Happy Birthday, Brandon Rogers!

Season 6 finalist Brandon Rogers celebrates his birthday on Sunday, December 11. While on American Idol, Brandon received much praise for his smooth R&B vocals and he made it all the way to the Top 12. Brandon used his Idol experience to further his career in entertainment.

The Los Angeles resident started his career in the music industry as a backup vocalist performing with some of the biggest pop artists including Christina Aguilera, Anastacia, Justin Timberlake, and more.

Happy Birthday, Brandon!

Happy Birthday, Katie Stevens!

Season 9’s Katie Stevens is growing up before our eyes. The Middlebury, CT native was just 16 when she auditioned for American Idol in Boston, and yesterday she turned 19!.Each week, the high school student performed with the maturity of a singer twice her age.

With solid performances of songs like “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Wild Horses,” and “Let It Be,” Katie made it to eighth place in the competition. Due to her Top 10 standing, Katie spent the summer traveling the country with the American Idols LIVE! 2010 Tour. 

We saw Katie throughout Season 10, as she attended shows and walked the red carpets. She even became best friends with Season 10’s Lauren Alaina!

Happy Birthday, Katie!

Kellie Pickler Unveils Album Cover and Track List

Season 5 country cutie Kellie Pickler released the cover for her upcoming album, 100 Proof. Take a look!The album is available everywhere January 24, and fans can pre-order now from Kellie's Official Store and get a free download of "Tough!"

Also, Kellie revealed the anticipated track listing for 100 Proof:

-Where's Tammy Wynette-Unlock That Honky Tonk-Stop Cheatin' On Me  -Long As I Never See You Again  -Tough  -Turn On The Radio And Dance  -Mother's Day  -Rockaway (The Rockin' Chair Song) -Little House On The Highway -100 Proof -The Letter (To Daddy).

Kelly Clarkson's "I'll Be Home For Christmas"

To get everyone into the holiday spirit, American Idol's Kelly Clarkson recorded an exclusive version of "I'll Be Home For Christmas," featured on her new 8 song iTunes Session, available for pre-order on 12/13 and out on 12/27!

"I'll Be Home For Christmas" is available exclusively on iTunes starting TODAY.On October 24, Kelly released her brand new studio album, Stronger. The album debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200 and #2 on the Digital Albums Chart selling over 163,000 units.

Carrie, Kelly, and Scotty Win American Country Awards

At last night’s second annual American Country Awards live from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Carrie Underwood, Scotty McCreery, and Kelly Clarkson were nominated, and ALL of them brought home awards!

The night of awards began with Season 6 American Idol Jordin Sparks presenting with Josh Turner (“Baby lock them doors!”), and they presented Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood with the guitar award for Single of the Year by a Female Artist for “Mama’s Song.” After the Season 4 Idol got the award from the Season 6 Idol, Carrie said, “I would like to thank country music for giving us the best fans in the world.”Season 10’s Lauren Alaina presented with Bill Engvall and announced the second award of the evening, and Lauren showed off her comedic abilities while presenting.

Lauren Alaina to Join Jason Aldean & Luke Bryan on Tour!

Season 10's top girl, Lauren Alaina, has been invited to go on her first official country tour with fellow Georgia natives Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan for Aldean’s 2012 “My Kinda Party” Arena Tour. The 17-year-old singer/songwriter is supporting her critically-acclaimed debut album Wildflower and current sassy new single “Georgia Peaches.”

The “My Kinda Party” Arena Tour kicks off January 20 in Greenville, SC and continues through March 24 where it wraps in East Rutherford, NJ."I am so excited to be a part of the Jason Aldean tour with Luke Bryan!” beamed Lauren Alaina. “I am a huge fan of both of them.  I mean -- if I wasn't a part of the line up, I would want to be in the front row!  I am honored that my first major country tour will allow me to share the stage with two fellow Georgia artists. That is definitely my kind of party!"

This Week in Idol History: Dec. 5 - 11

This week in American Idol history, the two champions from Birmingham, Alabama released their debut albums. See what else happened this week!Last December 6, Season 8 runner-up Adam Lambert released his EP, Acoustic Live!

The EP included five acoustic covers of some of his most popular singles. Last month, Adam announced via Twitter that his next album is called Trespassing and it will be out this spring.Also last December 6, Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood received six awards at the first-ever American Country Awards. Tune in to FOX tonight, Monday, December 5th to see if she’ll win big again!

