Melinda Doolittle
News

American Idol season 6 finalist Melinda Doolittle has finally signed a record deal.

Entertainment Weekly reports that Doolittle will join the roster at independent label Hi Fi Recordings. The label also has had a hand in successful efforts by Avril Lavigne and Spacehog, among others.

Hi Fi was founded in 1995 by music industry vet John Hecker and was originally a joint venture with major labels Elektra, Arista, and Virgin Records. Doolittle's debut is expected to be released this fall.

Congrats to Melinda Doolittle on her record deal!

We'll learn tonight about the efforts of Jordin Sparks and Melinda Doolittle to help children in Africa, but the pair of season six finalists spoke to Us Weekly about their experiences, as well.

They first learned of the Malaria No More initiative on last year's Idol Gives Back and were moved to act as soon as their schedule would allow. Doolittle partnered with the organization in 2007, traveling to Zambia in June; Sparks followed suit in February 2008 visiting Ghana.

Both women traveled with First Lady Laura Bush.

“One day my Mom called me up and said ‘Laura Bush is wondering if you would like to go with her [to Ghana].’ And I was like ‘What?!’ You don’t get a message like that every day,” Sparks said.

Doolitttle concurs.

“[Traveling was] the perfect opportunity for me. We were in rehearsals for the tour and I missed a few, but it was more than worth it.

“It just blew my mind the things that we take for granted, like clean water or the fact that we can put on bug repellent and not be worried about mosquitoes around us. However, even though the community [in Zambia] is stricken by something like Malaria, they have a hope like no other. Just $10 [for a bed net] can save a family. You’d spend that if you went to Starbucks twice!”

Hear that, readers? Get ready to donate tonight!

Melinda Doolittle, a 1999 Belmont University graduate, will host and perform at the school's annual "Christmas at Belmont" concert.

The concert will be taped on November 19 and wil and air Monday, December 24 at 10PM ET/PT on PBS.

"I have a lot of wonderful memories from performing at Belmont," said the third-place finisher on this year's America Idol. "I was a part of Belmont Pops, University Chorus, Jazzmin, and Chadasha so I've been performing here for the longest time, even at the Commercial Music showcase. I'm really, really excited to be coming back for 'Christmas at Belmont,' to be given another chance to perform and also to host."

Over 400 students, the university's School of Music faculty and the Nashville Children's Choir are all scheduled to perform at the "Christmas at Belmont" concert, which will include everything from familiar carols to classical pieces.

"We are just incredibly pleased and excited to have Melinda hosting our 'Christmas at Belmont' this year," said Belmont's College of Visual and Performing Arts Dean Cynthia Curtis. "For those of us around Belmont who've known Melinda since she was a freshman, she has always been a complete pleasure to work with. What we saw as she participated in the American Idol process is really who she is: she's very humble and yet very talented as a musician and performer."

To Melinda Doolittle, the Factory at Franklin will seem like a homecoming.

A finalist on American Idol, the Brentwood resident will take the stage once again - and for one night only - in a fundraising concert for the Boiler Room Theater in November.

“We are so excited to have Melinda back with us. It’s such a joy to hear her sing,” said Sondra Morton-Chaffin, a member of the nonprofit theater group.

The event — billed as "Melinda Doolittle and Friends" — also promises some other famous faces backing up the performer.

A Belmont University music major, Doolittle performed with Boiler Room in stage productions such as The 1940s Radio Hour and Big River before appearing on the television show.

The concert begins at 8 p.m. November 9 in The Factory at Franklin’s Liberty Hall. Tickets are $50 in advance or $150 for the first three rows. If any general seating remains the day of the concert, spots will be sold for $100.

All proceeds go to the theater organization that also supports youth programs such as performance workshops, summer camps and three fully-staged children’s productions each year.

TV Guide recently sat down with third-place finisher, Melinda Doolittle. Here are highlights from the interview...

TV Guide: How's the tour going?
Melinda Doolittle: It is so much fun! We're having a blast.

TV Guide: Is it everything you hoped it would be?
Melinda: It is, and a lot more. I thought that maybe I knew what to expect because I had toured before, but it's like night and day for me. They pay such attention to detail.

