American Idol Contestants

American Idol Season 11 starts in 3 Weeks

2011-12-28T14:35:00.000-08:00

Mark your calendars. American Idol season 11 premieres on January 18, 2012. Second premiere night will follow on Thursday January 19, 2012. You can see the promo videos on americanidol.com. The one I watched was really good, there are some very talented people working for American Idol, there is no doubt about that. You need to watch other shows to realize just how well put together American Idol is.

American Idol auditioners - Photo from americanidol.com

Jason Castro is a father

2011-09-12T22:25:00.000-07:00

American Idol season 7 contestant Jason Castro is the father of a little girl.Jason Castro married Mandy Mayhall on Januray 2, 2010. They welcomed their first child, a baby girl, on August 28, 2011. Jason shared photos of his lovely Madeline Emilia Castro. I added the pictures below I hope you can handle the cuteness!

Photos from people.com courtesy Jason Castro

Are Paul McDonald and Nikki Reed engaged?

2011-06-05T21:15:00.000-07:00

The answer is Yes. The pair met at the premiere of Red Riding Hood. At the time Paul McDonald did not know who Nikki Reed was -neither did I for that matter -. Reed is the one who made the move on McDonald. Now she's saying about him that he is "The One". The two have been dating for a little less than three months now. They have actually know each other since Monday, March 7 which is the day they met at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

The 26 year old singer from Huntsville and the 23 year old actress of Twilight fame started dating soon after they met.

Reed showed off the ring at the MTV Movie Awards as you can see in the photo below from Getty.

Paul McDonald and Nikki Reed with engagement ring

When they started dating Paul did not make a big mystery about it he simply confirmed it. During a phone conference when he was talking about the relationship he called Nikki "super cool", "super smart" and "really cool" and he called their relationship "fun".

Rumors of their engagement had been spreading across the web but it's only after photographers got a shot at the ring on Nikki Reed's finger that they were proven to be true.

After being eliminated from American Idol Paul McDonald stayed in Los Angeles to hang out with Nikki Reed. As his schedule got lighter he certainly found more time for his new romance. Paul would later move in With Nikki. Rumors say that the couple is currently shopping for new home.

Hollywood Life reported that Paul McDonald and Nikki Reed got matching tattoos on their fingers. Each got the others name tattooed.

Other reports say that Paul is writing songs about Nikki and is planning to release a Nikki Reed EP and as you can expect Nikki is very happy about it.

New York, New Jersey - Tickets and Schedule - Live Tour 2011

2011-06-02T21:11:00.000-07:00

American Idol fans in the states of New York and New Jersey will get the chance to see the season 10 top 11 contestants perform live on tour. A total of five concerts are scheduled in New York while two concerts are scheduled in New Jersey.

Will be performing, this season's winner, Scotty McCreery, the runner-up Lauren Alaina,and the rest of the top 11, Haley Reinhart, James Durbin, Jacob Lusk, Casey Abrams, Stefano Langone, Paul McDonald, Pia Toscano, Naima Adedapo and Thia Megia.

The top location in New York is Uniondale where there will be two concerts:
Uniondale, NY at the Nassau Coliseum on August 23 at 7:00PM. << Buy tickets Now!
Uniondale, NY at the Nassau Coliseum on August 24 at 7:00PM. << Buy tickets Now!

For Upstate New York residents the closest locations are the following:

Rochester, NY at the Blue Cross Arena on September 10 at 7:00PM. << Buy tickets Now!
Syracuse, NY at the War Memorial At Oncenter on September 6 at 7:00PM. << Buy tickets Now!
Albany, NY at the Times Union Center on August 28 at 7:00PM. << Buy tickets Now!

Locations and dates in New Jersey are:
Atlantic City, NJ at the Boardwalk Hall Arena on August 13 at 7:00PM. << Buy tickets Now!
Newark, NJ at the Prudential Center on August 14 at 7:00PM. << Buy tickets Now!
Newark, NJ at the Prudential Center on August 15 at 7:00PM. << Buy tickets Now!

Remember to use the coupon code JUNE20 when you place orders for $300 or more to get a $20 discount. This special offer expires in two weeks.

Find tickets for concerts in North Carolina.
North Carolina, Tickets and Schedule - Live Tour 2011

Top 11 boys in their Snuggies

North Carolina, Tickets and Schedule - Live Tour 2011

2011-06-02T16:57:00.000-07:00

I am sure many Scotty McCreery fans will be happy to know that there will be two American Idols Live concerts in North Carolina, one in Raleigh on July 27 at the RBC Center at 7:00PM and the other one in Charlotte the next day, July 28, at the Time Warner Cable Arena (formerly Charlotte Bobcats Arena) also at 7:00PM. While Scotty will be the main star of the show all the other top 11 contestants will be there are well.

Buy your ticket now and enjoy the June Savings Special Offer - $20 Discount on orders of $300 or more Gift Card ID: JUNE20.

Click here to buy ticket for the concert in Raleigh, NC at the RBC Center.

Click here to buy tickets for the concert in Charlotte, NC at the Time Warner Cable Arena.

Show your support, go see your idols perform live!

American Idol Live Tickets on sale now

2011-06-02T07:06:00.000-07:00

American Idol live is coming to a city near you. It's your chance to see your favorite contestants from American Idol's season 10 Top 11 perform live on stage.

This year you can purchase VIP packages, the "Superstar Package". This package is available only in limited quantity. These all access packages comes with all kinds of perks, a reserved seat in the first 15 rows, a Meet and Greet with members of the Tour, an exclusive autographed American Idol Tour photo for your collection, an official American Idol Tour program, and finally one official Superstar American Idol VIP laminated and matching lanyard. 47 tour dates and locations have been announced. The top locations are listed below but you can find tickets to many more locations by following this link.

Salt Lake City,UT at the Maverik Center - buy ticket
Everett,WA at the Comcast Arena - buy ticket
Portland,OR at the Rose Garden - buy ticket
Sacramento,CA at the Power Balance Pavilion, Formerly Arco Arena - buy ticket
Oakland,CA at the Oracle Arena - buy ticket
San Jose,CA at the HP Pavilion - buy ticket
Los Angeles,CA at the Nokia Theatre Live - LA - buy ticket
Ontario,CA at the Citizens Business Bank Arena - buy ticket
Orlando, FL at the Amway Center - buy ticket

Buy your ticket now and enjoy the June Savings Special Offer - $20 Discount on orders of $300 or more Gift Card ID: JUNE20.

Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina kissing - Pictures

2011-05-31T13:54:00.000-07:00

After writing about rumours that Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina were dating I have found a number of pictures showing the two kissing and acting flirty during the finale, I meant to upload them with the previous article but I had misplaced them for a while.

Lauren Alain kissing and holding Scotty McCreery with her eyes closed

Scotty McCreery kissing Lauren Alaina on the cheek

Lauren Alaina kissing Scotty McCreery on the cheek

Lauren and Scotty together - cute

They reminded me of Season six finalists Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis who were also kissing on the lips after the finale however they did not have as much chemistry as our season 10 finalist Lauren and Scotty. There is nothing really romantic about Jordin and Blake kissing below it looks like two friends sharing a friendly kiss nothing more really it's hard to say the same thing from seeing Lauren Alaina kissing Scotty McCreery and the two embracing.

Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis kissing on the lips

Read more about Scotty McCreery
Scotty McCreery Bio
Scotty McCreery Homecoming Photos
Scotty McCreery Wins American Idol Season 10

Read more about Lauren Alaina
Lauren Alaina Bio
How old is Lauren Alaina's Mom?

Read more about Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina
Are Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery dating?

Are Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery dating?

2011-05-30T22:41:00.000-07:00

The season 10 American Idol finalists kissed on the final result show when Scotty became the 10th American Idol but the question many fans were asking is are they a couple? Even though you could not actually see it on television Lauren kissed Scotty on the lips when the winner was announced. Lauren later confirmed in an interview that she did indeed plant a kiss on the young country singer. To add to the rumors, when Lauren was asked whether Scotty and her were dating she answered that they might be and that the question should be asked to Scotty.

Lauren Alain and Scotty McCreery kissing

Throughout the competition Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery got to spend a lot of time together. Many fans who have followed the show swear that every time these two are together they look at each other in a loving and passionate way. Scotty have also said “I love you baby” to Lauren and of course the two kissed on stage. They never seem to want to let go of each other after a hug, and Scotty also said, referring to Lauren that they will always be together forever.

Nevertheless, even after their famous kiss during the finale there still was no real evidence of a romance between Scotty and Lauren. The fact is they also kissed on the cheek during the finally that can be seen as a friendly gesture and nothing more. Even the “I love you baby” comment by Scotty cannot be considered as proof of a relationship because Scotty has also said “I love you baby” to Jennifer Lopez. Granted it may not be the most appropriate phrase to throw out left and right but maybe it's just his way of showing that he is very loving and caring and it might simply be due to the way he was raised, not afraid to express his feelings. Scotty also said about him and Lauren “We have been together since day one”. Once again this does not necessarily mean they have been an item, it simply means that they have been close since they started their journey on American Idol. Additionally they have been paired many times to sing duets as they are both country singers. Scotty later said that he would love to record more duets with Lauren; clearly he enjoyed collaborating with her. Many people have reported seeing status changes on their Facebook accounts but that's just rumors as contestant do not update non-official websites or pages while they are on the show, Lauren or Scotty would not be updating their personal Facebook page unless it was a page created officially for American Idol season 10 and it would be a group/artist page which does not include a relationship status.

Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina photobombed on American Idol season 10

With all that being said many fans say that if they are not dating they need to be because they are so cute together.

Keep in mind that it was Lauren who kissed Scotty; it's not entirely true that they kissed each other technically speaking. You also need to remember that they have said at some point that they are like brother and sister so whatever there is between these two it’s not romantic love.
While I would like to say, yes Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina are dating I have to say that there is no real evidence to prove it so the answer must be no at least if we have to base the answer on what the public knows.

