American Idol Latest News 08/31/08

The tour comes to the Wolstein Center in Cleveland on Sept. 4.
Full circle is where “American Idol” season 7 top-five contestant Brooke White recently found herself when the “American Idols LIVE! Tour 2008” played Philadelphia, which is the city the singer auditioned in last summer.

“Oh my goodness, it was a year ago this month and we just played there,” said White, calling from Washington, D.C. “Talk about coming full circle. I stood on the stage, pointed to the section I sat, which was 222A and told the crowd that for 20 hours I waited for my first audition. So to go from sitting up there and standing on this stage within a year’s time, that’s pretty surreal and unbelievable.” via Vindy.com

‘Idol’ is the arbiter of musical talent
The concept of “American Idol” is nothing new. It is, after all, only a talent show, and we’ve been seeing those for at least a few hundred years.

From town squares to radio to television, the talent show has long been an accepted, and welcome, form of entertainment. Even Frank Sinatra got his start on a talent show.

So why is “American Idol” so annoying? Beyond Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell, that is. via Courier-Journal.com

‘American Idol’ tour hits Grand Rapids Wednesday
David Cook was speechless when the cloth came down and the mural designed in his honor was unveiled.

“Wow. I don’t think I have ever looked that good,” he said of the mural in downtown Blue Springs, Mo. “Thank you guys. All I can say is thank you. I can’t say anything else. This is huge.”

Cook, a Blue Springs native, was the seventh winner of “American Idol” in May. He was back in his hometown Friday to attend the unveiling of a mural, designed and painted by students in the Blue Springs School District’s Summer Creative Arts Academy. All are students at Blue Springs South High School this fall, Cook’s alma mater. More than 100 people attended the unveiling. via Enterprise News

Life after ‘American Idol’ keeps contestants busy
Smithson, who performs Wednesday at Van Andel Arena with the rest of the Top 10 finalists, not only exited with head held high, but with the distinct possibility of exhilarating new opportunities.

“I can’t really talk about it yet,” she said, “but I did get some pretty good news the other day” regarding a recording contract.

If she does release an album on a major label, it will be her second experience doing so. As Carly Hennessy, she put out an album with MCA Records called “Ultimate High” in 2001. When the record company merged with a parent company, her album got lost in the shakeup and sold few copies. via Mlive.com