‘American Idol’ contract says hands off the judges!
TMZ obtained a copy of the contract every “American Idol” contestant must sign before going on the show — and one thing is perfectly clear …. Ryan, Randy, Ellen, Kara, Simon, Theodore and Alvin are not available for their pleasure.
According to the legal doc — a copy of which was filed in court because a contestant was a minor — the contestants promise the following: “Neither I nor any members of my family or my friends will enter into any personal, social, business, and or financial relationships with any of the judges, host(s), guest stars …” The prohibition runs for the duration of the show and 6 months thereafter.
But the way we see it … there’s no way the contract can bind family or friends. Nonetheless, it’s a good threat, because according to the doc, a contestant will be disqualified for violating the rule and forfeit any prize money.
And in the money department … here’s the way it breaks down.
The winner gets $175,000 when he/she starts recording … and another $175,000 when that person “delivers” the first album. If the winner gets a second album, he/she gets anywhere between $275,000 and $550,000 depending on the success of the album. As for a third album — anywhere between $325,000 and 650,000. As for a forth — anywhere between $375,000 – $750,000. As for a fifth — $450,000 – $900,000. And a six album gets the winner between $500,000 and a cool $1 mil.
The second place finisher gets $150,000 when he/she starts recording their first album … and another $150,000 upon delivery. The second album gets the runner-up between $225,000 and $450,000 and so on.
As for 3rd through 12th place — if the label signs them — they each get $100,000 when he/she begins recording album #1 and another $100,000 upon delivery … though most of them end up playing hot air balloon festivals.
And get this … according to the contract, “A.I.” isn’t required to pay incidental expenses during the show. Contestants even have to pay for their own transportation when they’re not traveling to and from the show.
Poll: Who do you think should win American Idol?
Adam Lambert tour dates
Adam Lambert (AP photo)
The 2009 “American Idol” runner up Adam Lambert announced the dates for his upcoming tour.
Lambert’s “Glam Nation Tour” will kick off June 4 in Pennsylvania and it will conclude Sept. 18 in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Lambert finished second to Kris Allen during season eight of “American Idol.” He receives more attention than anyone else from that season partly due to his ability to create controversy and attract camera attention.
He ignited a firestorm when he gave a graphic and lewd performance last year at the American Music Awards. The tour dates are posted below. The opening act will be rock singer Orianthi.
- June 4 – Wilkes-Barre, PA @ The FM Kirby Center for the Performing Arts
- June 5 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
- June 8 – Toledo, OH @ Omni
- June 10 – Council Bluffs, IA @ Harrah’s Ballroom
- June 11 – Mahnomen, MN @ Shooting Star Casino
- June 12 – Prior Lake, MN @ Mystic Lake Casino Hotel
- June 14 – Columbus, OH- LC Pavilion
- June 15 – Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theater
- June 17 – Hammond, IN @ The Venue at Horseshoe Casino
- June 18 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Theater
- June 19 – West Toronto, ON, Canada @ Molson Amphitheatre
- June 22 – New York, NY@ Nokia Theatre
- June 24 – Mashantucket, CT @ MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods
- June 26 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Borgata Spa & Resort—Event Center
- July 15 – Kansas City, MO @ Midland Theatre
- July 27 – Costa Mesa, CA @ OC Fair, Pacific Amphitheatre
- July 28 – Costa Mesa, CA @ OC Fair, Pacific Amphitheatre
- August 13 – Bethlehem, PA @ Musikfest
- September 18 – St. Petersburg, FL @ Tropicana Field
2010 American Idol tour dates
American Idol Top 10 (Fox)
The top 10 contestants from the 2010 season of ”American Idol” will hit the road for a 49-city tour this summer.
The tour will begin July 1 in Auburn Hills, and it will end Sept. 14 in Pittsburgh. The contestants also will swing through Tulsa’s BOK Center on Aug. 8.
The 10 contestants who will perform on the tour are Siobhan Magnus, Casey James, Michael Lynche, Didi Benami, Tim Urban, Andrew Garcia, Katie Stevens, Lee DeWyze, Aaron Kelly and Crystal Bowersox.
The tour dates are posted below.
