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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© 2007

American Idol Top 10 Spoilers

UPDATE: The source we trusted for the spoiler information now reports that most of it was incorrect. Instead of putting any more incorrect material out there, we'll just wait until after the show airs to update you again. Later ...

Here's an advance look at the order of the lineup for tonight's show, as well as what is going to be sung and worn by the contestants. If you don't want to know in advance STOP READING NOW!

Before we give you the rundown, here's the biggest surprise of the evening and a change in the current rules, according to idolforums.com:

The entire 10 performances fit into the full hour of the show. The extra seven minutes are actually for the return of a pretaped segment of recordings by Antonella Barba, Sundance Head, Sabrina Sloan, Jared Cotter, Stephanie Edwards and Brandon Rogers (a capella). Viewers will be able to vote on an 11th phone line for one of these people to join the tour (not return to the show)!!

And although Fox originally released the theme as pop songs, in an interview with ET online, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe said that tonight's theme is songs that have inspired Gwen Stefani:

ET: What theme nights produce better shows? A restrictive theme, such as songs of Diana Ross, or this week's pop-music theme, when the Top 10 could sing just about anything?

Nigel Lythgoe: This week, it couldn't really be anything, because it is artists that inspire Gwen Stefani. Gwen has given us a list of artists, so it is pinned down a little bit. I think for the contestants, it is much better when the genre is open. "British Invasion" turned out much better than we all dreamed, because a good song has the ability of changing and coming up to date. I love the older songs more because there is more melody there and a proper written song. So it has a verse, chorus and a bridge. It just makes it a little more interesting.

On the rating drop this season, Nigel said: Even if we lost 50 percent of our audience, we would still be in the top three shows in the country. I am not that worried. Everybody keeps telling me it has to do with daylight savings. Also, it affects the programs with [the highest ratings the most], obviously. To be honest about it, people are saying that this is not our greatest year for talent. I don't necessarily agree with them. I think we have five or six of the best singers we have ever had. If it is a bad year for talent, we will find out over the next few weeks.

On the advice from the judges: The great thing about this show is it is so subjective. The fun is in disagreeing with what people say. If I was a contestant and listening to everything that has been said over the past six seasons, I wouldn't know what to do from one week to the next. Because they tell you one week, "You're playing it safe." Then the next week, they say, "It is dangerous to do this." Then, "You have chosen the wrong song." It is a tough one. You just have to get out there and sing people's socks off. End of story.

On which contestant has surprised him this year: Jordin continues to surprise me. I am watching her grow week-on-week from this 17-year-old that I saw a number of years ago when she auditioned for "American Juniors." I am watching a young lady come to fruition.

On genres not yet done he'd like to see: I would love to do The Eagles, the music of The Beatles, and there are a number of songwriters -- the lyrics of Hal David, Carole King -- anything that gives the contestants really good melodic songs to sing and a wide choice. I hate pinning them down too much.

On whether he laughed at the "Saturday Night Live" Sanjaya bit: I don't need the thick skin. Sanjaya needs the thick skin. I am old school, so anytime my shows are talked about I am happy in whatever way it is discussed. I will always defend anything on my shows if I feel it is defensible. "SNL" has often had pot shots at us and we have always enjoyed it. Part of our humor here is making fun of ourselves, so it really doesn't worry me that anybody else makes fun of us. (Watch the hilarious SNL bit below. Here are links to SNL videos of Carrie Underwood on the same show singing "Before He Cheats" and "Wasted.")



On whether Taylor Hicks will be on the show this season and what Lythgoe thought of Hicks' CD: Of course [he'll be on the show]. Taylor Hicks is our "Idol" this season. I haven't heard [his CD] it, to be honest.