Once again Scotty has said to more than one person throughout the season that he loved them and at that time nobody thought it was weird or that he was in love with all of them. The fact is Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina have a lot in common, they are both country singers, only a year apart, both are high school students and much younger than the other contestants it's no wonder they became close as the months went by, Scotty even talked about how they would go to “school” together as they had tutors during their time on Idol. Which brings me to the last point, Scotty and Lauren are very young, they are both still teen agers and may not be in a hurry to start a high profile relationship now that they are launching their music career. It's safe to say that being good friends is enough for them right now. It's quite a shortcut to assume that a kiss means that two people are dating or in a relationship, obviously both Scotty and Lauren are very mature for their age.

Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina together and smiling

Scotty went on the record saying that he is still single and that Lauren and he are definitely no more than friends. The pair has gotten really close while on the show. Lauren also went on the record saying that she is not dating Scotty even adding that she was joking when she told reporters that Scotty and her might be dating and that everybody seems to want them to like each other but they just can't seem to do it.

If you want to see Scotty and Lauren live in concert click here to buy your ticket to American Idol live right now!

Read more about Scotty McCreery
Scotty McCreery Bio
Scotty McCreery Homecoming Photos
Scotty McCreery Wins American Idol Season 10

Read more about Lauren Alaina
Lauren Alaina Bio
How old is Lauren Alaina's Mom?

Scotty McCreery Wins American Idol Season 10

2011-05-25T19:13:00.000-07:00

Scotty McCreery is the new American Idol! He beat judge's favorite Lauren Alaina. Over 120 million votes were cast.

Scotty McCreery receives trophy from Jennifer Lopez as he hugs Lauren Alaina

Congratulations Scotty!

Scotty McCreery hugs fellow contestants after he wins American Idol season 10

Scotty McCreery is the new American Idol. He beat judge's favorite Lauren Alaina. Over 120 million votes were cast breaking yet another record.

Scotty McCreery on American Idol season 10 - smiling

Yes my dear readers you called it, since last week.

Scotty McCreery, the 17 year old student high school junior from Garner, North Carolina beat the 16 year old student from Rossville, Georgia. Scotty's parents Mike and Judy were there to celebrate his victory with him along with his sister Ashley. I'm sure Scotty and Lauren will inspire many teenagers to audition for American Idol for next season.

Scotty McCreery is the youngest contestant ever to win American Idol. Scotty's charm is undeniable, even viewers who are not country music fans have come to like him.

Lauren Alaina who finished second seemed to be genuinely happy for Scotty.

This is the second time a contestant from North Carolina wins American Idol, season 3 winner Fantasia Barrino is also from North Carolina.

Scotty McCreery is the second country singer to win the title after season 4 winner Carrie Underwood.

Scotty stole the show o his first appearance when he started singing "Baby lock them doors..." with his deep voice which is from the song "Your Man" by Josh Turner.

Throughout the show Scotty was a front-runner never landing in the bottom three.

Scotty McCreery on American Idol season 10

Read more about Scotty McCreery
Scotty McCreery Bio
Scotty McCreery Homecoming Photos

How old is Lauren Alaina's Mom?

2011-05-24T21:50:00.000-07:00

A lot of people are wondering how old Kristy Suddeth is after seeing many times on American Idol with her daughter, season 10 finalist Lauren Alaina who is only 16 years old and was still in high school when she auditioned.

Lauren Alaina and her mom during Lauren's homecoming

Kristy Suddeth is listed as being 37 years old, as of May 24 2011. I found this information on a website therefore I have no way to know how accurate or up to date it is. Lauren Alaina's full name is Lauren Alaina Suddeth. You may have noticed over the course of the show that Lauren and her mom Kristy often have similar hairdos. In the picture above they are also wearing similar clothing. It's clear that Lauren and her mother are very close. Lauren being a minor, she is allowed to have a parent stay with her during her time on American Idol.

Kristy Suddeth and her daughter Lauren Alaina crying on American Idol

In the Finale, Lauren sang "Like My Mother Does", she also took the time to go down in the audience and embraced her mom who was crying.

Here are pictures of Lauren Alaina and her mom that I have found online. All these photos were taken during Lauren's time on the show.

Kristy and JJ Suddeth, Lauren Alaina's parents

Kristy and J.J. Suddeth, mother and father of Lauren Alaina

Kristy Suddeth

Tomorrow night the new American Idol will be crowned and we will finally know for whom America voted the most. Will Scotty McCreery or Lauren Alaina win American Idol season 10? On Wednesday May 25 at 8PM on Fox we will find out.

If you guys are right Scotty should win tomorrow and apparently you have been certain about that since last week. To be honest I am not a huge country fan but Scotty does come across as a nice guy, he really grew on me over the course of the competition. After seeing the footage from his homecoming I was sold. Keep in mind that I was one of those who thought and still think that Lauren has this star quality, she seems very comfortable on state, she's cute and she doesn't seem to try too hard to deliver a good performance but that's the problem with her she's good but I feel like she didn't have a definite moment when you saw in her the next American Idol. One more reason why I wish Scotty wins is because it seems that the judges and the producers on the show are trying really hard to have a female winner this year and for that they are pushing Lauren really hard and at times it feels like they have put on a set up to justify the fact that she should win. While I understand the desire to have a female winner after 3 consecutive male idols I also believe that Scotty deserves to win as much -if not more- as Lauren does, he earned his place in the finale and proved by the quality of his performances that he had what it takes to be the season 10 American Idol.

Read more about Lauren Alaina
Lauren Alaina Bio

Scotty McCreery Homecoming Photos

2011-05-20T09:23:00.000-07:00

Scotty McCreery's homecoming was help in his hometown of Garner, North Carolina. It was reported that the town spent over 60,000 dollars to host the event with over 30,000 showing up to support and cheers for their favorite American Idol season 10 contestant.

Scotty McCreery arrives in Garner, NC for his homecoming.

Police had to bloc off access to Scotty's street after a multitude of fans went stopped by his parents’ house. Scotty stopped at his old workplace, the Lowe's Foods where he used to bag groceries and he did just time for the enjoyment of those who were there and the lucky customers whose groceries he bagged. Apparently Scotty left his job without giving his two-week notice; at least he claimed that his old manager called him to complain about that but Scotty meant it as a joke of course.

Scotty McCreery signing autographs during his homecoming in Garner, NC

Scotty also made a stop at Lake Benson Park were fans had gathered to see him on stage. The mayor proclaimed the day Scotty McCreery Day as it is the tradition on American Idol Homecomings and Scotty also received the keys to the town. As Scotty started singing the song that made him famous on Idol "You Man" by Josh Turner he received the surprise of his life when none else than his own idol Josh Turner himself joined him on stage. Scotty really didn’t see that one coming. If you have not seen it yet it’s a must see.

Josh Turner not only sang with Scotty but he also brought his band to play with them as they sang. While in Garner Scotty was informed that the judges had selected Kenny Rogers' "She Believes in Me" for him to sing during the top 3 performance night on May 18, 2011.

Scotty was very emotional while on his homecoming visit, he cried quite a bit as you can see in the following pictures and also in the previous videos.

Scotty McCreery crying during his homecoming in Garner, NC

Scotty McCreery crying a lot during in homecoming in Garner, NC

For the pleasure of all the Scotty McCreery fans reading this I decided to add a few more photos of Scotty before and during American Idol, I hope you enjoy seeing more of your favorite idol.

Apparently the official color of Scotty's Hotties is Pink!

Scotty McCreery eating...

Scotty McCreery crossing the street with NC State gear on

Scotty McCreery with Karen Rodriguez

Scotty McCreery holding the microphone

Read more about Scotty
Scotty McCreery Bio

Haley Reinhart Homecoming Photos

2011-05-20T07:32:00.000-07:00

Haley Reinhart

Haley Reinhart’s homecoming was held in Deer Park, Illinois. During her homecoming Haley was given the keys to the city and the day was declared Reinhart Day.


Photo of Haley Reinhart and her dad Harry during her homecoming

Question: why is the police officer in the background eying Haley's father like that?

Suburban Chicagoans came out for what turned out to be a jam-packed day for Hailey. Haley started the day off at the AT&T store where she took photos, signed autographs. Over 200 fans came to greet her in spite of the awful weather in Chicago, it was cold and raining. At some point when she came out of the limousine to greet the crowd Haley was wearing a scarf probably to protect her hair from the rain. Haley didn’t sing in the morning as she had a free concert planned for later in the evening at Arlington Park.

Haley then returned to Wheeling High School which she used to attend. About 400 people, all fans of the singer were gathered there waiting for her to arrive; they got to talk to her as she talked about her time on American Idol. She then headed to Wheeling Village Hall within the campus of the Wheeling Community College where she finally sang a few songs for the crowd.

With the help of her parents Haley gave a small concert for the pleasure of a crowd of 30,000 people, a very impressive turnout when you consider how bad the weather was over the weekend. Haley's Dad, Harry played the guitar while she sang.
Haley Reinhart has been the underdog in this competition since she made it to the top 13. While visiting her hometown Haley was informed that the judges had picked Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know" from the "Jagged Little Pill" album, for her to sing.

See more pictures of Haley Reinhart's homecoming below.

Read More about Haley Reinhart

Haley Reinhart Bio

James Durbin - Homecoming Pictures

2011-05-19T18:57:00.000-07:00

Read James Durbin's bio for updates on the wedding and more photos.

A huge crowd of about 30,000 people came to watch James Durbin perform on Saturday, May 14, 2011 in his hometown of Santa Cruz, California. James gave a free concert at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk for all his fans that came to watch him live.

James used to work at a Domino’s Pizza in Capitola, he was laid before he took his chance with American Idol. It was his second attempt at “Idol”. He auditioned for season 8 but did not make it. Heidi, his girlfriend convinced him to give it another try and he auditioned for season 10 in San Francisco. James went from being unemployed to becoming a nationwide star after a few months on American Idol where he finished in fourth place.

James Durbin, his fiance Heidi and son Hunter

James took time to meet with kids in performing arts at the Louden Nelson Center where he signed autographs.

James Durbin sat in a Mustang convertible with Heidi behind the Santa Cruz High School marching band which led the procession from downtown to the Boardwalk. Then James hoped on a jeep to reach the beach where the concert would take place. James sang "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" by The Shirelles, "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey, and finally "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by The Beatles.

James is working on his first solo album which he hopes to release this coming winter. He also has big life plans. He is engaged to Heidi and they plan to get married this summer after the American Idol tour.

