Here’s former Buckhead man Michael Johns promoting himself in his native land of Australia on Nova 96.9 by singing a bluesy tune “Fool’s Gold” likely to end up on the new album. He compares it to Van Morrison/Joe Cocker meets INXS. Good tune!

-Both Jennifer Hudson and Kellie Pickler have albums out today. Who will outsell who? It’s going to be close! I bet both will sell in the 50,000 range. Reviews for Kellie’s disc aren’t bad.

Detroit News:: Kellie Pickler’s second album is another solid step toward country stardom.

Here’s Canadian Press

With “Kellie Pickler,” her second CD, she improves at crafting songs that express her natural exuberance, and the emotional depth behind it.

USA Today: Kellie Pickler, “like Dolly Parton or Judy Holliday in Born Yesterday, loves to set up stereotypes only to confound them,” says an impressed Brian Mansfield.

LA Times (2.5 stars:) The standout is “Best Days of Your Life,” which she wrote with 18-year-old Taylor Swift, who sings harmonies too, taunting an ex about how he’ll regret leaving soon enough.

-Quick observations from “Dancing With the Stars.” Openly gay Lance Bass kisses Lacey Schwimmer, who dance to that ode to experimental lesbianism “I Kissed a Girl.” Rocco Dispirito needs to go back to cooking cos he wasn’t cooking on the dance floor. Toni Braxton is a comer. She could land top 4 easily. Kim Kardashian? Eye candy but her dance steps are robotic and simplistic. Pussycat DULL. Misty May-Treanor: Intensity squared! Could use more emotional expression on the face. Cloris Leachman gets applause for simply being upright but she definitely plays a character well. Susan Lucci knows how to smolder after all those years on a soap, and wow, what a bod! She’s a bit cautious but she’s safe.

My prediction: Rocco is a goner. Cloris had the lowest judges’ score but who cares? She’ll get the votes for now.

-You can now download David Cook’s “Light On” via iTunes. Lara told me she heard Q100 play “Light On.” It should get some fair amount of sampling from top 40 stations and give “Crush” a run for its money!

I would have posted sooner but my laptop hard drive had a heart attack and died. Tech folks are trying to glean data out of it. I hope they do because even as it was grinding on Friday, I stupidly did not back up key files. I can only pray or a couple of stories I’m working on might be in jeopardy. I never learn!

Anyway, I’m on a temporary laptop for now and here’s the “Idol” news I can glean for now:

Here are clips from newspapers that have interviewed Jennifer Hudson. No clue if they had preconditions but her personal life or talk about her cover are not referenced in any of the three stories below:

The New York Times

Despite her familiarity from the movies, television and prominent gigs like singing the national anthem last month at the Democratic National Convention in Denver (at the request of Senator Barack Obama) Ms. Hudson is still a risky proposition in the music industry. She’s on the brink of household-name status yet hasn’t scored a hit song of her own. She has a bold, powerful voice but not the centerfold physique of most of the women who top the pop charts. And that Oscar has created expectations difficult for any first-timer to meet.

From USA Today

More than four years ago, when the then-unknown singer finished seventh on Season 3 of American Idol, she delivered an “exit speech. I said, ‘I don’t know when or where or how, but God has something in store for me.’ I think the judges or producers kind of laughed.”

Hudson, 27, laughs herself at the memory, and with good reason. Not long after making that prediction, she landed a key role in the star-studded screen adaptation of Dreamgirls, and wound up winning an Academy Award.

Heck, even the Wall Street Journal talked to her.

Ms. Hudson: I have a great sense of who I am and I’ve never been one to duplicate or imitate. What was challenging was that because of the award for “Dreamgirls” and the attention from the film, it added pressure on me — not in the acting, but in the music. I’ve been singing music from other artists that came from a different time and I’m always compared to them. So it’s been challenging to be me and be current, while still connecting to everything I’ve portrayed so far. It would make me nervous when I’d walk the streets. It’s all different kinds of people approaching me, and I’d think, “What am I offering all of them?”

And here’s a great blog entry from the Los Angeles Times’ brilliant writer Ann Powers about why we connect with Jennifer Hudson and David Cook.:

When these singers really let go, their voices smash through the limits imposed by their bodies and personalities, making them golden. That’s what we once wanted from great singers — fat or scrawny, pimpled or aging, they could blow away our prejudices. Imperfection is highly discouraged in corporate pop now, but for Hudson and Cook, it helps; more glamor would dampen the wonder of their performances. That’s why it’s sad to encounter so much airbrushing in the new musical products meant to secure their places as pop stars.

