'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).