What a show Danny put on last night. I think we may have the winner already. Danny's trama may have got him the audition but his voice has for sure kept him on the list. I'm honestly not sure why he has been discovered yet. Gorkey seems to place all he has into every song he has. You really feel his heart with every note. Regardless what happens from now on Gokey will have a fan in me.

Which American Idol Singers Got the Most Exposure (Unfortunately…)?

FOX

And the American Idol Ratings Advantage Goes to…: Casey Carlson, Michael Sarver, and Ann Marie Boskovich, the semifinalists who sang from 9-9:30 p.m., last night's show's most-watched half-hour (26 million, per Nielsen estimates) and its highest-rated among likely female voters age 12-34. Granted, Carlson and Boskovich might have benefited from more limited exposure.

Drawing the Short Straws: Bouncy Jackie Tohn, personality-challenged Ricky Braddy and potential frontrunner Alexis Grace, who drew the leadoff 8-8:30 p.m. slot, which per usual was the show's least-watched half-hour (23 million).

American Idol’s Top 36 as the first twelve hit the stage live for the first time.

The theme for the night was "Hits From the Billboard Hot 100" aka, sing whatever you want. And yet, contestant after contestant managed to pick tunes that were more likely to lull us to sleep than lure us to vote.

"It was like the Light FM show tonight," Season 4 Finalist Constantine Maroulis said on the Idol Chatter set. "I didn’t realize that was the theme, but these were some of the worst song choices in Idol history."

The criticism was harsh but I had to agree. We’re eight season’s deep now, contestants should know that you don’t tackle legendary singers unless you’d give them a run for their money in a sing-off, and rest assured, despite Michael Jackson’s financial troubles, he has nothing to worry about with Stephen Fowler’s "pointless" Rendition of Rock With You.

The criticism was harsh but I had to agree. We’re eight season’s deep now, contestants should know that you don’t tackle legendary singers unless you’d give them a run for their money in a sing-off, and rest assured, despite Michael Jackson’s financial troubles, he has nothing to worry about with Stephen Fowler’s "pointless" Rendition of Rock With You.

Michael Sarver, Danny Gokie and Alexis Grace however will need no help in that department, making quite an impression with their renditions of I Don’t Wanna Be, Hero, and Never Loved a Man respectively.

But while I would like to see these three advance to the next round, I might be disappointed once again, as a new, improved and very subdued Tatiana Del Toro or a not as good as usual, but still very likeable, Anoop Desai could be the upsets.

The first batch of the 12 of the "American Idol" top 36 performed live on Tuesday night, and the results? Well, they were mixed.

Given a seemingly bottomless song selection — the theme was "hits from the Billboard Hot 100," meaning everything from Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called to Say I Love You" to Eminem's "Crack a Bottle" was fair game — the dozen hopefuls on display last night mostly chose to play it safe, and the results ran the gamut from "triumphant" to "utterly and completely disastrous."

In the former category, you can count pint-size Alexis Grace, who belted out a soulful rendition of Aretha Franklin's "Never Loved a Man" that earned her comparisons to a former "Idol" champ, Kelly Clarkson. Then Danny Gokey closed the night with a take on Mariah Carey's "Hero" that had the studio audience — and the judges — cheering wildly. Ricky Braddy and Michael Sarver also received high marks for their versions of Leon Russell's "A Song for You" and Gavin DeGraw's "I Don't Wanna Be."

You can file the performances by Casey Carlson, Stevie Wright and Stephen Fowler under "disastrous." Carlson, the button-cute former bikini model, winked her way through a karaoke-fied version of the Police's "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," a performance that left "Idol" judges agape. Wright, a 17-year-old with a husky set of pipes, decided to go "younger," taking on Taylor Swift's "You Belong to Me" and failing spectacularly. Fowler performed Michael Jackson's classic "Rock With You," a move that left judges questioning his song choice and his chances at survival.  read more »

Kate Thornton has not kept in contact with Simon Cowell since she was axed from The X Factor.

She was replaced by Dermot O'Leary, 35, as host of the ITV show in 2007.

Kate, 35, who has 21-month-old son Ben with DJ fiancé Darren Emerson, 37, reckons the move was a publicity stunt.

‘I'll never talk to Simon again,’ she says. ‘He fired me to create headlines without even telling me beforehand, when we had been good friends.

‘I wouldn't watch the show now because it would be like seeing your ex-boyfriend with his new girlfriend.’

Ryan Seacrest apparently auditioned to be an American Idol judge before he was tapped to co-host the Fox mega-hit that has since made him a household name.

Former Idol executive producer Nigel Lythgoe appeared as a guest on Wednesday's broadcast of Seacrest's KIIS-FM radio show, and the two discussed the first time they met.

"Nigel has been doing auditions for years.  In fact, I had to audition for him for American Idol," recalled Seacrest.  "I can't quite remember the first time I met you or auditioned for you because there were so many stages I had to go through.  Do you remember?"

"Yes I do," replied Lythgoe.  "I remember I was auditioning you originally to be a judge because you knew about music.  Then you were just so bright and perky.  We were desperate, because at that point Fox wanted two hosts as you'll remember.  We already hired Brian Dunkleman."

