Constantine: Soap Gig Awesome

In an interview with the Knoxville News Sentinel Constan-
tine Maroulis says his recurring role as music producer Constan-
tine Parros on "The Bold and the Beautiful" has "been awesome."

"It's a good gig, and they've bent over backward for me. They've featured my music on the show and written me into the main storyline."

Maroulis, 31, who will perform at StarJam 2007 on July 4 in Pigeon Forge, saw the soap stint as a good way to promote his upcoming album, "Constantine," which will be released Aug. 7. (The first single, "Everybody Loves," already is available on iTunes.)

"I think they wanted to gear the audience a little younger this summer and sort of shake things up a bit," says Maroulis, who was pleased to discover that "B&B" executive producer Brad Bell was a fan. "When he called, I'd been finishing up the album in New York, had done some Broadway this year and such, and it just was perfect timing."

While Maroulis gained the national spotlight as a singer on "Idol" in 2005, he was well-prepared to take on an acting challenge. Born in Brooklyn and reared in New Jersey, he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in musical theater from the Boston Conservatory while concurrently minoring in voice at the Berklee College of Music.

Prior to "Idol," he spent two years portraying Roger Davis in a touring company of "Rent." He finished 2006 by co-starring in the Broadway musical "The Wedding Singer" and started 2007 by performing Off-Broadway in "Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris" for six weeks.

A veteran of high-school garage bands, Maroulis was the lead singer for the rock band Pray for the Soul of Betty when he auditioned for "Idol" (he left the group in March 2006). He came to the talent competition with years of performing experience, unlike many contestants best known for singing in the shower, but he didn't find the dichotomy awkward.

"I think it certainly worked for me," he says by cell phone as he waits for his flight to board at Los Angeles International Airport. "I think the energy that I bring to the stage and the work I like to do is about connecting to the audience in a cerebral, heartfelt way, not just blowing them away with a voice or looks or anything like that.

"I'm experienced, and I've traveled the world, and I've seen a lot of things. With other people, they [pick] certain performers that are fresh off the boat, off the farm or plucked out of the mall or whatever. It's just a different path from some other people, that’s all."

After six weeks of impressing viewers as a finalist with such numbers as "Bohemian Rhapsody," "I Can't Make You Love Me" and "I Think I Love You,"” Maroulis was voted off "Idol" during a shocking results show following his performance the night before of Nickelback’s "How You Remind Me."

"The song was not right for me," says the singer, who was the season's sixth-place finisher. "But that was what was meant to be."

He views his "Idol" experience as positive.

"I went into it with an open mind and open heart, and I did my best," he says. "I've been very blessed since then. I can't complain. I've gotten to do everything I've wanted to do.

"Now I'm gearing up for this record — spent a lot of time on it, started my own label, handpicked musicians, the producers, the writers. Collaborated with some great people. There's a lot of blood, sweat and tears on this record.

"[I'm] not worried about winning contests and things. [I'm] just interested in doing good work and pushing forward."

Well good for him. But, honestly, after listening to "Everybody Loves," we have to say it was hardly worth a two-year wait. It's mediocre pop pap. Listen and judge for yourself.

DAUGHTRY GOES TRIPLE PLATINUM

According to IGN.com, Season 5 fourth-place finisher Chris Daughtry's eponymous debut album has been certified triple platinum (selling in excess of 3 million copies) by the RIAA and as such has been deemed the biggest selling album of 2007 thus far. It is the first album to achieve triple platinum status in the past six months.

The album was propelled to triple platinum sales on the wings of Daughtry's hit singles "It's Not Over" and "Home."

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© 2007

Taylor Hicks Rocks Atlanta

According to WSBTV, "American Idol" 2006 winner Taylor Hicks rocked through Atlanta last night. He hit the Southern Star Stage at Six Flags performing before hundreds of fans.

The road is nothing new for the Alabama native. Long before American Idol fame came calling, he was hitting the roads all across the southeast, playing in bands since he was 19 years old. He adds that touring back then has prepared him for the lifestyle now, a lifestyle that includes performing at night, sleeping during the day from time to time, and plenty of time of the open road.

While some past contestants of American Idol have been quick to abandon their ties to the show, not so for Hicks. He says he understands what a great opportunity performing on American Idol in front of millions was, and he continues to learn more and more about it each day.

From here, Hicks continues the tour, a tour he describes as high impact soul aerobics, a modern day approach to soul. Next month, Hicks the artist turns into Hicks the author. He's got a new book coming out called "Heart Full Of Soul." In it, he tells how a gray-haired guy beat the odds, finding his own voice and seizing the opportunity when it came his way.

Don't miss the slideshow and video from Hicks' performance on the WSBTV Web site.

ELLIOTT YAMIN PLANNING 2nd CD

An interview with Elliott Yamin from the Arizona Daily Star:

Nobody can say Elliott Yamin isn't doing it his way. "American Idol" passed on the third-place vocalist in 2006 when producers doled out Season Five record contracts, but the 28-year-old soon worked out a publishing deal with Sony/ATV and now has a self-titled hit album on the Billboard independent charts.

You went on a nationwide arena tour with the "Idol" finalists after the show ended. Now, you are playing smaller venues on your own. Do you prefer one or the other?

The arenas were great. I had a blast doing those. Who wouldn't like to get up in front of 16,000 people every night back-to-back-to-back. At the same time, I really enjoy doing these small clubs and theaters. It is more intimate. You get to really interact with the crowd. Dare I say I probably do prefer this kind of tour we are doing here.

You keep in touch with your fellow Season Fivers?

I keep in touch with quite a few people. Bucky [Covington] and Taylor [Hicks] were my best friends on the show. I talked to Taylor probably about a week ago when we were in St. Louis and Bucky a couple of weeks ago. I talk to Ace [Young] all the time. Ace has probably become one of my better friends post-show. He lives in L.A., pretty close to where I live. We talk about more personal stuff than the business stuff. Everyone has been so busy, they just want some normalcy.

Do you feel recording independently from the "American Idol" machine has been to your advantage?

Absolutely. I've been involved every step of the way with every facet of this project from co-writing songs to picking out the sequencing on the record to trying to help pick where I wanted to go on tour. Everything from top to bottom. I am a partner in my own deal. I have more vested in this. I don't have to go out and sell 2-3 million records to be successful.

What did you want to achieve with your first solo album?

I just wanted to bring raw, soulful music. I didn't want it to get overproduced or sound too copy. There is an eclectic mix of sounds on the record. I wanted to work with as many people as I could and have as many different sounds as I could. There are some sounds on there for the blue hairs, for the young folks and for everyone in between. Had I been on a major label, I wouldn't have been able to record that way. I am proud of how we accomplished it. I am looking forward to the next record.

You were diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when you were 16 years old. Now, you are a celebrity advocate for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. How does it feel to hold such a title?

I think it is very important. A lot of people align my struggle with calling me a role model. I don't know if I necessarily want to be one, but I definitely want to be a voice. I've had my struggles with it when I was younger. I know what it was like to have diabetic seizures. I know what it is like to be at your lowest point.

Maintaining it on the road is very challenging. You learn how to cope with the different ways and different situations. It is just a matter of checking my blood sugar more often. I wear an insulin pump. It is more conducive to my lifestyle, which is always on the go.

Any projects on the horizon?

I did a big Christmas deal with Target. I will be recording that album in July. We go out on the road and do the second leg of the tour in August and September. Then it is on to the next album.

JOSH GRACIN: I DON'T SEE MYSELF AS A CELEBRITY

Excerpts from an interview with Season 2 finalist Josh Gracin in the Walker Country Messenger:

"When I'm up on stage it's like a whole new world for me. I love performing. I'm a firm believer that it's really great for a singer to have a good voice, but to bring it to another level you have to draw the audience in and make them a part of the music, make them feel what you’re feeling."

Born and raised in Westland, Mich., about 30 minutes west of Detroit, Gracin grew up listening to his parents’ favorites: Elvis, the Beatles and the vintage rock and pop on a local station. Then, when he was 11, the station’s format changed to country.

"In the weeks and months after that, I really fell in love with country music. Listening to Garth Brooks, Joe Diffie, George Strait and Randy Travis, I really started getting into it," he said.

After high school, he enlisted in the Marines. About two years into his four-year term of the Marines, he saw the first "American Idol" show.

"I hadn't sung in a couple of years because I was in the Marines, and I thought it might be a good chance for me to get back out there and sing," he said.

"I don't see myself as a celebrity at all. I'm very shy and not all that self-confident, and I feel like an ordinary person, a normal guy who's very approachable. And if I get a little carried away, I’ve got my wife to keep me humble and bring me back down to earth."

TODAY'S VIDEOS

Watch video of Taylor Hicks singing "Don't Let Me Down" Wednesday at the NorVa in Norfolk, Va.:


Click here for other videos from the same concert.

Watch video of Bucky Covington at the Lincoln Theatre June 14:


Watch video of Jasmine Trias singing "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from "Dreamgirls" at the June 15, 2007 Inspiration Concert in Toronto:


Watch Mandisa seeing her CD single, "Only the World," for the first time:


And listen to "Only the World" here.

Watch Brad Paisley video "Online," which is not only funny, but features a slew of guest appearances, including Jason Alexander, William Shatner and Kellie Pickler, who is currently touring with Paisley:


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© 2007

Blake Lewis: I'm Not Gay

The insinuations have been around for months: Blake Lewis is gay; Blake Lewis and Chris Richardson are an item. What gives? Well, someone finally decided ask him *ahem* straight out: When Blake was a guest on the "Johnjay & Rich Morning Show" in Arizona yesterday, he addressed the issue with the radio deejays, saying "I'm definitely not gay. I'm straight. I'll scream it out loud." So there.

BLAKE AND JORDIN NOT AN ITEM (WELL, DUH!)

As long as we're *teehee* straightening out rumors about Blake Lewis, let's put this one to rest as well: He and Jordin Sparks are just friends, nothing more. Last week, TMZ.com tried to heat up their relationship by suggesting that they were a couple because they've been spotted getting cozy, holding hands and smooching. That was enough to pose the query even though it seemed a bit unbelievable. According to The National Ledger, AOL music, in an AIM interview with Jordin, asked her whether she and Blake were an "item," and and the budding young star set the record straight and said once and for all that she'

"No, Blake is one of my best friends, but we don't see each other like that," she says. "Yes, we hold hands, but we DON'T see each other that way. Yes, he's cute, duh, [but] he's also 8-9 years older than me. He's like an older brother."

RYAN SEACREST: THE KING OF MULTITASKING

The UK's Guardian interviewed Ryan Seacrest. Here are some excerpts:

Unless you're a scandal-drunk, celeb-happy devotee of E! News, which goes out daily on satellite and cable in the UK, you may never have heard of Ryan Seacrest. In the United States however, he is ubiquitous and as instantly recognizable as the president -- and, in some quarters, almost as fiercely derided.

With his famous dyed, gelled hair and its distinctive, oft-mocked Tintin cowlick, he's the well-scrubbed embodiment of the PG-rated American pop mainstream. He is also a carefully sculpted brand, each gig part of an overarching strategy to build his own TV and radio empire. He's already halfway up a ladder it took other men - some of them former heroes of his who are now his friends, and whose jobs he has inherited - five times as long to climb.

Seacrest is a driven workaholic. "Failure? Scared to death of it," he says. "When I moved here from Atlanta at 20 in 1994, I packed my car and told my parents if I didn't make it I'd move back within a year. I knew I didn't ever want to have that conversation. Mine's a pretty simple strategy: there's not a lot of talent here, but there's a lot of hustle. I have to be in every place I can, and be busy. And why wouldn't I want to maximize this opportunity? It'd be crazy to be lazy."

He's up at 4 a.m. most days to host his nationally syndicated, market-leading radio show, "On Air With Ryan Seacrest," a coveted nationwide morning slot on KIIS-FM that he inherited from the DJ Rick Dees. He used to drive over to Burbank to tape the show, but E! built Seacrest his own in-house studio to cut 90 minutes of drive-time from his minutely scheduled workday.

As songs play he busies himself doing filler announcements for American Top 40, the chart show he inherited from another legendary DJ (and voice of Shaggy on Scooby-Doo), Casey Kasem, who filled the chair for more than 30 years. Then it's off to the E! TV studios to film segments for E! News, a bracing brew of celebrity tidbits and light scandal. He also hosts the network's red-carpet event programs, as part of a $21 million three-year contract he signed last year.

Nine months of the year, he heads to the CBS studios to host from 5 to 7 p.m. "American Idol," the six-year-old TV talent show and pop-cultural benchmark, which features as one of its recurring highlights the spiky faux-enmity between Seacrest and Simon Cowell. Occasionally he guest-hosts for CNN anchor Larry King, whom he regards as "one of the best live broadcasters in the world." By 8:30 p.m. he is usually in bed.

Seacrest is a radio man at heart. "My infatuation for the medium started really young," he says. "All I wanted to do when I was a teenager was get dropped off at a radio station - one of the ones I listened to - and watch how the shows worked. After a point it was about showing up and driving people crazy, driving the van to promotions and sneaking on the air. I've been going to a radio station every day of my life for 14 years, so I'm conditioned to getting up early and going to a studio."

Seacrest sees himself - or his branded on-air personality - as "accessible, self-deprecating and plugged in to pop culture. That's the show I like to do, that's the person I am and the person I like to be." To my eyes it seems that the secret of Seacrest's ease with himself, on-air and off, is that Real Ryan and Radio Ryan are essentially the same person.

"The new paradigm we're into now is this multitasking, multimedia world that we live in. It used to be you'd work for one person and do one job, but my strategy has always been to try and put my tentacles into a lot of different things while delivering for everybody simultaneously, on all the platforms - TV, radio, the Internet."

That includes his own production company. "My company is in the business of content, delivering content, so whether you see it or taste it or hear it or smell it, that's what I do every day. It's delivered on TV or radio or the Internet, but our point of view is always that we're trying to deliver compelling, interesting, entertaining content, not changing the world; it's supposed to be consumed as entertainment, and it doesn't really matter where it's consumed. I'm not the distribution branch. We're more like the kitchen, then the waiters distribute it to the diners."

One of his ambitions is to break into the British market, with which he is familiar thanks to the heavy presence of expat Brits on the Idol production staff (they've also taught Seacrest the art of "taking the piss.") He has a product that he isn't talking about yet, designed -- "not repurposed" -- for the UK market. But he'll be happy if it merely juices up his joshing rivalry with the wealthier, currently more successful Cowell. The pair conduct a constant friendly "war" in the media. In our conversation, Seacrest describes Cowell as "fifty-ish," "really old" and "a man who literally walks past a wall of mirrors every time he leaves the house, and only drives convertibles -- because he needs to be seen at all times".

KELLY CLARKSON AOL SESSIONS

Feeling gyped because Kelly Clarkson has cancelled her summer tour? Well, this isn't quite the same, but a nice substitute. Clarkson has done a new "Live AOL Music Sessions Performance." You'll find videos of her singing "Never Again," "Maybe," "Sober," "Since U Been Gone" and "Walk Away."

In the accompanying interview, the petite Clarkson reveals she's already working on album No. 4, a combination of rock, blues and country. "No matter what CD I come out with, you can always expect it to be a growth kind of thing," said Clarkson. "I don't ever want to same the same CD twice. Sequels are never as good. You want to keep kind of changing and I'm always listening to different music. I don't want people to ever think that I'm just trying to sell records. I am trying to make something cool, something different each time."

You'll also find a video interview and photos. And to those who keep calling Clarkson a pig, a cow and other vile slurs (didn't know this was a beauty contest), check out the videos. She's none of that. A booty, sure she's got one. But she's otherwise small, slim and shapely. Thank god she doesn't feel compelled to weigh 90 pounds. She looks fine to us.

Thanks to Andie for this!

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© 2007

Carrie Underwood Sexiest Vegetarian

Tens of thousands of votes have been counted and the results are in. PETA has named "American Idol" superstar Carrie Underwood the World’s Sexiest Vegetarian woman and "Tonight Show" band leader Kevin Eubanks the World’s Sexiest Vegetarian man for 2007. Red-carpet runners-up include Kristen Bell, Bryce Dallas Howard, Joaquin Phoenix, Milo Ventimiglia, Michael Ausiello and Jared Leto.

The animals rights group says the contest drew more than 110,000 votes on its Web site.

Underwood, who is celebrating her second win as "World's Sexiest Vegetarian" —- she also won in PETA’s 2005 poll —- is a lifelong animal lover. "I quit eating beef when I was about thirteen," she has said. "I do it because I really love animals and it just makes me sad. ... I don't like to watch commercials where they have meat. It weirds me out." Known to sport "V Is for Vegetarian" shirts at her concerts, the singer frequently mentions that vegetarian pizza is one of her favorite foods. What's more, Underwood is also known to rescue stray animals.

Last year, Prince and Bell, who starred on the "Veronica Mars" TV series, were picked as the two sexiest vegetarians. Previous winners also include Natalie Portman, Andre 3000, Coldplay's Chris Martin, Shania Twain, Tobey Maguire, Lauren Bush, Josh Hartnett and Alicia Silverstone.

DREAMGIRL JENNIFER HUDSON WINS BET AWARDS

The Philadelphia News reports that the BET Awards opened with Jennifer Hudson in a white cocktail dress standing alone onstage bellowing out those trademark lyrics, "And I'm telling you ... " Then, she graciously turned the stage over to "my dream girl, the true dream girl, Miss Jennifer Holliday," a classy move considering how irked Holliday was about not having a role in the film version of "Dreamgirls." Holliday originated the role of Effie in the Broadway version.

The duet was awe inspiring. If this had been the Olympics, the vocal gymnastics they engaged in would have garnered them both gold medals. Holliday hit one eye-popping note after another, particularly that last one that sounded almost like a gasp before landing on the last bit. They ended the song with their hands clasped and held aloft. Jennifer Hudson and Jennifer Holliday sang their butts off.

Hudson also received BET's Best New Artist and Best Actress awards. Her "Dreamgirls" co-star Beyoncé captured awards for best female R&B artist and video of the year for "Irreplaceable."

This season's Idol champ, Jordin Sparks, was also in attendance.

You can catch a clip of Hudson and Holliday here (AP video middle right-hand side of page).

IDOLS AT ASCAP RHYTHM AND SOUL AWARDS

EURweb reports that among the "honorees and notables in attendance" at the 20th Anniversary ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Music Awards, held June 25th at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, Calif., to salute the top songwriters and publishers behind the most popular music of 2006, were "American Idol" season 6 finalists Jordin Sparks, Blake Lewis, LaKisha Jones and Melinda Doolittle.

IDOLS ON THE RADIO

USA Today's Idol Chatter on radio plays for Idol finalists based on the latest published issue of Radio & Records, which contains essentially the same format charts as Billboard.

On the Top 40 chart (the pop, or mainstream, end of the spectrum): Daughtry's "Home" is No. 3;
Elliott Yamin's "Wait for You" is No. 11; Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats" is No. 12; Kelly Clarkson's "Never Again" is No. 28.

On the Urban chart (R&B and rap combined): Fantasia 's "When I See U" is No. 5; Ruben Studdard's "Make Ya Feel Beautiful" is No. 6, retaining a bullet after 20 weeks.

On the Christian Adult Contemporary (AC): Mandisa's "Only the World" is No. 11..

On the Country chart: Bucky Covington's "A Different World" is No. 16; Kellie Pickler's "I Wonder" is No. 18; Carrie Underwood's "I'll Stand by You" is No. 45.

On the Adult Contemporary chart: Kimberley Locke's "Change" is No. 7; Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats" is No. 11; Daughtry's "Home" is No. 12 and "It's Not Over" is No. 24; Taylor Hicks' "Heaven Knows" debuts at No. 27; in the "New and Active" section (songs moving up but not yet on the chart), Elliott Yamin's "Wait for You" is the top-listed song and Ayla Brown's "Forward" is fourth (OK, in the real world, that means it got played 60 times total at the 98 stations BDS monitors, but it's something).

Hot AC (which has more rock and alternative and generally more adventurous programming than regular AC): Daughtry's "Home" is No. 1 for the third week, and it's still gaining airplay and their "It's Not Over" is No. 10; Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats" is No. 6 and "I'll Stand by You" is eighth in New and Active songs; Kelly Clarkson's "Never Again" is No. 14 and dropping fast in airplay. Elliott Yamin's "Wait for You" debuts at No. 40.

Active Rock chart: Daughtry's "What I Want" is No. 14.

In the overall national picture (based on the more updated 100-position national radio airplay audience chart), Daughtry is No. 6 with "Home" and "It's Not Over" is No. 46; Carrie Underwood 's "Before He Cheats" is No. 8 and "Wasted" is No. 81; Fantasia's "When I See U" is No. 13; Elliott Yamin's "Wait for You" is No. 45. Bucky Covington's "A Different World" is No. 75; Kelly Clarkson 's "Never Again" has fallen off the top 100, but she's back on the chart with her new duet with Reba McEntire, "Because of You," new at 87. And Kellie Pickler's "I Wonder" finally makes the national chart at No. 97.

SIMON COWELL: BIG MOUTH STRIKES AGAIN

Earlier this month, the UK paper The Times did a story and interview with Simon Cowell, tied to the premiere of his new series "Britain's Got Talent" (sound familiar?). It is one of the most insightful profiles of Cowell we've read.

In his career to date, Simon Cowell’s acts have sold 100 million albums and achieved 75 No 1 singles. In the last round of this year’s "American Idol" series, 63.2 million viewers voted – more Americans than voted for George Bush. His latest show, "America’s Got Talent," was NBC’s No. 1 for the whole of last summer. This is a colossus bestriding our pop culture, who knows how to hold it down and slap it until it cries. On air, he's careless with the dreams of young hopefuls: "If you sang like this 2,000 years ago, people would have stoned you"; "If your lifeguard duties were as good as your singing, a lot of people would be drowning." Off air, he's brutally ambitious: he set up "The X Factor" as a rival to "Pop Idol," on which he appeared, but which was owned by his 1990s chart rival Simon Fuller, the man behind the Spice Girls. Cowell is branching out into drama and has been working on an updated movie version of "Fame" for the past couple of years. His combination of drive and sarcasm clearly pays: his company, Syco, employs a mere 11 people but was responsible for 40% of the profits of its parent, Sony BMG UK, in 2006, and this year’s Rich List values him at £100 million.

Walking up the stone steps to his large Holland Park house, therefore, is slightly intimidating. There's a chauffeur outside and a security camera that lights up when you press the bell at the gate. ... When Cowell comes to the door, however, he's all bounce and smiles. He's wearing jeans and a dark, crew-neck jumper, his hair tousled. He carries a small, unmarked brown bottle in the same hand as his cigarettes and lighter, and dumps them before perching on a vast modern armchair in an immaculate, tasteful room decorated in muted autumn colours, a bit like a hotel. (He lived in one once, until he got bored with the room-service menu.) He – or, rather, his housekeeper – makes me tea, biscuits and hot cross buns, and he chats away, hesitant and cheerful rather than dry and snappy. I make some obvious goofs that television's Mr Nasty would have leapt on, but he’s warm and friendly.

We meet on the day before ITV records its second Simon Cowell "This Is Your Life" – the first was four years ago. Cowell is also conducting the first-round auditions of his new series, "Britain’s Got Talent." This is a talent show in the postwar Butlins tradition. Anyone can enter, which means that boys with squeaky ears, men who play frying pans with a pen and truly atrocious comedy magicians all get their 15 minutes in front of Cowell, Piers Morgan and Amanda Holden, in effect expanding the best part of "The X Factor": the insanity of the early stages. The show seems curiously old-fashioned, and when he says he wants it to revive variety, it feels as if he's promoting an end-of-the-pier entertainment. "Well, I've always been a big fan of entertainment in the 1950s and 1960s," he nods. "To me, that was the absolute pinnacle. There was a kind of naivety in those days that I enjoy. We went through a phase in the 1990s when we became incredibly cynical, and I didn't like that. Now we're back on track, because I don't think tastes change."

He says his hero was Mickie Most, the acerbic judge of the 1970s talent competition "New Faces": "He was a smart guy, knew what the public wanted and wasn't interested in the art of it all. He was just interested in being successful." And when Most was on air, success was important to the young Cowell, sitting on the floor in front of the variety show on the screen, caught between worlds in Elstree. He knew he wanted to be successful – he just had to be – but he wasn't sure how he was going to make it.

His parents were an unusual couple for their time. His dad was an estate agent who wooed his dancer mother on a train journey from Birmingham. The woman he won was a socialite with Celia Johnson vowels – "a creature of the 1960s. She absolutely typified that whole Jackie Onassis glamorous look. Very energetic, very vivacious, very camp. During that time, she was in her element." Perhaps to sprinkle some fairy dust in front of his new wife, Cowell Sr. took a job at EMI, running its property division, and moved the family into Elstree’s equivalent of Beverly Hills. Cowell loves to tell the story of their neighbour, Gerry Blatner, head of Warner Bros. films in the UK, who threw fabulous garden parties. "As a kid, I would look over the fence at this great house and see everyone – Robert Mitchum, Elizabeth Taylor, all these great actors – having the time of their lives. I remember thinking from a very, very early age, 'God, I hope I grow up and have a nice house so I can have parties like that.' "

But there were problems. For one thing, he hated school. He hated the lack of control – being told what to do, being forced to do things he didn't like. He was expelled from three of them, and says it was only nicotine that got him through: "Because everything revolved around getting out of the classroom, meeting your friends, getting the cigarette and then looking forward to the next one. All of my school was about cigarettes." After leaving with no qualifications, he tried a few odd jobs until his dad bagged him a place in EMI's post room, and, finally, he could try to make it as Mickie Most.

He rose into A&R and found his 1960s tastes ideally suited to the multicoloured world of 1980s pop. He signed Curiosity Killed the Cat as well as the Stock, Aitken and Waterman moppets Sinitta and Sonia. Anything fun and silly – a single from the Power Rangers, or Robson & Jerome doing Unchained Melody, perhaps – he leapt at. He loved getting what he wanted. When he chased Robson Green to get him to record "Unchained Melody," Green’s lawyer threatened him with a court order. Cowell simply switched his attentions to Green's mum, and two months later the deal was signed.

It was only rebel music he didn't understand – "I hated punk, and in the early 1990s, when house was big, I had a very bad time with my career" – and he narrowly avoided bankruptcy when his borrowing spiralled out of control. His tastes may be constant, but sometimes we, his public, can be fickle. He spent five years living with his parents, getting his career going again. By the late 1990s, he had just got Five and Westlife off the ground, and was preparing to launch Girl Thing, when television, a medium he had seen just as a tool, slipped him a low blow. He had turned down the chance to appear on "Popstars," the first hit-maker show, in 2001, and he was furious to discover it was not only successful, but had stolen "Pure and Simple," a song from his group Girl Thing's flop album. "I was so mad, I thought, 'I've got to do something to retaliate. I want "Popstars" off the market. I want to be on a show that's going to kick it off the air.' That was Idol."

From then on, it became about control – revenge and control. He wanted to create the environment in which his acts would be showcased. He wanted to own the formats, not appear in them. He wanted every step of the process to be in his hands. He tells stories about meetings in America at which lowly office juniors would kick him out of the building. "I've still got an e-mail from three years ago, when I was launching my opera boyband, Il Divo," he says. "I trusted this TV producer and got him in, saying, 'I'd like you to listen to them before anyone else. You're doing a big show, and I'd like them to be on it.' The following day, my promotions girl got a mail from him, tearing the band apart and saying why they’d never be successful. I thought, 'I'm never going to put my life in the hands of an idiot like that again.' "

When I ask him what bothers him about all of this, his face darkens for a second. "I don't like being patronised." Surely people don't patronise a multimillionaire with global media properties. He gives a grim laugh. "All the time. All the time. It's this weird, icy politeness you see a lot of in this business. People pretending to be happy about your success. I mean, I'm never happy about a competitor's success. I despise it when somebody who isn't working with me is successful on their own – it really upsets me. And I wish for their demise. And I'm very open about it, because I know they're wishing for mine." As a result, Syco now makes about 1,500 hours of television a year, much of it focused on promoting acts that are signed to his label.

Given that he's now in a position to spread his tastes around the world, I ask him what they are. "If you look in my kitchen, you'll find jellybeans and baked beans, nothing fancy," he shrugs. "I like 'Jaws' and 'Star Wars,' rather than some Polish film with subtitles. A lot of the so-called great music of the world has bypassed me as well. I've just stuck to my guns. If I like it, there's a very good chance other people will like it as well."

So, what would we watch if you switched on the telly now? He smiles. "Stuff from 40 or 50 years ago. Black-and-white British films. I like St. Trinian's films, Cary Grant in 'Arsenic and Old Lace.' " And what would we eat? "Roast chicken and roast potatoes the way my mum makes." What about music? "It's hard to relax with music – it's work." But isn't there a fantasy band that you would have loved to sign? "The Beatles. Because they're still worth a lot today." Not because of the music? "No." And then he laughs, and shrugs. "It's true."

I tell him I'll be at the studio for the recording of "This Is Your Life," and he grins with delight at the show. "I remember thinking the first one I did wasn't great. It felt too early. I never watched it or read the book. Ally Ross wrote that it was hilarious watching Simon Cowell with no friends. So I made bloody sure this time that there are more friends. I'm updating it with the best four years.

The following night, "This Is Your Life’s" studio is filled with Ricky Gervais, Sharon Osbourne and Ant and Dec, who parade on, deliver a few affectionate jokes and give the beaming Cowell a hug. Grateful "X-Factor" winners offer thanks for their break. Ben Elton says he wrote a novel lampooning Cowell having never met the bloke, but got a phone call from his office saying how much he loved it, and they've been mates ever since. The finale sees Il Divo singing Bernstein and Sondheim’s "Somewhere," joined halfway through by his latest "X-Factor" protégée, Leona. The fivesome hit the high notes as fire cascades down the wall behind.

Then the show ends and the celebrities mill around on stage shaking hands and swapping kisses. Out front, the audience are on their feet applauding, when something strange happens. At his moment of utmost triumph, Cowell takes the red book and steps down from the podium, walking forwards until he's standing, alone, between the backslapping on the podium and wild cheering from the crowd. He holds the book out towards us and it's hard to tell if this is a tribute or a sacrifice. Why has he stepped away from the glamour and the pop stars to face us like this – with his feet apart and the book thrust forward in both hands? Perhaps because we are the public, the people whose moods and whims have tossed him around and down, then up far higher than he could have possibly dreamed when peering over Gerry Blatner's fence. I read his name picked out in gold on the book's crimson cover, then glance up and catch the set of his jaw and glint in his eyes. I realise that, for the first time tonight, he isn't smiling.

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© 2007

American Idol Audition Cities Announced

Well, it was a long time coming, but the producers have finally announced the locations and dates for auditions for Season 7 of "American Idol." Here is the official press release:

THE PHENOMENON CONTINUES

"AMERICAN IDOL" SEASON SEVEN AUDITIONS
BEGIN IN SAN DIEGO MONDAY, JULY 30

Audition Dates Also Set For Dallas, Omaha, Atlanta, Charleston, Miami and Philadelphia

With auditions scheduled in seven cities across the nation, the phenom-
enal AMERICAN IDOL begins its search for the next singing superstar. Once again, talented singers will have an extraordinary opportunity to perform before millions of TV viewers and become household names, with one winning the American Idol title and a major recording contract.