Idol Round-Up

American Idol was the #1 searched TV show and #1 searched Reality TV show on Bing in 2011. From Bing: “Heading into its 11th season, American Idol had a strong hold on searches in 2011, beating second place…by 43 percent.” Bing also noted,

“Jennifer Lopez was far and away the most searched American Idol personality.” See how we stacked up! Remember to vote in the People’s Choice Awards for American Idol as Favorite TV Competition Show!

Happy Birthday, Clay Aiken!

One of American Idol’s most popular finalists, Clay Aiken, celebrates his birthday today. Although it’s been nine seasons since Clay was introduced to Idol watchers around the world, he’s still as busy as ever!

Clay has released six records since Idol: Measure of a Man, Merry Christmas With Love, A Thousand Different Ways, All Is Well, On My Way Here, and Tried and True. He has been on tour several times, and Idol fans were in for a treat in 2004 when he co-headlined the “Independent Tour” with Kelly Clarkson and in 2010 when he toured with Ruben Studdard on the “Timeless Tour.”

Casey Abrams to Kick-Off Vegas Marathon

Season 10 American Idol finalist Casey Abrams will hit Sin City to pump up over 40,000 runners this weekend for the Zappos.com Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon and Half Marathon!

In addition to a pre-race concert, Casey will perform “God Bless America” immediately before the race start to the sold-out crowd.

Jennifer Lopez Dazzles and Wins at American Music Awards

American Idol judge Jennifer Lopez wowed viewers at Sunday’s American Music Awards. The singer took home the AMA for Latin Music: Favorite Artist, edging out tough competitors Pitbull and Enrique Iglesias (who won this award the previous five years). When she took the stage to receive the award, an emotional Jennifer stated, “It’s been an amazing year…up and down and just exciting and overwhelming and so many things.”

Jennifer Lopez joined will.i.am on the stage and they literally glowed as they debuted their new song “T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)” which also features Mick Jagger. She also performed a medley of hits off her album including “Papi” and “On The Floor” during which Pitbull joined her.

Happy Birthday, Jessica Sierra!,,,,,

Season 4 finalist Jessica Sierra is having a birthday today. By coming in tenth placed during her season on American Idol, Jessica got to spend the summer of 2005 touring the country with her fellow finalists.

After her time on American Idol, Jessica performed concerts for causes including the Special Olympics, U.S. troops overseas, and more. Towards the end of 2006, Jessica released a single titled "Unbroken," and in early 2008, Jessica released an EP called Deepest Secret. After getting clean on Dr. 

Kelly Clarkson Takes Her First CMA Award,,,

American Idol’s first winner, Kelly Clarkson, was nominated for a Country Music Association Award. And guess what? Kelly won her first CMA Award! Her duet with Jason Aldean earned them the CMA Award for Musical Event of the Year for “Don’t You Wanna Stay.”

Country Music’s Biggest Night™ was co-hosted for the fourth consecutive time by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley. Not only did they entertain and keep the show flowing, Carrie and Brad performed their duet, “Remind Me.” Our reigning American Idol, Scotty McCreery, performed Keith Urban’s “Walk In The Country” from a catwalk stage amongst fans in Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.

Catching Up with Josh Gracin...

The day after Season 2’s Josh Gracin released his new album, Redemption, he hopped on the phone for an exclusive interview with AmericanIdol.com. The fourth place finalist opened up about the art of juggling family with touring, how American Idol helped him discover his love of song writing, and which American Idol winner he collaborated with.

Yesterday, November 8th, Josh released his 17-track album with Average Joe’s Entertainment, which he co-produced and co-wrote. Josh described the record process saying, “It was amazing to be able to go to an independent record label because it gives you a lot of freedom…To be able to co-produce with a good friend of mine, Kevin Murphy, and to write and co-write everything except for the John Mayer cover was quite an experience. American Idol started it all off for me.

Collaborate on Holiday Classic

Season 10 Idol finalists Haley Reinhart and Casey Abrams have collaborated on a jazzy ensemble of the holiday classic “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”. The track was produced by busbee and recorded at Conway Studios in Los Angeles. “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” will be available at all digital partners November 21st.

