Katharine McPhee News (Page 5)

Nothing new here. Just a retrospective look by People at the runners-up in American Idol's brief history. These five singing standouts may have come in second, but they're still Idols to millions. Well, sometimes.

Here's the magazine's photo feature of the fabulous five who dazzled us on American Idol and (almost) went all the way.

KATHARINE MCPHEE / American Idol Season 5 Runner-Up
After opening up about her struggle with bulimia, Katharine McPhee became a role model not just for her voice (which Simon Cowell called the "best of the competition" in 2006), but for her courage. The 22-year-old, who has found love with actor Nick Cokas, will release her self-titled debut album on January 30. "I am just the person who didn't want to settle for not having everything I dreamed of," she says.

BO BICE / American Idol Season 4 Runner-Up
Bo Bice, who lost the 2005 title to country sweetheart Carrie Underwood, has been enjoying his family life with wife, Caroline Fisher, and 15-month-old son, Aiden. The rocker is also working on a follow-up to his 2005 chart-topping debut, The Real Thing. "They allow me to go out and pretend I'm a rock star for three-quarters of the year, and when I get home, they ground me," said the candid, often self-deprecating Bo Bice.

DIANA DEGARMO / American Idol Season 3 Runner-Up
Second to Fantasia Barrino in 2004, DeGarmo released her debut album (Blue Skies) at only 17 years of age. She's found greater footing, however, in the field of musical theater. "It's led me ... where I want to be, a singer for the people," she told the Dallas Morning News in July. Diana DeGarmo won raves last year as Penny Pingleton in Broadway's "Hairspray," and is back with the show after doing a summer tour with Brooklyn: "The Musical."

CLAY AIKEN / American Idol Season 2 Runner-Up
Yes, we are forced to do a double-take every time we're reminded he didn't win. Ask the "Claymates" - his legion of fans - and they'll tell you the same. The 28-year-old North Carolinan, who recently released his third album, A Thousand Different Ways, is known for his sharp wit and big heart. And oh, that voice. But there's something else Clay Aiken would like to accomplish: starting a family. "I want to be a father so badly," he told People in September.

JUSTIN GUARINI / American Idol Season 1 Runner-Up
He once described his post-American Idol career path as a "free fall," but despite his setbacks, Justin Guarini (who lost to Kelly Clarkson in the show's 2002 first season) hasn't given up. He's currently at work on a follow-up to his recently released jazz album, Stranger Things Have Happened, and is filming a comedy, Fast Girl. "To be able to go around the country and keep making music, the one overriding emotion I have is gratitude," he said.

The Internet serial Lonelygirl15 will receive star treatment Friday when American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee plays a guest role.

McPhee was an early fan of the show, which unravels the mystery of a 16-year-old girl named Bree in short video segments posted on YouTube, Revver and an official website.

"I followed it from the beginning," McPhee told The Associated Press. "I thought it would be fun to meet all those characters."

McPhee's management contacted the creators of the Web series about a guest spot. The writers had already been devising a female character who briefly meets Bree and had been searching for ways to cast fans as characters. They readily agreed to cast McPhee in the nonrecurring role.

"She has an album coming out and thought it would be fun to go on the show," said Lonelygirl15 co-creator Miles Beckett.

A song from McPhee's debut album, which hits stores Jan. 30, will be featured as background music on Friday's Webisode, although McPhee will not be seen singing.

Instead, the 22-year-old will play an unnamed character who meets Bree and her friends after they briefly emerge from hiding. The episode, titled "Truth or Dare," was filmed last week. McPhee did not get paid for her role.

McPhee said she enjoyed the experience, especially the natural way she was able to deliver her lines. The show, though scripted, is shot in the form of a journal, where characters speak off the cuff into a Web camera.

McPhee said she learned some upcoming twists and turns of the closely guarded plot, but laughed when asked to share them.

"No!" she said, adding she would love to reprise her role. "I would definitely go back if they asked me."

Katharine McPhee is kicking off sweeps month on Ugly Betty. Last season's American Idol runner-up will appear as herself on the Feb. 1 episode, "I'm Coming Out," about Mode's runway show.

The show will air two days after McPhee's self-titled album hits stores. Ugly Betty stars newcomer, America Ferrera.

This is the second annoucement in a week of an American Idol alum jumping onto the small screen. Kelly Clarkson will guest star on an upcoming episode of Reba, as well.

We may know a lot about the music of Katharine McPhee - but we aren't exactly style experts.

Fortunately, Us Weekly recently spoke to those that are. The magazine talked to McPhee's hairstylist, Campbell, along with her make up artist, Jake Bailey. Just how did they decide upon this beauty's look for the Billboard Music Awards?

First, there was Jake's no-smudge mascara trick of putting cardboard right under the lashes while applying.

Then, to get Katharine's hair wild and rock 'n' roll-like, Campbell scrunch-dried it and started curling it on a medium barrel iron from the bottom of her head up. From there, he took random sections between the curls, braided them, and ran a flat iron over them to lock in the wave. (It's not so easy to be an American Idol, is it?)

Now shake it out and you have a fabulous wavy texture to toughen up the curls. To keep it locked in place for the big show, Campbell gave McPhee's hair more than one spritz of hair spray.

When it came to make up, Bailey said:

"Simply Katherine herself. She is such a natural beauty."

To keep the singer from looking washed out on camera, Jake used a slightly darker foundation on her face, followed by a dusting of Benefit's Dallas blush which he says "has just the right amount of shimmer to highlight the apples of her cheeks when she flashes her gorgeous smile."

He also used Prescriptives Liner in Jet on her eyes. He finished her off with a waterproof lip liner from Styli-Style and Chanel Glossimer in Pagoda.

