Brooke White's high hopes

MySpace blogs really can clear things up! Brooke White, "American Idol" Season 7 finalist, set the record straight yesterday. She's making a record, but not on the label it was announced she was with because of a mix-up based on an Entertainment Weekly "Where Are They Now?" piece.

White explains:

I guess there was a little mix up, because I actually signed a management deal with SANCTUARY ARTIST MANAGEMENT... NOT Sanctuary Records. No biggie... just a  lil' miscommunication.

Then she goes on to tell us what we really want to know:

Everyone has been inquiring as to when to expect this album, and while I have been giving a ballpark estimation of late spring -early summer, I have set a real date. So here it is, You can expect to find "High Hopes and Heart break" on June 2, 2009, which also happens to be a "New Music Tuesday" as well as my actual birthday! I know that might seem far away... but ya know what, quality takes a little bit of time, and truth is time is flying by at warp speed and June will be here before we know it!

There appears to be more high hopes than heart break in the married valley girl's life, but a little heart break can definitely create some great songs, such as Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" and Pat Benatar's "Love Is a Battlefield," both of which she performed on "Idol" .... We'll look forward to hearing White's own music this summer.

--Leslie Anne Wiggins

photo: Fox

Kellie Pickler to join BFF Taylor Swift on tour

Kellie Pickler announced on her MySpace blog today that she will join fellow country singer, pal Taylor Swift, on tour. The Season 5 "American Idol" finalist and Swift will kick off the Fearless 2009 tour in Evansville, Indiana, and go on to play 52 cities over six months. The close friends, whose circle reportedly also includes Carrie Underwood and Katharine McPhee, have already collaborated on a song--Pickler's second single, "Best Days of Your Life". Pickler hints there's more to come:

"It's always fun to be on tour and be with the fans, and to be out with Taylor, who is like a sister to me, is really awesome. We wrote my current single, 'Best Days of Your Life,' on tour together last year, and I'm sure we're going to write on the road together this year, too. So guys: you've been warned. Don't make us mad, because you might just hear about it on the radio!"

Kellie’s current single, "Best Days Of Your Life," is a musical revenge song that she co-wrote with Taylor, who lends background vocals on the album as well. When her self-titled, sophomore album debuted at number one on Billboard's Country Album Chart in the fall of 2008, Kellie Pickler became only the sixth country artist in history to have both their first and second albums debut at number one.

Tickets to the May 22 Los Angeles concert will be the first to go on sale, on Friday Feb. 6 at 10am through Ticketmaster.

--Leslie Anne Wiggins

photo: Vince Bucci/Getty

"Idol" burnishes that squeaky-clean image

Throughout its history, the "American Idol" machine has shown brilliance at taking lemons and making them into lemonade. Now it's parlaying its sudsy public image to make soap.

Tying its image for "good clean fun" to an appeal to college students and the younger demographic, the show announced today in a press release that it will hand out "Idol"-brand detergent to laundry-room-bound undergrads. The release follows after the jump.

After the auditions: the 12 front-runners

So the auditions are behind us.  We haven't seen everyone yet, but we've seen a lot of them.  And on the basis of that half-information, we are prepared to make some predictions. 

Tens of thousands were summoned by the "Idol" trumpets.  We predict that when the dust settles and the curtain rises over the Idoldome in five weeks, it will be these 12 warriors of song onstage prepared to seize the mantle of history.  (Actually we couldn't narrow it down to 12, so we threw in one extra.)

In no particular order.  Listed by name, (audition city), age, hometown.  Audition song. Interesting fact. Link to check them out (while they last).

1. Lil Rounds: (Kansas City) 23, Memphis TN. Sang "All I Do."  Family made homeless by a tornado.  Audition video here.

2. Adam Lambert (San Francisco) 26, Hollywood, CA. Sang  “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Was in the cast of "Wicked"; looks like Ewan McGregor. Remnants of MySpace page here.  Audition video here.

3. Rose Flack (Salt Lake City) 17, Rathdrum, ID. Sang Carole King's “I Feel the Earth Move." Recently orphaned, barefoot hippie girl. MySpace page here. Audition video here.