Haley, who is currently in the studio writing and recording for her debut album out early next year, jumped at the opportunity to work with Casey again. On Idol, the pair where known for their unique, standout performances and jazzy vocal style. The two quickly became fan-favorites, and when they performed “Moanin’” on the Idol stage.

STRONGER's Strong Debut for Kelly Clarkson,,,,

American Idol Kelly Clarkson’s 5th studio album, Stronger, debuts on the Billboard Top 200 and  on the Digital Albums Chart selling over 163,000 units.  All 5 of Kelly’s albums have debuted in the Top 3.  The first single, “Mr. Know It All” peaked  is still currently in the Top 10.

Kelly kicked off promotion back in September with appearances on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno and The Ellen DeGeneres Show.  Over the past few weeks, Kelly performed her single, “Mr. Know It All” on Dancing With The Stars, The Today Show, The View and Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.  In addition, Kelly returned back to The Today Show last week for a special co-hosting gig with Hoda Kotb.  Kelly is gearing up for a performance on The 2011 American Music Awards in November and she is one of the performing "divas" at VH1 Divas Celebrates Soul on December 19.

Kellie Pickler Announces Upcoming Album,,,

Kellie Pickler will release her third album, 100 Proof, on January 24, 2012. “I'm just happy to be making country music,” said Kellie. “I hope everyone enjoys the new music as much as I've enjoyed making it!”

The Season 5 finalist set out to get back to her southern roots on 100 Proof and make a traditional and fresh sounding country album. To help her achieve her goals she enlisted producers Frank Liddell and Luke Wooten.The album-opener “Where’s Tammy Wynette” sets the tone of 100 Proof with its raw and unconventional sound. Kellie co-wrote 6 of the 11 songs on 100 Proof including “Long As I Never See You Again,” which she wrote with famed songwriters Dean Dillon and Dale Dodson.

Catching Up With Diana DeGarmo,,,,,

Season 3’s runner-up, Diana DeGarmo, has made quite a versatile career for herself since soaring to the American Idol finale. On Monday, October 31st, she will make her debut on The Young and the Restless as Angelina, the Jersey-girl daughter of mob boss Angelo (Mike Starr). We hopped on the phone with the 24-year-old to find out about the character and life after American Idol!

Diana landed the role as Angelina by performing at the right place at the right time. “I booked the part thanks to a performance of Hairspray I was in at the Hollywood Bowl in early August. The right people from Y&R were in the audience and were pleased with my performance, and apparently they saw me as a perfect fit for the gum-smacking Jersey girl who can’t sing.”That’s what is so funny—Diana, who is obviously an amazing singer, has been cast as a character who sings poorly! “Angelina is a fantastic character, and I’m never afraid of a challenge. In comedy there’s no vanity. It’s a lot of fun because you get to throw the ego out and belt out whatever comes.

Siobhan Magnus' Halloween Concert,,,,,

Season 9's Siobhan Magnus announced her first solo Boston concert event. Siobhan has been writing and recording since January and will showcase her first collection of original songs at an unconventional Hallowe’en Dreams Concert and Celebration at The Wilbur Theatre on Sunday October 30th. Siobhan says to look for lots of spooky tricks and treats!

Autumn has always been Siobhan’s favorite time of year, so what better time to release her first album on CD and online than with a major Boston show? Concert goers are invited to enjoy her theatrical rock show and to compete in a full scale costume contest on the night of the show. Winners will be invited to a very special private party in Boston with Siobhan on Halloween itself, Monday night October 31st.

Happy Birthday, Didi Benami!,,,,

Season 9’s tenth place finalist, Didi Benami, celebrates her 25th birthday today! The Knoxville native was inspired to go on American Idol to pursue the music of her late best friend, Rebecca Joy Lear. Didi impressed the judges at her Los Angeles audition with her performance of “Hey Jude.”

It was during Hollywood week when Didi really became a stand-out with the Kara DioGuardi penned song by Katharine McPhee, “Terrified.”After becoming a semi-finalist on Season 9, America voted and Didi was safe every week of the competition until her Top 10 elimination during R&B/Soul week. As the tenth place finalist, Didi got to kick off the night of performances at each stop around the country on the American Idols LIVE! 2010 Tour.

Happy Birthday, Didi!

Pre-order James Durbin's Upcoming Album,,,,,

Season 10 rocker James Durbin's official store is now live and his new album, Memories Of A Beautiful Disaster, is available for pre-order in CD or MP3 format,

for pre-order bundles featuring an exclusive t-shirt, a limited edition, autographed lithograph, and a patch.

Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger" is Available Now,,,,,

It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for…Kelly Clarkson’s fifth studio album, Stronger, is available now wherever music is sold. The first American Idol continues to be one of the hottest pop stars nine years after her Idol win.

The track list for Stronger is:

01 Mr. Know It All

 02 What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger)

 03 Dark Side

 04 Honestly

 05 You Love Me

 06 Einstein

 07 Standing In Front Of You

 08 I Forgive You

 09 Hello

 10 The War Is Over

 11 Let Me Down

 12 You Can’t Win

 13 Breaking Your Own Heart

'American Idol's' Pia Toscano: 5 Theories Behind Her Elimination,,,,,

know what you're thinking: how did this happen? Why did Pia Toscano, the frontrunner of all "American Idol" frontrunners, get sent home in ninth place?

And how is it that Ryan Seacrest didn't better prepare us for the outcome? Where was the buzz of a "shocker you don't wanna miss?" What happened to the build-up? Or some foreshadowing?

Lauren Alaina's 69,000 album,,,,

Lauren Alaina's 69,000 album sales last week gave the 16-year-old American Idol runner-up the best first-week sales for any female country singer's debut album since 2006.

• After selling 205,000 copies of her Farmer's Daughter album, Season 9 runner-up Crystal Bowersox has split with Sony Music and 19 Recordings.

• Want to catch Scotty McCreery on tour with Brad Paisley next year? Here are the tour dates.

• Melinda Doolittle has a holiday tune called God Bless Us Everyone coming out Nov. 1. Listen to the tune, written with Reggie (The Time of My Life) Hamm, here.

• Constantine Maroulis will take part in Quilt: A Musical Celebration and Reflection on 30 Years Nov. 28 at Avery Fisher Hall. The benefit performance, hosted by Whoopi Goldberg, honors the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt and the 30th anniversary of the HIV/AIDS crisis.

Nominee Selections People's Choice Awards,,,,

People's Choice Awards 2012 has posted their nominee selections, and American Idol, Jennifer Lopez, and Jennifer Hudson were all recognized. Vote for them and write in your favorite Idols in the music category.

Vote often to make sure your favorites make the top 5. Then come back on November 8th to start voting for the official nominees as chosen by you!

James Durbin’s New Site and Flickr Group,,,,

 Season 10’s James Durbin will release his debut album, Memories Of A Beautiful Disaster, one month from today! Check out his newly revamped website, DurbinRock.com.

In addition, join the Official James Durbin Fan Group at Flickr and add your own collection of James Durbin photos and artwork to the group pool. Your images will also show up on DurbinRock.com’s Fan Group Photos page for all the other Durbinators to see!

Happy Birthday, Lil Rounds!,,,,

Season 8 finalist Lil Rounds celebrates her birthday today. The wife and mother of three was one of the standout contestants from Season 8,

and it was no surprise when she sailed from the semi-finals to the finals after performing Mary J. Blige’s “Be Without You.” Ultimately, it was Disco Week when Lil was sent packing in seventh place, but she kept her head held high and got to tour with the Top 10 Season 8 finalists all summer long.

Happy Birthday, Lil!

Happy Birthday, Michael Johns!,,,

Season 7 finalist Michael Johns celebrates his birthday today. When the Australia native made it on to American Idol, the fan favorite soared all the way to the Top 8 without ever landing in the bottom.

Although he gave a stellar performance of “Dream On” during Idol Gives Back week, Michael received the fewest votes and was shockingly eliminated.

Happy Birthday, Michael!

Scotty McCreery Claims His Ford,,,,

During the Season 10 American Idol finale, it was announced that both Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery got to choose any Ford vehicle they like, courtesy of Ford Motor Company!

And American Idol Winner Scotty just picked up his prize - a brand new F-150 Ford King Ranch truck. Congratulations Scotty!I 'll get photos to share with you soon.

Happy Birthday, Andrew Garcia!,,,,

Season 9’s Andrew Garcia celebrates his 26th birthday today. The Moreno Valley, CA native wowed American Idol viewers during Season 9 auditions with hits like Maroon 5’s “Sunday Morning” and former Idol judge Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up.”