The quest to become the next American Idol is about to start. Auditions for the seventh season of AMERICAN IDOL begin in San Diego , CA , on Monday, July 30, at Qualcomm Stadium.

Auditions will continue in the following cities:
Dallas, Texas Monday, Aug. 6 Texas Stadium
Omaha, Neb. Friday, Aug. 10 Qwest Center
Atlanta, Ga. Tuesday, Aug. 14 TBA
Charleston, S.C. Saturday, Aug. 18 North Charleston Coliseum
Miami, Fla. Wednesday, Aug. 22 AmericanAirlines Arena
Philadelphia, Pa. Monday, Aug. 27 Wachovia Center

Audition informa-
tion for these cities will be an-
nounced shortly. Season Seven of AMERICAN IDOL premieres in January 2008 on FOX.

SAN DIEGO AUDITIONS
WHO: Men and women 16 to 28 years old on July 28, 2007 and eligible to work in the United States . Restrictions apply – please go to Americanidol.com for specifics.

WHEN: Monday, July 30

WHERE: Qualcomm Stadium
9449 Friars RoadSan Diego, CA 92108

LINEUP: Wristbands will be given out from Saturday, July 28 (starting time TBA), until 8:00 AM on Monday, July 30. Auditioners will not be permitted to camp out; therefore, once they obtain their wristbands, they will be asked to return to Qualcomm Stadium on Monday, July 30. Additional information is available at Americanidol.com.

USA Today reports that according to Fox estimated, last year the auditions attracted 100,000 hopefuls.

"We do like to see America," executive producer Nigel Lythgoe says of the annual search for vocal talent. Smaller cities, such as Charleston or an earlier site, Greensboro, N.C., "produce some wonderful stuff."

The tryouts will start a week earlier than last season because producers also will be conducting auditions for a new Fox reality series, "The Search for the Next Great American Band."

Whether any city will perform as well as Season 6's Seattle, much maligned by judge Simon Cowell, remains to be seen. (Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis auditioned in Seattle.)

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Lythgoe says. "Everything was condemned about Seattle … and out of it came Sanjaya [Malakar], the two finalists and the songwriters" who wrote Sparks' finale single.

After battling the elements in some earlier seasons, Idol will hold most auditions indoors, save for Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego and Dallas' Texas Stadium, which has a partly covered roof.

As with past audition tours, Idol producers will narrow each city's field to 300 to 400 of the best and worst singers. Lythgoe and co-executive producer Ken Warwick will then cull to about 120 per city to sing to judges Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.

Producers want to find a way to make sure more good singers make it through the initial auditions and the Hollywood round and into the final 24.

"Too many slipped through the net," Lythgoe says, adding that no big changes are planned.

MELINDA DOOLITTLE HELPS BATTLE MALARIA IN AFRICA

Season 6 third-place "Ameri-
can Idol" finalist Melinda Doolittle will travel to Zambia on June 28 with Malaria No More to see and participate in malaria prevention programs as a part of First Lady Laura Bush's upcoming trip through Africa, according to PRNewswire. During the four-day tour, Doolittle will see the impact of malaria on the continent firsthand and assist in a distribution of 500,000 bed nets in Lusaka, Zambia to at-risk populations.

The bed nets distributed in Zambia represent the first installment of funds contributed to Malaria No More by Idol Gives Back, American Idol's two-day charity special that raised over $70 million dollars for programs aiding children in Africa and America. Malaria is the No. 1 killer of children younger than 5 in Africa, claiming more than 1 million lives a year worldwide.

"Traveling to Africa has always been a lifelong dream of mine," said Soolittle. "I am very excited to travel with the First Lady and Malaria No More and to show the impact the viewers of "American Idol" have had through their help and support during Idol Gives Back."

The distribu-
tion will take place through an innovative program called Reaching HIV/AIDS Affected People with Integrated Development and Support (RAPIDS), which uses community health volunteers who travel into rural areas of Zambia on bicycles. In addition to bed nets, the volunteers deliver HIV/AIDS medication, nutrition supplements and toys for children.

Doolittle will help load bed nets onto the bikes of community health workers who will deliver them to remote communities. She also plans to perform a song as a part of the day’s program. On June 29th, she will visit various malaria sites, including a health clinic where children with malaria are treated.

JORDIN SPARKS GEARS UP FOR THE IDOL TOUR

ETOnline caught up with Jordin Sparks as she and the other finalists rehearse in Burbank, Calif., for the 2007 Idols Live! Tour, which kicks off on July 6 in Sunrise, Fla. Sparks said, "My mom is going to come for the first leg of the tour, then my nana and then my uncle is going to come because he loves music. I was, 'You need to come with me.' He is 23. It is going to be really cool."

In addition to rehearsals for the tour, which will feature music not performed this past season on the show, Jordin has already begun reviewing songs for her album.

"I actually got a couple of songs the other day," she reveals. "I love them. I am so excited about them. I haven't gone and recorded anything yet. We are still in the starting stages of it."

That means Jordin is going to have to fly back and forth between Los Angeles and the cities where she is performing to get the job done. "I am just praying that my voice stays up," she adds.

Life for the sixth "American Idol" has changed dramatically now that her time isn't her own. But she insists that she doesn't regret it for a minute. "I still can't believe it is actually happening," she admits. "It has been great. I asked for it, and I am so glad I got it."

FANTASIA PRAYS CHURCH GROUPS KEEP COMING

According to the New York Post, while "The Color Purple" has enjoyed a steady stream of business in the past year, the addition of "American Idol" winner Fantasia in the lead has led to a huge financial windfall for the production.

The play has been grossing more than $1 million a week since Fantasia’s arrival in April, and advance ticket sales are nearing $10 million, thanks in large part to scores of church groups across the country who board buses and attend shows as part of package deals.

Stand outside the Broadway Theatre on any given day, and you'll see four or five buses, some from as far away as Chattanooga and Atlanta, unloading their passengers. (Not all the groups are from churches. The show also attracts student groups, labor groups, even family reunions.)

The Post followed one such group, "The Jewels of Ebenezer," from Fort Washington, Md.'s Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church. They were 56 deep -– including some grandchildren and one husband -– as they arrived at the Broadway Theatre following a 6½-hour trip. Ebenezer African Methodist has a 10,000-member congregation. The church has already sent two groups to "The Color Purple" and plans to send more in the fall. The cost is $160 per person and includes an orchestra ticket, transportation and dinner after the show at Applebee's.

After the show, The Post arranged a surprise for some of the Jewels: A meeting with Fantasia. Ebenezer Jewel Lucille Goldsborough, 82, was touched by the movie version of "The Color Purple" when she saw it back in 1985. But she was moved to the point of tears when Fantasia won "American Idol" in 2004. She hugged the star and said, "Oh, Fantasia, I watched you from the very beginning, and I prayed for you, I prayed for you."

"Mama, keep praying for me," Fantasia said, wiping away tears. "You all got me crying now," she added.

The Jewels were crying, too. Jean Hicks, a semi-retired health-care worker, said: "Look what God has done for you. You are so blessed." She added: "I'm your new grandma!"

"Yes ma'am, you sure are," Fantasia replied, hugging her.

Later, over dinner, Goldsborough said: "Some stars get a big head when they make it, but Fantasia's stayed true to herself. She's humble."

"You can tell she's getting used to her popularity," said Hicks. "You know, she's got the designer dress and the designer shoes. But she's down-to-earth. It all hasn't gone to her head."

CAR TROUBLE FOR JESSICA SIERRA

The St. Petersburg Times reports that a local rental car company manager has accused Season 4 "American Idol" finalist Jessica Sierra of keeping kept her rental vehicle 12 days over its due date without paying.

Robert Wilson of Apple Rental Cars on 12606 N Nebraska Ave. in Tampa said he filed a complaint with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office on Saturday when Sierra didn't respond to a registered letter requesting she return the 2004 silver Kia Optima and pay her outstanding debt.

Sierra, 21, first rented the vehicle on May 23, Wilson said, at a rate of $521 per week including fees for being younger than 25 and lacking her own auto insurance. Though Sierra renewed her use of the car several times, Wilson said, she stopped paying on June 13 and had not been heard from again - until Monday.

Before 5:45 p.m. Monday, Sierra brought the car back, Wilson said: "She just said it was a misunderstanding, that's all."

Sierra's attorney, John Fitzgibbons, confirmed Sierra had been renting the Kia for the last month and had re-rented it several times.

A Sheriff's Office spokesman could not be reached Monday to confirm the agency's receipt of Wilson's complaint.

Wilson said the 2005 Idol star, who grew up in Tampa, owes the business at least $643.40 -- and possibly as much as $893.40, depending on the condition of the car. Wilson said Sierra told him to bill her.

Sierra has had her share of legal complications since placing 10th in the televised singing contest two years ago. Last year, a 59-year-old California man was arrested on charges he was stalking the young star. Then, Sierra was booked into jail April 29 at Hyde Park Cafe after Tampa police said she threw a cocktail glass at another patron's head.

Free on bail, she faces charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, possession of cocaine and introduction of contraband into a detention facility in that incident. Wisam Hadad, 28, whose forehead was hit by the cocktail glass, is suing Sierra and the restaurant, saying he suffered mental and physical damage during the Hyde Park incident.

PLANE TROUBLE FOR FRENCHIE DAVIS

According to EURweb, "American Idol" second season finalist Frenchie Davis says she was a victim of racism by a passenger and flight attendants on Alaska Air, and plans to discuss her ordeal in a press conference scheduled for this week in Los Angeles.

Davis' rep says she was seated by the window at 1:30 p.m. for a scheduled 1:55 p.m. takeoff on Friday. A man and his son had the seats next to her, but the boy complained that he didn't want to sit next to the "big black person."

The man asked Davis to put her armrest down between her and the boy, but she had already fallen asleep as the plane began to taxi down the runway. According to her rep, the man "stands up and shakes Frenchie violently saying wake up and put the armrest down right now. She tells him to take his hands off her."

The man allegedly asked flight attendants to call security because this "big black woman is harassing him," the rep recounts, adding that two flight attendants responded, but didn't bother to ask Davis her side of the story. They alledgedly just demanded that she move.

Davis told the attendants that she was attacked, the rep said, but the pilot somehow got involved, turned the plane around and headed back to the gate, where Davis "winds up off the plane and misses her flight to her next professional singing performance." The rep said, "A few witnesses give her their information and tell her if she needs a witness to call them."

HEY, PAULA! ABDUL IS A TIGHTLY WOUND WOMAN

The Los Angeles Times reviewed Paula Abdul's new Bravo reality series, "Hey Paula." The most telling information comes in the last two paragraphs:

"She yells at her stylist, she yells at her lawyer, she yells at her publicist (not the venerable Howard Bragman, whom she recently, and publicly, fired) even though they are all her very best friends. Destined to be what was once referred to as a camp classic, 'Hey Paula' attempts to show the hard work it takes to be Paula Abdul. In this, it succeeds. Few will watch her days unfold with envy. But what Abdul may think makes her look wacky in a lovable and artistically driven way instead creates a portrait of a tightly wound, isolated woman who clearly thinks she is a much better version of what she actually is.

It's not so much a question of watching 'Hey Paula' as it is rubbernecking. That the show has Abdul's full and enthusiastic support may relieve some of the guilt of watching this clearly troubled woman have a hissy fit over the wrong pair of sneakers, but it doesn't do much for the queasiness factor. Which remains very high."

And so it goes.

VIDEO OF THE DAY

The 10 Idol finalists inter-
viewed by Fox's Good Day LA, goofing around and opening asking for swag. Blake Lewis first threatens to shave Sanjaya's head in the night (Phil Stacey volunteers the use of his razor), kids he can't stand Jordin, then sings to Steve Jobs to send him a new Mac. The "kids" would also like Gibson guitars and add that they all love iPhones, with Phil saying that they're taking tips from Elliott. It's a hoot. Watch video here.

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© 2007

Kelly Clarkson 'My December' Leak

If you can't get enough of Kelly Clarkson (and who can these past few weeks?), rush right over to MTV Leak, where you can hear "My December," scheduled to drop tomorrow, in its entirety. You might wonder what the fuss was all about. The New York Times didn't like, the Boston Herald did. Our opinion? It's perhaps not Clarkson's best album, but its pretty decent overall. And we love the first two releases, "Never Again" and "Sober," both dark but the first very edgy and the second a ballad. We say check it out yourself and form your own opinion. Let us know what you think. Happy listening!

PICTURE OF THE DAY

Kelly Clarkson and Aerosmith's Steve Tyler from the July 2007 issue of InStyle:



VIDEO OF THE DAY

Yes, Kelly Clarkson again! But you wouldn't want to miss this old video of her when she gets onstage with the infamous Metal Skool on the sunset strip and drinks whisky straight from the bottle as she sings some classic Guns 'N Roses. Watch video (not for the kiddies):


QUOTE OF THE DAY

Finally, a non-Kelly item. Whew. From Harp magazine's interview with singer/songwriter Nicole Atkins:

HARP: Have you met the “Jersey Girl” Antonella Barba from American Idol?

My 12-year-old little cousin met her over the weekend and got her autograph. He said she has nice boobies.

*cough*, yes, but we knew that already, didn't we?

PAULA ABDUL'S SCAVENGER HUNT

People magazine reports that Paula Abdul led a scavenger hunt to celebrate her 45th birthday. The hunt originated at West Hollywood eatery Ketchup and found the group of pals – including Jordin Sparks, Blake Lewis, Chris Sligh, Gina Glocksen, Chris Richardson and LaKisha Jones – touring Los Angeles. When they were finished, the crew returned to the restaurant for mini kobe sliders, mini kobe beef hot dogs and mac 'n' cheese. Abdul – whose birthday was June 19 – looked "so good," an onlooker said, especially as she was blowing out the candles on her birthday cake.

Watch video of Paula's birthday on TMZ.com.

Watch video from Celeb TV of Paula and her playmates as they party:


BLAKE AND JORDIN ROMANCE? NAH

Latest rumor TMZ.com is trying to push that we're not buying:

They've denied up and down that they're an item, but Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis have been looking awfully co-co-co-zy in the afterglow of their "American Idol" glory.

A TMZ spy spotted the "Idol" finalists "holding hands" while shopping at a Fry's Electronics store near L.A. We're told that they wandered around the store, unmolested, and seemed "happy" together. Blake was overheard saying to the 17-year-old Jordin, "We should call your mom." Need a ride, kids?

Here, B & J yuk it up for photogs, as Blake rocks an outfit that seamlessly blends New Kids on The Block and low-rent surf dude chic.

The pair will tour with the rest of the "Idol" crew this summer, but it looks like they've got their own duet.

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© 2007

The Dumber Blonde? Hint: It's Not Kellie

In a move that will likely make her look as if she has the higher IQ, Kellie Pickler has begun to pal around with Jessica Simpson, according to a report in the National Enquirer says The National Ledger. And the story claims that the elder Simpson sister has been pouring her heart out to her new BFF about her breakup with John Mayer. The problem in the relationship, according to a (*ahem* anonymous and no-doubt nonexistent) source was John's jealousy and Jessica's father, Joe Simpson.

The Enquirer reports it learned the two blonde stunners rendezvoused for girl talk at an exclusive club in Dallas earlier this month and that Jessica made a tearful confession, a source told the magazine. She sobbed to Kellie: "I really loved him, but I've never known a man so jealous!" The source added, "Jessica also said John despised her father and was obsessed about her seeing other guys."

According to the magazine, Kellie, 21, sought Jessica's friendship after she burst onto the pop music scene following her stint on "American Idol." During their recent heart-to-heart, Jessica, 26, told Kellie that at first she thought John's obsessive attentiveness was charming, but then his fits of jealously over other guys "got old quick."

Kellie listened sympathetically -- and then made a shocking confession of her own, says the source. "She told Jessica that John once hit on her when he was still together with Jess, and she added: 'The guy's a major rat. Honey, you're better off without him!' "

File this one under Ripley's Believe It or Not.

WILL FULLER FILL UP MEMPHIS?

A story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about the wonders of Memphis, includes these intriguing graphs about Graceland:

"The house is surprisingly small -- [Elvis] Presley bought it and its nearly 14 acres in 1957 and never had it expanded, though he added buildings, including an office for his father and a racquetball court that now holds memorabilia. The King evidently did all the decorating himself, and some of it makes me cringe to think that this was what lots of money could buy in the '60s -- including a furry white monstrosity that turns out to be a bed. Despite what I consider to be his questionable taste, there is a casualness that lends the place a more dignified air than I had expected.

We learn that his three Grammy wins were for gospel albums and he showed up in person to accept only one of the many awards that came his way -- from the Jaycees. His troubles with prescription drugs and other struggles are glossed over but not ignored, and I wasn't sure that would be the case.

It seems odd to see tourists mingle and snap pictures outside in the meditation garden, where Presley, his parents and grandmother are buried and his twin brother, who died at birth, is honored with a plaque. But then the tour recorder tells us that Vernon Presley, worried about vandals, had his son's grave moved here from a public cemetery. The folks snapping pictures here are at least quiet and respectful.

Walking between buildings, you can see the modest neighboring houses beyond Graceland's fences. It will be interesting to see how long that will last.

A partnership that includes Simon Fuller, a co-creator of "American Idol," has paid Lisa Marie [Presley] millions for the rights to use Elvis' and Graceland's names and likenesses. Although she still owns the house, they are buying up land around Graceland, and there's fear, some locals told us, that the quiet neighborhood could become more of an amusement park or worse -- if hotels blossom here, people might stay just in this area and miss the whole history of blues, soul and rock as told along Beale Street and at Sun and Stax studios.

... Graceland is a must-see, but Memphis has so much more that should not be missed."

KELLY CLARKSON AND REBA McENTIRE TONIGHT!

Don't forget to catch Kelly Clarkson with Reba McEntire tonight on CMT's "Crossroads" at 8 p.m. The New York Daily News gives the show three stars. Here is their review:

If you think Kelly Clarkson looks like she's needed a friend lately, you can relax. She has found one: Reba McEntire.

McEntire, one of the most successful country artists of modern times, joins Clarkson, the "American Idol" winner who has been all over the charts in the past five years, for a CMT production of "Crossroads" in which they sing a bunch of familiar songs together and then, between songs, sit down and chat.

It will come as no surprise to fans of these two American Sweethearts that they can harmonize on popular anthems as if they were born doing it, or that when they talk they sound like the Nashville branch of the mutual admiration society.

Clarkson says McEntire's songs have always blown her away, and she's like, so awe-struck just to be talking with her.

McEntire says, nonsense, child, I remember sitting there myself, and besides, you earned it.

Although McEntire has worked almost entirely on the country side of the music game and Clarkson has primarily been a pop artist, their musical common ground is extensive.

Both have scored best with big, booming, melodic tunes that sound great from a car radio, like McEntire's "You Lie" or Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone."

They belt out both of those on this show, along with "Does He Love You," "Because of You" and a half-dozen others. No shortage of hits, no shortage of powerful crescendos that make the adoring crowd even happier.

Besides, in a world that loves a catfight, this is a kitten cuddle.

They don't cover anything terribly profound in their chats, with McEntire talking about her struggle to get that first break and Clarkson musing about her musical influences. More significant is that they do it in such a warm manner, like two best friends who happen to have sold tens of millions of records meeting for a morning cup of coffee.

The special airs at a particularly good time for Clarkson, who has been bounced around lately by the ambivalent response to the CD that comes out Tuesday.

Not entirely by accident, "Crossroads" may remind fans that they basically like the girl and maybe ought to give her new record a chance.

Speaking of music, the special reinforces one other truth about McEntire and Clarkson. While the appeal of their songs is wide, it's not especially deep. Their songs tend to be more catchy than profound, which is fine. It's just worth noting.

It's also worth noting that once or twice, when the gals are talking, Clarkson somehow uses the phrase "so I said," rather than "So, I'm like ..."

You go to the crossroads, you just never know what you'll find.

You can also find videos and photos with Kelly and Reba on the CMT site here.

FANS CROSSING COUNTRY TO SEE TAYLOR HICKS

The Spartanburg Herald-Journal reports that fans will come from across the country to see "American Idol" winner Taylor Hicks at the Spartanburg Community College Foundation's Red, White & Boom celebration Friday (June 29th). People from 25 states have purchased tickets, and the Marriott has already booked the block of rooms set aside for Red, White & Boom attendees.

"We have people coming from as far away as California, Washington state and New York," said Nancy Dickson, executive director of the SCC Foundation.

"We do this as a fundraiser to raise scholarships to support students who come to the college," Dickson said. Dickson said that in the past couple of years, organizers have tried to appeal to the age group they serve at the college.

Last year's concert with singer Miranda Lambert, the Academy of Country Music's Best New Female Artist for 2007, filled the park to capacity.

"Taylor Hicks is that type of person," Dickson said. "He appeals to a broad range of people, and our sponsors feel comfortable with a nationally recognized name."

Hicks draws crowds of fans from all over the country, many who follow him from show to show. He's nothing like 'American Idol,' " said Donna Bristow, a 46-year-old sales representative from Anderson County. "You can't describe him unless you see him live. He's so magnetic. He puts his whole heart and soul in it. I know women who have cashed in 401(k)s to follow him," Bristow said.

Bristow has friends coming in from Naples, Fla., Charlotte, N.C., and Nashville, Tenn. She knows women who have seen him more than 20 times. "I attended two of Taylor's concerts in Tennessee this winter and was thrilled to learn that he would be performing within driving distance this summer," said Millie Wilson, a retired English teacher who lives about 150 miles away in Kingsport, Tenn.

She said she was struck by Hicks the first time she saw him perform on "American Idol." "No two Taylor Hicks concerts are the same. He has a vast storehouse of music to draw from. He has been compared to a walking iPod," Wilson said. "He's one great-looking fellow, too," she added jokingly, "and that's worth about 50 miles of driving."

Hicks will take the stage around 8 p.m. A 25-minute fireworks display starts at about 9:30.

Meanwhile, the Leader-Telegram says that Hicks' hot blues and jazz left the audience cold when he opened for Sara Evans at Country Fest in Cadott, Wisconsin:

"American Idol's Hicks didn't stand a chance with devout country music fans. The blues and jazz crooner, dressed in a black shirt and gray suit coat, warmed up the crowd with "Soul Thing."

But the warmth quickly faded.

Although his voice was right on key and he rocked on the harmonica, Hicks' handful of hard-core fans couldn't persuade the rest of the crowd to play along."

This group was apparently not too easy to please. The paper also reported that, "Throughout the 70-minute set, Evans and her band, including sister, Lesley Evans Lyons, a back-up singer; and brother, Matt Evans, the guitarist, attempted to keep the crowd entertained, but the slower songs weeded the fans from the fanatics.

The crowd grew restless and began packing up for the night during the ballad 'I Could Not Ask for More.'

At least Evans made it 50 minutes into her act before the fans started making their way back to the campsites. It took Hicks, who played before Evans, only a handful of songs to send people back to their tents."

Tough crowd.

UNDERWOOD WORKING ON NEW CD

In a story announcing that Carrie Underwood would be performing at Allentown Fair Grandstand in Pennsylvania on Sept. 2, the Morning Call also said that Underwood is working on a second album. In a recent interview with Nashville newspaper The Tennessean, she said, "It's definitely staying in the country genre. That's where my heart is, and it's worked well so far." The first single should hit radio stations later this summer.

Underwood never seems to never be out of media spotlight for long, because of her involvement with PETA and rumors of her on-and-off again relationship with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tomy Romo.

Underwood credits her sorority sisters with helping her to overcome her shyness at singing on stage. Youngest of three girls, she grew up in Checotah, Okla., and attended Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, as a journalism major, which may explain the long but well-written bio on MySpace. She also is a skilled guitar player and vegetarian.

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© 2007

'Idol' Tour Invites Kelly Back -- Not!

In a "news" item we deem as believable as the Courtney Love has been asked to replace Paula Abdul crap that floated around early in Season 6, the New York Post reports Kelly Clarkson is reportedly being offered a spot on the Idols Live 2007 tour.

According to the Post, "Clarkson, who has been feuding with her record label and fired her manager in recent weeks, was forced to cancel a planned summer tour of her own due to poor ticket sales.

"Now comes word that the 'Idol' tour - set to begin July 6 in Florida and starring the top-10 finishers from this year's competition - is inviting Clarkson to make a 'special cameo' appearance on the tour, according to a report on the music-industry Web site Geno's World.

"Calls to Clarkson's label, Sony-BMG, were not immediately returned yesterday.

"It has been a rough month for the singer who had come to epitomize 'Idol' success.

"Her latest CD, 'My December,' is not due to be released until next week but it has reportedly suffered from poor early sales orders.

"The 'Idol' tour might be a comedown for the star, but it will give her a chance to sing her own songs in front of loyal audiences."

Not surprisingly, the Post story quotes no sources and doesn't even name a reporter. The Web page simply says "Post staff writer." We suppose next they'll be saying that Clarkson is trying out for "America's Got Talent."

UPDATE: Access Hollywood says that the Kelly Clarkson invited on the Idol Tour rumor is just that -- a rumor started and now debunked by the Web site Geno's World (who the hell is Geno?). This was after Rolling Stone and the New York Post decided to repeat it without checking it out (yea for modern journalism -- everything but the facts, ma'am.}

Clarkson's rep told Access Hollywood that the report is "not true." Furthermore, a publicist for the "Idol" tour told Access that this is the first she has heard of this, and that she has no idea where it is coming from. The "Idol" tour rumor comes on the heels of Kelly's announcement last week that her own summer tour has been canceled, with plans to embark on another tour in the future in a more “intimate concert environment.” While the "American Idol" tour may not be considered "intimate," Clarkson herself recently told Access that she does not wish to distance herself from the show that initially made her a star. "Everybody always thinks I try and separate myself [from "Idol"], she said. "I'm not at all -- I love very much where I came from."

PAULA ABDUL IS LOOKING FOR LOVE

Another suspect "news" item we found on a few Web sites, including
StarPulse says that Paula Abdul is desperately searching for Mr. Right, insisting all her fame and fortune can't make up for the lack of a man in her life. The Grammy-award winning singer wants to share her success with someone else -- and finding love is her top priority.

She says, "[My wish is] to find my one true love. I'm feeling more in control and comfortable in my life these days, so I hope to find someone special."

Well, all-righty then.

WHY SEATTLE SHOULD LOVE BLAKE LEWIS

That's the title of an article by The Stranger, whose slogan is "Seat-
tle's Only News-
paper." The story talks about Blake Lewis, his American Idol experience, his friends and the attention he's brought to Seattle. There are a goodly number of quotes from his friends, and a couple from the Idol runner-up:

Household names, though, are typically scoffed at in the ghetto of music elitism. How can an artist maintain integrity while signing up for such a mass-market fabrication? Why even sign up? For most career musicians and music devotees, American Idol is a farce that's best ignored. Even Lewis will tell you so.

"The whole 'Hey, hey we're the Monkees' aspect of things," is how he [Lewis] puts it during a quick Seattle stopover between wrapping the show and hitting the road for a four-month Idol tour. "I stopped watching TV eight years ago because I can't stand it. Going into American Idol, I was like, what the fuck am I getting myself into?"

and

Lewis had a hard time with his first audition last September. He was crammed into KeyArena with 9,000 other hopefuls and asked to perform 30-second bits in a tiny, curtained cubicle, shuffling from one production assistant to another. It was the first time he'd ever felt nervous, he says.

"It's all about instant judgments. Being a musician out of Seattle who makes noise and beatboxes..." He [Lewis] pauses, as if the notion of such a freakish thing ending up on prime-time television is pure fantasy. "Everything's underground until there's support, and then when there's support people say you sold out."

JORDIN SPARKS ADJUSTS TO FAME

In a new interview with The Glendale Republic, Idol winner Jordin Sparks talks about Blake Lewis, boyfriends and obesity.

During her interview, Sparks was quick to point out that her friendship with Idol runner-up Blake Lewis is still strong:

"I love Blake, I talk to him every day. We are totally different artists and have totally different tastes in music. I think his album is going to be more eclectic, but I can't wait to buy (it)."

Since you won American Idol I know you've been superbusy. Do you find that your old friendships have been hard to maintain?

It's kind of hard, because things are not the same. I went home for a couple of days and hung out with my best friends. They were like, "What do you want to do?" and I'm like, "Go to the mall?" and then we'd look at each other and I go, "Oh yeah, I forgot, sorry." I wasn't sure how people would respond to seeing me in public.

Has your management tried to push you in any direction, either stylewise or musicwise, that you've had to resist because you didn't feel that it suited you?

I don't think I've resisted anything yet because I'm not really sure how (my album) is going to sound . . . I'm still very open to everything. Hopefully this next week I'll have (album) songs to listen to. I definitely want it to be radio friendly, like top 40 kind of stuff.

I definitely haven't been approached to be any type of sex symbol or anything, but I think if I was asked I would have to resist. I wouldn't feel comfortable exposing my midriff. However, at the same time, I do want to be cute.

I know that right now you live close to the northwest portion of Phoenix that has a Glendale mailing address. Why do you identify with Glendale more so than Phoenix?

I know they are two different cities, but my whole life growing up I had a Glendale address. I love Glendale. It's a cute town and it's growing and getting bigger. Where I do live, I know a lot of people who live in Glendale that are by me.

Shortly after your win, I read that an obesity expert had criticized your weight and that later on, your fans had sent the critic death threats. What was your reaction to that situation?

The first time I heard that that had happened, it was from someone interviewing me over the phone. I had no idea, I was like, "What are you talking about?" I had no idea what to say. I turned to my mom and was like, "OK, moving on." (Laughs.) I love that my fans were so devoted.

Has the attention surrounding your weight forced you to reconsider your appearance at all?

I expected people to talk about (my weight), it's what everyone talks about nowadays. Everybody is obsessed with weight and what they look like.

I am totally comfortable with who I am. If someone else isn't, that's OK. It's one of those things I let roll off my back.

What did you do while you were home? Are there any hometown spots that you already miss?

When I was home, I hung out with friends but stayed around the house, within a five-mile radius. But the night before I left, I went to the Keith Urban concert (at the U.S. Airways Center ), it was so amazing. Now that I'm gone, I miss my house, I miss sleeping in my own bed.

What has been the best experience as a result of winning Idol?

Everything coming off of it. I got to see New York City. I was on (MTV's) Total Request Live, which was so weird because that was a show I watched. And all the photo shoots and radio shoots have all been so great.

How has winning the show affected your personal life? Do you have a boyfriend?

(Laughs). I don't have a boyfriend . . . but I never really had one before the show, so I don't really know the difference. It hasn't affected my love life. Sometimes guys ask to go out with me, but I'm like, "I don't even know you!"

