6:30 AM PDT 10/21/2011 by Shirley Halperin
Executives at Universal Music Group breathed a collective sigh of relief Oct. 11. That’s when the sales numbers came in on American Idol season 10 winner Scotty McCreery’s debut album, Clear As Day, the first full-length release to emerge from the company’s partnership with TV’s No. 1 show.
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6:00 AM PDT 10/7/2011 by Keith Caulfield, Billboard
American Idol season 10 winner Scotty McCreery is poised to become the first Idol champ since Ruben Studdard in 2003 (and only third overall) to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart with their first release.
Industry prognosticators suggest McCreery's new album, Clear As Day, will bow atop the tally next week with perhaps 160,000 to 170,000 copies sold by week's end on Oct. 9.
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5:45 AM PDT 10/6/2011 by Shirley Halperin
He avoided elimination all through his American Idol run, but Season 9 winner Lee DeWyze has reached the end of the road at RCA Records.
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11:00 AM PDT 6/28/2011 by Jethro Nededog
The Today show welcomed American Idol Season 7 winner, David Cook on Tuesday. The singer performed his first song from his second album, This Loud Morning.
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5:06 PM PDT 6/23/2011 by Shirley Halperin
With the American Idol summer tour about to kick off (July 6 at West Valley City, Utah’s Maverik Center is the first date of the two-month trek) and the careers of Season 10’s alums soon to launch, some key management decisions have been made in recent weeks.
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4:34 PM PDT 6/1/2011 by Shirley Halperin
Season 10 may be over, but American Idol alumni live on in the land of Twitter, where more than 100 former finalists -- but not Carrie Underwood, weirdly -- keep up with their fans, family and friends. Looking to stay in touch with your favorite Idols of years past? How about the judges, executive producers and behind-the-scenes staffers who bring America's No. 1 show to life?
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9:26 PM PDT 5/27/2011 by Shirley Halperin
If the onstage action at American Idol's season 10 finale wasn't exciting enough, the off-camera drama between executive producer Nigel Lythgoe and season 9 winner Lee DeWyze certainly had tongues wagging the day after.
To recap: DeWyze, who released his debut album Live It Up in November 2010, was not asked to sing on the finale, despite a long-held Idol tradition of having the previous year's winner perform their latest single. And when the idea was brought forth of having DeWyze hand over a microphone-shaped trophy to his successor -- Lythgoe says it was presented a week prior, DeWyze says it was more like two minutes before the announcement of winner Scotty McCreery -- DeWyze declined, saying he did not feel it was appropriate to be in "Scotty's moment."
All the gory details of Idol politics were revealed via Twitter, where both men have large and active followings. Soon after, it looked to be a case of "class versus ass," as one commenter noted of the feud, but it's taken on a whole new level of absurdity as at least one party can't seem to let it go. (Worth noting: Lythgoe did not work on Idol during Lee DeWyze's season.) What's DeWyze's take now that the feud has spread to heights never imagined? THR's Idol Worship tracked him down on Friday afternoon for an update on Trophy-gate.
The Hollywood Reporter: A lot has been said in the 48 hours since the finale, how are you feeling about things now?
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8:20 PM PDT 5/26/2011 by Shirley Halperin, Michele Amabile Angermiller
The finale may be over, but plenty of Idol-related questions still linger. Read on for some unexpected answers (we're looking at you Aerosmith superfan, David Cook!)...
Did season 8 winner Kris Allen watch the Glee finale, which featured Matthew Morrison singing his single “Still Got tonight,” a song Allen wrote?
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12:28 PM PDT 5/23/2011 by Shirley Halperin
American Idol alumni are not unlike a military platoon, a fraternity pledge class or the cast of the Real World – 12 (or 13 this year) seemingly random people experiencing both a traumatic and exultant event in their lives, and one that will most certainly set the course for their future. And that’s not meant in the flowery way. For an Idol finalist, whether he or she comes in second or tenth, the lifetime affiliation and all that comes with it -- from adulation to annoyance -- is the same.
THR COVER STORY: Secrets Behind American Idol's Big Comeback
In fact, for most Idol grads, the competition starts again following the finale, as with each passing season, another dozen great talents enter the marketplace armed with name recognition in the tens of millions and looking for TV bookings, record deals, tours, studio time, etc.
For the Idols that decide to remain in L.A. after the show -- and a lot of them do -- it means having to be extra resourceful, thick-skinned and an expert networker. Not surprisingly, they often look to each other for support, creative flow and just a general sense of familiar empathy, which is one reason why we thought, in honor of Idol’s tenth anniversary, to gather 30 Idol grads (well, technically 29 and one vocal coach) who not only made it to Hollywood, but resolved to stay and work in entertainment. You might be surprised at what some former cast-offs are doing now.
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5:50 AM PDT 5/19/2011 by Shirley Halperin
As American Idol season 7 winner David Cook gears up to release his highly anticipated second album This Loud Morning (due June 28), the rocker will make several key stops in the coming weeks, among them: an appearance at the Hollywood Walk of Fame induction ceremony honoring Simon Fuller and a performance on the Idol season 10 finale, THR's Idol Worship has learned.
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5:02 PM PDT 4/25/2011 by Emily Rome, Shirley Halperin
David Cook adds another event to his agenda in the weeks leading up to the release of his much anticipated second album. The American Idol season 7 winner will headline the NARM (National Association of Recording Merchandisers) Convention awards dinner, taking place Thursday, May 12 at the Hyatt Regency Century City Hotel.
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