug. 2 in the Big Break Meets American Idol showcase concert.

'Idol' BB 200: 'Carnival Ride' #29 (6/21/08)

Once again Carrie Underwood is queen of the Idol selection on the Billboard Top 200 album chart for the week of June 21, as her Carnival Ride comes in at #29 with 16.7k copies sold. Carrie was also represented by debut album Some Hearts, which lingers at #84 for the week. Full numbers and chart positions courtesy of tony over on Pulse are as follows:

029 Carrie Underwood - Carnival Ride 16,765 -11% 18,826 2,156,325
049 Jordin Sparks - Jordin Sparks 11,430 -23% 14,912 804,428
053 Daughtry - Daughtry 10,845 -16% 12,840 4,103,335
084 Carrie Underwood - Some Hearts 7,774 -11% 8,737 6,449,099
163 Clay Aiken - On My Way Here 3,994 -37% 6,367 137,230

Total sales are in bold.

'Idol' Hot 100 - "No Air" #7 (6/21/08)

On the latest Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week ending June 21, Jordin Sparks once again led three other Idol alums with "No Air," which remained at #7 for the second week in a row. David Cook held on to a third and final week in the Top 20, as "The Time of My Life" fell #9-20. Full chart positions courtesy of bks and 2m over on Pulse are posted below:

Hot 100
07 07 Jordin Sparks, "No Air"
20 09 David Cook, "The Time of My Life"
23 21 Carrie Underwood, "Last Name"
51 46 Daughtry, "Feels Like Tonight"

Bubbling Under
25 12 Jordin Sparks, "One Step At a Time"

Vonzell Solomon caught with gun at airport

Season 4's second runner-up Vonzell Solomon was busted for carrying a firearm in her luggage at Southwest Florida International Airport yesterday, as reported by TMZ. The former U.S. mail carrier-turned singer had her gun confiscated and will report to court in the near future. Although she does have the authority to carry a gun, they are not allowed in airports. Here is to waiting for Vonzell's side of the story.

IDOL LIVE poll of the week - Fans prefer S7

In last week's IDOL LIVE poll of the week, we asked which season of American Idol is your favorite. The results were not even close, as Season 7 is fresh in 63% of fans' minds and is now their favorite season of them all, with Season 5 following with a distant 14%. In this week's poll of the week, we ask what your favorite debut album of the show's first six winners is. You have one week to vote.

Season 1 5 (6%)
Season 2 1 (1%)
Season 3 1 (1%)
Season 4 8 (9%)
Season 5 12 (14%)
Season 6 3 (3%)
Season 7 53 (63%)

Total votes: 83

Digital sales roundup: "The Time of My Life" #10 (6/7/08)

David Cook's "The Time of My Life" is still sitting on top of the Idol pyramid on Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart for its latest edition. The song sold another 80k, good for #10 on the chart. Its total now sits at just shy of 480k. Only two other Idol alums were represented on the chart - Jordin Sparks, whose "No Air" landed 2k short of two million total downloads sold, and Carrie Underwood, who saw her third single off Carnival Ride decrease 19% for a total of 270k. Full numbers and chart positions courtesy of bks over on Pulse are as follows:

10 4 David Cook, "The Time of My Life" 79,800 -51% 163,287 479,111
16 13 Jordin Sparks, "No Air" 63,042 -8% 68,552 1,997,937
26 18 Carrie Underwood, "Last Name" 39,336 -19% 48,602 269,311

Total sales are in bold.

Six former finalists to star in "America's Favorite Finalists"

Six former finalists from Seasons 1-6 will headline a 13-week concert series at the Grand Palace in Branson, Mo. The "America's Favorite Finalists" series will feature a rotating roster of alums such as Brandon Rogers (Season 6), Carmen Rasmusen (Season 2), Haley Scarnato (Season 6), RJ Helton (Season 1), Scott Savol (Season 4) and Vonzell Solomon (Season 4). The singers will rotate on a 2-4 week schedule.