Is it unusual that he hasn't heard Hicks' CD: No. Kelly Clarkson's I heard. Carrie Underwood's. I haven't heard Fantasia's, Ruben's or Taylor's. I haven't heard an awful lot of the other releases. It is not my type of music, to be frank with you. I like more middle-of-the-road stuff. When they leave us, they go to different genres. I like country, which is why I played Carrie. I wanted to see where Kelly was going because she was our first Idol. I have very little time to listen to outside music. I am constantly listening to the music that we are doing that week, and trying to get everything downloaded to give the kids as wide a choice as I can.

Tonight's performance order, songs, clothing and YouTube.com links (when available):

1. LaKisha Jones - "Love Has a Mind of Its Own" by Donna Summer (very long blue dress, jewlery all over)




2. Blake Lewis - "Love Song" by The Cure (black pants, white dress shirt)



3. Jordin Sparks - "Hey Baby" by No Doubt (pink dress that splits down the legs)



4. Chris Richardson - "Don't Speak" by No Doubt (black shirt, black shorts, bandana)




5. Gina Glocksen - "Just Like a Pill" by Pink (black tank top, white skirt)




6. Phil Stacey - "Every Breath You Take" by The Police (blue shirt, black pants)




7. Haley Scarnato - "True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper (long pink dress)




8. Sanjaya Malakar - "Sunday Morning" by Maroon 5 (tight black pants, puffy blue shirt)



9. Melinda Doolittle - “Sunset People” by Donna Summer (huge gown, bigger then Lakisha’s, red)



10. Chris Sligh - "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" by The Police (brown shirt, black pants)



The Ford Video: "Push" by Matchbox 20, which breaks into "Love Will Save the Day."

We're puzzled as to why Melinda and LaKisha have chosen obscure Donna Summer songs. Although they'll no doubt (ahem) sing the heck out of them, in the case of Idol familiarity seldom breeds contempt -- it usually garners votes. So we think these choices could hurt the two divas.

Listening again to the selections the other contestants have chosen, they all seem voice-appropriate and we are forecasting another good night of music for Idol. We do worry about Haley's pick of "True Colors." Although we love the Cyndi Lauper song, we seem to recall Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" as the Idol Kiss of Death for Nadia in Season 4 (or maybe it was her Mohawk that did it).

We're thrilled to see Sligh in the pimp spot and hope he finally proves to viewers what a great voice he has. We've known it for months, but he didn't really start demonstrating it until he sang "She's Not There" by The Zombies last Tuesday. We also hope the pimp spot means that he's been forgiven by the show's executive producers for his "Hi Dave" Vote for the Worst shout-out last week. It would be horrible if they were to set him up in the pimp spot and then eliminate him the next night (but keep in mind that Idol does love to shock viewers and nothing would be beyond belief at this point -- especially with the change in rules for the tour being initiated tonight). All we can say is "Go Sligh!"

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It Pays to Be a Finalist

Yes it pays to be a finalist ... literally. According to a story in USA Today, contestants who make the cut to the Top 12 went from mere amateurs, the equivalent of game show contestants, to professional TV performers. They became union members covered under contracts negotiated by the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

An agreement with Idol's producers, FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment, when Idol began in 2002 recognized that "the nature of what they're doing in the show changes from the final 12 on," says AFTRA spokesman John Hinrichs. "Prior to that time, they're just singing in a singing format," he says. "After that, they're doing more interactions and set bits," such as the video ads for Ford.

It's an important change in status for most of the singers. In the personal release that Idol requires when they audition, they must declare that they don't belong to AFTRA or another performing arts guild or, if they do, agree that their Idol performances are not professional appearances covered by a labor agreement. That completely changes when they become one of the final 12: Then they must join AFTRA, which requires a one-time initiation fee of $1,300. Dues are based on annual AFTRA earnings: If they make less than $2,000, they pay a minimum of $63.90.

Starting this past week, AFTRA's industrywide contracts required the producers to start paying the performers at least the minimum $921 each time they appear on a one-hour show. In addition, they receive residual payments when a show they're in as a finalist is aired again or is sold via DVDs or other media. The producers must contribute to union-sponsored health care and retirement accounts.