TV Guide: What kind of details do they pay attention to?
Melinda: They take good care of us. They make sure that we're taken care of as far as food goes, of course. There's even a massage therapist out here!

TV Guide: No way. You have to tell me about that.
Melinda: Oh! It's like heaven on earth. They have one in every city. They lay you down on a table and they're like, "What area hurts?"

TV Guide: Wow.
Melinda: I know! I'm like, "This is great because I'm almost 30." Depending on what kind of time we have and what the day looks like, we may have 15 minutes or something like that, but it's totally worth it. But I've only gotten one and a half so far.

TV Guide: What's a "half" of a massage?
Melinda: Well, I had to run in and then I ended up having to go somewhere really quickly so we didn't really get started. I ended up having to go do some interviews, but it was totally fine because I at least got a good three minutes in. It was very good.

TV Guide: Are you getting any other fun perks on the tour? Green M&Ms or anything crazy on your bus?
Melinda: I don't think anything quite that specific, but if we want something like hot tea, they make sure that's available. We're kind of a low-maintenance group so we're just like, "Tea's good. Got any juice? We're good!"

TV Guide: I saw everyone drinking Jamba Juice at rehearsals. Are you still drinking that?
Melinda: Oh, during rehearsal times they went to Starbucks and Jamba Juice to start our day. We don't have that on tour, but we have all of the Pop-Tarts we can eat! [Pop-Tarts is a tour sponsor.]

TV Guide: That sounds good. Is that your favorite thing?
Melinda: It's maybe not my favorite, but some people love it.

TV Guide: Like who?
Melinda: Jordin Sparks loves Pop-Tarts, so she's kind of schooling me on that whole thing. I just got to taste the brown sugar [variety] and I'm loving that. We have an unlimited supply in case you want some.

TV Guide: Are there any favorite foods among the singers?
Melinda: I love apple juice, that's my favorite thing. I can kind of OD on apple juice! I know that one of the girls loves salami, so sometimes there's a salami craving.

TV Guide: Seriously? I have to know who that is.
Melinda: I'm not telling you who it is. [Laughs] We have some interesting cravings every once in a while, just because we're chicks. The guys are pretty low-maintenance as far as that goes. "Is there food?" That's the main deal for the guys.

TV Guide: Do you have any pre- or post-show rituals?
Melinda: There are people who kind of wait around over by where our buses normally are, so after a show, we try to run out and say hi and take pictures and hug people and sign things if they want us to. That has been the most fun. We kind of hang out by the buses afterwards, and maybe even throw a football around. I learned how to throw a football last night. I'm very excited about that.

Follow our link to read what else Melinda had to say..

American Idol finalist Melinda Doolittle had quite a homecoming Wednesday when the Brentwood resident and former back-up singer took center stage at the Sommet Center with the nine other Idol finalists.

"I am so excited to be home," Melinda said to The Tennesseean. "Nashville has been amazingly supportive. They have done more than their share of helping me out, so I am excited to be able to say thank you."

What's next for Doolitte?

"That is the best question in the world. I don't know the answer yet," she said. "I'll find out as it goes along. I'm just letting God take control of that."

Finalists Phil Stacey, whose parents live in Smyrna, and Chris Sligh, who has family in Springfield, both plan on moving here soon. Phil is likely to sign with a major country label, while Chris will probably opt for a Nashville Christian label. It's too soon to announce their label or management affiliations, but it's safe to say they're in talks with top-notch folks.

"I do plan on putting out a country record," said Stacey, who spent time with his parents, wife and daughters in his hotel room Wednesday. "My influences are country and gospel, so I may put out a blend of the two, music I can express my faith in as well as just hopefully make a connection with the listening audience."

Idol winner Jordin Sparks spent the day with Michael W. Smith and his birthday-girl daughter, Anna.

"There's a house for sale in Anna's neighborhood," Jordin aid. "I was like, 'I'm buying it.' It's a dream just talking about it, but I would love to move here."

Melinda Doolittle will be teaming up with First Lady Laura Bush for a trip to Africa as part of a Malaria No More campaign.

During the four-day tour, Reality TV World reports, Doolittle will participate in malaria prevention programs and see the devastating impact that the infectious disease, which kills more than 3,000 children every day, is having on the African continent.