The series will run from June 20-Oct. 26 and will take place at 8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, as well as 2 p.m. on Sunday. The series is sponsored by Radisson Hotels. To order tickets, call 1-800-884-4536 or (417) 336-1220. In addition, tickets can be requested online.

Katharine McPhee and...Japan Airlines?

A new promo video was released today on Japan Airlines' Web site, in which the interior aspects of the airline's newest model, the Boeing 777, are featured. But the surprising part is the fact that a new full-length song accompanies the video, sung by none other than Katharine McPhee. In the bottom of the right hand corner at the very beginning of the video, the unnamed song is attributed to "David Foster featuring Katharine McPhee." Watch the video and (more likely) listen to the song below:

Cook sings "The Star-Spangled Banner" at NBA Finals

David Cook sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Game 3 of the 2008 NBA Finals at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Although he looked nervous and began the Anthem a bit flat, Cook was able to recover and nail the all-important high notes. Video of the performance can be viewed below:



The Boston Celtics lead the LA Lakers in the series 2-0.

Arch updates fans via vlog

David Archuleta posted his first vlog on his official music MySpace page earlier this evening in an effort to maintain a more personal connection with his fans. In the vlog, David talked about what he has done since the finale, mentioning his "Arch Angels" and how he got to go home for a week to hang out with his friends. He also talked about preparing for the tour and how he is glad there will be no competition on the tour like there was on the show. He said all of this with his signature wide grin and nervous laugh. Watch the vlog below:



In his next vlog, David will answer questions submitted directly from his fans by posting on the wall of his MySpace.

Taylor thinks Cook "has a great shot"

After sticking his hands in cement at Planet Hollywood in New York, Taylor Hicks told OK! Magazine that he thinks "[David Cook] has a great shot [at success]." Taylor, who recently joined the cast of Grease on Broadway playing the role of Teen Angel, went on to say the following:

"The rock genre he's in is really... radio loves rock," he said. "I think it's going to work wonders for him. He's carved himself a little niche for his own identity, and I think he's going to do well."

Taylor will star in Grease until September 7. It is showing at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre.

Jordin, Katharine to headline Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular

It was announced yesterday that Jordin Sparks and Katharine McPhee will each be performing at the 2008 Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular. Jordin will sing her current single, "One Step At a Time," while Katharine will sing a cover of The Drifters' "Save the Last Dance For Me."

Both artists are keeping themselves busy this summer, as Jordin is currently on tour with Alicia Keys and Katharine is busy recording her sophomore album with David Foster while promoting her film The House Bunny, which hits theatres August 22. This is Jordin's second year in a row performing at the event, as she and fellow Season 6 alums Blake Lewis and Melinda Doolittle performed "God Bless America" at last year's event.

The live one-hour special will air at 9 p.m. ET on NBC on July 4. Other performers scheduled to entertain viewers are Natasha Bedingfield and Kenny Chesney.

Keeping up with Mikalah Gordon

Mikalah Gordon, the memorable 11th-place finalist from Season 4, has pursued more of an acting career since closing the door on her Idol experience, but that does not mean she has left singing behind. The peppy Fran Drescher-like 20-year-old currently has a new single out called "Baby," which can be heard on her official music MySpace page and is also now charting on online radio station Idol Waves' Top 20 Countdown, where it is #5 for the chart's latest edition.

Mikalah will also try to hone her skills in the country music arena when she stars in the second season of CMT's Gone Country, on which she will compete for a single to be produced and released by John Rich alongside celebrities such as Jermaine Jackson and NSYNC's Chris Kirkpatrick. The series has already wrapped filming and will debut in August.

After starring as a country singer over in Iraq on CBS' The Unit last October, Mikalah returned to the small screen in May when she hosted David Cook's hometown viewing party at the Kansas City Live! stage in downtown Blue Springs, Mo., Cook's hometown, during the finale of the seventh season of Idol.