It's tough for shows to avoid paying the singers. "If they're not getting paid, they usually tell us, and we would be in contact with the show," Hinrichs says. "We have representatives who visit the show set on a weekly basis and talk to the members and make sure things are going OK."

Idol is mum about the subject. "We comply with the terms of our agreement with AFTRA," says FremantleMedia North America spokesman Manfred Westphal. "It is our policy to not discuss the financial or contractual arrangements we have with our performers."

BURGERS OR CLAM CHOWDER?

Brandon Rogers said it was most likely his choice of the latter that led to him being booted off of Idol last Wednesday. Huh? Well, those weren't his words exactly, but it was the analogy that Rogers and Ryan Seacrest came up with when the Idol host interviewed him on his KIIS radio show post-elimination.

On why he thought he lost, Rogers said, "It had more to do with my song selection throughout the competition. I never really picked songs that got to showcase my voice and really show me off the way that I think the judges and some of the people wanted me to."

"It's all about being the audience, I guess, when you're picking the songs," Rogers continued "I honestly picked songs that I liked, that I loved even, but not necessarily songs that showcased my voice."

"Well is it kind of like being a chef at a restaurant?" Ryan asked. "If I only prepare the food that I like to eat, odd are the entire list of customers may not agree with me. So I've got to cook meals that they'll actually buy."

"Exactly. Everyone like burgers," Brandon said.

"Right, so you've gotta go with burgers?" asked Seacrest.

"You've gotta go with burgers, even if you only like doing, you know ..." Rogers hesitated.

"Clam Chowder," Seacrest said.

Rogers also said he felt that Simon Cowell supported him, and that even though his criticism was harsh, Brandon agreed with it. Rogers also charmingly evaded Seacrest's questions on whether he felt Sanjaya Malakar should have been eliminated instead of him and who Sundance Head was referring to when he said one contestant felt he had the competition in the bag. You can hear the entire interview here.

KEEPING BUSY

Ace Young will be the spokesman for the next two months for the Dreyers Ice Cream American Idol campaign. He’ll be doing radio spots, TV ads and personal appearances promoting Dreyer’s American Idol Ice Cream Flavors.

Cast your vote for your favorite flavor and then register to win one of 1000's of prizes - including backstage passes to the American Idol Finale!! If your ZIP code is affiliated with one of the 10 promotional cities, you will also get invited to enter the regional contest. A lucky winner from each city will be picked for a visit from Ace and his guitarist. They will come to your house, hang out and sing three songs for you and 20 of your friends and neighbors.

Here is the list of cities Ace has and will be dropping in on:
3/6 Phoenix
3/13 San Diego
3/20 Sacramento
3/27 Tampa
4/3 Baltimore
4/5 Richmond
4/10 Atlanta
4/12 Birmingham
4/17 Chicago
4/19 Cincinnati

Check out this video of Ace performing the first private gig at the home of the lucky winner in Phoenix.

Young and his brothers donate time and money to The Children's Hospital in Denver.
Their involvement is the result of an accident Ace's brother Ryan suffered in 1996. After his recovery, Ace, Ryan and their brother Marc began visiting and performing at Children's Hospital on a regular basis. Ace was amazed by the courage he saw in the young patients and immediately found that he had a natural ability to connect with them. They loved his music and hugs and he loved being with them. Thus began an 8 year love affair between Ace and The Children's Hospital. He and his brothers still spend Christmas Day at the hospital, where they sing carols and visit each room.

"The only cameras we allow are those of the families visiting. It's all for the kids," said Ace, who added that his time at Children's provides him with a "reality check." "If you want to know how Superman feels, just get a hug from one of these little kids."

... Elliott Yamin is on a roll. His debut CD drops on March 20. He debuted his single “Wait For You” on Ryan Seacrest’s radio show. Check out a clip from his upcoming video here. You can listen to “Wait For You” at Elliott’s My Space.

