'Idol' odds 'n ends: Season 10 auditions adds last-minute Los Angeles stop

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

>TMZ is reporting that Jennifer Lopez is back in the good graces of Simon Fuller and co., as she will most likely sign a deal next week that will permanently put her in the seat once held by Simon Cowell/Ellen DeGeneres.

Sources connected to the negotiations tell TMZ ... contrary to some news reports ... there has been no drama and no diva demands. As one source puts it, "It's been typical negotiating."

Well, I guess TMZ has been at the forefront with all the replacement judge drama, so this bit of info is probably as reliable as anything else out there. As to whether or not J. Lo is "the key to re-energizing the show," that is certainly still up to debate.

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>The nominations list for the 44th annual CMA Awards was revealed on Tuesday, and one Idol alum was able to score some nods as usual. Carrie Underwood is up for Female Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year for Play On. Although Carrie has a pretty good track record at these award shows, it looks to be Miranda Lambert's year, as she received a record nine nominations and looks to take home a lot of awards.

Still, it's good to know Carrie received more nods than Taylor Swift, who is only up for one category - FVotY. The 44th annual CMA Awards will air live on Wed., Nov. 10, at 8 p.m. on ABC.

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>Just as the disappointing Season 9 Idols Live! Tour concluded on Tuesday, Season 10's auditions have been extended to later this month when auditions will be held at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., on Wed., Sept. 22. Per Idol's website:

For the milestone 10th season of American Idol, we just couldn’t stay away from Idol’s hometown, Los Angeles, CA. In fact, this is the show’s sixth time holding hometown auditions in L.A. The goal during hometown auditions is to get a ticket Hollywood, and successful singers in L.A. won’t have to travel very far for the final round of auditions. Katharine McPhee, Adam Lambert, Allison Iraheta, and Andrew Garcia are among the talented Idol stars from the City of Angels. L.A. is where the Idol finalists reside while competing for the prize, and it’s the place many Idol alumni settle to pursue their music career.

It's pretty interesting that the producers think adding a last-minute stop in LA of all places will help ensure we don't get another Season 9, since LA is one of the blandest, most uninteresting places to find talent. But whatever, if they want to attract teens from skipping school for the day, they're certainly free to do so.

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>Katharine McPhee has landed another role, this one in the horror pic Shark Night 3D. Other actors recently added to the cast include Sara Paxton (The Last House on the Left) and Dustin Milligan (Extract). Per DigitalSpy:

The trio will join the recently announced Sinqua Walls, Chris Carmack, Alyssa Diaz and Joel David Moore in the 3D horror movie.

The Final Destination and Snakes On A Plane helmer David R. Ellis is behind the camera for Shark Night, which centres on a group of people who are attacked by sharks while on vacation in the Louisiana Gulf area.

Well, at least it's not Piranha 3D. But Kat, is this really the best you could do? Shark movies never hold a candle to Jaws, and 3D is getting pretty tiring by now. Still, it's good to see she's continuing to get roles.

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>After only a few performances on Broadway in the musical In the Heights, Jordin Sparks injured her hip last Saturday during a show. She was understandably bummed, but like the pro that she is, she turned to Twitter to apologize to her fans and offer them a token of appreciation for coming out to see her:

"Thank you so much to everyone who came tonight. Sorry I couldn't sign. :( It's hard to stand/walk. Hopefully the physical therapist can fix me! :)

"If you'd like, you can send your playbills/tkts/pics w/ a stamped return envelope to the theatre & I'll get them back to you. Thank you for understanding. It means the world. Love you guys. <3"

Jordin is now back in tip-top shape and said she is "so attached to the cast & show already!"

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Poll of the week: Carrie Underwood is champ of choice

After months of exciting competition, IDOL LIVE's poll of the week champion series for 2010 is finally coming to a close. Per usual, the second-to-last round consisted of the champions from all nine seasons matched up against each other, and the results were among the closest of all rounds this year.

Considering she is probably the most popular winner to date, it's not unheard of that Carrie Underwood would take the title here, as she nabbed 29 of all 94 votes, good for 30% of all votes cast. With this win, Carrie will represent all winners in the finale. Coming up behind her was Jordin Sparks, who took in 17 votes (18%), followed by Kelly Clarkson with 15 votes (15%).