James Durbin and his son Hunter

Photo Credit: Kevin Johnson/Sentinel

James was very emotional because after his elimination he thought he would not get a chance to come home like the top 3 because as an eliminated contestant he would have other commitments related to the show. However the people who had already planned his homecoming insisted with the show to allow him to come home and James was fortunate enough to benefit from an exceptional permission to go back home in spite of his elimination. Truly James Durbin is Santa Cruz’ Idol.

It's 'James Durbin Year' in Santa Cruz and James received a surfboard with an image of the young singer performing on it. James was born in Santa Cruz and he lived all his life.

Season 11 - Audition

2011-05-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

So you think you can sing? Even better you think you can sing much better than many past and present American Idol contestants? It's time to mark your calendars, dates and locations of auditions for American Idol season 11 have been announced for this summer.

City	Date
St. Louis, Missouri	June 28
Portland, Oregon	July 2
San Diego, California	July 8
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	July 15
Charleston, South Carolina	July 22
Houston, Texas	August 26

This year three more audition locations were added. hopefully this will make it easier for some of you to get your chance to make your dream of having a successful career in the music industry.

If you are going to audition, don't rely on luck alone learn the secrets that can get you past the first round of the show!

James Durbin Bio

2011-04-24T22:23:00.000-07:00

Update: James Durbin and Heidi Lowe web on New Year's Eve in a chapel in Santa Cruz, Jame's hometown. Hunter, their 2-year-old son was the ring bearer. Fellow American Idol season 10 contestants Haley Reinhart, Stefano Langone and Casey Abrams attended the ceremony.

This is a short biography of American Idol season 10 contestant James Durbin. It includes photos of James with his ~~wife~~ ~~fiance~~ wife and son as well as other pictures taken before and during James' time as a contestant on American Idol Season 10.

James Durbin sets a piano on fire

James Durbin was born in Santa Cruz, California on January 6, 1989 to Willy and Judy Durbin. He is currently in the top 8 of American Idol. To anybody who has seen the show and has seen James talk in an interview it might seem a bit strange the way he expresses himself.

Willy Durbin, James' father, was a musician who passed away of a drug overdose when James was only nine years old. After this incident James was diagnosed with not one, but two neurological conditions known as Tourette and Asperger syndromes. Affected by father’s death and dealing with these two conditions he became socially awkward. However whenever he sang people always applauded and he felt the warm welcome his talent provided.

James Durbin's horns

The fact that James Durbin is a good singer has helped him overcome the obstacles that he faces day by day. He has made it through to the top 7 on American Idol season 10 and the confidence he has been able to build up is thanks to his talent. James is only 22 years old but now has a ~~wife~~ fiancé named Heidi and two-year-old son to raise. He refers to his ~~wife~~ fiancé as his rock and states that you have to take each day at a time in order to survive. His favorite quote is “You can’t change the wind, but you can set your sails in the direction you want”.

James Durbin his wife Heidi

On the week when contestants were asked to sing a song from the year they were born, James’s mother said that even when he was a little baby he used to sing with a perfect pitch, something James finds amusing. However he has always enjoyed singing perhaps it is a trait his father passed on to him. Some of his biggest musical influences are Freddie Mercury, Robert Plant, Steven Tyler, and Ronnie James Dio. One of the people’s favorite James Durbin performances on American Idol is “I’ll Be There For You” which ended with some fantastic flames. It turned the people on and the judges enjoyed it very much.

James also showed he doesn’t always sing just rock music; he delivered a decent performance of Paul McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed” showing a gentle and softer side of his musical talent which was well appreciated by the judges and the audience. And even though it’s his talent what has led him where he is now, his conditions have also played a part in it. He has become sort of a role model to the thousands of American kids who face the same problem. It was published on the Seattle Times that a boy from California named Brandon DeVicenzi started watching American Idol just because of James. Brandon suffers from Tourette’s syndrome and has been able to accept it more now that he has seen somebody like him is on national TV.

James surely has been through a lot in his short 22 years of life and despite the fact that he might have to try twice as hard as anybody else, he is determined to make it happen. He has met with many producers thanks to the show and he feels comfortable with them. He stated it’s like he has known them for a while. It is evident that his condition won’t stop him from becoming a star.

On April 20, 2011 James Durbin performed Uprising by the Muse. While a lot of people praised him for rocking it out others think he murdered the song. The week before, on April 13, 2011 he sand Heavy Metal and was joined on stage by non other than the legendary Zakk Wylde himself.

James Durbin was the lead singer of a band named Whatever Fits, they have a MySpace page where you can listen to their songs. They released a CD three years ago. You can also find the band’s music on iTunes.

Your Music Magazine, which is a Santa Cruz publication, named James Durbin top male vocalist for two years in a row in 2009 and 2010 in its band Olympics.

Since his auditions many viewers have compared James with Adam Lambert because of his vocal range and his rocker edge.

James Durbin and Adam Lambert

Bonus pic, James Durbin and Whaterver Fits.

James Durbin and Whatever Fits

Scotty McCreery Bio

2011-04-23T00:36:00.000-07:00

If you want to see Scotty McCreery live on Tour, get your American Idols Live tickets for the 2011 tour now!

This is a brief biography of American Idol season 10 contestant Scotty McCreery. Photos of Scotty taken before and during his time on the show are also included.

Blue-eyed country singer Scotty McCreery

Scotty McCreery was born just seventeen years ago on October 9, 1993 in Garner, North Carolina. Contrary to what his fair skin and blue eyes suggest, he is of partial Hispanic descent on his father’s side. His grandmother was from Puerto Rico and his grandfather was American.

Scotty is a through and through country guy who blew the American Idol judges away with his audition in Milwaukee singing “Your Man” and “Put Some Drive in Your Country”. With only sixteen years of age at the time of the audition, his deep voice is something rather unique for his age.

Scotty McCreery on stage with a guitar

Scotty McCreery used to impersonate the legendary Elvis Presley when he was a kid. He used to dress up as him for Halloween and loved saying “Thank you, thank you very much” just the way Elvis did. He also used to sit in the back of the school bus and sing Elvis songs while the kids said he was a bit weird. At the age of ten, while he was in fifth grade, he learned how to play the guitar. He has stated that his favorite artist is the country singer Garth Brooks. Other artists that have influenced him are Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, and Conway Twitty. He attended Garner Magnet High School and joined a vocal ensemble called Die Meistersingers with whom he performed around the country. At first he was a tenor but was changed to a baritone given the change in his voice. He has always enjoyed singing and remembers singing at his middle school graduation.

Young Scotty McCreery with braces

Scotty also enjoys sports; he loves baseball and even plays for the Garner High School baseball team, the Garner Trojans. He was the homerun-hitting pitcher. And as much as he loves baseball he also loves to eat fried chicken. Scotty’s favorite day of the week is Sunday because he enjoys attending church with his family. Scotty has also stated that his favorite holiday is Christmas time. Judy and Mike, his parents, also enjoy singing but they say Scotty is the best of all of them.

As it was said before Scotty loves country music, he loves listening to it and performing it. But for some odd reason that he can’t describe, he doesn’t like wearing cowboy hats. He states he has never been into them. However it is important to point out that he doesn’t sing exclusively country music. He has also sang songs by Frank Sinatra and John Mayer giving him a wider range of music genre.

Scotty McCreery’s Facebook page has reached a little over five thousand likes and many country music lovers are stating this is a new refreshing voice that will bring the genre back to the top. During his performances on stage, he has the loudest fans of all. Young Scotty still has a long way to go and has a lot of talent to help him rise to the top. He has performed different country songs on the show but has also sung other genres such as That’s All Right for the Rock & Roll theme showing he has what it’s needed to become the next American Idol.

Scotty McCreery used to be a cashier at Lowes Foods in Garner, North Carolina. Before making it to the big stage on America Idol Scotty McCreery used to sing at the First Baptist Church in Garner, NC.

Scotty’s audition for American Idol season 10 came after a friend jokingly suggested he tried out. Scotty not only tried out but he also won the golden ticket to Hollywood. Scotty’s detractors see in him a one trick pony with a weird mic technique who gets the teen vote because little girls think he’s cute. While many of Scotty’s fans do find him cute a lot of them praise him as a great country singer.

At this point in the competition, into the top 6, Scotty McCreery has never made a trip to the bottom three. Other top vote getters are Lauren Alaina and James Durbin who also never made it to the bottom 3.

Scotty McCreery Smiling

Thanks to the anonymous commenter who pointed out the typo in the name of the store where Scotty used to work. It's Lowes not Lowed as previously written.

Lauren Alaina Bio

2011-04-20T11:27:00.001-07:00

If you want to see Lauren Alaina live on Tour, get your American Idols Live tickets for the 2011 tour now!

One of the 16 year olds to make it to the finals on American Idol season 10 is Georgia’s own Lauren Alaina, the blonde country singer who called Ryan Seacrest “peaches” because both of them are from Georgia. Read on to get the full Lauren Alaina bio complete with pictures and videos. Photos are mostly taken from her time on American Idol.

Lauren Alaina singing Miley Cyrus' The Climb

Lauren Alaina auditioned in Nashville, Tennessee, during her audition Steven Tyler even flirted with which left many people feeling uncomfortable because it seemed completely inappropriate knowing her age. When Lauren auditioned she was still 15 years old. Watch her audition video below:

Lauren Alaina Suddeth was born on November 8, 1994 in Rossville, Georgia which is just about ten minutes south of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Lauren’s parents are J.J. and Kristy Suddeth. She started singing at the very young age of three and according to what she said while on American Idol season 10, she got better when she was about six or seven. Lauren Alaina considers herself to be very unique and outgoing.

Despite being one of the youngest contestants in the tenth season of American Idol, Lauren’s voice seems to have reached the maturity it needs in order to deliver powerful performances. She chose to sing Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” at her audition and succeeded in convincing Steven Tyler to sing a few lines with her.

Lauren's father, J.J. works as a process technician in Chattanooga and her mother was a waitress for a while at a bar called Magoo where Lauren used to sing karaoke every Wednesday night. In fact Lauren has been performing at different venues in Chattanooga and even won a youth contest held in Lake Winnepesaukah back in the year 2009. Lauren says her biggest influence was her cousin Holly Witherow who was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She’s also inspired by Carrie Underwood and at times has been compared to Kelly Clarkson. Some might make of this a prediction since they both were winners of American Idol. Indeed early on Lauren was viewed as a front runner in the show with star quality.

