American Idol News

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Chris Daughtry Records Song And Releases Music Video Encouraging America To Vote

Former "American Idol" alum Chris Daughtry wants America to vote - and he doesn't care if they vote Democratic or Republican, as long as they vote.

According to People.com, Daughtry has re-recorded Foreigner's 1977 hit "Feels Like the First Time." The song was recorded in conjunction with CNN's League of First Time Voters initiative in an effort to reach out to voters under 30.

Daughtry and his band will also perform at both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. The fourth-place "Idol" finisher wouldn't reveal his political beliefs, but did reveal there is a music video to go with the song. The video features footage from both the Barack Obama and John McCain campaigns.

The music video debuted Sunday night on CNN.com and will make its television debut on Monday's "Campbell Brown: Election Center."

Daughtry will also include the single on the band's next album, which is due out September 9, and is a re-release of their debut album called "Daughtry Deluxe."

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Nashville, TN. (Top40 Charts/ 19 Recordings/ Arista Records) - Looking ahead to the September 16 release of her 19 Recordings/Arista Nashville album, Why Wait, season seven American Idol finalist Kristy Lee Cook is discovering the little adventures of life on the road as she continues on tour with the American Idols Live! Tour 2008.
One of her most peculiar moments of late occurred when a fan presented her with a boxed gift, instructing her to handle with care and not to turn it over, but assuring her that she'd like it.
Being graciously accommodating, Kristy Lee recalls, "I just held it in my hand while I was continuing to sign autographs. When I got to my dressing room, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I certainly didn't expect a fish in a box!" But things are going swimmingly, with the betta fish finding a happy home with Kristy Lee, as she laughs, "I named him 'Dude'!"

Dudes and dudettes of all varieties are already enjoying the playful "15 Minutes of Shame" - the first single from Kristy Lee's album - which ranks among the most-added new songs at country radio this week, while the digital single is available at online retailers now.

Kristy Lee and Dude will continue on the American Idols Live! Tour 2008 through the first half of September, with a complete schedule online at tour.americanidol.com.

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American Idol presenter Ryan Seacrest claims Simon Cowell - a judge on the hit musical reality show - is jealous of his success.


Ryan - who insists he enjoys a healthy, competitive relationship with head judge Simon - believes the music mogul is unhappy with his ever-expanding career.

Ryan quipped: "If anything in my life is positive in terms of business, Simon actually feels a pain in his stomach or his side. If we're in a restaurant Simon will get up and walk outside. He doesn't want to hear it.

"He does not want to be around if a good phone call comes in."

Ryan is also adamant he isn't bothered by Simon's gay jokes, adding: "I almost think it's strange that nothing bothers me, whatever the joke may be.

"I encourage it. Whatever it is - I'm short, I'm fat, I'm tanned. I encourage all of it, I don't mind at all."

Ryan is also keen to build his own media empire, like Simon has, and currently has lucrative contracts for presenting and TV production with E! Entertainment news television network, KIIS FM radio and American Idol.

Ryan earns a staggering $12.5 million for presenting the talent search show - the most watched programme on US television.

The 33-year-old star admits he is a workaholic, a trait which has resulted in the end of several relationships.

Ryan - who previously dated Terri Hatcher and TV actress Shana Wall - told Seven magazine: "I don't mind hard work. You've got to work hard to generate something.

"I don't think there's any secret to success if you show up in the right place, at the right time and you put in a lot of time and effort and energy - you're going to get something out of it. It's not brain surgery

American Idol presenter Ryan Seacrest claims Simon Cowell - a judge on the hit musical reality show - is jealous of his success.


Ryan - who insists he enjoys a healthy, competitive relationship with head judge Simon - believes the music mogul is unhappy with his ever-expanding career.

Ryan quipped: "If anything in my life is positive in terms of business, Simon actually feels a pain in his stomach or his side. If we're in a restaurant Simon will get up and walk outside. He doesn't want to hear it.

"He does not want to be around if a good phone call comes in."

Ryan is also adamant he isn't bothered by Simon's gay jokes, adding: "I almost think it's strange that nothing bothers me, whatever the joke may be.

"I encourage it. Whatever it is - I'm short, I'm fat, I'm tanned. I encourage all of it, I don't mind at all."