Even David Cook reeled in 13 votes for 13%, and Kris Allen took in 10 votes for 10%. Not surprisingly, the less popular winners didn't do so well in this poll, as Lee DeWyze (4%), Fantasia (4%), Ruben Studdard (1%) and Taylor Hicks (1%) each amounted vote totals in the single digits.

Now that we have had finalists from all nine seasons of all finishing positions square off against each other, it is only fair that the victors from each round take on each other in the finale of the champion series. In this final round of voting, readers will be asked which top-ranked finalist from each placing is their overall favorite of all nine seasons. Voting will be open for not one, but two weeks. Happy voting!

Kelly Clarkson 15 (15%)
Ruben Studdard 1 (1%)
Fantasia 4 (4%)
Carrie Underwood 29 (30%)
Taylor Hicks 1 (1%)
Jordin Sparks 17 (18%)
David Cook 13 (13%)
Kris Allen 10 (10%)
Lee DeWyze 4 (4%)

Total votes: 94

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

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

>Steven Tyler is all but confirmed to be a judge for Idol's 10th season, but he doesn't seem to be slowing down to save his energy for coming up with critiques, as evidenced by his multiple falls while performing onstage, including the most recent episode at a show in Toronto. Per Zap2It:

After quickly rebounding from his accidental stage dive, Tyler sprung up and yelled to the crowd, "It ain't gonna happen again!"

Let's hope not. The lights and video floor on the "American Idol" can be awfully disorienting.

That's actually really good advice, especially since if the lights don't disorient him, they'll probably at least melt his face clear off. Then who would replace the replacement?


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




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


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




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


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




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


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>Kellie Pickler is reportedly busy putting her own signature touch on her wedding plans, as she's looking for ways to incorporate her love of animals into the ceremony. According to a piece by Wendy Geller of Yahoo! Music:

And, we're not just talking about having a dog dressed up in a mini-tuxedo, as Underwood did at her wedding. Pickler is talking about having her reptile buddies in the mix. "I'm thinking of having the python be the ringbearer," she told PEOPLE this week.

I wonder if she'll think about asking calamari to be the flower girls? The piece goes on to say there will be no first dance with husband-to-be Kyle Jacobs because he is "'a disaster' on the dance floor." That's a little out of the ordinary, especially since Kellie is definitely the dancin' kind.

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

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

>The latest news in the Fantasia saga is that merely one day after being released from a Charlotte, N.C., hospital for a drug overdose and suicide attempt, she had a meeting with her "off and on" boyfriend Antwuan Cook in a local park. Per an article on People.com:

The two were spotted visiting a local park and appeared to be in deep conversation – all while cameras, presumably for her VH1 reality show, Fantasia for Real, captured the conversation.

Additionally, the 911 call was made public:



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

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>After all the drama that went down this week with reports that Jennifer Lopez is out of the running to replace Ellen DeGeneres or Simon Cowell as a judge for Season 10, good ol' Nigel Lythgoe interjected to smooth out the waves made by the rumors. Accoring to Uncle Nigel:

He tells Extra, "These people don't know Jennifer Lopez. She's a wonderful woman. I've never seen her be a diva in her life!"

Well, that's hardly a denial that J. Lo has been axed from consideration, but I guess it's better than a confirmation of the news - for Lopez at least.

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>Kimberly Caldwell will today appear at the AT&T store in Tustin, Calif., where she will perform in concert beginning at 1 p.m. She will then hang around to meet and greet fans until 3 p.m. More information on the event per the media advisory:

Event attendees will have an opportunity to meet KIIS FM’s Manny on the Street between 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Attendees will also be able to take advantage of the promotion on the new Android™ 2.1 Powered Samsung Captivate* ($199 after mail-in rebate and 2-year agreement), with the super AMOLED screen. With the purchase of the new Samsung Captivate attendees will receive two tickets to the upcoming American Idol Concert Tour at the Honda Center, Tuesday, August 17.

The store is located at 2219 Park Ave between Tustin Ranch and Park Avenue. Kimberly's debut album Without Regret will be released on Tues., Dec. 31, and is available to pre-order at Amazon.com.