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© 2007

The British Are Coming!

Fox has announced that the theme of next week's show is British Invasion Week, with the contestants being mentored by Lulu and Peter Noone (lead singer of Herman's Hermits) on hit songs picks from the 1960s.

To those of you reading this who are too young to remember the '60s, or think that the only British group that came out of that era was The Beatles ... well, they weren't. Musically, it was a great time to be a teen, with music from not only the Fab Four pouring out of your transistor radio, but also the Rolling Stones, Dave Clark 5, The Troggs, The Zombies, The Hollies, the Kinks, The Blues Magoos, Dusty Springfield, Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders, Procol Harum, Petula Clark, Chad & Jeremy, The Seekers, Peter & Gordon, The Byrds, Badfinger, Marianne Faithful, Donovan, Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas, The Animals, Manfred Mann, Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Turtles, Jonathan King, Traffic, The Yardbirds, The Spencer Davis Group, Them, Van Morrison, The Easybeats, Sopwith "Camel," The Tremeloes, The Swinging Blue Jeans, Freddie & The Dreamers, Small Faces, Oliver, plus a ton more. So the song selection should be really great!

For the uninitiated, Scottish singer Lulu, born Marie McDonald McLaughlin Laurie on Nov. 3, 1948, is probably best known for singing the theme song for "To Sir With Love," a million-selling No. 1 hit in the U.S. She also did a turn as Barbara "Babs" Pegg in the beloved 1967 film starring Sidney Poitier. Lulu will perform the song on Idol, as well.

Other "fun" Lulu facts:

• At the age of 15, Lulu and her backing band, The Luvvers, reached No. 7 on the UK charts with their version of The Isley Brothers' "Shout."
• She had her own TV series in the UK.
• She was married to Maurice Gibb (of the Bee Gees) from 1969-1973.
• David Bowie produced and arranged her hit version of "The Man Who Sold The World."
• In 1974, she sang the title song for the James Bond film "The Man with the Golden Gun."
• In 1993, the title track of her release "Independence," co-produced by Bobby Womack and London Beat, registered strongly on the UK and US charts.
• Tina Turner's hit "I Don't Wanna Fight" was written by Lulu and her brother Billy Laurie
• She was awarded the OBE in June 2000 for her contribution to the entertainment industry.
• Her 2002 duets album featured collaborations with Elton John, Paul McCartney, Sting and newer artists Atomic Kitten and Westlife.

Peter Noone, was born Peter Blair Denis Bernard in Manchester, England, where he studied voice and acting at St. Bede’s College and the Manchester School of Music and Drama. As a child, he played Stanley Fairclough in the long-running British soap opera "Coronation Street." He was also featured on other TV series. At 15, he achieved international fame as the lead singer of the '60s pop band Herman’s Hermits. Their hits include: "I'm Into Something Good," "Silhouettes," "I'm Henry VIII, I Am," "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat," "Just a Little Bit Better," "Wonderful World," "There's a Kind of Hush," "Listen People," "The End of the World," "Dandy" and "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter." Noone will perform "There's a Kind of Hush" on the results show.

Other "fun" Herman's Hermits facts:

• The band ultimately sold over 65 million recordings.
• In all, 14 singles and seven albums went gold.
• The Hermits were twice named Cashbox’s "Entertainer of the Year."
• Noone graced the cover of nearly every international publication, including Time Magazine.
• He performed on hundreds of top-rated TV shows, and appeared with such luminaries as Ed Sullivan, Jackie Gleason, Dean Martin and Danny Kaye.
• He starred in ABC’s musical version of "The Canterville Ghost," the Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation of "Pinocchio" (in which he played the title role) and the feature films "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter," "Hold On!" and "When the Boys Meet the Girls."
• Throughout the '70s, Noone performed, composed and produced recordings with such artists as David Bowie and Debby Boone.
• In the '80s he starred on Broadway as Frederic in the New York Shakespeare Festival’s production of "The Pirates of Penzance."
• He later guest-starred on the TV series "Married With Children," "My Two Dads," "Quantum Leap," "Dave’s World," "Easy Street," "Too Close for Comfort" and "Laverne and Shirley."
• For four years, Noone hosted VH1’s "My Generation," a retrospective of popular music.
• His fans are known as “Noonatics.”
• In 2001, VH1 selected Noone as their viewer's choice for the "Sexiest Artist of the Year."
• Noone starred in the recurring role of Paddington on "As the World Turns."
• He still performs approximately 150 live concerts a year.

