VH1 TV Shows Music Videos Celebrity Photos News & Gossip While wifey gets ready for “Ladies Night, Mr. Me So Horny sits alone in his hotel room but not for long. See more sneak clips from the next episode of Luke’s Parental Advisory here.

VH1 TV Shows Music Videos Celebrity Photos News & Gossip It wouldn’t be a VH1 celebreality show without someone spitting and sure enough the next episode of I Love Money features a salivary competition.  Check out this sneak peek of Sunday’s new episode.

Earlier this week, messageboards (like this one and this one) started buzzing over what seemed to be a fatal, credibility-destroying stray shot in this week’s I Love Money Aftershow. In it, you can clearly see that the check that host Craig Jackson stamps void doesn’t in fact belong to this week’s eliminated contestant, 12 Pack. And, [...]

Good news! Despite her highly emotional exit, I Want To Work for Diddy’s most recently booted contestant has gotten over her heartache enough so that she can now talk about her time on the show. Below, Brianna talks about that final “diva moment,” the joy that comes from assisting and her habit of pulling out [...]

Everyone’s getting psyched for next week’s 2008 Video Music Awards, so it’s time to recall a few of the previous highlights. It’s always important to make a good first impression, right? The show’s kick-off is crucial. From Jay-Z rocking the mic on top of Rockefeller Center to Bruce Springsteen blasting through “The Rising” in [...]

Gone-but-not-forgotten I Love Money bootee Chance recently spoke to King magazine about his kinda-sorta former flame New York, and what he has to say is…confusing. Describing sex with New York, Chance says: “It was like having sex with a stuffed animal—with those fake eyes and fake hair. A stuffed animal with a real set of you-know-what. [...]

“Hang on one second, I’m moving a piano real quick,” said 12 Pack during the course of our conversation. And though I admire his unabashed Jersey muscley-ness, that’s not even my favorite thing he said (”I got more chicks around me than gay dudes do,” earns that distinction). Below, 12 Pack talks strategy, his house [...]

Andre Young, Jr., son of rap legend Dr. Dre, was found dead in his Woodlawn, CA home on Saturday morning. Full story. Does Vanessa Minnillo have a mystery man? Daniel Radcliffe fans are upset by full-frontal nudity. Kim Kardashian, Carmen Electra, Vanessa Minnillo: Trifecta of hotties storm NYC. See the pics! Jennifer Hudson sings for who she hopes will [...]

VH1 TV Shows Music Videos Celebrity Photos News & Gossip Poor Lizza. Check out this extra scene from last night’s episode of New York Goes To Hollywood. Sister Patterson unleashes the bitchassness on Lizza. She just plain goes berzerk grabbing phones, almost causing an accident, threatening violence. It’s pure celebransanity* [...]

Once again, we present the always-outspoken Poprah’s take on the latest episode of I Want To Work for Diddy. Below, she discusses the Downtown Team’s crumbling infrastructure, her conflict with Red and Brianna’s sad, sad departure. As always, you know I’m gonna tell ya like it is. And there’s no need to rehash the whole episode [...]

In this episode, things are looking up for New York! Knock knock! Who’s there? No one…but the phone is ringing! It’s Chuck, Tiff’s manager, who says that In Touch magazine wants to shoot a spread at her pad today. Thanks for the heads-up In Touch! Why didn’t they just show up and knock on her door, as [...]

The producers of the smash hit Broadway production of GREASE are proud to announce that American Idol Season Five finalist, Ace Young, will make his Broadway debut when he joins the company in the role of "Kenickie" on Tuesday, September 9, 2008 at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. A native of Denver, Colorado, he began his career in the entertainment industry at the early age of nine performing at various venues all over the west coast. Following Idol, Ace traveled the country performing in 60 sold out arenas across the nation as part of the American Idols Live Tour. He has played guest starring roles on the popular television sitcoms "Half & Half" and “Bones.” In 2007, Ace was nominated for a Grammy Award for his co-write on fellow “Idol” Chris Daughtry's quadruple platinum hit single "It’s Not Over." In April 2008, Ace released a popular single entitled "Addicted," available everywhere. He recently formed a partnership with renowned record producer and songwriter Desmond Child, and together they cowrote, recorded and funded Ace's eponymous debut album - a revolutionary combination of Rock, R&B and Funk which utilizes a 30 piece string section with live horns. The eagerly anticipated album was released on July 15, 2008. American Idol winner Taylor Hicks, who joined the cast in the role of "Teen Angel" on Friday, June 6th, will play his final two weeks in the show with a final performance on Sunday, September 7th.

