American Idol

"American Idol" finalist Joshua Ledet won't be belting it out on this season's final showdown. The booming 20-year-old vocal powerhouse from Westlake, La., was revealed Thursday to have received the fewest viewer votes on the Fox talent contest, leaving bluesy 21-year-old crooner Phillip Phillips of Leesburg, Ga., and sassy 16-year-old budding diva Jessica Sanchez of San Diego to compete for the show's record deal grand prize on next week's finale....

Coming in second on "American Idol" may still be a path to superstardom, but it no longer offers guaranteed paychecks worthy of the next pop idol or rock star. Wednesday night's runner-up, 16-year-old Jessica Sanchez, doesn't have a definite shot at producing an album and could be paid as little as $30,000 in advances for recording singles, according to the "Idol" contract she and other Season 11 contestants signed earlier this year. The agreement appears to be the first time in "Idol's" history that producers are not offering the show's runner-up an album deal that in...

LOS ANGELES - There's sheer bravado in the title of Fox's "The Next Great American Band. " But the network that gave us "American Idol" is primly cautious about whether it's found another hit talent show. Debuting tomorrow night at 8, "American Band" boasts an impressive group of finalists ranging from heavy metal to soul to bluegrass, and it's from the same producers behind "American Idol. " But are audiences ready for what Johnny Rzeznik, the lead singer of the Goo Goo Dolls and a judge on the new venture, describes as "basically like a big battle of the bands"?

Nearly 22 million TV viewers seems like a lot — but for an "American Idol" season-ender, it's a new low. The crowd that tuned in Wednesday night when bluesy guitar man Phillip Phillips won the "Idol" crown constituted the smallest for an "Idol" finale in its history, according to final Nielsen Co. figures. The audience of 21.5 million was down by nearly one-third from the 29.3 million viewers who saw country singer Scotty McCreery's victory a year ago, an audience total that had rebounded by 20 percent from the finale in 2010.

"American Idol" viewers could be in for a serious case of deja vu if Phillip Phillips wins on the Fox talent contest's 11th season finale next week. While the soulful strummer from Leesburg, Ga., has certainly proved he can be a risk-taking showman by transforming songs like Usher's "U Got It Bad" into searing acoustic covers, a victory for the 21-year-old would prove something that everyone has suspected for a while: "Idol" voters prefer humble Caucasian heartthrobs over, well, anyone else.

Phillip Phillips, a bluesy Georgia guitar man, was crowned the new "American Idol" on Wednesday after defeating teenager Jessica Sanchez in record viewer voting. He was the fifth male "Idol" winner in a row. Phillips, 21, a pawn shop worker from Leesburg, Ga., looked stunned after host Ryan Seacrest announced his name, then wordlessly accepted a hug from Sanchez and congratulations from his fellow finalists. He dissolved into tears as he sang "Home," the song that may be his first single.

It wasn't such a sweet day for Shannon Magrane on "American Idol. " The 16-year-old vocalist from Tampa, Fla., known for her soaring voice and towering over "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest, was eliminated from the Fox singing competition Thursday. Magrane was dismissed after reprising her rendition of Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men's "One Sweet Day. " She failed to persuade the show's judges to save her from being booted. "It feels so good standing on this stage," she said after her elimination.

Globe critic Sarah Rodman took your questions and comments about all things "American Idol," which is now down to the final four. Check out the transcript below. <a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=378d822fb9" >'Idol' chat with critic Sarah Rodman -- Fri., May 4 at 11 a.m.</a>

Globe critic Sarah Rodman will be online Friday, April 6, at 11 a.m. to take all your questions and comments about Fox's reality-singing competition "American Idol. " Thoughts on last night's elimination ? Share here. 'Idol' chat with critic Sarah Rodman -- Fri., Apr. 6 at 11 a.m.

From the moment he first stepped in front of the judges and unleashed a folksy take on Michael Jackson's "Thriller," guitar-playing crooner Phillip Phillips seemed preordained to win "American Idol," and not just because he's another white guy with a guitar, the all-too-familiar profile of the previous four "Idol" champions. "I'm just lucky," the former pawn shop worker said Wednesday night in his backstage dressing room after his win. It was more than just luck that helped Phillips easily overcome 16-year-old mini-diva Jessica Sanchez to become the Fox talent competition's 11th...

Steven Tyler 's bandmates in Aerosmith may have been critical when their frontman joined "American Idol" as a judge in 2010 (remember when Joe Perry said that he didn't want Aerosmith's name involved with the show?), but they've obviously changed their tune. The whole band was in Los Angeles on Wednesday night to perform during the big "Idol" finale, during which contestant Phillip Phillips was named the night's big winner. Aerosmith played "Walk This Way" during the big show, as well as their new single, "Legendary Child.

Jessica Sanchez wishes she could've changed one thing about the "American Idol" finale: her final song. The judges completely dismissed "Change Nothing," the lukewarm potential future single that failed to fully showcase the 16-year-old singer's vocal prowess during the Fox talent competition's final performance round Tuesday. "Idol" judge Randy Jackson told the high school student from Chula Vista, Calif., that it "lacked pop flavor," while Steven Tyler declared that it wasn't "the proper song for you. " Sanchez agreed, informing the panel that she wanted...

Steven Tyler is mum on whether he or Jennifer Lopez will return to the judging panel on "American Idol" next year, but the rocker says he has loved the experience of sitting next to her. "She's a sexy beast," Tyler said in a phone interview Monday. "I feed off that female energy with her. " He added: "I'm always flirting with her. It's not a bad thing. It's really a good thing. The best part of it all is that we been able to pick some good talent. Just look at this year.

"American Idol" finalist Joshua Ledet won't be belting it out on this season's final showdown. The booming 20-year-old vocal powerhouse from Westlake, La., was revealed Thursday to have received the fewest viewer votes on the Fox talent contest, leaving bluesy 21-year-old crooner Phillip Phillips of Leesburg, Ga., and sassy 16-year-old budding diva Jessica Sanchez of San Diego, to compete for the show's record deal grand prize on next week's finale....