'Idol' odds 'n ends: Lee DeWyze performs "Hallelujah" on 'The View'

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

>Continuing in his "Idols Live!" tour-promoting mode, Lee DeWyze stopped by The View on Monday for a brief chat with co-hosts Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Sherri Shepherd in addition to an acoustic performance of "Hallelujah." Watch the segment below:

Lee didn't have much to say in the interview, but that's not surprising considering the questions he was fielded. Luckily, he delivered an alright performance to make up for it.

>Also on The View this week was Clay Aiken, who served as guest co-host on Tuesday's episode. Surprisingly, Clay "cussed" during a segment in which the ladies discussed spoiled children (or something to that effect). Watch Clay's exit interview in which he apologizes below:



The full episode can be viewed on ABC's website. Clay is planning to begin his "Timeless Tour" with fellow Season 2 alum Ruben Studdard on Fri., July 23 in Asheville, N.C., on which he will promote his new album Tired & True.

>Katharine McPhee promoted her work with the campaign being sponsored by ConAgra Foods and Feeding America on Friday's episode of On the Record with Greta Van Susteren on FOX News Channel. Watch the segment below:



In addition to talking about the campaign, Kat also said she will spend roughly three months putting together her upcoming yet-to-be-titled Christmas album, which she already began recording.

>Kris Allen took a break from his tour with The Barenaked Ladies on Thursday to finally film the music video for his current single "The Truth" in the California desert, however before much could get filmed, rain canceled the operation. Kris was set to film the video with his love interest, model Cindy Vela, and Pat Monahan of Train, but according to one of Kris' recent tweets, it will resume on Monday.

Photos from the set of the shoot were released, however, showing that Kris' wife, Katy, is standing by to show him some support.

>David Cook posted one of his world famous vlogs this week to tease fans about his upcoming release. It basically consists of black and white shots of recording sessions in the studio. Watch the vlog below:



David sang roughly six seconds of a new track, which turns out to be David Hodges' "Hard to Believe."

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'Idol' odds 'n ends: Kris Allen, Jordin Sparks to perform at Z100's Jingle Ball tonight

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

>Tonight marks the biggest Jingle Ball of all, as New York City's Z100 Jingle Ball takes place at Madison Square Garden. Among the list of artists are none other than Kris Allen and Jordin Sparks. Other artists scheduled to perform include Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Boys Like Girls. More content on the Jingle Ball can be found on Madison Square Garden's official site including photos and video from past shows with other Idol alums.

Last night at another Jingle Ball hosted by fellow clear channel station, Boston's Kiss 108, Bieber helped Jordin out on "No Air," as he sang Chris Brown's part of the duet. Watch a bad-quality fan video below:

Jordin will next perform at the Y100 Jingle Ball in Miami tomorrow night, which will be co-hosted by Adam Lambert.

>Speaking of Adam, he was busy this week being named one of Barbara Walters's "10 Most Fascinating People of 2009," an annual TV special that aired on ABC Wednesday night. His segment lasted about two and a half minutes and can be viewed below:



Adam's interview and performance of "Whataya Want From Me" on The View also aired this week in which he said his "Dreidel spins the other way."

>While getting paid an insane amount to perform in the Cove Atlantis resort in the Bahamas last weekend, Carrie Underwood was caught by TMZ's cameras on Monday while she was relaxing on the beach. Watch below:



Carrie always seems to gain attention when she's out on the beach. Wonder why?

>In other Carrie news, she announced her 2010 tour promoting her latest album Play On. The tour will kick off on Thurs., March 11, at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pa., and will conclude on Sun., May 30, at the Spokane Arena in Spokane, Wash. Opening acts include Craig Morgan and Sons of Sylvia, the later of whom helped out Carrie on her track "What Can I Say." Billboard has a full list of dates and destinations.

>Jessica Sierra became the latest parent in the Idol world, as she gave birth to Kayden Cash Sierra on Sat., Dec. 5, at UCLA Medical Center. She told RadarOnline.com:

"Things happen in life, and don't let your past get you down. You can always overcome -- you can overcome anything you want to and be a better person. Don't let people tell you that you can't."

The baby's father is apparently an ex-boyfriend. IDOL LIVE wishes Jessica the best in her new role as mother.

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'Idol' odds 'n ends: Jennifer Hudson gets Christmas special on ABC

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

>It was announced this week that Jennifer Hudson will have her very own Christmas music special in December on ABC. Per Reuters:

"Jennifer Hudson: I'll Be Home for Christmas" will air in December and feature the singer-actress reliving her childhood holidays with musical performances filmed in locations specific to her youth: the Oscar winner's church, music academy and other Chicago locations.

No word yet on when the special will air.

>Former Idol judge Paula Abdul has been keeping up appearances, this week sitting in the audience at Dancing with the Stars for the performance episode on Monday. Watch Marie Osmond interview Paula backstage for Entertainment Tonight below:



During the live broadcast, co-host Tom Bergeron chatted with Paula for a few seconds, and she managed to suggest she and judge Carrie Ann Inaba make out in that short time frame. Needless to say, it didn't happen.

>Chris Daughtry revealed that he is helping out another Idol alum on his debut effort. Chris tweeted about his songwriting with Kris Allen for his upcoming release, saying:

So as you know...the rumor about me writing with Kris Allen for his record is true! Fingers crossed it makes the record:) It's a good one!!

As for what Kris had to say about working with the big D, he told EW.com's Michael Slezak in an interview published Wednesday:

Chris is great. He reached out to me early on, during the show, I think during top-4 week. He gave me his number and was telling me if I needed anything to just give him a call. He was a really, really nice guy, and he kind of knew what I was going through, and was just kind of rooting for me. And now we have the same manager, so that makes it easy.