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



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

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>Season 6 Top 16 contestant Asia'h Epperson is the latest Idol alum to land in hot water, at least legally, as she was arrested last night after allegedly beating up a clubgoer with her sister in Hollywood. Per TMZ:

According to sources, Epperson and another chick -- her sister -- kicked another clubgoer's butt inside Colony club.

TMZ's paps captured video of Asia'h with rapper Too Short (who?) earlier in the evening. She was released on bail early this morning. Why question is, why did TMZ have video of Asia'h before she was even arrested? Makes no sense. Either way, it's nice to see Season 6 is still being represented well.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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'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''s age min. drop - good or bad?

As you have heard by now, one aspect of Idol's host of "improvements" being sought ahead of its 10th season is the lowering of the minimum age to audition to 15. As you can imagine, this is a big deal in the vacuum that is the show's (early) off-season, and there is no shortage of opinions on the move.

As for me, I think it has come three seasons too late. Whereas there have been many viable young teens over the course of Idol's history that have fallen by the wayside when up against older, more experienced performers, it was not until Season 7 when teens pretty much were overlooked by voters (with the exception of David Archuleta, of course). Since then, the motto has virtually been NTNA - no teens need apply - when it comes to audition hopefuls. If they could go back in time, producers probably would have ensured a Justin Bieber-type to win the title. But really, if Miley Cyrus could make it big at 15, why not an Idol contestant?

Judging from the general sentiment stirred up from the reveal, I'm not alone in my doubts.

MTV News's Jim Cantiello writes "Why The 'American Idol' Age Limit Change Is A Bad Idea":

The last time "Idol" tweaked its age range was season five, where they upped the limit to 28 years old. The result? Taylor Hicks, a dude who looked 58, ended up winning. So if "Idol" is going the opposite route, does that mean America might be crowning a 15-year-old who looks seven come next May? In a year, will America be tired of pop stars who look like zygotes?

Marc Hirsh of NPR.org had more to say, including:

But even if we ignore the "Me, too!" mentality behind it (which is hardly new in the pop-music industry, or any entertainment industry, for that matter), Idol's sudden need to capitalize on the demographic that still needs Mom or Dad to drive them around ignores the simple truth that “talent” is not the same thing as “artistry.” This is a distinction made all the more important by the fact that Idol talks about contestants almost exclusively in terms of the latter word while rarely mentioning the former.

And Lyndsey Parker of Yahoo! Music opined:

Honestly, I personally would rather see the audition age limit raised, not lowered, on "Idol." Keep in mind that the biggest success story of all reality singing competitions in recent years has been 48-year-old Susan Boyle, and that Season 9's biggest "Idol" sensation was, arguably, 64-year-old General Larry Platt. Now, I'm not necessarily saying that senior citizens need to join the "Idol" ranks, and yes, I do understand that the show's producers probably want to seem more relevant to the top 40 marketplace in this tween-pop age. But I do believe this show improved when its age limit was raised from 25 to 28 in Season 4, thus allowing more seasoned singers with both performance experience and life experience--Bo Bice, Constantine Maroulis, Elliott Yamin, Chris Daughtry, Melinda Doolittle, Michael Johns, Danny Gokey, Adam Lambert, Casey James, Michael Lynche, et al--to make it through.

Still, not everyone was being a downer about the move. In fact, Jordin Sparks, once a teen champ herself, offered some words of wisdom to young hopefuls via Twitter:

I auditioned at 16 & won at 17. The pressure/criticism you're under...it's a lot to handle! But talent & maturity will speak for itself! :)
about 5 hours ago via TwitBird iPhone

If you're 15 & going to audition for the make sure you're ready! Good luck! I'm rooting for you! :D
about 5 hours ago via TwitBird iPhone

Good luck to anyone auditioning! The pressure is gonna be crazy for everyone, not just the youngins! Stay focused! :)
about 4 hours ago via TwitBird iPhone

In any case, we should have a good gauge of what kind of crowd shows up for Season 10 by the time auditions roll around on July 17 in Nashville.

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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' odds 'n ends: Ryan Seacrest wants another talk show?

