Bucky Covington Wins #1 Country New Artist Award

Good 'ole boy from season 5, Bucky Covington, recently earned country music acclaim when he was voted Country Airchecks #1 New Artist for 2007. His top 5 hit single, "A Different World" along with his current #26 hit "It's Good To Be Us".

He's currently opening concerts for Trace Adkins on select dates and will be touring alongside Dierks Bentley in 2008.

Jordin Sparks to Sing The National Anthem at the Super Bowl

Miss Jordin Sparks, the 17-year-old American Idol winner from last season will be singing the National Anthem February 3, 2008 at the Super Bowl in her hometown of Glendale, Arizona. The impressive, young songstress will join the ranks of music greats Billy Joel, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, and Neil Diamond who also sang past Super Bowl National Anthems.

I'm sure Jordin will once again wow America with her strong vocals and girlish charm and poise!

Nick Lachey's Cincinnati Choir Wins Clash of the Choirs

As the countdown to the season premier of American Idol next month continues, I've checked out a few other music-based reality TV shows. The Clash of the Choirs began and ended this past week. Cincinnati native, Nick Lachey led his competent and diverse choir to victory, winning a quarter of a million dollars to benefit Cincinnati's Children's Hospital Medical Center.

Clearly, all of the choirs were talented and enthusiastic, but Team Lachey really took the competition to the next level. My favorite performance was the Flight of the Bumblebee.

The shocker of the night was when it was announced that the other choirs were not going back to their hometowns empty-handed. They each received contributions for their choir's chosen charity.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Clash of the Choirs and thought the program timing coincided well with Christmas.

Clash of the Choirs

I caught an episode of NBC's new Clash of the Choirs Monday night and have DVR-ed Tuesday's episode to watch when I have time. (http://www.nbc.com/Clash_of_the_Choirs/) Although you can't compare it to American Idol, I found it to be highly entertaining and simply delightful. My husband saw me watching it and commented on how I had a big smile on my face!

The program gives 5 superstar musicians the challenge of recruiting and directing their own amateur choir. The choirs each consist of members who reside in the star's hometown. Nick Lachey: Cincinnati, OH; Patti LaBelle: Philadelphia, PN; Michael Bolton: New Haven, CT; Blake Shelton: Oklahoma City, OK; Kelly Rowland: Houston, TX.

The choirs each perform a song selection and are judged by the 4 other stars. The best part is the winning choir will win a monetary prize to be donated to the choir director's charity of choice.

Having sung in several choirs over the years, I really enjoyed watching Clash of the Choir and look forward to the finale later this week.

Blake Lewis' Audio Dream Day Has Big Debut

Our favorite American Idol contestant from Season 6, Blake Lewis, has just released his album entitled Audio Day Dream December 12. The album debuted at number 10 on the Billboard Charts, selling a whopping 97,500 records it's first week out! More on this later.(http://musicbox.sonybmg.com/node/137865)

Focus on Kelly Clarkson

If you listen to the radio or watch TV, you're likely to hear something about Kelly. Her soulful and commanding voice is matchless. She's an incredible performer, but some may not be aware that she is also a truly gifted songwriter. After writing nearly 60 songs for her latest album, entitled My December , she finally narrowed the list to 14. (http://www.kellyclarkson.com/site.php)

Kelly says her songs are often a reflection of what is going on in her life (http://www.kellyclarkson.com/site.php?content=bio). The lyrics reveal strong emotions about different relationships, with people, and with God. Kelly says her song, "Irvine" is a prayer written as she was at "the lowest part in (her) life." As a performer she says she always has a place to live in TX, away from the manic LA scene, something that I think sets her apart from the average music entertainer.

Kelly has proven herself to be quite flexible as an artist. My December incorporates folksy-blues, country, and psychedelic funk.

Last year, she saw great success at The Grammy's, The American Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, People's Choice, and an extraordinary 11 Billboard Music Awards. Her current collaboration with country great, Reba McEntire is up for a Grammy.

We wish Kelly the best and look forward to much more from her in the future!

Six Idols Up for Grammy Nods

Six of our favorite Idols are officially in the running for a Grammy. (http://www.americanidol.com/news/view/?pid=1109)

Chris Daughtry-4 nominations, including Best Rock Song and Best Rock Album.
Fantasia received 3 nominations, which included Best R&B Song
Carrie Underwood-2 nominations including Best Country Collaboration for "Oh Love."
Kelly Clarkson-1 nomination, in the same category as fellow Idol, Carrie Underwood, for her collaboration with Reba McEntire.
Mandisa-1 nomination for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album, True Beauty.

Jennie Garth Eliminated from Dancing with the Stars

As a kid I loved watching Beverly Hills 90210 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly_Hills_90210), so I was happy weeks ago when I learned Jennie Garth was starring in Dancing with the Stars. Though I have had a few other favorites this season (including Sabrina & Mark and Mel & Max) I've continued to root for Jennie and was disappointed to see her go. She came so far over the 8 or 9 weeks she competed in Dancing. You could tell that her husband and little girls were so proud of her.

