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Fox announced Thursday that Ellen DeGeneres will not be returning to “American Idol” for season 10. She will not be a part of the auditions held this summer either. This come as odd news since she still had four years left on the “American Idol” contract that she just signed last year.

Fox declined to expand on any reasoning behind Ellen DeGeneres’s departure. However, Ellen said that the departure was her idea. She told Fox News,  “A couple months ago, I let Fox and the “American Idol” producers know that this didn’t feel like the right fit for me.” She also said that the work schedule was more than she thought it would be,  it was difficult to judge the contestants, and  she often felt uncomfortable hurting their feelings.

For “American Idol” fans, the wait to find out who will be taking the place of Ellen DeGeneres and Simon Cowell is going to feel like an eternity. It is speculated that Fox will make such announcements about the show sometime in August or September.

Ratings for “American Idol” did decrease last year, but the show still remains one of the most popular shows on television and a huge profit source for Fox.  

In my opinion, Simon Cowell’s departure will hurt the show’s popularity. He had a brash tenacious nature that viewers loved to hate or hated to love.  Ellen DeGeneres added a sense of humor that the other judges lacked. However, her unease and lack of musical experience was quite obvious…even to the musical layman. It will certainly be interesting who is chosen to fill both pairs of shoes.

It sure has:

Kelly Clarkson the 1st year “Idol” winner and multiple music award winner has sold 10.5 million records and has had 8 number 1 covers.

Carrie Underwood the country singer from Oklahoma and now darling of Nashville has sold not only over 11 million country records (7 # Ones), but has several crossover hits and numerous Country Music Awards and Grammy Awards. She has sold more records than any other American Idol winner or non-winner. Her album “Some Hearts”, has been certified Platinum and has sold over 7 million copies.

David Cook (season 7 winner) was “American Idol’s” first real rock music winner.

Fantasia Barrino, a less well known Idol Winner, none the less has won Grammy nominations and other awards. She starred on Broadway in the Musical “A Color Purple”.

Jordin Sparks, season 6 “American Idol “Winner has joined the 1 million record seller level also. She was the youngest “American Idol” winner so far: won the contest at the age of 17.

But where are the “Idol Alumni” that didn’t win?

Here is a quick run – down of some “American Idol Alumni from the top 10 and what they are doing these days.

Remember Melissa Doolittle, the little backup singer from Nashville with the big voice? Her top 10 status on “American Idol” helped her launch a very successful Christian Music solo career. She has been touring with

Chris Daughtry (season 5 who finished 4th)and his rocker group “Daughtry’ 1st album sold more  rock records in the first week than any other Idol alumni contestant intheir first release after “American Idol” appearance, up to this date.

Clay Aiken (season 2 runner-up Idol) has had several big selling albums and has one of the largest “American Idol” fan bases.

Jennifer Hudson (season 3 alum, who came in 7th) has won an Oscar and has an extremely successful Hollywood and musical career going strong these days.

Kellie Pickler (season 5 alum, who came in 6th) has had several Country Music hits, sold over 1 million records and is a rising star on the Nashville scene.

Bo Bice (season 4 runner-up) has put out 2 albums and he recently cut his hair (Keith Urban stylish shoulder length) and donated  his tresses to an organization that makes wigs for children with catastrophic illnesses!

Elliott Yamin (season 5 top 10 who came in 3rd place) has put out 4 albums.

Jason Castro (season 7 dreadlocks fave) got married on January 2nd and is set to release a new album, in April.

Constantine Maroulis (season 4 Idol alum) received a Broadway Tony Award nomination for his role in “Rock of Ages”. He has also received a place on Sardis’s “Wall of Fame”, with his own character picture.

Kimberly Locke (season 3 was 3rd place runner-up) has been a spokeswoman for Lane Bryant and recently signed a deal with Jenny Craig.

Josh Gracin (season 2) known as “the Singing Marine”, has released 2 albums and is touring regularly.

Jessica Sierra (season 4, 10th place finish) has joined the list of “American Idol” notorious contestants. She has been arrested for battery and possession of cocaine, plus disorderly intoxication and resisting arrest. She “released a sex video titled “Jessica Sierra Hardcore” that is being sold by porn company Vivid Entertainment.

