E! reports that Kara DioGuardi is coming back at significantly less pay than the other three. That makes sense.

What else is DioGuardi going to do? As for “Idol,” they must have known viewers are split on her. Some like her. Some don’t. I’m kind of indifferent. Occasionally, she’d add some interesting insight into the issue of marketability but as the show went on, she became more and more of a mindless cheerleader. We’ll see if things change this year because it looks like we’re stuck with four judges again. (I can’t imagine Paula Abdul NOT coming back.)

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Jordin Sparks opened last week at a modest 48,000 copies, ranked No. 7 for the week. This, despite a top 11 hit in “Battlefield.” (It’s almost top 10 and should make it.)

Her first album opened at 119,000 copies.

She is …

Continue reading Kara DioGuardi coming back, Jordin Sparks opens 7th with 48,000 copies sold, Kelli Glover cut from America’s Got Talent »

Perez Hilton is fanning the flames after Kelly Clarkson complained that the single “Already Gone” was released without her approval. His twist is that the label said it would not support the album anymore if “Already Gone” wasn’t released so she relented.

True or not, I do appreciate Kelly’s honesty and her need to control her own destiny. But there are consequences to airing dirty laundry.

So far, the single is not getting much traction on top 40 radio that I can tell.

Ryan Tedder, the songwriter who gave identical song samples to both Beyonce and Kelly Clarkson, responded on his MySpace page in part, then took it down. You can read what he said on MJ’s blog.

-More info here about the drunk loser who hit Alexis Cohen.

Continue reading Trouble between Kelly Clarkson and label? »

Kris Allen, winner of "American Idol," reacts backstage following the show's finale in Los Angeles, Wednesday, May 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Most “American Idol” winners so far have fallen in the “humbly likable” category. Think Ruben Studdard, Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson and Jordin Sparks.

Exceptions: powerhouse R&B diva Fantasia from season three and authoritatively confident rocker David Cook from last season. (They were both likable in different ways, just not evidently humble by my definition of humble.)

This year’s winner Kris Allen joins the majority as Mr. Understated, not Mr. Swagger. And he proved no different during a phone interview earlier this month to promote Friday’s sold-out Gwinnett Arena “Idols Live” concert.

Q: So far, reviews have been good for the tour so far. Have you had time to read any of them?

A: I just read some stuff last night. I figured it there’s a place to read reviews, it’d be the L.A. show. It was all good. Everybody got good …

Continue reading Kris Allen interview to promote “Idols Live” at Gwinnett Arena July 31 »

The L.A. Times, using unnamed sources, says Paula Abdul is making $4 million and is seeking $12 million a year.

Simon Cowell, already making $36 million a year for “Idol,” may get a new multi-year deal worth $45 million, the paper’s sources say.

Great stats from the story here:

In the most recent season, the program averaged 26.6 million viewers per episode, and advertisers shelled out more than $700,000 for a 30-second commercial, TNS Media Intelligence said. Overall, “American Idol” took in almost $850 million in advertising revenue last season, more than any other television show, despite the weak economy.

Simon, in the meantime, is working as an executive producer on a British battle of the bands type show featuring Kate Moss as a judge. Because when you think rock band, you think Kate Moss, right?

That $850 million, however, is down from $903.3 million in 2008.

-And rumors of Jennifer Lopez replacing Paula Abdul on “Idol”? Hogwash, she says to People.com.

And some …

Continue reading LA Times has numbers on what Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell might get »

Alexis Cohen, who made an impression in early 2008 with her profane post-”Idol” audition tirade, was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver in Seaside Heights, N.J. Saturday night, according to the Allentown Morning Call.

She was a skinny rocker with ’80s style hair and eyeliner. She was very entertaining as a personality and oddly likable. “Idol” gave her seven minutes of airtime during season seven — deservedly so.

“Always have true faith, always be victorious,” she said cheerfully. She said she had been compared to Pat Benatar, Janis Joplin and Grace Slick. She did “Somebody to Love.” She wasn’t half bad but it was merely an imitation of Slick.

She was very polite during the audition but once rejected, she got really angry at Simon. “How dare he look at me so smug?” she said to Ryan. Then she added, “Why do I feel like giving the camera the finger. Then she started giving the finger, both fingers, to said camera. Grabbing her butt, she turned around and said, “Kiss …

Continue reading Profane “Idol” tryout gal killed in hit and run »

Ken Warwick, the show producer who stuck around after Nigel Lythgoe left, is going to be around another three years, according to Hollywood Reporter.