According to Billboard Magazine, David Archuleta's new single, "Crush" (19/Jive), debuts at No. 2, thus becoming the highest new entry of 2008 and the highest debut ever for an "American Idol" song not performed on the series. "Crush," which debuts at No. 1 on Hot Digital Songs, is the fourth entry for Archuleta on the Hot 100.  His first three all debuted the week of June 7 and spent one week each on the tally:  His version of John Lennon's "Imagine" at No. 36, Elton John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" at No. 58 and "In This Moment" at No. 60.  "Crush" is the seventh single to debut inside the top 10 of the Hot 100 in 2008. And here is a summary of songs recorded by "American Finalists" but not performed during the course of competition that have debuted in the top 10: No. 2: "Crush," David Archuleta (Aug. 30, 2008) No. 6: "I'll Stand By You," Carrie Underwood (May 12, 2007) No. 8: "Never Again," Kelly Clarkson (May 12, 2007) Visit our David Archuleta Transformation Gallery to see how he changed over Season 7.

Grammy-Nominated songwriter Kara DioGuardi has joined American Idol as a fourth judge.  She will sit alongside Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson at the judges' table and use her background as an award-winning songwriter and producer to praise or critique the wannabe hopefuls throughout the competition.  The eighth season of American Idol premieres January 2009 on FOX. "We are turning the heat up on Idol this year and are thrilled to welcome Kara to the judges' table," said creator and executive producer Simon Fuller.  "She is a smart, sassy lady, and one of America's most successful songwriters.  We know she will bring a new level of energy and excitement to the show." "We had originally intended for American Idol to have four judges," said executive producer Cecile Frot-Coutaz. "We've seen from our international series that having a fourth judge creates a dynamic that benefits both the contestants and the viewers." Mike Darnell, President, alternative Programming of FOX, added, "For the past seven seasons, Paula has had to endure the experience of being the only woman at the judges' table.  She's been as an island of consideration and gentle criticism between Randy and Simon, offering her invaluable expertise as a performer and No. 1 artist to the thousands who have competed on American Idol.  With Kara by her side, Paula finally has some back-up and now there is going to be a lot more 'girl power' on the show." One of the industry's most sought after songwriters and producers, DioGuardi's songs have appeared on more than 100 million records.  Her songs have been recorded by Grammy award-winning artists including Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Celine Dion, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Santana and Pink.  Scores of major recording artists including Britney Spears, Avril Lavigne, Pussycat Dolls, Miley Cyrus, The Jonas Brothers, Natasha Bedingfield, Jewel, Ashley Tisdale, Katharine McPhee, Taylor Hicks, Bo Bice, Clay Aiken, Ashlee Simpson, Hilary Duff, Jessica Simpson, Kylie Minogue, Enrique Iglesias, Nick Lachey and Marc Anthony have also released DioGuardi's songs.  Over the last four years, she has been awarded 10 BMI Pop Awards for having written the most performed songs on radio.  From her catalog of several hundred songs, over 264 have been released on major labels worldwide; and over 165 have appeared on multi-platinum selling albums.  DioGuardi co-owns Arthous Entertainment, where she develops and mentors fellow hit writers, producers and artists. Watch our interview with Kara. 

Life has been a whirlwind of activity for Jason Castro since Season 7 Finale, and americanidol.com was lucky to catch up with him from the road for a report on how things are going halfway through the 2008 Live Tour. Not surprising, the cool and collected Jason was very positive about the tour. “Seeing the country and getting to sing every night has been awesome, I’m having a blast!”

Jason and the other nine are currently performing at their 26^th city venue since embarking on July 1^st. Interestingly, performing in front of an average 12 thousand live audience members on tour has been easier for Jason than singing in front of American Idol’s 30 million viewers. “[Performing] in front of the stage audiences was kind of strange. Because we were on TV, there were so many things you had to be aware of. To make it look normal on TV, you had to act abnormal.” In contrast, performing before a live audience “is a lot less pressure.” Which isn’t to say that when tour first started, it was a piece of cake. “For about the first week, I shook through every set, but now I’m pretty comfortable with it,” Jason explained.