Sanjay Malakar (season 6 was the 7th place finalist) known on Idol for his hair styles, that may have been his 15 minutes of fame. He has no albums or projects on the table presently.

The most famous (or infamous Season 3 contestant) non Top 10 “American Idol” contestant, is perhaps William Hung that didn’t make it past the auditions. He has had more than15-minutes-of-fame stardom since 2004. Hung got a record deal with Indie label Koch Records and has released his three albums: “Inspiration,” “Hung for the Holidays” and “Miracle: Happy Summer From William Hung” …none of which have sold well. He has been a commercial spokesman for Cingular Wireless and Ask.com.  Plus, he has been a guest on TV shows like “Arrested Development” and “Airline.”

And did you know every “American Idol” winner has been from the American Southland except for one.

Will this be “American Idols” Last Season?

Is There Natural Talent on “American Idol” This Season?

There are several “American Idol” contestants which seem to have very natural talent, as well as voices which are simply meant for the radio. Female contestants Crystal Bowersox and Lilly Scott may be some of the most unique and talented vocalists that “American Idol” has ever seen. Male contestant Lee Dewyze is about as good as Chris Daughtry, and it is likely that we can expect to hear his voice big on the radio in the future.

As for the other “American Idol” contestants? There is no doubt that some of the other vocalists in this singing competition have great voices. Katie Stevens, Aaron Kelly, Katelyn Epperly, and Casey James are all “American Idol” contestants who have shown that they do have great voices. Unfortunately, most of their performances have yet to seriously impress the judges. It seems that if all of these artists can strengthen who they want to be as musicians, they may have a shot at winning “American Idol.”

Could Any of the “American Idol” Contestants Make it Big?

The upcoming weeks will help us better predict which “American Idol” contestants could be around for the long haul. There are undoubtedly a few great vocalists on the show this season, and it is easy to picture some of them – such as Lee Dewyze or Crystal Bowersox – growing in fame. All that some of these “American Idol” contestants really need to do is find the song which best represents who they would like to be as an artist. It feels as though many of the song choices this season seem to be somewhat older than they have been in seasons, and simply not well suited for the contestants who are singing them.

We have seen in the past that you do not necessarily need to win “American Idol” in order to make it good as a musician. It seems that some of the current contestants could develop large enough fan bases based on their performances in order to make it big in the world of music. On a similar note, there have been some “American Idol” winners who haven’t made it big. It’s all about talent – and while there may not be tons of contestants on “American Idol” this season who seem to have the natural talent it takes to make it big, there are definitely a select few who could go somewhere!

Back to the news. Howard Stern is going to be on Idol. Potentially. I actually watch the Howard Stern Show and this guy is in no way qualified to judge musical talent. He is famous for getting porno stars and strippers to do naughty things on his radio show (now an on demand tv show). My question is how does this translate into Idol? Why don’t they just get the guy from Hell’s Kitchen to replace Simon. At least he’s British.

Either one of two things is bound to happen if Stern makes it onto Idol:

A) He sells out, agrees to be sensored and cleans up for Fox, becoming another boring celebrity judge.

B) He cracks under the pressure, drops an F bomb on live tv before the 8 second delay New York can catch it, and  gets fired on national tv.

C) BONUS OPTION: He hires a male stripper in a diabolical plot to out Ryan Secreast once and for all.

In all seriousness. The original judges worked best and Simon is just irreplaceable. They need to axe this show once and for all.

For most American’s this show is a guilty pleasure tempting us away from homework, and other obligations we should be doing. I’m tired of giving in to the urge to Idol watch.

Who’s going to watch this show now? Paula’s already left and they can’t have celebrities on there forever. I apologize if you genuinely love seeing the ” talented performers” battle it out on the Idol stage, but for those of you who are tired of the ten years of Idol mania, you are not alone.

I feel your pain and ready to have this show axed after Simon leaves.