Got all that? You can take a look at other Katharine McPhee pictures if you want more of an idea of how her looks vary.

It hits stores on January 30, but here's a look at the song titles from the debut album by Katharine McPhee.

1. Love Story

2. Over It (co-written and co-produced by Billy Steinberg, who wrote such sings as How Do I Make You by Linda Ronstadt, I Touch Myself by The Divinyls, True Colors by Cyndi Lauper, and many more)

3. Open Toes (which has a Katharine co-write credit, along with four other people)

4. Home

5. Not Ur Girl (another Katharine co-write)

6. Each Other

7. Dangerous

8. Ordinary World

9. Do What You Do

10. Better Off Alone

11. Neglected (a third co-write for Katharine, again with four others)

12. Everywhere I Go (produced and co-written by Babyface)

We'll provide you with more updates about this American Idol star's first release as news comes in.

Katharine McPhee will be doing a first-ever in the Rose Parade New Year's morning.

She'll be singing live from a float. That's right: no lip-syncing will be involved at all.

The sponsors of the float, LifeSource Water Systems, say this will be the first live vocal performance from an entertainment float in Rose Parade history. And what better person to set the standard than this former American Idol favorite?

The float is called "Clean Water." On it, McPhee will be in the middle of a lush garden setting, standing between a giant leaping frog and a working faucet gushing 400 gallons a minute of water.

Sounds like fun to us! A reminder, while we're here: Katharine's album is now due to come out January 30.

We told you this was a new Katharine McPhee.

Those that didn't believe us need only to look at the album cover for the latest American Idol runner-up to see a seriously sexy side that didn't always come through on the FOX series.

McPhee's first CD will hit stores on January 30. In the meantime, we'll have to update our Katharine McPhee picture section to include these seductive shots ...

Katharine McPhee isn't in Kansas anymore - or, to be more precise, she isn't singing the beloved tune, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," anymore.

It's part of an image makeover the American Idol runner-up is excited about.

"It's a really great thing," McPhee told MTV.com. "Love that song, it's been a great run, but it's time to put it down."

In fact, when McPhee's record label announced plans to include her signature song from Idol on her upcoming debut album, the singer replied in the negative, saying it didn't fit in with the album.

During her run, critics implied McPhee's greatest downfall was overconfidence, but her strong sense of self is also her greatest strength, as the 22-year-old Los Angeles native sets out to transition that fame into a career.

"The one thing you learn about American Idol is that you have to be really tough," McPhee said. "You learn how to be a powerful businesswoman right away, and I have gotten really strong about what I want and what I don't. And, for me, it's fun because it's me against all the guys."

What McPhee doesn't want is to be rushed. While debut Idol albums are typically released at the end of the same year as the finalists' season and subsequent tour, she's been vocal about pushing her LP to 2007.

The release date for Katharine's debut looks to be January 30.

"The most important thing is making it the record that is really me," McPhee said. "I think people didn't know what I was going to be. Was I going to be the Celine Dion, the Barbra [Streisand] or the Pussycat Dolls?"

McPhee insisted she's the same "classy Katharine" she was on Idol, but called the new tunes a sort of combination of the three.

"With everything I had to deal with [during the tour] with my voice being down, a broken foot and all of that stuff, it was nice to take time to really think about what I wanted to do," she said. "I was getting submitted a lot of songs that just weren't right and I didn't think I could make them mine, so it's been taking a little bit more time.

So now we've been building the songs like how you would if you were making a record if you weren't on 'Idol' and you would take five months. It's been a cool creative experience for me. I'm really a songwriter and I'm learning from the best people in the business."

Continue Reading...

Not that we're complaining. The fact of the matter is that we could break down Katharine McPhee pictures all day long and not come across a bad one. But it's interesting how she has evolved, style-wise, over the past year.

Take a look at Katharine McPhee at the beginning of her American Idol run (left), near the end of the competition (center), and last night at the American Music Awards. Needless to say, she pulls all three looks off quite well.

Here’s some information we’ve come across from around the world of American Idol. There’s certainly a lot going on with our favorite stars, as we try our best to keep you updated...

KELLIE PICKLER

Although she confessed terrible details of her childhood this week, there's been nothing but good news for Kellie Pickler (right) in terms of album sales and critical recognition.

Her CD, Small Town Girl, sold 79,000 copies in its first week and debuted at #9 on the Billboard 200 and #1 on the Country chart! Good for her!

CHRIS DAUGHTRY & ACE YOUNG

Tickets are now on sale for San Diego Star 94.1's Jingle Ball, a concert takeing place Friday, December 8 at 7 p.m. Chris Daughtry and Ace Young will appear, along with Jewel, Smashmouth, Five for Fighting and 3 Doors Down. For ticket information, check out the station's website.

Also, if you want to hear a preview of the debut album from the Daughtry band, the Sony music store has put up a few clips to stir fans' appetites.

FANTASIA BARRINO

The release date for Fantasia Barrino's CD has been moved from November 28 to December 12. Not clear on why this delay is taking place, but we look forward to hearing the album in December.

KATHARINE MCPHEE

The debut album was first moved from November 28 to December 5, and now, we're told it's been moved again, back to December 19, barely enough time to capitalize on Christmas sales. Of course, as tends to happen with Katharine McPhee, rumors are swirling regarding the delay. Does the starlet continue to have voice problems? Are there issues between her and the producers?

One item that has not been delayed is Katharine's appearance on VH1's Big in '06 on Sunday, December 3. She'll also be presenting on the American Music Awards along with Taylor Hicks and Clay Aiken. Carrie Underwood will be a performer. The AMA's will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and will air live next Tuesday, November 21!