And then she gets into the critique of her album:

Hudson’s self-titled debut album, to be released next week, has been so long in coming that it’s no surprise how focus-grouped it feels. Ten producers over 13 tracks does not make for a strong artistic identity. If this were Hudson’s fifth or even third album, the variety might have worked: Hudson’s helmsmen would have had a strong persona to embrace or oppose. As it is, she’s the one bending to adapt, pleasing everyone but receding at the same time.

More later. Gotta run!

Clay Aiken joke of the day:

“You can’t call it coming out of the closet when the door was wide open… Clay Aiken said he came out because he didn’t want to lie to his infant son. Dude: even the baby knew you were gay! I can’t wait til next week’s issue of People magazine: a bear with the headline: ‘Yes, I ** in the woods!’ ” — Bill Maher, during his weekly “rules” bit on HBO’s “Real Time With Bill Maher,” September 26, 2008

CREDIT: Craig Dilger/Daily Herald.

MJ found this. I also heard about this on the radio. A corn maze in the image of David Archuleta in Utah not far from Brigham Young University! Not even Clay Aiken fans were able to conjure this up!

-Speaking of Aiken, remember that uncomfortable interview he had earlier this year with Newsweek, where he got testy when the reporter brought up the Kelly Ripa incident and compared Newsweek to the National Enquirer? Well, here’s that reporter’s take on Aiken’s deceptions over the years.

The denials only made Aiken a bigger target in interviews, and it was mostly his own fault. He told New York magazine that he’d never had a relationship, prompting ABC News to run a story called: “Could Clay Aiken Be Asexual?” When I brought up his sexuality, his face turned into a mask of scorn, but I could tell it was a performance he’d given before. By the time I reached my last question, about “American Idol,” he seemed friendly again, though clearly uncomfortable, talking fast about nothing, in an effort to prevent any more questions about his personal life. The next week, my interview went viral, landing on a number of blogs, including Perez Hilton. The Associated Press and Entertainment Tonight even picked it up. When Aiken himself appeared on the show, he alleged that he’d been misquoted in NEWSWEEK, though misquoted over what he didn’t exactly say.

-This story on eonline notes that others who have come out have seen their career paths improve . Clay’s music career, his successful stint on “Spamalot” notwithstanding, has been sliding since the first CD, which sold 2.8 million. His xmas album moved another 1.4 million. His covers album sold just 520,000 copies. His current album? Fewer than 200,000.

-MSNBC said People paid Aiken about $500,000 for the exclusive interview and pics. A far cry from Brangelina but the story notes that People had no competition to drive prices up.

-In somewhat related news, David Hernandez has a gig at the Barcelona night club three nights a week in Scottsdale, Ariz. {More info here.](http://www.thedirty.com/?p=48822). He’ll be singing, not stripping.

-Plenty of “Idol” singers in the top 40 and country charts. Here’s a summary of each sons.

-Jordin Sparks sees her single “One Step at a Time” move up to No. 4 on the top 40 charts, a spot higher than “Tattoo.” It has a shot at No. 3 (the top 3 right now are “Disturbia,” “Closer” and a slipping “Forever”). But Pink’s “So What” and Leona Lewis’ “Better in Time” are in position to hit the top 2 very soon and leapfrot Sparks.

-David Archuleta continues to gain airplay, up from 20 to 15 with “Crush.” Top 10 is a certainty.

-Daughtry has his fifth straight top 20 hit with “What About Now,” an extraordinary run for any album, much less a debut one.

-David Cook sees “Time of My Life” slip from 33 to 36 after peaking in the mid 20s. I’m looking forward to seeing how high up ‘Light On” does.

-Carrie Underwood edges up to No. 7 with “Just a Dream” from No. 8 on the country chart.

-Bucky Covington sees his third top 20 hit “I’ll Walk” move up to No. 17 from 18.

-Kellie PIckler is struggling a bit with “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful,” which gains slightly in airplay but slips from 26 to 27.

-Kristy Lee Cook regains growth in airplay of “15 Minutes of Shame” but traction is slow: it’s up to 43 from 46.

-Josh Gracin is barely there with “Unbelievable (Ann Marie),” which slips from 53 to 54.

-Jennifer Hudson is up to No. 10 on the urban chart, moving a notch from 11.

-David Letterman’s top ten Wednesday:

Top Ten Questions People Are Asking the John McCain Campaign

1. “I just contributed to your campaign — how do I get a refund?”

2. “It’s Sarah Palin — does this mean I’m pars’dent?”

3. “Can’t you solve this by selling some of your homes?”

7. “Hi, this is Clay Aiken. Is McCain single?”

1. “Do you still think the fundamentals of our economy are strong, genius?”

2. “Are you doing all this just to get out of going on Letterman?”

3. “What would Matlock do?”