He made it all the way until the Top 9 Elvis Presley week, when he was eliminated with his fellow contestant and good friend Katie Stevens. 

Happy Birthday, Andrew!

Congratulations, Paul McDonald & Nikki Reed!,,,

Season 10’s Paul McDonald wed Nikki Reed this weekend on Sunday, October 16th! It’s amazing to think it was only in March that the two first met at the Red Riding Hood premiere. The wedding took place in Malibu, CA in front of 100 guests.

Paul tweeted, “Yesterday was the most amazing day of my life..everything was perfect. I'm officially a MARRIED MAN! Woohoo!” And the new Mrs. McDonald said, “Yesterday was the most magical day of my life...”

We wish Paul & Nikki a lifetime of happiness!

Happy Birthday, Pia Toscano!,,,,

Season 10 standout Pia Toscano turned 23 on October 14th. Pia celebrated a few days early in New York with some of her closest friends. On October 10th, Pia performed “I’ll Stand By You” and her single, “This Time,” in the Columbus Day Parade on 5th Avenue in NYC.

After her shocking ninth place elimination, Pia signed with Interscope Records and 19 Recordings. In early July, Pia released her debut single, Recently, Pia’s been keeping up with her friends in a weekly segment called “Ask Pia!”

Happy Birthday, Pia!

Pickler Goes Pink,,,,

Season 5's Kellie Pickler is joining Women Rock For The Cure™ in the fight against breast cancer on Saturday, Oct. 22 when she performs at the third annual “Opry Goes Pink” show. In addition to her performance, she will flip the switch on the Opry’s barn backdrop, turning it pink for the second show of the night. Idol Carrie Underwood flipped the switch at this event two years ago.

“My grandmother, who raised me and was my angel, died of cancer and I’m honored to participate in everyway I can to help bring awareness and raise money to fight this horrible disease,” said Kellie.“Opry Goes Pink” will extend this year to opry.com, which will go pink for the day on Oct. 22 and will host an online pink auction beginning Tues., Oct. 18 with all proceeds benefitting Women Rock For The Cure™. Among the items to be available include one-of-a-kind Opry experiences and items autographed by artists participating in the “Opry Goes Pink” show. Kellie donated tickets and backstage passes for upcoming shows as well as an autographed drumhead.

Blake Lewis, Didi Benami & Tim Urban to Perform at Charity Event,,,

Season 6 runner-up Blake Lewis and Season 9's Didi Benami and Tim Urban will be performing at a charity concert and dinner weekend at the Grand Lucayan, Bahamas in Grand Bahama Island on November 11 and 12, 2011. 

Each performer has selected their charity of choice that will result in seven charities all  benefitting from the much anticipated weekend that includes philanthropy, musical performances, a poker tournament, dinners, celebrity meet and greets and local Bahamian entertainment, all taking take place at the resort.General admission tickets for the two-day weekend event can be purchased at the resort. Individual tickets prices start at $50 per night and include a specially created dinner and show; VIP tickets are available for $75 per night and include reserved seating and a private celebrity meet and greet with the featured performers.

Weekend Wrap-Up: Twilight's Nikki Reed Weds, Star Trek's Zachary Quinto Comes Out,,,,,,

Not every celeb can rack up our most valuable partyer nod at the ripe old age of 65 

, 

but if spending a couple of nights out on the town caused you to miss out on this weekend's hottest entertainment stories, don't stress.

US pop sensation Kelly Clarkson admits she never seen herself as a singer until high school,,,,

KELLY CLARKSON has revealed that a passion for pistols helps her let off steam when she's taking time out from her busy music career.The original American Pop Idol winner likes to swap her status as a million-selling singer for that of gunslinger when she returns home to Fort Worth, Texas.

She insists the anti-gun lobby are unlikely to persuade her, or her fellow Texans, that they should give up their right to bear arms because "guns don't kill people, people kill people".Kelly says: "We had guns growing up but I wasn't riding horses to school or anything. We shot cans out back. I do that even now."If I am shooting out back I use a shotgun or a Colt 45. That's my favourite, it's got a kick to it, but that's a cool gun. I have, like, nine guns."Heck, I grew up around them. Once you're safe with them and have been taught how to handle them and stuff, there's nothing wrong with that," she adds.Kelly, who is back with her fifth album Stronger, has sold a staggering 23 million albums and is probably best known for her powerful songs of break-ups and heartache.But the 29-year-old singer admits that she has never actually been in love.Instead of spending time with her dream man, over the last decade Kelly has been building up a world-wide following, one that has been growing ever since she won American Idol back in 2002.Asked if real-life romances have helped with her songwriting, she explains: "I've never actually been in love so I wouldn't know the answer to that."The song You Love Me from the new album isn't about a relationship with a guy."It is a different type of relationship, that song. A song may be about betrayal or dishonesty, but I write more about relationships with family and friends.