- Thurs., July 1, Auburn Hills, MI, The Palace at Auburn Hills
- Fri., July 2, Milwaukee, WI, Summerfest
- Sat., July 3, Grand Rapids, MI, Van Andel Arena
- Mon., July 5, Hamilton, ON, Copps Coliseum
- Wed., July 7, Wantagh, NY, Jones Beach
- Sat., July 10, Atlantic City, Etess Arena
- Sun., July 11, Philadelphia, PA, Wachovia Center
- Tues., July 13, Uncasville, CT, Mohegan Sun
- Wed., July 14, Manchester, NH, Verizon Wireless Arena
- Thurs., July 15, Hershey, PA, Giant Center
- Sat., July 17, Albany, NY, Times Union Center
- Sun., July 18, Mansfield, MA, Comcast Center
- Tues., July 20, Newark, NJ, Prudential Center
- Fri., July 23, Washington, DC, Jiffy Lube Live
- Sat., July 24, Baltimore, MD, 1st Mariner Arena
- Sun., July 25, Charlotte, NC, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre1
- Tues., July 27, Columbus, OH, Nationwide Arena
- Wed., July 28, Knoxville, TN, Thompson-Boling Arena
- Thurs., July 29, Virginia Beach, VA, Virginia Beach Amphitheater
- Sat., July 31, Lexington, KY, Rupp Arena
- Sun., Aug. 1, Duluth, GA, Arena at Gwinnett Center
- Tues., Aug. 3, Sunrise, FL, BankAtlantic Center
- Wed., Aug. 4, Tampa, FL, St. Pete Times Forum
- Sat., Aug. 7, Houston, TX, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
- Sun., Aug. 8, Tulsa, OK, BOK Center
- Mon., Aug. 9, Dallas, TX, American Airlines Center
- Thurs., Aug. 12, Phoenix, AZ, US Airways Center
- Fri., Aug. 13, Los Angeles, CA, Staples Center
- Sat., Aug. 14, Mountain View, CA, Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View
- Mon., Aug. 16, San Diego, CA, Viejas Arena
- Tues., Aug. 17, Anahem, CA, Honda center
- Wed., 18, Sacramento, CA, ARCO Arena
- Fri., Aug. 20, Seattle, WA, Key Arena
- Sat., Aug. 21, Portland, OR, Rose Garden
- Mon., Aug. 23, Denver, CO, Comfort Dental Amphitheatre
- Wed., Aug. 25, Kansas City, MO, Sprint Center
- Thurs., Aug. 26, Omaha, NB, Qwest Center
- Fri., Aug. 27, St. Louis, MO, Scottrade Center
- Sun., Aug. 29, Minneapolis, MN, Target Center
- Mon., Aug. 30, Chicago, IL, United Center
- Tues., Aug. 31, Des Moines, IA, Wells Fargo Arena
- Thurs., Sept. 2, Toledo, OH, The Huntington Center
- Fri., Sept. 3, Cincinnati, OH, Riverbend Music Center
- Sat., Sept. 4, Indianapolis, IN, Conseco Fieldhouse
- Tues., Sept. 7, Winnipeg, MTS Centre
- Fri., Sept. 10, Buffalo, NY, HSBC Arena
- Sat., Sept. 11, Cleveland, OH, Quicken Loans Arena
- Mon., Sept. 13, Bridgeport, CT, Arena at Harbor Yard
- Tues., Sept. 14, Pittsburgh, PA, Consol Energy Center
Idol Gives Back
The Idol Gives Back episode of “American Idol” aired Wednesday night on the Fox network (April 21).
During the show, several celebrities made appearances on “American Idol” to raise money for the humanitarian efforts around the world.
The celebrities included Carrie Underwood, Black Eyed Peas, Mary J. Blige, Alicia, Elton John, Jennifer Garner, Victoria Beckham, President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Russell Brand and Queen Latifah, among others.
A photo gallery from the show is posted below. Click the Associated Press images to enlarge them.
Lady Gaga will be on American Idol
Lady Gaga (AP photo)
Lady Gaga will appear on the May 5 episode of “American Idol.”
The pop singer made the announcement on her Twitter page. She said “See you on American Idol. May 5th, Little Monsters.”
This will be Gaga’s second appearance on the talent show. Last year, she performed her hit song “Poker Face” on the show.
Crystal Bowersox tried to leave American Idol
Crystal Bowersox (AP photo)
Crystal Bowersox is considered the front runner on this season’s “American Idol.” But two weeks ago, Bowersox tried to leave the show because she missed her son back home, and it was an emotional drain.
Idol host Ryan Seacrest confirmed reports that Bowersox tried to leave the show, but Seacrest convinced her to stay.
Seacresttold the E! Network he found Bowersox in the parking lot, and he told her “The greatest thing I ever did was make enough money so I could buy my mom a house. You can buy your mom a house.”