Exciting though it may be, touring can actually also be quite demanding. “The ‘day’ starts at midnight after we leave the city we just finished and we drive until the morning. Around 5 or 6, we’ll get into the hotel and then take a little nap and then around noon, we drive to the venue and have lunch. There we say hi to some fans and then we have an hour of press and then an hour of official meet-and-greets and then sound check and then dinner and then the show starts. And that’s a typical day.” So, what’s it like to see America this way? “Well, it’s pretty cool, but kind of rushed. You can’t hang out and see everything like you’d want to, but at least you’re seeing something, which is more than I was doing last year.”

Given such a hurried pace, we wanted to know if there’s been a highlight so far. “New York was pretty crazy because we were there for an extended amount of time. I had a lot of fun there because my mom and my sister came out and my girlfriend. There’s a lot to do in New York," he chuckled.  Jason also told us what it’s like to go out as a group with the other Idols. “We kind of try to sneak around, hide in the corner.” Although Jason assured me that they do not wear disguises.

Identifying the hardest thing about Tour was easy for Jason: Sleep. “Getting to sleep on the bus, and then having to get up at 5 in the morning and try to keep sleeping after that. Well, sometimes it doesn’t work. So when you don’t have your rest and you go and do stuff for 12 hours, it can wear you out. But then you have an off day and then everything’s better.” Given the rigor, it’s no surprise Jason misses aspects of home. “I just miss all the people and the simpleness of everything and just sitting around eating and stuff.”

After tour, Jason looks forward to advancing his music career. “I’m gonna make some music. Planning to record and do some writing and get an album out, that’s the plan.” Jason had a few parting words to his fans. “I’d like to say ‘hey’ to my fans. Hope you don’t forget about me and you keep in touch. Oh, and be on the lookout for new music.”

Visit our Tour section to find out where you can see Jason and the nine other Idols in concert this summer, and where you can check out Fan Photos and Fan Reviews.

In our ongoing conversation with last season's top 10, we had the chance to speak with Carly Smithson this past weekend.  After all, Carly is a little bit more than half way through with the summer tour, so we figured we'd check in to see what she thought of her experiences thus far. Carly was thrilled to be in Manchester, but not because of the rain that greeted her.  Instead, it was only about an hour from their previous stop in Worcester, Massachusetts, which means it was a fairly easy bus ride for them.  Typically, they're on the buses for several hours a night, but because Worcester is so close to Manchester, they were on the road for only about an hour and were able to hit their hotel rooms at a reasonable time (for them) of around 1:30am. Thus far, Carly boasts that "it's been great being on the road with all her friends" and that it's "a wild trip [she] never could have expected."  The best thing, for Carly, has been the nightly "Meet and Greet's".  In these regular sessions, Carly and the other Idols meet with a small group of kids in each city. A lot of the times, these kids are going through tough health issues or facing other obstacles and it's just a thrill for them to see their heroes up close and personal.  As much as it's a thrill for them, it's even more of a thrill for the Idols.  To emphasize that, Carly noted one such time, in Worcester, where she "met this great girl and took her around to the buses and gave her a teddy." Carly also mentioned that it's just really great to perform for all the fans who voted so often.  Interestingly enough, apparently there are a bunch of Uber fans who travel from concert to concert, all across the country.  They're kind of like the old Grateful Dead fans who used to follow the Dead from city to city.  The bottom line, though for Carly, is that she "wants to really thank the fans". Without them, of course, there wouldn't be an Idols Summer Tour. In regard to what's coming up for Carly after the tour, she is going to pursue making music, to nobody's surprise.  She's not sure if it will be a major or Indie label or self-produced, she just knows that she'll put one out as soon as possible.  Asked what kind, she shared with us that it would be "kinda like Celine Dion mixed with Heart. Pop Rock, you know?"  She laughed out loud when she thought about a previous interview when another writer wrote that she will be putting out a heavy metal album.  Carly exclaimed, "Yeah, I'm gonna be opening for Slayer!" Overall, in addition to the support from her fans, Carly's thankful for the great reviews she's received on tour as well as the fabulous reviews she got while on the show. She singled out L.A. Times entertainment reporter, Richard Rushfield, for the incredibly descriptive way he writes about the show, Ryan Seacrest and all of the contestants. We're sure that we'll be hearing more from Carly once the Summer Tour has concluded. Check out Carly's Transformation Gallery!

