Keeping up with RJ Helton

Although it's hard to believe now, RJ Helton was just four places away from being named the first ever winner of American Idol back in 2002, as he placed fifth.

He started out recording inspirational music, as he released a Contemporary Christian album called Real Life in 2004, which sold roughly 20k copies and featured songs like "Even If," "Secrets" and "Come On Over," the latter two of which are currently on his official music MySpace page.

Back in October 2006, RJ came out to a SIRIUS radio station's morning show, saying he was no longer performing inspirational music because

"I can have a faith but can't be who I want to be. So a lot of it was just personal things I needed to overcome and just be proud of who I was. … Just because I am gay does not mean I can't love God."

RJ has most recently been participating in small Idol shows, as he performed at the Razz Room in San Francisco, Calif., back in August 2008 with fellow alums Trenyce and Julia DeMato, among others.

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Please note: IDOL LIVE's "keeping up with" weekly series will be put on hiatus beginning next week until further notice. Another series, called "flashback," will be installed in its place.

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Keeping up with Matt Rogers

When Idol's third season 11th-place finalist, Matt Rogers, was eliminated back in 2004 after giving a less than amazing performance of Lonestar's "Amazed," no one was really surprised. Although the personable former football player had an all-star character, his vocals just did not make the cut. Watch his performance below:

Matt has taken what he learned from his appearance on Idol and centered on more of a television career than a music one, something few finalists actually pursue following their departures. Matt started out being a correspondent on various TV magazines like Entertainment Tonight and Access Hollywood, and even co-hosted finalists' home parties on finale night in seasons following his own.

But it is Discovery Channel that Matt now calls home, as he has been hosting the reality series Really Big Things on the network since 2007.

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Keeping up with Nicole Tranquillo

She had an early exit in the sixth season of Idol, but Philadelphia's own Nicole Tranquillo did not let the judges' harsh comments about her "scream-thru" of a Top 24 performance tear her down.

Refresh your memory on the Top 24 semifinalist and primary casualty of Season 6 by watching her take on "Stay" below:

The odd song choice may have ended her chances on Idol, but Nicole has been influenced by the song's style in her own musical ventures. She currently has a few tracks up on her official music MySpace page, as "Like No Other" has a reggae/ska flavor and could definitely be marketable if she were to be picked up by a label. Other original songs by Nicole include "Let Her Breathe" and "The Sauce."

Nicole has been making appearances as of late, most of them being private engagements. Her next appearance will be at the Caplan Recital Room in Philadelphia, Pa., on Mon., March 2.

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Keeping up with Amanda Avila

Back in 2005, many pegged Amanda Avila as a dark horse during the semifinals of the fourth season of Idol. Despite the high hopes, it was not her time, as Amanda finished in the Top 16 with an underwhelming take on Gloria Estefan's "Turn the Beat Around."

The former Vegas showgirl did manage to find some extra screen time on FOX Reality Channel's Reality Remix, which basically was a half hour version of The Soup's "Reality Show Clip Time" segment and was hosted by former MTV veejay Lisa Kennedy Montgomery. On the show, Amanda served as a correspondent until it ended in May 2008.

Amanda found herself being hounded by the paparazzi (actually just a paparazzo) when she was out with Blake Lewis and friends back in October 2007. Watch the cameraman's proud work below:

In addition to her experimentation in TV, Amanda has cut a few tracks of her own, which can be listened to on her official music MySpace page. She seems to be pursuing a career in dance music, as her trance cover of 38 Special's "Second Chance" is definitely something that could be heard in a New York City club. She has also recorded two original songs called "Dirty Love" and "Alright Tonight" that are also in the bland club banging category.

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Keeping up with Elliott Yamin

Elliott Yamin had a banner year in 2007 with the success of his self-titled debut, which went gold and has sold approximately 518k copies to date. Now, the soulful fifth season second runner-up is going for a repeat in 2009.

Newly signed to the Croshal Entertainment Group (CEG), Elliott just finished working on his sophomore album, which is slated for a May 5 release after being delayed two months from its original March 2009 due date. On the album, he worked with such industry icons as Diane Warren and Jermaine Dupri to assist with songwriting and production. It was reported that Midi Mafia also collaborated with Elliott. Listen to "Be Apart" below, a demo that is likely to appear on his yet-to-be titled album:

The yet-to-be determined first single is scheduled for a February release, which makes it seem like he will be vying for a performance slot on an Idol episode this season. Another demo that recently leaked is "The Bridge Is Burning," which also stands a good chance at making the final cut of the album.

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Keeping up with Alaina Alexander

Season 6's Top 20 semifinalist Alaina Alexander was never able to stand out amongst a crowded field back in 2007, but she is taking her subsequent career one step at a time.

In addition to manning her own official music MySpace page, Alaina also has a YouTube account where she features intimate performances of original songs like "Sunday Afternoon" and "Sunshine."

Alaina has been out performing in more places than just her bedroom. She has appeared at Los Angeles-area club venues to perform with fellow Idol semifinalist Amanda Avila (Season 3) such as the song "Ode to LA."

On the recording front, Alaina has three songs including "Bad Name," "Believe" and "How I Feel," featured on the second volume of Curtain Call - New Songs from Past American Idol Finalists, which is available on iTunes.

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Keeping up with Ramiele Malubay

Season 7's 4' 11", ninth-place finalist, Ramiele Malubay, is a big star back in her native Philippines following her stint on Idol. In the U.S., however, she is not nearly as popular. But that has not stopped her from pursuing a career in music.