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

>Is it possible Ryan Seacrest could become the next Oprah? There are rumors floating around that he's considering launching back into the daytime talk circuit with a show of his own, but not until 2011. Per Zap2It.com:

According to LARadio.com, Seacrest and CBS are sidling up to talks for Seacrest about hosting and executive producing a show that would premiere in the fall of 2011. It would also likely be a package deal that would include his radio shows as well.

The rumblings about Seacrest making a move come as the end of his current radio contract nears its end. He's currently with KIIS-FM, a Clear Channel-owned station, but his deal there expires in November.

If anyone is thinking to his or herself, "wait a minute, didn't Ryan already have his own talk show?" your mind isn't playing tricks on you. Back in '04 Ryan spent his afternoons on On-Air with Ryan Seacreast, which had a lifespan of only a few months.

>Adam Lambert's "Glam Nation Tour" with fellow Season 8 finalist Allison Iraheta and Orianthi kicked off at the Kirby Center in Wilkes Barre, Pa., on Fri., June 4. Watch fan video of him performing "Fever" below:



Adam, Allison and Orianthi will next perform at the Shining Star Casino in Mahnomen, Minn.

>As his peers previously had done, Lee DeWyze stopped by CBS's late night talk show The Late Show with David Letterman on Monday to chat with host David Letterman and perform his winning single "Beautiful Day." Watch his performance below:



Lee's talk with Letterman was, well, rather boring but he seemed more personable than usual. Lee talked about working in a paint store and the full year process of him working with Idol, calling Simon a "genuinely nice guy."

>Only three months since joining the Hair tribe, Diana DeGarmo and Ace Young will be looking for a new paycheck as they were given their two weeks notice yesterday that the Broadway revival will be closing its doors at the Al Hirschfeld Theater on June 27. Per Broadway.com:

The closing release emphasized that Hair recouped its entire $5,760,000 investment four months into the run and has generated a profit. The show weakened at the box office after the original cast departed for London, grossing $351,992 for the week ending June 6 and playing to 46.50% of capacity. The London production, which opened in April at the Gielgud Theatre will close on September 4, and according to a statement from the producers, “Many of the members of the current Broadway Tribe and London Tribe will take part in the tour.”

If you were planning on seeing Diana and Ace in the show sometime this summer, there's still time to see it over the next two weeks. See here for tickets starting at $37.

>New shots from Jordin Sparks's video shoot for her cover of the classic "Beauty and the Beast" have surfaced. The video, which is directed by Philip Andelman ("Battlefield"), will appear on the special Blu-ray/DVD release of the Disney classic Beauty and the Beast, which will be out Tues., Oct. 5, and can be pre-ordered on Amazon.com.

The photos are courtesy of JordinSparks.cc and come after EW.com posted a first look of the scene from the video two weeks ago. The song, which was originally a duet between Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson, will be sung solely by Jordin.

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Lee DeWyze sings "The Star-Spangled Banner" at NBA Finals game 2

Lee DeWyze continued the tradition of having the most recent Idol winner do National Anthem duty at an NBA Finals game, as he did so at game 2 of the Boston Celtics / LA Lakers championship series this evening at the Staples Center in LA. Watch him sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" as televised on ABC below:

How'd Lee do? Was he in tune? I have my opinions but I'll let you be the judge. Speaking of past National Anthem performances at NBA Finals games, be sure to check out those done by Kris Allen (2009), David Cook (2008), Jordin Sparks (2007), Taylor Hicks (2006), Carrie Underwood (2005) and Kelly Clarkson (2004).

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IDOL LIVE Blog - Top 3 Perform (5/18/10)

Tonight marks the most important point of Idol's ninth season so far, as the Top 3 finalists aim to earn a spot in the coveted Top 2. Although everyone and their mother seems to be pegging Crystal Bowersox and Lee DeWyze as the pair to beat, don't count Casey James out! If you really care about the show, vote goat!

We already know the judges' picks for each contestant, as one third of their performance sets were revealed to them when they returned to their hometowns over the weekend. Will Lee be able to top Tim Urban's version of "Hallelujah"? Will Casey be karaoke on "Daughters"? Will Crystal resonate with anyone for her rendition of "Maybe I'm Amazed"? Well, you can only find out by tuning in (or following along here!)

As usual, please feel free to add your two cents throughout the one-hour blogcast. Coverage starts just prior to 8 p.m. ET.

