Billboard’s Ann Donahue breaks down every live performance of “American Idol” Season 9, from the top 24 contestants to the last one standing.  

Billboard’s Ann Donahue breaks down every live performance of “American Idol” Season 9, from the top 24 contestants to the last one standing.  

Billboard’s Ann Donahue breaks down every live performance of “American Idol” Season 9, from the top 24 contestants to the last one standing.  

Billboard’s Ann Donahue breaks down every live performance of “American Idol” Season 9, from the top 24 contestants to the last one standing.  

Billboard’s Ann Donahue breaks down every live performance of “American Idol” Season 9, from the top 24 contestants to the last one standing.  

Billboard’s Ann Donahue breaks down every live performance of “American Idol” Season 9, from the top 24 contestants to the last one standing.  

Billboard’s Ann Donahue breaks down every live performance of “American Idol” Season 9, from the top 24 contestants to the last one standing.  

Billboard’s Ann Donahue breaks down every live performance of “American Idol” Season 9, from the top 24 contestants to the last one standing.  

Shortly after being ousted from “American Idol’s” class of 2010, the four eliminated contestants still sounded a bit shell-shocked from a particularly harsh round of judges’ comments.

“American Idol” voters said goodbye to the first four contestants of season nine on Thursday night, eliminating Janell Wheeler, Joe Munoz, Ashley Rodriguez and Tyler Grady.

Billboard’s Ann Donahue breaks down every live performance of “American Idol” Season 9, from the top 24 contestants to the last one standing.

“American Idol” contestant Chris Golightly has been disqualified from the top 24 and replaced with Tim Urban, Fox confirmed early Thursday morning.

Ellen DeGeneres kicked off her debut as the new “American Idol” judge in impressive fashion on Tuesday night  (Feb. 9), bringing a healthy dose of honest critiques and well-timed punchlines to the first night of Hollywood auditions.

Photo: Ufberg/WireImage
Last week Page Six stoked a rumor that Howard Stern is a possible candidate to replace the departing Simon Cowell on next season’s American Idol. Today the shock jock addressed the reports on his satellite radio show, admitting the job wouldn’t be out of the question. “There’s not a better job on the planet than judging a fucking karaoke contest,” Stern said, MTV reports. “It might be possible, we’ll see.”

As Rolling Stone reported last week, Stern’s five-year, $500 million contract with Sirius XM expires in January 2011, freeing up the radio personality to pursue other opportunities. While the New York Post wrote last week that Idol’s overtures to Stern might just be a leverage tool to help secure Stern a lucrative new contract from his current employer, Stern seemed pretty open about taking on the Idol job because he’s long been a fan of the show. “If I do say so myself, I can’t imagine anyone else but me replacing [Cowell],” Stern said. “I mean, how else are they going to make that show work? Who knows how to broadcast and who knows how to be interesting? And who’s not afraid to speak their mind?”

Idol producers are rumored to be considering offering Stern a contract that mirrors his five-year, $500 million deal with Sirius XM, but considering Paula Abdul and Idol split ways over a few million and Cowell will only make a reported $50 million per season to executive produce and judge on The X Factor, that figure seems a little excessive. “A $100 million to judge a karaoke contest? Yeah, I think I would do that show for $100 million,” Stern said. “It would be the best thing that happened to me. What a cush job: $100 million for four months. Who wouldn’t take that?”

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• Howard Stern Named as Rumored Replacement for Cowell on “Idol”
• <Cowell’s Fear of “Overexposure” Led to “American Idol” Exit
• <“The X Factor” Due Fall 2011; Simon Cowell Confirms Departure From “American Idol”

Howard Stern told his satellite radio listeners Monday morning that the rumor is true: “American Idol” producers are, in fact, considering him to replace Simon Cowell as a judge on the show.

Photo: Mayer/WireImage

Taylor Swift’s label head jumped to her defense today, telling the press Swift’s Grammy-night performance may not have been note-perfect, but it captured why the 20-year-old is the “voice of a generation.” Big Machine CEO Scott Borchetta went on to say, “This is not American Idol. This is not a competition of getting up and seeing who can sing the highest note. This is about a true artist and writer and communicator. It’s not about that technically perfect performance.”

His comments about Idol riled Season One champion Kelly Clarkson, who immediately responded in an open letter on her I Am Kelly blog. “Thank you for that ‘Captain Obvious’ sense of humor because you know what, we not only hit the high notes, you forgot to mention we generally hit the ‘right’ notes as well,” Clarkson wrote. She signed her post “One of those contestants from American Idol who only made it because of her high notes.” Clarkson has two Grammy wins under her belt, and songwriting credits on some of her biggest hits, including “Because of You” and “Already Gone.”

