Search Results for: American Idol

It seems that not everyone was happy with the outcome of this season’s American Idol. A large group of AI fans have banded together online and have started an email campaign to Fox and the Federal Communications Commission (or FCC), alleging that the talent contest was fixed in favor of winner Ruben Studdard. A group of emailed complaints collected by TheSmokingGun.com-who requested them from the FCC under the Freedom Of Information Act-profile various complaints, including the accusation that Fox provided fewer lines for runner-up Clay Aiken’s voters, that judge Simon Cowell deliberately refrained from picking on Studdard’s weight, and that… Read more »

Ruben Studdard outsang Clay Aiken to become the new “American Idol.” The cuddly mountain of soul aced out his lanky, spikey-haired rival for the title in viewer voting. The results were announced during Wednesday’s conclusion of the wildly popular Fox amateur hour. “I feel great, man! Thank y’all!” said Studdard, 24, of Birmingham, Ala. Then, filled with emotion, he sang a song of gratitude, “Flying Without Wings,” as the crowd roared “RUU-ben, RUU-ben!” As expected with the two highly appealing performers, the margin dividing them was slim. Of 24 million phoned-in votes, 50.28 percent were for Ruben, putting him 130,000… Read more »

Rapper/disc jockey Angie Martinez discovered she wasn’t tough enough to be an “American Idol” judge. Martinez, who was to join original judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul (news) and Randy Jackson for the Fox talent-search show’s second season, quit after the first few auditions. It became “too uncomfortable for me to tell someone else to give up on their dream, especially when I realized that many of them have supported my musical career,” Martinez said in a statement. Fox will stick with a trio of judges and not fill Martinez’s slot, a spokeswoman said Wednesday. The first edition of “American Idol,”… Read more »

Justin Guarini may be known all over the world as “Mr. Runner Up” from hit TV show “American Idol,” but RCA Records is betting the floppy-haired singer will be a winner on the record sales charts. RCA, a unit of Bertelsmann AG, on Wednesday said it will release the solo recordings of Guarini, 23, following the label’s success with the release of a single by the show’s champion, Kelly Clarkson. The bubbly 20-year-old’s rendition of “A Moment Like This,” the song Clarkson performed on the final episode of the show, has topped the charts in recent weeks. RCA said Guarini… Read more »

The girls still screamed every time former bar mitzvah singer Justin Guarini flashed his pearly whites, but it was soulful girl-next-door Kelly Clarkson who took home the title of “American Idol” Wednesday night. Coming off her bravura performance on Tuesday, the 20-year-old Burleson, Texas, cocktail waitress brought down the house moments after being crowned the champion of the talent contest. “I can’t believe it’s happening to me,” Clarkson sang, as fireworks rained down behind her during a performance of her soon-to-be-released first single, “A Moment Like This.” A choked-up Clarkson blew a line during her command performance (one of her… Read more »

Simon Cowell, the acerbic Brit who has helped give “American Idol” some of its sharpest — and nastiest — moments, will leave the popular singing show after this season.

“American Idol” runner-up Adam Lambert has told Rolling Stone magazine he is gay, answering a question that followed the singer for months since he gained millions of fans on the No. 1 U.S. TV talent show. “I don’t think it should be a surprise for anyone to hear that I’m gay,” Lambert told the music magazine in excerpts from an interview that were released on Tuesday. “I’m proud of my sexuality,” he added. “I embrace it. It’s just another part of me.” The issue with Lambert on the cover hits newsstands this Friday, with the full interview inside. During his… Read more »

One year after he was crowned “American Idol” champion, David Cook returned to the big blue stage last Wednesday night for charity. Cook performed a version of his song “Permanent,” which was made available on the iTunes Music Store immediately following his appearance, with all proceeds going to Accelerate Brain Trust Cure, a charity dedicated to finding a cure for brain cancer. It is a cause that hits close to home for Cook, who earlier this month lost his brother Adam to brain cancer after a decade-long battle with the disease. And that was evident during Cook’s “Idol” performance. Wearing… Read more »