Adam Lambert, Allison Iraheta Close To Finishing Debut Albums

There’s no rest for the signed on the American Idols Live! tour — just ask runner-up Adam Lambert and fourth-place finisher Allison Iraheta, who are using any down time on the road to continue working on their debut albums, which are both due in November.

Lambert tells Billboard.com that his set is “about midway” to being finished. “We recorded a bunch of stuff before the tour started, and I wrote a handful of stuff,” he reports. “We have three or four weeks after the tour ends that I have to record like crazy, but we have a lot of material to do that with.”

Billboard

Danny Gokey: ‘I’m very happy with my life right now’ 

If you followed my blog during the season, you know my feelings on Danny Gokey. He was my favorite from the very beginning, and then I just completely turned on him. I didn’t like his song choices, I thought he was getting too cocky, I hated how Simon was shoving him down our throats.

But when he sat across from me and looked me in the eyes, it was hard not to like him. He says, ‘You know what I mean?’  a lot and you actually do know what he means because he’s so good at drawing you into his world.

Herald-Dispatch

More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…

Are Five ‘American Idol’ Alumni Albums Dropping In November?

Looks like “Idol” fans will have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. In addition to major-label debuts by Kris Allen and Jason Castro hitting shelves in November, Carrie Underwood has now thrown her hat into the November “Idol” album thunderdome.

Underwood’s third album, Play On, is scheduled to land first, on November 3. Underwood’s camp told USA Today that the album will be produced by Mark Bright, who worked with Carrie on her first two albums.

MTV

Despite refunds, Clarkson’s cancellation irks fans

St. Paul, Minn. ‘” Even after flying to St. Paul and rehearsing hours before she was scheduled to perform, pop star Kelly Clarkson canceled her grandstand show last night at the Minnesota State Fair due to vocal issues.

Brienna Schuette, marketing and communications manager for the fair, said ticket holders will get refunds.

Tickets purchased at the state fair box office can be mailed along with credit card information and expiration date to get the refund, she said. People who purchased their tickets with cash will be mailed refund checks. Those who bought their tickets through Ticketmaster will get an immediate credit if they used a credit card.

Minnesotta Public Radio

Music review: Carrie Underwood at Ravinia

At Carrie Underwood’s sold-out show at Ravinia on Sunday night (with another scheduled for Monday), a bit of the planned spontaneity came unglued, which allowed Underwood’s voice to come shining through. When the girl chosen to join the country singer for “All-American Girl” had a case of stage fright, Underwood sang it alone after telling her, “It’s OK. Seriously, I wouldn’t have done it either.”

Chicago Tribune

Kellie Pickler interview, opening for Taylor Swift at Gwinnett Arena Wednesday

When I did my first interview with Kellie Pickler three years ago, she was packing and rather distracted. It wasn’t a good interview. Her publicist told me later that she told Kellie that that wasn’t a good way to do a phone interview.

Since then, she’s been greatly improved, offering up amusing stories and commentary in her goofy, charming way

AJC.om

Spotted: Taylor Hicks, in search of Mason-Dixon line for sweet tea

Former American Idol Taylor Hicks, now touring the country as Teen Angel in “Grease,” spent Monday, a travel day between Orlando and Fort Worth, in his hometown.

“I’m trying to find the Mason-Dixon Line for sweet tea,” he said, sipping the sweet stuff at the Diplomat Deli on U.S. 31 in Vestavia Hills. “Some states have it, and some don’t. I’m trying to find out where that line is.”

AL.com

Blake Lewis Beatboxes For Reality Rocks

Season 6 American Idol runner-up Blake Lewis, one of my favorite all-time Idols and certainly one of the series’ all-time edgiest contestants (hence why he’s one of my favorites, duh), stopped by the Yahoo! Music office today to play Heatrbreak On Vinyl in its entirety. It’s his sophomore album, and his first release for new label Tommy Boy…and happily, I managed to convince him to let me keep the disc. Because even though HoV isn’t officially out until October 6, it is already MY official new summer jamz album. I’ll definitely be cranking it in my car all September long, and well into fall and beyond.

Yahoo Music

IDOL WORSHIP: ‘American Idol’ wows crowd at Village Baptist (PHOTO)

A crowd at Village Baptist Church rubbed elbows and heard from an American Idol Sunday.

The Destin church, in partnership with WPSM 91.1, brought in Phil Stacey, the seventh-place finalist on American Idol in the sixth season of the wildly popular Fox reality show.

‘He was real, real personable and told a lot of stories about American Idol and how amazed he was that the Lord had given him this opportunity,’  said Michael Turner, minister of Music at Village Baptist. ‘He definitely thinks Paula was the best judge on American Idol.’ 

The Destin Log

Paula Abdul plays court judge in ‘Drop Dead Diva’

LOS ANGELES (AP) ‘” Paula Abdul is back in the judge’s seat ‘” but not on the American Idol stage.

Abdul cameos in Lifetime’s Drop Dead Diva as a gavel-banging, glammed-up version of herself in a dream sequence set in a Los Angeles courtroom. In the over-the-top scene, the former Idol judge dispenses oh-so-fabulous justice in the form of a vocal and fashion critique to Jane (played by Brooke Elliott), a plus-size lawyer possessed by a skinny model.

“Jane, you bring it with your voice, but you lose it with your choice,” Abdul declares.

USA Today

Paula Abdul has ‘never had more fun’

LOS ANGELES – Paula Abdul is heading to Las Vegas for her own show.

At a Sunday night soiree in Los Angeles to celebrate Lifetime’s primetime hit ‘Drop Dead Diva,’  which Abdul guest stars on in episodes airing Sept. 13 and Oct. 11, the former ‘American Idol’  judge confirmed the rumors she is about to get her own show in Sin City.

‘That will be more’ ¦ really announced later, when everything’s worked (out),’  a glowing Abdul told Access Hollywood’s Shaun Robinson. ‘It’s going to happen, but the details have yet to be ironed out.’ 

MSNBC

New Pics: Paula Abdul: Here Comes ‘da Judge

Paula Abdul may have given up her judging job on “American Idol,” but on an upcoming episode of “Drop Dead Diva,” she not only plays a judge, she gets to wear the robes … well, sort of!

“It’s nice to be the only judge,” Paula deadpans on her “The Dress” episode, airing Sept. 13 at 9 p.m. on Lifetime TV, and pictured here.

In the episode, Jane (Brooke Elliott) is outraged when she discovers an upscale women’s boutique refuses to carry any plus-size clothing. Despite opposition from her boss (Parker played by Josh Stamberg), Jane enlists (Kate Levering) to represent her when she decides to sue them.

ET Online

Dish Of Salt: Who’s The Biggest Loser On ‘Glee’?

AccessHollywood.com’s Laura Saltman catches up with ‘Glee’  stars Cory Monteith, Chris Colfer and more at Hot Topic in LA where they chat about their biggest loser moments in high school, songs they want to perform and surprises in upcoming episodes.

Access Hollywood

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