Ryan is also keen to build his own media empire, like Simon has, and currently has lucrative contracts for presenting and TV production with E! Entertainment news television network, KIIS FM radio and American Idol.

Ryan earns a staggering $12.5 million for presenting the talent search show - the most watched programme on US television.

The 33-year-old star admits he is a workaholic, a trait which has resulted in the end of several relationships.

Ryan - who previously dated Terri Hatcher and TV actress Shana Wall - told Seven magazine: "I don't mind hard work. You've got to work hard to generate something.

"I don't think there's any secret to success if you show up in the right place, at the right time and you put in a lot of time and effort and energy - you're going to get something out of it. It's not brain surgery

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Idol Wild: Archuleta "Crushes" Cook on Charts

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Checking In With Jason - American Idol News

Life has been a whirlwind of activity for Jason Castro since Season 7 Finale, and americanidol.com was lucky to catch up with him from the road for a report on how things are going halfway through the 2008 Live Tour. Not surprising, the cool and collected Jason was very positive about the tour. “Seeing the country and getting to sing every night has been awesome, I’m having a blast!

Jason and the other nine are currently performing at their 26th city venue since embarking on July 1st. Interestingly, performing in front of an average 12 thousand live audience members on tour has been easier for Jason than singing in front of American Idol’s 30 million viewers. “[Performing] in front of the stage audiences was kind of strange. Because we were on TV, there were so many things you had to be aware of. To make it look normal on TV, you had to act abnormal.” In contrast, performing before a live audience “is a lot less pressure.” Which isn’t to say that when tour first started, it was a piece of cake. “For about the first week, I shook through every set, but now I’m pretty comfortable with it,” Jason explained.

Exciting though it may be, touring can actually also be quite demanding. “The ‘day’ starts at midnight after we leave the city we just finished and we drive until the morning. Around 5 or 6, we’ll get into the hotel and then take a little nap and then around noon, we drive to the venue and have lunch. There we say hi to some fans and then we have an hour of press and then an hour of official meet-and-greets and then sound check and then dinner and then the show starts. And that’s a typical day.” So, what’s it like to see America this way? “Well, it’s pretty cool, but kind of rushed. You can’t hang out and see everything like you’d want to, but at least you’re seeing something, which is more than I was doing last year.”

Given such a hurried pace, we wanted to know if there’s been a highlight so far. “New York was pretty crazy because we were there for an extended amount of time. I had a lot of fun there because my mom and my sister came out and my girlfriend. There’s a lot to do in New York," he chuckled. Jason also told us what it’s like to go out as a group with the other Idols. “We kind of try to sneak around, hide in the corner.” Although Jason assured me that they do not wear disguises.

Identifying the hardest thing about Tour was easy for Jason: Sleep. “Getting to sleep on the bus, and then having to get up at 5 in the morning and try to keep sleeping after that. Well, sometimes it doesn’t work. So when you don’t have your rest and you go and do stuff for 12 hours, it can wear you out. But then you have an off day and then everything’s better.” Given the rigor, it’s no surprise Jason misses aspects of home. “I just miss all the people and the simpleness of everything and just sitting around eating and stuff.”

After tour, Jason looks forward to advancing his music career. “I’m gonna make some music. Planning to record and do some writing and get an album out, that’s the plan.” Jason had a few parting words to his fans. “I’d like to say ‘hey’ to my fans. Hope you don’t forget about me and you keep in touch. Oh, and be on the lookout for new music.”

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The Deadbolt Interview - From American Idol to House Bunny with Katharine McPhee

Katharine McPhee is living proof that American Idol can turn you into a star in more ways than one. After wowing Idol fans with her vocals, McPhee has now spread her wings into the acting world in the same manner as ex-Idol Jennifer Hudson. Although McPhee hasn't gotten the big acting break like Hudson did with DreamGirls, Katharine has landed a role as a lost sorority mate in the recently released girl-comedy The House Bunny, next to Anna Faris, Emma Stone, Rumer Willis, Dana Goodman and Kat Dennings.

At the film's press junket in L.A., McPhee spoke to journalists about bridging the gap between a career in music and becoming an actress.

Having gotten your start on American Idol, I’d hate to compare you to Jennifer Hudson.

KATHARINE MCPHEE: [laughs] No, I will not be winning an Academy Award.

Do you have aspirations to get more into feature films or theater?