Tonight's blogcast features the music of Chikezie, David Archuleta, Jason Castro, Jordin Sparks and We Are the Fallen.

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'Idol' odds 'n ends: Anoop Desai's album is out? Already?

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

>When did this happen? Apparently Anoop Desai's debut album, All Is Fair, is already released. Anoop was on his local NBC alliliate chatting about the disc, which features the single "My Name," and can be watched below:

All Is Fair is courtesy of The Industry Connect and is available to purchase on iTunes for $6.99.

>It was announced on Monday that Jordin Sparks will be the latest Idol alum to star in a Broadway musical, as she will make her debut on the Great White Way in The Heights on Thurs., Aug. 19. According to an article on BroadwayWorld.com, Jordin said:

"It's always been one of my dreams to perform on Broadway," says Jordin Sparks. "This is a brand new experience for me. I look so forward to spending time in New York City and joining this talented cast and my favorite new musical."

Jordin will play the role of Nina Rosario, who happens to be the female lead. Her run will end on Sun., Nov. 14.

>Another Season 8 finalist, Scott MacIntyre, has been keeping busy on the promo trail in support of his post-Idol album Heartstrings. In an interview that took place at Pittsburgh's 100.7 FM, Scott chatted about his experience on the show and the Idol tour. Watch the interview below:




Scott talked about how he's dealt with kidney failure and kept the story from being revealed until after he left the show. Scott also talked about his favorite moment of the season, "Pants On the Ground" man, and proceeded to sing the two most famous lines of the song. He followed that with a backhanded compliment of the remaining Season 9 finalists.

>Bo Bice treated fans to a free download of his latest song, "Coming Back Home," off his forthcoming release 3. Per an e-mail that was sent out to fans:

Bo's got a surprise gift just for you! Check out this track from 3 and let us know what you think on Bo's Facebook page!

The song can be downloaded via Bo's page on the music social media site BandBox.com. 3 is set for a Tues., May 18 release and can now be pre-ordered at Amazon.com. The album's single, "Good Hearted Woman," is now available to purchase at iTunes.

>Siobhan Magnus was the latest Season 9 alum to make the talk show rounds following her exit last week, and as usual, the most awkward appearance was on Monday night's episode of CBS's The Late Show with David Letterman. Watch Letterman interrogate Siobhan about her fondness for glass blowing below:




As likable as Siobhan is, she has a habit of talking a minute a mile, especially when she's trying to explain something. But no matter, once Siobhan opened her mouth to reprise "Paint It Black" (aside from "the scream") nothing she talked about before was important anymore.

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Out today: Melinda Doolittle's 'Beyond Me'

It's been a while since an Idol alum released a book, so Melinda Doolittle is taking up the task and representing the franchise with her. In her own words:

Beyond Me talks about the behind the scenes of IDOL, but much more than that, it contains life lessons I've learned along the way.

Also out today on iTunes is a revamped recording of Katharine McPhee's next single "Terrified," which features the vocals of Chuck star Zachary Levi in place of Jason Reeves.

Links to purchase the aforementioned can be found below:

Books
Melinda Doolittle, "Beyond Me"

Amazon - ($12.81) - Buy
Barnes & Noble - ($13.67) - Buy
Borders - ($18.99) - Buy
Target - ($14.83) - Buy

Singles
Katharine McPhee, "Terrified (ft. Zachary Levi)"

iTunes - ($0.99) - Buy

An interesting note about Beyond Me is that fellow Season 6 alum Jordin Sparks wrote its foreword.

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'Idol' odds 'n ends: American Idols Live! Tour 2010 dates revealed

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

>Since there are fans dying of anticipation ahead of this summer's "American Idols Live!" tour (yeah, right), the franchise decided to inform the world of the tour stops on Tuesday. The highlights of the tour? Besides the Top 10 finalists that will be contractually obligated to perform from July 1 until Sept. 14, some exciting stops include the Giant Center in Hershey, Pa., on July 15, the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla., on Aug. 8 and the United Center in Chicago, Ill. on Aug. 30. A full list of tour dates reveals that 49 shows will be performed in 49 cities, including two Canadian locales.

Tickets go on sale beginning Fri., May 14, at 11 a.m., with the majority of them becoming available on Sat., May 15, at 10 a.m.