Cook to sing National Anthem at Game 3 of NBA Finals

David Cook will sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Game 3 of the 2008 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers on Tues., June 10, at the Staples Center in LA. The performance will be carried live on ABC at approximately 9 p.m. ET. Cook is the latest Idol winner to sing the Anthem at a high-profile sports event. Relive some of the greatest deliveries of the S-SB by Idol winners below:

> Kelly Clarkson - Cowboys / Buccaneers NFL game (11/23/06)
> Fantasia - 2004 MLB All-Star Game (07/13/04)
> Taylor Hicks - Game 4 of 2007 NBA Finals (06/14/07)
> Jordin Sparks - Super Bowl XLII (02/03/08)
> Carrie Underwood - Game 3 of 2007 World Series (10/27/07)

'Idol' BB 200: 'Carnival Ride' #19 (6/14/08)

Carrie Underwood's sophomore album Carnival Ride was the top Idol-related album on Billboard's Top 200 album chart for the week of June 14, leading for other entries by three other alums. Ride managed to sell another 19k copies for the week, putting its total just shy of 2,140,000. Full numbers and positions, courtesy of melody56 over at Pulse, are listed below:

019 Carrie Underwood - Carnival Ride 18,826 -24% 24,932 2,139,560
027 Jordin Sparks - Jordin Sparks 14,912 -26% 20,264 793,078
033 Daughtry - Daughtry 12,840 -35% 19,731 4,092,490
070 Carrie Underwood - Some Hearts 8,737 -9% 9,610 6,441,325
106 Clay Aiken - On My Way Here 6,367 -48% 12,221 133,236

Total sales are in bold.

Arch's MySpace finally up

After a longer than expected delay, David Archuleta's official music MySpace was finally put up earlier this week. The four songs in the music player are the studio versions of "Smokey Mountain Memories" and "Angels," as well as the live versions of "Imagine" and "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me." Below is David's first bulletin that he sent out to fans:

Hi guys,

I'm going to start doing some video blogs - maybe one this week! Got any questions you want me to answer or stuff you want to know? Can't promise I'll answer them all though!!

Post your questions in the comments, not in email please, with "VIDEO QUESTION" at the top so i can find them easier.

You guys are great!!!!

Thanks!

David was officially signed to Jive Records earlier this week.

Jordin's "One Step At a Time" video now back up

After being prematurely uploaded to her YouTube channel last week, Jordin Sparks' video for her third single, "One Step At a Time," is finally back up online for fans to watch. Watch the video below:

Katharine McPhee to star in 'The Storyteller'

Although her debut film is not even in theatres yet, Season 5 runner-up Katharine McPhee has signed on to play the role of "Tina" in the Robert Angelo Masciantonio-directed The Storyteller, alongside actor Wes Bentley (American Beauty, Ghost Rider). Rumors that Katharine would be appearing in the film have been circling now for months, but the news was confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter on Monday. Below is a synopsis of the plot:

Bentley...plays a writer who goes on a downward spiral when his father dies, causing his assistant (McPhee) to start investigating whether his muse as well as narrator for his stories (Anita Briem) is a figment of his imagination.

The independent film, which is described as a "psychological drama," will begin shooting in August, the same month Katharine's The House Bunny opens in cineplexes nationwide.

Arch's "welcome home" bash postponed

Well, it looks like David Archuleta's homecoming concert will have to wait. The event, which was dubbed "Back Home With David Archuleta" and was originally slated to be held Friday at the E-Center in West Valley City, Utah, will have to wait until after Arch's contractual obligations to Idol are fulfilled (a.k.a. after the Idols Live! tour wraps up in September). It looks like pesky 19 is already up to its usual tricks. Per an article in the Archuleta family's hometown paper, The Salt Lake Tribune, dad Jeff tried to skirt around the "evil Idol" reason, and said the following:

"They're just going to reschedule the event for a later time. When all the minds met, everyone concluded this wouldn't work out for this particular weekend, and they just want to reschedule it for toward the middle or the end of the ["American Idol" summer] tour."