FROM NUTBUSH TO LAURA BUSH

Watch video of Melinda Doolittle on "Good Day Los Angeles" talking about her she os going to Africa with First Lady Laura Bush for Malaria No More. She also talks about how the guys on the tour all play instruments, and how they have put together a band and will play a few numbers during the tour sets. (But what is it with the blonde cohost on the far right chomping on food and drinking on camera the whole time? So what if she's pregnant, can't she wait until a commercial break? Rude dude).



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© 2007

Kelly Clarkson Had Eating Disorder

NineMSN
says that Kelly Clarkson told CosmoGirl! that she developed an eating disorder after missing out on a part in her high school musical. "I thought … if I come back and I'm cuter and thinner ... then I'll get the role," Clarkson told the magazine in its August issue. "I became bulimic for the next six months. One of my guy friends caught on to it and I just felt so ashamed and embarrassed."

"I literally went cold turkey and snapped out of it," says the singer. "I've got a butt, I'm Greek — I can't help that. And I think it's good for people to see someone that's normal."

Since then, Clarkson said, she has striven to maintain a healthy body. You go girl!

WE WOULDN'T BRAG

PRNewswire reports on the upcoming red carpet screening and after party for the newly completed North American release of Jackie Chan's "The Myth," to be held June 26 at ArcLight Cinemas, 6360 West Sunset Boulevard in L.A. The after-party will be at Cabana Club, 1439 Ivar Avenue. The "Confirmed Celebrities" according to the press release include "Stargate and Farscape's Ben Browder, High School Musical 1 & 2's Monique Coleman, Dancing With the Stars' Carrie Ann Inaba, Edyta Sliwinska and Alec Mazo, Academy Award-winning West Bank Story star Joey Naber, American Idol's Sabrina Sloan, Nia Peeples, Katie Lohmann, Monica Lo, Jackie Long, Christopher Massey, Lorielle New, Rob Pinkston, Lauren Storm, Riley Weston, Kaila Yu, Allen Alvarado, Rita Branch, Roger Zamudio, Alana Curry, B.J. Hendricks, Olja Hrustic, Kate Linder, The Glow Girls, Comedian Russell Peters, Shanghai Baby's Bai Ling (who would appear at the opening of a can of tuna fish).

This motley collection of hangers-ons, wannabes and neverwillbes should seemingly elevate Kathy Griffin from the "D" list to, uh, perhaps the "B" list.

And check out the photo of Sloan from the Idol finale show. Someone actually had to hold a sign to ID her for the press. OMG! She was a semi-finalist just months earlier. If they have to ID you on the show that made you a "star," do you really belong on the red carpet?

CARRIE UNDERWOOD RINGS THEIR CHIMES, ER, PHONES

Meanwhile, PR-Inside.com reports that Carrie Underwood has become only the second country artist in history to earn platinum ringtone status. (The first country tune to hit the million ringtones mark was Waylon Jennings' "Theme From The Dukes of Hazzard").

Underwood's "Before He Cheats" has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for one million purchased ringtones. The song has also just been certified the best-selling digital country song in U.S. chart history.

AOL'S TV STAFF DON'T KNOW JACK ...
ABOUT THEIR READERS

According to TV Squad, AOL conducted a poll of readers to find out what they thought was the best and worst of television last season. More than 3 million votes were counted answering 20 questions. American Idol was rated the "Best Reality" show with 39% of the votes, beating out "Dancing With the Stars (28%), "Amazing Race" (15%), "America's Next Top Model" (10%) and "Project Runway" (8%). Surprisingly (or perhaps not), "Idol" also won the "Most Disappointing Series" vote with 30%.

"Meanest Reality Show Judge" of course went to Simon Cowell with 51%. Not even coming close were Gordon Ramsay of "Hell's Kitchen" (36%), Len Goodman of "Dancing With the Stars" (7%), Nina Garcia of "Project Runway" (3%) and Nigel Barker of "America's Next Top Model" (2%). There was also a (ahem, lame) category for the "Best Sanjaya Hairstyle" (guess they were looking for filler). Needless to say, the Pony-Hawk won with 37% of the vote. Sanjaya Malakar's survival on "Idol" ranked as the No. 2 (28%) "Most Shocking Development," with "Edie's Suicide" on "Desperate Housewives" winning out with 33%.

The AOL Television staff, claiming that TV is their passion, also voted for their favorites. They picked "Project Runway" as the "Best Reality Show," an interesting contrast to the public they serve (and apparently don't know very well), who placed the series their dead last reality show pick. The AOL staff also disagreed with the voters on every other "Idol" result (and most non-Idol results for that matter). They even picked Len Goodman as the meanest reality show judge! The only one they got "right" was Sanjaya's Pony-Hawk. So we think thay maybe they ought to stick with fashion and get out of the TV biz. They obviously don't know what their readers like!

Thanks to Andie for letting us know about this and the next item.

MUSIC'S SEXIEST SINGLE MEN

When AOL ranked music's sexiest single men, they place Season 6 runner-up Blake Lewis as No. 21, describing "Why He's Hot" with: He's only an 'Idol' runner-up, but his sharp, preppy style, wicked beatboxing skills and rising-star status will make the lady who wins his heart feel like a real winner.

BLAKE IS BACK BLOGGING

And a just posted message from Blake Lewis' MySpace page:

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Yes, This is my Official Mysapce Page.
Current mood: happy

Hello everyone,

A lot of questions keep coming up if this is my page or not. It is!! I just got back online from not having control of my page because of American Idol contest rules and now its up and running.

As of now, I’m am in rehersals for the A.I. tour and things are running smoothly. Got a lot of special things happening on the tour this year and I’m really excited for it to start. On top of tour, I have been in meetings with producers and writers for my album, which is set to come out sometime by Thanks Giving to Christmas. I can’t thank you enough for all the responses and support that has come from this amazing journey. I’ve been working hard for the last seven years on writing and performing and American Idol has been the best platform for me to reach out and communicate my art thus far. Thank you again for reaching back.

Very soon I’ll be putting up some music, pictures and art I have been working on.

Love and Happiness,

Your friend, Blake

KATHARINE McPHEE ACOUSTIC VIDEOS

Three acoustic Katharine McPhee videos -- "Over It," "Each Other" and "Love Story" -- are now available on Rhapsody.com. The link is for "Over It." The links to the other two songs are on the bottom of the page. Enjoy this refreshingly different take on her music. It's the natural, unadorned voice the public fell in love with last season.

There's also an interview with McPhee that you can listen to. (Yes, we voted for Taylor Hicks, but we also appreciate other good voices).

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© 2007

Arbitration for 'Idol' Sex Harrassment Suit

Fox News reports that arbitration was ordered in a case brought by a former assistant production accountant for the company behind "American Idol," who claims he was fired for complaining of sexual harassment by a male contestant.

Magdaleno Olmos filed suit March 9 in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging wrongful termination and violation of the state's Fair Employment and Housing Act. He is asking for unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

Along with American Idol Productions Inc. and former contestant Mario Vasquez, named defendants are Fremantle Media North America Inc., Fox Entertainment Group Inc. and Fox Broadcasting Co., all listed in the lawsuit as co-owners of the popular show.

All of the defendants "knew or should have known that Vasquez was gay or was widely rumored to be so," the lawsuit states.

Vasquez dropped out of the top 12 talent search competition during the fourth season of "American Idol" in March 2005, saying he wanted to focus on personal aspects of his life.

The lawsuit alleges that Vasquez withdrew from the show after Olmos came forward with his complaints and discussed them with executives and attorneys for American Idol Productions and the other defendants.

But Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael C. Solner ruled today that Olmos knew when he was hired that he was signing an agreement to arbitrate disputes and not file a lawsuit. Solner granted a defense motion to send the case to arbitration and put a hold on the lawsuit.

Defense attorney George R. Hedges praised the ruling.

"It's the right decision," Hedges said. "His claim has no merit."

Olmos' lawyer, Thomas S. Campbell, opposed putting the case in front of an arbitrator. He told Solner it was unclear whether Olmos received a handbook from the company that explained the arbitration process to him. He also said the language of the arbitration rules gave an unfair advantage to his employer.

Olmos claims the sexual harassment began in February 2005.

On one occasion, Vasquez followed Olmos into a restroom at CBS Studios, where "American Idol" is taped, and knocked on the door of a stall Olmos had entered, according to his lawsuit.

When Olmos opened the door, Vasquez, who had lowered his pants, pushed him further into the stall, touched him in a sexual way and tried to unzip his pants while asking "if he wanted oral sex," the lawsuit alleges.

Olmos claims he was able to get out of the restroom, though Vasquez grabbed his arm to try to stop him from leaving.

Olmos chose the restroom over one that was closer to the "American Idol" stage because he wanted to avoid running into the show's participants, according to his lawsuit.

Due to Vasquez's celebrity status, Olmos claims he "was afraid to defend himself physically against Vasquez's sexual harassment and battery for fear of losing his job."

When Olmos complained to a supervisor, the latter questioned whether he initiated the incident, according to his court papers. He also claims the supervisor told him nothing could be done and that he would probably be fired for reporting the alleged harassment.

On numerous other occasions, Vasquez stared and smiled at Olmos. But when he complained to a supervisor, he was told "that he was crazy, was imagining this and should keep this information to himself because no one would believe his account," according to his lawsuit.

Olmos alleges he was fired in May 2005 in retaliation for his complaints against Vasquez.

Olmos began working for American Idol Productions in October 2002, and his contract was renewed each of the next two years, according to his lawsuit.

SPARKS SAVING HERSELF FOR MARRIAGE

And talking about sex, new "American Idol" champ Jordin Sparks isn't having any until after she gets married. That's right, US Weekly magazine according to Reality TV World, reports that Sparks is saving herself for marriage.

Even though Sparks sports a platinum band on her wedding finger, don't expect to see the American Idol sixth-season champ walking down the aisle anytime soon.

"This isn't a wedding ring, and there's no boy anywhere," Sparks told Us Weekly in the magazine's June 18 issue.

Instead, the 17-year-old Glendale, Ariz., native said she's worn the "purity ring" with the inscription "True Love Waits" since she was 13. Sparks is the youngest Idol winner out of the Fox mega-hit's six installments, and while other Idol champs and finalists are reportedly smitten by everyone from professional athletes to television news anchors, Sparks says she isn't in any rush to get involved in a romantic relationship.

"I haven't been in love yet," she told US. "I am saving myself for marriage."

Due to her Christian upbringing, virginity is just one of the values that Sparks says she believes in. "I think that [abortion] is wrong," Sparks told Us. "I'm not going to try to debate people on it; that's just my opinion... I believe what I believe."

PICKLER: BOYFRIEND HER BIGGEST FAN

Mean-
while, love is in the air for Season 5 finalist Kellie Pickler , who told People magazine that her boyfriend, Canadian hockey player Jordin Tootoo, and she have this in common: "We're each other's biggest fans."

The former "American Idol" contestant, 20, and the Nashville Predators right wing, 24, met after they bought condos in the same Nashville complex, where Tootoo spotted Pickler and asked for her phone number.

Pickler told People they were friends at first, but the relationship had turned romantic by spring. "We're from real different places, but they're both small towns so we're a lot alike too," she said (she's from Albemarle, N.C.; he grew up in Rankin Inlet, a small town in Nunavut in Canada's Northwest Territories).

Now, she says, "We let each other shine in our moments and are so proud of each other. I go to games and I'm the fan in the Predators jersey, screaming my head off. He comes to my concert with a Pickler T-shirt and he does the same."

Fittingly, their first date was to a hockey game, a sport about as foreign to Pickler as Tootoo's native tongue, Inuktikut. (The first player of Inuit descent to play in the NHL, Tootoo is also fluent in English.)

"We had a little communication problem at first," Pickler says with a laugh. "And I had never been to a hockey game -– we didn't have hockey in Albemarle. I had no idea what was going on, but I loved it anyway. It's so fast and exciting!"

When she was interviewed, Pickler was planning a break from Brad Paisley's "Bonfires and Amplifiers" tour to travel north of the border to spend a week with Tootoo and his family.

"I'm just so excited about seeing where he is from," she told the magazine. "It will be a totally different culture and I'm fascinated by other cultures. I have no idea what to expect. I know they do a lot of hunting and fishing and they eat what they kill. It's not like there's a Subway down the street. It's also been snowing up there, so I'm going to learn to drive a snowmobile. If it's anything like 4-wheelin', I'm set!"

SANJAYA'S MOM ON HER KIDS ... AND MORE

Jillian Recchi (or Jillian Blyth or Jayaradhe as she was known in the Hare Krishna movement a decade ago) talked to Rediff.com about her children Shyamali and Sanjaya Malakar who became famous overnight, thanks to "American Idol."

"Both Shyamali [Rosaria Malakar] and Sanjaya [Joseph Malakar] embraced their Indian cultural roots."

Recchi, who spent over two months with her 17-year-old son in Hollywood, was often joined by daughter Shyamali, and on one occasion her former husband Vasudeva Malakar, who left his construction business and chores at the Hare Krishna temple in Seattle, to be with his children.

Since her divorce nearly a decade ago, Recchi, who since remarried, raised the children mostly on her own. She says she has not been a member of the Hare Krishna congregation for many years but the Indian spirituality is deeply ingrained in her and her children.

"I consider the Hare Krishna way of life to be my spiritual foundation," said Recchi, who met her future husband Vasudeva while she was a devotee at the Seattle Hare Krishna Temple 21 years ago. "I do not live in the temple though."

"Vasudeva was a classical Indian singer-musician-teacher for many years in Seattle," she continued. "He taught harmonium and bhajans to students at home. There was always Indian music in our home. I was a musician and played the flute, though I didn't pursue it professionally. We sang in the car with the children."

After the divorce, Shyamali and Sanjaya moved to Hawaii with their mother and lived there from 1996 to 2000. Both were in Hawaii children's musical theatre.

"Shyamali was always a precocious, intelligent child," Recchi says of her first born, an aspiring model, singer and actress. She was eliminated from the American Idol contest early on.

"She read by the age of 3, and had an amazing memory. She would listen to a song once and remember it. Sanjaya, too, had a great talent for singing and music early on. As soon as he was talking, he was singing, dancing and running around. Of course, they are always around music."

When Sanjaya continued to make steady progress in the competition, despite a lot of negative criticism, Recchi closed down her home business for a few months. "I have always had my own business," she says.

"Currently, I am an independent distributor for in-home water purification filters and distillers. I also manage and maintain some rental properties. This gives me flexibility of hours to be with and do things with my kids. I wanted to prioritise that; I didn't want to put my kids in daycare. I wanted to be there for them while they were growing up."

The children were exposed not only to Indian but also to contemporary and older American music, by Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, their mother added.

"It was their choice to participate in the competition," she says. "I told Sanjaya he couldn't enter because he was too young. He was very sad; my family got involved and finally decided he could try.

"When Shyamali got booted out, she took it really well. It didn't discourage her; she still wants to continue and pursue a music and acting career.

"For Sanjaya, unfortu-
nately, I wasn't there with him when he was voted out," she says, a trace of sadness in her voice. "I was with him for a solid two months, but I flew back to Los Angeles to be with him the day after he was eliminated.

"Sanjaya had a feeling he would get voted out after he saw a tape of his performance later that night. He mentally prepared himself for elimination: of course, he didn't tell me that!"

She says her son has taken this as a learning experience. "This will, I think, launch him into a very successful career," she says. "He wants to be an entertainer, whatever that might encompass. He has a real passion for singing; he also loves to act, he has thought of modeling and wants to be a spokesperson for charitable work."

What is the best advice she has given Shyamali and Sanjaya?

"As a mother, I always felt my children would go on to do great things," she said. "I taught them that whatever platform they might end up on, they should use it positively.

"They are very compassionate. People can see that. I think that was really why Sanjaya had such a large fan base. He is a genuine person who is not egotistical, very compassionate, and very well grounded.

"Even though they are very attractive people, I don't think they let that go to their heads because they realize it is a God-given gift. Any gift they have comes from God; they are just an instrument of that.

"That helps them stay grounded and focussed on the bigger picture. I would say that is probably one of the biggest things I have tried to give them as far as life lessons go."

And according to the New York Daily News, Sanjaya hasn't given up hopes for a career in showbiz. "My first objective is to legitimize my music," he told Steppin' Out's Chaunce Hayden, "then do modeling and acting." But his brief fame may soon be overshadowed. Buzz is that his sister Shyamali has been offered nude magazine spreads. Not that she'll be tempted, says Sanjaya: "She was never the type to flaunt it."

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© 2007

Jennifer Hudson Gets Academy Invite

E!Online reports that Season 3 finalist and Academy Award-winner Jennifer Hudson has received one of the harder to get invites in Tinseltown. Along with Steve Carell, Daniel Craig and Jennifer Aniston, Hudson is among the scant 115 industry types who have been tapped to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, which only extends such invitations once a year.

In fact, the Academy instituted new rules four years ago intended to slow down its growing list of members eligible to vote every year on who gets to take home the little golden man, the most prestigious trophy in Hollywood. Only 150 new members are allowed every year, with actual invites going out to far fewer candidates.

The Academy currently has just under 6,000 members, with the annual influx countered by retirements and deaths.

Invites are extended to actors, yes, but also to directors, writers, cinematographers, sound and visual effects artists, producers, animators, editors, costume designers, makeup artists and P.R. gurus, among others.

Joining the aforementioned A-listers this year are a directory of performers and visionaries whose big-screen presence has ranged from stadium-style multiplex to art house, studio showboat to indie charmer.

Actors asked to join the ranks include Hudson's DreamGirls costar Eddie Murphy, independent film faves Aaron Eckhart and Ryan Gosling, Bad News Bear turned Little Children Oscar nominee Jackie Earle Haley, stage and screen star Christopher Plummer and international stars Adriana Barraza (Babel) and Chiwetel Ejiorfor (Dirty Pretty Things). Aside from Haley, Murphy, Gosling and Barraza were all nominated for Academy Awards last year.

Another recent Oscar nominee topped the list of invited filmmakers: United 93's Paul Greengrass. Training Day's Antoine Fuqua, Disturbia's D.J. Caruso and Friday Night Lights' Peter Berg are also among the six directors being asked to join up, while jack-of-all-trades (Alias and Lost creator, Mission: Impossible III scribe and director) J.J. Abrams has been classified as a writer.

Joining Abrams in the writers category are some of the past year's most bandied-about names—Little Miss Sunshine Best Original Screenplay winner Michael Arndt; William Monahan, Best Adapted Screenplay victor for The Departed; Oscar-nominated The Queen screenwriter Peter Morgan; Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, whose The Lives of Others won Best Foreign Language Film; and Guillermo Arriaga, who penned Babel.

"The numbers are stabilizing nicely," said Academy executive director Bruce Davis, "but at the same time some interesting changes are occurring. Like the recent list of Oscar nominees, our last few membership invitation lists have been increasingly international."

Just out of those mentioned here, there are three Brits (Morgan, Greengrass, Ejiorfor), two Mexicans (Barraza, Arriaga), a German (von Donnersmarck) and a Canadian (Plummer).

The 80th Annual Academy Awards will be held Sunday, Feb. 24, 2008.

SPARKS ON SUPER BOWL RADAR

According to The Arizona Republic, rumors are swirling that Jordin Sparks will sing the national anthem at Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, Ariz., Sparks' hometown.

Jordin's management team would not confirm the rumor, but NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy did not rule out the possibility. He said a final decision would not be made until late fall and no discussions with the 17-year-old's representation have taken place.

However, many insiders say the chances look good. For one, Fox, which owns rights to Idol, will broadcast the Feb. 3 game.

"You could almost rule it out if it was CBS or some other network, but I'd say there is a good chance," said Ellman Cos. and Westgate City Center spokesman Jeff Hecht. Hecht worked with a Fox legal team when Jordin performed at Westgate for Idol's homecoming episode.

McCarthy said the game's broadcasting network often suggests performers and usually has input during the artist selection process. The ultimate decision lies with the NFL, he said.

"It would be absolutely perfect seeing that Phillippi [Sparks, Jordin's dad] played football [for the NFL's New York Giants team] and because the game will be held at the new stadium," Sparks family friend Stephanie Rigby said. "I almost can't think of why she wouldn't."

In Super Bowls past, it has not been uncommon to see local flavor on the game's entertainment menu. At Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston, Houston-native Beyonce Knowles sang the national anthem. Detroit-raised Aretha Franklin sang when Super Bowl XL was played in the Motor City in 2006.

IDOL: THE MUSICAL

Playbill reports that "Idol: The Musical," which is based on the idol worship of former "American Idol" contestant Clay Aiken is headed Off-Broadway.

The musical, which was recently seen in Syracuse, N.Y., is scheduled to begin previews at Off-Broadway's 45th Street Theatre on July 5. Todd Ellis is producing the Manhattan engagement of Idol, which will be directed by Bill Boland.

The musical features a book by Boland and music by Jon Balcourt. Both men collaborated on the lyrics.

"Idol: The Musical," according to press notes, is described as "a satirical musical comedy that focuses on the outrageous and delusional fan base of the hit television show. The musical takes place in Steubenville, Ohio, where a group of dork-like students are preparing for their high school graduation after which they are determined to drag themselves out of the dregs of the middle-of-nowhere.

"There are eight of them; all belonging to the same cult-like club that meets daily in a barn that doubles as a shrine to Clay Aiken. They are actively ridiculed by the rest of Steubenville; a humiliating situation that doesn't deter their quest for all things Clay. They are victims of A.D.D., Ritalin, their misguided obsessions and their innocent longing for their elusive '15 minutes.' One of them pumps gas. One of them is home-schooled. One of them is a genius. And one of them is a basketball phenom who would rather be a Chippendales dancer. The other four have equally bizarre back-stories too complicated to tell here; but suffice it to know that the real bad-guy of the piece is a total harpy named Adrienne. She gives new meaning to the word villain.

"The story heats up when the mid-American leg of the 'Idol Tour,' starring Clay Aiken, is announced to be playing Chicago, Memphis, Louisville, Scranton, Charleston, Greensboro, Roanoke and Steubenville. Steubenville! False idols are a tricky bunch. Especially those that have lost national singing contests. Go ask Clay. I think he'll know."

Ticket information has yet to be announced.

IDOL SPONSORSHIP A HOT PROPERTY

According to Variety, as "American Idol" enters its seventh season on Fox, co-producer and licensor FremantleMedia boasts upward of 40 licensees and a string of off-air sponsors.

FremantleMedia's season six off-air sponsorship roster included multimillion-dollar promotional campaigns with All Detergent, Edy's/Dreyer's Ice Cream, McDonald's, Nestle, Pringles and Samsung.

This summer, off-air sponsor Oscar Mayer will kick off a national "Sing the Jingle, Be a Star" promotion searching for the next voice to croon its famous commercial tune.

This summer will also witness a landmark extension for the "Idol" brand with the launch of its first performing-arts camp for kids, Idol Camp, aimed for children ages 12 to 15.

Meanwhile, Fremantle continues to eye global merchandising expansion.

"While 2007 saw USAopoly and Konami join the 'Idol' roster, going forward we plan to explore more merchandising extensions in the interactive and role-play categories," Luner says. "Of course, we're also launching a licensing program based around the recently announced 'Idol' spinoff, 'American Band,' which will follow a similar format to 'Idol,' both in terms of programming and product."

"We have created a unique licensing business that allows us to extend 'American Idol' and all of our brands across a broad range of platforms and localize our efforts," Gers says.

KATCHING McPHEEVER

Kat McPhee's McPhans want Fox and the producers of "American Idol" to know how mcpeeved they are that the Season 5 runner-up was not invited to perform anytime during Season 6, even though invitations were extended to -- and accepted by -- Taylor Hicks (the winner), Elliott Yamin (third place), Chris Daughtry (fourth place) and Kellie Pickler (sixth place).

The KatharineMcPheeForum.com says "In a move that just doesn’t make sense, Katharine McPhee was denied an invite to American Idol’s season finale, even though she called the execs herself to let them know she wanted to attend.

"Her fans are very disappointed by the snub, and in response, have launched Project Kit Kat in an effort to show their support for Katharine. The project even has the approval of Katharine’s mom, Peisha McPhee. All the Idol execs who dissed Katharine are going to get Kit Kat bars, along with a note expressing the fans’ disappointment with the show."

Says one of her fans: "This is a fun and non-confrontational way to get our point across to the decision makers at Idol. The Kit Kat Project [is] to let Idol know how much Kat was missed this season."

What "McPhans" want in the least, is to see an effort by Idol execs to invite Katharine on the show next season.

They've even created a video launch on YouTube to explain what to do. Watch video:


In tribute to Kat and her fans, here are a bunch of videos we've found of some of her recent performances (quality varies):

Watch video of Katharine McPhee singing "Over It" at Endfest, Sacramento:


Watch video of Katharine McPhee singing "Love Story" at Endfest, Sacramento:


Watch video of Katharine McPhee singing "Dangerous" at Endfest, Sacramento:


Watch video of Katharine McPhee singing "Open Toes" at Endfest, Sacramento:


Watch video of Katharine McPhee singing "Mary Jane" at Endfest, Sacramento:


Watch video of Katharine McPhee singing "Mary Jane" at StarFest 2007:


Watch video of Katharine McPhee singing "Open Toes" at StarFest 2007:


Watch video of Katharine McPhee singing
"Dangerous/Maneater" 6/10/07:


Watch video of Katharine McPhee singing "Love Story" 6/10/07:


Watch video of Katharine McPhee singing "Over It" at StarFest94:


e-mail Idol Addict
© 2007

'My December' First Listen

Roger Friedman of Fox News writes that more than a week before its scheduled release, Kelly Clarkson's controversial album, "My December" is available all over the Internet.

I downloaded it quickly last Friday and have been listening to it ever since — not necessarily because it's so good, but to evaluate its inherent oddness.

"My December," you see, as has been discussed now in this column and other places, is not what you'd expect from the winner of "American Idol."

That can be a good thing and a bad thing. We all applaud ambitious moves, and Clarkson certainly wants to spread her wings. Her famous quote now is that the songs are by her and about her. She says something to the effect of "pardon me if my life bores you."

Clarkson, however, is not a very experienced lyricist. So the pain she is trying to convey on "My December" is often not very effectively rendered. Unlike confessional songwriters like Carly Simon or even Alanis Morissette, Clarkson doesn't have a grasp of metaphor. She is more of an in-your-face songwriter. She also doesn't know when to stop beating a dead horse.

The result is a very mixed bag. The music on "My December" was supposedly written by members of her band. Some of it isn't bad. A couple of tracks, "Yeah" and "Don't Waste Your Time," stand out as memorable rockers with decent hooks. "Be Still" is an effective ballad. But the lyrics, especially on "Time," deteriorate pretty quickly into an accusatory tone that permeates the album.

It's not that I'm unsympathetic. Clarkson obviously was in a bad relationship with an abusive alcoholic. We get it; it's all over the album, from "Sober" to "Chivas." In "Yeah," which is saved by the band, she warbles: "I know where I've loved somebody more than what you'll give to me."

It's clear she's mad, bitter and resentful. But a lot of it seems like high school whining. Isn't art supposed to be about something more than this?

With "December" already downloading, Clarkson and her record label, RCA, have some obvious problems. But even worse for Clarkson is the news that her tour has been cancelled right on the heels of her firing manager Jeff Kwatinetz.

I still think that RCA will add a couple of tracks to "My December" in a second edition early in the fall. A real hit should emerge then, followed by a tour. But what a long way around to do something fairly simple.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PAUL McCARTNEY

Paul McCartney is 65 today, and even though this is not "American Idol" news, we just had to mark the occasion. Everybody's gonna dance tonight!

A NIGHT IN ATHENS WITH CONSTANTINE MAROULIS

The Daily Tribune reports that Constantine Maroulis will take the stage twice during Opa Fest 2007, "A Night in Athens," on the grounds of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Troy, Mich.

The event runs Friday through Sunday, June 22-24. Maroulis will perform for free at 7 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday.

This year, about 10,000 people in three days are expected to attend the festival at the church at 760 W. Wattles Road in Troy.

TAYLOR HICKS VIDEOS AT ELVIS FEST 2007

Watch video of Taylor Hicks singing "Soul Thing" at Elvis Fest 2007 in Tupelo, Miss.:


There are other videos (sorry, even worse quality), but Taylor freaks might want to take a peek here.

MOM SETS JORDIN SPARKS' BIRTH PLACE STRAIGHT

The Staten Island Advance says that despite hundreds of reports to the contrary,
"American Idol" Jordin Sparks wasn't born on Staten Island.

Seriously.

On Dec. 22, 1989, Jodi Wiedmann gave birth to a healthy baby girl -- 8 pounds, 8 ounces, if family memory serves. The obstetrician was Dr. Charles Clinch. The location was St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix, and, cue the "Idol" theme music -- a star was born.

The 17-year-old Ms. Sparks earned support from Staten Island's "Idol" fans during her rise to the top of the Fox-TV series this season.

No doubt, Staten Island would be happy to claim her.
But Ms. Sparks' mother tells the Advance: "I can definitely confirm that Jordin and I were at St. Joe's in Phoenix on the morning of Dec. 22, 1989!"

When the New York Post reported in April that Ms. Sparks was an Island native, they had it wrong, as did subsequent reports in papers from Virginia to Singapore.

The young pop star, a resident of Glendale, Ariz., did reside in various parts of New York and New Jersey while growing up -- mainly in Ridgewood, N.J., while her father, Phillippi Sparks, played football with the New York Giants.

Today Google links fans to about 700 Web sites that report Ms. Sparks was born on the Island-- including such popular sites as Wikipedia, People and imdb.com.

But -- sad news for local devotees -- they all have it wrong, too.

The Sparks family says they were rebuffed by a Post editor when they called to request a correction.

And they have tried to edit Ms. Sparks' bio on Wikipedia, the Internet encyclopedia that allows anyone to contribute, but they said the Island connection keeps cropping back up.

It's a mistake -- we're taking mom's word for it.

SIMON COWELL'S FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH: TOMATO BATHS

In one of the funniest Simon Cowell stories we've read to date, Mike Walker in the National Enquirer claims that Simon Cowell bathes in cherry tomatoes and sparkling water to stay looking young.

Walker says that Cowell spends hours soaking naked in a fab concoction he calls "Tomate Cerise!" Simon orders Italian cherry tomatoes flown in from Europe, smashes them to pulp in a big bucket -– then pours the bright-red goop into a bathtub filled with Perrier water.

Walker claims that Simon says the tomato enzymes not only eradicate age spots and keep the skin looking young – they even jazz up the metabolism.

Walker adds that his spy says Cowell's housekeepers aren't happy about swabbing pureed goo out of the master tub, and keep muttering stuff like "damn tomato soup!"

e-mail Idol Addict
© 2007

Mandisa Relies on Her Own Strength

Season 5 finalist Mandisa recently did a QNA with BlogCritics Magazine . The singer is the author of "IDOLeyes" and her debut album, "True Beauty," drops July 31. She currently has a single, "Only the World," out. Here is what she had to say:

What is your passion in life?