Billboard Magazine's Jonathan Cohen is reporting that Daughtry's four-times platinum self-titled 19/RCA debut will be released in expanded form Sept. 9, led by a newly recorded cover of Foreigner's "Feels Like the First Time."  The original album will also have acoustic versions of "What About Now" and "Home" as well as a live version of "It's Not Over."  A bonus DVD includes videos for "It's Not Over," "Home," "Over You," "Feels Like Tonight" and "What About Now," along with live clips for "Breakdown" and "There and Back Again." Daughtry is embarking on a month's worth of live dates starting Friday, August 15 in Las Vegas. Watch again our emotional Exit Interview with Chris Daughtry from season 5.

Season 7 runner-up David Archuleta is releasing his first post-Idol single, "Crush", digitally today and great reviews are pouring in.  In fact, Entertainment Weekly notes that the single sounds "hip and contemporary".  EW goes on to gush, " 'Crush' is good news for David, for his fans, and for the general health of the Idol Franchise." Congratulations David! Check out the latest photos of David and the rest of the Top 10 on Tour this summer.

Once Ramiele Malubay was chosen as one of the top 24 contestants in season 7 of American Idol, life for her has been anything but dull. After competing for five weeks knowing that she would be on tour during the summer, Ramiele stayed in L.A. This worked out well for her, as rehearsals for the finale and the tour began in earnest before the season even ended. Life in the Idol world is always fast paced. As soon as the finale ended, rehearsals really kicked up and then the top 10 Idols were on the road, touring America from coast to coast. Luckily for us, Ramiele took some time out of her busy schedule while she was in Newark to share some thoughts about the past year. Ramiele has had a great experience on the road and she notes that "every city is different. We try to get off the bus, put our stuff inside and go and sign autographs before we have hair and makeup done and do press and whatnot." Later, she followed up, "I really didn't come into this with any expectations. I just love getting off the bus in other cities. I love waking up in different cities." While it sounds glamorous and exciting, being on the road can be somewhat exhausting. Ramiele, though, exclaims, "It's less exhausting than the show." Without having to stoicly receive feedback from the judges after every performance, she confirms there's just less stress. This is how Ramiele describes a typical day on the road for her: "Usually, after a show, if we have a show the next day, we'll travel to the next city and it will be, like, a four or five hour drive. We get out of the bus, take all of our stuff out, go and sleep for a couple hours, get ready, get all of our stuff back, get our hair and makeup done, meet the sponsors, perform, meet people after the show and, then, we go sign autographs outside and, then, we go and do the same thing all over again." Whew. "All of us have gotten it down to a routine schedule. We're working on getting things done quicker. You know, like hair and makeup because there are five girls and four of the girls are in the first set, so it's hard to get everybody done, but we're doing really well." Being on tour is also quite different from being on the show in that she is now regularly performing in front of thousands and thousands of people. Laughing, Ramiele told us what kind of effect this has had on her: "Backstage I freak out a little bit when I look into the audience. I go second, so when Chikezie is out there, I peek through the little cracks and see how many people are out there. I kinda freak out a little because there are so many people. Then, you go out there and you do the same songs every night. You don't have to learn new words or impress anybody -- you're just being yourself. Putting yourself out there for the people who have been watching you and supporting you." Being away from family and friends for so long can be challenging, but she speaks to them often. When we spoke to her, Ramiele was missing her dog very much, but, fortunately, her boyfriend was coming into town with her dog for a visit. After the tour, Ramiele hopes to meet with some major studios and will be retuning to the Philippines in December to do a few concerts. Visit our Tour section to find out where you can see Ramiele and nine other Idols in concert this summer, see Fan Photos and Fan Reviews..

Season 3 Finalist Jon Peter Lewis took some time off from the road to share his thoughts from the Salt Lake City auditions. He was there hanging with the auditioners -- you'll even see him doing some interviews for americanidol.com later this summer/fall!  He was also in Salt Lake to celebrate the release of his second album, Break The Silence, which hit stores on July 22nd. Don't miss his take on the Salt Lake experience, and, if you're heading to the Kansas City auditions, you might just see him there, too!

Season 3 finalist Amy Adams celebrates her birthday today.  Everybody remembers Amy from her bright pink hair, fun personality and amazing voice.  After her time on Idol, she debuted on broadway as the narrator of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolr Dreamcoat in September, 2005.  In regard to her personal life, Amy married Ross Vamer in October, 2004 and had a son in May, 2005. Check out this fun photo of Amy performing from season 3. americanidol.com warmly wishes Amy a very happy birthday!