ONE-ON-ONE WITH PAULA ABDUL

"Extra's" Terri Seymour sat down with Paula Abdul for a candid one-on-one about love. This is what Paula had to say:

On finding Mr. Right: "Mr. Right is the complete opposite of Simon! The truth of the matter is he [Simon] does make me laugh at times and humor to me is everything. I find that attractive."

On Seymour dating Cowell: "You [Seymour] are the perfect complement to him … you are the bright light and he is the king of darkness."

On whether she is ready for love: "I am definitely ready for love. I've been ready. Just because I'm a famous person, it doesn't make me exempt from love."

WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE SUNG

Vocally, Diana Ross Week was not a great success. Would it have been any better had some of the semi-finalists booted the week before still been competing? MTV asked a couple of them what they had planned to sing on the show.

Sundance Head: I was going to sing "Reflections" and I was going to do a slight punk rock version of it.

Sabrina Sloan: "You Can't Hurry Love." I was already planning it out in my head how I wanted the band to do it.

GIVING BACK

The American Red Cross unveils it's sixth annual National Celebrity Cabinet with 20 new members, including "American Idol" alum Kellie Pickler. The 2007 American National Celebrity Cabinet will work to promote awareness of Red Cross services in a variety of ways, such as taping public service announcements; donating their time, money and blood; feeding victims of disaster; and generally lending a hand or a hug to those in need.

Other members of the 2007 American National Celebrity Cabinet include Forest Whitaker, Bradley Whitford, Kristen Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Marcia Gay Harden, Heidi Klum, Tim McGraw, Julianne Moore, Elisabeth Rohm and Rascal Flatts.

AMERICAN IDOL EXTRA

MJsBigBlog reports on the premiere of "American Idol Extra" on the Fox Reality cable channel, hosted by JD Roberto, and co-hosted by former Idol finalists Mikalah Gordon (Season 4) and Matthew Rogers (Season 3). Here are the highlights of the first show:

Ryan Seacrest said that the worst singer did not go on Wednesday night ... Carrie Underwood said her favorite Idol performance was Heart's "Alone" ... Lisa Tucker, turning 18 soon, is working on Nickelodeon's "Zoey 101" and recording original music. She does not have a label yet ... Simon Cowell said it's better to be really, really bad than forgettable – that's why the worst singer did not leave Wednesday night.

In an interview with Brandon Rogers, the first Season 6 finalist to get the boot said:

• He was prepared to go home Wednesday because when he forgot his words on stage, he knew he was going home.
• There is no infighting or backstabbing on the show. Everyone was nice, and genuinely enjoyed hanging out together.
• He's going home because he never picked the right songs to showcase his voice. He picked songs that he liked, and now realizes that wasn't a good strategy.
• He would love to cover Donny Hathaway's "A Song for You."
• When Ryan told him that he was going home, he thought, "I want a [alcoholic beverage] with a squeeze of lime."
• He was not nervous performing Tuesday night, but was thrown off by the crowd response – he lost his focus.
• No one should feel sorry for him – it was a great ride.
• The most emotional moment Wednesday night was Blake Lewis crying after Brandon's elimination.
• Brandon cried every week when somebody left.
• He thought he earned the judges' criticisms.
• He will continue to write and make music.

The show ended with Brandon’s sing-out, which was cut from Wednesday’s show - he remembered his words.

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