Meanwhile, Bowersox confirmed the reports on the “American Idol” Facebook page. She said “We all have moments of doubt. As much as I miss my kid, the big picture is this: I’m doing this for him and my fans. I’m having the time of my life!”
American Idol loses to Dancing with the Stars
Anna Trebunskaya and Anna Trebunskaya on "Dancing with the Stars." (AP photo by Adam Larkey)
The ABC network has something to dance about. The show “Dancing with the Stars” beat Fox’s “American Idol” in the ratings for the first time.
During the week of March 29, the Monday episode of “Dancing with the Stars” had nearly 23 million viewers compared to “American Idol’s” viewership of 21.8 million Tuesday and $20.5 million Wednesday last week, according to TV Guide.
I’m not surprised by the shift in ratings. This year’s “American Idol” season has been lackluster. It’s not as exciting as it used to be in previous years because of the contestants aren’t “wowing” people this year.
I have watched most “American Idol” episodes, but I’ve never seen “Dancing with the Stars.” I think I’m going to watch my first episode next week to see what all the hoopla is about.
Adam Lambert to mentor on American Idol
Adam Lambert (AP photo)
Adam Lambert will be the next celebrity to serve as a mentor to the contestants on “American Idol.”
The rock singer will be the mentor on the April 13 episode.
Lambert placed second on the 2009 season of “American Idol.” He was edged out by Kris Allen.
Rihanna will be on American Idol
R&B singer Rihanna will be the latest celebrity to make a stop on “American Idol.”
On Wednesday’s episode (April 7), Rihanna will perform her new song titled “Te Amo.”
Meanwhile, on Tuesday’s episode, the contestants will perform songs by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Rihanna will not be serving as the mentor.
Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken tour dates
Clay Aiken, left, and Ruben Studdard during the 2003 finale of "American Idol." (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken were competitors during season two of “American Idol” in 2003.
Studdard and Clay competed for “American Idol” title when both of them advanced to the finale. Studdard beat Clay for the title, but they are now teaming up for a joint tour.
The 17-city tour will kick off July 23 in North Carolina, and it will conclude Aug. 14 in Mississippi. The tour schedule is posted below.
- Fri., July 23: Biltmore Estates, Asheville, N.C.
- Sat., July 24: Florida Theater, Jacksonville, Fla.
- Sun. Jul. 25: King Center for Arts, Melbourne, Fla.
- Mon., July 26: Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, Fla.
- Thurs., July 29: Casino—Mountain View Plaza, Snoqualmie, Wash.
- Sat., July 31: Silver Legacy Casino, Reno, Nev.
- Sun., Aug. 1: Club Nokia, Los Angeles, Calif.
- Tues., Aug. 3: Potowanami Casino, Milwaukee, Wisc.
- Thurs., Aug. 5: Caesar’s Windsor, Ontario
- Fri. Aug. 6: Chautauqua Institution Amphitheatre, Chautauqua, N.Y.
- Sat., Aug. 7: MGM Grand Foxwoods, Mashantucket, Conn.
- Sun., Aug. 8: American Music Theater, Lancaster, Penn.
- Tues., Aug. 10: HB Casino, Hampton Beach, N.H.
- Wed., Aug. 11: Hammerstein Ballroom, New York, N.Y.
- Fri., Aug. 13: Horseshoe, Hammond, Ind.
- Sat., Aug. 14: Beau Rivage, Biloxi, Miss
Performances from American Idol Top 12 (March 16)
Tim Urban “Under My Thumb”
Siobhan Magnus “Paint It Black”
Crystal Bowersox “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”
Lee Dewyze “Beast of Burden”
Aaron Kelly “Angie”
Paige Miles “Honky Tonk Woman”
Casey James “It’s All Over Now”
Michael Lynche (Big Mike) “Miss You”
Did Benami “Play With Fire”
Lacey Brown “Ruby Tuesday”
Andrew Garcia “Gimme Shelter”
Katie Stevens “Wild Horses”
Poll: Who Is Your Favorite American Idol Winner?
Details on American Idol’s Anoop Desai new album
(American Idol/Fox)
Season eight “American Idol” contestant Anoop Desai’s new song titled “My Name” will be released March 23.
The song will appear on his upcoming album “All Is Fair” which will be released May 4. The album will have an Indian, R&B and pop flavor, according to a press release from his publicist.
Desai placed sixth on ”American Idol” in 2009.
During the show he sang songs from a variety of genres and musicians, including Boyz II Men, Stevie Wonder, Bobby Brown, Jimmy Ruffin, Michael Jackson, usher, Willie Nelson, Cyndi Lauper, Bryan Adams and Donna Summer.