American Idol will be well represented in the upcoming Teen Choice 2008 airing Monday, August 4 at 8/7c on FOX.  American Idol Winner David Cook along with runner-up David Archuleta, Season 6 Winner Jordin Sparks and Season 5 runner-up Katharine McPhee will be presenting awards in this year's special. Find out more about Teen Choice 2008.

FOX and the producers of "American Idol" have received information about a new mail fraud scam using sweepstakes award letters printed on what appears to be "American Idol" letterhead. The letter is sent to the attention of the "American Idol Sweepstakes Winner" and notifies recipients that they have been selected as a winner in the "‘American Idol’ Online Sweepstakes." The letter contains fraudulent checks, a phone number to call, and instructions on how to claim the fake "prize" checks, all of which lead to losses for the recipient. FOX, the producers of "American Idol," and their subsidiary companies, do not sponsor or support any lottery, sweepstakes or prize contest that resembles the letter referred to above. The producers of "American Idol" are investigating this mail fraud in conjunction with local and national law enforcement agencies. If you receive a letter like this, please report it to the United States Postal Inspection Service at: https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/forms/MailFraudComplaint.aspx. Thank you.

Congratulations are in order.  American Idol has received multiple Emmy nominations this year.  The Emmy nominations are: * Outstanding Reality-competition Program * Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program: Ryan Seacrest * Outstanding Picture Editing Of Clip Packages For Talk, Performance, Award Or Reality Competition Program: American Idol • Episode 733 (David Cook Goes Home) * Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Variety Or Music Series Or Special: American Idol Finale * Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special : American Idol Gives Back

Almost two years since the release of her debut album, Small Town Girl, which has sold nearly 800,000 copies, Kellie Pickler is set to release her self-titled, sophomore album on September 30. "I'm so excited and proud of the new album," said Pickler. "I've learned so much since the first album, like the fact that Budapest is the capital of Hungary," she laughed. "The material on the new album is part small town girl, but also a reflection of the experiences I've had over the last two years. I’ve matured, some, seen a lot more of the world, and naming the album Kellie Pickler says, 'this album is me, this is who I am and where I am,'" she continued. The album's lead single, "Don’t You Know You're Beautiful," is an up-tempo, positive message about inner beauty and addresses the issues of body image and societal pressures on young women. Other songs on the album include "Best Days Of Your Life," a song she co-wrote with her pal Taylor Swift while on the road together last year. Taylor recently joined Kellie in studio to record background vocals on the song. The album will also feature "Rocks Instead Of Rice," a song that Kellie wrote with "Before He Cheats" writers Chris Tompkins and Josh Kear and has been performing on the road this summer. It's a tongue in cheek look at a woman at the wedding of a former boyfriend and how much more gratifying the experience would be if the guests were throwing rocks instead of rice. Produced by Chris Lindsey, this album allowed Kellie to enjoy the process of making an album, whereas Small Town Girl was recorded while Kellie was on the American Idol Tour, so she didn’t have the ability to be as involved. With Kellie Pickler, she’s been part of the creative process from the beginning, working with Lindsey on arrangements, instrumentation and song selection. Leading up the September 30 release of Kellie Pickler, she is spending the summer on tour before co-hosting and performing on the CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock. Watch Kellie's original interview from way back in season 5.

Americanidol.com caught up with Ace Young in New York City in a stretch limo as he set off for Connecticut to do the CD release party at the Mohegan Sun Casino. Ace’s self-titled debut album Ace Young which hit stores today has already received rave reviews from Billboard.com which praised its “sleekly funky soundscapes.”

Understandably, Ace was enthusiastic about the release of Ace Young. “It’s a dream come true to be able to say my album is in stores and available when I created it the way I wanted to and partnered with a guy as amazing as Desmond Child.” With a career spanning three decades and amazing diversity from KISS to Kelly Clarkson, Desmond Child is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. We asked Ace what it was like to work with such a legend. “In the beginning, it was like going to songwriting camp because he’s written for his whole life. As far as myself, I’ve been writing since I was nine years old but I haven’t written “Dude Looks Like A Lady” or “Living On A Prayer”, “Crazy,” for Aerosmith. So I was quiet in the beginning and just took it all in." But quickly Ace felt comfortable with the collaboration. "It was nice to know that I was a big part of it because Desmond couldn’t steer the song the right way without me, and at the same point, both of us coming together made it really what the album is, which is a cross between the rock and the indie influences which have created me musically.”