Portions of the sales from the concertbration were said to be going to the Multiple Sclerosis Society and Make-a-Wish Foundation.

'Idol' Hot 100: "No Air" #7 (6/14/08)

On this week's Billboard's Hot 100 chart for the week ending June 14, Jordin Sparks retakes the top Idol-related spot with "No Air" falling #5-7, as David Cook's "The Time of My Life" falls six spots to #9, still hanging in the Top 10. Full numbers, courtesy of bks over at Pulse, are posted below:

Hot 100
07 05 Jordin Sparks, "No Air"
09 03 David Cook, "The Time of My Life"
21 19 Carrie Underwood, "Last Name"
46 45 Daughtry, "Feels Like Tonight"
81 15 David Cook, "Dream Big"
85 22 David Cook, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"

Bubbling Under
12 02 Jordin Sparks, "One Step At a Time"

Ayla Brown to star in "Joseph"

Season 5 semifinalist and Boston College basketball standout Ayla Brown is trying her hand at musical theatre as she will star alongside Broadway's Eric Kunze in the Reagle Players' production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." The show will run from June 12-21 at the Robinson Theatre in Waltham, Mass. Below is a snippet from an article that was published today via WickedLocal.com:

Our own "Idol" star, Ayla Brown, may be turning losing into winning, too. The Wrentham basketball star, dubbed "the girl next door" in season five, was one of the top 16 finalists. She bowed out after her rendition of Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten," which the judges said was "good, but not great."

That was two years ago. Since then Brown has continued her pursuit of a music career while attending Boston College (she’ll be a junior this fall and majoring in communications) and playing for the college's Lady Eagles basketball team.

"I don't have any frustrations of having the title 'former contestant on American Idol,'" says Brown. "That's who I am. If I was never on 'American Idol,' I would never be in this musical."

That's right, fans. Your favorite Boston Idol is returning to the stage.

To purchase tickets for the show, see here.

IDOL LIVE poll of the week - Arch is runner-up of choice

In last week's IDOL LIVE poll of the week, we asked who your favorite American Idol runner-up is. And once again, the Season 7 enthusiasts have come out in full force, as David Archuleta ran away with 70% of the vote, followed by Katharine McPhee and Blake Lewis in a virtual tie. In this week's poll of the week, we ask what your favorite season of American Idol is. You have one week to vote.

Justin Guarini 1 (0%)
Clay Aiken 4 (3%)
Diana DeGarmo 3 (2%)
Bo Bice 4 (3%)
Katharine McPhee 11 (9%)
Blake Lewis 10 (9%)
David Archuleta 78 (70%)

Total votes: 111

Digital sales roundup: "The Time of My Life" #4 (5/31/08)

Thanks to the folks at Idol taking down the remaining show-related downloads on iTunes, the selection of alums represented on the Top 200 of the latest edition of Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart was reduced to three, with five tracks led by David Cook's "The Time of My Life," which shifted another 163k in its second week. Meanwhile, Jordin Sparks' "No Air" is just 65k short of going double platinum, and should get there in two weeks.

Carrie Underwood's "Last Name" is back on a downward slide after a quick boost last week, while Cook's two remaining tracks, "Dream Big" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" fell roughly 70% from last week. The chart is credited to bks over on Pulse, and all Idol highlights are posted below:

01 04 David Cook, "The Time of My Life" 163,287 -31% 236,024 399,311
14 13 Jordin Sparks, "No Air" 68,552 -22% 87,518 1,934,895
19 18 Carrie Underwood, "Last Name" 48,602 -24% 64,143 229,975
07 34 David Cook, "Dream Big" 32,544 -71% 111,052 143,596
09 47 D. Cook, "I Still Haven't Found..." 27,014 -72% 97,868 124,882

Total sales are in bold.