My passion in life is to have a life on purpose, to make a difference. I’d like to be an example to those living with no reason.

What do you want the world to know most about you?

I serve a God who has saved me, redeemed me, and given my life purpose. I want to show people the joy that comes from living a life serving Jesus.

Your book, "IDOLeyes," and your upcoming album, "True Beauty," both send the world two messages. The first is that your struggle with weight has been the biggest struggle of your life. And the second — your faith as a Christian has taken you out of a comfort zone and put you into the ring of light. In what way do you wish to impact the world of overweight women?

My message is twofold: Our bodies are temples, and we have to take care of them. This is a day to day struggle for me, and I overcome it meal by meal. It took me 30 years to get to this point. My weight will not disappear overnight. Whenever I face temptation, and overcome it, this allows me to overcome further temptation.

Second, we will not allow society to dictate who is beautiful. My beauty comes from within, and I will not put my life on hold until I’m a size 5. I live my life full force every day.

As a Christian artist in the 21st century, what lions are you facing?

There have been many who have come before me that have represented the Lord and who have condemned others. I have a relationship with Jesus, I don’t judge or condemn. We’ll all face a judge at the end of life. His name will not be Mandisa. He has given me joy, and it’s been amazing. I want them to know what I know — God is good all the time.

How does your faith help you overcome your weight issues?

When I face temptation, I rely on strength not my own. I quote Scripture when driving by Krispy Kreme. God provides a way out when tempted, through His word and prayer. He gives me the ability to get through this struggle.

Do you have a trainer?

No, but I have an exercise room in my house.

What do you eat?

I’ve been on many diets; I know what to do, fruits and veggies, no white flour or sugar. During some situations I choose poorly. I’m an emotional eater — it absolutely is an addiction. My substance is food. For others it’s drugs or alcohol. My automatic propensity is to turn to food. Now, I turn to the Comforter instead.

Where do you wish to be in five years?

I love where I am right now. My life has purpose, I love my friends and family. In five years I’d like to be the picture of health. I’m thirty years old, I’d like this to be reflected on the outside as well.

Do you have a special man?

No, I’m Super Single — I’m busy. There’s so much going on, that I don’t know how he would fit in. He’s out there somewhere though.

If you could change today’s world, what one problem would you fix?

Hmm ... hate. If we would eliminate that, we would eliminate many problems. The answer to hate is tolerance. I believe we can still love each other, but still be able to disagree.

How did the rape [she discusses this in her book] you endured hurt you emotionally?

I think so many women have been violated or forced to do something that they didn’t want to do. I’m a stronger person today because of what happened. I have mercy on the guy who did this. I want people to know that you can move past this. At a point, you must forgive, it’s not for the other person, it’s for yourself. It freed me, and released the bitterness and rage from my heart.

AJ TABALDO CLOSES POPS SEASON

The Lompoc Record reports that Lompoc’s very own Pops Orchestra will wrap up its 10th anniversary season with a sensational finish on tomorrow evening, June 18, at the Lompoc Civic Auditorium, in Lompoc, Calif. Soloists include Season 6 "American Idol" semi-finalist AJ Tabaldo, 22, from Santa Maria.

Tabaldo, who likes to refer to himself as an ethnic "mutt" because he's a proud mix of Filipino, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian and Chinese, will sing his moving version of "God Bless The USA."

Expected to be a sellout, patrons should arrive early — curtain goes up at 7:30 p.m. at the Lompoc Civic Auditorium, 217 South L St. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children 12 and younger and full-time students of all ages are with identification. For additional information and ticket reservations, call 805-735-6463.

DAUGHTRY TO PLAY S.C. STATE FAIR AND MONTANAFAIR

South Carolina's TheState.com says don’t take it too hard if you were shut out of "Ameri-
can Idol" finalist Chris Daugh-
try’s sold-out show at Headliners on May 29. Daughtry will be one of this fall's headliners at the South Carolina State Fair, which runs Oct. 10-21. Concert tickets, from $10 to $15, go on sale Aug. 1 online here. The grandstand, which holds 5,000, will be all reserved seating. Daughtry will appear on Oct. 11.

Meanwhile, The Billings Gazette reports that country-music hit makers, rock stars, arenacross, bull riding and Championship NRA Rodeo are coming to Billings during MontanaFair on Aug. 10-18.

MontanaFair will kick off Aug. 10 with country-music artists Phil Vassar and Josh Gracin.

Gracin made the Top 10 in the Season 2 of "American Idol" and was the first finalist to bring country music to the pop-oriented hit show.

Tickets for their fair concert cost $32 for reserved seating and $27 for general admission. Showtime is 7p.m.

At 7 p.m. Aug. 11, the main act is Daughtry, the five-man rock band fronted by Chris Daughtry, the fourth-place finisher from Season 5. Daughtry's self-titled debut album spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. Hits include "It's Not Over," "Home," "Gone" and "What I Want."

A post-grunge band, 12 Stones, will open the show. Tickets cost $37 for reserved seating and $32 for general admission.

For $60, you can get general admission into all seven nights of entertainment with the MontanaFair Discovery Pass. The pass can be shared with family and friends, and fair gate admission is free with the pass on the event days, which are every day except Aug. 13 and 15. Discovery Pass tickets may be upgraded to reserved seating.

Tickets are on sale at the MetraPark Box Office, Rimrock Mall Customer Service Counter, four local Cellular Plus stores, online here and here and by phone at 800-366-8538.

SEACREST SATIRIZES HIMSELF

The Associated Press says that Ryan Seacrest is known as a lot of things -- slick "American Idol" ringmaster, hotshot radio deejay, ubiquitous E! channel host -- but funny guy's not one of them. Which makes his scene-stealing cameo in "Knocked Up" such an amusing surprise. Even more so because he's the butt of the joke.

Seacrest sends up his pompous image in the Judd Apatow-directed comedy about an ambitious entertainment reporter (Katherine Heigl) whose life is flipped when she learns she is pregnant. She takes her job seriously at E! Entertainment Television -- but not as seriously as the film-version Seacrest, who launches into a riotous rant during a scene that lasts barely two minutes.

Seacrest, playing himself, becomes ticked off on the set when Jessica Simpson throws off his busy schedule by arriving at her leisure for an interview.

He angrily suggests that maybe he'll retaliate by asking for her thoughts on an "exit strategy" in the Middle East.

"I don't understand the young talent in this town," the movie Seacrest goes on. "It doesn't make any sense. I got four jobs - hell, I'm more famous than half the people we talk to anyway!"

The rant then escalates into an R-rated diatribe with Seacrest dropping the F-bomb and denouncing the superficial workings of the entertainment industry. The apoplectic host finally has to be ushered into the green room with a promise of a cookie in an effort to calm him down.

Seacrest is not nearly as divalike in real life. ... Or is he?

At the beginning of a recent telephone interview with the Associated Press, the 32-year-old took a moment to jokingly exercise his authority: "Hang on one second - "Linda, WHERE'S MY LUNCH?! ... Sorry, just kidding," he deadpanned, back on the phone.

Seacrest, whose poker-faced demeanor during those ominous "Idol" elimination shows was spoofed on "Saturday Night Live," said he relished exposing his not-so-serious side in "Knocked Up."

"Oh, I love it! I don't mind being the butt of the joke. ... It doesn't really bother me. I quite enjoy it," said Seacrest.

He even suggested a headline for this story: "He's funny and YOU don't know it!" In the movie, he makes another statement: He can laugh at himself.

"I believe that one of the things I've tried to do is work hard and take the business very seriously. ... But, at the same time, you can't take the [TV personality] role too seriously. Then you really begin to lose it."

When it came time to film the scene, Seacrest -- nervous about how he'd be "received by the movie world" - was delighted to "have fun and ad lib" with Apatow ("The 40 Year-Old Virgin"), who is big on improvisation and collaboration.

"I'm not used to a script," Seacrest said. Apatow, he related, asked him: "Hey, can you use a bad word and make fun of a couple people and, at the end of this whole scene, really make sure you make fun of yourself?"

His response: "Absolutely, let's roll."

"This was a very therapeutic exercise," he said. "I mean, I didn't want to stop that day. It's a shame I only got to do it for however long I got to do it."

e-mail Idol Addict
© 2007

Kelly Clarkson's 'Gay Friendly' Duet

Watch video of an amazing duet of "Since U Been Gone" by Kelly Clarkson and Reba McEnire:


The Web site After Ellen is all a titter about this version, titling it "gay friendly" and saying that "The American Idol winner and country music icon Reba McEntire have dyked things up in a duet of Clarkson's hit single" because, as one poster points out, at exactly the 27th second in this video Kelly sings, "It wasn't long till I called HER mine"

Know what? Who cares? A great singer is a great singer, gay or straight. But it's given a lot of gay girls a new reason to crush on Clarkson.

P.S. But just for the record girls, when Clarkson appeared on "Ellen" last month, she sang the lyric, "It wasn't long till I called HIM mine"

Watch video of Kelly Clarkson singing "Since U Been Gone" on "Ellen":


CLUB RUBEN

AL.co reports that a Memphis developer said his firm is in talks with former "American Idol" winner Ruben Studdard about opening a nightclub in the planned Birmingham entertainment district.

John Elkington, CEO of Performa Entertainment Real Estate, told members of the Birmingham Ad Federation at a luncheon today that he wants the district to feature nightspots indicative of Birmingham's musical history.

"Ruben Studdard would be great for Birmingham's district and we're in talks with him now," Elkington said. "Ona Watson has a great musical legacy in Birmingham. Those are the type of people we want involved."

Elkington said he has signed several tenants and will announce some of them soon. His goal is to break ground on the project this fall, with opening set within 18 months.

The entertainment district is planned for property adjacent to the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex.

Performa is credited with rejuvenating Memphis' Beale Street with venues such as a B.B. King blues club.

... Meanwhile, the Richmond-Times Dispatch reports that Studdard seduced the women at last night's Fridays at Sunset show -- even the ones snuggling with male companions -- with his easy charm and soothing voice.

He also generously gave up the stage for a few minutes so Richmonder Vance Hayes could propose to girlfriend Tia Wansley (she said yes) as the crowd cheered them on.

Studdard, 28, launched his 90-minute set with the uptempo "Ain't No Party," a song written by Richmond native Harold Lilly, who received several shout-outs from Studdard throughout the concert.

Though he sounded more nasally than velvety for the first couple of songs, and hit some rough spots during "One Side," Studdard recovered in time for the chorus and directed the crowd of just more than 1,000 to "put your hands to the sky!"

A jolly fellow with a sweet grin perpetually plastered on his face, Studdard recalled staying at the Jefferson Hotel when touring with "American Idol" four years ago, and his frequent question, "Where my ladies at?" usually garnered excitable screams as those ladies popped up from lawn chairs to gyrate and point their cell phones at him.

When Studdard crept into his signature rendition of "Superstar," one woman repeatedly squealed "Oh, my God!" as if God himself had appeared on stage. Such is the effect of Studdard's gentle teasing, especially with that song, which indeed sounded sweet and clear as he effortlessly landed the big notes.

Along with his own repertoire from three albums of material, Studdard offered a gratifying run of old-school songs that, unfortunately, spotlighted how toothless his own material is by comparison.

"How Can You Mend a Broken Heart," his phrasing a hybrid of Barry Gibb and Al Green, worked surprisingly well, while his take on "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe," was rich, full and nearly as great as Barry White.

Studdard isn't going to alter the R&B universe with nondescript songs such as "Change Me" and "Sorry 2004," but he's an exceptional singer and song interpreter. That should sustain his career at least a few more years.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

From Jon Bon Jovi, speaking to the UK's Daily Mail about his experience working on "American Idol" ("I liked Simon Cowell -- he was nice") this season:

" ... It's important that the kids learn to write their own songs. With these kids, their first album goes multi-platinum, but where do they actually go to learn their chops?"

e-mail Idol Addict
© 2007

Kelly Clarkson Cancels Summer Tour!

With but a brief explanation on her Web site, Kelly Clarkson has cancelled her 35-venue summer tour in support of her newest release, "My December," slated to drop on June 26. The home page of the singer's official site reads:

"I can't tell you how much I've been looking forward to getting out there to perform for y'all. In the craziness of the music business, performing is what I look forward to doing the most, so it really is disappointing for me to have to tell you that I won't be coming out to tour this summer. The fact is that touring is just too much too soon.

But I promise you that we're going to get back out there as soon as is humanly possible to give you a show that will be even better.

Thanks for all of your love and continued support."

— Kelly

Glenn Gamboa in Newsday writes that Clarkson was set to play amphitheaters this summer, as she did last year after her "Breakaway" album. However, Michael Rapino, CEO of LiveNation, said yesterday that the demand has not been as strong. "Ticket sales have not been what we anticipated and we came to the realization that we had bit off more than we could chew," he said in a statement. "In the end, we are in the Kelly Clarkson business and for that reason we believe that this decision will only benefit her and her fans in the long run."

The tour cancellation follows Clarkson's firing of her manager Jeff Kwatinetz earlier this week in the midst of a rumored rumble with RCA Chief Clive Davis over her new album's commercial viability. Clarkson's "My December" album is currently slated for a June 26 release and she is still scheduled to appear at the Live Earth concert at Giants Stadium on July 7. Her single "Never Again" is currently No. 17 on the Billboard charts after peaking at No. 7.

And Hollywood Today says that in a statement released from Clarkson's camp, Gregg Perloff, CEO of concert promoter Another Planet Entertainment, said, "Kelly is a spectacular artist and an incredible performer who undoubtedly has what it takes to sustain a long and prosperous career. The day when she will play in sold-out arenas is, no doubt, coming, but for now her fans should look forward to seeing her in a more intimate concert environment. Kelly deserves a tremendous amount of praise for her courage in not only being a part of, but in supporting, this difficult decision."

NEW VIDEOS OF JORDIN, BLAKE AND TAYLOR

Taylor Hicks sang the National Anthem at the NBA finals last night. Hicks spent time before the game dribbling a basketball while players warmed up.

"I actually played a lot of basketball in high school," the 29-year-old Birmingham, Ala., native told The Canton Rep. "I was a better harmonica player. I was a little bit short for basketball and wasn't too short for the harmonica."

So, what's more pressure - the NBA Finals or "American Idol"? "That's interesting," said Hicks. " 'American Idol' is like the Super Bowl each week. There is a lot of pressure. It's very similar to that when you consider what's at stake for each team."

Watch video of Taylor Hicks singing the National Anthem at the NBA finals:


Watch video of Jordin Sparks on "The View":


Watch video of Blake Lewis on "The View":


Watch video of Jordin Sparks singing the National Anthem at the NBA finals:


Afterwards, Sparks she did a qna with the Toledo Blade:

On singing the national anthem, her first performance at a sporting event: "I got here and I just did it. I just go with what comes, do whatever I feel like at the moment."

On how Simon Cowell would have rated her national anthem performance: "There's always going to be that little, are they here, are they watching, did they hear? There's always going to be, 'I think they're there.' You always feel that pressure to do as good as you can and hope everybody that was out there, if they were a judge, then they would like it. You just try so hard. I don't know. I thought I did OK. I thought I did pretty good. But you never know what Simon's going to think."

On who she wants to win the NBA championship: "I'm very sad about the Suns. That's all I'm going to say."

How she felt when she heard her song, "This is My Now" on the radio for the first time: "I was at home for a couple days, and I was at a tanning salon with my mom. I was sitting there, and I was like, 'Oh my gosh, they're playing it on the radio,' and I just started crying. I hadn't heard it yet. So I just sat there and thought, I can't believe this is really happening. It was one of those moments that I'll remember for the rest of my life."

On what her album will sound like: "No matter what song I sing, I always have this country-style flare. But I love pop, I love rock and roll, and I love country, I love everything. I just want great songs. When the tour is over I'm going to hit the recording studios very, very hard. It's supposed to be out before Thanksgiving. It's going to be so crazy."

On her life since winning "Idol": "The whole thing since I won Idol has been a whirlwind. I've been riding on adrenaline and no sleep, but being on shows I've been watching for the longest time has been so crazy, and getting opportunities like this is, I cannot express it anymore, I'm enjoying every moment of this."

IDOL DIGITAL RELEASES AVAILABLE ON iTUNES

Diehard Season 6 fans can now purchase a selection of compilations through iTunes. The "Greatest Hits" collections, a misnomer if there ever was one, goes for $7.99 and includes:

Blake Lewis - You Give Love a Bad Name 3:09
Gina Glocksen - Paint It Black 3:21
Melinda Doolittle - As Long As He Needs Me 2:59
Chris Sligh - She’s Not There 2:02
Sanjaya Malakar - Besame Mucho 3:42
LaKisha Jones - This Ain’t a Love Song 3:57
Chris Richardson - Smooth 4:05
Haley Scarnato - Turn the Beat Around 3:30
Stephanie Edwards - Love Hangover 2:43
Brandon Rogers - You Can’t Hurry Love 2:56
Phil Stacey - Blaze of Glory 4:48
Jordin Sparks - This Is My Now 3:50

Frankly, we'd love to get our hands on a studio version of Melinda singing "My Funny Valentine" and Brandon Rogers singing anything but "You Can't Hurry Love." Also, in spite of all the judge bitchin', the studio rendition of Sligh singing "Endless Love" is not to be missed. We're not too crazy about some of the other picks, either.

You can also download a "Collector’s Edition" for $29.97 that has all 76 Idol studio recordings from Season 6 except Jordin Sparks' "Living on a Prayer," which was available on americanidol.com during the season. All selections can also be purchased individually for 99 cents. Note: The studio versions do vary from the live versions. So if you LOVED the live version of a performance, you might not be getting what you were hoping for. We found this especially true for Blake Lewis songs that had beatboxing. The studio versions tended to be straighter releases with far less of Lewis' innovative touch, and therefore disappointing. We even thought Jordin's live version of "I Who Have Nothing" was better than the studio release. So you've been warned.

QNA WITH TAYLOR HICKS

The Elmira Star-Gazette recently interviewed Taylor Hicks via e-mail.

You're starting the second leg of your tour with us in Big Flats, N.Y., and you'll have visited 50 cities by Labor Day. How do you keep up?

I am most comfortable on the road, so being on tour is a good pace for me. The mornings I get to sleep in really help me keep up though.

You're playing everything from open air venues like ours to casinos, to county fairs to arenas. What size audience do you prefer, how are the audiences different (if they are) and what was your favorite stop on the first half of the tour?

As long as there is chemistry between a performer and the audience, I don't think the size matters. That chemistry is what drives the whole performance and is what I thrive on when I am on stage. My favorite stop? I guess I really enjoyed the venues with a lot of history like the Ryman in Nashville. [Editor's note: Ryman Auditorium opened in 1892.]

Aside from the obvious ability to play your own music and to perform an entire song, how will your live performances differ from the performances people got to see on "American Idol"?

I don't think they differ that much. I have an energetic set with some signature dance moves ... how can I deny the fans of those?

You're a seasoned performer already, having spent years playing clubs prior to your break with "AI." Do you still (or did you ever) get nervous before a show? If so, what do you do to prepare for a performance?

Of course I get nervous. but I don't really have a routine before each night. I just enjoy a little down time by myself.

On your MySpace page you described your inspiration, or maybe motivation, as "defining modern soul." Tell us more about that.

I think there is an underground movement for modern soul-like artists such as Amy Winehouse and Joss Stone. Taking the old sound of Motown and soul and putting more of a modern spin on them with samples and actual music that has the nostalgia of the old but with a new twist.

You also have a book coming out, "Heart Full of Soul." What can diehard Tay fans expect?

You can read about some "American Idol" secrets and my road thus far. I didn't get to where I am now easily, and I share a lot of the struggles I faced in this book.

You were able to put some of your original music on your new CD; this CD isn't your first, however, and you have the song "Soul Thing" on your prior CD, "Under The Radar." That is a much more acoustic version, at a slower tempo. Which version most closely represents the Taylor Hicks musical vision?

The show is very high energy so it is definitely the up-tempo version of "Soul Thing" when I am on stage.

You've described being on "American Idol" as "dancing with the devil." If you could change one thing about your whole "American Idol" experience, what would it be and why?

I don't think I would change anything about the experience. The whole thing provided an incredible platform for me, and I wouldn't be answering your questions today if it weren't for that show and everything that happened during the journey.

A new "American Idol" was crowned last month. What advice would you give Jordin Sparks as she embarks on her own year as the new Idol?

I was able to talk with Jordin after she won and give her my advice. She knows what I told her.

HEATHER COX: FROM HOLLYWOOD TO HOG DAY

The News & Observer reports on Heather Cox, an "American Idol" Season 5 semi-finalist.

It's Hillsborough, not Hollywood, but Heather Cox is still a bit nervous about singing at Hog Day on Saturday. "It's actually harder to sing in front of a small crowd than it is to sing in front of 40 million people," said the former "American Idol" contestant.

She'll be performing at the 25th anniversary of Hillsborough's Hog Day festival of all things porky.

Cox, from Jonesville in Yadkin County, made the top 24 on "Idol's" season five. She was one of four North Carolinians to do so that year. The other three -- Kellie Pickler, Chris Daughtry and Bucky Covington -- advanced further in the TV contest and now have successful albums out.

Cox, 23, is recording a pop-country album of her own. Otherwise, she is hanging around the homefront, spending time with her family. "There is not much to do," she said of Jonesville, population 1,464. "I think we have a few stoplights."

She can't believe it has been almost two years since she flew to Denver to audition for "Idol." "I was so nervous and thinking about backing out," said Cox, who has no formal vocal training.

She had spent a year practicing in secret after deciding to try out. "I would go out to the shed and sing in private," said Cox, a minister's daughter who grew up singing in church.

Her favorite judge on the show was Randy Jackson; Paula Abdul made weird comments about her eating habits, Cox said.

She also had a blast hanging out with the other contestants -- Rockingham native Covington would always jokingly try to buy teetotaling Cox a beer on flights to and from North Carolina.

"I still have Chris Daughtry's phone number in my cell phone," Cox said. "But he's so busy."

After a lazy start to the summer, Cox should be pretty busy herself in the coming months. She'll be singing at the Reality TV Convention in Nashville on June 30. Her album of "positive" pop-country should be out by the end of the year. She plans to build a house for herself, in the goat pasture behind her parents' property.

And she'd like to settle down and start a family soon, she said, expressing what may or may not be joking concern over being "old."

"I have had just some quagmire experiences in the dating department after 'American Idol,' " she said, groaning. "Therefore, Heather is extremely picky."

RUNNING AWAY WITH THE CIRCUS

Nola.com says thay in many ways the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is as magnetically real now as it was 136 years ago, when the traveling show began.

Not that the venerable circus hasn't changed with the times. The newest incarnation, "Circus of Dreams," incorporates a spate of up-to-the-moment modifications.

Gone is the venerable three-ring format, with simultaneous, overlapping acts sharing the spotlight. It has been replaced with a continuous story thread in which an "ordinary" family descends from the audience to assume dream roles among the clowns, aerialists and elephants. Jennifer Fuentes, 21, a second-season "American Idol" finalist, is a sort of seductive fairy godmother who narrates the story in song, backed by a live band providing a pop/hip-hop score. And everything is projected on a giant circular replay screen. The new touches seem to edge the old circus closer to the Cirque du Soleil and Disney mindsets of the 21st century.

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Lewis, One of 2007's Hottest Bachelors

Well, he didn't make the cover like Season 5 winner Taylor Hicks did last year, but Blake Lewis needn't hide his sexy head in shame. People magazine has named Lewis one of 2007's Hottest Bachelors, in their issue of the same name that hits the stands tomorrow featuring Matthew McConaughey on the cover.

The magazine's Web site says that the "American Idol" runner-up admits that, deep down, he's the sensitive type: "I'm the dozen roses kind of guy. I've done some serenading. In an intimate setting singing to a girl is beautiful."

What does Lewis look for in a woman? Independence, spontaneity, a heart of soul; someone who can take care of herself and is not too needy, is attractive ("there's got to be some chemistry"), likes to have fun and "likes cheesy white guys, like myself."

The biggest turn off? Someone who whines and complains a lot, is negative, pessimistic ("I'm very optimistic, focused and driven").

You can watch a video of the People photo shoot of Blake Lewis here.

SINGING THE SAME TUNE

Included in a USA Today article titled "They sing to their dads' tunes" was Sesaon 6 semi-finalist Sundance Head and his day, singer Roy Head.

The offspring: A 2007 American Idol Top 24 finalist, Sundance, 28, impressed judges with a performance of Bobby Blue Bland's "Stormy Monday." A blues shouter by nature, he plans to record an album of R&B duets with fellow Idol contestant Sabrina Sloan.

The springboard: Roy, 66, had a No. 2 hit in 1965 with "Treat Her Right," a horn-drenched rave-up that practically defined the notion of blue-eyed soul. A dancer who could hang with the likes of James Brown and Jackie Wilson, the elder Head also had a string of minor country hits during the '70s and early '80s and still tears it up on the oldies circuit.

How dad was instrumental: "As soon as I realized I couldn't be the showman that he was, I decided to play guitar," Sundance says. "That way, I didn't have to move. I started out using the guitar as a shield, but I ended up being pretty good at it."

On Idol, "they were giving us a song a day to learn. I called Dad and said, 'I've gone over (this song) so many times that I don't even know what it is anymore.' He said, 'You're over-studying it. If you're on stage and you forget the lyric, just make up lyrics that sound like the ones you should be singing. If you act like nothing's wrong, nobody will even notice it.' That got me through the L.A. auditions."

AYLA BROWN MOVING 'FORWARD'

In a story about Season 5 semi-finalist Ayla Brown, Billboard.com says:

She may have missed making it into the top 12 on season four of "American Idol" by one spot, but former contestant Ayla Brown has still managed to stay in the public eye over the past year. Eighteen-year-old Brown has done a number of live performances in support of her debut album, "Forward," which was released last October via Double Deal Brand Records, and she is also a prominent member of Boston College's women's basketball team.

"It's really important to me to be able to sing as well as play basketball," says the Wrentham, Mass., native. She adds that although she wasn't one of the 12 finalists on "Idol," she's pleased with how everything turned out. "At first I was devastated because I didn't know where my life, musically, would lead me. I thought, 'I'm gonna go play basketball now; there's going to be no music in my life.' I really just thought that I wasn't ready for it. But after 'Idol,' I was offered [the chance] to make a CD, and I saw that as a door opening up. Thank goodness I took it, and now I'm able to do both."

"Forward" features songs penned by Diane Warren, Tommy Sims and David Eriksen, among others. Brown co-wrote two songs, "Thanks to You" and "Falling Into You." The album's initial singles, "Know You Better" and "I Quit," were released in September, and the current single, "Forward," is at mainstream AC radio now.

"I love this song," Brown says of the title track. "Mostly because of the bridge -- it comes in with this full chorus of people. It becomes almost this gospel sound." She adds that when performing for a middle school-aged crowd, she always includes the song "Love You Better" because "guys and girls love to get up and dance to that one."

Not only does she want to get tweens out on the dance floor, Brown hopes she serves as a role model to her audience as well. "A lot of younger artists are making bad decisions with their lifestyles," she says. "I really want to be one of those people who says, you can play sports, you can sing, you can be a good student, and no one is going to punish you for it."

This summer, Brown will make a number of public appearances, some of which will feature performances by fellow Massachusetts "Idol" contestant Nick Pedro. The two recently shared the stage at the Jimmy Fund's Scooper Bowl in Boston on June 6.

While there's no set timetable on a follow-up album, Brown says she wants to contribute more as a songwriter the next time around. "At first I didn't really know what the [songwriting] process was about," she admits. "I'd always been a basketball player growing up. But through the process, through 'American Idol,' I learned so much and what you can contribute."

And here are some excerpts from an interview with Brown done last month by The Sun Chronicle:

On who will have a more successful recording career, Blake Lewis or Jordin Sparks: Probably Blake, because he can do reggae and he can do the whole beat boxing thing. I could see him doing that whole contemporary vibe sort of thing and being extremely successful with it. [Jordin] would be successful too. However, we've seen singers like her in the past.

On which Season 6 contestants should have advanced further in the competition: I was disappointed that Stephanie Edwards didn't get put into the top 12, and Sabrina Sloan. I think those two were ones that America really got wrong in the earlier competitions, and I feel like if they had gotten in it would have been a different story.

On who will likely have the most successful career out of the Top 12: I think Chris Richardson will end up being pretty successful just because all the females seem to really, really like him. He's kind of like the next Justin Timberlake ... And I don't want to say Sanjaya [Malakar], but somehow I think Sanjaya's going to come out and be really successful. People can't get enough of him.

On how long the show can remain a ratings juggernaut: Everyone that I talk to, honestly, every single person watches it and none of them seem to be sick of it, and they've been watching it since season one. Based on trends that are happening with voting, people want different (types of contestants) in the competition and that's why they're voting for Sanjaya and Blake and Taylor Hicks. So I don't know if people are rebelling or just want someone obscure and unseen. But honestly I can't see "American Idol" fading out anytime soon.

On the likelihood of Season 6 contestants releasing albums: I'm curious to see how many release albums this year. It just seems as though season five had so many talented people that had the ability to release an album because they were just popular or talented enough. (Bucky Covington, Kellie Pickler, Chris Daughtry and Katharine McPhee have all released relatively high-profile albums since last season).

Her thoughts on her album, "Forward": I'm just so thankful to have the opportunity, and that someone saw the potential in me to make an album, because not all the people in the world get the ability to have that happen to them, so it's really a good feeling.

On what would happen if any of the "American Idol" judges changed: I think if there were judge changes, people wouldn't watch it. And because it's such a popular television show, I don't think "Idol" would take that chance.

SEASON 4 ROCKERS PLAN CD RELEASES

MTV interviewed "American Idol" vets Bo Bice and Constantine Maroulis on their CDs, due for release later this year.

So much for striking while the iron's hot. Instead of rushing out an album right after his ouster from the 2005 edition of "American Idol," Constantine Maroulis has spent the past two years indulging his love of musical theater, acting in a soap opera and putting together an empire under his snarkily named Sixth Place Productions banner.

"I'm an actor, I love to host and I'm a singer. I did Broadway, and I produced my own tours and started my own label," said Maroulis, who appeared on Broadway in "The Wedding Singer" musical and is currently playing a singer on the daytime drama "The Bold and the Beautiful." "Would I trade all that work for making one successful album right off the show? I don't have that answer. I think this record is better than the one I could have made right off the show. It's more grassroots — I picked the band, financed it and co-wrote a bunch of the songs."

The album, titled "Constantine," will drop August 7 on his label, with distribution from Sony/Red. Self-proclaimed "blue-collar guy" Maroulis is confident that his fans will find it and buy enough copies to keep him on the road. "I can sell a couple hundred thousand copies and do what I love to do: play clubs," he said. "I don't need to be a huge star."

Just in case, though, he did bring in some ringers, including Matchbox Twenty singer Rob Thomas, who co-wrote a song on the album, as well as Nashville songwriter Angie Aparo (Faith Hill's "Cry"). "It's got a distinctly rock sound, kind of an East Coast Bon Jovi/Rob Thomas vibe with great pop hooks," Maroulis said. The first single, "Everybody Loves," has been featured on "The Bold and the Beautiful" and is on iTunes now. The next single, "Girl Like You," will soon be tied to a story line on the show.