Ramiele has released three original songs available to purchase for $0.99 each on her official Web site, from "Kaya," the single that is being sent to Filipino radio, to "More to Me" and "Here I Am." She also released "We Are One (At Christmas)" on her site for the Christmas season.

Getting back to the Philippines, Ramiele performed at the Aliw Theater Concerts from Dec. 20-21, 2008. She was also nominated for the 2008 JC Penney Asian Excellence Awards in the Favorite TV Personality category. Next up for Ramiele? And album with a release date to be determined.

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Keeping up with John Stevens

Idol's signature red-haired crooner John Stevens made the show's third season popular for reasons he probably would not like to remember. After generating such memorable performances as "Crockodile Rock" and "King of the Road," the then-16-year-old delivered spectacles that would make Sanjaya jealous.

But John's vocal talents were the kind that could not been heard on an Elton John track, and so he was given a bad wrap while on the show. Still he was able to finish sixth, which is a testament to his appeal to many across the country. This led to a record deal with Maverick Records in 2005, courtesy of which he released his debut album Red. The album, which was produced by David Foster, did well enough to make it into Billboard's Top 10 Jazz albums chart but failed to muster much in the form of sales, totaling roughly 21k copies since its release.

John's debut single was "Come Fly With Me," a cover of Frank Sinatra's 1957 hit. He also covered Maroon 5's "This Love" and The Beatles' "Here, There and Everywhere."

After departing Maverick, John joined his fellow Season 3 alum Leah LaBelle at Berklee College of Music in Boston where his is now a student and should graduate in 2010.

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Keeping up with Nikki McKibbin

Nikki McKibbin, Idol's original red-haired rocker chick, has recently kept busy on the reality TV circuit, ending up right back where her career started.

Nikki's run on VH1's Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew just wrapped up airing on Dec. 18, but she has already agreed to take part in a spin-off series called Sober House in which her post-rehab activities will be monitored with those of other celebrities that appeared on the predecessor in a "controlled environment." Other celebs that are slated to live in the house are Mary Carey (not to be confused with Mariah), Andy Dick and Rodney King among others. Sober House will premiere on VH1 on Jan. 15, 2009.

On the music front, Nikki put out her debut album Unleashed in 2007 courtesy of Chenoa Records. She released "The Lie" as a single and even filmed a music video for the song.

Nikki also has a track featured on the Idol compilation American Christmas, which was released Nov. 25. She can be heard singing "Alone with the Christmas Lights."

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Keeping up with Lindsey Cardinale

Known to Idol fans as the girl that "knocked on wood" on the fourth season of the show, 23-year-old Lindsey Cardinale has moved on from her 12-place finish and tackling disco tunes and has transitioned to the country genre instead in an attempt to reconnect with her southern roots.

Lindsey has put out a few singles since first getting noticed by the public back in 2005 including "Drive" and "Nothin' Like a Dream" and "Let It Rain" featuring Stephen Cochran. The two former songs can be listened to on her official music MySpace page along with her cover of "You Were Always On My Mind."

Lindsey is currently working on her debut album with producer Paul Jackson and was left record label-less following a brief stint with Aria Records in 2007. In the meantime, Lindsey recorded the Christmas classic "Away In a Manger" for the Idol Christmas compilation American Christmas, which was released on Nov. 25.

Lindsey became friends with Carrie Underwood while on Idol and the two remain friends to this day.

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Keeping up with Frenchie Davis

Season 2's outspoken Aretha-like axed contestant Frenchie Davis was an early front runner until racy photos of her leaked. Despite the fact that she was never really able to compete on Idol the way she was supposed to, Frenchie has been able to secure a foothold in the entertainment industry regardless and has become a person of authority when it comes to discussing the show.

Like many Idol alums, Frenchie has found her niche in musical theatre. Having played a multitude of parts in the Broadway production of RENT beginning in 2003, Frenchie was perhaps best know for the soloist in "Seasons of Love." After taking a break to play the role of Effie in a west coast tour of Dreamgirls in 2004 prior to Jennifer Hudson immortalizing the role, Frenchie returned to RENT where she stayed until May 2007.

Frenchie has taken time to experiment in the recording studio as well, where she has recorded "Silent Night" for the Idol compilation album American Christmas, which was released Nov. 25.

She can now be found starring in the 30th anniversary national tour of Ain't Misbehavin', which will is scheduled to run until spring 2009. Former fellow Season 2 alums Ruben Studdard and Trenyce are also starring in the production.

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Keeping up with Trenyce

Season 2's fifth-place finisher Trenyce has transitioned from soulfully serenading millions on Idol in 2003 to wowing audiences in musical theatre.

Following her departure from Idol, Trenyce was a frequent "talking head" on cable news shows like CNN Headline News' Showbiz Tonight to comment on all things involving the show, whether the topics were controversies or just analysis from a former finalist.

She was then able to foray into musical theatre, where she is currently expressing her talents in the national tour of Ain't Misbehavin', which kicked off in Elmira, N.Y. on Nov. 6. The show also stars Trenyce's fellow Season 2 peers Ruben Studdard and Frenchie Davis and just wrapped up its leg in Atlanta, Ga.

Trenyce and Frenchie also share a common bond in the fact that both are featured on the Christmas compilation American Christmas, which hits stores nationwide tomorrow. She is featured singing "Joy to the World." You can also listen to five of her original songs on her official music MySpace page.

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