Tony Cowell, brother of American Idol judge and main stay Simon Cowell, announced on his pod cast ‘The Cowell Factor’ that the upcoming season 9 will indeed by the British Bully’s last on the show.  “A press statement is being prepared which will confirm what everybody expected: Simon will leave Idol at the end of 2010 to concentrate on bringing the American version of [his British talent show] X Factor to U.S. TV in 2011.”  Reports from Fox and 19 Entertainment appear to confirm the siblings report.

     So what does this mean for the future of the show?  American Idol has become a part of the very fabric of American pop culture; the ratings perennially are at the top, and the show has spawned a nearly endless parade of pop stars; Adam Lambert, Daughtry, Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler, Jordin Sparks, David Cook…. the list goes on and on.

     But questions of the show’s longevity have been circulating for a couple of years now.  Just how long will the show go on?  A significant part of the show’s appeal has been the odd chemistry between the lovable but ditsy Paula Abdul, the just short of cool Randy Jackson, and the ever cynical Simon Cowell.  The addition of Kara DioGuardi in season 8 received less than stellar reviews, in large part because it threw off the element of chemistry the existing judges had built up over the first 7 seasons.

     Paula’s leaving has left a void, and it’s a hole that Ellen Degeneres may not be able to fill.  For all of her intoxicated idiocy, she still maintained a touch of credibility, having herself been a major recording star at one time.  But it might still work without her.  The loss of Cowell, however, will likely be, in retrospect, the beginning of the end for the show.  The concept itself isn’t enough to maintain the level of interest, there is no way to truly replace a Simon Cowell, and lord knows we’re all tired of Ryan Seacrest.

     It won’t happen immediately;  Fox will of course milk the franchise for every penny it can before it dies.  But it’s safe to assume that the juggernaut level ratings will fade over the 3 ramining contracted years of American Idol, and it, like everything else in the television world, will fade away.  So enjoy it while it’s here.

     One of the unique aspects of the phemomenon, and one of the reasons for its stunning popularity, is the way it affords us to watch the evolution of the artists.  In many cases, they arrive as raw, unschooled (but talented) singers, and we get to watch step by step as they mold (or are molded) into pop stars.

     So here we take a look at that evolution in some of the best contestants to grace the stage… watching first their audition, then a performance from the show, and then taking a look at the finished product.  Enjoy!

Also from Mnofdichotomy: Adam Lambert Gays Up The A.m.a.’s. Who Does He Think He is?

Adam Lambert

Adam was one of the few that came in at the end of the assembly line.  He was polished when he arrived, and could have cut an album pretty much from the beginning.

Alison Iraheta

Her bluesy Joplin-esque voice appears to have made it through the processing machine intact, with pop appeal intact.

Bo Bice

Something happened to Bo during that final step.  He had an amazing bluesy rock voice on the show, and the best parts of it seem to have been lost.  Sometimes taking the essence of the artist out for the sake of commercial viability takes away what made them great to begin with.  Pity.

Jason Castro

Jason’s music, on the other hand, kept its hippyish appeal.  He will be appealing to 13 year old girls and stoners for years.

Kelly Clarkson

The perfect example of the evolution.  We’ve watched her grow from cutesy down home girl to one of the biggest voices in the industry.

Carrie Underwood

She was already an amazing talent, but has been turned into a country music hit machine.  Kelly Clarkson, country version.

Chris Daughtry

You knew he was going to be a star the moment he opened his mouth.  Once he’d been exposed, you almost got the impression that the forum of the show might be holding him back again.

Clay Aiken

Evolution? Case in point.  Nerd > teenie heart throb > crooner

Ruben Studdard

Just never made it as big as expected… didn’t change much as a singer, but evolved as a performer.

Fantasia Barrino

Her voice was raw power from day one.  And actually grew as time progressed.

David Cook

Like Daughtry, he was all but ready to go from day one.  But we watched him learn the art of controlling a crowd, and impressively so.

Jordin Sparks

You’d never have believed she might win during her audition; proved to be the exception to the rule… won the thing without really changing at all.

Kellie Pickler

God bless her, she was a great voice and dumber than rocks.  But when they got done processing her…

Taylor Hicks

Taylor shocked the world; he didn’t change a thing about himself- he just kept throwing it at us till we loved it.