Lauren attends the tenth grade at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School where she is also a cheerleader. She likes to perform at rallies and enjoys being a cheerleader very much. Lauren confessed that Christmas is her favorite holiday because it is all about giving.

Even though she is young, Lauren seems to have the confidence that it takes to become a successful recording artist, she already a lot of singing experience. Lauren Alaina held a weekend job in the past. She worked at a hometown pizza place where she used to sweep crumbs off the floor and tables.

Lauren’s family has always been very supportive of her dream to have a singing career. When she performed at bars and venues, she would always be accompanied by them. One of the bar owners said there would at least be 100 people there, and all of them would be drawn by her talent and voice. Many say Lauren has an awesome personality and people tend to very easily like her on stage. Working a crowd is very important for an artist, and can very well help them reach stardom, Lauren is very at ease when it comes to working to crowd, she’s a natural born live performer.

The manager of CiCi, the pizza place where Lauren Alaina used to work, stated that even though Lauren is no longer working there, everyday there is somebody trying to get a glimpse of her. This tells you just how much she is appreciated there. He states that even if she is stocking up goods, or putting things back into place, she would always be singing and this caught the attention of the customers around her as well.

At her short sixteen years of age Lauren seems to be ready to deal with a music career and she very well seems determined to make her dreams come true. Even if she doesn’t win first place and is not crowned the American Idol for season 10, with a beautiful voice and a supporting family she might become successful anyway and go on to sell millions of records.

Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery are viewed as strong country singers who are ready to make their first album. While she usually looks much older than her age, among other things because of the heavy makeup she wears on American Idol season 10 –unlinke other 16 year old Thia Megia who always wore understated make up -, whenever she talks it is clear that she is still a high-schooler.

Lauren Alaina Scotty McCreery Duet

Lauren has a very sensitive side that could be seen when some contestants were sent home as she cried and seemed genuinely sad to see them arrive at the end of their journey on the show. Die-hard fans have gone as far as saying that the top two will be Scotty and Lauren and the winner will be decided by whomever the country music lovers love the most. After they were paired to sing “Ï Told You So” by Carrie Underwood on March 31, 2011 and then “American Honey” by Lady Antebellum on April 14, 2011 together their fans are hoping that they will go on to make original duets together after the show.

Watch the video of Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery sing American Honey:

Watch the video of Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery sing I Told You So:

Read more about Lauren Alaina
How Old is Lauren Alaina's Mom

Haley Reinhart Bio

2011-04-19T21:06:00.000-07:00

If you want to see Haley live on tour, click here to reserve your tickets now for the American Idol Season 10 live tour!

Haley Reinhart was born on September 9, 1990 in Wheeling, Illinois which is a Chicago suburb. She was born to Harry and Patti Reinhart who are both musicians and have a band. She actually started singing and performing with them when she was only eight years old. The band usually sings cover songs of music from the 60s and 70s.

Haley Reinhart and Casey Abrams - Sweethearts or buddies?

She attended Mark Twain Elementary School, O.W. Holmes Middle School, and Wheeling High School. After she graduated she enrolled in Harper College which is located in Palatine, Illinois in order to study jazz. In once occasion she was able to perform at the Montreux Jazz Festival held in Switzerland.

Haley is known for persevering with her goals. She had first auditioned for American Idol’s ninth season but did not win the gold ticket to go to Hollywood. She decided to give it another try for season 10 and this time she is part of the top 7 finalists.

Haley is a fun loving person who enjoys Christmas time with her family. As a matter of fact she says her parents are the most inspiring people because even though they are not insanely famous, they are doing what they love to do, which is music. She enjoys the fall season because the trees change color and Halloween is during that season.

Haley is a firm believer that whatever is meant to be will happen. Her favorite quote is "Que sera sera – whatever will be, will be". So is she meant to be the next American Idol? We will see when the show comes to an end.

For now we see Haley continue singing and charming the judges. At first she was almost weak and unconvincing, but after her "Benn and the Jets" performance the audience started to see something different in her. Perhaps she had been holding back for fear of making mistakes. Now that she is developing a bit more confidence in being herself she might give them what they are expecting.

Thanks to her parents Haley was exposed to the Beatles and their music since she was young. She has stated that her biggest musical influence have been in fact the Beatles. They showed her how to harmonize and she has learned anything and everything there is to learn about the musical world. Haley has also said that her favorite American Idol moments are those when the participants actually learn more about themselves thanks to their performance of a specific song.

Haley has stated that she has always been a very emotional person and that can be a little bit hard to deal with when she’s on the spotlight. She acknowledged that she has to be strong in order to overcome the criticism and use it positively to improve as an artist.

At the beginning of the season the judges kept comparing her to the legendary Janis Joplin. Some say Haley comes too short to that comparison; the truth is Haley is not Janis and they’re two completely different artists. That does not mean that Wheeling native Haley will not reach stardom on her own terms and with her own voice.

Haley is known for her growling when she sings. It’s almost like her signature, Haley grows and that is the reason many people like her –unlike Casey Abrams whose growling almost got him eliminated if we were to believe judge Randy Jackson-.

Speaking of Casey he is rumored to be Haley’s sweetheart. Indeed it has been reported that Casey Abrams and Haley Reinhart are dating, the two seemed to have become for some time now. None of them has ever discussed this but the rumors are very persistent. Casey and Haley performed a duet with the jazz song "Moanin". Many critics have commented that their performance was so amazing it literally eclipse Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina’s duet and it also contributed in effective positioning Haley as a dark horse in the competition.

Watch Haley Reinhart and Casey Abrams sing Moanin

Paul McDonald on Twitter

2011-04-18T14:26:00.000-07:00

If you want to see Paul McDonald live on Tour, get your American Idols Live tickets for the 2011 tour now!

Paul McDonald and girlfriend Nikki Reed

Paul McDonald is a finalist on American Idol season 10. Born on August 29, 1984, he has always had a passion for music and he became the vocalist of the band Hightide Blues, which name was changed to The Grand Magnolias last year. Paul’s legal name is William Paul McDonald.

Originally from Huntsville, Alabama, the 26 year old singer relocated to Nashville, Tennessee. January 27, 2011 was a date McDonald would never forget as it’s the day he received the golden ticket to Hollywood when he auditioned for the hit talent show, American Idol. He got three yes’s from judges Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler. He wowed the judges with his rendition of Maggie May by Rod Stewart and he also sang "Tutti Frutti," a song from 1955 by Little Richard.

He then advanced to the first part of the Hollywood Round by singing a song by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals as his first solo. For the 2nd part, he performed "Carry on Wayward Son" with other contestants as part of his group. His second solo was Landslide and in the Las Vegas round in which the theme was to do a Beatles' song, he chose to sing "Blackbird."

The young rocker made it into the Top 24 when he once again convinced the judges that he belonged in the competition by singing a song he wrote entitled “American Dreams.” With his performances and character, the fans voted for him to be a part of the final 13 he did not have to go through the wild card round. He was among the most popular ten candidates who were chosen to be a finalist by the public.

His time on twitter

Ever since he was voted into the top 13, Paul McDonald has used his official American Idol Season 10 Twitter account (@PMcDonaldai10) to personally communicate with his fans. He also used the said social networking site to promote The Grand Magnolias. And because of his incessant tweets and the support of his fans, he was able to help their self titled debut album to the third spot on iTunes Rock Albums chart. It also landed on the 43rd spot on the iTunes list of all downloaded albums.

Paul McDonald also is the first contestant on this year’s season of American Idol to obtain 50,000 followers on Twitter, which he had just created when he entered the show. He was safe for three weeks in a row while in the top 13. However, he was in the bottom 3 when he performed Elton John’s “Rocket Man”.

Paul McDonald was eliminated on the 14th of April 2011 and placed 8th on AI season 10. He was also the first male finalist to be voted off after this season saw only girls doing home from the top 13.

Paul McDonald Dating Nikki Reed

After he was eliminated, both him and Nikki Reed officially confirmed that they were an item.

Paul McDonald Bio

2011-04-14T22:38:00.000-07:00

If you want to see Paul McDonald live on Tour, get your American Idols Live tickets for the 2011 tour now!

Now that he has completed his run on American Idol season 10 it's appropriate to have a Paul McDonald bio complete with photos and videos of the now former American Idol contestant. If you are looking to know Paul McDonald better and view pics of him this is the time.

Paul McDonald is a singer, songwriter from Alabama who finished in 8th position in American Idol Season 10. Paul McDonald was born on August 29, 1984 in Auburn-Opelika, Alabama. Until he joined the cast of American Idol season 10 he was the lead singer for The Grand Magnolias, formerly known as Hightide Blues. The other band members are Jonathan Pears, Phillip Gayle and Scott Rollins. Paul now lives in Nashville, Tennessee. He released a total of three albums with his ex-band mates. Paul has a sister named Beth McDonald.

Paul McDonald suit with roses

Paul auditioned in Nashville Tennessee so did Lauren Alaina. Paul is often described as a blue-eyed scruffy crooner with a mouth full of perfect pearly white teeth which can be seen not only on screen but also in pictures of him. American Idol viewers will also remember Paul for the $4500 rhinestone suit he wore for the top 12 guys performance. As the competition went on, Paul was known for his signature dance, the "McDonald Two-Step" and the fact that he starts his performances by asking the crowd how they're doin'. He is one quirky fellow that is for sure.

Paul McDonald The Grand Magnolias concert

Paul attended Auburn University where he studied biomedical sciences he was planning to become a dentist but ended up going on the road with his band instead.
In a candid interview Paul have said that he's terrible actor and he can't take scary movies. In spite of the fact that he does not watch Twilight, Paul was spotted by actress Nikki Reed who approached him at a Red Riding Hood Hollywood premiere. At that time Paul had no idea who she was.

Watch the video of Paul McDonald's audition below, he is singing "Tutti Frutti" and "Maggie May" by Little Richard and Rod Stewart.

The first time Paul McDonald was in the bottom three was during the top 9 week when he sang "Rocket Man" from Elton John. The second time Paul was in the bottom three was on April 13, 2011 and that is the night he was sent home. Jennifer Lopez requested that he sang Maggie May as is goodbye song.