"You already hired him," added Seacrest.  "He was already in."

"Yeah," continued Lythgoe.  "Then Ryan came in, I was introduced to him and we suddenly realized, 'Hey, this would be a good co-host.'"

While both Seacrest and Dunkleman co-hosted Idol's first season in 2002, Dunkleman subsequently made a "decision" to leave his post "in order to pursue other opportunities in the world of TV and feature films."

Dunkleman's announcement came after several media outlets had already reported that although they weren't necessarily opposed to it, Fox executives (who had already re-signed Seacrest a few weeks earlier) were largely indifferent to the prospect of Dunkleman's return.  read more »

Since one data point does not make a trend, the financial markets largely ignored the retail sales figures, however, the markets have overlooked the fact that watching Paula Abdul hawk jewelery on TV is becoming a bigger part of our economy. Nonstore retail sales increased and continued its trend of becoming a larger part of total retail sales. Nonstore retail sales are the tally of all sales that do not involve going to a mall or stores, it measure sales from mail order catalogs, the internet, door to door vendors, an telephone sales (i.e. watching Paula Abdul on HSN and dialing in your order.)

This category has held up better than general retail sales and better than it did during the 2001 recession. From peak to trough nonstore retail sales fell 12.27% during 2000-2001, while during this recession they have fallen only 7.5%. Total retail sales have fallen 11.20% from the June 2008 peak to the December 2008 low. Interestingly, in December of 2000, nonstore retail sales were 5.98% of total retail sales and by November 2001 they had fallen to 5.18%. However, during the current recession nonstore retail sales have increased as a percentage of total sales. In December 2007 (the NBER official start of the recession) nonstore sales were 6.87% of total sales, while in January 2009 nonstore sales increased to 7.49% of the total, an all time high.

The 23-year-old from Los Angeles sang in front of the judges last night flashing a bracelet from judge Paula Abdul’s collection. Honestly, it was a savvy move for it swayed the judges to advance Del Toro to the next round. All shamelessness aside, it also got her another piece of jewelry. Abdul was coincidentally wearing the matching ring and gave it to the "Idol" hopeful when she said the ring was sold out when she tried to buy it. The idea of the jewelry collection began season one. Abdul said in a television interview that it was the show that inspired her to create the line, and this isn’t the first time the former Lakers cheerleader gave away a free piece of jewelry to an "AI" contestant.

Kelly Clarkson is officially crawling back to people that made her who she is ... by reselling out and hitting up an "Idol" event at, of all places, Disney World.

In the greatest gathering of minds since the creation of NATO, sources say Clarkson -- who has dissed "A.I." and Clive Davis in the past -- is joining the other six winners (and a slew of losers) from the show for the debut of the "American Idol Experience" at Disney World in Orlando tonight.

LOS ANGELES -- Prosecutors are seeking more evidence from police before determining whether to charge singer Chris Brown in a domestic dispute that reportedly involves pop star Rihanna.

On Tuesday, police presented a case regarding Brown but didn't release details, said a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney. She said the office wouldn't comment further.

Brown was arrested Sunday night after surrendering to police, who sought the 19-year-old singer when a woman identified him as her attacker during a fight the night before. Media outlets, citing sources and unnamed police officials, have identified the woman as 20-year-old Rihanna, Brown's longtime girlfriend.

An initial police news release indicated they were investigating the beating of a woman, but Brown was booked only on suspicion of making a criminal threat, a felony. Police have said prosecutors would determine what charges, if any, were warranted.

Sending the case back to police could signal that prosecutors are seeking to build stronger charges against Brown, or it could mean the evidence is too flimsy to take to court, said Stan Goldman, a Loyola University law professor.

"If you're Chris Brown," he added, "it's both bad and good."

Police said they were alerted to the incident in the upscale Hancock Park neighborhood by a 911 call. Brown's attorney and spokesman have not returned calls, nor have they answered e-mail seeking comment.

Brown remains free on $50,000 bail.

The fact that Brown doesn't have a current hit makes the point moot, said Jeff Wilson, general manager at WCKX (107.5 FM).

"We're reluctant to play judge and jury," Wilson said. "At the same time, we are very sensitive to protecting the message we send to our audience of keeping it right, keeping it positive.  read more »

Now that I've got your attention, I'm not proposing that Jordin Sparks is the other woman that set off the Pre-Grammy violence. I just think it's about time we paid some attention to one person who is likely to be feeling the fallout of this Chris Brown/Rihanna crisis in a major way.

In addition to having his Got Milk? and Wrigley's ads pulled, radio stations are reacting by pulling Chris Brown from their playlists. In a statement on their website Tuesday, Cleveland's music station 96.5 KISS-FM announced that they will not play Chris' music on their station until the alleged domestic violence dispute surrounding the singer and his girlfriend Rihanna is resolved.