Important Community Message ,,,,

The current MyIdol community -- which includes live forums, blogs, profile pages, and commenting -- will be deactivated Monday, October 31, 2011. But don’t worry, development for the updated community is already underway!

This update is a response to the changing ways in which fans like you prefer to interact with the show and with AmericanIdol.com. We’re excited about these new features and look forward to rolling them out soon. In the meantime, please "Like" us on Facebook and AmericanIdol on Twitter for the latest news, show info, and photos straight from the set. By following us, you'll be the first to know when the new community is up and running.

American Country Awards Nominations,,,,,

The second annual AMERICAN COUNTRY AWARDS will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Monday, Dec. 5 at 8/7c on FOX, and many American Idols were nominated.

Starting today, fans can vote once each day for their favorite AMERICAN COUNTRY AWARDS nominees at www.theacas.com. Voting is open until Friday, Nov. 11 for all categories, except for Artist of the Year, which closes on Friday, Dec. 2. The nominees for each award category have been determined by four media measurement companies: BigChampagne (record sales and media consumption); Great American Country (video airplay); Mediabase (radio airplay); and Pollstar (touring data).Hosted by Trace Adkins and Kristin Chenoweth, the two-hour live music spectacular is the only country music awards show that gives fans the opportunity to vote for their favorite artists not only in traditional categories but also in previously unrecognized areas of the business such as touring, encompassing the entire spectrum of country music and bestowing honors that no other awards show has.

Scotty McCreery Sets Records,,,,,

Reigning American Idol and Mercury Nashville/19 Recordings/Interscope artist  Scotty McCreery debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 and Top Country Albums charts with Clear As Day, making him the youngest male in history to open at the top of the all-genre chart with a debut release. This is also the highest first-week album sales of any solo country artist in 2011.

With first-week sales totaling 196,739, he is the first new country artist this year to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Scotty has the second-highest debut week for a new artist in all genres in 2011, behind rapper J.Cole. He is the first American Idol winner in eight years to land his debut album atop the Billboard 200 and the first country male singer from the show to do so. This is the first debut by a new country artist to top 100,000 in first-week sales since Carrie Underwood’s in 2005.“My hopes were just to go out there and have fun and let people know that the album was out there. Everybody hopes for the number one, but you never really expect it. To see it up there is pretty incredible,” says Scotty, who turned 18 on Sunday. “It’s a very good birthday present! I can’t think of anything to top it!”

Lauren Alaina's Debut Album is Out Now,,,

Season 10's top girl, Lauren Alaina, released her debut album, Wildflower, on Tuesday. The album is now available on iTunes and Walmart among other outlets. Wildflower consists of 12 tracks, one of which is her Idol coronation song, "Like My Mother Does." She collaborated with Season 4 winner, and her Idol, Carrie Underwood on "Eighteen Inches," and acclaimed country music writer Hillary Lindsey on "Tupelo." Lauren recorded the album while on the road with the American Idols LIVE! 2011 Tour.

The tracks on Wildflower are:

  Georgia Peaches, Growing Her Wings,Tupelo ,The Middle,Like My Mother Does,She's A Wildflower,I'm Not One Of Them,The Locke ,Eighteen Inches,One Of Those Boys,Funny Thing About LoveAnd  Dirt Road Prayer.

Happy Birthday, Scotty McCreery!,,,

Season 10's American Idol, Scotty McCreery, turned 18 yesterday! No longer a minor, Scotty celebrated adulthood promoting his brand new debut CD, Clear As Day. Released less than a week ago, the album was instantly #1 on the iTunes charts!The boy-next-door from Garner, NC sailed through the audition process of Season 10 with his go-to song, "Your Man" by Josh Turner.