Paul was sent home at a point in the competition where Haley Reinhart, Stefano Langone and he were seen as the remaining underdogs. Of all the contestants left they are the ones who get the most negative feedback from the web. To make matters worse, Haley is often also the only person on the receiving end of negative criticism from the judges as well.

The week he was eliminated Paul sang Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock 'N' Roll". He was joined on the stage by a blonde female saxophone player named Mind Abair. On that night Paul wore a black suit covered with red roses.

Did you know that Paul’s full legal name is William Paul McDonald?

The Stefano Langone curse

What do Casey Abrams, Pia Toscano and Paul McDonald have in common? Besides being finalist on American Idol season 10? They were all in the bottom two with Stefano Langone and all three ended up technically eliminated though Casey was saved by the judges. Some people are calling this the Stefano curse…

Bloggers who are also Paul McDonald fans are blaming his elimination partly on the fact that he received bad advice on the song he should sing. The fact is, the other contestants who decided to go against the advice they received and sing a song of their choice were all safe and did not even end up in the bottom three. Paul should have known that this song was not the best choice for him. The other reason is the fact that he sang first in what is called the kiss of death spot. Singing first is never in your favor.

Matt Giraud, from American Idol season 8 is a fan of Paul McDonald.

Photo credits: Fox

Jacob Lusk Bio

2011-04-14T17:37:00.000-07:00

If you want to see Jacob Lusk live on Tour, get your American Idols Live tickets for the 2011 tour now!

This is a Jacob Lusk bio which aims to help you know this American Idol season 10 contestant better. You will also find pictures of Jacob Lusk. Comments are welcome for all those who want to share information about Jacob or would like to ask any questions about him.

Jacob Lusk was born in the city of Compton located just southeast of downtown Los Angeles in California. He arrived to this world on June 23, 1987 and now has tasted a bit of fame thanks to his singing talent evidenced on the tenth season of the well-known show American Idol.

Jacob Lusk

There are reports that state he started singing at the age of four. Jacob stated that he has been singing all of his life; as a matter of fact he doesn’t even remember when he first started to do so. He realized he was great at it when he was just a little boy in the first grade. His parents and life itself are his inspiration. He however joked on the show when contestants had to sing songs from their birth year that his mother should not sing.

Jacob is an active member of his church; he serves as a music minister and attends bible study. He also enjoys participating in activities that involve volunteer work since it is no secret that he likes giving his time and effort to others. Jacob has always shown a strong faith in God; this is evident in his Facebook profile with status updates such as "Thank you Lord for Restoration!" He has also stated that Sunday is his favorite day of the week.

Jacob Lusk hg Pia Toscano crying

Jacob was working as a spa concierge and wasn’t planning on auditioning for American Idol, however the tons of calls he got from family and friends pushed him to give it a try. And boy, were they right, his Facebook page has over ten thousand likes and the show is not over yet.

Jacob Lusk and Nate Dogg

However as stated before this was not his first contact with music. He has been singing since he was a kid but he was also very close friends with the late rapper Nate Dogg. Coincidentally Nate Dogg also started singing as a child at the New Hope Baptist Church. They met in 2007 when Jacob decided to audition for the gospel group known as “InNate Praise” which was performed by Nate. Jacob got the part and their close friendship was started at this point. They spent the following two years performing at different churches in LA County.

Nate Dogg passed away on March 15, 2011 of a congestive heart failure. This must have been a hard hit on Jacob who did not make much comment on it besides the one he tweeted 'Nate Dogg gone? Can’t be true….I'm gonna miss him telling me to CALM DOWN!!!! Or saying HERE HE GO….GREAT MAN..I knew him LOVE YOU MAN!" Perhaps this is one of the things that have affected his life. Jacob remains sort of a mystery but he revealed to American Idol that he has been through a lot and he has not always done the right thing in life. This might be a comment seeking pardon for his last remark on the show when he performed Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror". He stated that if he was to be in the bottom 3 it would mean that "America didn’t look at themselves in the mirror" a remark that soon generated tons of tweets and comments on the World Wide Web, some negative and some positive.

Whomever America decides is the winner, there is no doubt that Jacob is loved by thousands of people. Some people are predicting that Jacob might be the one eliminated tonight but we will see as America has been surprising us week after week with their choices of favorites.

Pia Toscano eliminated and crying on Idol

2011-04-11T16:16:00.000-07:00

If you want to see Pia Toscano live on Tour, get your American Idols Live tickets for the 2011 tour now!

Pia Toscano on cam smiling

Below you will find what is probably to most information Q&A on Pia Toscano which includes the most popular questions asked by Pia fans and readers of this site. For the unanswered questions I ask that you contribute answers by leaving a comment.

Why was American Idol contestant crying after singing I'll stand by you?
Pia Sang I'll stand by you as her goodbye song, she seemed to have been very popular among the remaining contestants and they all cried as she was leaving the show.

Pia Toscano crying while singing I'll Stand by You

Why did Pia cry at the end of her song?
I'm guessing it's because she was really sad to leave the competition and maybe she was hoping to win. Many, including the judges saw her as a front runner.

Contestants and judges comforting Pia

Pia Toscano sad, talking to Jennifer Lopez after elimination

What did Randy Jackson say about Pia leaving idol? What did Randy say to Pia after her last performance? What Randy has to say about Pia?
Randy said, "I'm never upset on this show, and I'm never really mad, but this makes me mad".

How many times has Pia Toscano auditioned?
Pia auditioned three times for American Idol. The first time, in season 6, she made it all the way to Hollywood. She also auditioned in season 7 but didn't make it to Hollywood. Talk about perseverance! The third time was for season 10 where she made it to the finals and finished 9th.

What did Jimmy Iovine say about Pia's voting off?
Actually I don't know,I need your help on this one.

What did the judges say to Pia after she was voted off?
Jennifer Lopez said,"I have no idea what just happened here."
Randy Jackson said, "I'm never upset on this show, and I'm never really mad, but this makes me mad".
I don't know what Steven Tyler said.

What song did Pia sing on Thursday April 7th?
Pia sang the Pretenders' "I'll Stand by You".

What was Pia Toscano like in High School?
There are pictures of Pia before idol but it's hard to say if she was still in high school then.


A younger blonde Pia Toscano

Who was Pia Toscano's vocal coach before idol?
No idea but I'm sure one of you must know.

Pia and the bottom three premonition

Pia confessed to reporters the morning after being eliminated,

"It's funny because the night before I had a weird feeling in my stomach. And I said to my parents, 'You know, I kind of feel like I'm going to be in the bottom three tomorrow.' And they said, 'No, no, be confident. You're going to be fine. You're going to be fine.' And then when it happened, it was kind of like I expected it. It was weird."

Maybe it was because she was not completely satisfied with her performance the night before in spite of the judges' praises.

Pia Toscano dating Mark Ballas

Pia Toscano has been spotted on a dinner date with Dancing With the Stars professional dancer Mark Ballas. While Pia said on a radio show that Ballas and her are just friends tmz has reported that they were seen making out last Friday.


Mark Ballas of DWTS

Mark Ballas dated former American Idol contestant Joanna Pacitti from June 2008 to April 2009. They broke up after 10 months together. They initially met in north Carolina where Mark was training with Kristi Yamaguchi for Dancing With the Stars. Apparently Mark Ballas loves brunette singers. It's a good thing Pia god rid of her blond hair :p

Joanna Pacitti won a gold ticket on American Idol season 8 but was later disqualified for her link with an American Idol insider. Red more about Joanna Pacitti.


Mark Ballas and Joanna Pacitti

Now it's your turn. If you have unanswered Pia Toscano questions, or if you have information about the singer that you would like to share, feel free to do so in the comments below.

See more Pia Toscano photos.

Pia Toscano Bio

2011-04-08T01:12:00.000-07:00

If you want to see Pia Toscano live on Tour, get your American Idols Live tickets for the 2011 tour now!

Here is a brief bio of Pia Toscano along with photos taken before and during American Idol season 10. You will also find some thoughts on her premature elimination from the show along with pictures of Pia and a video.

Photo of Pia Toscano taken before American Idol Season 10

See photos of Pia Toscano crying after being eliminated.

It was Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011 when Pia impressed everyone with her performance of “I’ll Stand by You.” Ironically, it would be her last performance on the American Idol 10th season. It was an appropriate choice for her final performance after being eliminated from the American Idol Show. The show is getting down to the final few episodes for season ten and there was tension in the air. It seemed as if most people did not expect or want Pia Toscano to be eliminated. But, she was.

Pia Ann Rose Toscano grew up in Howard Beach, Queens, New York. She went to the LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts in New York City. She sang the American National Anthem numerous times for the Mets’ minor league team. She even won an award for her singing of the National Anthem. Pia performed in the wedding band “Current Affair.” She has also performed at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, NYC. Pia Toscano auditioned two times for American Idol before she was granted passage to the tenth season.

Pia was widely supported by the judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler. During her performance on March 2nd, 2011 she received a standing ovation. Even vocal coach Jimmy Iovine was hoping that she would knock Randy Jackson “out of his chair” so he can finally start jumping up an down. She did just that. After the March 2nd show her performances drew much attention and positive criticism from the judges. Pia Toscano continued to receive praises from the American Idol judges and they believed that she would be one of the top finalists.

Well, Pia was eliminated from the American Idol: Search for a Superstar Show on Thursday, April 7th, 2011. For many, especially the judges, this was an unexpected and emotional announcement made by Ryan Seacrest. The American Idol judges even expressed their anger about the voting results. The other contestants and audience members became teary eyed as Ryan Seacrest asked Pia to sing one more song before leaving. Ryan turned to Randy Jackson to have him suggest what song Pia should sing. But Randy, with surprised anger in his voice said that Pia did not deserve to be voted off and that she should sing whatever she felt like singing. The other judges agreed with Randy and expressed their desire to stand by Pia during her future career. She appropriately chose to sing “I’ll Stand by You.” Everyone became emotional. Literally everyone in the theater was crying. Except for Pia Toscano, she held on to the very end, until she finished her song and realized that her run on the American Idol’s tenth season was over. Pia looked as gorgeous as she usually do in her photos. She fell into tears and all the contestants and judges rushed to hug her during this time of disappointment. But Pia will get over it; she is a strong woman from New York City. Besides, she has been on American Idol, one of the best platforms for any performer. Why she was voted off is hard to say. Randy suggested that maybe her fans became complacent and did not vote. He said “if you want someone to win you have to vote for them.” We are sure that fans around the world will “vote” for Pia as she moves beyond the tenth season of American Idol.