Elliot Yamin

He doesn’t even look like the same guy.  He had one of the best voices the show has ever seen, they just updated him a bit so he matched it.

Diana Degarmo

Kind of a forgotten contestant.  She wowed us and then kind of went away; I didn’t even realize she had an album until I did this.

Constantine Maroulis

He was never destined for greatness, but he turned himself from a novelty to a contender.

Brooke White

She was so goody two shoes it was nausiating.  Nice voice, but she really grew into it.

Recently the show just let of one of the judges that has been along with the show since the first season, Paula Abdul. She has been known to the viewers as a push over judge who is not looking for talent as much the next pop icon or next success story. Paula Abdul asked for a raise in her salary. She was getting paid less then the host Ryan Seacrest who makes 15 million a year for the show. When Paula asked for more then 15 million, the show laughed at her proposal and they denied her offer, so she left the show.           

Some people may be thinking that this is not news or unimportant cause it’s just a show and there are more important problems, but if you look at the salaries on the show, she was the lowest paid judge on it. The host was paid more then her. Simon Cowell just got signed for 3 years making 45 million in the first alone. Is this a case of ratings and she was the least popular judge and therefore did deserve the high salary, or was it because she was a women who easily could be replaced by anyone else. The jobs that Simon and Paula did were virtually the same, but Simon gets paid more the triple her. This seems very unfair to Paula. While I do not think anything else can be done on the matter, I just want to make people see that the salary difference is outstanding between the two judges when the work at hand is the same. Something about that just isn’t right

American Idol I watched from day one and from the first time I heard Adam Lambert’s voice in front of the judges he stood out. He has a voice you will hear once and never ever forget! He is soft spoken, very polite and an eccentric, but all these rolled into one makes an incredible star!

His sexuality which seems to have everyone wondering is his own business. Whether he is gay, straight or bi to me it does not matter. It is all about what he has to offer the world and his pipes are definitely something we all need right now.

On Tuesday night when he sang Things Are Gonna Change the hair on my neck and arms raised to the occasion. I was amazed at how well he did and that he could produce that song and many many others and make them his own. Talent is what he is all about and America seemed to have turned their backs on him with Kris Allen winning the title.

It amazes me that first of all Kris won over Danny Goeke but then when he became the winner over Adam I was devastated. Adam Lambert has ALL the talent and will continue on without Idol and go further than anyone ever expected.

This show was not based on the talent of the Idols but rather their back grounds and whether they were every day Joe’s or had more substance as Adam does. America always seems to amaze me with their junkie votes for Idols, Governors and Presidents. They seem to always get it wrong!

I am not saying Kris Allen is not talented but up against Mr. Lambert he is not even in the same league and he knows it. I guess it comes down to Kris being just a Southern boy compared to a super star. I guarantee the one who will stand out for all of us in the end is Adam Lambert.

He is wonderfully different and has so much talent. It seems from Idol winners past that the one who did not win the title soars above the actual winner. I foresee this going to a much higher lever with Adam. As he stood on that stage singing with Queen I actually could see him filling Freddie Mercury’s shoes. That has not been an easy feat period, but from everyone I have ever heard sing, Adam Lambert I do believe could pull it off and would make Freddie proud!

Once more in a lot of folks eyes this morning, America got it wrong!

More of mine:

This Years American Idol

Couch Surfing

Mosquito Ring Tones

I don’t really understand why American Idol felt compelled to bring Kara Dioguardi onto the show to be a 4th judge. They did not need another judge at all. I have heard that she was brought in to gradually replace Paula. I don’t believe that it is going to work out that way anymore. Paula is endearing and lately she has been very entertaining. I love whatever nonsense goes on between her and Simon. I don’t care what she slips in that Coke cup before the show I do not want to lose Paula for Kara. Now Randy is a different story I’d trade him for a poodle. Simon is always awesome in my book plus it doesn’t seem like he gets along with Kara all that well and since he is the boss I hope he does not bring her back next year.
 