>It's as close to being official as possible: Kris Allen's second single will be "The Truth," the Toby Gad/Pat Monahan-penned ballad. Interestingly enough, Jive ordered the production of a version featuring the vocals of Monahan, the lead singer of Train, on the bridge, which will most likely be the version sent to radio. Listen to the redone version below:

Kris has yet to weigh in on the selection of "The Truth" as his second single, but regardless of what he thinks of it, he will be performing the song on the Idol finale. You can't ask for a bigger promotional opportunity than that.

>Jordin Sparks was in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday along with U.S. Transporation Secretary Ray LaHood and congressional members to raise awareness for Allstate's "X the TXT" campaign. Per the press release, Jordin said:

"Sending a text is not worth taking a life," said Grammy-nominated Jordin Sparks. "Unfortunately, it can be easy to forget the dangers of texting and driving when you get behind the wheel. That's why it is important for teens, their friends and families to acknowledge the risks and pledge together not to do it."

Jordin also appeared on FOX News Channel to promote awareness of the campaign, which can be watched below:



If you're up for contributing to Jordin's cause, be sure to pledge not to text while driving.

>Ryan Seacrest recently announced that he will lend his voice to a character in the upcoming Dreamworks release Shrek Forever After, and now we know what his character will look like. Only known as "father of Butter Pants," the character was revealed in a screencap posted on Ryan's official site on Wednesday as seen on the right. Per the post on Ryan's site:

Coincidentally, the pudgy character of Butter Pants is played by "Shrek" director Mike Mitchell who says the scene that Ryan appears in is indeed a "pivotal moment" in the storyline.

Ryan's voice talents will be heard in theaters nationwide beginning Fri., May 21.

>Katharine McPhee announced Thursday she has recorded a new version of her song "Terrified," which features the vocals of Chuck star Zachary Levi instead of co-writer Jason Reeves, who is featured on the album version and seems to be in "Camp Kara" when it comes to his allegiance judging by his recent performance of the song with Judge DioGuardi on Lopez Tonight. Of Levi, Kat said in an e-mail:

He is amazing and the new version is incredible. Next week you'll get to hear the song and there's a great video to go with it as well.

Presumably, the single will hit iTunes on Tuesday. You can already see a rough clip of the video, which will be airing in movie theaters nation wide as part of "Screenvision."

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'Idol' odds 'n ends: Jordin Sparks does duet with Natalie Grant at Dove Awards

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

>Jordin Sparks opened the 41st Annual Dove Awards Wednesday night with a duet of a song she wrote for Natalie Grant called "Human." She also held a press conference following the event, some of which can be viewed below:

Jordin said it was an honor to perform with Grant because she grew up listening to her music. The Dove Awards will be broadcast on GMC on Sun., April 28 at 8 p.m. ET.

>Kara DioGuardi looks to be setting up a replacement career in the event that this is Idol's last season (and let's face it, it should be the last season), as she teamed up with Jason Reeves on the two artists' song "Terrified" on TBS's Lopez Tonight. Watch the performance below:



First she poses for a photo shoot in a magazine and now she performs "Terrified" on a late night program? It looks like Kara D is trying to steal Katharine McPhee's thunder.

>Kelly Clarkson posted some ramblings on her personal blog for the first time in months to address a series of billboards featuring her advertising for a tobacco company in Indonesia ahead of the tour stop in Jakarta set for Thurs., April 29. Kelly said she never had knowledge that this company would be using her image to sell its product, adding:

Unfortunately, my only option at this point was to cancel the show in order to stop the sponsorship. However, I can’t justify penalizing my fans for someone else’s oversight. This is a lose-lose situation for me and I am not happy about it but the damage has been done and I refuse to cancel on my fans.

She went on to say it's hard to be used as "some political pawn." It's hard to believe Kelly's handlers didn't look into this in the first place, but hopefully they'll learn from this.

>Not to be outdone, David Archuleta wrote his own blog today, in which he documented how his writing sessions in LA are going and how he performed at the BritWeek Gala Event honoring Sir Richard Branson on Thursday night. Arch said in part:

I worked with Guy Chambers, who wrote Angels with Robbie Williams, and Erika Nuri from The Writing Camp. I also had writing sessions last week with Sam Hollander and Sluggo, who my friend Travis from We The Kings actually told me about because he has worked a lot with them. I also worked with a bunch of other really great writers, who you've probably seen me talk about on Twitter. But I actually have another writing session today with the Nexus lol. And I'll let you guys know how that goes too!