The debut album stands out partly for the number of original songs written specifically for it. We asked Ace about the collaborative process. “I wrote with Desmond Child, Andreas Carlson, Kellie Ingstrum and Diane Warren even wrote a ballad on the album called, “You Redeem Me.” She wrote it specifically for  the album. She had it on hold on for Lenny Kravitz and when I heard it I said, “Can I cut it to see how it sounds?” She was totally open to the idea and once we recorded it, it brought the whole song to life.” Which of course means that should Lenny Kravitz now choose to perform the song, he will be doing an “Ace cover.”

Another fascinating element of the album is the amount of travel both here in the States and abroad in Sweden that went into its recording. As Ace explained, “I covered the whole country and it’s something you hear on the album. It goes through R&B, Indie and Rock. The only thing that keeps the album consistent is me.” Also interesting are the personal elements in the album. Ace explained that “Addicted” was written about his oldest brother’s drug addiction. “Every song has a deeper meaning.”

Ace also told us how his acting performance on the TV show “Bones” evolved from what was intended to be just a background figure in the crowd to being a full guest star. “I hung out with the producers and they asked if I could sing a song like this... and I said, 'sure.' And then they asked if I could say a certain line angry, and I said 'sure.' And then they said, ‘How’d you like to be a guest star on the show?’ And I said, “Well, it’s Bones, so long as you show me dead.” The producers clearly agreed because in the end, Ace was portrayed decapitated with one eye hanging out. “My nephews were so scared, they called me to see if I was okay.” In addition to his musical career, Ace plans to continue pursuing acting opportunities in the future.

Finally, recalling the roots of his fame, Ace offered advice to American Idol auditioners who begin this week in San Francisco, “Pick a song you’re very comfortable with, do your best, and be aware that your whole life can change within a year’s time.” Hopefully Ace’s success on Idol and now with his debut CD will inspire those who are setting out on their journeys.

Take a look at the amazing transformation Ace experienced back in Season 5!

Grammy nominated singer/songwriter Ace Young will release his self titled debut CD, Ace Young on July 15, 2008.  The first single off the album, “Addicted” is now available on iTunes.

The album, Ace’s first, took over 16 months to record.  It took Ace from Los Angeles to New York, Florida, Nashville and Stockholm, Sweden. Says Ace “I’ve taken my time because I realized how important it is to make sure it’s right, true to me and up to my level of expectation. I only get one chance to tell my fans who I am.”

Ace’s album is a collaborative effort with the legendary Desmond Child (Aerosmith, Ricky Martin, Backstreet Boys) and many other renowned writers including Andreas Carlson and Diane Warren.  Ace says working with Desmond Child was “a dream. He wrote the music I grew up with and loved.” Both Desmond and Ace shared the album cost equally, while making Desmond Executive Producer. Ace Young is a Rock/R&B/Funk collaboration drawing from Ace’s experiences and observations of life. Ace co-wrote 7 of the 11 songs on his album with one song “You Redeem Me,” written specifically for Ace by the legendary Diane Warren.

Ace is currently traveling the states on an extensive promotional tour on behalf of his upcoming CD; he most recently guest starred on The FOX Network’s hit show, Bones.

Take a look at Ace back during his transformation over Season 5!