"In light of the events with the Chris Brown/Rihanna abuse situation, Java Joel was taking several comments on his evening show Monday, February 9th," says KISS-FM program director Bo Matthews. "His listeners have strong feelings about these unfortunate events...I then made the decision to rid the whole station of Chris Brown songs while this plays out." Matthews added that, "We are fans of Chris Brown's music, and this is not something that will last forever."

American Idol hopefuls are pretty much set from the moment they get that ticket. Former contestant Leslie Hunt tells me that any kid who makes it to Hollywood is flown there by the producers.

But do they get first class?

"They do not fly us first class," Hunt says. But the show does pay for "hotels, and they provide a couple meals a day." Once a would-be Kelly Clarkson makes it into the top 24, Hunt tells me, "you get a fashion budget, as well as a small amount of money per day."

The families of the contestants, however, often have to scrimp and save—not to mention take weeks off of work—to cheer for their kids in person.

Other Idol families wangle plane-fare money out of their employers. Chris Daughtry's brother, for example, got some financial help from his boss and coworkers at a Virginia sawmill, enabling him to cheer Chris in person.

"It was something [my boss] wanted to do for me because he felt like if it was his brother, he'd want to be out here and support him," Kenneth Daughtry told MSNBC. "I couldn't afford it any other way."

Kelly Clarkson grew up in Texas and now lives in Nashville, two places where country music reigns supreme. So will the pop princess attempt a crossover with a full country album after All I Ever Wanted hits stores in March?

"I never know what I'm gonna do in the future, but I grew up loving country music. It's one of the things that's been really close to me," Kelly says in a new interview with Popeater.com. "I did a lot of country events, so I think people were thinking I was gonna [record a country album]. But the thing I love about pop music is that you can kind of incorporate any style you want ...There's always gonna be those influences in my music, but I'll probably never just do one thing. I would be bored out of my mind."

Over the past few weeks, DioGuardi’s revealed herself to be a big fun sponge; her weirdly insecure and stiff manner overshadows the other judges’ endearing wackiness. Take her assessment of Katrina Darrell, the young, er, lady who wore a skimpy bikini to her audition. DioGuardi first made sure that viewers knew she wasn’t threatened by Darrell’s beauty before ripping on her singing. But instead of leaving it at that truth, DioGuardi (who had a brief, unsuccessful singing career before moving on to songwriting) demonstrated how the song should be sung, complete with exaggerated arm movements to show scale changes. Hilariously, Darrell then insulted DioGuardi’s version — and DioGuardi looked genuinely peeved.

Why did DioGuardi feel the need to prove she’s better than a girl wearing a bikini? She acts uncomfortable in her own skin, which in turn makes her uncomfortable to watch. During a classic freak-out, Paula put her hand over DioGuardi’s mouth and pretend kissed her, and DioGuardi looked scared instead of amused. (We might’ve been frightened, too, but come on, DioGuardi’s supposed to be a professional.) In her attempt to be taken seriously, DioGuardi’s become an attention hog of the worst kind, upsetting the balance struck between Simon (a-hole), Randy (goofball), and Paula (out of it). Poor Paula — who, let’s not forget, has been with the show since the beginning — even ran out of the audition room at one point, saying “Okay, I guess my opinion doesn’t matter … sometimes we forget there’s a fourth opinion in this room!” The boys used to make fun of Paula, not ignore her. If DioGuardi can ruin that dynamic, is there hope for anything else on the show?

Two hours' worth of teasing, and all we got was one legitimate surprise. I'm talking about Jamar Rogers getting booted off, not Tatiana Del Toro, who's already water-cooler conversation gold, being granted a stay. As anyone who's seen "Dead Man Walking" well knows, executions make for higher drama when they're drawn out.

Tonight's "American Idol" was a long way from reality television at its best. Here's what was missing: actual suspense; any real insight into the judges' decisions (though most choices were stunningly obvious); and, oh yeah, music. We knew we wouldn't get much of the latter during this, the "chair" episode, which always captures heartbreak and delight in sobs and mad hopping, not Diane Warren songs.

Yet if we must endure all this faux tension over the judges' decisions, couldn't there have been some mention of what makes an "Idol" voice viable? Simon kept repeating that it's all about the mix, the judges look for certain things, it's more than just raw talent, yadda yadda yadda. But I didn't catch many specifics, beyond Paula chiming in that welder Matt Breitzke is "likable" (as opposed to Michael Sarver, the Manwich? As if they weren't going to let the next Dierks Bentley through!) and everybody getting on Awesome Adam Lambert's case about being a musical theater geek.  read more »

What is with all the sobbing this year? I know American Idol is trying to have a new approach this year but give me a break this is crazy!. If I wanted to watch all the drama I would have turned on my favorite soap.

Nathaniel Marshall and Tatiana Del Toro are the top Drama queens. I hope they ge cu soon because they are going to drive me mad.

After a week of seeing who would be cut and who would stay, I have to say that I am only half impressed with the judges choice. I thought Jamar Rogers should have stayed on. He had a great voice and what publicity than to have two best friends together.

The "American Idol" spoiler blogs were right -- two Minnesota women are among the final 36 as the elimination process marches on.