4. Jackie Tohn (New York) 27, Silver Lake, CA. Sang Jason Mraz's "I’m Yours." Rocker since childhood.  Audition video here. Personal site here.

5. Scott MacIntyre: (Phoenix) 22, Scottsdale, AZ. Sang Billy Joel's "And So It Goes." Legally blind.  Audition video here. Personal site here.

6. Joanna Pacitti. (Louisville) 23, Philadelphia, PA.  Sang Pat Benatar's "We Belong." Had earlier recording career on A&M Records. Audition video here. MySpace page here.

7. Jorge Nunez. (San Juan) 20, Carolina, Puerto Rico. Sang  "My Way” and "What a Wonderful World." Charmed the judges when he sang in Spanish.  Audition video here. 

8. Meghan Corkrey. (Salt Lake) 23, Sandy, UT. Sang “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man.”  Heavily tattooed single mother. Audition video here.

9. Kai Kalama: (San Francisco) 26, San Clemente, CA.  Sang "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes."  Cares for ailing mother.  Audition video here.  MySpace page for former band here.

10. Leneshe Young: (Louisville) 18, Cincinnati, OH. Sang original song.  Raised in homeless shelters.  Audition video here.

11. Von Smith: (Kansas City) 22, Greenwood, MO. Sang  "Over the Rainbow." Wore goofy hat; "attempts things most guys don't attempt to sing." Audition video here. MySpace page here.

12. Danny Gokey (Kansas City) 28. Milwaukee, WI.  Sang "Heard It Through the Grapevine."  Grieving recently deceased wife. Audition video here.  MySpace page here.

13. Michael Castro (Kansas City) 20. Rockwall, TX.  Sang "In Love With a Girl." Brother of Season 7 giant Jason Castro.  Audition video here.   

Whom have I left out?  Please share your thoughts!  Hollywood Week is coming fast.

-- Richard Rushfield

Photo: Fox

 

Audition's end post-game chat/Noon PT

Jennifer Hudson: back with love

Season 3 "American Idol" finalist Jennifer Hudson will perform the national anthem at the Super Bowl in Tampa, Fl. on Sunday, but that doesn't mean she's taking it easy this week. In the wake of her well-documented family tragedy, Hudson is returning to her singing career. E! Online has the details of the Dreamgirl's comeback:

Production on the 27-year-old singer's new music video, "If This Isn't Love," quietly kicked off in Los Angeles yesterday. The shoot marked the first step in Hudson's professional comeback in the wake of the deaths of her mother, brother and nephew last October.

The video is set for its official release during the week of Feb. 9, and will follow her appearance at the Grammys Feb. 8—itself coming on the heels of a scheduled Feb. 6 performance at the 2009 MusiCares Person of the Year gala in L.A.

The windy city native has a bustling month coming up. With her love song's video release appropriately right around Valentine's Day, it seems like she's making her way back at just the right time.

--Leslie Anne Wiggins

photo: Annamaria DiSanto/RCA Music

NYC and SJ, PR: At audition's end

And so at last we slump to the end of the audition tour.  Truth be told, this portion of the season is "American Idol's" toughest balancing act.  I meet many, many people who declare that the audition episodes are the only part of the season they watch, just enjoying the freak show.

But for those of us here for the serious business of picking the next American Idol, it is a bit of a slog.  The producers of "Idol" have frequently told me that they believe the entire season would make no sense if it weren't for the auditions; that those needle in the haystack moments set the context of discovering these little talents in the middle of nowhere, plucking them out from behind the plow or lunch counter and bringing them to the Big City where they can make good.  If the show opened on stage in Hollywood, the producers say, it would make no sense as a journey from nowhere to stardom. 

I pretty much buy all that, far as it goes.  (I could do with a few less tragic tales and a little more acceptance of people's past musical careers as part of a redemption narrative.) And indeed, there is little more satisfying in life than that moment when you finally find that needle in the haystack.  That is a great moment.  The problem is, if you don't love the freak show distractions, sorting through a mountain of hay is not in itself the most enthralling process.