In 2009, he was nominated at the Teen Choice Awards for best summer tour, along with the other “American Idol” top 10 contestants from season eight.
Nicknamed “Noop Dogg” on the show, Desai was one of my favorites to win the title. But he fell short because “American Idol” viewers/voters weren’t smart enough to keep him on the show by voting.
Desai was raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, by his Indian father and South African mother, according to a press release from his publicist.
Desai is not currently tied to a record company. His album will be released independently. Fans can keep up with Anoop on his Web site at www.anoopdesai.com
(provided by JS2 Communications)
Poll: Who is your favorite American Idol female contestant this year?
The six females who will perform in the American Idol Top 12 are Crystal Bowsersox, Didi Benami, Katie Stevens, Lacey Brown, Paige Miles and Siobhan Magnus.
The contestants will perform songs from the Roling Stones during tonight’s episode (March 16). Who is your favorite female contestant so far?
Poll: Who is your favorite American Idol male contestant this year?
The six males who will perform in the American Idol Top 12 are Aaron Kelly, Andrew Garcia, Casey James, Lee Dewyze, Michael Lynche (Big Mike) and Tim Urban.
The contestants will perform songs from the Roling Stones during tonight’s episode (March 16). Who is your favorite male contestant so far?
David Cook, Ke$ha, Orianthi to perform on Wednesday’s American Idol
(Photos: from left David Cook, Ke$ha and Orianthi (AP and MySpace)
Season seven “American Idol” winner David Cook, newcomer pop singer Ke$ha and newcomer rock singer Orianthi will perform on Wednesday’s episode of “American Idol” (March 17).
Wednesday’s episode is the results show where contestants will find out who is getting eliminated from the competition.
Ke$ha will perform her latest single titled “Blah Blah Blah” and Orianthi will sing her song titled “According To You.”
“Blah Blah Blah” is the follow-up to Ke$ha’s popular song “Tik Tok,” which spent several weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Orianthi’s “According To You” peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100.
I first noticed Orianthi last year when she performed as Michael Jackson’s lead guitarist in his concert footage film “This Is It.”
Fox executives did not announce which song Cook would be singing.
Poll: Who Is Your Favorite American Idol judge?
American Idol’s Carly Smithson tour dates
Season seven “American Idol” contestant Carly Smithson is going on tour with her band named We Are The Fallen.
The group consists of three formers members of the band Evanescence.
The tour will kick off March 23 in London, and it will end May 6 in New York. Smithson placed sixth on the show in 2008.
The We Are The Fallen tour schedule is posted below.
- 3/23 Kings College London, GB
- 3/26 Theatre of the Living Arts Philadelphia, PA
- 3/27 Sonar Baltimore, MD
- 3/28 House of Blues – Boston Boston, MA
- 3/30 Metropolis Montreal, QC, CA
- 3/31 Sound Academy Toronto, Ontario, CA
- 4/1 House Of Blues – Cleveland Cleveland, OH
- 4/2 Clutch Cargo’s Pontiac, MI
- 4/3 Bogarts Cincinatti, OH
- 4/6 The Orbit Room Grand Rapids, MI
- 4/7 The Pageant St. Louis, MO
- 4/9 House of Blues – Chicago Chicago, IL
- 4/10 The Rave Bar Milwaukee, WI
- 4/13 MacEwan Hall Calgary, AB, CA
- 4/14 Edmonton Event Centre Edmonton, AB, CA
- 4/16 Commodore Ballroom Vancouver, BC, CA
- 4/17 Showbox SoDo Seattle, WA
- 4/18 Roseland Theatre Portland, OR
- 4/20 Regency Theatre San Francisco, CA
- 4/21 House of Blues – Anaheim Anaheim, CA
- 4/22 House of Blues – San Diego San Diego, CA
- 4/23 The Wiltern Los Angeles, CA
- 4/24 House of Blues Mandalay Las Vegas, NV
- 4/27 Gothic Theatre Englewood, CO
- 4/29 House of Blues Dallas, TX
- 4/30 House of Blues Houston, TX
- 5/2 House of Blues Orlando, FL
- 5/3 Center Stage Atlanta, GA
- 5/4 House of Blues Myrtle Beach, SC
- 5/6 Irving Plaza New York, NY
Details on American Idol Katharine McPhee new movie, tv show
Katharine McPhee at the White House for Barack and Michelle Obama. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
After Katharine McPhee placed second on “American Idol” season five, she took the Jennifer Hudson route and added a movie career to her resume.