4. “Hillary here — my schedule is free Friday night”

5. “Is this just an excuse to catch up on napping?”

6. “This is President Bush — what’s all this trouble with the economy?”

I may be on the verge of stalking Kellie Pickler. Not counting the “Idol” tour, I’ve now seen her four times — at a Douglasville mall in spring 2007, opening for Rascal Flatts a year ago, the Etowah High School text messaging contest four months ago and now at the North Georgia State Fair tonight in Marietta. That’s not excessive, is it?

Here are some photos I took at the packed concert, which was included in the $5 entry fee, a good deal! I got there just as it was starting and I could only get about 40 feet away at the start, 30 feet by the end.

At least 4,000 people were there with a lot of families. She sang five new songs from her upcoming album, including her current single “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful” plus a cool bluesy tune I really enjoyed called “Lucky Girl” and that song she co-wrote with Taylor Swift “Best Days of Your Life.” And she played her three hits off her first album, with “Red High Heels” as the encore, as well as “Small Town Girl” and “My Angel” in honor of her grandmother.

Over her hour-long set, she played only one cover song in honor of her idol Dolly Parton: a very spirited “9 to 5.”

She didn’t show off her cleavage this time around, wearing a shockingly demure T-shirt saying “My boyfriend is a super hero.” (Yes, she has a boyfriend now and it’s not me.) But those jeans are impressively tight! And get this: no red high heels! She said she was sick of them in the interview I had with her in late July. So she wore what looked like clogs instead.

She usually is serious when she introduces “I Wonder,” her song about her estranged mom. But this time, she actually joked. “If you get hurt, at least you get paid for it,” she said, by singing the song every night. “It’s the child support she never paid!”

So I’ve seen Pickler four times now. In comparison, among the winners, I’ve seen Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Hicks and Fantasia twice each in concert solo and Ruben Studdard, Carrie Underwood and Jordin Sparks once each. And I’ve caught Jennifer Hudson, Daughtry and Clay Aiken once each, too.

-Joke from Conan O’Brien Wednesday night: “Former American Idol star Clay Aiken admitted in a recent interview that he is gay. He said he is gay in the latest issue of ‘Duh!’ magazine.”

-Check out Jennifer Hudson’s new album here.

Bloggers are highlighting “If This Isn’t Love” as the breakout hit. It certainly has more crossover top 40 appeal and feels more current than “Spotlight.” I can hear it comfortably mixed with cuts from Chris Brown, Rihanna and Ne Yo on the radio.

What do you think of the album? I didn’t have time to listen to the whole thing but it certainly showcases Hudson’s intense personality.

People magazine has broken the story: Clay Aiken has come out of the closet.

We’ve all known for years he’s been gay but for reasons that are probably in the story (yet to be released), he has refused to acknowledge it until now that he’s a daddy. I always figured it was a combination of guilt and upbringing that held him back.

He’s only the third “American Idol” contestant that I can recall to openly acknowledge he’s gay. The others are season one contestants Jim Verraros, who has starred in a couple of gay films and former Cumming resident R.J. Helton.

The season two runner up recently had a child with a friend of his through artificial insemination, Jaymes Foster.

There’s not much out there yet but here’s the AP story.

—David Cook will release his first single Wednesday morning via AOL Music’s popeater.com site. I’ll link up to it either on this blog entry or a new one as soon as I get it. More info at David’s web site.. The song is called “Light On.”

“Light On” was co-written by one of rock music’s most influential innovators, Chris Cornell, lead singer and songwriter for Soundgarden and Audioslave, and acclaimed producer / songwriter Brian Howes, who has worked with superstar rock bands such as Hinder and Puddle of Mudd. Cook has been busy in the studio with Cavallo, co-writing many of the upcoming album’s tracks alongside some of music’s hottest rock songwriters.

-I’ll be at the Kellie Pickler concert tonight at the North Georgia State Fair. I have backstage passes if anybody wants to meet me at will call at 7:45 p.m.

I know some of you watch “Dancing With the Stars.” I usually catch the first week or two, usually to see the comic relief (e.g. Jerry Springer, Adam Corolla) and catch it on occasion afterwards. Then I get bored. Here are my initial impressions from the 13 couples tonight, from best to worst in terms of judge’s scores.

—Hot model and former “Rock Star” hostess Brooke Burke has four kids. Who would have thunk it? She has memory problems, she noted in the pre-dance interview. It wasn’t a terribly complex routine but she’s hot and did a perfectly fine job. Judges were really into it and gave her a solid 23.