Jesse Langseth, sister of noted blues singer/guitarist Jonny Lang, made the cut during Wednesday night's episode in a sing-off with another contestant. Langseth, 26, of Minneapolis, has bounced around the Twin Cities music scene, playing in various clubs the past few years.

On Tuesday night, Eden Prairie's Casey Carlson sweated it out on the FOX reality show and survived despite flubbing her lines. The 20-year-old University of Minnesota student caught the eye of national gossip websites when a calendar bikini shoot she did went viral on the Internet.

Name: Adam Lambert

Age: 26

Hometown: Los Angeles

Audition City: San Francisco

___

Name: Alex Wagner-Trugman

Age: 19

Hometown: Los Angeles

Audition City: Phoenix

___

Name: Alexis Grace

Age: 20

Hometown: Memphis, Tenn.

Audition City: Louisville, Ky.

___

Name: Allison Iraheta

Age: 16

Hometown: Los Angeles

Audition City: San Francisco

___

Name: Anne Marie Boskovich

Age: 22

Hometown: Nashville, Tenn.

Audition City: Jacksonville, Fla.

___

Name: Anoop Desai

Age: 21

Hometown: Chapel Hill, N.C.

Audition City: Kansas City, Mo.

___

Name: Arianna Afsar

Age: 16

Hometown: San Diego

Audition City: Phoenix

___

Name: Brent Keith

Age: 28

Hometown: Blanchester, Ohio

Audition City: Louisville, Ky.

___

Name: Casey Carlson

Age: 20

Hometown: Minneapolis

Audition City: Kansas City, Mo.

___

Name: Danny Gokey

Age: 28

Hometown: Milwaukee

Audition City: Kansas City, Mo.

___

Name: Jackie Tohn

Age: 27

Hometown: Los Angeles

Audition City: New York

___

Name: Jasmine Murray

Age: 16

Hometown: Starkville, Miss.

Audition City: Jacksonville, Fla.

___

Name: Jeanine Vailes

Age: 27

Hometown: Sherman Oaks, Calif.

Audition City: San Francisco

___

Name: Jesse Langseth

Age: 25

Hometown: Minneapolis

Audition City: Kansas City, Mo.

___

Name: Felicia Barton

Age: 26.

Hometown: Virginia Beach, Va.

Audition City: Louisville, Ky.

___

Name: Jorge Nunez-Mendez

Age: 20

Hometown: Carolina, Puerto Rico

Audition City: San Juan, Puerto Rico

___

Name: Ju'Not Joyner

Age: 26

Hometown: Bowie, Md.

Audition City: New York  read more »

A two-hour edition of Fox’s “American Idol” dominated Wednesday night’s prime-time ratings. According to Nielsen’s estimates, 24.6 million viewers tuned in, slightly less than for Tuesday’s installment, but far more than for any of the show’s competitors on the night. CBS was runner-up over all, delivering its highest ratings with “Criminal Minds” (13.3 million). CBS also finished second during the 8 o’clock hour with its comedies “The New Adventures of Old Christine” (7.1 million) and “Gary Unmarried” (6.9 million). ABC finished third with new episodes of “Lost” (9.8 million) and “Life on Mars” (5.1 million). NBC was fourth with “Life” (4.7 million) and “Law & Order” (7.5 million).

"The ringer" is out.

After being voted into the final group of 36 contestants Wednesday, "American Idol" wannabe Joanna Pacitti, who had been called "the ringer" because of her past music industry experience, has been disqualified from the competition and replaced with also-ran Felicia Barton.

"It has been determined that Joanna Pacitti is ineligible to continue in the competition," is as far as "American Idol" would go in explaining the decision, but reports last week in Star magazine may shed some light.

The magazine reported that two producers at 19 Entertainment, which produces "Idol", Michelle Young and Roger Widynowski, had connections with Pacitti.

I don't know how accurate this list is, but it's been posted all over the web. Here's the predicted top 36 for American Idol Season 8.

• Adam Lambert
• Alexander Wagner-Trugman
• Alexis Grace
• Allison Iraheta
• Ann Marie Boskovich
• Anoop Desai
• Arianna Ayesha Afsar
• Brent Keith
• Casey Carlson
• Danny Gokey
• Jackie Tohn
• Jasmine Murray
• Jeanine Vailes
• Jessica Langseth
• Joanna Pacitti
• Jorge Nunez
• Junot Joyner
• Kai Kalama
• Kendall Beard
• Kristen McNamara
• Kris Allen
• Lil Rounds
• Matt Breitzke
• Matt Giraud
• Megan Corkrey
• Michael Sarver
• Mishavonna Henson
• Nathaniel Marshall
• Nick Mitchell
• Ricky Braddy
• Scott MacIntyre
• Stephen Fowler
• Stevie Wright
• Taylor Vaifanua
• Tatiana Del Toro
• Von Smith

Don't blame me if this is wrong...I stole it from another site!