Doolittle first learned of Malaria No More, a non-profit organization focused on ending malaria deaths, through April's Idol Gives Back charity event that raised over $70 million for programs aiding children in Africa and America. Her visit will be a part of the First Lady's five-day tour through Mali, Mozambique, Senegal, and Zambia.

"Traveling to Africa has always been a life-long dream of mine," said Doolittle. "I am very excited to travel with the First Lady and Malaria No More and to show the impact the viewers of American Idol have had through their help and support during Idol Gives Back."

As part of the trip, Doolittle will assist in the distribution of 500,000 bed nets in Lusaka, Zambia, which represents the use of the first installment of funds contributed to Malaria No More by Idol viewers during the Idol Gives Back campaign.

Doolittle will assist in loading the bed nets onto the bikes of community health workers who will then deliver them to the remote African communities. The bed nets will be specifically distributed to Zambia's at-risk population to help curtail the spread of malaria, which is the number one killer of children under 5-years-old in Africa. Worldwide, the disease is responsible of the death of over one million people a year.

In addition, Doolittle will put her vocal chords to work for a good cause as she plans on performing a song as part of the program. She'll embark for the trip on June 28, and the following day she will travel with U.S. Malaria Coordinator Admiral Timothy Ziemer to visit various malaria sites, including a health clinic where children with the disease are treated.

Malaria No More is helping to fund the bed net distribution in conjunction with the President's Malaria Initiative as well as the Global Business Coalition to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

As if they didn't cause enough fireworks through the season of American Idol.

Three of your favorites will perform on NBC when the network celebrates America's 231st birthday on July 4.

Martina McBride will also be there, but she may be upstaged by champion Jordin Sparks and the first two runner-ups: contestants Blake Lewis and Melinda Doolittle.

The live broadcast will be hosted by Natalie Morales, NBC's Today National Correspondent and Tiki Barber, Today Correspondent and Football Night in America Studio Analyst.

Melinda Doolittle probably wishes she had a chance to be named American Idol. But she's also breathing a sigh of relief at being eliminated last night.

"Knowing that I had made it this far and knowing that I was going to be able to sing from here on out without being judged and voted? �it was just like this sigh of relief," she told Ryan Seacrest on his morning radio show. "Now I'm getting ready to sing just because I love it."

The former backup singer called Seacrest's 102.7 KIIS FM show and told the host that she didn't feel any resentment after being voted off – despite receiving immense and consistent praise from all three Idol judges.

"Two amazing people are in the finale right now and I couldn't be more proud of them," Doolittle, 29, said, referring to finalists Jordin Sparks, 17, and Blake Lewis, 25, who will compete in the finale next week. "Those are still my babies. I'm still their mama. I'm so proud about it and don't feel cheated at all. There are always opportunities out there to grab onto and to take a hold of so I'm just ready for that."

And, according to Doolittle, Simon Cowell may be prepared to help her find the right opportunity. "Simon was especially supportive and said, 'I want to see you succeed,' " she told Seacrest. "That means the world to me so it was great to hear last night."

The ousted Idol also admitted that the rigorous process of rehearsals, performances and getting judged on live television week after week was difficult. "I felt like I was working so hard and when [the judges] would say good things I was so excited to hear it, it would just put this look of shock on my face."

That isn't the only thing that shocked Doolittle, who said that the level of fame and recognition she has achieved so far also surprised her. "Nothing could have prepared me for this. I knew that the show was huge. I did not know that it was this huge," she said. "The fact that it has awarded such a big opportunity to me is just the most amazing thing ever."

Unfortunately, Doolittle doesn't have much time to relax. She and the other finalists start rehearsals Thursday for next week's two-hour finale.

Some believed she was the best singer in the history of American Idol.

But even that wasn't enough to save Melinda Doolittle last night. The humble, amazing vocalist received the least number of votes and was surprisingly sent home by Ryan Seacrest at the end of the hour.

But was it really so surprising? The core audience of the FOX show is more likely to vote for a cute, fun-loving male such as Blake Lewis; or a younger, more charismatic singer such as Jordin Sparks (who deserves to win it all next week).

In the end, it wasn't Melinda's fault. This show has always been about more than mere vocal range and talent.