Katharine McPhee and Jordin Sparks will be performing at this year's Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular. The Idol alums will be joined by country music sensation Kenny Chesney and British chart-topper Natasha Bedingfield. McPhee, who is currently working with David Foster on her second album, will perform "Save The Last Dance for Me" at the event. Sparks, who is nominated for a BET Viewer's Choice Award for her duet with Chris Brown, is set to perform her latest single "One Step at a Time." Chesney will sing "Never Wanted Nothing More" and Bedingfield will sing "Pocketful of Sunshine." Natalie Morales of NBC's Today and Tiki Barber of Today and Football Night in America will co-host the event on Independence Day.
The Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular will air from 9-10 p.m. on NBC. Sound like something you'd watch? I don't know if I'll be tuning in for this. I'd rather find a local fireworks show than watch one on TV.
Welcome back to "AI Aftermath," where we explore Idol's past. Each installment, as one more American Idol hopeful is eliminated from the competition, we take a look back at contestants past who were eliminated at the same point. We'll examine how they did on the show and what they've been up to since their eliminations. In honor of David Archuleta's elimination in the finale, we'll be looking at other second place finishers.
This week: 2nd place finishers, featuring featuring Justin Guarini (Season One), Clay Aiken (Season Two), Diana DeGarmo (Season Three), Bo Bice (Season Four), Katharine McPhee (Season Five) and Blake Lewis (Season Six).
Hey all you Idol maniacs. Want to know where your favorite Idol contestants past and present will be making appearances? Of course you do. You've already got the RV packed, notes to the kids' schools written explaining their prolonged absences and a case of Funyuns jammed underneath the passenger seat. You're a member of the Soul Patrol, a Clayniac and are still suffering from McPheever. Oh you've got it bad.
But MJ's Big Blog has what you need. No more aimless driving around America shouting "Can anyone tell me where Gina Glocksen is performing tonight?" or "Has anyone seen Jessica Sierra, she still owes me bail money?" Now you can go to one place and plan your journey like the Deadheads before you. Now you can follow Ace Young as he travels around various Borders signing Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul, and you can catch Diana DeGarmo at the Braves opener. Oh, and if you're in Atlanta at Kroger tonight, look up Melinda Doolittle, buy some ice cream and tell her I said "Hi."
(S07E21) For the first in a season full of hour-long American Idol results show, I'll give Idol credit for filling it pretty well. It was nice to see past runner-up Katharine McPhee perform on the Idol stage again, as well as the video footage of the Idols reacting to their sudden fame. What they need to do is turn the Results show into more of a classic variety show. And keep those past Idol contestants coming, too. American Idol has been around long enough now that it has it's own legacy and tradition, so keep honoring that.
As for the results, while the person who left wasn't necessarily the consensus choice, it was someone that I'm perfectly alright with seeing leave at this early stage. In fact, I could have lost the whole "Bottom Three" tonight and not lost any sleep over it.
I'm not ashamed to admit it. I grew up with the Paula Abdul vs. Janet Jackson rivalry. Janet had a better singing voice, but Paula was the better dancer. Now, here it is six hundred years or so later and while Janet's never stopped recording, it's been awhile since we've seen Ms. Abdul sing and dance. If you missed her Super Bowl performance, now she and Randy Jackson have released the official music video for their new single "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow."
For a woman of 45, Paula looks and moves great. Her vocals are about what they've always been, but nevertheless this has a great dance hook and should do very well in the club scene. Maybe this will be the beginning of a full-fledged comeback for her.
I'm trying to think back in my mental Rolodex to the season of American Idol that featured Katharine McPhee and Taylor Hicks. I know that Simon Cowell wasn't too big on Hicks, but didn't he at some point praise McPhee and her singing?
That seems to have been forgotten by Cowell. He tells ExtraTV.com that he "didn't care much for Katharine McPhee. I don't think she was a credible recording artist. Katharine will end up on Broadway!"
Not every American Idol winner or runner-up has the massive success of Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. In just the last three weeks, Sony BMG has dropped three AI contestants/winners from its record label.
The latest to be dropped is season five runner-up Katharine McPhee. She released an album in 2006 that has only sold about 365,000 copies, according to MTV news.
