American Idol
News (Page 8)

Excuse the pun, but San Francisco didn't yield very many treats during last night's American Idol auditions there.

Here's a round-up of the featured singers that were put through to the next round:

Tatiana Del Toro: 22, singer/actress from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Sang “Never Loved a Man” by Aretha Franklin. Way over the top, but judges put her through to Hollywood.

Jesus Valenzula: 29, fleet manager from North Highlands, CA. Sang “Nice and Slow” by Usher. Simon instantly said no, but he was overruled by the other three judges, which was a common theme on the evening.

Adam Lambert: 26, pictured, stage actor from Hollywood, CA. Sang “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen. Simon thought he was overly, theatrical but all four judges agreed he had potential.

John Twiford: 27, music teacher from Sherman Oaks, CA. Sang “Overjoyed” by Stevie Wonder. Nothing special, but good enough for a golden ticket.

Allison Iraheta: 16, high school student from Los Angeles. Sang “Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin. Only showed a short clip, but apparently was good enough to move on.

Raquel Houghton: 23, waitress/bartender from Los Angeles, CA. Sang “Son of a Preacher Man” by Dusty Springfield. Very good. Off to Hollywood!

Kai Kalama: 26,  musician from San Clemente, CA. Sang “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” by the Platters. Not great, but story of how Kai takes care of his mother, who suffers from seizures, likely helped him advance to next round.

In case Katrina Darrell in a bikini and a contestant named Lil Rounds haven't been enough for you so far on season eight of American Idol, Fox reality chief Mike Darnell says a surprise is on the way.

"There's a big surprise coming when we get to the Top 12, but I can't reveal it right now," he told TV Week in an interview this weekend.  "It is something that will be talked about and is something I think that has some element of controversy surrounding it."

Darnell added that fans needn't be afraid, however. As Barack Obama has proven, change can be a good thing.

"It's not going to change what you think of American Idol and we don't want to do that. This show is, you know, a phenomenon. It's American, it's apple pie. We're not changing the core of the show."

Katrina Darrell and Casey Carlson are both American Idol contestants on season eight. Each received a golden ticket to Hollywood on the show's opening week.

Each also has a bikini-baring past, but that's where the comparisons end.

Darrell donned a bathing suit during her actual audition; Carlson, conversely, posed for a series of pictures in her swimwear, all part of a calender whose profits benefit breast cancer research.

Still, two American Idol hopefuls. Two bikini photos. Compare then below:

Which bikini babe looks better?

Move over, Katrina Darrell.

Another season eight hopeful on American Idol has a bikini-baring past.

Casey Carlson was universally approved by the judges after her audition last night - and that was without Simon Cowell even seeing her in a bathing suit!

Turns out Carlson is part of "Campus Girls USA," a group of young beauties that have posed for a calendar in their swim wear. All proceeds from its sales will go toward the fight against breast cancer.

It's a great cause, and - as you can tell from the photos below - a great reason to keep Carlson in our lives for as long as possible...

Click on the Casey Carlson photos above for larger, sexier images of this American Idol hopeful.

Katrina Darrell didn't overwhelm judges with incredible vocal talent on last night's eighth season premiere of American Idol.

But the part-time model did accomplish something even more impressive: she caused Simon Cowell to go speechless!

Indeed, Darrell auditioned for the show in a bikini. Her rendition of Mariah Carey's "Vision of Love" actually wasn't terrible - but as the following video depicts, we doubt that's the reason she moved on to Hollywood...

You'll likely be hearing a lot about Katrina Darrell today. Click on the images below to see why:

After seven seasons, American Idol has entrenched itself in the culture of reality television.

The same can be said for its judges (Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul), whose banter and chemistry is a major reason many fans tune in every week.

With that in mind, of course Kara DioGuardi was nervous to premiere as the show's fourth judge for the upcoming eighth season. But she recently told Entertainment Weekly that she's been embraced by her fellow panelists.

"They're like brothers and sisters at this point," the new judge said, having already wrapped the preliminary auditions, as well as the Hollywood round. ''And I'm like the long-lost cousin who they're not sure they wanted to see, but now they're like, Okay, you can stay for dinner."

As previously reported, season eight of American Idol will unveil a few changes.

A significant one will be a special "Wild Card" round, which will air on March 5 and feature each semifinalist group's highest remaining vote-getter, an individual that didn't automatically advance to the finals.

This singer, along with additional semifinalists that the judges select, will receive a second chance to perform.

Who will follow in David Cook's winning footsteps? Viewers will soon find out!

"They [will be able to] make that fourth show up to probably about nine or ten people, we haven't quite decided yet," American Idol Producer Ken Warwick said.

Following the performances of these Wild Cards, the judges - as opposed to home viewers - will immediately select three of them to complete the season's twelve finalists.

American Idol's Top 12 season eight finalists will then take the stage for the first time on Tuesday, March 10.

The biggest change that will greet American Idol viewers during the show's upcoming eighth season? Undoubtedly, new judge Kara DioGuardi.

But recent reports indicate that a number of changes are in store for TV's biggest sensation. According to Access Hollywood, they include:

• Fewer awful singers during auditions;
• A top 36, as opposed to the usual top 24 semifinalsts;
• A Wild Card round that will give eliminated singers a chance to return;
• The elimination, due to the economy, of Idol Gives Back.

A new judge is one of many changes American Idol will undergo during its eighth season.

Season eight of American Idol premieres on January 13.

But you needn't wait that long to get a preview of the four judges - including newbie Kara DioGuardi - grade contestants during the initial rounds of auditions.

To wit:

David Cook may have won American Idol in May.

But it took six months for the singer to become a true success.

Cook's self-titled debut CD landed at number-three on The Billboard 200 album sales chart after selling 280,000 copies during its initial week of release. These figures are significantly higher than those of American Idol sixth-season champion Jordin Sparks; her self-titled debut sold 119,000 copies in its first week.

Cook also defeated runner-up David Archuleta once again, as the talented teen sold 183,000 copies of his self-titled debut during its initial few days of release one week earlier.