-‘N Sync singer Lance Bass hooks up with Lacey Schwimmer, who was a competitor on rival network Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance.” Figures ABC doesn’t bother mentioning that in the mini-bio on the show. Bass’s group mate Joey Fatone came in second a couple seasons back. Can Bass do as well? I think he acquitted himself well for a first shot. Very clean, very energetic. Traditionalist Len didn’t like the cha-cha choreography while Carrie Ann said, “Hot! Hot! Hot!” Score: 22 (Len’s 6 dragged his score down.)

—Former Atlantan Toni Braxton does a song and dance routine at the Flamingo in Vegas so she has the skills. The judges knew it, giving her a solid first-week total of 22. She’s going to be around at least halfway through, I’d fathom.

-Bootylicious reality TV star Kim Kardashian will probably last awhile simply because she’s Kim Kardashian. Why that matters we’re still trying to figure out but she is a pretty gal. She did better than I expected. “There was no chemistry between you two,” Len said. Bruno said she has to sell herself better. She gets a respectable 19.

—“Hannah Montana” star Cody Linley, the youngest competitor, was paired with country star and two-time DWTS winner Julianne Hough. He has energy and a great smile and got a decent 18. He could last awhile.

—Olympic track star Maurice Green was passable, great stage presence. Judges didn’t like the fact the “fox trot” part was stiff. He got an 18, which is a good, not great, score. He’s not terribly well known so that might hurt him in the voting.

• TV star Ted McGinley (“Love Boat,” “Married… With Children”) was a bit spotty but had his moments. He gets the average score of the night of 18. He’ll be around awhile.

• Holy moly! Oscar/Emmy winner Cloris Leachman is by far the oldest contestant to compete and we hope she doesn’t break anything. She looks great. While she’s not moving very quickly, she’s very elegant. You know she’ll be around awhile because how can you not root for her? (And vote for her!) She gives Bruno some leg, then stands right in front of Len, who is so distracted, he says, “Mind your cleavage!” Yes, that’s 82-year-old cleavage! “I always wanted to be a boy toy,” he joked. Cloris then sat on Carrie Ann’s lap. Hilarious! She only got a 16 and she cursed, which was bleeped. Even more hilarious! Keep her around, America!

—Chef Rocco Dispirito was a bit stiff and off beat but not bad. Len gave him only a 4 and the other two gave him 5’s so he only had a 14. There’s definitely room for improvement if he sticks around but it’s unknown if the public in general will flood the phone lines with votes for him.

-Standup comic Jeffrey Ross was picked to be the comic relief, obviously. Let’s hope he lasts at least two weeks. Face it: he’s a horrible dancer. But a fairly amusing routine. I’m sure the scratched cornea he suffered earlier in the day didn’t help. He got a deserved 12.

I caught the Brittenum twins at the Atlanta auditions at the Georgia Dome for season seven in August 2007.

Remember Atlanta’s Brittenum twins? I liked those guys during season five in early 2006. They were nixed during the Hollywood round after media reports they had stolen a car via ID theft and had ended up in jail. If you want to revisit the details, check this smoking gun story.

They are appearing today on “Maury” on WATL-TV in a special episode featuring talented twins. Winner in the voting gets $10,000. So vote at http://talented.mauryshow.com/ and give the twins some love. You can watch their performance (taped last month) here of “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.”

I spoke with Derrell last week. They have been struggling to make a living as singers but are seeking regular jobs to pay the bills. He hopes they can eventually move to Los Angeles and try their hand at a career there.

-CMT spoke with Kellie Pickler more recently than I did.

She confirmed co-hosting “DIck Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve with Ryan Seacrest. She also has a boyfriend, a songwriter named Kyle Jacobs:

“He’s really a great guy, but no sound of wedding bells.” she laughed. “We wrote two songs for my self-titled album coming out Sept. 30. I co-wrote five of the songs. This album is so me. I was involved totally — start to finish. My first album was done in such a hurry after American Idol, but we took time with this one.” Her new producer is Chris Lindsey.

-I checked a couple of Kelly Clarkson fan sites and there’s no real solid info on the upcoming album, which is due out in November. It’s been really oddly quiet. She’s currently touring, but no dates in Atlanta. (Closest is Birmingham November 14.)

“American Idol” loses to “The Amazing Race” in the Emmy race for the sixth year in a row. What else is new?

Seriously, it’s hard for “Idol” to beat “Race” from a production standpoint because “Race” has logistical issues no other show does. And the producers pull off an amazing show year in and year out, for sure. Bravo to “Amazing Race.” Sorry, “Idol.” You have the ratings, the buzz and this blog. Isn’t that enough?

-Sure, “So You Think You Can Dance” and “Dancing With the Stars” get all the attention. But I love MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew,” which shook up the Atlanta Civic Center Saturday night.