He also spent a good chunk of ink warning about earthquakes and proclaiming he was not paranoid (riiiiiiiight, Arch!)

>Andrew Garcia and Katie Stevens made the usual round of Idol eliminated contestant appearances over the course of the past few days, with CBS's The Late Show with David Letterman being one of the stops on Monday. Watch the two former finalists perform "Superhuman" below:





Letterman told Katie to get into publishing because "that's where all the money is," while he joked that Andrew is on his way to "...who knows," before adding he was sure Andrew would be fine.

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IDOL LIVE Blog - Top 7 Perform (4/20/10)

As we have now reached the milestone known as "Idol Gives Back" week, it is only fitting that the remaining seven finalists get to choose from a list of select inspirational songs. And who better to serve as their mentor than Alicia Keys? It's a little surprising that none of Alicia's songs were available to the contestants for this theme.

Please feel free to add your two cents throughout the one-hour blogcast, with coverage starting just prior to 8 p.m. ET.

Tonight's blogcast features the music of Carrie Underwood, David Cook, Fantasia, Jordin Sparks and Kris Allen.

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'Idol' odds 'n ends: Jordin Sparks goes one day without shoes

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

>Jordin Sparks spent yesterday without shoes in support of One Day Without Shoes, the campaign TOMS sponsored that encourages people to go without wearing shoes for one day out of the year to give them an idea of what it's like to be underprivileged and not have any. Watch Jordin promoting the cause below:





Jordin was so excited that she flashed her bare foot at the camera. This is just the latest cause Jordin has taken up, including Making a Difference (MAD).

>Randy Jackson appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Monday to discuss the show and ended up discussing the love (and lackthereof) demonstrated among the judges. Randy joked that they all make out with each other between commercial breaks. Watch snippets of the the segment below:





Leno then surprised Randy with old footage of Ellen DeGeneres kissing Leno years ago on Tonight, followed by a photo of what looked like Randy and Ryan Seacrest were about to smooch. Apparently the two were engaged in a fake "shouting match."

>Ryan Seacrest was one Ellen on Tuesday, where he dished on all things Idol with the show's host and fourth wheel Idol judge Ellen DeGeneres. Watch a clip from his segment below:





Ryan was asked by an audience member what's going on between him and Simon, and he attributed their weird relationship this season to them being "roommates" before saying they were friends. Ellen said during commercial breaks she walks behind the stage with the other judges while Simon goes to have a smoke. Very insightful.

>Blake Lewis sent out an email to his fans this week asking for support in the hopes of releasing a vinyl version of his latest release Heartbreak on Vinyl. Per his email:

I really want to get my album out to you on Vinyl, but I really, really, really need all of your help. It's all up to you guys and gals.

You are the greatest fans and I'm so thankful for all of your continued support and love for my music.

So, help me and the lovely people at my label Tommy Boy to make a decision by clicking here, and answering 3 very simple questions.

So unless you don't want Blake's album title to not make sense, you better help him out by answering those three very important questions.

>Michael Sarver exclusively premiered the album art for his next single and track list for his forthcoming album Michael Sarver on AINow.org this week. The track list is below:

1. Watch Me
2. Baby I Want You
3. Ferris Wheel
4. Gonna Be A Good Night
5. Safe
6. Give It To Me
7. I'm In The Mood
8. Let Me Love You
9. Cinderella Girl ( Remix)
10. The Way She Loves Me
11. Always Surviving
12. Tell Me
13. You Are (Remix)

The album is set for a June 29 release, while his next single, "Ferris Wheel," gets a May 25 digital release. Maybe he's going for a Carnival Ride type thing?

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IDOL LIVE Blog - Top 10 Perform (3/30/10)

Tonight the Top 10 finalists try to recover from last week's embarrassing showing and turn to songs from the R&B/Soul catalog (they got to choose from around 100). Usher serves as the guest mentor, which is a few steps above who they had to turn to for advice one week ago.