Season four's other rocker, No. 2 finisher Bo Bice, is also prepping an album for later this year: His yet-untitled sophomore release. His 2005 debut, "The Real Thing," featured assists from Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Nickelback's Chad Kroeger and former Evanescence member Ben Moody that were brokered by Bice's label. The longhaired Southern rocker says he called the shots this time around.

The album, which Bice is recording with noted country producer Frank Liddell (Faith Hill, Dixie Chicks), features the music hound's wish list of famed session masters. "I was throwing around ideas of the people I wanted to play on it," Bice said. "And I was like, 'Yeah, sure, these guys will play on my album. Right!' " But a few phone calls landed him Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell — who Bice met a decade ago when he delivered a package of Christmas CDs to Leavell's house — as well as Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman, legendary session guitarist Waddy Wachtel (Keith Richards, Tom Waits) and bluegrass icon David Grisman.

"It's a star-studded cast, and I'm the only one on there who's not famous," the ever-humble Bice joked. "I picked and co-wrote the songs that if I was a guy who would be spending my hard-earned money buying an album I would want to hear." That means original back-to-basics Southern rock and country-tinged singer/songwriter tunes co-written with A.J. Croce (son of 1970s singer Jim Croce) and Chris Tompkins (Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats").

Bice said he wrote 31 songs for the album and is narrowing down the list to 10-12 that will make the final cut, including four songs that are currently vying to be the first single.

"I didn't have a lot to do with the first record," said Bice, who took time off in late 2006 to have another surgery to finally correct a nagging intestinal blockage that hospitalized him 15 times last year. "It was very RCA and Clive [Davis]-driven. It was an excellent album, but it was a revolving door of one guy in this week, another guy the next. This time I was here for every aspect [of it], and I'm a lot more comfortable."

Bice and Maroulis were the trailblazers for rock singers on "Idol." They paved the way for the show's latest breakout star, last season's No. 4 finisher Chris Daughtry, a fact Bice takes pride in.

"It made me proud that Chris said I was part of what inspired him to audition," said Bice. "There was never a bone in my body that thought I was going to win or make it that far. To see people progress and see more rock people on there makes me proud."

SIGHTING

"American Idol" third-place finisher Melinda Doolittle, outfitted in jeans, T-shirt and Prada bag, trying on sneakers at Niketown on E. 57th Street in Manhattan with a male sidekick, says the New York Daily News.

SHERMAN PORE VIDEO

Watch video of Season 6 "contestant" Sherman Pore singing "Eternally"


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Kelly Clarkson Drama Continues

Entertainment Weekly says that Kelly Clarkson has told her manager, The Firm's CEO Jeff Kwatinetz, never again.

Barely two weeks before the release of her newest album, "My December," which has been the subject of a very bitter and public battle between Clarkson and Sony/BMG head Clive Davis, the magazine reports that Clarkson has axed Kwatinetz, who reportedly was to receive executive producer credit on the CD.

Previous reports said Davis was unhappy with the CD -- which contains dark cuts about bad breakups and staying sober and which was written entirely by Clarkson and her band -- because he felt it wasn't commercial enough. It was rumored that Davis both held up the CD's release for four months and demanded changes, but that Clarkson stood her ground, refusing to change anything. Eventually, sources claim, Davis capitulated and reluctantly green-lighted the album's release for late June. In fact, during his appearance on the Idol Gives Back telecast in late April, Davis extensively extolled Carrie Underwood's achievements, yet didn't even mention Clarkson's name, even though both singers appeared on the show.

In the May
"Summer Music Preview" issue of EW, which featured Clarkson on the cover, the singer said she told Davis, '' 'Why are we talking through people, dude? Let's just meet.' He was like, 'I agree.' So I went to his bungalow where he stays here and we had a nice talk for a couple hours. I was like, 'You don't like the music; that's cool. You don't have to love it.' There's no hard feelings. And that's why I don't like [our differences] to get out in public. I don't want to be the Joan of Arc of the music industry."

In the same issue of EW, "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell said of the dispute between the singer and the record company, ''Kelly is not a puppet; she does not like to be told what to do. She could have gone the easy route, which is, you go with ['Since U Been Gone' producer] Max Martin — it's a guaranteed success. She made it absolutely clear that she wanted to steer the musical direction on this record. You just gotta say, 'You know what? This girl has given us millions and millions of sales.' You've got to give her that opportunity. If it works out, fantastic. If she then decides she wants to do a pop album, every good writer and producer wants to work with her. Because Kelly will be here for 30 years. She has one of the best pop voices in the world right now. What she sold in the U.K., Europe, Asia had nothing to do with 'American Idol.' It had everything to do with the fact that she made a great record and she's got an incredible voice. She's not a girl who got lucky in a talent competition; we got lucky to find her.''

Just yesterday, we posted the Elle magazine story and interview with Kelly Clarkson in which Kwatinetz said of his client:

"The label didn't even acknowledge her ASCAP awards ... It's upsetting. They don't want her to be a songwriter. They just want her to shut up and sing. They want her to stay their little American Idol."

In fact, according to an article we posted last week by Fox News' Roger Friedman, Kwatinetz and Clarkson were so tight that Friedman said:

"But the real friction may not be between Clarkson and Davis, but between Clarkson's manager, Jeff Kwatinetz, of The Firm, and the label.

It was only this past weekend that RCA learned Kwatinetz is being listed by Clarkson as "executive producer" of the album. This indicates a new role for Kwatinetz, who is not the most popular member of the recording industry. Managers generally do not receive "EP" credits on albums. They are listed as managers."

Now, Entertainment Weekly is saying that Clarkson has fired Kwatinetz:

With just two weeks to go before the release of her much-anticipated (and recently leaked) third album, "My December," EW.com has learned that Kelly Clarkson fired her management team Monday night [June 11]. A SonyBMG source confirms the split between Clarkson and The Firm's Jeff Kwatinetz, and hinted that internal bickering between SonyBMG and Clarkson about the songwriting and direction of "My December" likely played a role with their parting.

"He exacerbated a thermonuclear situation," says one source close to the situation. "Jeff did everything he could to control Kelly and her career suffered. He should have steered her in the right direction."

The Firm issued a statement on June 12 saying, "Kelly Clarkson is an enormously talented artist. We are pleased to have served as her managers during her well-deserved rise to stardom and are proud of the role we played in backing her creative choices. We believed in Kelly from the day we met her and believe in her now. We have only the best wishes and hopes for her in the future."

A spokesperson at RCA, Clarkson's label, had no comment.

With the single
"Never Again" stalling on the charts [it's currently No. 11 on the Hot 100 chart after 6 weeks] and the album predicted to underperform, the timing of the firing says a lot about where Clarkson sees herself positioned in the pop world. She certainly hasn't been shy about sacrificing a bit of pop appeal for a more independent rock route ("I know it's not going to do what 'Breakaway' did, 'cause it's not as mainstream. I get that. Some of the songs are not what 10-year-olds are probably going to listen to," Clarkson told EW earlier this year), but another insider says there were bigger problems than just specific songs. "It's been a poor setup," claims the source. "Tour markets were misread and all the fighting with the label has taken attention away from the one thing that matters: her music."

In fact, another source suggests that the album, if it hasn't made its way to the pressing plant yet, may actually get shelved so that Clarkson and her label, headed by music legend Clive Davis, can reconsider some of the tracks. "It's not too late," says the source. "The label was supportive of Kelly in terms of putting the song out, but this album can't flop. She needs to get the right advice and counsel."

Stay tuned ...

And here's a recent interview between Ryan Seacrest and Clarkson on his KISS-FM radio show.

IS BLAKE LEWIS A DIVA?
In one of those stories we're reluctant to believe, MSNBC claims that Blake Lewis is a major celeb — at least in his own mind, citing a National Enquirer story that claims that Lewis was at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on June 7 when he was approached by four elderly ladies who politely asked him if he was the guy from the hit television series, according to the National Enquirer.

Lewis curtly insisted that he wasn't.

"My, my, young man, you look so much like him," one disappointed woman reportedly said.

Although no one else seemed to recognize Lewis, he whipped out his cell phone, called someone, and complained about being mobbed by fans, according to the tab.

"Hurry up and get down here fast!" an observer heard him grouse. "You wouldn't believe all the people bothering me here!"

Having seen how exceedingly polite Lewis has been in other situations, we find the whole story highly suspect, especially after reading this in The Journal News:

Jessi-Ann Bettcher is on her way home to Brewster from the hospital where she received lifesaving heart transplant surgery three weeks ago.

The 17-year-old soccer player, wearing jeans, sandals and a heart monitor on her chest that looks like a large i-pod, smiled all morning as she said goodbye to nurses and doctors.

"You don't know you are going home until all the wires are out of your body, and you are in the car," said Bettcher, with her mother at her side, shortly after noon, as she was being discharged from Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital at New York-Presbyterian. "I'm going home today, so I'm excited."

The spirited teenager planned to surprise some of her friends at Brewster High School before beginning what is expected to be an eight-week period of healing and recovery at home.

She has every intention of taking up soccer again next season as a senior.

Bettcher's accommodating nature and uncommon grace during her 23 days in the hospital endeared her to many in her community and impressed none other than Blake Lewis -- the runner-up on the television show "American Idol," who visited Bettcher in her room.

After all the excitement of coming home, Bettcher said she was looking forward to having "five minutes to myself."

SPEND A DAY WITH AN IDOL FINALIST

Just because "American Idol" Season 6 has officially ended, the contests surrounding the series haven't. The PRNewswire announces a new Pringles off-air contest where you can win a day with your favorite Season 6 Top 10 Idol finalist through the "Pringles Win a Day with an AMERICAN IDOL Finalist" contest.

To enter, click here and submit an essay of no more than 100 words telling how they would spend a day with one of the top 10 finalists from 2007. Entries must be received by September 14. No purchase is necessary. You can find additional information, contest entry details and the official rules at the same Web site.

PHIL STACEY VIDEO

Phil Stacey performs in Wichita, Kansas, to help the people of Greensburg. This is his new song, "Old Glory," which he did for the first time for the people of Wichita and Greensburg:


And before his performance of the National Anthem at Riverbend, Stacey was interviewed by TV station WDEF, News 12. Here are some excerpts:

On resuming his career in the Navy: "They encouraged me to do my audition, they supported me through the whole thing, they're sending me on the tour. My first priority was to get back, and resume my post as a United States sailor."

On recording an album: "I think, I write and sign honest music, music that I feel in my heart, and, I think, if you pick a Phil Stacy CD up, it'll probably be in the country music section."

On his fans: "Everywhere we go now, people want to stop us, they want to talk to us, and it just means the world, it means there was a connection made between that person and ourselves. It's just been really cool, because, we feel like we have just a huge amount of new friends."

On the most important thing he takes with him from his Idol days: "We did an event called Idol Gives Back. We raised somewhere near 100 million dollars, just in fighting poverty. And, I think what we raised more than anything else was awareness. That poverty is an issue that's killing children all over the world, it's hurting families across the United States, and we have the power if we join together we can beat poverty."

SIMON AND RYAN GO AT IT

Responding to Ryan Seacrest's charge that he was the cause of the drop in ratings for "American Idol," Simon Cowell called in to Seacrest's KIIS-FM radio show in Los Angeles, and the two had a bitchfest. You can listen to it here.

ALAINA ALEXANDER'S GAY PRIDE SINGLE

Queerty reports Season 6 semi-finalist Alaina Alexander may not have won the crooning contest, but she's won a gold star for her special gay pride single,
"Believe." The video, created by The Lavender Liberal, features men, women and trans folk who may not all be gay, but have all died at the hands of homophobia. It’s definitely something to think about. And not recommended for easily depressed people.

Watch video and listen to Alaina Alexander (who sounds A LOT better here than she did on Idol):


TAYLOR HICKS ON NBA FINALS

Taylor Hicks sings the National Anthem at the NBA finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the San Antonio Spurs Thursday June 14 on ABC at 8:30 p.m.


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Kelly Clarkson Elle Magazine Cover Story

Kelly Clarkson graces the cover of the current Elle magazine, which did an extensive and deeply revealing interview with her and and people who know her. They also took some smashing pictures of the singer. You can read it all here:

Kelly Clarkson has never been in love. She's not even sure she has been close. This will come as a shock to many people, particularly the millions of fans who have been belting the Grammy-winning megahit "Since U Been Gone" out of their car windows for the past three years.

"I know people probably think I've been heartbroken, because of the stuff I've sung and written," Clarkson acknowledges of her preferred milieu, the artful kiss-off song. It is an early spring afternoon in Los Angeles, and Clarkson is waiting in her dressing room at the 2007 American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) Awards, where she is winning Song of the Year for "Because of You," a tune she penned when she was just 16.

"I love my friends and my family," she explains, taking a bite of a Triscuit, her lunch. "But I have never said the words 'I love you' to anyone in a romantic relationship. Ever."

For a self-professed goofy, down-home girl, Clarkson takes romance very seriously. "I am very old-school, conservative in my thinking when it comes to relationships," she says. "Love is something you work at. It doesn't come easily. There are going to be bad days. You are going to have to work at loving someone when they are being an idiot. People think they're just going to meet the perfect guy." She laughs. "Don't be ridiculous."

If there is one thing Kelly Clarkson, 25, is not, it's ridiculous. Nor is she foolish or thoughtless or rash. Clarkson, who first came to national attention in 2002 by winning the debut American Idol—a multimillion-person vote of confidence borne out when her second album went platinum six times—is something altogether different. Unlike Britney or any of those other girls going commando in limos between stints in rehab, she appears free of ego or crippling insecurity. She is a normal dress size. She smiles. She doesn't smoke, because it's "gross." She is "definitely not slutty." She drinks, "like, maybe twice a year." In sum, she seems less like an international superstar than like someone you'd trust to babysit your kid. She is, no caveats, a pop star you can feel good about liking.

American Idol judge Simon Cowell of Clarkson's big, earthy, heartrending voice. "As good as Whitney, as Mariah, as Christina. She isn't aware of how good she really is."

"I can't think of anyone who sings better than Kelly Clarkson," seconds Idol cocreator Simon Fuller. "She is the best young singer in the world right now," he continues, putting to bed any lingering rumors of their post-Idol falling out, a rift that both argue was manufactured by the press. "She is a global superstar. And fans really identify with her, because of her openness. You feel like she is a friend, that you know her. That sets her apart."

"She is the most popular pop vocalist in the country," echoes Clay Aiken, a friend and former touring partner. "And to be that girl and not mind being photographed with your hair messed up—that is something. Can you name any other singer who would dare do that? I mean, please."
"I'm fine with it," Clarkson says of the many unflattering paparazzi photos. "I just don't care. I don't wear makeup in public. I don't worry about what I'm wearing. Hell, I wore pajamas to high school."

"Vocally, I genuinely think she is up there with the top five in the world," says [missing type on Elle Web page]. In 2006, Clarkson was the most-played artist on American radio, her songs ranking in the top 40 for 111 weeks, a record. Her Grammy-winning Breakaway was the third- best-selling album in 2005, producing four No. 1 singles, most notably "Since U Been Gone," a song so infectious it counts both Dave Grohl and Reba McEntire as fans. The song won Clarkson a second Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. That year, she also took home two American Music Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, 11 Billboard Music Awards, and the People's Choice Award for Best Female Recording Artist, thus cementing her status as an artist with commercial and critical clout. This year she also won four ASCAPs for songwriting, putting her in the esteemed company of Melissa Etheridge and Mary J. Blige, an honor she "was shocked to receive."

Despite the accolades and the abrupt thrust into public life, Clarkson has remained sanguine, even ambivalent about her success. "It is weird when a 12-year-old tells me I am their favorite artist," she muses. "I'm always like, It's just because you're young and you haven't heard everybody yet. In time, I'll be weeded out. And that's cool. I know I'm a good singer, but I know who I am, too."

Which is Clarkson's way of saying she is no Patty Griffin or Emmylou Harris, or even Ryan Adams, artists she adores.

"It's pretty heavy, what happened to her," country great McEntire says of Clarkson's rapid ascent. "She was thrown into the ocean without a life preserver. And she handled it. I don't know that I could have."

Clarkson doesn't try to be a role model—"the idea makes me nervous," she says. But even when she attempts to point out her bad qualities, she comes off a bit Sandra Dee: "I tend to be early. I'm not patient. I have no tolerance for stupidity. I work too much."

Those are your fatal flaws?

"All my conversations revolve around my job. So I'm boring."

Her best friend and occasional makeup artist, Ashley, amends this contention, saying, "It's not her fault. Her career is all people ever want to hear about."

"Well, I used to be a better friend," Clarkson says. "How about that?"

What happened?

"I got famous is what happened."

In person, the Texas-born-and-reared Clarkson has a cartoonishly sexy body. She is short, 5'4", with a flat stomach and a tiny waist that flares into a high, bee-stung bottom.

"I have no boobs," she says, laughing. Nor does she want any. "I go in and out," she explains pointing to her middle, then her hips. "Greek," she shrugs. Her personal style is casual. "I never try on clothes. I am all about sneakers and T-shirts."

It is days before her twenty-fifth birthday, and Clarkson is talking about the party she hosted last week, "in honor of my birthday and the release of my single 'Never Again.' It was held up, for like, ever."

The party, which had a white-trash theme complete with rented taxidermy and Cheez Whiz appetizers (Clarkson wore a mullet and acid-wash jeans tucked into her sneakers), was a raging success, though somewhat tainted by record label drama. Her album "My December," the first one on which Clarkson wrote every song, is due out this summer, having been delayed because of arguments about content.

"The label didn't even acknowledge her ASCAP awards," says Jeff Kwatinetz, Clarkson's manager and CEO of the Firm. "It's upsetting. They don't want her to be a songwriter. They just want her to shut up and sing. They want her to stay their little American Idol."

"Back in the day, female artists were told to perform and then go sit in the corner," McEntire says. "Thank God for people like Dolly Parton who took charge. Kelly is the same way. She knows what she wants. She's had a rough go of it in the music business. People think she just won Idol and everything else was easy. Not so. She's had to fight."

The battles were primarily with industry executives over record tracks and release dates. Apparently it's hard out there for a pop star, even if you are Kelly Clarkson.

"Kelly can sing the phone book," Cowell says. "She doesn't have to be told what to do."

"I've sold more than 15 million records worldwide, and still nobody listens to what I have to say," Clarkson groans, incredulous. "Because I'm 25 and a woman."

On "My December," there are the requisite female outrage songs, none more so than "Never Again," her stunned, oh-no-you-didn't rant to an ex-boyfriend. But most of the tracks are less poppy, more sophisticated. Clarkson has a habit of choosing unusual collaborators; for "My December," she asked seminal punk-rock bassist Mike Watt to play on three songs. Her voice on "Be Still" hints at Carole King, while "Irvine" echoes Chan Marshall. The sound ranges from rock to emo to folk. The lyrics are layered and complicated. "I don't need to be fixed and I certainly don't need to be found," she writes on "Maybe." She isn't angry, just world-weary. Unlike many female songwriters her age, Clarkson rarely blames anybody else for her broken heart, or, for that matter, her failures. She is Alanis Morissette without the finger-pointing. Avril Lavigne with a brain.

"My December's" disparity of themes and lack of an obvious hit were not lost on producer Clive Davis, who is said to have offered Clarkson $10 million to ditch five of her songs for more radio-friendly picks of his choosing. Clarkson declined.

"I am a good singer, so I can't possibly be a good writer," she says, bristling at the implication. "Women can't possibly be good at two things. I haven't lost my temper about it. It only drives me more. If your thing is to bring me down, cool. I'll just work harder."

"Her new album is a real departure. It's a risk," Aiken says. "Kelly is one of those people who really knows who she is. For better or worse, she is her own woman."

A short list of things Clarkson doesn't want:
A clothing line.
A fragrance with her name on the bottle.
A television show.
A movie role.
A toy dog in a leather jacket.

"I could give a crap about being a star," Clarkson says. "I've always just wanted to sing and write."

It is a half hour before a round of entertainment television interviews, and Clarkson is again backstage at the Kodak Theatre, falling asleep in her makeup chair.

"My thing is hanging out," she says, tugging up her stretch slacks, simple black pants she confesses to wearing "every single day." Her hairstylist runs a mascara wand down her hair, coating stray blond strands. Clarkson removes her bra, junior-high style, and slides it out from her shirt, handing it to Ashley to stow in her handbag.

"My resistance upsets a lot of people, because we could make a lot of money," Clarkson says. "And I'm not hatin' on money. But you know in "Funny Girl," when they make Barbra Streisand sing the 'beautiful girl' song, and she is singing these lyrics, and she knows she's not that person?" Clarkson sighs. "I'm just not comfortable doing things that don't feel like me."

She then tells a story about Idol Gives Back, the special episodes of "American Idol" that aired in late April to raise money for Africa and charities at home. Her appearance marked her much anticipated return to the show that spawned her, singing with the likes of Annie Lennox and Celine Dion.

"My label wanted me to sing 'Never Again,'" she says. "And I was like, To promote yourself on a charity event is beyond crass. People are starving and dying and I'm up there singing some bitter pop song? And believe me, everyone wanted me to sing it. Because they are jaded and they have no soul. Imagine sitting in a room full of people totally against you. Can't they hear themselves speaking? Capitalize on AIDS? Are you kidding? Insulting an entire nation of people? I just refused."

Instead, she sang Griffin's "Up to the Mountain," a folkie spiritual that left many listeners in tears. Clarkson asked the British guitar legend Jeff Beck to accompany her, and she showed not only stylistic growth, but a fresh confidence.

"It was the depth of her voice that struck me," Beck says of her performance that night. "She's got this maturity, you know, this fully developed soul voice that I wasn't expecting. It just knocked me out. It was quite riveting to listen to. At one point, the audience started to stand up. They were so moved by her. She's got that quality that demands attention, which is rare."

"She was incredible. When you let her come back on the show it makes everybody else look like an amateur," says Cowell, who believes Clarkson is the best winner yet "without question."

If Clarkson is evolving as an artist, it is because she is trying to.

"Kelly wants to learn; she's soaking all this stuff up," says McEntire, who has become something of a mentor to Clarkson. "But she still knows what's not right."

"If I were to make Breakaway II, I would have failed myself," Clarkson says. "I don't mind sucking, as long as it is my decision. I have literally been told one of the reasons this record took so long to come together is because I am a girl. This is 2007! We aren't in the '50s anymore. Wake up and smell the Folgers."

Clarkson wasn't always a nouveau feminist spitfire. Her parents' divorce when she was 6 transplanted her from California to small-town Texas, leaving her father and her older siblings, Jason, then 15, and Alyssa, then 13, behind. The move left her family broke and Clarkson deeply lonely.

"My mom and I are like sisters. We kind of grew up together," Clarkson says. "She always treated me as an adult. I never had curfew. She's a workaholic, like I am. We're not super family-oriented people, you know?"

Clarkson was not raised hanging Christmas stockings and having sit-down casserole dinners. "My mom was Mrs. PTA and then she got divorced after 17 years. She had put her whole life into that. I think she felt, Enough already."

Clarkson grew up fast. She learned the value of hard work, self-reliance. "We were living from last paycheck to last paycheck," she says. Clarkson worked multiple jobs—at a movie theater concession stand, as a phone solicitor, and as a waitress. There was no time for idleness, no money for hobbies. Clarkson felt the strain. "I had a really big issue with self-consciousness when I was young. I was highly emotional. I worried so much. For most of my childhood I was walking on eggshells trying to make everybody happy." Then she turned 14. "And I was like, Okay, I'm done."

The people-pleaser was put to death, replaced by "Miss Independent." Clarkson joined student council, drama club, and, after some prodding, choir. "I was singing in the hallway in junior high and the new choir director heard me. She asked me to join and then people started telling me I was really good, and I kind of just went with it."

Soon enough, her voice started to bring her local renown.

"I sang 'Vision of Love' at this dessert theater. I remember being onstage and this old guy came up to me afterward. It was someone's grandpa. And he told me, 'You have a very touching voice. You are meant to be a singer.' And I was like, Cool, if I can move someone enough to have them come tell me that. Wow. So I went home and told my mom I wanted to be a singer. And being Realistic Rita, she was like, Honey, there's a lot of people who can sing that aren't making it; you should probably have a fallback. And I was like, No. That would mean I don't believe I'm going to make it."

The night of her ASCAP honors, Clarkson tries on three dresses, eventually choosing the first selection, a Monique Lhuillier green chiffon bubble halter, which she pairs with jeweled sandals. She puts on earrings and a bracelet, then pulls them off. She eyes her reflection for approximately three minutes, makes one turn to see the back, then walks away.

"Making this album was really hard," she says, removing the dress and settling into a chair in a white bathrobe. "I remember having this horrible day, and a friend sent me this link to a website with all my private information on it—my phone numbers, my addresses, my bank card numbers. I read it and I was in this tiny little bathroom in this rented house and I was sobbing. It felt like I had nothing for me. I bawled. I felt naked."

In her off time, Clarkson flees Los Angeles for Texas, where she owns a ranch. Once there, she doesn't talk to anyone. She shops for groceries. Sees the occasional movie.

"I am very open. I don't want to lie. But I want something for myself."

As such, she does not want children. Not now, anyway. "My point of view is that I shouldn't be a mother at all, because I'd be horrible. I'm not willing to be that selfless."

Nor does she want a man. "I'm not keen on marriage. I don't let many people in. Men come and go. Friends are what I care about." If she did want a guy, she'd pick a funny charmer. "I can't stand pretty boys. The guys I date are the just-rolled-out-of-bed, scruffy type. Baseball cap, flannel shirt. Like Luke on Gilmore Girls."

"Kelly is the type who will wait until the right guy, and when she finds him it will happen really fast," Ashley says. "I can see her getting married, even if she can't."

Clarkson has had only three boyfriends; none are famous, and two remain her close friends. The third is the inspiration for "Never Again," and Clarkson refuses to mention him by name. "When it comes to certain parts of my life, I won't allow myself to be vulnerable at all," she explains. "I have a lot of trust issues. Most people are like that, I think."

In a few minutes she will re-don the dress and discover that she left her brassiere on too long.

"Oh, crap. You can see the strap marks," she says, curling up her lip. "Sorry, y'all."

In the gown, strap marks and all, she looks older. Could be her hair, styled in a straight, shoulder-skimming bob. She looks, perhaps for the first time publicly, like a woman, not a girl.

Later, Clarkson will seduce the press with her unmitigated honesty. She will share self-deprecating stories, including one about her high school prom, where she confesses that due to an overpacked social and church schedule, she slept in her formal updo for several days, eventually being photographed for her senior class picture in "three-day-old prom hair." She will tell the truth reflexively, even imprudently.

"Everybody goes through crap, Terri," she says to Terri Seymour, a TV entertainment show correspondent and Cowell's girlfriend. "You can't just write a bunch of happy songs because somebody is telling you they'll sell."

When the press preamble is finished and she finally hits the red carpet to the accompaniment of a thousand blinking flashes, she will not just hear her name called, like every other celebrity. She will be cheered. Because loving Kelly Clarkson is easy. Even if she won't say it back.

LAKISHA JONES HONORED IN MICHIGAN

The Associated Press reports that Flint, Mich., native and "American Idol" performer LaKisha Jones was greeted by Gov. Jennifer Granholm and hundreds of other fans Monday at the state Capitol, where she continued a homecoming trip through Michigan before leaving to rehearse for an upcoming tour.

Jones wowed the crowed by singing "And I'm Telling You" from the film "Dreamgirls" and "God Bless the Child" — both songs she performed on the top-rated Fox TV show. Fans held signs, snapped photos and cheered her along.

Jones said "never in a million years" did she dream she would be on the Capitol steps with the governor.

"My life is at a complete 360," Jones, 27, told reporters. "I was struggling really bad last year, and I moved. ... God has really blessed me tremendously."

The single mother said she plans to live in Houston, where she lived more than six years before moving to Baltimore for a bank-teller job. She made the semifinals in February, got an on-camera kiss from sometimes-churlish judge Simon Cowell and remained in the running until May 9, when she was outpolled by Melinda Doolittle, Blake Lewis and eventual winner Jordin Sparks.

Jones will participate in the "American Idol" tour this summer. She leaves Tuesday for rehearsals in Los Angeles.

When asked about working at the bank, Jones said: "I'll just be going to make deposits and withdrawals."

Granholm, who said she voted for Jones on the show, told the crowd that the state is proud of Jones and she "gave our spirits a boost at a time we are very challenged."

Jones sang the national anthem Friday before the interleague game between the Detroit Tigers and New York Mets. She also was honored in Flint Saturday with "LaKisha Day."

The Lansing celebration featured a performance by the youth choir from Jones' Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church.

CONSTANTINE'S ALBUM DROPS AUG. 7

According to BroadwayWorld.com, Broadway and "American Idol" star Constantine Maroulis will release his debut solo album on August 7th. The album is on the Sixth Place Records / Sony RED label.

Maroulis debuted "Everybody Loves," the first song off the album, on "The Bold & The Beautiful" on Wednesday, May 15th 2007. "Everybody Loves" is currently available on iTunes.

Since his departure from "American Idol," Maroulis has starred on Broadway in "The Wedding Singer," as well as in the critically acclaimed off-Broadway revival of "Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris." In between, he devoted time and effort into finding the right band, assembling a group of musicians that meshed into a cohesive and rockin' ensemble.

Maroulis co-wrote several songs on the record and songwriters who lent their skills to the release include seminal singer/songwriter Willie Nile; Angie Aparo (Faith Hill), Marcel (Rascal Flatts) and Grammy nominated Kevin Kadish (Jason Mraz). Maroulis recently became a featured star on "The Bold and The Beautiful," which throughout his thirteen-week stint, will incorporate his music.

"The album was cut live with my own band," Maroulis explains. "No programming, minimal overdubs. We've been playing these songs on the road and chose the tunes that got the best feedback from our audiences."

Visit Maroulis MySpace page for more on the singer.

CLAYMATES WAR OVER AIKEN'S ORIENTATION

The New York Post sez there's a civil war among the Claymates in Claynation. Clay Aiken's rabid fans -- who call themselves "Claymates" and say they live in "Claynation" -- are at odds with each other over their former Idol. An insider said, "The war is between the batty members that are still clinging to their heterosexual fantasies of him and others that don't harbor such illusions."

Aiken's sexuality has been a subject of speculation ever since several men came out publicly and said they'd met him in gay chat rooms and had relations with him. Aiken has always refused to discuss his inclinations.

The Claymates' clash got so bad that the Official Fan Club com-
pletely suspended its message board and noted, "Due to reports of extensive unrest and disrespect amongst members that has been carrying on for several weeks, the Official Fan Club Message Board will be shut down until further notice. Please note that should tensions continue on other areas of the fan club, severe consequences may occur."