Watch Pia Toscano sign I’ll stand by you in the video below

Read more about Pia Toscano
Pia Toscano - American Idol Season 10 Top 13

Casey Abrams was saved

2011-03-24T21:56:00.000-07:00

If you want to see Casey Abrams live on Tour, get your American Idols Live tickets for the 2011 tour now!

Casey Abrams and Ryan Seacrest after the Judge's save

All three judges Randy Jackson, Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez unanimously agreed that Casey Abrams, the contestant who received the least number of votes after the top 11 performance night deserved to be saved and given a chance to sing another week. Casey shared the bottom three with fellow contestants, Thia Megia and Stefano Langone. Online American Idol expert were predicting an Haley Reinhart elimination I guess they got it completely wrong this time and it's for the better because I still don't understand why so many people on the internet dislike her and even the judges give her a hard time. These same experts however correctly predicted that Thia and Stefano would both be in the bottom three.

Now you see why some people think he's scary

Casey Abrams has had health issued that caused him to be hospitalized not once but twice during the season, he even missed a show. Casey is also known for being called "sexy" by Jennifer Lopez and for his growling!

Casey Abrams suffers from ulcerative colitis. Many idol fans seem to dislike Casey because of his appearance, he has a seemingly unkept beard.

While I don't agree with the judges I can understand the appeal for Casey.

Cirque du Soleil with Carly Smithson

2011-03-21T15:28:00.000-07:00

Is it me or was that Carly Smithson in the audience on the top 12 night and Ryan Seacrest did not even acknowledge her. It seems to me that Ryan Seacrest totally snubbed Carly Smithson that night.

Carly Smithson was a contestant on American Idol season 7, she finished in 6th position.

In an interview last year Carly said that she not only keeps in touch with other season 7 contestants but she also regularly meets with Brooke White for lunch, they are best friends now. She even went to one of David Cook's concerts in Palm Springs and went on stage with him to sing Barracuda.

We Are the Fallen and Cirque du Soleil

A year after appearing on the show Carly joined Evanescence co-founder Ben Moody with John LeCompt and rock Gray to form the band "We Are the Fallen". They released their first album "Tear the World Down" in May 2010. The album includes the song "Bury Me Alive" that Carly co-wrote.

Last December Carly Smithson joined the Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas, as a singer. She is still a member of her band, We Are The Fallen but only works with the group when the Cirque does not have performances. They are already working on their next album.

Watch the Bury Me Alive video by We Are the Fallen

Photo Credits Douglas Sonders and Fox

Stefano Langone Bio

2011-03-18T20:47:00.000-07:00

If you want to see Stefano Langone live on Tour, get your American Idols Live tickets for the 2011 tour now!

Stefano Langone is a 21 year old pianist who auditioned in San Francisco for American Idol season 10. The judges were unanimous in sending him to Hollywood. He made it to the top 24 but was unable to secure a spot in the top 10. Luckily the judges chose him a a group of other contestants who didn't make it to the top 10 to sing for a chance to be a while card pick. Three were selected, Naima Adedapo, Ashton Johson and Stefano Langone.

Stefano Langone was in a near-fatal car accident. When the firefighter found him he first thought that Langone was dead.

Like Jennifer Lopez I think Stefano has star quality, the only thing I have against him is the fact that he does not look right into the camera the way Paul McDonald does.

The DUI scandal

In 2010 Stefano Langone was arrested for a DUI. He was caught by a Washington State Patrol Trooper while speeding and changing lanes without signaling. Langone subsequently failed standard field sobriety tests and a breath test. Stefano was then arrested and taken into custody.

His DUI is even more scandalous when you consider the fact that during his audition Stefano told an inspiring story about how he almost lost his life in a car crash caused by a drunk driver the year before. That accident left Stefano with several fractures.

Watch Stefano's San Francisco audition, he's singing "I Heard it through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye.

Karen Rodriguez Bio

2011-03-18T18:56:00.000-07:00

After being in the bottom three twice Karen Rodriguez was sent home on American Idol top 12 result night. Other bottom 3 dwellers were Naima Adedapo and Haley Reinhart. Once again the judges decided not to use their save to keep her on the show after Karen sang for her life and begged them for another chance. But her rendition of Hero by Mariah Carey just wasn't enough. Karen Rodriguez is a 21 year old student from New York.

Karen Rodriguez initially auditioned for American Idol season 10 on MySpace then she came to Los Angeles to audition for the Judges for a chance to make it to Hollywood. She blew them away and received a gold ticket.

She wanted to be the first Latina American Idol. Selena is her idol and she sang her songs in the competition. Personally I did not enjoy her Spanglish version of songs. Do not get me wrong I like latin music and there are a number of latino singers among my favorite artists but it is American Idol and most people probably don't understand what she's saying when she's singing in Spanish.

Karen is very talented as all her fellow top 12 contestants are but at this stage in the competition talent is not enough, she really needed to wow the audience and the judges in order to stay unfortunately she has failed to do that.

In her MySpace audition she sang "You Give Good Love" by Whitney Houston.

Watch Karen Rodriguez' audition video below

Watch Karen Rodriguez sing Hero in this video

Photo from Getty Images.

Scott Dangerfield might be back for season 11

2011-03-10T19:12:00.000-08:00

That is unless he tries out for X-Factor instead...

In the mean time, and according to TMZ,

Scott Dangerfield decided to quit the show because he had obligations to his students. Remember, Scott Dangerfield is a student teacher. He told TMz "The kids are depending on me".

During his auditon the judges were impressed by him and for the viewers he will be remembered as the guy caught with lipstick on his lips and admitted to kissing a girl while in the audition line.

Here is the video of Scott Dangerfield in season 10

Casey Abrams - American Idol Season 10 Top 13

2011-03-10T18:45:00.000-08:00

Casey Abrams was at the hospital during the Top 13 election results. Thankfully for him he was safe which should bring him comfort while he is suffering from severe stomach pains again. Casey was hospitalized once before while on the show, right before the guys Top 12 performance. He received a blood transfusion and made it back in time to perform an secure his spot on the top 10. Casey Abrams is 20 years old and a very talented musician.

Watch Casey's Top 13 performance video, he sand With a Little Help from my Friends, the Joe Croker version

Photo from tmz

Pia Toscano - American Idol Season 10 Top 13

2011-03-10T17:13:00.000-08:00

Pia Toscano is a 22 year old makeup artist from Queens, New York. She had tried out for American Idol previously, in season 6 when she made it all the way to the top 40 before being cut, and then again for season 7. After her performance in the top 13 some believe she has successfully positioned herself as a contender for season 10. Even Adam Lambert, the runner up for season 8 is a fan.

Watch the video of Pia Toscano singing All By Myself by Celine Dion.

Photo from starcasm.net

Thia Megia - American Idol Season 10 Top 13

2011-03-10T11:49:00.000-08:00

If you want to see Thia Megia live on Tour, get your American Idols Live tickets for the 2011 tour now!

Thia Megia is one of the youngest contestants to make it to the top 13 this season. She was a quarter finalist on the season 4 of America's Got Talent. She's a 16 year old Pinay - Philippino girl- from California. She sang "Smile" by Michael Jackson, on the top 13 performance show.

Watch Thia Megia's version of Smile in the video below

Photo from Fox

Ashton Jones - American Idol Season 10 Top 13

2011-03-10T10:31:00.000-08:00

Ashton Jones is a 24 year old Gospel, Soul and R&B singer from Nashville, who made it to the top 13 on American Idol season 10.

After the top 24 performance she did not make it to the top 10. She had to sing for a chance to be a wild card pick. It worked as she made it to the top 13 as a wild card. On the top 13 performance night Ashton sang When You Tell Me That You Love Me by Diana Ross. Many fans of the show think that Ashton should not have gotten that spot has other singers, in their opinion, were better. Ashton Jones won the Best R&B Female for Hip Hop in the Ville Awards in 2009, in Nashville. Ashton has already released an album,"Introducing Ashton Jones".

Watch Ashton Jones' top 13 performance, When You Tell Me That You Love Me.

Photo from examiner.com

Kara DioGuardi Stays - Paula Abdul leaves

2009-08-05T13:30:00.000-07:00

Kara DioGuardi showing off her skinny body next to Katrina Darrell. Is that Simon Cowell standing at the bottom left?

Paula Abdul quites American Idol while Kara DioGuardi comes back to judge the contestant of the 9th season of America's most popular reality show.

Chris Daughtry does

2009-07-22T22:28:00.000-07:00

Chris Daughtry has done it again. His second album Leave This Town, enters The Billboard 200 at #1. He's undoubtedly one of the most popular and successful American Idol alumni to date.

Watch Daughtry's video No surprise online now

Jordin Sparks joins Jonas Brothers tour

2009-07-14T07:02:00.000-07:00

Jordin Sparks is the opening act of the Jonas Brothers on their latest tour. She sang her latest hit single with the band. Her second album, "Battlefield" is due out July 21 2009. Her first self-titled album released in 2007 went platinum. Jordin was only 17 when she won American Idol she is now 19.

Jordin said in interviews that she enjoyed having more time to work on this album before it was released unlike the first album which had to be rushed because fans were impatient to have her music. Additionally, Jordin was given the opportunity to write four of the songs included in Battlefield.

If you're in Canada and want to see Jordin Sparks live with the Jonas Brothers here are the tour dates and cities

Edmonton, July 2
Winnipeg, July 5
Montreal, Aug. 29
Toronto, Aug. 30
Ottawa, Aug. 31

Anoop Desai quitting graduate school to pursue music

2009-07-01T06:51:00.000-07:00

Anoop Desai, an American Idol contestant more popular on the web than on TV who made it to the top 7 has decided to pursue a career in music an abandon his graduate studies in folklore.

So far it has not been reported that Anoop was signed with a record label but he is determined to pursue a career in singing and wants to record an album. He wants to sing pop music and R&B. Noop Dawg aka Noop Dogg aka Anoop Dawg aka Anoop Desai received a lot of support from fans on the web who campaigned for him to be included in the wild card.