Brookfield's own Nick Mitchell is shown here auditioning for the American Idol judges in New York City. (FOX/American Idol)

BROOKFIELD - Nick Mitchell, the underdog from Brookfield whose campy, then soulful rendition of "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" on American Idol made him an overnight celebrity, faces the toughest hurdle of his burgeoning career on next week's broadcasts.

That's when Mitchell, 27, also known as "Norman Gentle," will find out whether he'll make the cut and advance into the top 36 contestants on the planet's most popular television program.

So far Mitchell has made it through the initial New York audition and the perilous group performance in Hollywood - all the while cracking jokes, such as a dramatic shout out to metrosexual superstar Ryan Seacrest, the show's host.

Mitchell's improbable ascent on "American Idol" has already gained him legions of fans.

Former "American" Idol" star Clay Aiken will appear as a guest judge on the panel of hit TV series "America's Next Top Model." The singer will join host Tyra Banks and fellow judges J. Alexander, Nigel Barker and Paulina Porizkova for an episode in the latest series of the popular reality program later this month. Aiken will also participate in an acting challenge with the model hopefuls in the upcoming episode, while R&B singer Ciara will make a brief appearance in the same show.

An Osmond is kicked off of "American Idol" -- and ET gets the inside scoop from Donny and his nephew David.

"It was crazy. It was insane," David tells ET. "I'm sitting there in the Kodak Theatre [with the] judges to my right, my group's there ready to go and my voice slips away."

More than 26 million people watched as Donny and Marie's nephew was sent home.

David continues, "By lunch, I started to have a vocal problem. I didn't know what it was. I wasn't sick or anything. By dinner, I couldn't sing a note. I couldn't get a tone out, and I had full-blown laryngitis within about eight hours."

That isn't David's only illness. He also suffers from something that put him in a wheelchair just last year.

"Doctors determined that I was bit by a mosquito and that in turn triggered Multiple Sclerosis," he shares. "My dad [Alan Osmond] has had MS for 21 years and he's been a huge role model for me."

Michael Castro of Rockwall, a contestant on American Idol Season 8 and brother of Season 7’s top four finalist Jason Castro, is touring area schools in February as part of Friday Nite Live.
Michael will perform live tomorrow evening, Friday, Feb. 6 at Grace Hartman Elementary School; Feb. 7 at Brown Middle School in Forney; Feb. 13 at ForestwoodMiddle School in Flower Mound; and on Valentine's Day, Saturday, Feb. 14 at Cain Middle School in Rockwall. Other performances are scheduled in Coppell, Lewisville, Saginaw, Bedford, Houston, Pasadena and Pearland.

Students in grades 3-8 are invited to attend the special Friday Nite Live performances and they will have opportunity to get a picture and autograph with this new north Texas talent.

Talk about having a competitive edge! American Idol contestant Joanna Pacitti has superclose ties to not one but two American Idol execs.
In the Feb.16 issue of Star — on sale now — we report that the Season 8 contestant is no newcomer to the business, having released a major label album in 2006, starred in a MTV documentary, opened for Sheryl Crow and having her songs featured in movies and TV shows, including The Hills. But that's nothing compared to her connection to two executives at the L.A. offices of 19 Entertainment — the company that produces Idol.

An insider tells Star that Michelle Young and Roger Widynowski have very personal connections to the Idol hopeful, all of which we detail in our can't miss story. How personal? Well, Joanna has referred to Michelle as her "manager" and "best friend," and credited Roger with "helping me get where I am today." Plus, the three of them even lived in the same L.A. apartment complex for several years.

Wednesday TV's Shocker, After Rose Flack's Dismissal: American Idol was up from the same night last year (26.3 million viewers, per Nielsen estimates, versus 24.8 million), but down from last week (27.4 million). Typically, if a show is lucky, it's the other way around.

Wednesday TV's Non-Shocker, After Bikini Girl's Path of Destruction: Idol was No. 1 for the night in total viewers and the 18-49 demo.

In case there were any lingering doubts, Ryan Seacrest made it clear on his KIIS morning show Thursday that he's just not that into Bikini Girl.

If you've been living in a cave and have not heard of Bikini Girl, let us recap: She's the Chino Hills 20-year-old model who wore a bikini to her "American Idol" audition, landing the support of judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson and causing the consternation of Paula Abdul and Kara DioGuardi. She also declared that she had a mad crush on Seacrest and forced him to kiss her, even though it was clear he didn't want to.

Katrina Darrell is her name. And she was booted out during Wednesday's Hollywood rounds after she chose sleeping over rehearsing and drama ensued.

On Thursday, Seacrest kicked off a phone chat with her by letting her know that she's "very polarizing."

"There are a lot of women who wouldn’t get along with you and didn’t on the show and didn’t as viewers," he said.  "And there are some that believe it or not, actually understand you."

Her response?  "I know. It’s crazy. A lot of girls are haters."

That might be true, but Seacrest reminded her that she "created a lot of drama" to get women to this place of "loathing you" and then called her a "bad sport" for not wanting to hug her group members on stage.

Darrell explained that her group mates "threw me under a bus" and that she went to sleep because her feet and back hurt.