MCPHEE: Yeah, I am definitely taking each step - I am trying to make the smart decisions and I definitely want to do more film and theater. I feel like I’ll do it at some point. It’s not my main focus right now, but I start shooting a movie in August with Wes Bentley so I’m just taking my time. This movie was so great because I really, you know, it’s not like I was carrying the movie on my shoulder. But, yes, I get to do press junkets. I’ve done a lot of press events, but what’s a press junket? So I’ve gotten to learn a lot of things and work with like great people like Anna and Emma and Rumer. And Rumer, this was kind of one of her first big movies so it just felt good to be in a group with professionals and people who were just starting. And, yes, to answer your question, I’d love to do more of this kind of stuff.

Have you ever been in a position where you felt like an outsider and do you recall any specific instances and how did you deal with it?

MCPHEE: That’s kind of the question of the day. It’s a good question. I’m not going to say I was a dork in high school, but I definitely had - I struggled with weight in high school. I had times where I didn’t really want to hang out with the cool kids. I was kind of like being a librarian and keeping to myself. So, I think, everybody has a moment in their life where they feel not so comfortable in their skin or connected to what we call the popular group or whatever. That was my extent of feeling like an outsider.

What made you come out of your shell?

MCPHEE: Well, I was involved in a theater group, theater parts in high school, so that sort of kept me really busy and then swim team. So I’m not going to call myself a dork, I had friends and stuff, but I was friends with a lot of different people in high school. So, I guess that was my outlet, but it was always kind of my outlet growing up, being playing and acting, stuff like that.

Can you talk about wearing that fake belly, and does that make you want to get pregnant soon?

MCPHEE: Well, guys, I have great news [laughs] Well, I had two different bellies. One that was prosthetic and one that was like a pregnant pad, which I showed very graphically how it connects at the bottom. It was very uncomfortable in the dead of summer, so I wore that one more often than the actual prosthetic, because the prosthetic is really just specifically when there is a sheer T-shirt, where you can see the belly button and all that kind of stuff. Before I actually got married I was like I wanted to have kids right away and all this stuff. And then I got married and totally changed and was like, ‘No.’ And I think that has to do with wearing a pregnant pad for two months, so thank you House Bunny.

When you are singing karaoke you are playing someone who doesn’t sing all the time. Was it hard to not be you, but still be okay?

MCPHEE: My first instinct was to honestly not - like that would be random if she just suddenly sings well. That just would not make any sense. Like, 'Oh, there’s Katharine McPhee singing a good song.' So, no, my instinct was obviously to not sing it good. But I for some reason went to the director, maybe because he’s the director, and I was like, 'I shouldn’t sing this good, right?' He’s like, 'No, you should sing it good.' I was like, 'No, I don’t think she would sing this good.' He’s like, 'Oh, I understand what you mean. No, you shouldn’t sing this good.' I had to double check, so I was a little confused for a second. But that was one of the... remember how hot it was when we shot that? That was a real highlight, that whole scene. So thank you, I did a good job I guess. I sounded bad.

In hindsight what do you think you learned the most from the whole Idol experience? Did you expect to be doing now what you are doing as an actor?

MCPHEE: [laughs] It was all part of my master plan. Oh goodness, I guess what I’ve learned probably from all of that is sort of that there is trial and error and there also is patience. I always knew that there would be an opportunity to not only have a singing career, but also to actually... because I had representation at the time, I had to cut all my contracts with my agents and stuff and I had known that that would probably help get a better agent and better management and have more doors opened. That’s how I looked at it, as an opportunity. Not because I expected to come off the show and be able to book any movie I wanted or make as many records as I wanted. I knew that it would open doors and I would have to do the work from there. So it just kind of gave me a leap, a little bit bigger of a leap than I would have had.

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American Idol owes $200K for unpaid income taxes

'American Idol' winner Ruben Studdard owes more than $193,000 in back taxes

American Idol Ruben Studdard owes more than $193,000 in back taxes to the state and federal governments, according to court filings.

The developer of a planned downtown entertainment district said Friday he's trying to reach the singer's representatives to make sure the debt won't stall plans to open a club bearing Studdard's name next summer.