Katy Allen - More photos

2009-06-01T10:15:00.000-07:00

I've found more photos of Kris Allen and his wife Katy.

Katy Allen texting?

Katy Allen alone at the American Idol season 8 finale.
Katy and Kris Allen, the College years. Kris is wearing glasses!!!
Katy and Kris Allen with Kris making a funny face. Katy looks like one of the Olsen twins, no?
For some reason she reminds me of Reese Witherspoon in those pictures.

Kris Allen brief Biography

2009-05-21T06:50:00.000-07:00

Sexy Face aka Kris Allen wins American Idol season 8.

He performed with Keith Urban last night, you can watch the video below

I want to thank all those who participated in my survey, you were right. A total of 124 people voted with 102 saying that Kris Allen would win. 82% of you believed in him and I'm sure you did what you had to do to make sure he won.

This season is over and now is the time for the summer tour and before we know it Kris Allen's first album will be out.

To celebrate and to wish him that he keeps on perfecting his art through out the years and for many more years to come here is a brief Kris Allen bio.

Date of Birth : 21 June 1985, Jacksonville, Arkansas, USA
Birth Name : Kristopher Neil Allen
Height : 5' 8" (1.73 m)
Spouse : Katy Allen (September 2008 - present)
Trade Mark : Soulful vocals and guitar playing
Favorite male artist : Jamie Cullum

Additional Info
He taught himself how to play the guitar, piano, viola and the ukulele at age 13.
Business Major at the University of Central Arkansas at Conway.
Self-released an album in 2006, entitled "Brand New Shoes".

Still can't get enough of Kris buy specially designed Kris Allen gear to wear at the tour. If you plan on attending at least one of the tour's concerts, you definitely should get one.

Michael Johns' Wife Stacey

2009-05-18T13:38:00.000-07:00

Michael Johns was a contestant on American Idol season 7. He made it all the way to the top 9, until what some thought was a surprise elimination.

In this photo he is posing with his wife Stacey Vuduris.

Indeed Michael Johns was seen as being a contestant who could have won. He was mentioned during season 8 as they were introducing the judges save. Some, including the judges thought that his departure from the show was premature. Undoubtedly they would have used the save for him like they did for Matt Giraud this year.

Michael came back earlier this season to sing with Carly Smithson, another contestant from last season. The two have been working on their albums this year.

You can watch Michael Johns perform "Heart on my Sleeve" which is the first single from his new solo album.

Find more Michaeal Johns photos by following the previous link to a fan site.

Photo and video by Richard Rushfield from LA times Idol Tracker

Kris Allen's Wife Katy

2009-05-13T13:13:00.000-07:00

Update: Thanks to J and dancerfeet who provided us with additional information on Katy Allen in the comments.

As you know by now, Kris Allen is married and his wife's name is Katy. Finding pictures of Katy Allen alone is not really easy. You can see in the photo below Kris Allen and his wife Katy at the homecoming in Conway, Arkansas.

Kris Allen is one of the three remaining contestants on American Idol. Tonight they will know their faith as the two finalists will be revealed. This also means that, after today, there will only one more week left for this season of American Idol to be over.

Last night Kris Allen surprised and pleased many with his acoustic rendition of Kanye West's Heartless. Watch Kris Allen perform Heartless in the video below

Once Again Kris proved that he is more than a fit boy with a cute face and that he is genuinely talented as a musician.

See more pictures of Kris Allen.

If you're a die hard Kris Allen fan who just can't get enough of him, you can read my very first post about him and the one about Kris' sexy face.

On popular demand I've decided to add additional information on Katy Allen. You will find the answers to the most asked questions on Katy and her husband Kris Allen.

What is Kris Allen's wife's name?
Kris Allen's wife name is Katy O'Connell Allen.

Who is Kris Allen's wife?
Kris Allen's wife is Katy Allen.

Is Kris Allen wife unhappy?
She's apparently happy if you can trust the picture of her and Kris at his homecoming.

How old is Kris Allen's wife Katy?
~~She's about as old as Kris probably.~~ According to J and dancerfeet(see the comments), she's 22. Dancerfeet also knows how Kris proposed to Katy. Please dancerfeet tell us we want to know too, if that's OK with Kris and Katy.

Does Kris Allen have a wife?
Yes, Kris Allen does have a wife.

Does Kris Allen wife get to stay with him?
No, Kris Allen's wife does not get to stay with him. Only Idol contestants who are minors are allowed to have someone stay with them. Kris is 23 nobody stays with him, not even his wife. There were even rumors that his wife's absence was affecting him.

What happened to Kris Allen's wife?
There are no bad news on Kris Allen's wife, therefore it is safe to conclude that nothing bad happened to her. She's alive and well.

How old are Kris and Katy Allen American Idol?
Kris is 23 and Katy is 22. ~~Frankly I don't know her age. If you do have that answer please tell use in a comment.~~

Why wasn't Kris Allen's wife there?
If she wasn't there she probably had a really good reason.

What does Kris Allen's wife do?
I always thought she was a student like Kris...but according to dancerfeet she worked for a company called Axiom after graduating from college.

What is wrong with Kris Allen's wife?
I don't think there is anything wrong with her.

Did you know that Kris Allen's full name is Kristopher Neil Allen?

Now it's your turn. If there are any more Kris Allen or Katy Allen questions you would like to ask, or if you have information about the couple that you would like to share, feel free to do so in the comments.

Allison Iraheta

2009-05-07T12:44:00.000-07:00

On May 6 2009 Allison Iraheta was eliminated from American Idol season 8. She was the only female contestant left on what was a male-dominated season for the reality show.

This season's rocker chick was no match for Adam Lambert, Danny Gokey or even Kris Allen who made it to the final three and get to go back home and sing for the many fans and supporters in their hometown. I wonder who will get the biggest welcome?

Allison Iraheta was the yongest contestant to make it into the top 13 and one of the four females there. She was sixteen when she auditioned and turned 17 while on the show. She's been singing she's she was a little child. She even won a competition in 2007 called "Telemundo's Quinceañera: Mama Quiero Ser Artista" which had a prize of $50000 and a recording contract. Apparently, it seems the promoters of the show never followed suit with the contract.

Allison could easily spotted among the other contestants with her red as in artificially colored hair. She was also noticeable early on for not being too eloquent when host Ryan Seacrest would ask her question during the show or when she taped interviews.

Although the judges praised her duo with Adam Lambert on rock week it just wasn't enough to secure her a spot on the top 3. Allison Iraheta has been in the bottom three more than once and it seemed rather logical that she would be the one leaving before the three remaining 'boys'.

Why Adam Lambert was in the bottom 3 this week

2009-05-01T12:01:00.000-07:00

Adam Lamber has been labeled a front-runner ever since he auditioned for th show. And yet he found himself in the bottom three while there were only five contestants left.

Many people thought it was shocking and they don't even believe that he could have receive fewer votes than Kris Allen? Indeed many people view Adam as the most capable singer left if not the most capable for this entire season.
Yet, after reading many comments left on blogs and news articles I've come to the conclusion that:

1- The race is really close this years. Don't ask me why, all I know is that because someone has been always safe in the beginning it doesn't mean that person cannot be in danger. As the show nears the end it is inevitable that some "favorites" will have to go home. It's also a fact that some contestants actually improve with time. Being consistently good just isn't enough to win, you have to be better than how you were when you entered the competition.

2- Some people simply don't like Adam. I'm not talking about those that plainly hate him but about those that don't find him to be humble enough. Yes, the most common comment was that being in the bottom three should teach Adam a thing or two about humbleness. I believe it comes from the fact that Adam actually chose a side when Ryan Seacrest asked him which group he thought he was with. Last season, the always super-safe David Archuleta knew better and he was only 17. Adam should know better. Unless he had actually seen the results from Ryan's card he simply should not have assumed he was with the people who "looked" safe. Besides, at that point, nobody knew for sure whether Alyson and Danny were safe or in the bottom three. Also it seems to me Adam miscalculated. He should have assumed that there would be a bottom three and not a top three. Even if he did believe he was safe he should have assumed that the only group of three would be the bottom three and that is where he would land.

Kris Allen's sexy look

2009-04-03T14:52:00.001-07:00

This week we got to see Kris Allen talking about how he was asked by photographers to give a sexy look for the photos and he even showed us on the show how he did it. I found a pretty nice picture of Kris Allen . I'm not sue he's doing the sexy look in it though.

Kris's fan base is slowly but surely growing bigger and bigger every week, if he keeps on choosing the right songs and delivering them the way he did this week he should go very far in this competition when you consider the fact that he has a likability factor that some of the other remaining contestants just lack at this point. Of course we have to say that he did get to sing last. It's called the "pimp" spot which guarantees maximum exposure to anyone fortunate enough to get it. The contestant who sings last has the chance to make the most lasting impression of the night, this is especially true when there are still many contestants left and when the performance nights lasts two hours.

Watch Kris Allen singing "Ain't no Sunshine" in this video

Anoop Desai - most talked about contestant

2009-03-17T14:41:00.001-07:00

Of all the remaining contestants on American Idol season 8, none has generated as much enthusiasm on the Internet as Anoop Desai. Even before he made it to the top 36 fan sites of the. Anoop Desai is from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He's currently a graduate student at the University of North Carolina. He used to be a member of the an a cappella group called the UNC Clef Hangers.

Anoop auditioned in Kansas City, Missouri, he was sent to Hollywood with four yeses. Kansa City, isn't that where David Cook auditioned last season?

Maybe it was his geeky look at his audition, shorts and flip flops or the fact that he told Randy Jackson he can call him Noop Dawg?! Unfortunately for him Randy didn't catch that and started calling him Anoop Dog instead!

Kris Allen on American Idol

2009-02-27T07:15:00.000-08:00

Kris Allen is 23 and a native of Conway, Arkansas. He's a student at UCA. He received a lot of support from friends and fellow students at UCA who voted for him as much as they could. Their effort paid off as he is through to the top 12. Now, You can find Kris Allen photos all over the internet and his fan clubs are flourishing.

I still can't believe he chose to sing a Michael Jackson song. I wouldn't be surprised if many of the kids who watch this show have never heard this song at all. And yet somehow he made it through. Apparently his looks are working for him. Good, because he doesn't seem to be trying too hard on that side. Yet the guy is so short.