"But, Katrina, this is the shot of a lifetime. Who cares if your feet hurt?" shot back the host who has never turned his back on an opportunity.

Then Seacrest brought up the K-word. As in judge Kara, who has twice called Darrell a word that rhymes with witch on camera. Darrell acknowledged she felt the tension from the beginning.  read more »

Paris Hilton wants to party with Simon Cowell.

The hotel heiress - who has a nightclub in her Los Angeles home - is a big fan of the 'American Idol' presenter, and is desperate to enjoy an evening with him.

She said: "Simon Cowell is a wise businessman - I love him, he's very funny, charming and cool. I haven't invited him to the nightclub in my house yet - but I will!"

You can’t help but love Melinda Doolittle! She was the soul singing sweetheart contestant, who finished as the third place finalist on American Idol 6. Prior to her appearance on American Idol , Melinda Doolittle worked as a professional back-up singer for a number of big time singing sensations such as Michael McDonald, Kirk Franklin, Aaron Neville, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Alabama, Jonny Lang, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, and Anointed to name a few. Now Melinda Doolittle is stepping into the limelight with the release of her first CD recorded by Hi Fi Recordings!

The CD titled, Coming Back To You, is a combination of soul and R&B produced by the Grammy-nominated Mike Mangini who has produced for Joss Stone, Jonas Brothers, Dionne Warwick and even another American Idol contestant, Elliott Yamin. The CD was recorded with a band of live musicians in both Nashville and New York City. The CD which is said to have a vintage soul sound with a little grit added is sure to have a Johnny Lang vibe too as he is Melinda Doolittle’s favorite singer.

 "American Idol" finalist David Archuleta dazzled fans in Brevard County Tuesday.

Archuleta, who became one of the show's youngest finalists, made an appearance at Kiss 95.1 FM and Lite Rock 99.3 FM to hang out with about 20 fans who won a contest to meet him.

"Just to my fans, I want to thank them so much for everything. Thanks you guys. I love you with all of my heart, and it’s always fun to see you guys to come out here at all the little events I'm doing, and just to see the support you guys have been showing, it means so much to me, thank you,” Archuleta said.

Did American Idol star Clay Aiken really drop by a South Baltimore restaurant and bar last Sunday?

Or was it ... Clay Faiken?

When reports first emerged that Aiken had eaten crabcakes at Regi's American Bistro, Aiken's fans (commonly known as Claymates) cried foul.

"I don't believe the story sence he was seen somewhere else plus he's allergic to shellfish," wrote one anonymous commenter.

This murky little mystery begs the question: What exactly is a shellfish?

According to the Food Lover's Companion, "shellfish" is a "broad term for all aquatic animals that have a shell of some kind. Shellfish are separated into two basic categories -- crustaceans and mollusks."

Former American Idol contestant and ex-girlfriend of American Idol winner David Cook, Kimberly Caldwell, has just shed 20 pounds from her petite frame. “I’ve always been confident and secure,” Kimberly Caldwell told Life and Times adding, “Now it’s a different kind of secure.”

Kimberly Caldwell said that she lost the weight because she has come to a point in her life where she has changed from being a kid to an adult and stated, “Okay, I’m a home owner, I take care of my little sister who lives with me, I have five jobs, and I’m sitting around being lazy on my time off. Why?”

With the help of NBC wellness trainer, Carly Marino, she has been able to maintain the weightloss and says that losing the weight was all about tricking her mind into thinking it is full. She said, “I learned to have a full glass of water before I sit down to a meal and to eat the veggies before I eat everything else.”

Fantasia

Grammy-nominated “American Idol” winner Fantasia will headline the annual A Night to Remember fundraising gala presented by Comcast on April 17 at the Chattanooga Convention Center. In 21 years, the yearly event has raised over $4 million for scholarships and intervention and cultural enrichment programs for youth.

A Night to Remember Board Chairman Irvin Overton said, “Each year a diverse coalition of Chattanoogans come together for an evening of premiere entertainment and to make an investment in our city’s future. Many of the youngsters aided by our donations in the past are now successful local business people and community leaders. This is truly about making Chattanooga a better place to live, work and raise families.”

If a widespread Internet rumor is true, one of two Milwaukeeans competing on Fox's top-rated "American Idol" will make it at least to the semifinals, and the other one won't.

Daniel Gokey, 28, and Jamar Rogers, 26, made it past the auditions and through this week's first cuts in Hollywood. They're friends, and are both active in Faith Builders International Ministries at 4901 S. Howell Ave.

Gokey's back story - including the death of his wife, Sophia, at 27 - has been highlighted in two appearances. He has a foundation in her memory, with details at www.sophiasheart.org.

Next Wednesday's "Idol" will introduce the 36 semifinalists picked by the judges.

And a list floating around the Internet for the past few days - votefortheworst.com and joesplace.com are two spots floating it - purports to identify the three dozen singers who'll try to win the support of viewers from now until May's season finale

No teenager wants their Facebook status to read "Home with the flu," when their friends are all out having fun. That is why singer/songwriter and former American Idol finalist, Brooke White, is teaming up with infectious diseases specialist and author, Dr. Harley Rotbart, and The Clorox Company to launch "I Don't Want to Miss...," a national contest that puts teens in the spotlight to talk about flu education and prevention and the special events in their life they don't want to miss.