Simon himself said tonight, "I hate comedy auditions."  I can not disagree and thus, as much as I know we need the auditions, and treasure certain moments, I am very relieved that the trail has come to an end.

But Simon saying that suggests an adherence to a fiction that he certainly knows better than.  The parade before the judges is presented as though it occurred on the same day as the tens of thousands lined up outside the stadiums, thus suggesting there was no vetting process prior to standing before Randy Jackson et famile.  Thus suggesting what the judges see is a random sample of the masses (if not all of them) and not a group weeded out in multiple rounds as either the best or the worst of the masses. (Indeed, when the contestants are sitting in the waiting room, producers come out and tell them, "Half of you are here because you are really good, half of you because you are really bad.")

Phil Stacey Blog: Last stops on the audition road

As we enter the last night of auditions, I feel like I have a pretty good idea of a few faces we will see for weeks to come.  That being said, remember that there is always an underdog story.  The early front-runner NEVER wins.  After my audition for Season 6, nobody could have predicted that I would be in the Top 6.  Most critics were surprised to see me in the Top 24!  But I showed the judges something during Hollywood week that I was unable to while under the pressure of auditions.

Many commentators seem upset by the “ringers” they have seen.  Many auditioning this year have had careers before.  One was even recognized by Kara.... But remember, ultimately it is America that will choose the winner, not the judges.  All of the contestants have dreamed of a career in music their whole lives.  Whether they have “almost” had it or not, none of them have actually had it.  They are on equal playing fields.  So with that in mind, let us begin with New York City and Puerto Rico.

The first audition is Adeola, and I can tell as soon as she starts comparing herself to Mariah Carey and Mary J. Blige that she is not to be taken seriously.  Simon shows his softer side by calling her boss to ask her to give Adeola her job back, which she lost in order to audition.  Guess what, Simon, we like you being insensitive.  Please lose this softer side before Hollywood starts.  Especially since I’m no longer the one on the receiving end....

Next up is Jorge Nunez.  I have been waiting for someone with a classic sound to show up on this show.  He sails through to Hollywood, and I hope to see him again down the road.

Jessica Baier is next and sings a good rendition of “I Surrender” by Celine Dion.  Simon and Randy agree that she is bad, but my wife and I thought she was pretty good.  Did we hear something different than they did?  Come on....   She is so much better than many people who will be in Hollywood.  On behalf of the judges, I am sorry, Jessica.

Justin Guarini living in 'Gone Country 3's' Nashville mansion

Curly-haired "American Idol" debut season runner-up Justin Guarini is among the residents of a Nashville mansion as part of the CMT TV show "Gone Country 3," which premiered last Saturday and will air Saturdays at 8 p.m. The show is hosted by country star John Rich; other cast members include funk musician George Clinton and model-actor Richard Greico. The celebrities compete to become the best all-around country performer. The Houston Chronicle got the details from Guarini:

“What was new to me was getting deeper into the catalog of country music, which is about God, country, patriotism. It’s the heartland music.”

The winner will release a single produced by Rich, who has penned big hits for Gretchen Wilson, Faith Hill and his former duo, Big & Rich. Previous "Gone Country" winners Julio Iglesias Jr. and Sebastian Bach failed to make an impression on country audiences.

In addition to planning a summer wedding to fiancee Reina Capodici, Guarini hosts a weekly blogtalkradio show. Tune in Saturday to see his country music efforts.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

'American Idol' tries to make right with Mark Mudd

One of the most awkward moments of this year's "American Idol" audition tour was the ambiguous exchange between Paula Abdul and contestant Mark Mudd, who said goodbye to the slightly on-edge judge with the parting words, "Be careful," advice she took as a threat.

Today, on the "American Idol" website, the producers issued a clarification about the strange moment in "Idol" history.  They wrote:

We apologize to any viewers who were offended by the misinterpretation of the contestant's comment to "be careful" upon completion of his audition in Louisville, KY. Our visits to audition cities are relatively brief and sometimes regional greetings and salutations are lost in translation. We had not heard that phrase from any other contestants during the day, so it took everyone by surprise. We now know better and look forward to visiting Louisville again someday.

-- Richard Rushfield

Photo: "Idol" judges Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul. Fox