American Idol

[Brooke]

Thought this was interesting about the Idol's earnings:

http://tv.msn.com/top-earning-idols/story/feature/

The top-earning 'Idols'
June 4, 2010, 1:05 PM EST
As television's biggest music show falters, many of the stars whose careers it launched are making less.

By Dirk Smillie
Forbes

What does "American Idol" winner Lee DeWyze have to look forward to? Far less than in the past. The pop music market, now saturated with close to 100 of the show's alumni, is showing signs of "Idol" fatigue. Earnings for some of the show's top vocalists have nose-dived over the past year. The show that reshaped television and the music business just isn't minting cash for its stars like it once did.

Kris Allen, the 2009 winner, has sold just 300,000 albums, according to Nielsen SoundScan. In the past year, his music and touring sales have delivered an estimated $748,000 -- nothing much to sing about. He places 10th on our annual list of the top-earning stars launched by "American Idol."

Jennifer Hudson's light touring schedule and the end of her lucrative role as Avon spokeswoman hit the Oscar winner in the pocketbook, too. Forbes estimates that she earned $3.5 million in the year from June 1, 2009, to the end of this month, compared with $5 million the previous year. That dropped her to sixth place from second on last year's list. Carrie Underwood, No. 1 on our list, earned an estimated $13 million over the past year -- $1 million less than the year before. One "Idol" star, Taylor Hicks, didn't earn enough to remain on our list.

Plenty of the show's alumni, including Hudson, have made money on Broadway. Among them: Clay Aiken, Fantasia Barrino, Ace Young and Constantine Maroulis. But Broadway shows are paying less, too. The salary of a starring theatrical role is now as little as 10 percent of what a newly crowned "Idol" winner grosses on a debut tour, typically about $300,000.

However, not all "Idol" stars are taking it on the chin. Kelly Clarkson and Kellie Pickler are in the midst of high-grossing, nationwide tours. Clarkson, No. 2 on this year's list and the very first "Idol" winner, made an estimated $11.7 million over the last year, more than double the year before thanks to a heavy touring schedule. Clarkson was one of the most frequently played artists on radio in 2009, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Pickler, No. 4 on our list, has played 100 concerts in the past year, bringing in $7.6 million.

But this season's stars probably won't do as well. If there's one thing lacking among "Idol" contestants this year, it's an "It" factor. Neither of the final two vocalists -- DeWyze, a 24-year-old paint sales clerk from Mount Prospect, Ill., and 24-year-old musician Crystal Bowersox of Toledo, Ohio -- have the personality draw of, say, an Adam Lambert. There was little personal drama in their rivalry, unlike David Cook and David Archuleta (Season 7), who battled each other like musical gladiators.

Adding to this lackluster season may be an "Idol" backlash, of sorts. Blogs that cover the show suggest its aggressive product promotions are turning off fans (a recent episode plugged Ford and the latest "Shrek" movie in back-to-back video segments). There is less behind-the-scenes action to chatter about. Gone are the wacky, off-camera antics of former judge Paula Abdul, who left the show last year. "Idol"'s creator and its central personality, Simon Cowell, made his final appearance on the show on May 26.

"Idol" now averages 24 million viewers a broadcast, down from its high of 31 million in 2006. A Frank Sinatra-themed episode in early May that featured a special appearance by Lady Gaga drew one of the show's lowest ratings ever, dipping to 17.5 million viewers. Worse, "Idol" was recently overtaken in the ratings for the first time by ABC's "Dancing With the Stars."

All that said, "Idol" is still among the most lucrative shows on television. During finale week, FOX is believed to have charged $1 million for a 30-second spot.

The network reportedly paid Cowell $30 million annually for his judging, far more than any "Idol" contestant has ever made in a year.

