Clay Aiken News

Tonight, the 'Idol' contestants were given the task of taking on the rather extensive Lennon/McCartney songbook. Given the sheer number of tunes to select from and the vast differences in types of songs, it would seem each contestant should have been able to find a song that would suit both their voice and personality. Many of the contestants, thankfully, did so, giving one of the best shows so far this year. As the competition heats up, it's interesting to see the bar set to a new level each week , although, each week it also becomes all the more clear who doesn't belong.

'True Blood' star Anna Paquin helped singer Cyndi Lauper launch a gay rights campaign for the True Colors Fund Thursday by appearing in a service announcement...

After much anticipation and speculation, Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard confirmed today plans to tour North America. Kicking off July 23, 2010 in Asheville, North Carolina, Clay and Ruben will bring their 'Timeless' tour to 17 cities including appearances at famed venues such as New York's Hammerstein Ballroom, LA Nokia Live in Los Angeles, and Pennsylvania's American Music Theater. This is the first time the two artists will tour together.

Tonight's results show was the first real shocker of the season. The bottom three consisted of Katie Stevens, Didi Benami, and Tim Urban and, on a night where Urban was the expected candidate to head home, this he received a stay of execution. Performing on tonight's results show was "Idol" winner Ruben Studdard, Usher, and Diddy alongside Dirty Money and each their songs was done quite well. The night was the first really unexpected results show, but it is often these kinds of results that keep "Idol" audiences on their toes.

On Wednesday, March 31, AMERICAN IDOL welcomed guest appearances by superstars Usher, Diddy, wil.i.am, and IDOL seaseon 2 winner Reuben Studdard. Check out the pictures below - including photos from Tuesday's performance show.

It was R&B night tonight on "Idol," a theme that benefited some singers over others, but it was actually a night of overall solid performances from the contestants. It is the first week where there hasn't really been a shockingly bad performance by any of the contestants and it featured a number of really excellent showings, including several comeback performances by performers who had a tough time in recent weeks. R&B/pop superstar Usher coached the contestants, giving spot on criticism to the group. It was clear Usher knew what he was talking about and he was the perfect choice to mentor this week.

The Chelsea Symphony announces its fifth concert series of 2009-10 on Sunday, March 28 at 3:00 PM (Spring Concert II) at St. Paul's Church. The program will feature Obie Award winner actor/singer Darius de Haas in composer Aaron Dai's new miniature opera Hamlet: A Pocket Opera. The libretto is by Pulitzer-nominated playwright Jon Marans. Also on the program is music from Verdi's La Forza del Destino, Weber's Der Freischütz, and Stravinsky's Firebird Suite. Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante will round out the program on Saturday, and Vanhal's Double Bass Concerto on Sunday.

The Chelsea Symphony announces its fifth concert series of 2009-10 on Saturday, March 27 at 8:00 PM (Spring Concert I) and Sunday, March 28 at 3:00 PM (Spring Concert II) at St. Paul's Church. The program will feature Obie Award winner actor/singer Darius de Haas in composer Aaron Dai's new miniature opera Hamlet: A Pocket Opera. The libretto is by Pulitzer-nominated playwright Jon Marans. Also on the program is music from Verdi's La Forza del Destino, Weber's Der Freischütz, and Stravinsky's Firebird Suite. Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante will round out the program on Saturday, and Vanhal's Double Bass Concerto on Sunday.

'Idol' is down to 10. Tonight was by far one of the most important nights of 'Idol;' those who make it through tonight earn a spot on the summer tour and (presumably) the opportunity to sell a ton of records. On such an important night, there as at least one surprise, with the bottom three consisting of Paige Miles, Tim Urban, and, shockingly, Katie Stevens. Stevens wasn't bad last night, and it's a bit of a surprise to see her among this group.

'American Idol' featured the teen sensation Miley Cryus as the contestant's coach on their songs for this week. Cyrus was surprisingly helpful in her comments to the top 11 and it was clear she had done her homework, knowing each person's strengths and weaknesses. Several singers gave strong performances this week, while the weaker contestants missed the mark again. The theme was back to number one Billboard hits and, even though it seems like it should be easy to make a good song choice out of the thousands of possibilities, it was still a struggle for many of the singers.

It is now down to 11 'American Idol' hopefuls as another contestant, Lacey Brown, was eliminated during the results show that aired last night, Wednesday, March 17th. American Idol season 7 winner David Cook made an appearance and sang the Rolling Stones hit 'Jumpin' Jack Flash' and guest performer Ke$sha took to the stage to sing her hit 'Blah Blah Blah'.

Tonight, 'Idol' was forced to let go of the first of the top 12. After a night of good performances, it's tough to see the performers go home, but it's clear that some deserve it more than others. The bottom three on the night were Lacey Brown, Paige Miles, and Tim Urban, the three performers who had the weakest performances. The drama was high tonight, as 'Idol' as we found out who would be the first to go.

'Idol' has finally reached the top 12 contestants of season nine, where they make the jump from a small, intimate stage to the full audience at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. This is where the eventual 'Idol' winner will be crowned and it presents a new set of challenges to the singers, who now have a fill a much larger space with their talent. Luckily, many of the contestants were able to step up immediately, as the performances tonight were, in general, very strong. It was an excellent showing and proved why each of the contestants has earned their way into the top 12.

The Chelsea Symphony announces its fifth concert series of 2009-10 on Saturday, March 27 at 8:00 PM (Spring Concert I) and Sunday, March 28 at 3:00 PM (Spring Concert II) at St. Paul's Church. The program will feature Obie Award winner actor/singer Darius de Haas in composer Aaron Dai's new miniature opera Hamlet: A Pocket Opera. The libretto is by Pulitzer-nominated playwright Jon Marans. Also on the program is music from Verdi's La Forza del Destino, Weber's Der Freischütz, and Stravinsky's Firebird Suite. Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante will round out the program on Saturday, and Vanhal's Double Bass Concerto on Sunday.

A night with a number of surprises rounded out the final separation of the guys and girls, as America found out the twelve contestants that will make up the finals of "American Idol." Each of the contestants sent home this evening had standout performance within the past three weeks and many contestants who did make it through were shocked at their fate.

Clay Aiken will hit the stage for a special one night only concert at Memorial Auditorium in his hometown, Raleigh, NC on Friday, March 12.

"Idol" tonight saw the last separation between the men and women, with the top eight gentlemen performing before learning to the top twelve. The guys gave a solid show, showing versatility and an ability to adapt songs to their personal styles. It seems that, tonight, the guys as a group gave an overall better performance than the women did last night, in a surprisingly strong showing.

Ladies night tonight featured the top eight women remaining on "Idol." On a night that Simon called "the worst night to go" and is widely regarded as one of the more important nights in the competition, several contestants came out strong, while a few made terrible choices that may spell the end of the show for them. It seemed a generally safe night for many of the contestants, but was entertaining nonetheless.

A limited number of tickets will be released for Clay Aiken's highly sought after, one night only concert event, starting at NOON EST TODAY, March 9, 2010.

The top 16 contestants of FOX's 'American Idol' pose for the camera as they get ready to move ahead to next week's showdown.