One fan said she was "bummed out" about the news. And we'd imagine a large number of other concert goers feel the same way.

Nevertheless, as finalists from American Idols Live kicked off their U.S. tour Wednesday, this season's runner-up, Katharine McPhee, was nowhere to be seen. She was sidelined with severe bronchitis and laryngitis.

Those in Manchester - at the Verizon Wireless Arena - won't get to see this talent perform. Organizers announced that McPhee's doctor, Sean Nassari, ordered "total voice rest."

The starlet, of course, didn't want to let down her fans. In a statement, she said she was disappointed she couldn't perform, but "I need to follow my doctor's orders to recuperate and reunite with the rest of the Idols."

Amen, Kat. Feel better soon.

What can't the American Idol finalists live without?

A lot of things, ranging from the physically essential (insulin) to the spiritual (the Bible) to the emotional (a blanket from home). As they kick off their 51-city tour in Manchester, N.H., the awesome Idols told People Magazine what special things they'll be taking with them on the road. The tour begins July 5. That's today!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I have two things: a bracelet that my fans made for me that says Ace Music on it and beanies so I can throw them out to fans. I have over 300 made. They're going to have a logo that my fans and I have put together." -- Ace Young

"A Taylor travel guitar. It's a little bitty one. It'll go in the bunk with me." -- Taylor Hicks

"A couple pictures of my family and my dog Lily." -- Katharine McPhee

"I have to bring my cowboy hat, black and brown." -- Bucky Covington

"My Bible, of course. The Psalms is a really great book because it runs every emotion possible. I imagine I could use that on tour." -- Mandisa

"My teddy bear. I got it for my Sweet 16 birthday last year and he's still alive. He's a caramel color and so soft. I bought him a new outfit because I just turned 17 on June 13." -- Lisa Tucker

"My little blankie from home. I've had it ever since I was little. It was passed along my family from my grandparents, from grandma to grandma to grandma." -- Kellie Pickler

"My stuffed-animal SpongeBob and my SpongeBob blanket. Kellie's blankie is not as cool as mine!" -- Paris Bennett

"Insulin. I really can't live without it (as a diabetic)." -- Elliott Yamin

A reporter for The Buffalo News is grateful for one fact not many people know about Kelly Clarkson: America's Singing Sweetheart talks quickly.

That's a good thing when there are only 15 minutes available for an interview. Clarkson, who will perform Monday at Six Flags Darien Lake Peforming Arts Center, covered many topics during the allotted time.

Personable, polite and poised on her cellphone, it's apparent why the inaugural winner of American Idol has become such a breakout star. As she answered questions for this piece, she was zipping around in a car with her brother, Jason.

The American Idol song controversy: First and foremost, Clarkson did NOT make her songs unavailable to Idol, despite tabloid reports. Country cutie Kellie Pickler even impressed the judges with her take on Clarkson's pop smash "Since U Been Gone" in January and easily made it to the top-five as a result.

Clarkson is closer to incredulous than angry about the incident:

"People are saying I didn't want my songs used, but people are always singing my songs. I didn't say anything."

Unfortunately, Clarksondidn't actually see Kellie covering her tune; she's been too busy to catch subsequent seasons of the show.

Continue Reading...

Wondering what Brett Asa "Ace" Young has been up to since he was voted off the fifth season of American Idol earlier this year?

“I’ve been kind of hiding and not doing it successfully [laughs] and working on my own music," he said, giving an impromptu interview as he attended the Pirates of the Caribbean premiere.

"I went to Rochester, New York for like three days. I have a friend there that I write with and the moment. I got there and I went out to a club. My fans found out I was there and the club holds 1,500 people and they normally have 500-600 people there at a time. It was packed and there were 2,000 people outside that couldn’t get in. It was surreal, but cool," Young said.

The 25-year old Colorado native, who become fast friends with Chris Daughtry during their time as American Idol contestants, is also enjoying the perks of being famous.

"Six months ago, I was watching the first Pirates of the Caribbean over and over on DVD, and now they invited me to come see the second one with them,” he said.

Ace won't have time for movie premieres when he goes on tour with his Idol buddies this summer. Winner Taylor Hicks and the talented competition he bested will be rolling through 60 U.S. cities in 90 days!

We might have ranked her two spots higher, but we're a tad biased. In any case, Carrie Underwood, the 23-year old Oklahoma singing sensation who rose to fame on American Idol, was ranked the third-hottest country singer in a reader poll conducted by Country Weekly magazine.

The only crooners to top Carrie were the venerable Faith Hill, 38, and Sara Evans, 35. Rounding out the top five were Martina McBride and Shania Twain.

Carrie recently won a pair of Academy of Country Music Awards, taking home Single Record of the Year honors for "Jesus, Take the Wheel" as well as the award for Best New Female Artist. She was also named to Teen People's "25 Hottest Stars Under 25" list along with American Idol's first-ever winner, Kelly Clarkson.

Bo Bice, runner-up on the fourth season of American Idol in 2005, is one lucky guy -- and possibly the nation's best-known tribute band singer.

He closed the ninth Snapple Sunset Music Festival on Monday in Newport, R.I., with a set including a few non-descript originals and a dearth of classic rock covers, according to the Newport Daily News.

The sound may not be much different than what you'd hear from the average bar band, except for better equipment and more fans. A lot more.