This year, for the first time ever, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expanded flu vaccination recommendations to include all children from six months through 18 years old, but a new survey shows that only 21 percent of teens within this recommendation actually received a flu vaccination this winter. According to the CDC, in some areas of the country, flu activity can occur as late as May, indicating it is not too late for parents to get their teens vaccinated.

"Last year, during American Idol we couldn't imagine missing our shot at becoming the next American Idol because of the flu," said Brooke White, singer/songwriter and former American Idol finalist. "With so few parents and teens aware of the CDC's recommendations, I want to encourage them to adopt healthy habits and simple prevention steps so they don't miss out on all the exciting moments in their lives."

The February 9th issue of TV Guide Magazine reveals some of the more known "unknowns"!

- Joanna Pacitti, 24. Hired and fired as Broadway's Annie at 12, 2 record deals, sang on the Legally Blonde and Bratz soundtracks

- Brent Keith Smith, 29. Finalist on CMT's Nashville Star in 2004, got a record deal in 2005 and sung the title track for Dale, a 2007 movie about NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt

- David Osmond, 29. Donny Osmond's nephew. Played the lead in a tour of 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat', had record deals with the band Osmond 2ndG

- Michael Castro, 20. His older brother Jason made it to Idol's Top 4 last season

- Emily Wyne-Hughes, 21. Lead singer of Go Betty Go, a popular LA based punk band who had two hit singles before she joined the group

- Adam Lambert, 26. Performed in a national tour of Broadway hit Wicked

To be fair, that probably doesn't make much of a difference to Idol's audience, but they've certainly got a leg up on the rest of the competition!

 There were no cute kids, cuddly dogs or cut-off bikinis at the American Idol auditions this week but the first episode of the Hollywood rounds still delivered on the controversy.

Changing things up, the Idol wannabes were sent to "Idol bootcamp," for the first time before hitting the Hollywood stage. They received special sessions with voice coaches, were mentored by Barry Manilow and even got makeovers by the Idol glam squad.

Here began controversy #1: Stylist Sabotage.

Nathaniel Marshall can be Exhibit A after wearing a brown, beige and black plaid shirt, under a turquoise t-shirt and an orange striped tie. To add to the ensemble, he sported two rings in his ears, two more in his face, and then topped it all off with an 80s-workout-video-style headband.

"American Idol" winner David Cook will perform at 7 p.m. March 1 at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh and the public is invited to the show.

Tickets are $15 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Feb. 15. To purchase, visit www.msmc.edu or www.msmc.tickets.musictoday.com.

Cook is also scheduled to appear March 10 at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, but, according to a Marist College representative, the show will only be open to the college's students.

"We're very excited about him coming here, since he's last year's winner," said Mount Saint Mary Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Student Activities Kelly Yough. "The whole campus is excited and we're really looking forward to it."

Some straight talk from Kelly Clarkson: She's not gay.

"Lesbians tell it to me all the time," she told PopEater.com. "I'm like, 'I'm glad it works for you, and I wish I liked women like that because oftentimes men are very hard for me, but I happen to like boys.' "

Clarkson added that she "could never be a lesbian." "I'm a crazy person. I need some kind of stable, quiet man," she said.

Clarkson, who's never been in love, is focusing not on dating but on her upcoming fourth album, she said.

"I recently got back from this European promo tour ... and every interview kept focusing on that. ... I'm like, 'Well, maybe ya'll just fall in love too quickly. Have you ever thought about that?' "

Simon is obviously drinking a beer but what girly drink is Ryan drinking??

Humm didn't know he had such a decent body!!

Considering Taylor Hicks was voted PEOPLE Magazine's Hottest Bachelor in 2006, he is about to make one lucky gal very happy. The Live with Regis and Kelly show is playing cupid, and offering up a celebrity bachelor date with our own Taylor Hicks! The season five winner doesn't have much time to date these days, as he is reprising his role of "Teen Angel" in the national tour of Grease through May. Think you are the "free spirited career-minded gal" Taylor is seeking?

Too apply go to: http://bventertainment.go.com/tv/buenavista/regisandkelly/contests/datinggame/index.html

GOOD LUCK GIRL!!!!

Kellie Pickler will join BFF Taylor Swift on tour this year as part of the Fearless Tour 2009. The tour will visit 52 cities in 38 states and provinces in the US and Canada over the span of 6 months. In most markets, ticket prices will start at only $20, plus local fees.
The tour officially kicks off in April in Evansville, Indiana, and will go through the summer and fall. The first tickets available to the public will be for the May 22nd date at Los Angeles' STAPLES Center. Those tickets go on sale Feb. 6th at 10 a.m. PT through Ticketmaster. Venues and ticket sales information for other tour stops will be announced in the coming weeks. For Kellie's complete tour schedule visit www.kelliepickler.com or check www.myspace.com/kelliepickler.