The IRS and the state of Alabama have placed liens on "all property" belonging to the Velvet Teddy Bear for unpaid income taxes in 2003 and 2005. According to an Internal Revenue Service filing in Jefferson County Probate Court, Studdard owes $171,911 in federal income taxes. Two separate liens filed by the Alabama Department of Revenue indicate he owes $21,731 in state income taxes.

The federal lien was filed in May and the state liens in July. A lien is a legal claim on property to cover unpaid debt.

Efforts to reach Studdard Friday were not successful. A Birmingham lawyer representing him said he was unfamiliar with the liens but that Studdard is in good shape financially and should be able to pay his debts.

"Ruben is doing well. We think he'll probably be able to take care of this," said Byron Perkins.

Studdard has a new CD coming out Dec. 1 and a national tour in the fall. Both should generate enough revenue to settle any debts, he said. Perkins said he believed Studdard's New York accountant, whose name he could not recall, is dealing with the situation.

`Six-figure investment':

John Elkington, the developer behind the entertainment district planned for the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex, said he was trying to reach Studdard's New York entertainment attorneys to determine whether the liens would affect plans for Studdard's investment in the project.

The singer has agreed to make a "six-figure" investment in a club that would bear his name, Elkington said. That club and one named for fellow "Idol" winner Taylor Hicks likely would be among the district's biggest draws.

Studdard has "got some explaining to do," Elkington said, but may be able to proceed with his involvement in the club.

"Ruben's is a money problem," he said. "You can always solve that somehow."

Efforts to reach Studdard's New York attorneys were not successful.

Studdard, who grew up in Birmingham, won the televised "American Idol" talent show in 2003. He had been a successful musician on the local scene, but was vaulted to international stardom by the show and subsequent recording contracts.

Elkington's Performa Entertainment Real Estate Inc. is best-known for its management of Memphis' Beale Street district. Performa officials won the contract to develop the Birmingham district last year, and initially said it would be built at a cost of more than $50 million and could draw 6 million visitors a year. The company also said last summer that construction was expected to begin in the fall of 2007.

More recently the company has said $30 million will be invested in the project. Construction has yet to begin.

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Sanjaya of 'American Idol' on Nationwide's side

Former "American Idol" contestant Sanjaya (san-JY'-yah) has gone from "pitchy" to pitchman.

Sanjaya Malakar is selling Nationwide Insurance in a new ad that's part of the Columbus, Ohio-based company's campaign, "Life Comes at You Fast."

Malakar says that's something he knows from personal experience. In a statement, he points out that he went from an unknown singer to appearing before of millions of people on "Idol."

In the commercial, Malakar visits a wise man who tells him he needs a retirement plan — and a haircut. He sports a "ponyhawk" hairstyle similar to the one he made famous while competing on the Fox network show, where the judges often deem off-key singing "pitchy."

Other celebrities who have poked fun at themselves for Nationwide include Kevin Federline, Fabio and MC Hammer.

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'American Idol' adds fourth judge

American Idol's sexy fourth Judge

Move over, Paula, Randy and Simon. Grammy-nominated songwriter Kara DioGuardi is joining American Idol as a fourth judge when the eighth season premieres in January 2009.

Said Fox reality honcho Mike Darnell in the release: “For the past seven seasons, Paula has had to endure the experience of being the only woman at the judges’ table. ... With Kara by her side, Paula finally has some back-up and now there is going to be a lot more ‘girl power’ on the show.”

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`Idol' alum Ace Young to make Broadway debut

Another "American Idol" alum is heading to "Grease" on Broadway.

Ace Young, who competed on season five of the Fox show, joins the cast Sept. 9, playing Kenickie in the revival of the popular musical.

The 27-year-old singer-songwriter — known for his pretty looks and falsetto vocals — will make his debut two days after fellow "Idol" Taylor Hicks completes a two-month stint as Teen Angel. Hicks took home the "Idol" title in 2006.

Young will perform through Jan. 18.

"I'm really excited," he said. "I had a lot of things kind of open up for me and when the role of Kenickie was offered, it's something that I've always wanted to do as a kid. That's always been my favorite role from `Grease.'"

Young likes that Danny Zuko's right hand man is a guy's guy.

"That's a big side of me that a lot of people don't know," he said. "They didn't get to see that on `Idol.' You know, I have four older brothers. I was never trying to even care about what I was wearing. I was just trying to survive at the household."