Anyway, Kris Allen secured a seat in the top twelve without having to go through the wild card round. Good for him, let's hope he makes the best out of it. I guess American Idol always needs at least one cute and fit boy in the top 12.

Searches online are already soaring from people wanting to know if Kris is married??? I checked online and apparently he is and his wife's name is Katy. Sorry girls.

I guess Simon was right the chicks did love him.

Watch the video of Kris Allen's performance singing Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson. Don't let the still of Kara distract you. It's from a previous scene.

One thing that I like about American idol and all its contestants is how people all over the internet will come and claim to know contestants personally. Sure, many times it's probably true but there is always a doubt in the back of my head.

Kris seemed to have picked up some of the Michael Castro fans which is good for him. Remember Jason Castro had a huge and extremely devoted fan base. Assuming the now Kris Allen fans are ex-Jason fans from last season, there is more than hope for him to make it far unless he gives a really awful performance. Lucky guy.

Adam Lambert reaching in the top 12

2009-02-26T13:56:00.000-08:00

Adam Lambert is a performer, he plays in musicals, the stage has no secrets for him. Since he lives in Hollywood, when he won his golden ticket he said:" I'm going back home".

I did find his performance to be too theatrical for my taste, I know it's due to his background but yet it judges didn't sound right for American Idol. I really didn't think he was a great fit but I'm not one of the judges and maybe America will like him. He still has at least one more chance to convice let's see if he'll make the best out of it.

You can watch Adam Lambert's audition below

As you can see from his audtion he seems able to sing technically and since he has been performing in front of audiences for a while he shouldn't suffer too much from the pressure or any form of stage fright when he will have to perform live. Unless he chooses a song that is completely wrong for him he should be one of the three to secure a spot in the top 12. In fact I find that they put him in a group with many of the lesser-known people. I'm not saying that the others are not vocally capable but simply that we don't know much of their stories to actually "care enough" whether they make it to the top 12 or not. There are maybe two or three people that don't fall into that category but no more than that. And again, not many of the judge's favorites are included in this group also.

It almost seems like the first group was built in such a manner that it would inevitably eliminate many of the people that were announce as strong contestants even before they showed them auditioning. So much for those early predictions.

Adam Lambert has this kind of gothic look with the eyeliner and black nail polish, I wouldn't call him emo but.... Look at him in this picture below, he looks like a vampire, quite scary if you ask me... I think he should tone down the gothic look a little otherwise he won't go to far because if he is not willing to tone down his looks he probably won't tone down his performances either. America is looking for a pop star not a goth star at least not for now.

You can watch Adam Lambert's top 36 performance video below. He sings Satisfaction from the Rolling Stones

Nick Mitchell and Normund (or Norman) Gentle on their way to the top 12

2009-02-23T06:38:00.000-08:00

Nick Mitchell auditioned in New-York, as the character Normund Gentle who's an effeminate and extremely sensitive man who wears glasses. All the judges except Simon Cowell gave him a yes because as Kara DioGuardi said "...they were really entertained"

After surprisingly winning his golden ticket to Hollywood Nick Mitchell was shown dumping Normund's outfit in the garbage and saying no "more Norman Gentle". To everyones' surprise or not Nick came back with Normund once again in Hollywood and it was a good move apparently because he made it all the way to the top 36. Now the big question is will Nick Gentle bring back Normund Gentle once again when he performs live for America this week? As of now nobody knows if America has a sense of humor that is more like Simon Cowell's or more like Kara DioGuardi's.

At this point we need to trust the American idol judges and believe that if they did put Nick Mitchell through it's solely based on his singing abilities.

I think I've finally figured out why they added the newest judge. They wanted someone who can be like Simon's Alter ego. While people are speculated about Paula Abdul or even Randy Jackson leaving the show or worse getting fired nobody seem to even think about Simon Cowell saying good by to American Idol. That might just be the case. If I remember clearly he has a limited number of seasons on his contract and has not renewed it. So they might be simply trying to make transition to a post-Simon version of American Idol go as smoothly as possible by trying to add a judge that can slowly but surely become the center of attention when the judging panel is consulted and apparently they think Kara DioGuardi is that person. I'm not sure they were right about that because I personally don't believe Kara adds much value to the show, on the contrary she simply extends the time the judges take to make a final decision and she seems to be steering the show in a direction that is more suited for shows that are introduced by a "Viewer Discretion is advised" notice.

If you have been watching American Idol season 8 since the auditions you certainly have seen both Nick Mitchell and Normund Gentle, if not or if you simply want to see both of them side-by-side, something you probably won't see on fox then see below for a photo of Nick Mitchell in his normal clothes and a picture of him in Normund Gentle's attire.

You can also see Nick/Norman when he auditioned

He also made a video from his hotel room as Normund Gentle of course, he sings he dances, watch it if you want to be more familiar with the character, after all, if he does not make it to the top 12 you might not get a chance to see much more of him again.

Alexis Grace is in the TOP 12

2009-02-19T10:03:00.000-08:00

Alexis Grace is the only female contestant to have made it to the top twelve last night. Not really a shocker when you consider how she was the judges' darling the night before. However it's awful to see all those talented singers being eliminated in a single week after they've been through all that struggle and media hype in Hollywood. Couldn't the producers let us enjoy our favorites for a few more weeks before the inevitably headed home?
Alexis Grace sang Never Loved a man by Aretha Franklin. You can watch the video of her performance below. The judges loved it.

I remember Alexis from her audition. She's the mother of a young child, a baby rather and he fiancé is away. He's in the Army but not in Iraq or Afghanistan. She was only 19 when she audition so I'm guessing her fiancé is not much older than she is. For some reason I can't stop thinking about Juno...

Anoop Desai for example has entire web sites dedicated to him, you can even read his thesis online and see photos and videos of his pre-idol performances. Likewise, Tatiana del Toro had a really huge fan base of people who like the drama that she brings to the show. It turns out that she can actually sing and that's why she made it to the top 36. But who's going to bring the drama now that she's gone?

So Alexis Grace apparently listened to the judges advice and dirtied up a bit to land a place in the top 12. As long as she's not the first one eliminated from it. I wonder if she did also take Kara's advice to go and have sex with her fiancé. Actually, no, I don't need to know that...

Since this year has been labeled the year of the guys, read the year of the white guys, I wonder which female will outlast them all and land at least in the top 3? Many people who used to be labeled as contenders like Ann Marie Boskovitch or even Jackie Thon, the crazy lady are now gone! Maybe it's going to be Taylor Vaifanua, the judge's teen crush for season 8.

Others to join Alexis are Michael Sarver and Danny Gokey. Nine more contestants will be joining them in the following weeks.

Ann Marie Boskovich auditioned in Jacksonville on season 8

2009-01-28T12:14:00.000-08:00

Ann Marie Boskovich is a season 8 American Idol contestant who auditioned in Jacksonville, Florida. Her audition was aired on Tuesday, January 27th, 2009. The judges instantly liked her. So much so that they asked her to go out there and put on a star look before coming back for a proper audition. They already see in her a star in the making! That's a good sign for Ann Marie. She actually has good vocals and was decently dressed. Sure she was not all diva or beauty pageant looking but she had that girl next door look. Watch her audition video below.

Don't let those looks fool you though. It almost looks like she chose to dress down because I've found pictures of her where she looks more like an artist, performer, entertainer or whatever they are called these days. She most likely will make it through Hollywood and beyond. I've seen a few more videos Ann Marie Boskovich where she sings original songs, not covers. Can't wait to watch her do her thing on the show.

Below you can see her audition picture side by side with a pre-idol picture of her, see the difference:

Brent Keith...Smith??

2009-01-26T12:12:00.000-08:00

Brent Keith, also known as Brent Keith Smith auditioned for American Idol season 8 in Louisville. He's some sort of country singer who looks much better on TV than he does on his myspace. Here is a photo of him taken from his profile.

When he auditioned, all the judges seemed to like him very much. He is very talented. Even though Simon had a few not completely positive remarks it was obvious that Brent Keith was one of the most talented people they've heard since the auditions started in Louisville. I did expect Simon to say YES but apparently the other judges were afraid he was going to say NO. Not like that would have mattered since he does not need more than three Yeses to make to to Hollywood. Like I said, they would have been mad not to say yes to him.

Brent is 29, from, Blanchester Ohio. He says that his style is a blend of contemporary country music and classic rock. He's been a member of a band which name I didn't find anywhere, for nine years.

In my opinion Brent Keith will go far in this competition because he is more talented than most of the contestants we've seen auditioning so far. Of course the auditions are not over so many AI has many more good surprises in store for us as they continue to tour the country in search of a star.

Below is his audition video see the difference from his picture, he even looks younger during the audition.

Joanna pacitti most talked about American Idol contestant for season 8

2009-01-23T13:10:00.000-08:00

Joanna Pacitti who had a previous record deal, who even had a song on the movie Legally Blonde's soundtrack, is now an American Idol contestant.

Unfortunately some observers are not happy with her on the show because they see her as a professional singer who will not leave a chance to the amateur singers for whom American Idol is the only shot at stardom. American Idol only requires that a contestant does not have a current record deal and it is the case with Ms Pacitti. She's not currently signed anywhere and she is within the required age bracket for American Idol therefore she has as the right to be there as much as every other contestant who the judges found to be good enough for Hollywood.

She is surely talented and was certainly one of the best contestants we've seen auditioning in Louisville. You can watch the video of her audition below.

Though I am hoping that she hasn't amassed a bunch of bad habits from her long career in showbiz and that she can let the show mold her a little in a good way. After all, if she did not make it big in the music industry yet there has to be something wrong and I hope that her time on American Idol will help her identify what went wrong in her career and send her off to a new start even if she doesn't win. I'm doubtful that she will win because she might be too 'professional' to capture the hearts of America. But I'm not a prophet therefore I can't see into the future. If she turns out to be better than everybody else, she might as well win this.

No one can deny that she has the looks of a star and her voice is not bad as well so what's missing? We will probably get to see that as the weeks go by on American Idol. Considering her previous experience, she probably will make it through Hollywood.

All photos shown here were taken from her myspace page. It never seizes to amaze me how most idol hopefuls have a myspace page filled with photos, many very candid.Like the one below