The story says he’ll be making well into the eight figures.

Overall, his performance on his own was a mixed bag.

Warwick has been with the show since 2002 but was running the show minus Nigel Lythgoe for the first time. His biggest strike against him? He had a hard time keeping the show on time last season. He also cleared the fourth judge and that “save” option. For many, those are major strikes against him.

But at least he made the results show more entertaining by nixing the awful Q&A section season seven. He also split the screaming sorority girls in front of the stage into two sections and placed a ramp between the singers and the judges. That worked.

He brought back the semifinal stage and expanded the no. of people to 36 from 24. That was a wash to me. He also added more episodes in Hollywood. That was good.

MJ said she …

Continue reading Ken Warwick, “Idol” show producer, gets new deal »

Daughtry debuted at No. 1 on the album charts, selling 269,000 copies. That’s pretty good nowadays, down a bit from his first album debut of 304,000 in 2006 but not by much.

He ended the three-week run by Michael Jackson.

His single “No Surprise” is on the verge of hitting the CHR top 20 but is no “It’s Not Over” or “Home” in terms of chart impact.

Brooke White’s album debuted on digital only last week and sold almost 10,000 copies, twice as many as Michael Johns.

Ryan Seacrest will be back in his hometown briefly in October for a charity event, the Hearts and Hands Gala, benefiting Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities. It’s set for Oct. 24 at the World of Coca-Cola. Jennifer Brett, our “social butterfly,” reported this a few days back and I only now remembered to report it. I can’t ascertain the cost of buying individual tickets though sponsorships start at $2,500.

Continue reading Daughtry at No. 1, Ryan Seacrest doing a local charity event »

After a four-year break, VH1 is bringing back its VH1 Divas concert. This year, Kelly Clarkson is part of the diva crowd, though honestly, she is SO not a diva.

I also don’t quite see Miley Cyrus as “diva” along the lines of past attendees like Celine Dion and Beyonce. Oh, well. I guess they don’t make divas like they used to. Fantasia would be kind of cool!

Leona Lewis and Adele are part of the concert, too.

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It airs Sept. 17 on VH1 at 9 p.m.

Clarkson is doing a tour of various state fairs this summer, none near Atlanta.

And talk about better late than never: Kimberly Caldwell from season two, better known as a host on the TV …

Continue reading VH1 Divas signs on Kelly Clarkson, Kimberly Caldwell gets a record deal »

Two years after winning “American Idol,” Jordin Sparks showed up on the show this spring looking more mature, more confident, more refined.

Her new album “Battlefield” (out Tuesday July 21) also attempts to dig a bit deeper than the teen-age pop feel of her debut recording, which generated three top 10 hits and moved more than one million copies.

“I’ve grown up a little bit,’ Sparks said last week during an hour-long press conference in which I got to ask quite a few questions. “But I haven’t gotten too old. I’m only 19. I still have more growing to do and a lot to learn. I’m still the quirky girl who embarrasses herself on a daily basis.”

And her reputation as a “good girl” has remained unscathed. She has not been the target of TMZ cameras or nasty tabloid rumors.

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“I am a role model,” she said. “I want to make sure I’m not cussing. I don’t cuss anyway. Sex, …

Continue reading Jordin Sparks interview to promote new album “Battlefield” »

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Ryan Seacrest just got a big raise last week. Is Paula Abdul’s agent playing hardball by going public saying she might not come back?

David Sonenberg told the L.A. Times last week that she has yet to receive a proposal from the bosses at “Idol.”

“She’s not a happy camper as a result of what’s going on. She’s hurt. She’s angry,” said Sonenberg, who began working with Abdul at the end of June.

“I find it under these circumstances particularly unusual; I think unnecessarily hurtful,” he said. “I find it kind of unconscionable and certainly rude and disrespectful that they haven’t stepped up and said what they want to do.”

I suspect she is posturing in public to pressure the “Idol” producers to give her a comparable raise. Two weeks ago, on the set of the “Drop Dead Diva” set, she was far more optimistic …

Continue reading Is Paula Abdul posturing with the L.A. Times report saying she might not come back? »