Five of the show’s most notable groups (all of who come from the Prince school of spelling) reprised favorite routines from the show and showcased a few new ones, too It was an impressive, high energy display of street dance, choreographed acrobatics and breakdancing that kept the young crowd on its feet the entire two hours.

Season one winners JabbaWockeeZ, in Kabuki-style masks that evoke Blue Man Group, Insane Clown Posse and “Phantom of the Opera,” embodied kinetic precision and grace. They could headline their own Vegas act now.

Season two winners Super Cr3w showed off hip-hop stylings with a vengeance, Break Sk8 proved that old-fashioned roller skates can actually be cool and A.S.I.I.D gave us the heartwarming story of Joey Antonio, the chipper near deaf dancer. But Buzz’s favorite was Fanny Pak, a Los Angeles crew who brought a wicked sense of humor, especially during a “Carrie”-like prom scene where one dancer poisons the rest.

Georgia got plenty of musical love during the show. The groups danced to Ne-Yo, Akon and James Brown, and got the entire audience to do the Soulja Boy dance. They also did a lovely tribute to part-time Atlantan Janet Jackson and her bro Michael. The finale featured a frenetic dance-off with 30 dancers wowing the crowd on a relatively cramped stage.

“Idol” blogger Lara (the big Bo Bice fan) joined me. Thanks for the company!

People.com reports that Daughtry will try his hand at acting as a musician on “CSI: NY.”.

He joins Tamyra Gray, Ace Young and a few other “Idols” who have tried their hand at TV acting, though the numbers are relatively modest.

-David Cook has a single forthcoming but a date has not been set. Various “Idol” Web site pins the name as “Light On.”

-Kristen’s final compilation of all the Mavid dances are here. She did amazing work here:

On Sunday, “American Idol” is up against “The Amazing Race” for best reality program Emmy for the sixth year in a row. Every year, “The Amazing Race” has won.

The Emmy voters base their votes in part on the episode that is submitted. “Idol” gave the finale, which was pretty good. There was the battle between the two Davids and solid performances featuring ZZ Top, Donna Summer, the Jonas Brothers and Carrie Underwood. The LA Times notes that the one problem was a lengthy, painful promo for the summer film “The Love Guru,” which bombed soon after.

“Amazing Race” used the episode where the two Goth kids are eliminated. Honestly, the show is an incredible feat in terms of editing, pacing and logistics. I enjoy it every year (except when they did a family edition and stayed mostly stateside.) I can’t blame the Emmy voters for voting it year in and year out.

I’ll be blogging Sunday night for the TV/radio blog and may include a notation about this competition as well.

-The band Asphalt has sued Daughtry, claiming his song “Feels Like Tonight” sounds suspiciously like the act’s song “Tonight.” You can hear Asphalt’s song here on its MySpace page..

Want to hear the Daughtry song to refresh your memory? It’s here.

Personally, I don’t see much resemblance. The opening riff has some vague similarities. The chorus? There’s a slight echo effect there, but the fact of the matter is, a lot of pop songs sound similar. Is it close enough for Asphalt to win? I don’t know. I’m not a legal expert.

What do you think?

The most famous one that lost was George Harrison with “My Sweet Lord” sounding a lot like “He’s So Fine.” Harrison actually lost. Here’s a summary of that case.

-Ryan Seacrest won a prestigious radio award called the Marconi for best major market personality, heard on KIIS-FM and now syndicated.

Kellie Pickler is going to co host “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” with Ryan Seacrest in December. She’s really good at hosting, based on what I saw on the CMA Music Festival special. She’ll do fine on Dec. 31. By the way, she’ll be at the North Georgia State Fair Sept. 24 at 8 p.m. If anyone wants to join me there, email me at rho@ajc.com. Her next album is out Sept. 30. More info here at people.com.

-David Archuleta won the “Idol” download battle last week, with 51,000 copies for “Crush” and 405K total. (I’d embed the new video but the label wants you to buy it iTunes so it keeps getting taken off YouTube.) The single also hits No. 20 on the Radio & Records top 40 cahrt.

Jordin Sparks with “One Step at a Time” sold 51,000 (or 119 fewer in hard figures), with 653K total. “No Air” is now up to 2.46 million.

“What About Now” by Daughtry is a big jumper from 113 to 75, with 18K sold and 338K total and moves up to No. 23 on the top 40 chart.

Kellie Pickler returns at No. 196 with 7K sold of “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful,” which moves from 29 to 26 on the country chart.

Carrie Underwood’s “Just a Dream” is her eighth top 10 hit on the country chart, now at No. 8.

Bucky Covington edges up to No. 18 from 20 on the country chart with “I’ll Walk.”