FANTASIA SINGS PRAISES OF LITERACY AND EDUCATION

According to PRNews-
wire.com, Fantasia Barrino is teaming up with Suave beauty line and Dollar General stores to award scholarships to students who are dedicated to education, as well as to recognize their invaluable role models -- especially mom's who have encouraged others to pursue their dreams through education.

The "Suave Essay Contest" invites students to write about how someone has helped them improve their life through education for the chance to win a $10,000 scholarship and a trip to New York to meet Fantasia.

"I am thrilled to partner with Suave and Dollar General on a program that delivers such a vital message about literacy and education," said Fantasia. "Having struggled with literacy, I know the importance of reading skills and how important a good education is. I encourage all students to think about bettering their literacy skills to realize their dreams."

The "Suave Essay Contest" program asks people 5 years of age or older to submit an essay about how a role model (mother, parent, teacher, relative or friend) helped them improve their life through education. Beginning Monday, June 18, students can enter online here or here or by picking up an official entry form at any Dollar General store.

One grand-prize winner will receive a $10,000 grant toward a college savings plan and three first prize winners will receive a $5,000 grant. All four winners will travel to New York City with a guest to see Fantasia star in "The Color Purple" on Broadway and meet her after the show. In addition, 2,000 second-place entrants will win a $50 Visa Gift Card. Entries submitted by mail must be postmarked by Friday, July 20, 2007 and received by Friday, July 27, 2007. Online entries must be received by Friday, July 20, 2007.

WHAT TAYLOR LOOKS FOR IN A WOMAN

A short People magazine video in which Taylor Hicks discusses his perfect woman: Funny and looking like Bo Derek "after she did that swimsuit picture." Well, so far Hicks and Caroline Lyders got the beach part right. Watch video here.


KATHARINE McPHEE'S NEW SEX KITTEN IMAGE

Pantagragh.com interviewed Katharine McPhee recently about her new sound and sex-kitten image: Q. What can we expect from you?

What can we expect from you?

I'll be singing four to five songs. You'll get to know me a little bit more as a personality and as performer. Because on "Idol" you didn't get to see us perform; it was like one two-minute song and then you were finished. This gives you a chance to let the nerves subside.

We're not going to hear "Over the Rainbow," I take it.

No, you're not. I'm sorry.

When was the last time you performed that?

Gosh, I don't even remember. On the "Idol" tour, I sang it every night.

People look at your album cover and wonder if you're going to wear the over-the-knee boots and sweater for this performance.

No.

Is that an outfit you wear very often?

Oh, yeah. I wear it out all the time. Heh-heh-heh.

You had a glamorous image on "Idol." What kind of image are you looking for now?

It's more about what's in right now. I like little dresses. I still like the long dresses as well. It's summer so a little bit more cute, sexy. An album cover is really different from what you wear every day. At least this album cover.

Your album had a big first week of sales (116,000) and then has slowed down. How do you feel about the reaction to the album so far?

It's what I predicted it would be with the current single. I don't think it was one of those songs that was going to drive record sales up to crazy numbers. It's a good introduction to the new sound. It wasn't my favorite song off the new record; so I'll be candid about that. More important, I'm really excited about the next single, which is "Love Story."

There are a lot of different musical styles on the album. What were you trying to do?

My initial approach for the record was to have it in the vein of "Love Story," "Not Ur Girl," "We've Got Each Other." Then a few ballads made it on. There are a lot of politics that go on with the first record and a lot of things that you don't think you have control over and then later you realize 'oh, I had a little bit more control than I thought.' ... I think it'll be a little more my way on the second record.

Your album hasn't been a block-
buster and either has Taylor's. How do you feel about that?

I think the record industry is in a weird place right now. Considering that Taylor didn't have anything on the radio, he's done pretty well for himself.

I have to say I'm very satisfied where I am right now. Coming off a show where everything happens so fast and you rise to the top so quickly, [it's good] being able to kind of be on the other side now and see how other artists have to start out. I can certainly say now that I've had to do things to try to work my way to the top; it wasn't just all handed to me. I kind of appreciate this way my music is evolving. We have three more singles to go. As far as sales go, I don't pay attention to the weekly reports nor do I want to know about them.

You have said that "American Idol" saved your life. Could you explain what you mean by that?

I was able to be more focused on my career and the possibilities of what could happen as opposed to an eating disorder.

Was being runnerup a blessing or a curse?

Everything has been a blessing. Chris will tell you that being fourth is a blessing; he's doing great. We're all doing great in our own way. We're all hitting different markets. If I had won, I'd probably be in the same situation right now. That's fine with me.

When you appeared on Tyra Banks' show in February, people wonder about what you thought when she grabbed your breast to determine if it was real or enhanced?

Well, she asked me. It was just a fun, cute little show. I didn't realize that people would make such a big deal about it for weeks to come. That's how I'm with with my girlfriends — I'm really playful and fun. That's what it was like with Tyra. I was just having her help me clarify a rumor.

You appeared on the sitcom "Ugly Betty." What's your future with acting and dancing?

I'm taking ballet. Just kidding. I'm not like: "Oh, the door's open; I have to get into a movie." [But she did!] I'd rather take some time to find the perfect project than to just rush into something. [But she did!]

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© 2007

Ryan Blames Simon for ‘Idol’ Ratings Drop

According to MSNBC, Ryan Seacrest says he knows why "American Idol" took a ratings hit this season. He says it's Simon Cowell’s fault.

When asked about the decline, reports Canada's Globe and Mail, Seacrest replied, "Well, the knee-jerk reaction would be Simon."

Seacrest says there's just too much of the acid-tongued judge: "Clearly there's an over saturation of his character." Seacrest pointed out that the ratings are still high, and addressed buzz that bosses want to change some of the "Idol" judges. "That's clearly rumor," he said. "I'm positive you can't recreate the chemistry that we have with the group on 'American Idol.' "

Clearly the reporter missed that Seacrest was being tongue in cheek. Seacrest, of course, eggs Cowell on constantly, so if that were the real cause, Seacrest would be at fault as well.

Us? We think the ratings drop was due to a dull season resulting from a lot of generally weak contestants. This was especially true coming off of Season 5, which had a particularly strong group, especially Chris Daughtry, and in which eight (Daughtry, Taylor Hicks, Katharine McPhee, Paris Bennett, Elliott Yamin, Kellie Pickler, Bucky Covington, Mandisa) of the Top 12 have already released CD's, a ninth (Ace Young) is in the works; one semi-finalist (Ayla Brown) has released a CD as well.

McPHEE REALLY HURT

US magazine says that although fellow Season 5 competitors Elliot Yamin, Kellie Pickler, Taylor Hicks and Chris Daughtry all returned for guest spots of "American Idol's" sixth season, noticeably absent from the rundown was Katharine McPhee, 23 – and it was not by choice.

"Katharine called them herself, trying to get on the [finale]," a source close to the singer told Us. "She's really hurt." The finale featured performances by original Idol champion Kelly Clarkson, second-season Idol winner Ruben Studdard and fourth-season Idol winner Carrie Underwood and last season's champ Taylor Hicks, along with appearances by numerous non-Idol artists, including Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight, Gwen Stefani, Tony Bennett, Green Day, Bette Midler, Joe Perry, and Bebe and Cece Winans.

But she wasn't the only former Idol who got dissed. When Sony/BMG president Clive Davis addressed the TV audience, he made sure to plug Taylor Hicks' new single, but failed to mention Kelly Clarkson's latest single or her forthcoming CD, "My December," over which the two have reportedly butted heads.

McPhee's rep could not be reached, and Fox had no comment.

RAISING KANE

Meanwhile, MSNBC reports that Katharine McPhee's fans are outraged that the former contestant was treated rudely on a Washington D.C. radio station. Now the show’s DJ, Kane, is hitting back.

As we reported last week, McPhee was interviewed by an intern named Ally on Hot 99.5’s "The Kane Morning Show." The interview was supposed to be in the studio and the station had agreed that McPhee wouldn't be asked any personal questions. But McPhee didn't show up at the studio — handlers explained that her flight had been delayed — and one of the first questions the intern asked the 23-year-old singer was about her 42-year-old boyfriend. The intern asked if having a boyfriend who was so much older hurt or helped the relationship. An obviously irritated McPhee said she didn't want to discuss her private life and the interview went downhill from there.

Angry fans deluged Kane with hate mail. "Maybe she should have been nicer and been live as she promised," Kane replied to some of them.

The angry calls and e-mails kept coming, and Kane shot back a lengthy response. "I'm getting increasingly frustrated by e-mails from McPhee fans that don't know the whole story and are writing me angry e-mails," Kane wrote to them, scolding, "It makes Kat look bad when every other word in your e-mail about how you thought we didn't handle the interview professionally starts with an f---."

He went on to describe in detail a scenario in which he said McPhee was pitched to the radio show on the condition that she appear live, that the appearance be pre-promoted, and that there would be no personal questions. He also challenged the excuses he was given for her failing to appear live — pointing out, for example, that the flights from L.A. to Washington weren't delayed that morning.

"Slam us, go-head," Kane wrote. "We agreed to have her on; we followed the rules. They didn't tell the truth. Kat could have had a little more fun with Ally. She could have said, 'You guys know you're not supposed to ask me personal questions. What's wrong with you?' Rather, she just got mad."

COWELL 'SICK WITH ENVY' OVER DWTS' SUCCESS

FemaleFirst, a UK Web site, says that Simon Cowell confesses he is jealous of friends who taste success -- but insists it is healthy to be competitive. But the music mogul also admits he is 'sick with envy' that he wasn't the brainchild behind hit U.S. TV show "Dancing with the Stars," and secretly wanted the program to flop.

"If someone I know is doing better than me I get incredibly miserable," Cowell said, adding "A lot of my friends are extremely wealthy, but I'm not envious of their money, however, I'm never pleased if they have a hit show. I don't go to bed thinking, 'I'm really happy their show is doing so well'. It annoys me that it wasn't my idea.

"When I watch 'Dancing with the Stars' in America it makes me sick with envy because I didn't think if the idea myself. But that's how it should be -- when you lose your competitive edge, you're over."

Meanwhile its been revealed that the music mogul follows a superstitious ritual before appearing on TV -- he "worships" his hair dryer, according to his "Britain's Got Talent co-judge Amanda Holden.

The actress explains, "He has a little routine before every show, with his hair dryer, but it's pointless -- he looks exactly the same afterwards. I can only assume it has become a sort of superstitious ritual. Just as Madonna prays before a performance, Simon worships at the alter of his Babyliss hair dryer. He likes to be assured he looks good and we always tell him he does."

BOSTON PICKS PICKLER

Kellie Pickler, travelling with the Brad Paisley tour, got a great review in Boston Herald yesterday. Of her performance on Saturday at the Tweeter Center, the paper's critic said:

"With all the sticky sweet gloss now coating commercial country, it’s easy to forget the earnestness that once defined the genre.

But at a nearly full Tweeter Center last night, Brad Paisley's Bonfires & Amplifiers Tour confirmed that not only is quality country being made, its performers are charismatic and charming.

With Taylor Swift apparently ill, "American Idol" Season 5 top-six contestant Kellie Pickler opened in a sexy red top and skin-tight jeans.

In addition to selections from her impressive "Small Town Girl," Pickler served up a slow, saucy cover of Patsy Cline's "Walking After Midnight" and a hammed-up version of Dolly Parton's "9 to 5."

During "I Wonder," a song about being estranged from her mother, she began to cry; a well-deserved standing ovation followed.

Hook-laden tunes such as "Red High Heels" are proof that Pickler's career is just getting started.

FULLER REASSEMBLING THE SPICE GIRLS?

On Friday, People magazine reported that the Spice Girls are preparing for a Christmas reunion tour. "It should be happening in December," a source told People. "Geri [Halliwell, a.k.a. Ginger Spice] and Emma ["Baby Spice" Bunton] have been in the studio writing new material and they want to do a worldwide tour."

Rumors have circulated recently that the band would reunite for the Princess Diana memorial concert that is to be held on Diana's birthday, July 1, to mark the 10th anniversary of her death.

"They definitely won't be performing at the Diana show. It is too soon and Emma is pregnant," says another band insider. "But plans are afoot for later in the year. It all depends on Simon Fuller. He is the mastermind."

Fuller, 47, the creator of "American Idol," was also the Svengali manager who turned the five-woman group into the most successful female act of the 1990s.

The group plans to release a greatest hits album that will include several new songs, sources tell People. "They have a couple of new songs and one in particular is fantastic," says one recording-studio source. "It's hard to get something as pop-laden as their first hit, 'Wannabe,' but one of the new songs is heading that way and it has far more funk in it than the ballads before the band split."

Until recently, it seemed there was no hope for a reunion. "There are no plans for it at all with or without me," Melanie "Sporty Spice" Chisholm, 33, told People in March.

The band insider confirms that Chisholm was reluctant at first. "It's been a long time coming and the negotiations have been going on for a while," says the source. "Mel C. was the last one to come onboard as she has been pushing her solo career."

The first hint of a possible reunion came on April 22 at the baptism service for 34-year-old Halliwell's 11-month-old daughter, Bluebell Madonna. Only L.A.-based Melanie "Scary Spice" Brown, 32, who welcomed a daughter of her own on April 3, was absent.

Sources tell People that Fuller returned to London from Los Angeles earlier this week and is expected to craft an announcement of the reunion. Meanwhile, Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham has returned to California to finalize her family's move.

However, a day later, on June 9th, Access Hollywood reported that while at least one of the girls confirms the multi-platinum fab five have been speaking about getting back together as a tour de force, don’t set aside your ticket money just yet.

"There has been discussions," Melanie Chisholm told the BBC's "Something for the Weekend" recently, "but nothing's been agreed at the moment."

While the girls may be talking, some UK newspapers have said Chisholm who is currently promoting her fourth solo album "This Time" in the UK, is the lone hold out of the bunch. Mel C furthered those rumors during her appearance on the weekend program.

"I really, really like my life the way it is. I've got my record out and it's very special to me," she said. "I've always said I don't want to do it and in my heart of hearts I'd rather leave it really but if the other four girls wanna do it, then I don't wanna be the one who stops it from being the complete five."

Though she offers some hopeful sentiments that the world could see the first reunion of all five girls in nearly a decade (Geri Halliwell left in 1998), Chisholm rules out anything more than new versions of their hits during potential performances.

"I absolutely don't want to do new material 'cause I think that time has passed," she stated. "If we're gonna do it, it should be for nostalgia and it should be all the old stuff, everyone have a great time, put it to bed, finish it and then everyone stop asking me about it!"

YAMIN BACKS OBAMA

Sen. Barack Obama's Web site says that Elliott Yamin will appear at a fundraiser for the presidential hopeful tomorrow in San Francisco from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at Ruby Skye, 420 Mason Street. Admission is $250. You can RSVP online. Email for more information.

BILLBOARD CHART NEWS

After reading this week's Idol Chart Watch by Donna Reynolds, we again we have to ask whether the right person was selected as the new American Idol. The EPs for both Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis are in freefall on the Billboard Comprehensive Chart this week (hers went from No. 22 to No. 45; his dove from No. 30 to No. 49. But more interesting, Lewis' "You Give Love a Bad Name" is doing better on Billboard's Hot 100 and Pop 100 than is the new (bleech) Idol Anthem song, "This Is My Now," by Sparks. They stand (on both charts) at Nos. 21 and 25, respectively. Last week, Sparks was at No. 15 and Lewis at No. 18.

Other chart news: Fantasia's eponymous CD rose from No. 85 to No. 65 on The Billboard 200.

Daughtry's self-titled CD landed at No. 5 on this week's Billboard 100.

Bucky Covington's eponymous CD (152,719 copies sold) jumps to No. 51 on the Billboard 200 and is also up to No. 10 on the Country Albums list.

Carrie Underwood 's "Some Hearts," which has sold 5,579,325 copies, drops one spot to No. 11 on the Billboard 200 and is No. 2 on the Country chart.

Elliott Yamin's eponymous CD has sold nearly 251,000 copies to date. The album drops to No. 41 on the Billboard 200 and is No. 27 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

Katharine McPhee has dropped off the charts.

Paris Bennett's "Princess P" is No. 93 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums listing

Kellie Pickler's "Small Town Girl" has sold 546,698 copies and is up six spots to No. 103 on the Billboard 200 and is No. 25 on the Country listing.

This Week’s Idols’ Singles Charts

Mandisa's first single, "Only the World," remains No. 2 on the Single Sales chart. The single is also on the Hot Christian Adult Contemporary chart (No. 15).

Daughtry's "Home" hit the No. 1 position on the Hot Adult Top 40 chart and drops to No. 7 on the Hot 100; "It’s Not Over" drops to No. 35 on the Hot 100 and is No. 31 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart; Chris’ single, "What I Want," is No. 11 on the Rock chart.

Bucky Covington's single "A Different World" landed at No. 15 on the Hot Country Singles and Tracks chart.

Elliott Yamin's "Wait for You" continues moves up to No. 32 on the Hot 100, No. 57 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart and No. 22 on the Pop 100.

Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats" is No. 14 on the Adult Contemporary chart, No. 10 on the Hot 100, No. 11 on the Pop 100, and No. 5 on the Adult Top 40; "I'll Stand by You" is No. 42 on the Country chart; "Wasted" is No. 64 on the Hot 100 and No. 73 on the Pop 100.

Fantasia's "When I See You" is No. 55 on the Hot 100, No. 4 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles chart and No. 8 on the R&B Adult airplay list.

Kelly Clarkson's "Never Again" is No. 11 on the Hot 100, No. 13 on the Pop 100, No. 13 on the Adult Top 40.

Kimberley Locke's "Change" dropped from No. 19 on the Hot Dance Club.

Kellie Pickler's "I Wonder" is No. 2 on the Bubbling Under (the Hot 100) chart and No. 18 on the Country chart.

Katharine McPhee's "Over It" is No. 89 on the Pop 100; "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" / "My Destiny" is No. 24 on the Single Sales list.

Taylor Hicks' "Just to Feel That Way" is No. 27 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Ruben Studdard's "Make Ya Feel Beautiful" is No. 33 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles chart and No. 8 on the R&B Adult airplay list.

NEW VIDEOS

Fantasia performing at the Tony Awards last night:


Katharine McPhee interview at the Special Olympics on "The View From the Bay":



Chris Daughtry singing "Home" at Riverfest 2007 III:


Chris Daughtry singing "It's Not Over" at Riverfest 2007 III:


Chris Daughtry singing "It's Not Over" at Riverfest 2007 III:


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© 2007

Music Fest Fans Embrace Underwood

CMT reports that Carrie Underwood earned the biggest applause of any song performed with "Before He Cheats" at the CMA Music Festival on Friday night (June 8) in Nashville. Women leapt to their feet at the first note of Underwood's hit, as if their seats were hot-wired. This wasn't a casual singalong either; these ladies were vigorously shaking their fingers, their necks and their booties.

Wearing a modern black dress that didn't seem to slow her down on stage, Underwood launched her six-song set with "Beautiful," presumably a song from her new album that's due later this year. The easygoing melody will appeal to country fans, and hopefully, she'll bring all the pop fans of "Before He Cheats" to country radio with the new project. She also submitted a strong and empowering version of "Wasted," her most recent No. 1 single.

At the end of her set, she accepted a plaque for selling 6 million copies of her debut album, "Some Hearts," released less than two years ago. She looked out on the mass of people at LP Field and said, "You know, this all started because you all voted for me on American Idol ... and this belongs to you, too."

Underwood is leading the charge these days when it comes to women in country music. Just a few years ago, women just weren't having any luck with hit singles. Times have changed. Friday night's lineup also included Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles, Little Big Town, Sara Evans, Jason Aldean, Montgomery Gentry, Ted Nugent and Season 5 Idol finalist Bucky Covington, who opened the night with acoustic renditions of "Good to Be Us" and "A Different World."

SPARKS UPSET ABOUT DEATH THREATS AGAINST ROTH

The San Gabriel Valley Tribune says that "American Idol" winner Jordin Sparks was disturbed and dismayed to learn that obesity expert MeMe Roth was receiving death threats for calling Sparks "a vision of unhealthy."

Sparks, at 17 the youngest "Idol" winner ever, has this to say to her legion of fans: "Leave that person alone! That's not right. It's very intense and it's scary."

After hearing about the death threats, she told the paper, "I'm in shock right now. I don't think anything can really prepare you for stuff like that. But I'm going to take each day as it comes. Hopefully, I'll learn how to deal with stuff the right way."

It helps, she says, that she's the daughter of Phillippi Sparks, former NFL football player with the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys. She says growing up in his spotlight was great preparation for the whirlwind she's been on since her win.

"Being with my dad, we were in front of cameras and photographers taking pictures and people asking us questions all the time. I love talking to people and taking pictures. I'm not scared of the camera. It helped me a lot seeing how everything fell into place for him, so 'Thanks, Dad.' "

She adds, after snagging the grand prize, "He was the first person from my family I saw when I walked off stage, and I don't think I got anything out except, 'I love you.' It was so crazy."

"I'm going to start working on my album as soon as possible, so I'm meeting with some songwriters and producers. I have to have the album out before Thanksgiving. It's going to be really insane during the summer doing the tour and flying in and out to record. We're going to 56 cities, and we'll be out till September. I'm praying my voice keeps up."

GETTING SLOPPY WITH JIM VERRAROS

Philadelphia Gay News interviewed "American Idol" first-season finalist Jim Verraros, who has appeared in the film “Eating Out” and produced a CD, “Rollercoaster,” since being on the series. Now Verraros is back as the lead in “Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds,” the better-than-the-first sequel to the hit film now out on DVD.

Verraros met with PGN to discuss his acting and singing careers, as well as his sexy scenes in “Eating Out 2.”

Jim, you may be more well-known for singing than for acting — how did you get involved in performing? Would you rather be an actor or a singer?

After I was eliminated [from “American Idol”] back in 2002, I wasn’t even thinking about music to be honest. I had taken such a beating from that show that I was just focused on acting. That was my niche. My cast mates would say, “Jim, you’re fucking hilarious, be in a sitcom or something.” I got an e-mail from my producer about [Q.] Allan Brocka, who was the director of the first [“Eating Out”]. I met him, read the script, fell in love with it, auditioned and he cast me. I don’t really want to choose between either. I want both.

Were you surprised that you were a supporting character in “Eating Out” but the lead part here? How did that come about?

People connect with my role. I don’t know one gay man who does not feel they aren’t “good enough.”

Your character, Kyle, is not a confident guy, which hurts his relationships. How are you when it comes to relationships — shy or in control?

People think that I would be the shy one — to be taken control of — but I’m kind of the more aggressive one. I don’t bullshit. I don’t have time to waste.

Kyle has to pretend to like women to get the hunk of his dreams. Have you ever dated a woman? How far did you get with her?

Yeah, I did date [a girl] in high school. It clearly didn’t work out, but she’s a great girl and I learned a lot. I learned that I’m gay! I’ve had pussy — I’m definitely gay. When I went down on Tiffani in the film, that was method acting — that was going back to the days when I tried to avoid it at all costs.

In the film, your character kisses many men and women. Who gave the best lip lock?

Rebekah is a good kisser; I just had to react badly to it. Marco [who plays Troy], for being a straight guy, is decent. But the men who I had to kiss in the film — what really impressed me was their professionalism, knowing that I was gay in real life. There are two types of straight men. One who is a bit more insecure about his sexuality, who’s homophobic and then you have the straight man who’s like, “Hey, this is work. It’s a fucking kiss and I’m not going to make a big deal out of it.” And the latter is how they were. They made me feel comfortable.

Can you discuss the scene where you teach Troy about the fine art of cunnilingus? How were you and Marco not bursting out in hysterics licking each other’s fingers?

It looks funny. I was worried how it would come off. I wanted to ask about women, if they watch that scene and think it’s hot/get off on it. And some girls are like, “I was a little moist.” So we delivered. That’s all that matters. I know, I’m so crude!

Most of the cast gets naked. But you are wearing two shirts in every scene!

Before we shot, I had worked out for two-and-a-half months so I could feel better about taking my shirt off. It was actually written in the original script that when Octavio [Adrian Quinonez] takes his shirt off [during his love scene with my character], he was supposed to unbutton mine. It never happened. Kyle doesn’t need to [get naked]. I think his character is a bit more conservative.

You had three songs of yours on the soundtrack of the first “Eating Out;” did you try to get a tune in “Eating Out 2”?

I submitted some brand-new stuff to Phillip [the director], and he loved [the songs] but there wasn’t a place for a full song clip in the film. It just didn’t work. I was fine with it.

So while you are waiting for your next film role, are you working on another album?

Yeah, I’m halfway through it. It’s going to be different. It’s going to be rock-ier, but I’m going to throw in some twists just to screw with people. A ballad, and something that’s a bit more urban. I am edgier and sexier than the boy bands. “Idol” molds you into this cookie-cutter thing and when I came out with my album, I think people were excited because it was so different. It had its pop moments but there were some sexual moments, where people went, “Holy fuck, did he just say that?” I kind of like getting that reaction.

MELINDA DOLITTLE ON FAME AND HIGH HEELS

She was the one that Idol judge Simon Cowell wanted to win, but coming in third isn't that bad when you're Melinda Doolittle. The singer stopped by People magazine's New York offices to answer questions about winning verus losing, the ups and downs of her new fame, and how's she's handling those high heels. You can watch the video here.

KATHARINE McPHEE VIDEOS

Watch videos of Katharine McPhee performing at the opening ceremonies for the Special Olympics Northern California, June 8, 2007 (unfortunately, the video is shot off the monitor rather than the stage, but at least McPhee received a much more welcome reception than she did in D.C.):

Watch video of Katharine McPhee singing "Love Story":


Watch video of Katharine McPhee singing "Home":


LAKISHA'S SWEET HOMECOMING

The Houston Chronicle covered LaKisha Jones' home-
coming. Although she moved to Baltimore last year for a bank-teller job, Jones spent more than six years in Houston and was an Abundant Life member. She sang in the choir and worked as a church receptionist.

Jones returned to Houston for a visit after an Idol's multimonth whirlwind. She was welcomed by ALC as well as the city: Mayor Bill White's office presented her with a proclamation declaring May 30 LaKisha Jones Day. "I'm probably the happiest I've ever been in my life right now. I'm not stressed. I'm not nothing at all," Jones said.

Indeed, the Idol nerves that crawled across her face throughout the season were gone, replaced by a welcoming smile and confident eyes. "It just really feels good to be back home, back home with my church family," she said.

"I haven't been to church since I've been on the show because of the schedule."

The Rev. Ed Montgomery and his wife, Saundra Elaine, provided organized weekly Idol-viewing parties at ALC, urging parishioners to vote for Jones. The couple flew out to an Idol taping during Diana Ross week. "I talked to them on the phone and through text messages and prayer — because I needed a whole lot of that," Jones said.

"It gets stressful out there sometimes. You're dealing with a lot of different people and a lot of different personalities."

One of those personalities was contestant Sanjaya Malakar. Jones has repeatedly referred to him as "a little brother that gets on your nerves. "He's so happy all the time. I'm like, 'What are you smiling about? These people are driving me crazy.' He just kind of got caught up into this whole whirlwind. He became larger than the show."

Montgomery beamed like a proud papa when he considered Jones' growth over the last few months. "Just seeing this little girl that was quiet, a little withdrawn, to just open up like a rose and just blossom — that is probably the greatest thing for me," said Montgomery, who first heard Jones sing at a funeral. "It's always been there. It was just a matter of her deciding to get up and do it for herself."

There were close calls. Jones auditioned for Idol in 2003 but didn't make it past the preliminaries. She was also the runner-up in the KPRC Local 2 Gimme the Mike! singing contest in 2005, losing to a country-pop singer.

This time, something felt different for the struggling singer. "I really wanted it more," Jones said. "At the time, in 2003, my daughter (Brionne) was 5 months old. I was going through a lot of emotional, mental things."

Four years later she was more determined. "I was like, 'This is it. I'm going to get what's mine.' " The perseverance landed Jones in fourth place. No small feat, despite hints of disappointment in her voice. "I wanted to win in the beginning," Jones says. "I looked at nobody as competition but me. I was my own competition."

The crowd at Jones' homecoming event at ALC swelled to almost 500 by the time she appeared, despite heavy rain. The evening was a surprisingly effective mix of revival-style exuberance, talk-show charm and glitzy showmanship.

Before Jones belted out a few of her signature Idol tunes, she joined Montgomery and his wife onstage for a seated interview. It flowed as smoothly as a Tonight Show segment, complete with crowd laughter and applause.

Jones looked camera-ready, dressed in a smart white blazer and tailored slacks, one of three outfits she donned during the evening.

After the chat, Montgomery made like Idol host Ryan Seacrest. "Are you ready? Are you American Idol-sound ready?" he asked the audience. "LaKisha Jones is in the house! From this point on, you've got to act like you're in the audience at American Idol."

Jones brought the crowd to its feet with thundering versions of the Dreamgirls showstopper "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" and "Midnight Train to Georgia," both of which she nailed during Idol. Jones couldn't stay too long. "I really don't want to get back on the plane and go back," she said. But she had other obligations.

Up next is the American Idols Live Tour, which features the top 10 contestants. It stops at the Toyota Center on July 15. Jones says she has "a lot of things on the table," including movie and Broadway offers.

And though she left Houston before finding Idol stardom, Jones says she'll return — permanently. She plans to buy a house here and is looking forward to "being a mom again and letting my baby run all over the place."

e-mail Idol Addict
© 2007

'Hey Paula': This Is Reality?

With the weirdness and controversy that swirls around "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul, it's hard to consider anything in her life real, yet her new show, "Hey Paula," is described by the network as a "30-minute docu-drama ... [that] provides an unfiltered [hmmm, we doubt that], real-life look at the 'American Idol' judge, entrepreneur, choreographer and multi-platinum artist, giving insight and context to Abdul's much-reported on professional and personal life." It premieres June 28 on the Bravo cable channel at 10 p.m.

MovieWeb.com says that "Behind the songs, behind the dance, the spotlight, and far away from Simon Cowell, there's the real woman behind the headlines -- pop icon Paula Abdul.

" 'Hey Paula' paints a three-dimensional portrait of Abdul and her 'Crazy Cool' world - from the stressed celebrity and tough business woman to the comedic prankster. Viewers will see Abdul up close 24/7 as she battles insomnia during the much-talked-about 'American Idol' satellite media tour interviews; bumps heads with QVC execs; develops her own fragrance and plays practical jokes on her assistants. Through it all, Abdul has a knack for being able to laugh along the way. On her singing career, she quips, 'Last time I had a hit record, Bill and Hillary were having sex ... that's a long time ago.' And Abdul jokes about Cowell with a QVC security guard, 'If someone comes that has dark hair, that looks like Beavis and Butthead haircut and has a tight shirt ... and he has a British accent, do not let him in.'

"Additionally, the seven-episode series features the posse of people essential in keeping the Abdul empire running smoothly. The 'Hey Paula' players include Daniel, her hairstylist and BFF, who always promises a good time [why is it that everyone's BFF in Hollywood is their hair stylist?]; Jeff, her longtime (and now former) publicist of seven years, who protects her like a sister; Kylie, her full-time wardrobe assistant, who keeps Abdul looking her best; and Abdul's kids ... her four Chihuahuas - Bessie Moo, Chomps, Thumbelina and Tulip.