It's a no-brainer really. Last year's American Idol charity-special, "Idol Gives Back," racked up killer ratings for FOX and raised $75 million for charities in the U.S. and Africa. And more importantly it brought in killer ratings for FOX (did I say that already)! Of course they're going to do it again this year, and now according to Variety, they've set the date for "Idol Gives Back 2008." April 9, 8/7c the two-hour star-studded extravaganza will once again bombard our retinas.
American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee is giving acting a shot. She has been cast as a sorority girl in an upcoming Adam Sandler-produced movie that does not yet have a title.
According to Entertainment Weekly, McPhee will "co-star" alongside funny girl Anna Faris, who plays a Playboy bunny who has been evicted from the mansion. Faris becomes a den mother to a super lame sorority, of which McPhee is a member. Rumer Willis also has a role. It will reportedly begin shooting late this summer.
Katharine has a background in acting-- according to her official bio, she studied at the Boston Conservatory and the California State Summer School for the Arts. She even had a role in an MTV pilot that never made air. What I'm trying to say is... the girl has been groomed for this kind of thing.
Hey, Brigitte here with TV Squad Daily. I'll be covering the TV stories I find interesting each day, Monday through Friday, in this video blog.
Today on TV Squad Daily:
Skating with Celebrities star Kristy Swanson found her way back into the headlines by getting into a brawl with her skating-partner-turned-boyfriend's ex-wife.
Katharine McPhee fans are jumping on the bandwagon of sending snacks to important people.
It doesn't matter if Rosie is the new host or not. The Price is Right is now dead to me without Bob Barker.
Jericho fans, I blame this all on you. If you weren't so successful with your campaign to renew the series none of what is going on now would have happened. Instead, we have Mars bars being sent to the head of CW programming to renew Veronica Mars, online petitions being written to keep ABC's Traveler on the air, and now KitKat bars being sent to everyone connected with American Idol to have former runner-up Katharine McPhee come back to the show next season to perform.
See what you guys and gals have done?!
It seems that McPhee's fans, known as "McPhans", are a bit miffed that Katharine was not brought back for this past season's finale of AI even when she called and expressed her interest to program executives. So, these McPhans have started Project KitKat to express their anger. American Idol and FOX network execs who dissed Katharine will be sent KitKat bars along with a strongly-worded note expressing the fans' disappointment with the show.
American Idol probably won't be holding a songwriting contest this year. Executive producer Ken Warwick recently told TV Week that the competition has been put on the back burner for the moment, because the launch of the Idol Gives Back charity has apparently made things a bit too hectic.
Last August,producers announced that a contest would be held to select an original song for the sixth season finalists to perform. This contest would have given one very talented and lucky songwriter the chance to have his or her tune heard by millions of Idol's fans.
Now it looks like struggling songwriters are going to have to put their American Idol dreams on hold, at least for this year. It's too bad, really. I guess now we can expect the same old bland and generic first single from this season's Idol winner.
(S06E06) "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" plays and we are reminded that tonight's auditions are in Los Angeles, home of Katharine McPhee. Ryan says, "Sometimes what you're looking for can be found in your own backyard." We see a crowd line up outside of the Rose Bowl, but we aren't given an official tally. Olivia Newton-John shows up as a guest judge, but she doesn't offer much besides "sweetness."
I don't know what to say about tonight's episode. It doesn't gel easily around a theme, unless "begging" is tonight's theme. And it doesn't leave a lasting impression in my mind. Still, the judges seemed pleased with the L.A. auditions and award an astounding 40 coveted golden tickets over two days. But I'm confused. If they found so much talent, why do we see so little of it? I'm not impressed by one performance tonight. Nothing blows me away. Is this really the best that L.A. has to offer?
As part of February sweeps, last year's American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee is going to guest-star on Ugly Betty. McPhee will be playing herself, a celebrity guest at Mode's Fashion Week runway show, in an episode entitled "I'm Coming Out". No word yet on whether or not this hour will be Justin-centric... Oh, c'mon, don't tell me I was the only one that read the title and immediately thought of him.
McPhee's appearance will air February 1 (8:00 PM EST). Hmm... Sounds like ABC wants a little bit of FOX's American Idol glow. Also, McPhee is probably doing this to promote her self-titled debut album, which drops later this month.
