Ace Young News

Last night, May 26, Lee Dewyze was crowned the newest American Idol by Idol fans across the country. The evening also marked Simon Cowell's last appearance as head judge on the show he made famous. In a special tribute, Idol alumni, including now-stage stars Diana DeGarmo, Ace Young, Constantine Maroulis, Fantasia and Taylor Hicks, reunited to bid farewell to their sometimes friend and sometimes foe in song.

Introducing your season nine 'American Idol:' Lee Dewyze. In a battle between two tremendously talented contestants, DeWyze was able win America's votes and be crowned champion. After a tough set of performances last night, DeWyze was able to pull out the victory and what many considered an upset over runner up Crystal Bowersox. DeWyze was consistent throughout the season, giving great performance week after week and really honing his skills. DeWyze grew an incredible amount throughout the season and was able to turn himself into an 'American Idol.'

Introducing your season nine 'American Idol:' Lee DeWyze. In a battle between two tremendously talented contestants, DeWyze was able win America's votes and be crowned champion. After a tough set of performances last night, DeWyze was able to pull out the victory and what many considered an upset over runner up Crystal Bowersox. DeWyze was consistent throughout the season, giving great performance week after week and really honing his skills. DeWyze grew an incredible amount throughout the season and was able to turn himself into an 'American Idol.'

New York City saw a different side of its typically conservative Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, when he donned extensions and hippie garb on stage with Broadway's cast of HAIR at the Inner Circle fundraiser dinner on Saturday, March 27, 2010 at The Hilton Hotel. In thanks, on Sunday May 23, Mayor Bloomberg honored the company with a celebration at Gracie Mansion.

It's down to two. Soon, American will know who will be the season nine 'American Idol.' Each contestant performed three times tonight: a song of their choice, a song chosen by 'Idol' producer Simon Fuller, and the song each would release as a single if they were to be crowned th winner tomorrow night. Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox are both fantastic singers. Either one could win. So, tonight's performance have the potential to make a huge impact on who the audience votes for to win tomorrow night.

According to a recent tweet from pop star Christina Aguilera, the singer will appear on season finale of hit television show 'American Idol' on May 26th.

Producers of the Tony Award-winning musical HAIR announced today that the show has captured its Times Square billboard and repurposed it to create a limited edition tote bag, rather than discarding the large advertisement, made of vinyl. This collector's item will be available only at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (302 West 45th Street) beginning today (Tuesday, May 25).

HAIR is cutting for a cause! Producers of the Tony Award-winning musical announced today that the show is partnering with Bumble and bumble to throw a 'CUT-IN' on Monday, May 24 from 12:00 - 4:00 p.m. at Bumble and bumble's Uptown location (146 East 56th Street, between 3rd and Lexington).

Tonight, after more than 47 million votes, we learned who will compete in the finals on season nine of 'American Idol.' At one point or another in the season, each of the contestants, Lee DeWyze, Crystal Bowersox, and Casey James, seemed as though they had what it takes to become an 'American Idol.' Each has shown flashes of brilliance throughout the season and they seem to be the show's three most marketable contestants. In coming down to it, only two could make it to the finals and one had to be eliminated on tonight's results show.

HAIR is cutting for a cause! Producers of the Tony Award-winning musical announced today that the show is partnering with Bumble and bumble to throw a 'CUT-IN' on Monday, May 24 from 12:00 - 4:00 p.m. at Bumble and bumble's Uptown location (146 East 56th Street, between 3rd and Lexington).

It's getting down to the wire. We will soon know who will be the winner of season nine of 'American Idol.' Tonight brought about one of everyone's favorite night's of the season: each contestant sang two songs, a judges' choice and a song they chose themselves. The judges always know exactly the right song to pick for the contestants; that's pretty much why they are judges. However, it's always interesting to see what the contestants feel suits them and see what they do to convey themselves as an artist.

According to the U.K. Daily Mirror, Simon Cowell will be knighted on June 12, 2010. The American Idol judge will be honored by Queen Elizabeth II at her birthday celebration. Cowell will enter into knighthood thanks to his charity work with victims of the Haiti earthquake, as well as his many contributions to the music industry.

ET Online is reporting that American Idol is slated to undergo formatting changes in its tenth season. Next season, along with the highly publicized departure of judge Simon Cowell, the series will be cutting the time of its weekly results show from an hour down to 30 minutes. American Idol is currently in its ninth season, which will have its season finale May 26th at 8:00PM on Fox.

Tonight, 'Idol' learned who would make the top three. Last night's performances were some of the weaker ones we've seen this season, so it was a bit unclear as to who would head home before the night began. The results show featured a wide range of performances, from R&B star Fantasia Burrino to the rock styling of Daughtry and Bon Jovi, and were a great addition to an otherwise somber night.

The top four sang songs from the silver screen tonight on "American Idol." Film and music star Jamie Foxx served to mentor, the perfect choice, since he has clearly been able to succeed in both genres. Foxx coached the contestants on how to perform for an audience, as he told them they now cannot be just a contestant; it's time to take it to the next level and show the audience who they are as an artist. Foxx made a good point: it's important to be an individual, not just have the best vocals.

'Idol' kicked off tonight's results show with the top five singing a Frank Sinatra medley consisting of The Lady is a Tramp, It Was a Very Good Year, and Night and Day. The group sounded tight as usual. I was a big fan of the way the guys began the medley, bringing out Crystal Bowersox to sing the second verse of The Lady is a Tramp. Casey James sounded a million times better tonight than he did last night; perhaps he would have done better with a different song? The group sounded great and the solos seem to get better each week.

The contestants stepped out of their comfort zone tonight on a week featuring pure crooning, something surprisingly lacking from 'Idol' this season. Stage and screen star Harry Connick, Jr. mentored the contestants on the songs of Frank Sinatra, even going so far as to create the arrangements and orchestrations for each song, as well as joining the singers on stage as the pianist. It's nice to see a mentor who put such dedication into his work on 'Idol,' though it is not the least bit surprising that this dedication came from Connick, Jr., always the consummate musician as well as performer.

According to a recent Tweet from pop star Lady Gaga, the singer will appear on the hit television show 'American Idol' on May 5th. The tweet read 'See you on American Idol. May 5th, Little Monsters.'

When 'Idol' gets down to the top six, each week is a shocker. With so few contestants left, it is nearly impossible to predict who will head home each week and, at this point in the competition, it really feels as though it's anyone's game. Tonight featured a slew of performances and was the first real reminder of how close we are to finding a winner of 'American Idol' season nine.

Tonight, 'Idol' saw the return of Shania Twain, who joined the audition process in Chicago, as the contestants sang from her vast catalog of songs. Twain is primarily a country artist, which resulted in a marked change for some of the contestants. The majority of the themes thus far have fit nicely into the pop genre and, while Twain's songs are definitely pop, the country influence allowed us to see the versatility of the performers as they tackled a new challenge.