"In the first episode of 'Hey Paula,' a whirlwind 48 hours lies ahead for the star and 'Team Abdul.' As Abdul gets red-carpet ready for the Grammys, her Chihuahua Chomps chomps down on a loaned million dollar antique ring, much to the chagrin of the overprotective jewelry rep, and a call from the Bratz filmmakers creates additional drama. Immediately after the awards, Abdul changes out of her Valentino gown in the car, while making a mad dash to catch a red eye, and nearly misses the flight. But the day's not over and there's no time to rest for an exhausted Abdul. Landing in Philly, she heads over to QVC to see her jewelry designs, only to find they're not what she envisioned. If it's not up to par, Abdul's not putting her name behind it. With just a few hours before the live QVC show, she voices her concerns. Will the changes to Abdul's jewelry line be made in time? Just an average day in the life of Paula Abdul.

"Abdul's off to NYC in the second installment of 'Hey Paula' for a jam-packed week filled with events, meetings and press. Abdul and her publicist Jeff begin the trip at the annual dinner for the Young Menswear Association Fashion Scholarship Fund for Parson School of Design, where she's presented with the Fashion Icon Award by Tim Gunn - a true honor, since Abdul's graced the worst dressed list more than once. But by the time she gets to her hotel, it's 4 a.m. With just two hours of sleep, Abdul attempts to grab some shut-eye after a meeting with her perfume manufacturers, but ends up losing a battle with insomnia, and continues to miss night after night of sleep. A full week of meetings later, with no zzz's, combined with catching the flu, Abdul must get through a series of satellite interviews to promote 'American Idol.' And this is when she makes headlines once again."

Yup, sure sounds like a real life to us ... about as real as her boobs.

WHAT IS KELLY CLARKSON LISTENING TO?

"I love Brandi Carlile," the pop star enthused to Rolling Stone magazine. "Her voice makes me so happy." Clarkson went on to tell Rolling Stone about her thing for Miranda Lambert, a 2003 finalist on American Idol-like country talent show "Nashville Star." "She's a country girl but she is so great," Clarkson gushed. [Lambert’s song] 'Drytown' reminds me of the town I grew up in."

Have you heard Clarkson's latest release from her upcoming album "My December"? It's called "Sober" and you can check it out right here:



THE TRUTH ABOUT JORDIN'S VOCAL COACH

MSNBC says that not everyone is happy with what is coming out of Jordin Sparks' mouth. Her former singing coach, Melissa Black, is angry that Jordin never mentioned that she has had formal training.

"Jordin was just 14 years old when she studied with me in 2004," the vocal coach said. "Her mom, Jodi Sparks, and her grandmother, Pam Wiedmann -- who acts as her manager -- found me on the Internet. We were together for nine months of intense vocal work, with Jordin taking one 30-minute class a week at $25 per class... I knew she wouldn't take long to perfect her craft because she was so good."

While there's certainly nothing wrong with perfecting a skill in order to attain your dream, Black's claim could be considered a downer for those fans who thought Sparks' vocal abilities were au naturel. According to Idol's website, when Sparks was asked if she had "any formal singing training" prior to appearing on the show, she simply answered "No."

Needless to say, Black reportedly said it "hurt for a week" to hear Sparks claim that she never had any formal training.

"Jordin didn't have to mention my name, but at least acknowledge you had training," she told Star. "But I've moved on, and I hold my head up high."

However, this message appears on Black's personal Web site:

"It should be known out of respect for Jordin and her family, I will not be speaking to the media concerning her lessons. I love all my students and will never intentionally try to harm them in anyway. I want to apologize to Jordin and the Sparks family for any negitive press that has been linked to me. I did not contact the STAR about her lessons. Someone who thought I deserved to be mentioned for my work with Jordin and other students did. I personally have not said anything negitive, but have been caught up in a crazy media storm." MB

Black's site also states that her "Celebrity client list includes Mary Hart of Entertainment Tonight, Tony Award winner Kristin Chenowith, singer Tabitha Fair of the Amy Grant Band and Kristin Willits Richardson - wife of Backstreet Boy, Kevin Richardson.

"Former award-winning students include Leah Moyer and Jordin Sparks (Star Search finalists) and Breeanna Coronado - up and coming country singing star."

Want to study with Black? Her price has risen to $30 a class.

UNDERWOOD MATCHES COUNTRY DEBUT SALES RECORD

Carrie Underwood has become only the second country star to reach score 6 million sales with a debut album.

The former "American Idol" winner's first release, "Some Hearts," was certified sextuple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (Riaa). Underwood's feat is only matched by LeAnn Rimes' 1996 album Blue.

The "Jesus Take the Wheel" singer's hit album, which was released in November 2005, has spent a total of 26 weeks at number one of the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.

e-mail Idol Addict
© 2007

McPhee's Latest Humiliation

If we were Katharine McPhee, we might never return to Washington, D.C. She travelled to the nation's capital to perform in a fundraiser for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and has suffered humiliation not once, but twice.

First it was at the hands of radio station Hot 99.5, which allowed a green and rude intern to interview her. McPhee's handlers instructed the station there were to be "no personal questions," that McPhee was there to talk about the event -- why she was in D.C. So the intern promptly decided to ask only personal questions and never even asked why McPhee was in D.C.

What could be worse than this start? Well, bombing at the fundraiser. The Washinton Post reports that Hillary Clinton's attempt to bring young and hip women into her campaign with a "block party" in a parking lot in downtown Washington did not turn out quite as planned.

The event, named "Club 44," was meant to inspire women in the 18-to-24-year-old set to support Clinton's presidential campaign. "Wear your jeans!" said the invitation. Comedian Caroline Rhea was brought in to be the emcee. Katharine McPhee from "American Idol" was recruited to sing. A "carnival theme" was promised.

McPhee tried to get the crowd going with her song "Love Story." The Clinton partisans declined her invitation to clap and wave. "Let's hear it!" she said when she finished, to lackluster result. "In the back? I know you're out there!" she pressed, earning the sort of applause that follows a weak lounge act.

McPhee gave an awkward chuckle. "That was kind of lame, I have to say," she told the middle-aged hipsters.

We watched a video of the McPhee fiasco and clearly heard either the videographer or someone nearby saying during and after McPhee's performance of "Love Story," "She has to learn how to project" and "I didn't understand one word of that." It didn't help that the outdoor sound system sucked or that McPhee was apparently lip-syncing to backing tracks. (At one point she dropped the mike to her side as her voice continued).

According to the Washington Post, the crowd much preferred the act preceding McPhee: Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), who drew a huge ovation for lifting from FDR: "We have today a rendezvous with destiny!"

Only in Washington would a 4-foot-11-inch senator be treated as more of a rock star than an actual rock star. [Well, McPhee is hardly a rock star, more a pop TV sensation and wannabe star.]

Another performer at the event, R&B singer Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, who saw the 23-year-old McPhee bomb, shrewdly chose to greet those in the crowd with something more their speed. He opened with James Taylor's 1970 hit "Fire and Rain."

Watch video of the McPhee flop in D.C.:


McPhee appeared much happier in this photo run by TMZ.com, on her on her way to D.C. and captioned: Idolicious Katharine McPhee was spotted catching a flight at LAX -- in her sexy new geek-chic eyewear -- and carrying her Chihuahua in a bag. Miss McPhee had been seen a few weeks ago by a myopic TMZ spy at Optical Connection in Studio City, where she picked up the Bulgari face hardware. Kat and her dog caught a redeye to D.C., where she's playing at City Center Lot tonight.

BLAKE LEWIS VIDEO AND RADIO INTERVIEW

Here is a video of Blake Lewis in the People magazine offices sharing the secrets to his signature style in this video beat-box lesson.

Blake was also interviewed by Bob Rivers for Seattle radio station KZOK/102.5 FM. (Search Blake Lewis in search box on upper-right side of page. When you get the results, select "American Idol Runner Up Blake Lewis" under "Bob Rivers Show Audio" in center of page).

And the Verizon Beatbox Mixer is a fun site where you can try your own hand (and someone else's mouth) to mix your own beatbox sounds.

STUDDARD, YAMIN, MCPHEE DO GOOD DEEDS

WTVY-TV reports that Ruben Studdard took some time from his music camp to spend a few moments at the Wiregrass Boys and Girls Club. Studdard was once a Boys and Girls Club member himself.

He grew up within the organization and has since been inducted into the Boys and Girls Club Hall of Fame.

Studdard said he wanted to visit the club to encourage it's current members to continue to dream big. "I feel like it's good for the young people to see someone who's been where they've been. I've been in camp, I've been with that shirt on everyday, I've done this. So for them to see me where I am now, I think would be a great inspiration to them," said Studdar.

And according to Antimusic, Elliott Yamin is scheduled to welcome home Navy Troops from the U.S.S. Boxer (LHD4) on June 15th at their North Island Naval Base in San Diego, Calif. Yamin will have the opportunity to thank the Navy personnel for their service to this country after just returning from Iraq where they have served a double extended deployment.

Yamin will have lunch with the troops and will also participate in a meet and greet with military personnel and their families. He will also sign copies of his debut self-titled CD Elliott Yamin and photos.

"Visiting The North Island Naval base will be a unique and wonderful opportunity," stated Yamin. "I have so much admiration for men and women that service this country and the courage and strength that they possess. I look forward to being able to spend some time with them all and hear some of their stories while I visit the base."

And you watch videos of an interview and performance by Elliott on radio station 95.7 in Denver, Colo. by clicking here.

And a little bit of good press for Katharine McPhee, who, according to the Oroville Mercury-Register she will will be performing today at the opening ceremonies of the Special Olympics Northern California Summer Games at California State University in Berkeley at Haas Pavilion on the Cal Berkeley campus.

Another Idol do-gooder was Season 6 semi-finalist Leslie Hunt, who, according to Chicago Suburban News performed at a "Salute Our Troops" event in Geneva.



PAULA ABDUL: SO OPEN TO THE IDEA OF ADOPTION

The Post Chronicle reports on a World Entertainment News Network story that "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul is considering adoption if she is unable to have her own children biologically.

The single 44-year-old wants to raise a child with a father figure, but if she fails to find a suitable man before it is physically impossible for her to get pregnant, she will adopt. "With medical technology these days, I could have children by myself using a donor. But I would rather be in a relationship so the child has a father to help instill core values," Abdul said.

"If it's meant for me to have children naturally, I absolutely will. I love kids, I really do. And kids love me," adding "I'm so open to the idea of adoption. But, again, I would like to be able to share the raising of the children."

Given all her "medical conditions" and "problems," perhaps it would be better for all of us for Abdul to adopt.

SIMON COWELL VOWS TO NEVER HAVE PLASTIC SURGERY

According to ContactMusic.com, British music mogul Simon Cowell has vowed to age gracefully and stay away from the cosmetic surgeon's knife.

The American Idol judge, 47, admits he works hard to keep in shape and is determined to do the best with what's he was given. He says, "I wouldn't have plastic surgery, it looks ridiculous on guys. I'd never dye my hair either. Everyone thinks I do, but I never have. I do 100 press-ups before I get in the bath in the morning, then at work after a meeting, I'll shut the door and do more."

Obviously, Cowell does believe in whitening his teeth, as the smoker's chops are always unnaturally glow-in-the-dark bright white. So there!

CARRIE UNDERWOOD'S MYSPACE PAGE HACKED

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that country singer Carrie Underwood's MySpace page has been hacked by a cell-phone ringtone promotion.

Fans of the "American Idol" winner have been receiving emails claiming to be from Underwood herself, urging them to check out "these amazing free ringtones."

The spam emails read, "Hey, this is Carrie Underwood. OK here's the deal, I need every single MySpace friend to stop what he/she's doing and go here right now and put your cell # in. You'll receive every ringtone from every myspace artist (including my favorites) ..."

Underwood's management have been made aware of the hack and the password was changed to stop the hackers.

VIDEOS OF IDOLS AT BREA SUMMERFEST

Admittedly, these videos are poor amateur quality, but it's a chance to catch a glance of some of your faves at an event you probably didn't attend, SummerFest 2007, which occurred last weekend in Brea, Calif. In attendance were Ace Young, Paris Bennett, Lisa Tucker, Chris Richardson, Sabrina Sloan, Kevin Covais, Kimberly Caldwell, Will Makar and Sherman Pore.

Watch video of "Harder to Breathe" soundcheck for Chris Richardson and Ace Young:


Watch video of Ace Young and Chris Richardson singing "Harder to Breathe":


Watch video of Ace Young singing "Should I Stay" at Summerfest 2007, featuring Chris Richardson, Lisa Tucker, Paris Bennett, Will Makar, Kimberly Caldwell, Kevin Covais and Sherman Pore going crazy and having fun:


Watch video of Chris Richardson beatboxing while Kevin Covais raps to "Gold Digger":


Watch video of "Through With You" soundcheck for Chris Richardson:


Watch video of Chris Richardson singing "Through With You":


Watch video of Ace Young singing "Scattered":


Watch video of Ace Young at Summerfest 2007:


Watch video of Ace Young singing "Vertigo":


Watch video of Ace Young with kids at Summerfest 2007:




Watch video of Ace Young singing:


Watch video of Kimberly Caldwell, Kevin Covais, Will Makar, Lisa Tucker, Paris Bennett:


Watch video of
Kevin Covais singing "Home".

Watch video of Lisa Tucker and Kevin Covais singing "Tell Him".

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© 2007

Want to Know How to P.O. Kat McPhee?

Let an intern interview her. Listen to this astoundingly rude interview conducted by an intern at Washington, D.C., radio station Hot 99.5. "American Idol" Season 5 runner-up Katharine McPhee had been scheduled for an in-studio chat, but a delayed plane forced the interview to be conducted via phone. The station had been pre-warned not to ask McPhee, who was visiting D.C. for a Hillary Clinton fundraiser, any personal questions.

Why morning deejay Kane allowed his intern Ally to conduct the interview at all, much less without pre-instruction, is anyone's guess. Was the intention to get laughs? Perhaps. The results were pretty disasterous. Ally asked how old Kat’s boyfriend is (42), if she’s into older guys, what’s the deal with "Idol" not having her on the Season 6 finale (they didn't invite her back), if she's engaged, if it's hard to stay loyal to her boyfriend on the road, and what it was like getting felt up by Tyra Banks. Ally failed to even ask why McPhee was in D.C. (actually, she admitted on air she didn't care why McPhee was in D.C.). It sounded to us like an intentional shanghai of the singer and budding film actress.

Here are two versions on the interview. The first is with commentary from Ally's boss and on-air colleagues, the second the interview sans commentary. Either way, you can hear that Katharine is clearly annoyed by the whole thing.

Hot 99.5 Intern Ally interviews Katharine McPhee (includes commentary from on-air staffers)

Hot 99.5 Intern Ally interviews Katharine McPhee (no commentary)

IS TAYLOR HICKS THE OTHER MAN IN LYDERS' LIFE?

There has been specula-
tion on a number of Web sites, including The National Ledger, The Post-Gazettet and NBC/11 about whether Caroline Lyders and Season 5 American Idol Taylor Hicks are involved in a love triangle. It seems the new couple may have a very good reason for the "just friends" mantra they dished out after being spotted getting cozy on a beach in Hawaii.

According to Star magazine, Lyders the co-anchor of the weekday edition of WISN 12 News This Morning, has a longtime boyfriend, insurance businessman Aaron Ruffcorn. What's the deal? Is Taylor Hicks the "other man" or is he just dating the runaround? Heaven knows.

On May 24, the pair was photographed romping in the surf and smooching passionately on a beach in Maui, with Caroline sporting a teeny black string bikini – much to grinning Taylor ’s obvious delight! Raised in Iowa and a graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, Caroline shares a musical link to Hicks; she’s an award-winning pianist. Things reportedly began to heat up between the duo after she interviewed him in March 2007, but they kept the affair under wraps until their Maui vacation. Lyders recently admitted, "Taylor and I are friends. Beyond that, I'd rather not comment on my personal life."

But the new romance is hitting a sour note with someone else – namely, her longtime boyfriend, insurance businessman, Aaron Ruffcorn. In fact after the photos of Taylor and Caroline's beach romp surfaced, Star contacted Aaron's Iowa-based dad, Mitchell Ruffcorn, who insisted, "My son is dating her."

Aaron's dad says the couple fell in love while in high school. Aaron wrote on an Internet portfolio, "My commitment to my girlfriend Caroline was both the catalyst and the anesthetic for the move [to Ohio , then to Milwaukee]."

Aaron’s father tells Star, "The last time I saw her was at Christmas 2006. She was with our family for the holiday, and we all had a lot o fun. I know they have been talking about marriage for some time." His father also said they've been talking marriage for some time. His mother told Star that the two are currently dating, but Ruffcorn himself seems less certain.

So what went wrong between Aaron and Caroline in the months since Christmas? Perhaps Taylor being in the right place? Aaron tells Star, "There is nothing but love and respect between Caroline and myself. There is a lot of history between us; all decisions we make are together. Whether there's a future for Caroline and Taylor, I don't know. As to whether there's still a future [for us] at this point, stranger things have happen [sic].' "

In other words his relationship with Caroline is over. In the meantime, if Lyders is expecting to someday walk down the aisle with Hicks, she may have a long wait. Hick's grandmother, Joni Hicks, tells Star, "Girlfriends require attention and time. That's absolutely what Taylor does not have! He's never been close to getting married, and he's in no hurry." Perhaps, but if it's a soul thing, maybe he's finally gonna move on to marriage just to feel that way, grandma!

JORDIN SPARKS OVERWEIGHT? C'MON!

Is it not bad enough that Jordin Sparks will probably be "persuaded" to lose weight anyway now that she's celeb royalty without the tabs and some idiot named MeMe Roth (doesn't that first name speak volumes?)getting into debates and calling her overweight? Overweight! She's 5 foot 10 inches and a a size 12! This is overweight? What has happened to the universe? Normal and healthy are not sizes 0-4. Even 6 in on the small side. Normal and healthy for women are sizes 8-12 (sorry guys). Even 14 is not out of the question.

As Salon.com says, anti-obesity crusader Roth, who is wound tight as a spring and is the leader of a wannabe movement called National Action Against Obesity, is leading a misguided crusade against what she perceives as tubby "American Idol" contestants. She was probably hoping someone such as LaKisha Jones would win so she could make her the poster girl for the nation's obesity epidemic. Jones, for all that heavenly voice, was actually obese, whereas bubbly belter Jordin Sparks is merely kittenishly chubby. No matter. Roth was camped out at Fox News (click to watch video) before Sparks finished the song that got her into the finals. Her message? Skinny Blake Lewis should win [the singing contest] because Sparks, according to Roth's warped standards, is fat.

Bizarro lady also has a blog called "Wedding Gown Challenge" which states:

"Annually, I invite all women to gather with their girlfriends, pull their wedding gowns from storage, and put them back on. The big laughs should come from the dated styles, not busted zippers.

And for the Wedding Gown Challenge, the wedding gown is symbolic of a time in a woman’s life when she’s entered into adulthood at a healthy weight, and intends to maintain that weight for a lifetime. Your wedding ceremony may have been Catholic, Cosmic or Common Law. You may have donned puffy whites or a scuba suit. The Wedding Gown Challenge message is to maintain a healthy weight for a lifetime. And that’s true too for whomever wore the tux."

It all sounds reasonable until she goes off on children such as Jordin Sparks and starts spouting her group's theory on "Secondhand Obesity," which freelance journalist Lindsay Beyerstein, deriding Roth in her blog Majikthise explains, is meant to denote "obesity handed down from one generation to the next, as well as from citizen to citizen."

Yes, that's right says Beyerstein, MeMe Roth's group asserts that obesity is a communicable condition. Hence Roth's willingness to berate Sparks. According to her crackpot supposition, Jordin is a "vector for fatness." Or "A veritable typhoid Mary, scarcely afflicted herself, but suppressing national leptin levels over the airwaves."

Scarier still is Roth's motivation to keep people thin. Katie Allison Granju points out in her blog, The Pop Culturephile, that in Roth's Wedding Gown Challenge blog you find this little tidbit:

Q: Any special motivation?
MeMe Roth: I see staying fit as an obligation to my self and my family. Back in the 80s when I was Van Halen’s "number one fan," I did get the chance to meet the band. Eddie Van Halen made me promise I'd never get fat. He said I looked like something out of Playboy. Talk about making a girl swoon... I kept my part of the bargain; maybe he'll come to the Wedding Gown Challenge?

Er, yeah, thanks. Sure we'll take Eddie Van Halen as our health and appearance role model, an alcoholic and smoker who keeps puffing away to this day, even though he's gone through mouth cancer. And you're taking advice from him on what you -- and everybody else on earth -- should look like? Someone who looks as if they belong on Skid Row? NOT! Have you seen how sexily healthy he looks lately? Glance to your right. Perhaps he suggested to ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli that she join Jenny Craig if she wanted another shot at his wasted wreck of a body. He's what probably drove her to overeating.

Fortunately, according to People magazine, Sparks seems to have a pretty healthy attitude about her body. People says winning Idol she not only won a singing competition, but a lifelong battle to accept herself.

"I think it really helped boost her self-esteem and made her realize she's beautiful as she is," her grandmother, Pam Weidmann said. Jordin's mom, Jodi, says of her daughter's May 23 victory: "It was huge to see her confidence level grow. ... She's standing taller now."

At 5'10" and size 12 by the time she was in junior high school, "I stood out everywhere," says Jordin, who use to hunch, wear oversize clothing and search in vain for her size at teen mall stores. "I'd look at my friends who were just naturally tiny, and maybe they weren't even a size 2, but they were smaller than me and that was good enough. I was like, 'Oh, why can't I look like that?' "

Jordin tried dieting every now and then, but failed because, she says, giggling, "I like food too much to do it. I would try, like, 'Hey I'm going to diet and I'll be a size 8 by the end of the summer,' but it never worked out."

One day at their local mall, Jordin and her mom came across the newly launched plus-size store Torrid. "It was like angels – 'ahhhhhhhh!' – shining down on it because it's sizes 12 and up. They have clothes for girls who aren't an average size so they can totally feel cute and flirty and still keep up with the latest trends," Jordin says, noting that being the store's smallest size was "great for my self-esteem."

In fact, just before auditioning for Idol, Jordin landed a modeling gig for Torrid. "I think it really helped boost her self-esteem and made her realize she's beautiful as she is," says her grandmother.

Her parents' attitudes also helped Jordin feel good about herself. "My mom and my dad always were saying, 'You're beautiful, Jordin,' " says the Idol winner, whose father Phillippi, 38, a former star cornerback for the New York Giants, is 5'11" (mom is 5'6").

After nailing her Idol audition, Jordin's confidence began to soar. For the first time in her life, she embraced her right to bare arms. Before the show, "I liked to wear sleeves because they would cover up my arms," she says. When the show's stylists made suggestions, "I'd go, 'This dress is way too beautiful. If I add sleeves it will ruin it.' So I just got over it."

These days, "I'm really comfortable in my own skin," Jordin says with her signature wide smile. "I learned that I'm not ever going to be a size 2. I would look so weird as a size 2. Somebody would blow and I would fall right over. It just wouldn't be healthy."

And what of Roth? "Inside Edition" reports that the "obesity expert" is taking a lot heat and even death threats from fans of the newly crowned Idol for saying the singer should lose weight.

"When someone is overweight whether she be an 'American Idol' or not we know that her health has been compromised," Roth said. Nasty messages began being posted online after Roth went public saying sparks is overweight and unhealthy.

"Jordin Sparks signed herself up to be a plus-sized model. It's not going to be a surprise to her that she might be perceived as being slightly overweight," Roth told "Inside Edition."

And while Roth now says some of her comments were misconstrued, the controversy doesn't seem to be bothering Sparks a bit.

In case you missed the lovely and vivacious Jordin's appearance on "Ellen," you can watch video of her here, with DeGeneres:



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© 2007

More Clarkson vs. Davis & 'My December'

Roger Friedman at Fox News gives a dire review of Kelly Clarkson’s new album, "My December," without even hearing it and says it is causing more trouble than anyone could have guessed. Is he right? Here is what he says ...

The album, Clarkson’s third, is at the center of a tug of war between the artist and her record label, RCA, which is run by the mogul of moguls, Clive Davis.

I told you the other day that Davis is happy enough to release "My December" even though he has misgivings about it. Clarkson, never before a songwriter, refused to use professional collaborators this time around. She wrote all the songs with her band members against the advice of her label and Davis.

But the real friction may not be between Clarkson and Davis, but between Clarkson's manager, Jeff Kwatinetz, of The Firm, and the label.

It was only this past weekend that RCA learned Kwatinetz is being listed by Clarkson as "executive producer" of the album. This indicates a new role for Kwatinetz, who is not the most popular member of the recording industry. Managers generally do not receive "EP" credits on albums. They are listed as managers.

In this case, though, Kwatinetz may regret what he's wished for. "My December" has already spawned one nonstarter single in “Never Again,” a kind of tough-chick rock song that failed to penetrate radio or video. After six weeks, it’s already being pulled from rotations after not catching on.

Even though “My December” isn’t ready for press copies, three of its songs can be heard on AOL (all of its lyrics are available, too). None of them has the bright catchy pop hooks of Clarkson’s previous hits like “Since U Been Gone.” One of them, “Sober,” is kind of a rock dirge that boasts the refrain, “Three months … and I’m still sober!”

Is the world really ready for Kelly as Courtney? Ironically, Kwatinetz now also manages Love, who’s turned in a magnificent album of songs. The difference is she collaborated with hitmaker Linda Perry to mix the bitter with the sweet. Kwatinetz may have been so excited about Love and Perry that he’s gotten confused about artistic rebellion.

Clarkson’s songs are indeed bitter. On “Maybe,” which features an acoustic guitar, Clarkson boasts “life with me is never easy.” Surely the folks at RCA are finding that out, since “Maybe” is maudlin and also contains not a singable melody.

“Can I Have a Kiss,” mixed with heavy bass over another acoustic guitar, sounds like the kind of song you might hear from an up-and-coming singer in a San Francisco coffee house.

None of them, however, are equal to the polished, edgy pop that made Clarkson a breakthrough hit on her last album. If anything, “My December” is shaping up to be the equivalent of Lauryn Hill’s disastrous follow-up to her mega-selling “Miseducation” album. You’ll notice that no one remembers that CD, and no one’s heard from the onetime superstar since then.

Of course, Davis is often accused of being a control freak who insists on selecting every note sung by his artists. But many Arista and J Records stars write their own songs, including Alicia Keys, Dido and Sarah McLachlan. Davis has never had a problem with them, insiders say. What he does have a problem with is failure, and he’s worried, sources tell me, that Clarkson is headed for a fall.

"The album will come in at No. 1 and could even stay there a second week," says a source. "But then, it will be over fast." Fan club members may add to sales with downloads, too. "But Kelly will not sell anywhere near her previous numbers." The last album, "Breakaway," released in late 2004, sold a whopping 5.7 million copies.

I met Clarkson last year in Washington, D.C., at a recording industry event. She couldn’t have been nicer, and truly, she has a big voice that could keep her on the top of the charts for years.

But writing her own songs is a gamble she may regret, especially if she turns off her core listening audience. After all, she was built in the "American Idol" factory, and then retooled by Davis — who gave her "Since U Been Gone" — to be hip without seeming dangerous.

Clarkson's is not a similar case to when Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye each decided to venture out on his own from the Motown hit machine in 1970. Nor is it the same as Justin Timberlake’s break from his *NSYNC persona. Pop music, a savvy producer friend of mine used to say, has to have the sound of triumph even if it’s a sad song.

"My December," however, sounds like it's shaping up to be one dark, angry recording. It contains lyrics like "There’s a hole/ Inside of me/ It's so cold/ Slowly killing me."

Some of the songs — "Judas" and "Irvine" — have titles that aren't even mentioned in the lyrics at all, forget about the choruses.

On track after track, it's clear that Kelly had a bad break-up with someone. But not being a skilled lyricist, her broken heart comes off as unsympathetic and a little childish. Someone should have given her a crash course in Carly Simon or Joni Mitchell to see how poetic justice is truly meted out.

Davis, I'm told, could have simply killed the album — he's done it before when artists turned in CDs he didn't like. But he's going to let Clarkson face the music either way.

Says an RCA insider, "Even if this fails, he'll work with Kelly again if she's ready to listen."

CARRIE UNDERWOOD & TONY ROMO STILL ON?

Yes, sez PerezHilton.com, who tells us don't believe those rumors that Tony Romo decided to "cool things off" with Carrie Underwood because of Jessica Simpson!

PerezHilton.com reader Meagen spotted the Dallas Cowboys quarterback and the "American Idol" Season 4 winner on Saturday night at Logan's in North Dallas. And they definitely still looked very much the couple!

WILL FILMGOERS CATCH McPHEEVER?

According to The Hollywood Reporter and MSNBC, "American Idol" Season 5 runner-up Katharine McPhee will star in the indie dark romantic comedy "The Last Caller,” described as a coming-of-age story about a self-obsessed woman (played by McPhee) who searches for love, hope and meaning during a few random events with other urban seekers. [So it's the story of her life?]

Penned by Michael Albanese, "Caller" is produced by Hit and Run Prods.' Hilary Shor ("Children of Men") and Zenith Film Group's Nicholas Cokas. Robert Hawk ("Chasing Amy") will serve as associate producer. The film's budget will fall in the $5 million-$8 million range, and shooting is scheduled to start in the fall in and around New York.

"This is the first thing that I read that I really wanted to do," McPhee said. "I'm up for a couple of big studio projects, but they weren't starring roles. I wanted to start off doing something a little different. It's something that a lot of people wouldn't expect me doing."

She added the role (which doesn't involve any singing) was "definitely a little darker than me."

However, it won't be the first acting gig for McPhee, who had a part alongside Ali Larter and Lane Garrison in the 2005 film "Crazy," the story of guitar player Hank Garland who emerged from Nashville in the 1950's.

She also had a guest-starring role in ABC's hit comedy "Ugly Betty."

e-mail Idol Addict
© 2007

Kellie Pickler: New Boobs, New Boy

While we can't confirm that the boobs actually are new -- Kellie Pickler coyly refuses to confirm or deny knowing that she'll lose the attention for them once the public knows for sure -- we can confirm that the new boy, er man, in her life is NHL Nashville Predators forward Jordin Tootoo.

Pickler confirmed the relationship with Tootoo, 24, in a recent interview US Weekly magazine. "We've been seeing each other since January, but we kept it under wraps," said Pickler, 20.

Tootoo, who is originally from Churchill, Manitoba in Canada and has an Inuit Eskimo lineage, reportedly invited the Albemarle, N.C.-native to one of his games and the romance began to blossom from there.

"I am this country bumpkin and he's an Eskimo," said Pickler, who plans to visit his central Canada hometown this summer. "I'm going to build an igloo!"