Even his hit single, "The Real Thing," is basically a harder version of Bread's "Guitar Man." But Bice keeps pumping out the rock that catapulted him to fame on Idol, and fans love him for it.

The other night he performed the Allman Brothers' classics "Whipping Post" and "Dreams," with a voice eerily reminiscent of a young Gregg Allman. Lack of originality matters little to crowds flocking to see Bice, who, despite a strong voice, is as much a TV star and cultural phenomenon than a musician.

He spent scant time playing tunes from his own CD (though he did suggest that the crowd buy it) before tearing back into the redneck anthem "Sweet Home Alabama." One can only wonder if punk, new wave, grunge or alternative rock ever got on the radio in Bice's hometown of Huntsville, Ala.,

Cliche as it may seem, it's hard to blame Bice for milking a formula that works. His audience is too young to have heard Hendrix play "Voodoo Chile" or Duane Allman play "Whipping Post." For all they know, Bice wrote "Free Bird" and that's good enough. Bice is also a pleasant enough guy who has a carpe diem attitude about it all.

After all, if he is going to bang out covers, he might as well do it in front of an army of screaming fans.

It was a match made in American Idol heaven. Or something.

But no matter, because apparently it's over. We are talking about the cute item of failed Idol hopefuls Constantine Maroulis and Kellie Pickler, who reportedly dated for awhile before the cute North Carolina native stopped returning the long-haired rocker's calls.

"We were hanging out and talking all the time and I haven't spoken to her in a while, so I'm not really sure what that's all about," Maroulis said. "I don't know if it's her being too busy or thinking that she's a big star now or something. I'm not really sure what the whole situation is."

Maroulis is not sure exactly what went wrong, but he is fairly sure that the spotlight played at least some role.

"It became a thing where everyone was asking her, 'What's going on with Constantine?' Kellie probably thought, 'I just came off a big show. Ask me about me, not just about Constantine.'"

Maroulis, who kicks off a solo tour in Richmond, Va., on August 1, and who'll be a "singing judge" on the new MTV reality series The Little Talent Show this fall, says he has no hard feelings.

"I wish her the best, man. I think she's a sweetheart."

Pickler, whose rep didn't return calls, hits the road TODAY with Katharine McPhee, Taylor Hicks and the rest of her Season Five cohorts in their cross-country tour.

As lingerie manufacturer Victoria's Secret rolls out its new "Pink" line of underwear, Kelly Clarkson was reportedly in the running as the line's new face (and body). But the original American Idol lost out to another singer, one with no talent, and who isn't even the best-looking girl in her own family. Ashlee Simpson.

Victoria's Secret determined that Simpson, 21, is perfect for the product, which the company is marketing to a younger, cuter audience.

Personally, we find this to be a joke, because Ashlee Simpson is not only laughable as an artist, but not even that attractive. There's only so much that bad plastic surgery can fix when you reach a certain point. One would think that a cute, genuine, sexy, girl-next-door type like Kelly would be ideal for a campaign like this, but alas. We'll have to use our imagination.

In a world full of Mariahs and Beyonces, Britneys and Jessicas, and even nasty, sickly Paris-ites, Kelly Clarkson is the anti-diva.

For that reason, the inaugural American Idol winner is on the Entertainment Weekly "Must List" -- people in the entertainment world we must know more about -- she's nowhere to be found in the tabloids, due in large part to the fact that she's always working. With concerts, award shows, and even a Navy flight, she's powered her way to the top of pop.

This week, she embarks on a 24-city tour, and Kelly was kind enough to share some thoughts on that and other pressing issues with EW...

On her least favorite part of fame:
"Photo shoots are the least favorite part of my job. Photographers ask me if I want to look at pictures of myself and I'm like, 'Dude, why would I want to look at these photos? I'm not that vain.'"

On some of her new tunes:
"I have 40 songs for my next record. I don't stop writing. There is one called 'Yeah.' It's very tour friendly and has an easy hook. It's kind of Prince-ish and Sly & the Family Stone."

On her favorite parts of Kelly Clarkson shows:
"The Bridge of 'Addicted.' It sounds like a scary part of a horror movie, when you know something bad is going to happen. The first part of it is real intense and then I just full-on belt it out. I live for that!"

On her own American idols:
"Oh my God, you know no idea. I'm in love with Patti Griffith. I got to meet her and acted like an idiot. I was like, 'You are so great, but I'm not going to stay very long because otherwise I'm going to say something stupid."

Kelly will be back in the studio starting in August, after her tour winds down, to record her new album, tentatively slated for a February 2007 release.

Two weeks after reigning American Idol champion Taylor Hicks publicly talked about his first crush as a young boy, the girl from his past has contacted People magazine.

In a recent interview with People, the 29-year old Hicks said he never forgot his first crush.

"I was in the second grade, she was in the sixth," said Hicks, who added that he's always liked older women ever since.

After reading the article, 32-year old Christy Lee Worsham, now married, called People. She was surprised she made such an impact on Hicks.

"He was such a fun kid," Worsham said. "I'm married. But I'd like to reconnect. He was like a brother to me."

Hicks was ranked "hottest bachelor" by People earlier this month, and told the publication that he is on the lookout for another love interest -- a mystery blond woman he briefly exchanged glances with on an airline flight.

A spokeswoman for People, who set up an e-mail and mailing address to help track down Taylor's mystery woman, said there had been no luck in finding her as of Thursday. Oh well. We think he'll be alright. If he gets lonely, he could always holler at Katharine McPhee...