Kris wouldn't go into detail about what the song sounds like, but it isn't hard to imagine the kind of material Chris could come up with for the most recent Idol winner.

>Kelly Clarkson took time out during her busy tour schedule to chat and perform at The View yesterday. Kelly had lots to say regarding some of her more outspoken comments as of late, including her "letter" to Kanye West immediately following his outburst at MTV's VMA Awards last month. Watch the segment below:



Kelly also performed her current single "Already Gone," once again opting for the stripped version rather than the "Halo"-esque one that stirred up controversy this summer.

>David Archuleta sat down with former 80s teen idol Rick Springfield for People.com's "Up Close" segment in which they discussed what it's like to be a teen heartthrob. Watch the segment below:



Rick's advice to David? As long as he stays true and has a good family life, he should be all set. Words to live by, those are.

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Daughtry performs on 'Today'

On the day of their sophomore album's release, the guys from Daughtry took to a packed Rockefeller Plaza to perform a few songs for fans. Watch the band perform "No Surprise" below:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Daughtry also performed "Home" and "It's Not Over." The guys will continue with their busy week of promo tomorrow with a performance and sit-down on The View.

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Kara outs Adam on 'The View'?

Alright, so if there's anyone out there who still has questions about Adam Lambert and his sexuality, Kara might have cleared a few things up for them. Or did she?

Appearing on The View Friday morning, Kara was asked a myriad of pointed questions by co-hosts Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Barbara Walters, and when it came to a question about Adam and the media hailstorm surrounding his sexuality, Kara went the extra mile in stating:

"I don't think that Adam [Lambert] was ever in [the closet]."

This frankness caught Walters by surprise, as she then asked "Do you really think he was openly out?" and she said "I think he was...I never thought he wasn't." Watch the interview segment below:



Kara was also asked about whether or not she will be returning to the show next season as a judge, and she said she didn't know yet. Maybe this preemption of the Rolling Stone cover issue featuring Adam will be the final nail in the coffin making sure she doesn't return?

But maybe not. Last night, Adam was photographed leaving a club in West Hollywood while holding hands with a man named Drake LaBry, who has long been speculated to be his boyfriend. Either way, won't Adam become a lot less interesting in the eyes of the media once he finally does come out? It seems the media wants to discuss nothing but this one controversy, and it's getting boring.

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'Idol' odds 'n ends: Cook like his "Pork Beans"

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

>David Cook's first webisode documenting his first solo tour was posted on his official Web site last night, titled "Pork Beans." Watch it below:

>Jennifer Hudson took home another three awards last night at the 40th annual NAACP Image Awards, which were broadcast on FOX. She also performed "The Impossible Dream," which can be viewed below:



The three categories she won in were Outstanding Album, Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration and Outstanding New Artist. She also took the stage with her co-stars to accept and award for Outstanding Motion Picture for The Secret Lives of Bees.

>The women of ABC's The View yesterday had a few words to say about Simon Cowell slighting Kristen McNamara during the Top 36 reveal episode on Wednesday, as they defended Kristen for being a little on the hefty side (or as Sherri said, she had "a little more flesh").

>Katharine McPhee sent out a follow-up bulletin last night on her official music MySpace page thanking her fans for sending in their suggestions for her new official Web site. In the bulletin, Kat said:

There were so many suggestions that I am thrilled as to what we will come up with in the future. Because there is a lot going on and I am traveling a lot, it is going to take a little time to get everything up and running but we are all working on it. A week doesn’t go by that we don’t meet to put ideas down for when we get everything going. By the way, the label was incredibly excited about how many suggestions came in.

Kat said she would definitely put some vlogs out in the near future, as the was the number one request, and also thanked her fans for being patient.

>Out of Orlando and now in the Bahamas, Kelly Clarkson today filled some spots on three radio stations' morning shows, as she spoke with KISS FM 103.5, Z100 and Kidd Kraddick ahead of her four day-long performance committment to Z100 in the caribbean.

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Kat performs "Somewhere" on 'The View'

Katharine McPhee was on The View this morning with producer David Foster to promote his new CD/DVD Hit Man: David Foster & Friends, which dropped last week. She performed "Somewhere," which is one of the tracks on the album. Watch the performance below:



The David Foster & Friends special that was taped back in May will air on PBS sometime in December.

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'Idol' odds 'n ends: Michael Johns to release "Another Christmas"

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

>Michael Johns will release a Christmas song to iTunes on Dec. 9 called "Another Christmas." Proceeds will go to an unnamed charity.

>Jennifer Hudson yesterday posted a blog entry on her official music MySpace page thanking fans for their support during this difficult time. The message read:

I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughts and prayers during
this difficult time. My sister and I take great comfort and strength from your
love and concern.jhud

>An anonymous source told OK! magazine that Paula Abdul wants off Idol after the upcoming eighth season so that she can "develop new TV projects." Suddenly the Kara DioGuardi hire doesn't seem so odd.

>David Cook did some charity work the week before the release of his debut album when he attended the fourth annual Do the Wright Thing gala at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City, where he performed. Proceeds raised at the event benefit New York Mets third baseman David Wright's charity.

>It was announced that Katharine McPhee will perform "Somewhere" on The View on Wed., Nov. 19.

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Jennifer Hudson on 'The View'

Jennifer Hudson appeared on The View this morning to promote her self-titled album, which hits stores nationwide tomorrow. During her appearance on the show, Jennifer showed off her new ring and talked about her wedding plans. When asked by Barbara Walters if she was a "singer who acts or an actress who sings," Jennifer said she was "still trying to figure that out." Watch the interview below:



Jennifer also performed "Spotlight" at the end of the show. Listen to Jennifer's album in its entirety on her official site.

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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."

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