Next week is going to be so interesting to watch. I know they keep saying it, but this truly is a season full of dramatic surprises. Marie Osmond (http://www.marieosmond.com/) has proven herself to be a fierce and likable competitor. Race car driver Helio Castroneves (http://www.heliocastroneves.com.br/index_us_high.htm) and Spice Girl Melanie B (http://www.melaniebrown.com/) have proven time and time again that they are up for the challenge. Each dancer brings something unique to the dance floor. For Marie, it's the entertainment factor. She loves being in the spotlight and has an incredible fan base supporting her each week. Helio has the charm and the smile that connects with the audience. Mel has fun and appears to have an incredible natural talent for dancing.

Paula Abdul Thinks Idol is Family Friendly

Paula Abdul said, "It's such an amazing cultural phenomenon to have the entire country be able to have a vested interested in picking the next pop star." We agree completely Paula! Our entire family looks forward to watching (and rewatching) and analyzing each episode and voting for our favorites. Go to http://www.americanidol.com/videos/view/?vid=5 to watch the interview in it's entirety and hear more about what Paula Abdul has to say about the American Idol Contestants and what they go through.

2007 American Music Awards

Did you catch the American Music Awards (http://abc.go.com/primetime/ama/index?pn=winners) last night? Two of our favorite American Idols took home a combined total of 5 awards! Chris Daughtry won Favorite Pop or Rock Album, Adult Contemporary Favorite Artist, Favorite Album, (Daughtry/Daughtry) and Favorite Breakthrough Artist! Chris Daughtry and his band also gave a great performance of "Home". They looked so excited and grateful to be there.

Carrie Underwood enjoyed continued success last night when she won Favorite Female Country Music Artist and Favorite Country Album (Carrie Underwood/Some Hearts)

Vote for Chris Daughtry for The People's Choice Awards!

Although I can't deny Taylor Hicks and Katherine McPhee are extremely talented musicians, I (and much of my family) wanted Chris Daughtry to win season 5 (although it obviously hasn't hurt his musical career at all that he didn't). Every time I turn the radio on I hear Over You, Home, or It's Not Over.

Daughtry is nominated for 2 People's Choice Awards: Favorite Group and Favorite Rock Song. Please scroll to the bottom of the page to vote for Chris and all your other favorites! Visit http://www.daughtryofficial.com/ for additional voting info.

I've included the lyrics to Home, just because I love the song. I even heard it played on a Christian music station recently. Very cool!

Home Lyrics by Chris Daughtry

I'm staring out into the night
And trying to hide the pain
I'm going to the place where love
and feeling good don't ever cost a thing,
And the pain you feel's a different kind of pain
I'm going home to the place where I belong
where your love has always been enough for me
I'm running from you know I think you got me all wrong
I don't regret this life I chose for me
But these places and these faces are getting old
So I'm going home
The miles are getting longer it seems
The closer I get to you.... babe
I've not always been the best man and friend for you
But your love remains true and I don't know why
You always seem to give me another try I'm going home
To the place where I belong
Where your love has always been good enough for me
I'm running from you know I think you got me all wrong
I don't regret this life I chose for me
But these places and these faces are getting old
Be careful what you wish for
cause you just might get it all
you just might get it all and then some you dont want
be careful what you wish for cause you just might get it all
You just might get it all
I'm going home to the place where I belong
Where your love has always been enough for me
And I'm running from.. you know I think you got me all wrong
I don't regret this life I chose for me'
But these places and these faces are getting old
But these places and these faces are getting old
I'm going home I'm going home.

Carrie Underwood at the CMA's

American Idol's champion sweetheart from season 4 does it again! At the recent CMA awards, Carrie took home the Female Vocalist of the Year as well as the Single of the Year

http://www.carrieunderwoodofficial.com/.

The Checotah, OK native has been singing since the age of 3 http://www.americanidol.com/contestants/season4/carrie_underwood/ and since her American Idol win in 2005, her success as a country music artist has exploded!

Carrie and Keith Urban are gearing up for their tour which includes 24 US cities. Love, Pain, and the Whole Crazy Carnival Ride is set to begin January 31.

American Idol Season Premier Event

Be sure and mark your calenders (or set your Tivo or DVR) for January 15 and 16 for the 2-night American Idol Premiere at 8/7 Central. I can't wait to see who's going to make their way to the top this season!

How Do the Idols Stack Up?