Four 'Idol's to perfom at The Rrazz Room

Four former Idol finalists will perform at The Rrazz Room at the Nikko Hotel in San Francisco, Calif., from July 1-5 and 8-12 as part of an "Idols In Concert" special event. Among those slated to perform are Anwar Robinson (Season 4), Gina Glocksen (Season 6), Jon Peter Lewis (Season 3) and LaKisha Jones (Season 6).

The concert will be produced by Idol's resident pianist Michael Orland. Tickets range from $45-55 and can be purchased on TicketWeb.com.

Tamyra to perform with cast of RENT at Tony Awards

Season 1 fourth-place finalist and ultra-shocking early bootee Tamyra Gray will finish her run on Broadway in RENT on Sun., June 15, when she performs with the show's cast one last time at the 2008 Tony Awards. Per Tamyra's mother in a blog entry:

As most of you know, this will be her last performance with Rent. But, it won't be the last you will hear from her.

Before starring in RENT, Tamyra had a short-term, 12-week role in Bombay Dreams in 2004 that was cut short when the show closed in January 2005 due to poor box office returns. The Tony Awards will air on CBS at 8 p.m. ET.

Daughtry on MSN Music's "In Concert" series

Daughtry's concert special for MSN Music's "In Concert" series premiered on May 22. The concert features the quadruple platinum-selling band performing 10 hits off its self-titled album like "What I Want," "All These Lives," "Home" and a fresh and more subdued take on "It's Not Over."

To watch the concert, see here.

Keeping up with Kimberly Caldwell

Kimberly Caldwell's name has become a hot topic over the past two weeks, as the revelation of her budding romance with Season 7 winner David Cook has landed the Season 2 seventh-place finalist's name on front pages across the country.

The 26-year-old blonde-haired, blue-eyed country singer originally from Katy, Tex., has served as host of the TV Guide Network's Idol Tonight and its sister series, Idol Weekend, both of which go behind the scenes of American Idol.

Between performing at local festivals and her hosting duties, Kimberly has been working on an upcoming album that has been in the works for a couple of years. Three of the songs that will be featured on the album ("Who Will You Run to," "Gave Yourself Away," "Fear of Flying") are now on her MySpace.

Kimberly has also tried her hand at acting, as she starred in 2007's Wrong Turn 2: Dead End, a direct-to-DVD release and sequel to 2003's Wrong Turn.

Kimberly will next sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the LA Dodgers' game tomorrow night at 7 p.m.

Full finale week download figures for Top 10

The full (rounded) Idol download figures for the finale week were finally released and reported on Todd Martens' Extended Play blog for The Los Angeles Times. In total there were 1.5 million combined tracks sold. Below are the the sales figures for approximately three days for all but the Davids, who had a full week for their numbers to accumulate:

David Cook: 942,000 downloads
David Archuleta: 323,000 downloads
Jason Castro: 64,000 downloads
Brooke White: 47,000 downloads
Michael Johns: 40,000 downloads
Carly Smithson: 33,000 downloads
Syesha Mercado: 18,000 downloads
Kristy Lee Cook: 10,000 downloads
Chikezie: 5,000 downloads
Ramiele Malubay: 3,000 downloads

Katharine's Neutrogena commercial

Fifth season runner-up Katharine McPhee has a starring role in the newest commercial for Neutrogena's skin iD product. As a new spokeswoman for the skin care product company, Katharine instructs potential buyers to visit the company's Web site to see how skin iD can be customized to fit their lifestyles while delivering promising results. The commercial can be watched below:



Katharine will also present at tonight's 2008 MTV Movie Awards, which will air live starting at 8 p.m. ET and will be held at the Gibson Amphitheatre in
Universal City, Calif. Katharine will be promoting her upcoming film The House Bunny, which will be released nationwide on Aug. 22.