How's this for a wacky trend - singers performing at live televised events without lip-syncing? American Idol competitor Katharine McPhee is pulling a reverse Ashlee Simpson at the Rose Parade this coming New Year's Day. She'll be singing from a float live - without a guiding vocal track or, heck, anything but what God gave her coming out over the airwaves.
McPhee will be riding the "Clean Water" float. Standing in a lush garden setting between a "giant leaping frog" and a working faucet dumping 400 gallons of water per minute, she'll spread McPheever through the streets of Pasadena. You know, I'm actually not all that bothered to find out when people are lip-syncing. The demands of television production sometimes require it. Would you blame Katharine for not wanting to sing live from atop of moving vehicle with a giant frog straddling her head? I should hope not.
Katharine McPhee and Jordin Sparks will be performing at this year's Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular. The Idol alums will be joined by country music sensation Kenny Chesney and British chart-topper Natasha Bedingfield. McPhee, who is currently working with David Foster on her second album, will perform "Save The Last Dance for Me" at the event. Sparks, who is nominated for a BET Viewer's Choice Award for her duet with Chris Brown, is set to perform her latest single "One Step at a Time." Chesney will sing "Never Wanted Nothing More" and Bedingfield will sing "Pocketful of Sunshine." Natalie Morales of NBC's Today and Tiki Barber of Today and Football Night in America will co-host the event on Independence Day. 
Hey all you Idol maniacs. Want to know where your favorite Idol contestants past and present will be making appearances? Of course you do. You've already got the RV packed, notes to the kids' schools written explaining their prolonged absences and a case of Funyuns jammed underneath the passenger seat. You're a member of the Soul Patrol, a Clayniac and are still suffering from McPheever. Oh you've got it bad.
For the first in a season full of hour-long 
I'm not ashamed to admit it. I grew up with the Paula Abdul vs. Janet Jackson rivalry. Janet had a better singing voice, but Paula was the better dancer. Now, here it is six hundred years or so later and while Janet's never stopped recording, it's been awhile since we've seen Ms. Abdul sing and dance. If you missed 
I'm trying to think back in my mental Rolodex to the season of American Idol that featured Katharine McPhee and Taylor Hicks. I know that Simon Cowell wasn't too big on Hicks, but didn't he at some point praise McPhee and her singing?
Not every American Idol winner or runner-up has the massive success of Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. In just the last three weeks, Sony BMG has dropped three AI contestants/winners from its record label.
It's a no-brainer really. Last year's American Idol charity-special, "Idol Gives Back," racked up killer ratings for FOX and raised $75 million for charities in the U.S. and Africa. And more importantly it brought in killer ratings for FOX (did I say that already)! Of course they're going to do it again this year, and now 
American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee is giving acting a shot. She has been cast as a sorority girl in an upcoming Adam Sandler-produced movie that does not yet have a title.
Jericho fans, I blame this all on you. If you weren't so successful with your campaign to renew the series none of what is going on now would have happened. Instead, we have Mars bars being sent to the head of CW programming to renew Veronica Mars, online petitions being written to keep ABC's Traveler on the air, and now KitKat bars being sent to everyone connected with American Idol to have former runner-up Katharine McPhee come back to the show next season to perform. 
American Idol probably 
(S06E06) "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" plays and we are reminded that tonight's auditions are in Los Angeles, home of Katharine McPhee. Ryan says, "Sometimes what you're looking for can be found in your own backyard." We see a crowd line up outside of the Rose Bowl, but we aren't given an official tally. Olivia Newton-John shows up as a guest judge, but she doesn't offer much besides "sweetness." 
As part of February sweeps, last year's American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee is going to guest-star on Ugly Betty. McPhee will be playing herself, a celebrity guest at Mode's Fashion Week runway show, in an episode entitled "I'm Coming Out". No word yet on whether or not this hour will be Justin-centric... Oh, c'mon, don't tell me I was the only one that read the title and immediately thought of him. 
How's this for a wacky trend - singers performing at live televised events without lip-syncing? American Idol competitor Katharine McPhee is pulling a reverse Ashlee Simpson at the Rose Parade this coming New Year's Day. She'll be 
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