Her latest movie is titled “You May Not Kiss The Bride.” McPhee portrays the character Masha Nikitin. She stars alongside Dave Annable, Kathy Bates, Tia Carrere and Mena Suvari.
The movie is about a pet photographer who’s forced to marry a Croatian bride and spend the honeymoon at a resort where she is kidnapped.
Also, McPhee is preparing to star in a television show titled “The Pink House” on the NBC network.
The film will be released later this year. Meanwhile, McPhee’s latest album “Unbroken” was released in January.
McPhee’s previous acting credits include “Ugly Betty,” “The House Bunny” and “CSI: New York.”
Carrie Underwood ACM nominations
Season four “American Idol” winner Carrie Underwood will attend the Academy of County Music Awards (ACM) with six nominations.
The show will air April 18 on CBS.
Underwood’s nominations, include entertainer of the year, song of the year, vocal event of the year, top female vocalist and album of the year.
A photo gallery of Underwood competing during the ”American Idol” finale week in 2005 is posted below. Click on the Associated Press photos to enlarge them.
American Idol’s Danny Gokey tour dates with Sugarland
Season eight “American Idol” contestant Danny Gokey is currently on tour with the country music duo Sugarland.
The tour will conclude Aug. 5 in Georgia.
When Gokey, 29, competed on “American Idol” in 2009, he mostly sang soulful R&B tunes. But on his album “My Best Days,” he does a 360 and sings country-flavored songs.
The tour schedule is posted below.
- March 27: Robinsonville, MS
- April 1: Knoxville, TN
- April 2: North Myrtle Beach, SC
- April 3: Franklin, NC
- April 8: Ft. Lauderdale, FL
- April 10: Lake Buena Vista, FL
- April 30: Nashville, TN
- May 6: Nampa, ID
- May 7: Salt Lake City, UT
- May 8: Colorado Springs, CO
- May 14: Burgettstown, PA
- May 15: Camden, NJ
- May 16: Columbia, MD
- May 22: Holmdel, NJ
- June 13: Canandaigua, NY
- June 17: Sioux Falls, SD
- June 18: Kansas City, MO
- June 19: Bossier City, LA
- July 30: Cheyenne, WY
- Aug. 5: Alpharetta, GA
American Idol’s Jennifer Hudson to portray Winnie Mandela in movie
(AP Photo/Evan Agostini)
Season three ”American Idol” contestant Jennifer Hudson has proven herself to be a talented actress. She has an Oscar trophy from her “Dreamgirls” role to prove it.
Now, the singer/actress is preparing for an even deeper role. According to Variety, Hudson will portray Winnie Mandela in an upcoming film titled “Winnie.”
Winnie Mandela is a controversial South African politician, and the former wife of Nelson Mandela, the first black president of South Africa.
Shooting on the film will begin in late May.
Since placing seventh on “American Idol” in 2004, Hudson has four movies under her belt. They are “Dreamgirls,” “Sex and the City,” “Winged Creatures” and “The Secret Life of Bees.”
American Idol Blog Day
It’s “American Idol” day on the Celebrity Blog. Tonight will be the first night of the Top 12 finals on “American Idol.”
To celebrate this occasion, I am posting several blogs today that feature previous “American Idol” contestants.
Please check back frequently today to see what your favorite former Idol contestants have been up to since their season ended.
Patti Labelle says American Idol judges are unqualified
R&B music legend Patti Labelle is not a fan of the “American Idol” judges. The singer even suggested some of them are unqualified.
During an interview with the Associated Press, Labelle said “Some of the judges, I don’t think they’re qualified to even judge. The comments that were made, they could make you like wanna kill yourself.”
Labelle didn’t reveal which judges she felt were unqualified, but through the process of elimination, we might be able to figure out who she was referring to.
Simon Cowell had astronomical success as a music executive and television producer, so I think it’s safe to say he’s qualified to be a talent-show judge.
Kara DioGuardi is a successful songwriter. She has written songs for Leona Lewis, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Celine Dion, Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. Plus, most people don’t know this, but Kara can actually sing too. So, she’s qualified to be a judge.
That leaves us with Randy Jackson and Ellen DeGeneres.
Randy was a member of the group Journey. He played musical instruments for them. But that doesn’t necessarily mean he knows about judging musical talent.
Ellen is a funny comedian, and she has a successful daytime talk show. But that doesn’t necessarily mean she knows about judging musical talent.
So, there you have it. Patti Labelle was probably referring to Ellen and Randy when she said some of the “American Idol” judges were unqualified.
Again, this is just a theory. I’m not 100 percent certain who she was referring to with that comment.