NEW YORK – As the hottest young stars of summer 2008, Jesse McCartney and 19 Entertainment/Jive Records recording artist Jordin Sparks will share the stage in a co-headlining tour "JESSE & JORDIN LIVE."  Both artists already share platinum-selling status and hit songs, with Jesse's "Leavin'" and Jordin's "Tattoo" and "No Air," her duet with pop star Chris Brown.  The North American tour will visit 16 major cities, kicking off in Sacramento, CA on August 5. Jesse, now 21 years old, has transformed from the pop stardom of his teen years to solo success as a singer/songwriter on his newly released R&B-flavored album "Departure."  He also co-penned Leona Lewis' hit "Bleeding Love," now a #1 single worldwide.  Says Jesse, "Jordin has the most incredible voice.  She's one of those pure talents you don't see a lot of in this business.  I can't wait to get out there with her."  Previously a multiple winner of Teen Choice Awards, Jesse Is nominated this year for Choice Summer Song and Choice Artist, Male. In 2007, Jordin became the youngest American Idol winner.  The 18-year-old is enjoying unprecedented success with the debut of her self-titled album released last year, which is rapidly approaching platinum sales. Says Jordin, "I am really excited to be going out and sharing the stage with someone as talented as Jesse McCartney.  He brings a soulful voice, heart of gold and his good looks to the stage every night and I can't wait to share it with him."  She recently garnered recognition with an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding New Artist as well as a BET Award for her smash hit single "No Air" featuring Chris Brown. She also just received three Teen Choice Awards Nominations including Choice Breakout Artist! "JESSE & JORDIN LIVE" will stop in Jordin's hometown of Glendale, Arizona, as well as Los Angeles, New York, and Toronto. "JESSE & JORDIN LIVE" Tour 2008 Dates: Tue-Aug-05 Sacramento, CA Sacramento Community Center Theatre Thu-Aug-07 Los Angeles, CA Orpheum Theater Fri-Aug-08   Glendale, AZ Jobing.com Arena (Theatre Set-Up) Sat-Aug-09  San Diego, CA Humphrey's Concerts By the Bay Mon-Aug-11 Salt Lake City, UT Abravanel Hall Wed-Aug-13  Denver, CO Ellie Calukins Opera House Fri-Aug-15  Minneapolis, MN The State Theater Sun-Aug-17 Detroit, MI Royal Oak Music Theatre Tue-Aug-19 New York, NY NOKIA Theatre - Times Square Wed-Aug-20  Boston, MA TBD Fri-Aug-22    Atlantic City, NJ The Ballroom at Boardwalk Hall Sat-Aug-23    Sewell, NJ Commerce Bank Arts Centre Sun-Aug-24   Pittsburgh, PA The Benedum Center for Performing Arts Wed-Aug-27  Toronto, ON Sound Academy Fri-Aug-29    Washington, DC DAR Constitution Hall Sat-Aug-30   Greensboro, NC War Memorial Auditorium Tickets will be available for purchase via Ticketmaster.com, Charge-by-Phone and at select Ticketmaster retail locations as well as online at AEGLive.com. Revisit Jordin's Transformation Gallery!

Jon Peter Lewis is primed for a big-time breakthrough courtesy of his new full-length album, Break The Silence. The new album finds a more seasoned JPL balancing 'sitting in my bedroom all alone' melancholia, with the inviting, offbeat wit that put him on the short list of Idol cult favorites. Silence was produced by Chris Garcia (Santana, Michelle Branch) and features the talents of drummer Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp, Indigo Girls) and guitarist Nick Lashley (Alanis Morissette, Natasha Bedingfield). Emotionally charged and overflowing with brainy pop hooks, the debut single and title track, available now online, is an assured, infectious cut that recalls equal parts Ben Folds, Duncan Sheik and vintage Beatles. Break The Silence will be in stores July 22nd and you can watch the first music video of the first single "Break The Silence" right here on americanidol.com!

Second Season’s Josh Gracin will spend July 4^th in McKinney, Texas for a show at Craig Ranch before returning home to spend the remainder of the long weekend with family in Tennessee.

Season 5’s Bucky Covington will play the Red, White and Boom Festival in Lexington, Kentucky on July 4. (One can only imagine that if Bucky were at home in Nashville over the holiday, he’d be waterskiing or motorbiking around.)

Finally, Season 6’s Phil Stacey will play the Wild West Fest in Hays, Kansas on July 4 before vacationing with family in Oklahoma.

Check out Josh's profile, Bucky's transformation gallery and Phil's latest interview with us.

This year’s Macy’s 4^th of July Fireworks Spectacular will feature the singing talent of two American Idols: AI Season 6 winner, Jordin Sparks and AI Season 5 Runner-up Katharine McPhee! Jordin will be performing her latest single, “One Step at a Time” and Katharine, who is working on her second album, will perform “Save The Last Dance For Me.”

Meanwhile, from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, AI Season winner Taylor Hicks will perform at the 2008 Fourth of July Concert in Washington, D.C.

Check out the transformation galleries for Jordin, Kat and Taylor. See how they changed over their season on Idol!

09.01.05
which is scheduled to be released in Spring 2006.

10.27.05
Don't miss the first annual "Ain't No Party Like A Hometown Party" show with the Joe Zelek Band at Swabby's Bar and Grill on November 25th. See the shows page for more info.

11.26.05
A big "Thank You" to everybody who came out to Swabby's to make our first annual "Ain't No Party Like A Hometown Party" show a huge success! Check the blog for photos and details.

