American Idol

Fans Will Get a Sneak Preview of All-New Guitar Hero World Tour and Watch A Guitar Hero Competition on Center Stage

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jun 25, 2008 -- This summer, Activision, Inc.'s (Nasdaq:ATVI) Guitar Hero(R), the #1 best selling video game franchise of 2007, will go coast-to-coast with the American Idols Live! Tour 2008, kicking off in Glendale, Ariz. on July 1.    » read more »

Washington, 11 January 2008 (By Mary Morningstar) -- American Idol will kick off its seventh season on January 15. Last summer, auditions took place in San Diego, Dallas, Omaha, Atlanta, Charleston, Miami and Philadelphia. Contestants had to be between the ages of 16 and 28 to audition.

FOX-TV will air two shows weekly through February 6 that will show highlights of the auditions.

On February 13, we'll learn who the 24 finalists are. The 12 male finalists will perform on February 19 and the 12 female finalists will take the Hollywood stage on February 20.    » read more »

Wednesday, January 09, 2008 -- Maroon 5, the five-member American rock band from Los Angeles, CA, Matchbox 20, a rock band who have sold in excess of 37 million albums worldwide, and Blake Lewis, the human beat boxer and runner-up on last season's "American Idol" will all perform live on "The View" (11:00 a.m.-12:00 noon, ET), Jan.14-18 on the ABC Television Network. Additional guests include John Laroquette (ABC's "Boston Legal"), Sam Waterston ("Unity '08" and "Law & Order") and Laura Prepon (ABC's "October Road").    » read more »

23 September 2007 -- China has introduced new rules designed to curb the growth of "American Idol"-style television programs.

The regulation published Saturday by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) forbids TV talent shows from broadcasting during prime-time or from allowing audiences to vote for contestants by mobile phone text messages, telephone or the Internet.

The rules also place restrictions on the qualifications for judges, candidates' clothing and hairstyle, and how hosts interact.    » read more »

14 September 2007, Washington (By Mary Morningstar) -- Singer Elliott Yamin joins a long list of American Idol contestants who have gone on to achieve success in the music industry. Elliott recently appeared on VOA's live request program, "Border Crossings", to talk about his debut album and quick rise to fame. Mary Morningstar has this report.

"Wait For You" was the first single released from Elliott Yamin's self-titled debut album. It climbed to Number 3 on a U.S. airplay chart and propelled sales of his album to nearly 400,000 copies.    » read more »

31 July 2007, Washington (By Mary Morningstar) -- Since winning the first "American Idol" competition in 2002, Kelly Clarkson has sold 15 million albums worldwide, and won two Grammy Awards. Her third album was recently released following a much-publicized feud with music mogul Clive Davis. VOA's Mary Morningstar has more on Kelly Clarkson's new CD, "My December."    » read more »

Washington, 30 July 2007 (By Mary Morningstar) -- Auditions for the seventh season of American Idol will begin on July 30 in San Diego, California. Tryouts will also be held in Dallas, Texas (August 6); Omaha, Nebraska (August 10); Atlanta, Georgia (August 14); Charleston, South Carolina (August 18); Miami, Florida (August 22); and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (August 27).

American Idol hopefuls must be between the ages of 16 and 28 as of July 28.    » read more »

KISS' Peter Criss to Release Solo Album

17 July 2007 -- According to The Hollywood Reporter, singer Katherine McPhee will make her major motion picture debut in an upcoming comedy that stars Anna Faris. The 23-year-old 2006 American Idol runner-up will appear alongside Emma Stone, Rumer Willis, Kat Dennings and Dana Goodman. The yet-to-be titled film centers on "a Playboy bunny who gets kicked out of the Playboy Mansion and becomes the house mother to the lamest sorority on campus."    » read more »

09 July 2007 -- The skies were less than friendly for Clay Aiken, who had a run-in with a fellow airline passenger on July 7.

The 28-year-old singer was on a Continental Airlines flight to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he was scheduled to perform that evening at the Brady Theater.

FBI Special Agent Gary Johnson said there was a dispute between a male passenger and a woman on the flight, but would not identify either party. He said the conflict arose over the male passenger's foot resting on the woman's armrest.    » read more »

04 June 2007 -- A health commentator has earned the wrath of Jordin Sparks' fans, after suggesting that the young American Idol winner needs to lose weight.

MeMe Roth, of the group National Action Against Obesity, said she has received death threats since appearing on U.S. television and declaring the 17-year-old Arizona native overweight.

"When I look at Jordin I see diabetes, I see heart disease, I see high cholesterol," said Roth. "That's what's so sad about this - she is not the vision of health - she is the vision of 'unhealth.'"    » read more »

Tony Bennett thinks American Idol is too cruel - and said so to celebrity judge Simon Cowell.

Speaking to the British edition of Time Out Magazine, the 80-year-old crooner says his recent appearance on the popular TV talent contest left him dismayed at its treatment of contestants.

"I had it out with Simon [Cowell] when I met him and suggested that he should open up tiny clubs across the countries so the kids could break in and learn properly," he said.

Bennett says Cowell shrugged off his suggestion, saying he was too busy making money.

Source: VOA News