Please feel free to add your two cents throughout the two-hour blogcast, with coverage starting just prior to 8 p.m. ET.

Tonight's blogcast features the music of Adam Lambert, Chikezie, Diana DeGarmo, Gina Glocksen, Jason Castro, Jordin Sparks, Kris Allen, Melissa McGhee and Michael Johns.

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'Idol' Hot 100: Kris Allen's "Live Like We're Dying" #19 (3/27/10)

There was near unanimous positive movement among tracks by Idol alums on Billboard's Hot 100 chart for the chart week of March 27.

Kicking things off at #19 was Kris Allen's single "Live Like We're Dying," which marks the second time it as appeared in the Top 20 (it debuted at #18 last September). Nipping at its heels was "Whataya Want From Me" by Adam Lambert, having another week of upward movement thanks to a #25-22 climb.

Up next was Daughtry's "Life After You," which has seen some good airplay gains recently. It was up three spots to #36. Carrie Underwood did the boys one better, as her "Temporary Home" advanced by four spots to #44.

And Artists for Haiti's "We Are the World" charity single featuring Jordin Sparks, Jennifer Hudson and Katharine McPhee among others, saw its last week on the chart, was it collapsed #66-96. So much for trying to recreate the success of the original 25 years ago.

Full chart positions courtesy of Billboard are posted below:

Hot 100
19 20 Kris Allen, "Live Like We're Dying"
22 25 Adam Lambert, "Whataya Want From Me"
36 39 Daughtry, "Life After You"
44 48 Carrie Underwood, "Temporary Home"
96 66 Artists for Haiti, "We Are The World 25: For Haiti"

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'Idol' odds 'n ends: Danny Gokey chats with Walmart Soundcheck about 'My Best Days'

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

>After an exceptional first week for his debut album My Best Days, Danny Gokey sat down with Walmart Soundcheck to discuss the songs on the album. Watch a teaser of his interview below:

The full interview can be watched here. Danny talks about how he thinks "I Will Not Say Goodbye" will change the music industry and that there's an energy he needs to create in the studio whereas when he's in front of the crowd it comes naturally. He also discusses how he was raised in church growing up and his family life in general.

>Former Idol judge Paula Abdul will apparently not be starring as host and judge on ABC's upcoming revival of Star Search. According to RadarOnline.com:

But negotiations with ABC broke down Wednesday night a network source told RadarOnline.com.

“A deadline was given and no agreement was reached,” the source told RadarOnline.com.

“And she was offered a lot of money.”

The network wants to air the show this season.

As of right now the deal is dead. It is theoretically possible it could be brought back to life but the source said that’s highly unlikely.

“No, it looks like we hit the end of the road with Paula,” said the source.

This is probably for the better, though. Anyone remember Paula's experiment with hosting VH1's Divas special last September? Let's just say it wasn't her shining moment. On the flip side, this opens her up to be a solid contender to serve as judge on Simon Cowell's American version of his hit show X Factor, which comes to FOX in the fall of 2011.

>As for news about current Idol judges, Kara DioGuardi was the third judge to appear on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno since Leno returned to latenight, as she sat down on his couch on Monday alongside Terry Bradshaw. Watch her interview segment below:



Kara discussed a few interesting topics, including her father's announcement that he would be running for U.S. senate in New York and who she thinks is the front runner (Big Mike). She said at the beginning of the season she thought it was a girl's year but now thinks it's a guy's year.

>Fresh off his reunion duet with Matt Giraud on last week's results show, Scott MacIntyre hit the press junket to promote his new album Heartstrings, including an interview on the Los Angeles FOX affiliate morning program Good Day LA. Watch the segment below:



Scott recalled his experiences on the Idol tour and told the show's co-hosts about an upcoming trip to Japan and his Christmas show with Alice Cooper.

>Jordin Sparks performed in concert at the Star of Texas Rodeo in Austin on Tuesday. The show marked the last time one of her backup singers, Season 3 12th-place finalist Leah LaBelle, would be supporting her on the road. Watch the two duet on "No Air" below:



It has not yet been revealed what Leah plans to do now in terms of music. Jordin will kick off the spring/summer leg of her Battlefield 2010 tour in Atlantic City on Sat., April 24.

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