Celebrity performers who appear on "Idol" do so to tap what is still a powerful promotion machine. In May, after Lady Gaga performed a new song, "Alejandro" (wearing a black thong and fishnet bodysuit), sales for the single jumped, says Nielsen SoundScan Vice President Chris Muratore. "The airplay Gaga got of that single was astounding. Digital sales of 'Alejandro' went up 70 percent after her 'Idol' appearance, from 78,000 to 133,000 per week," he says.

DeWyze and Bowersox will no doubt be signed to record deals, but no one is betting either will be the next Carrie Underwood. That leaves viewers to ponder the show's only true dramatic storyline this year: Can "Idol" survive the departure of Simon Cowell, its most recognizable presence?

[sodascouts]

Hmm, interesting. I had been curious about that. Of course, I'm sure the economy is affecting album sales, too.

For Lee's sake, I hope I'm wrong.... but I don't see him making much of a splash post-Idol.

[Prettymaid]

Hmm, interesting. I had been curious about that. Of course, I'm sure the economy is affecting album sales, too.

For Lee's sake, I hope I'm wrong.... but I don't see him making much of a splash post-Idol.

True, but for a former paint store employee, $700,000 in a year is nothing to sneeze at.

[Prettymaid]

Ellen and Kara out. Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler in?

http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/1644...artner=unknown

[Molly]

This past month, Milwaukee has been the place to be if you're an idol fan.

The Idol's tour, Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler and Danny Gokey were all at Summerfest earlier this month.

Actually, Danny has been back to town like 3 times in the past month.

The idol auditions were here last week Wednesday and Ryan Seacrest showed up when he wasn't really expected.

I'm suspecting that his being here had something to do with the fact that country singer Julianne Hough was performing at the Washington County Fair here in West Bend on Thursday and the two are dating.

[sodascouts]

What, Kara is gone too? I'm not surprised about Ellen, but I figured with Simon leaving they would want to keep at least two familiar judges.

I was hoping for Harry Connick Jr. myself, but I like the idea of J-Lo. She certainly has more cred than Ellen and Kara combined! Steven Tyler has cred too, but I'm not sure he can be as entertaining on a judging panel as he is onstage.

[Prettymaid]

I think they might be going back down to three.

[sodascouts]

I think that's a good idea. Too much time was being spent on the judges and their antics, like Kara's "cougar" bit and the frequent panel commentary on Simon's clothing choices. Plus, you'd often find the judges echoing each other anyway (especially Ellen, whose comments were often along the lines of "I agree with Randy/Kara/Simon... but I really like you and I hope you stay!"). Three judges was always a good number - bringing in Kara as a fourth was a bad idea from the outset.

[Prettymaid]

I've said this before - say what you will about Kara's unprofessional antics (I agree they were tacky), I think she was a good judge. I think her comments hit home and were useful - much more so than Randy's, for example.

[Maleah]

I know Randy is an original judge and he has music business cred, but I think he is absolutely pointless as a judge. I mean how many times can you say "yo dawg, that was just aiight for me. It was a little pitchy" and not get tired of it. His comments are almost always repetitive and generally he just jumps on whatever ship Simon was on. I would have rather had Kara stick around, although the whole cougar thing DID get way out of hand this year. I was one of the few as well that liked Ellen on the show. I liked the humor she brought to it. Yes, she didn't have any musical experience or cred, so to speak, but she brought it down to a more human level I thought. I didn't figure she'd last long though, as I figured she wouldn't want to be as brutal as they sometimes required. It should be interesting to see what they do! I would have loved to have seen Justin Timberlake as a judge, as he was mentioned at one point, but he is way to young and at a high level of his career to be tied down for an extended period of time I think. I think J Lo COULD be good, but I also think it could go either way with her. lol I have NO idea what would happen with Steven Tyler and call me crazy but I think Bret Michaels would actually be good. He was a very good judge on Nashville Star several years ago. He was truthful but constructive and helpful at the same time.

Anyway, moving on from the judges.....August 27th I'll be seeing the current Idol tour in Minneapolis! Pretty excited about the top 3....not sure about the rest. However, I've learned with past Idol tours that those you don't expect much from will often be the better ones!