Look back at the 2010 Grammys’ big moments in photos.

Writing that she too has experienced off-nights in the post titled “Scott Borchetta” (just in case there was any confusion who it was addressed to), Clarkson added, “Instead of lashing out at other artists (that in your ‘humble’ opinion lack true artistry), you should simply take a breath and realize that sometimes things won’t go according to plan or work out and that’s okay.” Swift — who recently toured with an American Idol contestant, Kellie Pickler — won four Grammys at Sunday night’s ceremony, but news of her victories has since been overshadowed by criticism that she sang off-key during her three-song performance, which featured cameos with Stevie Nicks and Butch Walker.

Kelly Clarkson’s journey from Idol to stardom.

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Erica Rhodes is no General Larry Platt, but the 23-year-old Texan certainly found a special way to stand out at her “American Idol” audition, which aired on Wednesday night.

Photo: Lacroix/WireImage
Diddy tried to form a guy group on Making the Band 4 and failed. Now Perez Hilton wants to give it a go: the gossip maven announced on his Website today that he’s working with former American Idol creator Simon Fuller and Madonna’s Sticky & Sweet tour director Jamie King on a new show that will search for the next great boy band. It remains to be seen when and what channel Boy Band will air, but if you’re interested in auditioning and meet the show’s age requirement (13 to 21 years old), get ready to submit your videos on BoyBandSearch.com. The sample audition tapes posted other there are unintentional comedy gold, so it’s worth visiting the site just to check that out.

“We are looking for the best, brightest and boldest! This is a boy band unlike any other before. ALL of the members will sing. ALL of the members will dance,” Hilton wrote. (And is that criteria actually unlike ‘NSync and New Kids on the Block?). “Finding our talented group won’t be easy, but the end result is going to be soooooooo worth it. I can hear the screaming girls already!” Fuller has some history in the field having been the mastermind behind the Spice Girls. Perez, meanwhile, has previously entered the music arena with his new Perezcious record label.

Just days ago Simon Cowell revealed that he’ll be bringing his British show The X Factor to America, so the Boy Band announcement ensures that television schedules in the coming years will be absolutely packed with music competition shows. While millions of viewers tune into these shows and tens of millions cast votes for who should be crowned the victor, when push comes to shove only a small number of these music competition show winners actually make a sustaining sales impact when the season ends. Hilton and Fuller are likely banking that between the support from Perez’s blog and the tween community’s constant craving of all things Bieber and Jonas, now is the time for another young boy band and not a reunited Backstreet, New Edition or Man Band.

Related Stories:

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• “The X Factor” Due Fall 2011; Simon Cowell Confirms Departure From “American Idol”

General Larry Pratt ruled the “American Idol” Atlanta auditions with his original song, “Pants on the Ground.” Watch the video here.

Paula Abdul? Gone! Simon Cowell? Nearly gone. Kelly Clarkson? Sings “Already Gone.” Tonight, to mark the return of the ninth season of the in-flux American Idol, Rolling Stone will be following the action as it happens in our first live blog of the new decade. The auditions begin in Boston, where Victoria Beckham (a.k.a. “Posh” Spice) will be filling in as guest judge. Join as we track the best and worst hopefuls and remember some of Paula’s best moments.

Look back at photos, interviews and more of our essential Idol coverage.

8:00 pm: Remember when Kris Allen beat Adam Lambert? And then Paula Abdul left Idol? And then Ellen DeGeneres got her job? Ryan Seacrest is introducing “a new beginning.”

8:03 pm: Nine seasons and they still haven’t changed that weird cheesy opening.

8:05 pm: 9,000 hopefuls in Beantown for Kara DioGuardi, Randy Jackson, Simon Cowell and Victoria Beckham. “We’re so coordinated, we look like we’re on a night out,” Posh says to a PA who is having the best moment of his life.

8:08 pm: OK, first singer Janet McNamara has already plugged the Idol video game, pumped herself up in a bathroom, said “wicked” and murdered “Pocket Full of Sunshine.” Perhaps it’s a good time for our first Paula memory?

Remember when Paula spat her gum on Simon during an audition?

8:14 pm: Maddy Curtis is 16 and has three siblings with Down Syndrome. She evidently hasn’t heard that Leonard Cohen has called for a “Hallelujah” moratorium. She’s going to Hollywood!

8:19 pm: Oh look, a cranky hipster! Who’s not amused by the perky guy who’s “not scared to be myself,” Pat Ford. Who’s auditioning with Britney Spears’ “Womanizer.” And doing more choreography than she managed on her Circus tour.