Kristy Lee Cook slips to No. 46 from No. 45 with “15 Minutes of Shame.”

Josh Gracin’s “Unbelievable (Ann Marie) is at No. 53.

Jennfer Hudson and “Spotlight” is now at No. 11, up from No. 17, on the urban chart.

-On the album chart, Daughtry is up to 36 from 79 thanks to the deluxe edition out, which equals 13K for the week and 4.22 million overall. Carrie Underwood dropped to 45 from 41 with 10K sold and 2.33 mil total with “Carnival Ride.” Jordin fell off the top 100 (101) and drops to 6K and 910K total. Oddly, the single “One Step at a Time” is still moving up the top 40 chart but it’s not helping sales of her album. On the top 40, the single hits No. 5, matching “Tattoo.”

-Here’s that “Stand Up For Cancer” video featuring Carrie Underwood along with some of the biggest female stars of today such as Rihanna, Atlanta’s Keyshia Cole, Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus, Beyonce and Leona Lewis.

So much for seeing Blake Lewis in a 300-person venue for $10. He isn’t coming to Atlanta. In fact, he’s cutting short his tour with no explanation of any real sort. He’s doing just 10 dates and the Vinyl date on October 20 is gone.

I have a friend who actually bought tickets to that concert. Get a refund, Jim!

Blake’s life sounds like it’s in flux, based on his MySpace bulletin.

My tour has been cut short. As of now. Me and the boys are touring from the 5th to the 16th. My frustration has been at an all time high because of this. I am terribly sorry to all of you who wanted to come out and have boughten tickets. I really want to make it out to every state, but this time around its not happening.

I’m in the process of finding new management/record label and I’m hoping to do it right this time.

I love you all and thank you for being so great to me and my band.

-I’m late on this one but Taylor Hicks is doing the national tour of “Grease” now that he’s done with his Broadway gig.

The tour is not coming to Atlanta but starts Dec. 2 in Providence and ends May 30, 2009 in Seattle.

-David Archuleta’s “Crush” is now available on iTunes.

-You know a label is supportive of an act when they re-do a video for another country. Jordin Sparks gets a U.K. makeover for her video “Tattoo.” The beach scene, merry go round and Blake Lewis from the U.S. version are gone, replaced by a more literal version with lots of gals with tattoos. They also glammed up Jordin.

Jennifer Hudson, who didn’t want to talk about her personal life to me a few weeks ago (as well as that pesky album cover), had her rep confirm to people.com that she is engaged to a fellow reality show contestant.

From People.com:

Jennifer Hudson and boyfriend, David Otunga, have gotten engaged after less than a year dating, her rep tells PEOPLE exclusively.

“I can confirm that Jennifer got engaged to her boyfriend David on Friday night in L.A.” says the rep.

Otunga, who is known as “Punk” from the reality show I Love New York 2, popped the question with a Neil Lane diamond ring on the Dreamgirls Oscar winner’s 27th birthday.

Both are from Chicago. Hudson’s album finally hits stores Sept. 30. I’ll see if I can wrangle an advance copy. Probably not.

-The “Idols Live” tour wrapped up Saturday in Tulsa. Here’s the very last (sniff) Mavid dance for the ages, courtesy of rickey.org. Two items: panties and silly string. MIchael Johns is in high ham mode (or is that bacon?):

Now comes the interesting debate. Who will disappear? Who will last?

We can go backwards:

10- Chikezie. With a name like that, who can truly forget him? He might get a few gigs in national touring plays, might work well in a package tour with other ‘Idols.” Not sure if he has as future as the next Luther Vandross, though. Odds we’ll care in five years: 10-1

9- Ramiele. Who? Oh, yah. Well, she might get some gigs in Hawaii and the Phillipines teaming up with season three third place finisher Jasmine Trias. On the mainland? Not so much. Odds we’ll care in five years: 10,000-1

8-Michael Johns. We have to root for our former Buckhead boy, hope he can find the right mix of music, get some radio airplay a la Elliott Yamin. You never know. He’ll get work in some capacity. Odds we’ll care in five years: 7-1

7-Kristy Lee Cook. As noted, she’s already got an album “Why Wait” coming out Tuesday. Look on the bright side: the sooner she arrives, the quicker she’ll disappear. Odds we’ll care in five years: 50-1

6-Carly Smithson. A true wild card. She might just find herself some theater work, may be able to get a solo album or two out there. Maybe she’ll front a band. I have no clue! Odds we’ll care in five years: 10-1

5-Brooke White. She’s guaranteed to get some album deal. She’s likable and is just distinctive and interesting enough, she might make it okay in the woolly nasty music biz world. We’ll see how savvy she really is in picking the right music, discerning tastes and surrounding herself with good people. Odds we’ll care in five years: 4-1