11.28.05
on WQED's "Live From Studio-A Christmas Jam." The show premieres December 22 at 8:00pm on WQED Channel 13. Check Joe's blog for more details.

12.01.05
December 22 at 8pm (premiere on WQED Channel 13)
December 24 at 9pm (WQEX)
December 24 at 10pm (WQED)
December 25 at 3pm (WQEX)
December 25 at 8pm (WQEX)
late night December 25 (technically December 26 at 1am) (WQED)
late night January 1 (technically January 2 at 2am) (WQED)

02.02.06
Joe has written the theme song for the 2006 Franciscan University of Steubenville Youth Conferences. The song, "Unchanging," will be distributed nationally and played at conference sites all over the country reaching upwards of 30,000 people in total. Visit www.franciscanyouth.com for more info!

03.10.06
The Joe Zelek Band will be opening for the Povertyneck Hillbillies on March 25th at Jeffries Landing in Bridgewater, PA. Show starts at 10:00pm. Check the SHOWS section for details.

03.25.06
The Joe Zelek Band will be opening for the Povertyneck Hillbillies on April 2nd at Norwin High School in North Huntington, PA. Show starts at 7:00pm. Check the SHOWS section for details.

04.01.06
The Joe Zelek Band will be opening for the Povertyneck Hillbillies on April 29th at the Pepsi-Cola Roadhouse in Burgettstown, PA. Visit Pepsiroadhouse.com for ticket information!

Launch Related Site

04.25.06
and all the new fans they've introduced us to over the past couple of months. Welcome aboard!

05.24.06
Give them a call at 1.724.283.WBUT and let them know you love the song or make a request if you haven't heard it already. Visit WBUT "Butt-Kickin' Country" online at www.wbut.com.

06.01.06
The "Sparkling True" CD Rlease Concert/Party will take place at Saddle Ridge Rock-n-Country Saloon at Station Square (Pittsburgh, PA) on June 23rd. Tickets are only $5 and every advance ticket purchased through JoeZelek.com will be entered into a drawing to win a custom engraved iPod Nano preloaded with Joe's new CD the night of the show!! If you make it to one Joe Zelek show this year...make it this one!!

Launch Related Site

04.20.06
opening for the Povertyneck Hillbillies on 4/22 in Wheeling, WV and 4/23 in Hookstown, PA. Check the SHOWS section for details.

06.24.06
to Froggy 98, Saddle Ridge Rock-n-Country Saloon, and all of you for making the Sparkling True CD Release Party a success!

07.26.06
who played fiddle on "Sparkling True." He is now on tour with countrysuperstar Chris Cagle .

07.29.06
Joe's "Froggy Fest" set was complimented in today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette review by John Hayes:

"Several more local country artists who have enjoyed Froggy airplay shared the second stage: The Fabulous Gunslingers, Vanessa Campagna and Joe Zelek, who augmented his set of smart original songs with uptempo takes of Hank Sr.'s "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door."

07.01.06
7/19-Bridgewater, PA
7/21-Richeyville, PA
Visit the Shows section for more details.

08.01.06
Joe will be appearing at the first ever Froggy Fest sponsored by Froggy 98 on August 5th at the Post Gazette Pavilion in Burgettstown, PA. Catch the band on the Side Stage beginning at 5pm and catch Joe the day before (Fri. 8/4) on Froggy 98's "The Danger Show" at 6:30pm. Visit the Shows section for more details.

08.15.06
Joe will appear on WOVK 98.7's Morning Madness with Jimmy and Steve this Friday, August 18th at 8:00am.

10.01.06
Don't miss Joe's return to his alma mater Buckeye Local High School for a special concert in the BLHS Theater on Saturday, October 14th!! Doors open at 7:00pm. Stay tuned to WOVK 98.7 and Froggy 103 for more info!!

Red River Revel Arts Festival 

Joe's 

Kick 'N' Up Kountry Music Festival

North Carolina State Fair

Black Bear Casino 

Dixie Classic Fair

Washington Fair

Western Carolina State Fair

Washington County Fair

John Ascuga's Nugget 

Coyote Joe's 

Aurora Farmer's Fair 

Bloomsburg Fair

Rooster's Country Bar 

WBEE 

Sammy T's Music Hall 

Grundy County Corn Festival

Fairgrounds

Hillsdale County Fair 

National Peanut Festival