What is with all the whining this year. Everytime you turn around someone is whining about something or anoher. I feel like all the girls are PMS'ing at the same time. Too much crying too much drama. Maybe that is the change that American Idol said hey had for Season 8. If so it;s a bad decision! The group night was the worst. What is with the girl swiching groups then coming back to her old one. Lame!!!! Then Bikini Girl going to bed. I guess finally her princess additude got the best of her. We no longer have to look at her "all about me" attitude. YaHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

I am not sure what Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi  and Simon Cowell were thinking tonight. There were to many cuts that I would have never taken. Too many good people were kicked off and too many sucky one were left. Interesting season!!!

Music video produced for Taylor Vaifanua - currently a contestant on American Idol.

Lil Rounds singing Stevie Wonder's "All I Do."

Kris Allen, a contestant on Season 8 of American Idol, is interviewed by AI during the Hollywood Rounds. Found on AI website

Jorge Nunez audition

i think she's kinda cool. hope she'll make it to the FINAL 12 or be the Next American Idol.

Jasmine Murray
She was Pretty Good, Not the Greatest
Season 8
Copyright Twentieth Century Fox

Simon Cowell has been named the 3rd richest TV star on a new list from Forbes, trailing only Oprah and Jerry Seinfeld. So next time someone insults Simon Cowell for being a jerk, he can cry all the way to the bank...

"Idol" contestant Frankie Jordan might want to remember her confidentiality agreement next time she's out house hunting. The singer blabbed that she is still on the show -- which means she most likely made it through Hollywood week. Hopefully after her slip she's able to stay there.

Bikini Girl on "American Idol" may be talentless, but she sure knows how to hold her liquor.

Just when we thought we had seen the last of big haired Sanjaya Malakar, we get the surprise of our lives. The 19 year-old finalist from American Idol season 6 is releasing an album! Sanjaya Malakar’s five song EP Dancing to the Music In My Head will be in stores on January 20th.

American Idol’s sexy country singing cutie, Kellie Pickler and hot Dancing With the Stars pro, Cheryl Burke are the new faces of Sexy Hair Products! The two beauties have just signed a multi-million dollar agreement with the company.

The women will appear separately in its consumer and trade publication ads and promotional materials, as well as participate in Sexy Hair’s publicity campaign throughout 2009.

Kellie Pickler said, “I’ve been using Sexy Hair products for a couple of years and I’m thrilled to be working with them. I need all the Sexy I can get!”

Cheryl Burke is a two-time Emmy nominated professional dancer. As the professional dancer partner, she won the competition in the second and third seasons of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars with celebrity dance partners Drew Lachey (February 2006) and Emmitt Smith (November 2006). She was the first professional dancer to ever win two Dancing With the Stars championships.

Kellie Pickler is a country music artist and television personality. She placed sixth on the fifth season of the FOX reality show American Idol and was signed to BNA Records as a recording artist, releasing her debut album, Small Town Girl, in 2006. The album, which was certified gold by the RIAA, produced three top 20 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. The first single from her self-titled second album released in 2008 reached the Top 25.

Jennifer Hudson kicked off the Super Bowl with a heartfelt performance of the National Anthem at Raymond James Stadium. It was her first performance since the murders of her family members last October. After the game, the show’s producer, American Idol music director Ricky Rickey Minor, told The Associated Press that, at his request, Jennifer Hudson lip-synched the anthem to a previously recorded track.
Faith Hill who sang America the Beautiful before the national anthem also lip-synched her performance at the request of Rickey Minor.
“That’s the right way to do it,” Rickey Minor said. “There’s too many variables to go live.” He added, “This was such an important performance, because it’s the first time everyone has seen Jennifer. But she’s in such a great place, with such great spirits, and time can heal her wounds. She’s on fire right now and totally grounded,” said Rickey Minor, who has produced a number of Super Bowl pregame performances, including Whitney Houston’s rendition of the anthem, which is considered one of the all-time greats.

While searching the web I came across this SPOILER ALERT listing the top 36 finalist for American Idol on buddytv.com. Maybe it's right , maybe it's wrong guess we'll have to wait and see.

Here is the list.

Adam Lambert
Alexander Wagner-Trugman
Alexis Grace
Allison Iraheta
Ann Marie Boskovich
Anoop Desai
Arianna Ayesha Afsar
Brent Keith
Casey Carlson

Danny Gokey
Jackie Tohn

Jasmine Murray
Jeanine Vailes
Jessica Langseth
Joanna Pacitti
Jorge Nunez  
Junot Joyner
Kai Kalama
Kendall Beard
Kristen McNamara
Kris Allen
Lil Rounds
Matt Breitzke
Matt Giraud
Megan Corkrey
Michael – no last name was given.  Could be Michael Castro (Jason's brother), Michael Sarver, Michael Tristan, or Miachel Bartul.
Mishavonna Henson
Nate McGee
Nick Western
Ricky Braddy
Scott MacIntyre
Stephen Fowler
Stevie Wright
Taylor Vaifanua
Tatiana Del Toro
Von Smith