4-Jason Castro. He is actually a bright guy who has this Spicoli act. Will it work long term? I’m not sure but he has a dedicated fan base that should get him flying, um, high. He’ll get a record deal for sure. Odds we’ll care in five years: 3-1

3-Syesha Mercado. No matter how much she protests, she’s Broadway bound. That’s where she belongs. Not sure if she has much of a chance being the next Alicia Keys. Odds we’ll care in five years: 8-1

2-David Archuleta. His fans will keep him afloat for awhile. “Crush” looks to be a solid hit, a way to fashion him as a Donny Osmond of our generation. He’s emotive, sweet and cute and all that. How will he mature? It’ll be fascinating, for sure but I’m sure I’ll be mentioning him as often as possible in this blog! Odds we’ll care in five years: 75%

1-David Cook. He’ll carve out a solid career as a solo rock artist. I can’t imagine another path for him. If he falls short, I’ll be personally surprised. Of course, he has Daughtry to follow and that is tough. But I think he can do it. Tentative release date for his album: November 18. More info here. Odds we’ll care in five years: 85%

-Ryan Seacrest will be profiled in a pre-Emmy special at 7 p.m. on ABC Sunday along with several other celebs with Jimmy Kimmel, sort of a TV versin of the Barbara Walters special before the Oscars.

Seacrest here talks to a couple of Emmy cohosts including Tom Bergeron and Jeff Probst.

I spent the day visiting a friend in New York City but have a couple of hours to spare so here I am at the same Starbucks I met Tamyra Gray a year ago on 42nd St. This year, I could potentially track down Ace Young (playing Kinecke down the street at “Grease’). In fact, I could probably go see the place if I were that ambitious. But no, I’m going to see a cousin for dinner instead. Family and friends come first, even ahead of “Idol” for me. I know— where are my priorities?

-Even faster than Kellie Pickler’s release a couple years ago, Kristy Lee Cook breaks all “Idol” records by releasing a full album literally days after the “Idol” tour is over. “Why Wait” is set for for a drop date of Tuesday Sept. 16. I guess the title is tongue in cheek. Or merely shorthand for: “Why Wait Until Everyone Forgets Who Kristy Lee Cook Is?”

Her single “15 Minutes of Shame” is floundering on the country charts, not even able to make the top 40. Fellow blogger MJ has listened to the album and isn’t totally hating on it. I don’t have the time (or wherewithal at the moment) to sample it just yet. I anticipate it won’t sell much at all.

If you have the patience or curiosity, check a stream of the 10 cuts here at cmt.com

-Sanjaya Malakar’s new Nationwide ad is out. There’s a Web site, too. He mocks his own existential state and his hair, of course. It’s mildly amusing. Not quite as funny as the Kevin Federline ad a couple years back when he is in a rap video, then is caught “daydreaming” at a fast-food place he’s working.

-I’m not sure what this says about Ryan Seacrest except he knows people have a strange fascination with Paris Hilton so his production company is hooking up with hers. (Yes, she has a production company!). Anyway, let E! News report it from a press release I got today:

E! NEWS’ Ryan Seacrest talks exclusively about joining forces with socialite Paris Hilton to become Hollywood’s newest producing-power couple.

The two stars and their respective production companies, Ryan Seacrest Productions and Paris Hilton Entertainment, are teaming up to develop a new scripted TV series.

“Paris knows exactly how to have fun with herself. She works hard but doesn’t take herself too seriously,” Seacrest said. The deal comes in the wake of Hilton’s hugely popular online response to Senator John McCain’s campaign ad featuring the heiress. Seacrest, Hilton and her manager, Jason Moore, will produce.

The series concept is still being worked out, but Seacrest did offer one clue, “This show will be loud.”

Feel free to insert your own stupid joke here.

-I read somewhere this week (and I wish I could recall) that Kara DioGuardi is going to sit after Randy but before Paula. I’m not sure how that will work but if she’s saltier than Paula, it might cause Paula to be more defensive because oftentimes, she’ll just parrot whatever praise Randy heaps on the contestant. Naturally, Simon goes last cos that’s where he should be.

Season three runner-up Diana DeGarmo is going to be at the Georgia Open Arts Month kickoff party from 11 to 5 p.m. at Underground Atlanta. She will be at a “So You Want to Be a Performer” panel from about 11:15 a.m. until almost 1 p.m. Location TBD. Afterwards, she’d going to sing, too, and do a meet and greet autograph session. Better yet, it’s all free. More info at www.goartsmonth.org.

I think she’s still working on her country album in Nashville. I haven’t heard a distribution avenue or release date yet. I guess I’ll ask her on that day. She loves hanging out with me, right?