SEASON 1
Champion: Kelly Clarkson
Runner-Up: Justin Guarini
3RD: Nikki McKibbin
4TH: Tamyra Gray

SEASON 2
Champion: Ruben Studdard
Runner-Up: Clay Aiken
3RD: Kimberley Locke
4TH: Joshua Gracin

SEASON 3
Champion: Fantasia Barrino
Runner-Up: Diana DeGarmo

3RD: Jasmine Trias

4TH: LaToya London

SEASON 4

Champion: Carrie Underwood

Runner-Up: Bo Bice

3RD: Vonzell Solomon

4TH: Anthony Fedorov

SEASON 5

Champion: Taylor Hicks

Runner-Up: Catherine McPhee

3RD: Elliot Yamin

4TH: Chris Daughtry

SEASON 6

Champion: Jordin Sparks

Runner-Up: Blake Lewis

3RD: Melinda Doolittle

4TH: LaKisha Jones

SEASON 7

To be determined by America!

American Idol Auditions

Last year more that 103,000 Idol hopefuls auditioned. This years try-outs took place in San Diego, Dallas, Omaha, Atlanta, Charleston, Miami, and Philadelphia. When asked by USA TODAY for audition advice here is what some of last season's Idol contestants had to say:

Blake Lewis, 26, added his own unique spin on Seal's Crazy for his Seattle audition last year. Blake suggested, "be yourself and be confident. I didn't view it as television so it was easy. . . Just be true to yourself. There will always be other auditions."

Winner, Jordin Sparks, 17, (amazingly) did not make it through in Los Angeles. She then auditioned in Seattle singing Because You Loved Me by Celine Dion. And, you know, the rest is history. Jordin had this advice, "Know that (the judges) are watching to see if you'll crack under pressure. Sing something nobody else is doing, because by the 10th time they've heard it, they're going to cut you off early. Smile."

Melinda Doolittle, another stand-out performer from Season 6 emphasizes the importance of connecting with the judges. "Even if you're nervous, look them in the eye. Sing a song you believe in, one that you can really sell. Capture their attention. They're looking for more than singing."

Finally, few of us will forget Phil Stacey's dramatic audition, coming at the same time as his newborn baby daughter's birth. Stacey, 29, had this to add, "You've got to be real. The truth is, I would have left a better impression if I had done the music I wanted to do from the start rather than wait until I was comfortable. Blake went a long way because he was crystal clear about who he was."

I can't wait to view this years auditions! January can't come soon enough.

Blake or Jordin?

I know it's a little late for this but I'm just curious. . . did you vote for Blake or Jordin and why? Personally, I really like them both and looked forward to their performances each week. Jordin is amazingly poised and talented for such a young contestant. I loved her choice in music (most of the time) and thought she really had fun performing. But. . . for me Blake took the cake. He's got such a unique style and (although some might disagree) the beatboxing was super cool! I don't think earning 2nd place in American Idol will hurt his career a bit. Even so, we voted as many times as our fingers could continue pressing the redial button on our phone.

We had the privilege to attend the American Idols Live concert at the MO State Fair this summer (more on that later) and it was awesome! Even from our seats way up high in the bleachers the enthusiasm and delight of the crowd was obvious. I don't know who enjoyed it more, our four kids or us, the parents. Anyhow, the ultimate performance of the night (in my opinion) went to Blake and Chris Richardson. (Who knew Chris could beatbox?) The audience applause was dramatically louder when Blake performed compared to any of the other contestants. He truly has incredible fan support. His album is due to be released in December http://www.americanidol.com/ and I'm sure his fans will be lining up at the door to grab a copy!

I wish the best of luck to Jordin and Blake. I don't think either one of them will have any trouble makin it big in the music world.

Veering Off Course: Dancing with the Stars

I know this blog is supposed to be about American Idol but please indulge me while I write about Dancing with the Stars for a minute. I'm floored by last night's results! Was anyone else shocked that Sabrina and Mark were eliminated? Now I wish I would have voted. I thought for sure they would be in the finals. The competition is pretty fierce this season. I really like Melanie & Max and Jennie & Derrik but who knows which couple will actually win?

American Idol Mania Blog #1

Welcome to American Idol Mania! Well, today I'm working on getting the blog up and running. I'm going to try to write a little everyday. As a happily married mom to four great kids it's difficult sometimes to make time for myself to do things I enjoy. I definitely love blogging (check out my other blog http://specialmealsmom.blogspot.com) and have found it to be so rewarding and mentally stimulating. As you might have guessed, we are huge American Idol fans. When it comes on, we gather round the t.v., volume blaring, for an hour of talent (usually), comedy, and drama (thanks to Simon and Ryan). Later we watch and rewatch the latest episodes having friendly disagreements about who should be the next. . .American Idol! My four-year-old even gets into it. Her favorite is Simon! She says, "Simon's not very nice" while shaking her head side to side.
Unfortunately I missed the first couple of seasons. We didn't know what we were missing. But, never again! We're true blue American Idol fans and don't miss an episode, thanks to DVR. We can't wait until the Season 7 premier in January! I guess I'll just have to be patient, but it won't be easy.