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Tuesday's Idol: What You Didn't See
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Each week it's usually the judges – especially Simon or Paula – who sneak into their seats seconds before the show goes live to the East Coast. But on Tuesday night the audience was wondering, "Where's LaKisha Jones?" All the contestants except her stood front and center on stage as Ryan Seacrest read over the show's opening lines on the teleprompter and a production staffer yelled "30 seconds!" That's when LaKisha ran onto the stage to take her place next to the other finalists. Now that's cutting it close!Notice Me!!!
Jordin Sparks lingered on stage for a few seconds waving to fans following her stellar performance of "To Love Somebody." She was overwhelmed by the outpouring of affection and the number of signs (many of which read "Jordin Sparkles"). One 6-year-old girl named Izzy yelled out, "I love you, Jordin!" in a squeaky voice that pierced through the din of the crowd. Jordin was being escorted off the stage for a wardrobe change when she stopped dead in her tracks to wave to her young admirer before being hustled back into reality. It was a one-hour live show, after all.Tuesday Night's Idol: Will Blake be Stayin' Alive?
PEOPLE critic Tom Gliatto thinks the beatboxer may be the next to go...
Episode 35
The Bee Gees' best-known music is so stamped with a particular production sound, it made it difficult for the final four contestants – with their dance-rock beat and the feathery, sometimes chipmunk-y vocals – to stake out compelling new interpretations of the well-known dance tunes.Barry Gibb, mentoring the performers, several times wondered how songs associated with a male falsetto would work for the women – not to mention the male beatbox style of Blake Lewis.
Barry Gibb Makes the Idols Dance
After rocking out with Bon Jovi last week, this week, it's time to dance. But who is going to tackle (the strangely appropriate) "Stayin' Alive" on Tuesday's Idol? That's the $500,000 question as the remaining four contestants gear up for Bee Gees night. Guest mentor Barry Gibb will supply the dancefloor-ready tunes (and hopefully tips at how to squeak the most out of their falsetto range) as he mentors the hopefuls and then performs on Wednesday's show. Known for their fleet of disco-friendly hits like "Jive Talkin," "How Deep Is Your Love" and, of course, their Saturday Night Fever smash, the Bee Gees' back catalog should prove a welcome challenge to the talented foursome. Plus, apart from vocal tips, expect the hirsute Gibb to supply style and performance advice in spades – just no leisure suits, please.
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Kelly Clarkson's My December Gets July Release Date
Kelly Clarkson fans can rest easy. Despite rumors that executives at RCA were so disappointed with her new music they decided to scrap the Idol's third album, My December will be released on July 24. Britain's the Daily Star reported that Sony BMG chief Clive Davis was "absolutely merciless in his criticism of Kelly" after he heard new tracks and decided to pull the plug on the singer's follow up to Breakaway, which sold six million copies.
But My December, produced by David Kahne, is back on track and pleasing critics.
Taylor Hicks Gives Young Musician a Chance to Shine
Taylor Hicks gave a young trumpet player the chance of a lifetime – to play alongside the reigning American Idol at the House of Blues in West Hollywood. Hicks treated 30 Compton High School students to a concert on Friday as part of the Grammy Foundation's Grammy SoundChecks – a program sponsored by Verizon that invites students to the rehearsals of major recording artists. Following a brief performance with his seven-person band, the singer, dressed in a white shirt and black pants, told students about his experience on American Idol before one young man boldly addressed Hicks and his band, asking them "I was just wondering if y'all needed a trumpet player?"
Inside Idol With Kimberly Caldwell
Now that American Idol is down to four singers, the competition is heating up and the pressure is rising, as contestants head into the final weeks. Kimberly Caldwell, who finished seventh place during season 2, tells the New York Daily News what's going on behind the scenes of the popular reality show – and inside the minds of LaKisha Jones, Melinda Doolittle, Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis.
"It's the biggest show in America, and you really don't know what's going on in the world," Caldwell, 25, explained. "You're in the American Idol bubble." So what are the contestants doing to keep busy? Caldwell tells the paper they're shooting those Ford commercials – that air on the Wednesday results shows – on weekends and practicing, practicing, practicing. Admitted Caldwell: "I know they're working 10 times harder than we did in season 2. I'm telling you, there is no downtime."
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Idol Hits the Road This Summer
From Hollywood to arenas across the country, the top 10 Idol finalists are gearing up to take part in the great summer tradition, American Idols Live, a revue-styled concert that will launch July 6 in Sunrise, Fla. As show organizers announce this year's extensive itinerary, consider several pressing questions: Will Sanjaya Malakar unveil a different hairstyle on each stop of the nearly 10-week trek? (And what will he do about the summer humidity?) And will recent castoff Phil Stacey even make the trip? It's possible that the chrome-domed singer, an active member of the U.S. Navy, might be forced to sit out the roadshow. Stacey recently said that "it would break my heart to not be able to go," but that his first commitment was to his job in the military. The tour, which features a combination of solo and group performances, will wrap in Manchester, N.H. on Sept. 22.
See the full itinerary after the jump:
Tamyra Gray: 'Rent'-ing Space on Broadway
Season 1 Idol finalist Tamyra Gray is headed to Broadway to star in Rent. Beginning May 29, Gray will slip into some latex pants and prowl her way through the role of Mimi Marquez before taking her final bow Nov. 25. During her stint in the show, Gray will be joined by original Rent castmembers Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp who will appear for
a limited run in the show from July 30-Sept. 9.
And Gray is no Broadway baby. She already starred in the Bollywood-themed show Bombay Dreams – and she's acted on television, too, netting a recurring role on Boston Public. Of course, Gray isn't the only Idol alum to find her way onto the Great White Way. Currently, Fantasia is starring in The Color Purple and Anthony Fedorov just joined the cast of off-Broadway smash The Fantasticks.
Diana DeGarmo's Stalker Sentenced to Community Service
An Australian woman was ordered to serve 150 hours of community service Friday, after she was convicted of stalking and blackmail. Her victim: American Idol season 3 finalist Diana DeGarmo, 19.
Tanya Maree Quattrocchi, 21, was obsessed with DeGarmo and called her 369 times and sent her 570 text messages between March and June last year, according to Australia's Herald Sun. One of the text messages, which the paper printed, read: "I could kill you before you could even lay a finger on me.
"I know I'm out of line here, but I don't give a f---.
"How badly do you want to kill me right now? Bring it on b----."
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Chris Richardson: I Knew I Was Going Home
When Idol producers lined up best buddies Chris Richardson and Blake Lewis for the final elimination of Wednesday's episode, it was one of the more emotional moments of the night. "The two of you are very, very close, is that right?" Ryan Seacrest asked of the only remaining guys, who partied together last weekend. "You guys are really good friends?"
"Best friends," they both answered back, inspiring an "aww" from the crowd. Seacrest then commented on how this was one of the toughest moments on the show, to which Richardson remarked, "And I'd go home for him too." Even if it wasn't his decision, Richardson's stint on Idol ended so that Lewis could stay.
The next day, the eliminated contestant spoke to reporters about his love life, the possibility of working with Lewis and knowing that his time was up.
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