Once on the show, Scotty stayed true to his country roots and had success with songs like "Gone," "The River," and "Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not." After a record-breaking number of votes were cast, Scotty was crowned the winner of Season 10. Scotty's Idol coronation song and first single, "I Love You This Big," had success on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and Hot Country Songs chart. Scotty spent his summer headlining the American Idols LIVE! 2011 Tour and recording his debut album simultaneously.

The birthday boy has spent his week promoting his album on The Today Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, LIVE! with Regis and Kelly, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Tomorrow, October 11, Scotty will take the stage at the Grand Ole Opry. You can also catch the American Idol in Prior Lake, MN on November 13,  Augusta, GA on November 15, and Durham, NC on November 30.

'Idol' airplay: Kelly Clarkson, Daughtry, David Cook and more,,,,

Kelly Clarkson's Mr. Know It All continues to climb the charts. With 9,499 spins last week, according to Mediabase, it had nearly double the radio plays of the next closest American Idol-related track, Kelly and Jason Aldean's Don't You Wanna Stay duet. It's current a top-20 hit in three formats: AC, Hot AC (where it's No. 7 this week) and Top 40.

Daughtry's Crawling Back to You moves into the top 5 on the American Idol airplay chart this week. It's No. 30/No. 15 Hot AC, while Renegade jumps to No. 20 on USA TODAY's Mainstream Rock chart.

Speaking of top-20 singles, Mandisa's Stronger breaks into the Christian AC top 20 this week. And for debuts, it's David Cook's Fade Into Me.

These 'American Idol' Losers Are Decimating The Winners In Real Life,,,

The music label RCA is going through a major reorganization right now -- and one of the artists bearing the brunt of it is Lee Dewyze.

Dewyze, the season nine winner of "American Idol," has been dropped by the label. And now that huge record contract, the brass ring at which all "Idol" hopefuls grasp, is kaput.

Post-"Idol" life is funny that way — some of the winners fade out of the spotlight, and some of the contestants sent home in tears make an enormous comeback.

'American Idol' Hookups: Are Casey and Haley Latest?,,,,,,,,,

Contestants Casey Abrams and Haley Reinhart onstage at the American Idol Season 10 Top 11 to 10 elimination show, March 24, 2011 in Los Angeles, California.

Scotty McCreery to co-host 'Country Countdown USA',,,,,

Scotty McCreery will co-host the syndicated Country Countdown USA radio show this weekend. During the show, he'll help regular host Lon Helton count down the week's 30 top country hits. He'll also talk about joining Brad Paisley for the final night of Brad's H20 tour,  American Idol, talking with Tim McGraw during the Idol finale and getting flowers from Taylor Swift. ("I kept 'em," he says. "I think I've still go them in the house.")

Scotty offers up several other interesting tidbits during the course of the show, including the following:

The day after winning Idol, Scotty flew home to North Carolina -- 

His first concert was a George Strait/Reba McEntire show in Greensboro, N.C.

Scotty says he's surprised that people want to know as much about his romantic life as they do."And I feel bad, 'cause I've nothing to give 'em."

Happy Birthday, Taylor Hicks!,,,,

America’s fifth Idol, Taylor Hicks, celebrates his birthday today! When Taylor auditioned for American Idol, Simon Cowell that he would never make it to the final round of Season 5. After Taylor's first live TV performance for the voting public, Simon admitted he was wrong and that Taylor's personality is what makes him stand out.

“Soul Patrol” leader’s self-titled post-Idol album was certified platinum and introduced Taylor’s hit single, “Do I Make You Proud.” In July 2007, Hicks released his autobiography, Heart Full of Soul: An Inspirational Memoir About Finding Your Voice and Finding Your Way. In March of 2009, Taylor released his second album, The Distance, on his own label, Modern Whomp Records. During a Season 8 results show, Taylor returned to the American Idol stage and performed the second single from The Distance, "Seven Mile Breakdown." In January of this year, Taylor released a live DVD entitled Whomp at the Warfield. Over the past couple of years, Taylor has performed on Broadway and around the country as Teen Angel in Grease.

This Saturday, Taylor will take part  in Break'n Bread 2011 at Railroad Park in downtown Birmingham.

Grab your harmonica, shout "Soul Patrol," and do a little dance for Taylor Hicks!

Happy Birthday, Taylor!

Daughtry Unveils Cover and Tracks for 'Break The Spell',,,,,

Season 5's Chris Daughtry and his band, Daughtry, have revealed additional details including album artwork and track listing for their eagerly anticipated album, Break The Spell, out November 21st from 19 Recordings/RCA Records. 