This season is not what I would consider to be a strong season. Every season the judges say this is the best season yet but this time I don’t believe them. The only one I am truly rooting for is Adam Lambert. Behind him in my opinion would have to be Kris Allen, Allison Iraheta, Danny Gokey and Lil Rounds.

Anoop Desai sang Caught Up by Usher

I don’t like the song much to start with and Anoop managed to make me dislike it a little more.It was a bit painful to listen to. Simon was the hardest on him out of the four judges but he really deserved it. Anoop needs to step it up if he wants to stay I think he is going to be in the bottom three.

Megan Joy sang Turn Your Lights Down Low by Bob Marley/Lauryn Hill

She used the same strange voice that she always turns on and did that weird dance that looks to me like a dance that a two year old would do. Maybe her parents told her that it was cute when she did it as a child but it really is not that cute when a 23 year old woman does it. She is pretty but that is not going to get her much farther in this competition. While she was listening to the judges criticism she seemed a little bit cocky and I believe that might hurt her when the public votes. This is my #2 in the bottom 3 this week. They were off to a bad start tonight.

Danny Gokey sang What Hurts the Most by Rascal Flatts

I think this was a very smart song choice for him and he did a great job singing it. I am not really a fan of this guy but he did have a good night. He still looks like Robert Downey Jr and is not who I would pick to be my American Idol but I can see why he has fans. He is in no danger of landing in the bottom.

Allison Iraheta sang Don’t Speak by No Doubt

This girl reminds me of a mix between Kelly Clarkson and Pink. She always surprises me with how good she is every week especially for the fact that this girl is only 16 years old. I don’t think she did as well this time as she has done in the prior weeks but she did not do badly. Randy really dogged her on her outfit tonight but I really liked how she looked. She’s a kid give her a break she actually looked kinda cool.

Scott MacIntyre sang Just the Way You Are by Billy Joel 

The song makes me think of a piano player in a nice restaurant with a big tip jar atop his piano. He did much better than he has been doing lately. Unfortunately, I think he may be on his way out. He is very talented and is Idol material in my book but I don’t see him lasting too much longer. I don’t necessarily believe he is in danger of going home this week because there were worse singers than him. After Idol I can envision this guy being really successful singing Christian music, it’s a good gig, don’t knock it.

Matt Giraud sang You Found Me by The Fray 

He picked a song that was certainly current I hear it every day on the radio. He did okay but okay is just not good enough when you are in the top 9 of American Idol. I never understood what the judges saw in this guy from the beginning. The judges were so negative to this poor guy tonight plus last week he narrowly missed being eliminated by the voters, us. That had to hurt his ego somewhat and I believe that it showed in his performance tonight. He did not own the song and he sent a defeated vibe.

Lil Rounds sang I Surrender by Celine Dion

I have never been a fan of Lil at all but tonight I really felt for her. She is trying to please the judges and she is listening to their criticism carefully but it is not working. They were hard on her this week and I don’t think she deserved it. I did not like the song but that does not mean it was a bad song choice for her. I actually think that Lil sang it well. It seems like the judges want to make her into a Mary J Blige Jr but I don’t believe that she likes to be compared to her at all. She looks like she will succumb next week to their wishes but it really seems to bother her.

Adam Lambert sang Play That Funky Music White Boy 

I love this guy he is my pick to win. I am not sure about his song choices lately it’s just not what I would pick for him. That does not mean that he doesn’t turn it out each week. He does a great job at showing off his amazing vocal range I believe he picks songs based on that. If I got to pick a song for him I would have him sing a Guns N’ Roses ballad and watch him shove Axl Rose’s face in it. Sweet Child O’ Mine or November Rain would be unbelievable if sung by Adam. He always looks gorgeous whether he is going Emo or Elvis but I sorta get a gay vibe from him.

Kris Allen sang Ain’t No Sunshine by Bill Withers

Great arrangement and I loved the cellos. He is really shocking the hell outta me lately. I really do not wanna like this guy but he delivers every week. He is so very talented I just have to give him props for that. The judges all praised him and he deserves it.
 
My bottom 3 choices for this week would be Anoop, Megan and Matt and of course I pick Adam Lambert to win it all. Everything written here is only my opinion and please feel free to comment and voice your views as well.