Her dianad fan forum also notes that she’s judging a food contest at the 20th anniversary of Roy’s, the Hawaiian restaurant off Lenox Road and Piedmont on Sept. 23. Roy Yamaguchi will be there.

-David Archuleta “Crush” is now up to No. 22 and showing strong growth on the top 40 chart, according to Radio and Records.. Daughtry’s “What About Now” edges up to No. 25. David Cook has peaked in the mid-20s and has fallen to No. 34.

Jennifer Hudson’s “Spotlight” has shown some life, entering the top 20 on the urban charts, up to No. 17 with a bullet, up from 21.

Carrie Underwood’s “Just a Dream” is knocking on the door for her eighth straight top 10 country hit. It’s now at No. 11.

Carrie Underwood’s “Carnival Ride” is up for album of the year, the learn gal vs. Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, Kenny Chesney and George Strait.

She is also up for female vocalist of the year for the third year in a row, after winning it twice before. She’s up against Alison Kraus, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride and Taylor Swift.

Kellie Pickler is up for new artist vs. Georgian Jason Aldean, Rodney Atkins, Lady Antebellum (which includes a couple of locals) and James Otto.

By the way, Atlanta’s Sugarland got “entertainer of the year” nom as well as vocal duo, plus noms for event of the year, single of the year and song of the year.

-Jordin Sparks has no regrets over her off-script comments at the MTV VMA about promise rings and the fact not everybody wants to be a “slut.”

“It’s something I feel strongly about,” she tells EW.com. “I wish I would’ve worded it differently — that somebody who doesn’t wear a promise ring isn’t necessarily a slut — but I can’t take it back now. It was a split-second thing, and it came out kind of wrong. Still, I don’t regret it.

There is some backlash to the “slut” line in the feminist community such as this:

[H]aving sex before marriage DOES NOT make you a slut! You are in no way, shape, or form a creature of contempt just because you choose to exchange favors before exchanging rings. And it’s really, really, really time that society - and yes, even its American Idol-quotient - stop cramming this degrading label down our collective throats and accept that, maybe if we’re respecting their decisions, they better damn well start respecting ours.

Do you agree, not agree?

-David Cook is singing the National Anthem with his brother Andrew at the Chiefs-Raiders opener.

Robert Redford is hosting a big fundraiser at the Tabernacle this Saturday to support the Georgia Transplant Foundation and James Redford Institute for Transplant Awareness.

Bo Bice will join Redford, James Denton and Dana Delany of “Desperate Housewives,” and singer Deana Carter.

Here’s from the press release:

Since JRI first launched the event in 2003, “Share the Beat” has raised awareness and funds in cities all over the United States, including: Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Sundance, Omaha and now Atlanta.

“Our goal is to use the power of media to inspire people to think about organ donation on a deeper level,” said James Redford, Founder of JRI. “Organ donation is the most generous act someone can do for another. The way to create more organ donors is to inspire people to embrace it. When you have this message linked to music and images it opens your heart and mind to how amazing transplant can be.”

Do you want tickets? Go here for $150 VIP seats.. You can go here for more economical $75 tickets for the balcony area..

I’d go but I’ll be in New York. If any of you make it, certainly send me your take on it. Lara?

This has been around awhile but as you can tell, I was in no rush to report this because really, not many people care: Blake Lewis from season six is launching his first tour.

In Atlanta, he’s going to be at a venue that fits a whopping 300 people called Vinyl in Midtown on October 20 at 8 p.m. And the price of tickets? $10. Yes. $10.

If you want to buy them, here ya go.. I might go, though. I’m that dedicated to y’all. I have never interviewed the guy before one on one. He does seem like a good guy even if he is not a star by any stretch.

-And since I said Kellie Pickler was one of my top 5 “Idol” subjects, now I actually have to come up with a top 5, eh? I have never done a one on one with the big four: Daughtry, Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood and Jennifer Hudson (well, you know I almost did). But I’ve talked to most everyone else of note. Of the 82 “Idol” alums, I’ve interviewed about 36 of them one on one in a meaningful way.

In terms of ease and pure friendliness, the ones that come to mind besides Pickler include George Huff (yes, the man who hugged me as if we were old friends), Chris Sligh (the only one who says he actually reads this blog on a regular basis), Ruben Studdard (he’s like a teddy bear indeed) and Clay Aiken (since I did avoid asking anything, um, personal).

-Oh, and here’s the video of Jordin Sparks defending the promise rings the Jonas Brothers wore after Russell Brand, the VMA host, mocked them. I don’t know why there was that much backdraft to his comments, which I thought were silly, but not offensive.