The long awaited third album from the multi-platinum selling rock band includes the chart-climbing "Renegade" and "Crawling Back To You," which is well on its way to becoming the band's fifth No. 1 at the Hot AC format. The new record will be released 5 years to the day from the release of their multi-platinum debut album in 2006.

James Durbin's Upcoming Album,,,,,

Season 10's rocker, James Durbin, released the cover art for his upcoming album, Memories Of A Beautiful Disaster. The album will be released on November 21, 2011 via Wind Up Records. 

While you're waiting for the album to drop, get James new track, "Stand Up" from the Official Gameday Music of the NFL EP, which also includes a track by Season 6 champ Jordin Sparks.

Kelly Clarkson Tops the Charts,,,,,,

Season 1 American Idol  Kelly Clarkson’s new single, “Mr. Know It All,” came in at number one for the first week on the Hot Singles Sales chart. Billboard charts are either based on sales, airplay, or a combination of sales and airplay.

Kelly Clarkson - 61

Carrie Underwood - 53

Chris Daughtry (Daughtry) - 38

Fantasia - 30

Ruben Studdard - 16

Jennifer Hudson - 15

Mandisa - 14

Clay Aiken - 11

Kimberley Locke - 8

David Cook - 7

Josh Gracin - 7

Jordin Sparks - 7

Adam Lambert - 5

David Archuleta - 4

Kellie Pickler - 4

Elliott Yamin - 4

Kris Allen - 3

Taylor Hicks - 3

 American Idol Finalists - 2

Bo Bice - 2

Jason Castro - 2

Bucky Covington - 2

Blake Lewis – 2

Scotty McCreery - 2

Chris Sligh - 2

Paris Bennett - 1

Diana DeGarmo -  1

Lee DeWyze - 1

Tamyra Gray - 1

 William Hung - 1

Kelly's fifth studio album, Stronger, will be available on October 25.

Bucky Covington's New Record Deal,,,,,

Former American Idol finalist Bucky Covington has inked a record deal with Entertainment One Music Group, with plans for new music as early as winter 2011. While Entertainment One Music Group represents artists across a diverse range of genres, Bucky is joining the label as their premier Country talent.“From the first time I met Bucky a couple of years ago I’ve been very impressed with not only his great music but also his engaging personality and love of performing for country music fans,” shares Entertainment One Nashville Vice-President Van Fletcher. "We are really enjoying working with Bucky Covington and his management team on his sophomore release in 2012 for Entertainment One Nashville.“

"We are very excited to welcome Bucky Covington to our Entertainment One Film, TV, and Music family,” adds Entertainment One Nashville President Mike Olsen. “We are already having great success this year at eOne and adding Bucky to our roster is a wonderful indicator for 2012 and beyond."Bucky first burst onto the scene in 2006 following an impressive finish on the fifth season of American Idol. “A Different World, “It’s Good To Be Us,” and “I’ll Walk.” After the 2010 closure of Disney’s Lyric Street Records, Bucky continued to record new music while performing to sold-out crowds across the country."After getting to know everyone at eOne, they are a perfect fit for me.  Being a part of eOne is such a great opportunity, and I truly believe it will be a winning combination. I love these guys!” declares Bucky. “I am very excited and can’t wait to get the party started and share my new music with my fans."Bucky is busy in the studio writing and recording new music for his long-awaited sophomore album.

Happy Birthday, Mandisa!,,,,

On October 2, Mandisa celebrated her birthday. The Season 5 finalist was safe every week of the competition until her Top 9 Country Week elimination, and she has continued to be successful after Idol.

Mandisa’s debut album, True Beauty, was released in 2007 and debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top Christian Albums and earned her a Grammy nomination for Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year. She released a holiday album entitled It’s Christmas in 2008, and in 2009 she released Freedom, which earned Mandisa her second Grammy nomination. Mandisa has also written a book, IdolEyes, and earned a handful of Dove Award nominations.

This April, Mandisa released a new album titled What if We Were Real, and she has been touring the country with Women of Faith. In September, she was on at the top of the Christian Recurrents chart for two weeks with “Stronger,” which also spent a week at #1 on Billboard’s Christian Adult Contemporary Recurrents chart.

Happy Birthday, Mandisa!