Unfortunately, Kellie has had issues besides love to deal with lately. Her father, Clyde Pickler, was arrested for the second time this year. The elder Pickler was arrested May 18 on a felony count of obtaining property under false pretense and three felony counts of larceny of a motor vehicle. Clyde "Bo" Pickler Jr., 42, is accused of stealing abandoned and disabled vehicles and illegally selling them to scrap yards. Bond was set at $26,000.

Pickler was released from jail in 2006 after a serving a three-year sentence for stabbing his neighbor. He was arrested on Feb. 7 this year in Albemarle, N.C., for allegedly assaulting his new wife with a steak knife. He was subsequently charged with misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon, misdemeanor assault on a female and a misdemeanor charge of communicating threats.

According to CMT.com, Pickler's father is scheduled to appear in court on July 9 in Albemarle, N.C. for the May 18th arrest. He was also scheduled to also appear in court two weeks ago (May 24) for a misdemeanor charge of operating a vehicle without a license and again next week (June 12) for a separate misdemeanor larceny charge. Kellie Pickler’s dad also sold her out – literally. Last year, a source told Us Weekly that Clyde auctioned off some of his daughter's belongings on eBay while she was on the Idols tour during summer 2006. "It was personal effects that he had from her childhood, like shoes," said an Idol insider. "When Kellie found out, she was crushed. Everything was gone."

Kellie interviewed a couple of weeks ago by
WCNC in Charlotte, N.C. Here are some excerpts:

"My life has definitely done a 180," Pickler said as she sat in her small bathroom talking about how her life has changed in the tour bus she is travelling with Brad Paisley. "It's not every day I get to sit on my toilet and have people watching me with cameras."

Pickler said it's hard leaving her hometown friends for the bright lights of Nashville, where she currently lives. But Pickler did want to talk, even about the plastic surgery rumors regarding her breasts.

"Oh my boobs?" Pickler said. "I don't care. You know what? The most important thing is you're happy with what you see when you look in the mirror. You just have to brush off the people that criticize you and put you down because it's not really about this [gestures to her chest], it's about what's in here [points to her heart].

"And your real friends are gonna to love you no matter what you look like whether you're a negative A cup or a triple D. They're gonna love you just because you're you," Pickler said.

In true Pickler fashion, she said what was on her mind, even when she talked about dating. "Some of the most attractive guys are ugly as soon as their mouths open," she said.

And she admitted to a flirtation with a Nashville hockey player. "Everyone always says we're the hockey-tonk hook-up in Nashville. It’s kind of cute."

The singer said it started with dinner and they’ve been hanging out ever since. "He has introduced me to so many different types of food," Pickler said. "I’ve been eating raw fish. It's kind of weird. I ate eel the other day."

But she's far from settling down. "If it's meant to be then it will happen," she said. "And if not then I'll just be an old hag with a bunch of cats."

Speaking about the mother who abandoned her when she was young, Pickler said she has no idea where her mother is now. "I don't have contact with her."

Does she want to know? "It's kind of like there's been a huge bridge that's been burned you know and sometimes it's kind of hard to repair so I don't know what I'd say. I don't know what I'd do. ... We all go through obstacles in life but at the end we make it," Pickler said.

Pickler, a beauty school drop out, also tried nursing. "I even tried paralegal for crying out loud. I thought well maybe I could help my dad out a little bit! I'm kidding dad."

Of her grandmother, who helped raise her and died before her 'American Idol' success, Pickler said, "I want her to be tangible. I want to hold her. I want her to hold me. It's hard."

Where she came from is so much a part of where she's going. "I just feel like finally my dreams are coming true."

This week, according to Netmusiccountdown.com Pickler earned the Look Of The Week in US Weekly's June 4 issue for the ACM Awards. Her gown was designed by Max Azria.

Kellie also had to say this in the May 28 issue of OK! magazine, according to Reality TV World:

On her breasts: "I'm a girl that likes to be the center of attention, and right now I am, so I feel like maybe I should let the mystery live on. If I say yes or no, nobody's going to care anymore. I'm going to keep playing this game with everybody."

Of Ryan Seacrest's attention to her chest when she performed on a Season 6 results show, Pickler said, "I didn't have a clue what he was talking about. It was no biggie, it's Ryan and he's going to do his job. I don't take anything personally. I thought he was implying have I bought a house, a car. He kept saying, 'What have you bought?' And I was like, 'shoes,' which wasn't a lie. I've stacked up some shoes! I thought he wanted me to keep listing things."

But the 20-year-old added that going under the knife for the sake of beauty isn't totally out of the question. "I'm all for it. When I'm older I'm getting everything sucked, tucked and cut off," Pickler jokingly told OK!

Speaking of her father, she said, "It was hard to pick up where we left off after the show because our lives had changed. When he was incarcerated, I was 16. It had been four years since I'd seen him. When he came home I was a grown woman. We're not close."

Pickler said that her fling with Nashville Predators forward Jordin Tootoo isn't that serious yet. "I'm not looking to settle down. I'm only 20," she said, adding she'd like the relationship to develop naturally. "The most important thing to me right now is enjoying my youthful years and continuing to sing country music and focus on my career."

"Now that I have the career that I want -- and a job I love -- it make life better. ... I feel blessed. I want to continue putting out great country music and living my dream."

VIDEOS OF SIMON COWELL, THIS IS YOUR LIFE

Although no complete video of the show exists that we could find for fans on this side of the pond, we were able to locate and compile a bunch of videos of guest appearances from the British version of "This Is Your Life" honoring Simon Cowell that was telecast in the UK over the weekend. For your viewing enjoyment ...

Il Divo and Leona Lewis sing "Somewhere" from "West Side Story" to Simon Cowell on "This Is Your Life":


"X Factor" winners Shane Ward and Leona Lewis pay tribute to Simon Cowell on "This Is Your Life":


Randy Jackson, Ryan Seacrest and Paula Abdul pay tribute to Simon Cowell on "This Is Your Life":


The members of the group Westlife pay tribute to Simon Cowell on "This Is Your Life":


Ricky Gervais pays a humorous tribute to Simon Cowell on "This Is Your Life":


Girlfriend and "Extra" correpondent Terri Seymour pays tribute to Simon Cowell on "This Is Your Life":


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© 2007

Macca: Starbucks & HSN Over 'Idol'

A lot of "American Idol"-Beatles fans have been disappointed with Paul McCartney's continual stance to distance himself from America's No. 1-rated TV show. We thought that "Idol" was perhaps just too cheesy for the musicmaker who has even tried his hand at classical oratorio, first with 1991's "Liverpool Oratorio," and more recently after wife Linda's death with "Ecce Cor Meum." Of course that was until we heard that the "cute" Beatle had opted to turn to Starbucks and Home Shopping Network to market his latest CD release, "Memory Almost Full."

The Flint Journal, among others, reports that Macca began using Home Shopping Network with a 30-minute special that aired on May 30 and 31 to promote tomorrow's release of the CD. The special reportedly featured songs from the new disk and footage of McCartney chatting about the stories behind the tunes. (Click on the link above to watch videos.)

Add the fact that the record is part of Starbucks' new music division, and it compounds the frustration over what a legendary artist is being forced to do to keep reaching fans in an age of micro-thin playlists on radio and video channels.

Scarier yet is that you can already get the CD, which sells for $19.97 plus $2.98 shipping and handling on HSN (it includes a "Bonus 3-Song CD") discounted on amazon.com for $9.99 (including free shipping if you spend a minimum of $25). On that site you'll also find a video ad that Macca made for amazon.com, followed by the video for "Dance Tonight," which features a deliveryman whose thin build, gaunt angular face and long teeth are incredibly reminiscent of a young George Harrison. In the video, a mandolin-playing McCartney cavorts with ghostly images. If this was the '60s, there would again be rumors that "Paul is dead," just like there were when "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" came out.

And we admit it. "Dance Tonight" is a typically catchy McCartney. Paul still has it. Not bad for someone who'll turn 65 on June 18. Too bad he had to resort to Starbucks and HSN to hustle it. Somehow Idol would have been so much easier -- and, in spite of all its flaws, more dignified. Besides, it would have sold tons of CDs for him.

Watch video of Paul McCartney singing "Dance Tonight":



YAMIN HOT DOGGIN' IT FOR OSCAR MAYER

Elliott Yamin has signed on with Oscar Mayer to serve as spokes-
man for its “Sing the Jingle, Be a Star” contest.

The weiner-maker has partnered with FremantleMedia for sponsorship of "American Idol" Season 7. Now in its second year, the Oscar Mayer "Sing the Jingle, Be a Star" contest invites eager songsters to see if they can cut the mustard by singing their own unique rendition of one of the popular Oscar Mayer jingles -- the Oscar Mayer Wiener Jingle, the Bologna Song, or an Oscar Mayer Spanish Jingle.

Solo artists and – new this year – duos and groups of up to five people – can enter from May 24 to October 31, 2007. As part of the promotion, the "American Idol" name and imagery will be featured on 250 million packs of Oscar Mayer lunch meats, hot dogs, corn dogs and bacon.

Yamin will help kick-off the Oscar Mayer contest on June 13 in the Central Courtyard at the Hollywood & Highland Center, just steps away from the Kodak Theatre where the season finale of "American Idol" took place. Elliott will assist the Hotdoggers, official drivers of the Wienermobile vehicles, as entrants sing at the first open casting call of the hot dog season.

The search will continue throughout the summer, as Wienermobile vehicles cruise the country hosting open casting calls to give Oscar Mayer fans the opportunity to enter the contest. Contestants ages 6 and older may enter at official Wienermobile vehicle stops, where their entry will be videotaped, or mail-in a VHS videotape or DVD along with an official entry form, available at the Web site, where they may also upload their entry videos. Mailed entries should be sent to: Sing the Jingle Entries, P.O. Box 5600, Blair, NE 68009-5600. All entries must be received by October 31, 2007.

Twelve finalists will be selected by a panel of Oscar Mayer appointed judges and posted on the official Web site from January 15 to February 15, 2008. During this time, the public can vote for their favorite jingle contest entry.

America's vote, along with the panel of Oscar Mayer appointed judges, will help select three Grand Prize winners, who will receive the chance to appear in a nationally televised Oscar Mayer commercial, a trip for two to the American Idol Season 7 Finale (in the event a winner or winning group member is less than 8 years old at the time of intended travel to the American Idol Finale, he/she will be awarded a Sponsor-specified prize of equal or greater value in lieu of the trip) and commercial taping location. Judging will be based on overall performance, style, creativity and suitability for an Oscar Mayer TV commercial. No purchase necessary.

Watch video of Elliott Yamin shilling for the Oscar Mayer jingle contest.

ELLIOTT YAMIN INTERVIEW

US magazine recently talked with Yamin about the Oscar Mayer gig, his new album and Idol's Season 6 finale:

You’re quite the busy guy. Between traveling and performing, you must never have time to sleep!
I’m always moving, always on the go. You got to get some global tracking on me. [Laughs].

But you recently cleared your schedule to hang out with some of your Idol peers during a finale after party.
Yeah, we had a great time. I wasn’t expecting to see as many people from last season. I’ve never been to a high school reunion or anything, but I saw Ace [Young] - we’re good friends - Mandisa, Constantine, Anthony Fedorov and Scott Savol again.

Idol’s boys’ club is back together.
It was a lot of fun. Ace is doing great. He’s finishing up his record and he’s the face of Edy’s ice cream.

However, I’d say you beat him on the food chain, since you’re helping Oscar Mayer with their “Sing the Jingle, Be a Star” contest.
Right, right. We actually launched it last week. I partnered up with them to help promote this contest. It’s a singing contest, which I’m quite familiar with [Laughs].

Will Simon Cowell be able to critique these performers?
No Simon Cowell, no harsh critics. That’s a good thing. What they want to do is find songsters age 6 and up. You can either do it solo or in groups of up to 5 people. Basically what they’re looking for are people to put their own personal twists on the already-popular Oscar Meyer Wiener jingle that we’re so familiar with.

Wait, what’s that jingle again?
Well, I think you know what I’m talking about. [Laughs]

Come on…
[Clears throat and begins to sing] My bologna has a first name…[pause]. There’s even a Spanish version too.

Now that the business is out of the way, let’s talk about Idol and your new record. You’re currently on your own headlining tour. It must feel good since you were on the Idol tour just last summer.
It’s surreal to be headlining my own tour and be able to go on that stage and see people actually singing my songs. I’ve just come such a long way in such a short period of time from where I was a year and a half ago. I’m still riding Cloud 9 and I’m not ready to get off yet.

How do you feel about former contestants who are badmouthing the show after it gave them a chance to shine?
I still feel like I have a lot to prove, just because there’s a certain stigma with cast-offs from Idol. It makes me want to work harder. I would never dis the show - they’ve obviously given me my chance and opened so many doors. I feel a debt of gratitude to them.

Lastly, tell us about your makeover – you got a new smile!
I evolved in every aspect you could possibly evolve - looks, stage presence, my work ethic, everything. I got some veneers and everybody likes to talk about it. I’ve always kind of had a complex about my smile, so I was able to correct that, and I felt great. There are a lot of things to smile about these days!

RENT AN IDOL RUNNER-UP

You don't have to win Idol to get a gig. Hell, you don't even have to make it to the finals, as this press release for Mona Loring’s Birthday and Red Carpet Event at Basque attests:

It states that American Idol season six finalist [er, that would be semi-finalist] Sabrina Sloan will be hosting a star-studded birthday soiree in honor of MLC PR’s president Mona Loring. The event promoted by Ocean West Entertainment and Jair & Co. will include a celebrity red carpet, a Keinejad fashion show hosted by model Sabrina Jane, go-go dancers, a DJ and more.

Celebrities [ahem] confirmed thus far: Sabrina Sloan (American Idol), Shane Sparks (So You Think You Can Dance), Alaina Alexander (American Idol), Patricia Kara (NBC’s Deal or No Deal), Willie Herath (Actor and Indie Singer/Songwriter), Joey Naber (Academy Award-Winning West Bank Story), Sarah Kozer (Average Joe), Maggie Wagner (Sundance Award-Wining Talent Given Us), Vintage (Indie Rock Band) and many more!

How many of these "big" names did you recognize? Be there and be square, we guess.

Who/What: Mona Loring’s Birthday and Red Carpet Event at Basque
When: 9 pm, Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Where: Basque 1707 North Vine Street Hollywood, CA 90028 (323) 464-1654
For more info on Basque visit: http://www.myspace.com/dirrty10!

And here is the lovely birthday girl. Guess anyone with a few bucks can book an Idol also-ran, especially if they live in Los Angeles and need work.



MORE VIDEOS!

Blake Lewis' audition for "American Idol." We remember not being impressed. Guess in this case the judges knew more than we did:



Kimberley Locke proving why she should keep her clothes on when she sings. Is this a bikini, underwear, a bachelor party? Who knows? And the videographer proves why you shouldn't drink and film at the same time. Was he horizontal, or just his camera?



e-mail Idol Addict
© 2007

Sanjaya is Jordin's Idol

Until recently, when asked her favorite male singers, Jordin Sparks topped the list with John Mayer and Justin Timberlake. But the effervescent new American Idol champ said she's got another name to add: Sanjaya Malakar.

"He had so much guts,"' the 17-year-old American Idol winner told The Associated Press. "He had so much strength. He got a lot of criticism, but for him to go out on that stage and hold his head high . . . I really look up to him for that. He's just an amazing kid."

The lanky Malakar, also 17, made a strong impression during the sixth season of the Fox competition, transforming from shy guy to media superstar in a span of weeks.

Sparks said "the point of the show . . . is to keep who you like, who you want to see the next week. Sanjaya gave that to the people."

The two teens will sing with other finalists on the American Idol concert tour, which kicks off July 6 at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and wraps up Sept. 23 in Manchester, N.H.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD AND TONY ROMO KAPUT

According to MSNBC, another celebrity relation-
ship has hit the skids. A source in the Dallas Cowboys organiza-
tion confirms a National Enquirer report that quarterback Tony Romo has dumped former "American Idol" winner Carrie Underwood. But while the ''official'' explanation hints at the couple ''taking a breather'' so Romo can concentrate on the upcoming season, the station's source insists ''it's really over.''

Underwood is said to be devastated about the split -- especially since ''she thought things were moving in exactly the opposite direction,'' said the source.

Underwood's publicist, Jessie Schmidt, responded to the report in an e-mail Thursday. "We have no comment," he said.

The couple has made many public appearances together, including the Academy of Country Music Awards on May 15. Romo was also in the audience at the "American Idol" finale on May 23 as Underwood performed.

The magazine says Romo flew to Nashville to celebrate the singer's 24th birthday and she celebrated his 27th birthday at a Dallas nightclub.

Apparently this isn't the first time Romo has broken things off. According to the Enquirer, last season the QB said he needed to focus on football after they lost their playoff game. Underwood obliged by giving Romo some space, but not this time, the magazine says. This time she is upset.

"Carrie wants a firm commitment from Tony," the source said.

WORKING WARDROBE WITH JORDIN

The Canton Repository interviewed Louisville native and Idol wardrobe stylist Art Conn, whose job it was to take contestants Jordin Sparks, LaKisha Jones, Sanjaya Malakar and other "Idol" finalists shopping for their stage attire.

"I always liken [the show] to going to summer camp," said Conn. "You're in this experience with people for a short while, then everybody goes back to their normal lives. But for a brief moment in time, it's really interesting and life-changing."

Conn, 35, spoke fondly about 2007 "Idol" champion Jordin Sparks, 17, with whom he worked closely. "She's someone who knows what she likes when she sees it, which makes my job easier," he said. "She always had a lot of energy. Usually I have to pull these people along with me. I walk very quickly and I can scan a store in five seconds. But she was always two steps ahead of me."

Asked if Sparks was recognized while shopping for clothing at Los Angeles boutiques, Conn said, "We always try to keep them a bit incognito, but she's a 5-foot-10 girl with big curly hair. You can't really hide her too much!"

Was dressing full-figured LaKisha Jones for the stage a challenge? "I don't think she herself is a challenge," Conn said. "The challenge is the fashion industry doesn't make clothes that are really great for someone who is her size. After size 12, the clothes become really weird, and the shapes are not stylish and funky anymore. It becomes old lady clothes. We had a lot of stuff made for LaKisha. We worked with the designer Tadashi."

Sanjaya Malakar? "The last thing I said to him when he left was, 'You are the bravest 17-year-old boy I have ever met,' " Conn recalled. "He took everything with such a great sense of humor. He's going to be one of the most-remembered 'Idol' contestants ever."

According to Conn, the finalists get to keep 99 percent of the clothing they wear onstage.

At this year's star-studded "Idol" finale, Conn was reunited with 2005 "Idol" winner and current superstar recording artist Carrie Underwood. "We have a lot of laughs," Conn said about Underwood. "She remembers shopping with me and how much she hated shopping in general. Now, of course, she looks amazing."

On last season's "Idol," Conn worked closely with champion Taylor Hicks and first runner-up Katharine McPhee. "It's great to see people you met two seasons ago who didn't know much about clothing at all, and now they are all about fashion and style."

PAULA LOOPY AGAIN?

The New York Post says that Paula Abdul 's behavior seems to be getting wackier by the day. First the paper reported that the "American Idol" judge had lied to fans about how she had broke her nose, saying that she had not tripped over her dog, but had actually pitched a fit, threw something into a mirror or glass object, and a shard of glass struck her in the face, which explained why Paula's nose didn't seem swollen. A rep for Abdul termed the account "absolutely, categorically untrue."

Now the paper says that at the recent Fragrance Foundation 2007 FiFi Awards, the "American Idol" judge was slotted to open the evening -- but she arrived 30 minutes late, and a spy told Page Six she "was so completely out of it" when she finally showed.

"They had to delay the show for her to get there, and it was almost impossible to understand her . . . her eyes were half open," the source said. "She had to have two guys help her to her seat after she left the stage." (though she sounds pretty lucid in an ET.online video that was shot that night, watch video here located on right-hand side of page midway down.)

Her bizarre appearance came just hours before Page Six hit newsstands with the exclusive story of her embarrassing meltdown during a recent conference call. In that jaw-dropping diatribe, she trashed her former publicist, Howard Bragman, ranting, "I don't understand how this man can call me a whining bitch. I've never in my life been called a whining bitch and a loser."

She also wailed on the tape: "I've never been treated this way and I've never seen anybody treated this way. This is just too much to stomach."

In recent interviews, Abdul, who says she doesn't drink, explained she's been on painkillers for years from injuries to four vertebrae in her neck that required 14 surgeries.

Abdul has also denied she is suffering from Addison's, despite discussing the adrenal disease on the leaked conference call with her management. In a tape obtained by the New York Post, Abdul outlines her health problems and talks about Addison's disease, a disorder that causes irritability, chronic fatigue and muscle weakness. However, the 44-year-old insists she is just exceptionally tired.

And in even more evidence of Abdul's strange behavior of late, TMZ.com says it has learned that it was Paula Abdul who told her publicist not to show up to a taping of "The Jimmy Kimmel Show."

An audiotape obtained by the New York Post's reportedly has a sobbing Paula claiming uber-publicist Howard Bragman was a no-show at the May 15 taping. TMZ is told that's so not true. The Web site says it has learned that Bragman was on the way to the Kimmel studio when Paula's assistant called and told him that she didn't WANT him to come to the taping. Bragman said OK, and followed instructions.

Forty-five minutes to an hour later, Paula's assistant called Howard, asking where he was! Howard essentially told the assistant -- uh, hello? You just called me and said she didn't want me there. The assistant responded "Well, you know how Paula is." Howard said, "Yes I do, and I'm not a yo-yo and I'm not a puppet." And that was that.

TMZ contacted Howard Bragman, who would not comment on our story. All he said was, "I'll stand by my reputation if she'll stand by hers." A rep for Paula did not immediately return our call for comment.

Abdul also told OK! Magazine that she’s cut back the meds that she takes for severe neck pain that resulted from a 1987 car crash and a later 1993 plane crash: "I inject myself with a shot of Humira every two weeks. ... I also use Enbrel and Relafen [an anti-inflammatory drug] and the painkiller Lidocaine. If I appear exhausted on television, it’s because I am! I have a lot of sleepless nights because I’m in so much pain. I was taking far more medication on earlier seasons, and nobody said anything."

PHILLIPPI SPARKS ON JORDIN AND SIMON

Excerpts from Sports Illustrated's interview Jordin Sparks' dad, with former New York Giants player Phillippi Sparks:

It used to be "Jordin Sparks, daughter of former NFL player Phillippi Sparks." Now it's "Phillippi Sparks, father of American Idol winner Jordin Sparks."

What you want as a dad is for your kids to outdo you, and that's what happened. Being Jordin Sparks' dad is going to last a lot longer than being Phillippi Sparks the football player.

Were you nervous at the finals?

Not really. I told her to look at it like a football season. I told her this is her Super Bowl. She said, "Dad, don't worry about it. I got it."

Did the cornerback in you want to drill Simon Cowell?

I love him, bro. It's a show, and I understood that. At the beginning we were interviewed by psychologists to make sure if someone said something to our daughter we wouldn't snap [laughs].

Your daughter said that Tony Dungy was her American Idol. Why?

More than anything, it was because of who he is as a man and his character, and the stuff that has affected him. He stayed the same as a good Christian man. I think that was how Jordin looked at. His character and how he fought through so much. That's what she loves him and I love him. He's an awesome man.

Was there anything in your football career that compares to this?

No. This is like 20 Super Bowls. You are talking about being the No. 1 most recognizable young lady in the world right now. I'm still dreaming.

Can you sing?

I sang from third grade to 12th grade. My mom had us in choir. I can hold a tune. Maybe that's where Jordin got her rhythm from [laughs].

You were in the audience when they announced she won. What's it's like to witness your child accomplish her dream?

I was overwhelmed. I was crying like a little baby. That's how overjoyed my wife and I, and her little brother [P.J.] were. We are a tight knit family and to see that moment, she had to work harder compared to the other contestants. She had to get up 4 or 5 every morning to do homework, and do stuff the none of the other contestants had to do. For her to pull through was remarkable.

When did you know Jordin could sing?

The age of 3. She was singing and talking in full sentences. She had a raspy voice like Mariah Carey so we called her Mariah.

Can your wife sing?

No, not a bit [laughs]. She cannot hold a note. But she's brilliant and she can play the piano.

What former teammates or former NFL players have you heard from?

Brian Saxton, Marcus Buckley, Rodney Hampton, Jeremy Lincoln. Darren Woodsen called me and I saw Ray Buchanan in L.A.

In the early rounds, you watched Idol sporadically. Why?

Because I knew there was a bigger picture to what she was going. I knew what was going on. I would give her my advice and text her but we have a son who is 15 named P.J. and so my wife was with Jordin and I had my son.

Does he play sports or sing?

He is phenomenal football player and basketball player. This dude is an academic All-America. I had the opportunity to coach at Arizona State when Dirk Koetter was there. Koetter came up to me and put his arm around my son and said, Oh, we have another Devil here. My son looked at him and said, Only if Miami doesn't want me [laughs].

You've been coaching football [defensive backs] at Glendale Community College?

I was there but I am going to try to coach at Boulder Creek, which is a new high school near me.

She's mentioned Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, Leandro Barbosa and Shawn Marion as her favorite athletes. She digs sports?

Listen, we used to take Jordin to the Devils, the Nets and Broadway plays when we were in New Jersey. She opened up the Cardinals Stadium in 2006 by singing the national anthem. I'm telling you from East Coast to West Coast, it was the most remarkable anthem people have ever heard.
So is she going to play the Super Bowl one day?

I already have people from the Super Bowl talking to me. But I'm not going to say anything [laughs]. Oops.

What will Jordin do next?

She is still doing high school. She's home schooled, doing it on the computer. She's very smart. There will also be a American Idol Tour.

Do you miss football?

Every day I miss it. I actually think I can play but everyone thinks they can still play. I miss it every day but I know there is a point in time where you have to let go. If I made a comeback they would probably laugh so I know one thing for sure: I cannot hold guys that are 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds and run a 4.3. That's for sure.

Who was the best guy who ever went up against?

I thought Terry Glenn and Marvin Harrison were beasts. Did I hold my own? Let's just say partly cloudy but fair (laughs).

How much do you worry about the pressure on Jordin regarding things like her looks or weight or what people perceive an American Idol winner should look like?

What is really cool is that Jordin does not care. She does not how people look at her. That was she is so special at 17. If she cared about that, she would have listened to the critics. She is a full-time model for Torrid Modeling [a fashion brand which empowers plus size young women] and that was a blessing.

What's it like when the dream actually comes true?

It's been something she has been working at for a mighty long time in her own eyes. Ever since she went to junior American Idol when she was 14, she told Randy Jackson that she would come back and win American Idol. And it actually happened.

LAKISHA TO BE HONORED IN MICHIGAN

The Associated Press reports that Flint, Mich., native LaKisha Jones will be honored June 11th at the state Capitol in Lansing. Gov. Jennifer Granholm will deliver remarks during the event. Jones will also perform, along with the youth choir from her Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church.

The 27-year-old bank clerk became a fixture on "American Idol." She made the semifinals and remained on the show until May 9th. Despite that setback, Jones' star continues to rise back home. Flint has designated June 9th as "LaKisha Day" when she will be the guest of honor at a homecoming rally at 5 p.m. June 9 at the historic stadium at 701 W. Third Ave. in Flint's Carriage Town district.

The event will be free to the public and will include speeches and performances by various entertainers, including Jones, who says she'll sing "one or two selections from the show."

"I'm looking forward to coming back on the 9th and having a good time," she said by phone from Houston, where she lived for six years and was the guest of honor at a similar rally (watch video here ).

"I'll get to say hello to everybody, get some autographs signed and let the city know how much I appreciate them."

Most of the details of the city-sponsored event are still being worked out by a five-member committee headed by Flint City Attorney Trachelle Young, who organized weekly viewing "American Idol" parties at City Hall while Jones was on the show.

Jones said she has to return to Los Angeles on June 12 for rehearsals for the "American Idols Live" tour.

JORDIN HAS PRE-THANKSGIVING CD DEADLINE

With the sixth season of "American Idol" over, according to MTV, newly crowned champ Jordin Sparks now faces a struggle of a different sort: trying to stay sane.

"This is so intense. It's crazy," she laughed. "I haven't been home yet since I won. I was in L.A. and then New York, and now I'll finally get to go home and spend some time with my friends. I hope."

Such is life for the "Idol" princess. Since taking home the title last week, Sparks has been on a seemingly endless parade of interviews and promotional appearances. And it doesn't look like things will be slowing down anytime soon — quite the opposite, in fact. The show's summer tour kicks off July 6, and Sparks already has a deadline for her debut album. That means it's never too early to begin soliciting for collaborators, a list Sparks says includes a couple of crooners popular with the under-17 set.

"I'd love to do a duet with Mario or Chris Brown ... but let's see what happens," she said. "I have a lot of work ahead of me. I have a deadline [for my album] already. It should be out before Thanksgiving. And I'm going to be doing the tour and trying to find songs at the same time. And then after the tour, it's gonna be record, record, record, write, write, write."

And just what will Sparks' yet-untitled debut sound like? Well, according to her, a lot like ... pretty much everything.

"I can't really describe what I want it to sound like. I'm a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll, a little bit pop, a little bit R&B," she said. "I listen to Nat King Cole and Patsy Cline and Bon Jovi and Heart and 'NSYNC and Britney and Christina and Justin Timberlake too. I want to mix it all together. I hope people like it. On the show, [you had to be] versatile. You had to do everything and twist it around and make it your own. So I'm used to being like that."

And while the pressure will undoubtedly be on Sparks to perform on par with former "Idol" champs, she said she's actually more worried about living up to another set of expectations: those of her young fans.

"The other day, I walked outside, and there were these two little girls out there, and they said, 'Jordin, you're my inspiration! I want to be like you!,' and it was so amazing," she said. "I get emotional about it, because I remember being a little girl and looking up to people. And now little girls are looking up to me, and I love it.

"Being a teenager is hard — I mean, you look at magazines, and it's in your face all the time — 'you've got to lose weight or change or you'll never make it' — and I want to change all that," she continued. "I want to break the mold and be somebody girls look up to. I'm not much of a partyer — I don't drink or anything like that — so I don't think you'll catch me out at all those types of things. I'm comfortable with who I am, and I don't want to change. I love being me. I was happy before 'Idol,' and I'll be happy after."

JARED AND ANTONELLA AT CHARITY EVENT

The New Jersey Courier News reports that "American Idol" semi-finalists and New Jersey residents Jared Cotter and Antonella Barba will help kick off the Somerset Hills Relay For Life, an annual event that raises money for the American Cancer Society, at 6 p.m. on June 8. Both will be available for meet-and-greets following the opening ceremonies.

For the entire evening, volunteers will walk around the lake to symbolize that cancer never sleeps. Over the last four years, the event has raised more than $600,000 to fight cancer.

For more information on the relay or how to get involved, call 908-953-9644.

Meanwhile,