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Former Contestant Jason Castro to Host AMERICAN IDOL Viewing Party in NYC, 1/16 – Internationally-renowned recording artist and “American Idol” alum Jason Castro is set to release his Word Entertainment debut album, Only A Mountain, on January 15, 2013. On January 16, fans can join him for “An Evening with Jason Castro Benefitting MusiCares’ Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund” in New York City. The event will include an acoustic set by the singer featuring his new music and a special viewing party for the premiere of the 12th Season of “American Idol” on FOX. At the start of the year, Castro is set to embark on Winter Jam Tour Spectacular, the world’s No. 1 tour (first quarter), alongside headliner TobyMac. – Read more at Broadway World

‘X Factor’s’ Chris Rene and ‘American Idol’s’ Haley Reinhart to Debut on ‘Real Music Live’ – This Saturday night marks the debut of Real Music Live, the creation of executive producer and professional drummer Mike Hill. The show, which features musicians performing on stage while offering insight in taped interview segments, will premiere with a half-hour special following Saturday Night Live.It will feature X Factor alum Chris Rene in its debut and American Idol season 10 finalist Haley Reinhart in its second episode. One thing Hill will not allow in the show: autotune. “They use autotune on a lot of singers, and they can’t sing without it. They can’t sing in key,” Hill said. “I want to get back to where people sound like their records.” – Read more at The Hollywood Reporter

Phillip Phillips: MuchMusic Studio Stop – Phillip Phillips laughs adorably as he’s interviewed for the MuchMusic’s New.Music.Live on Tuesday afternoon (December 18) in Toronto, Canada. The 22-year-old American Idol champ also gave an acoustic performance and planned on signing autographs for his Canadian fans the next day! “Hey Canada! I’ll be at Pickering Town Centre on Dec 19 @ 5:30pm doing an acoustic performance & signing autographs. Hope to see you there!” he tweeted. See the photos at Just Jared

OFFSTAGE: Kellie Pickler Reflects on Rolling Stone Praise – I just got off the phone with Kellie Pickler, who talked about how good it feels to have Rolling Stone magazine put her album 100 Proof at the top of their list of the best country albums of 2012. “It feels good because I feel accepted for being myself. That album is me, so for someone like Rolling Stone to embrace the project just makes me feel like I’m accepted, as well,” she said. “I’m not holding back. So this honor reinforces that I made the right decisions and that I picked the right songs. It’s an honest album. And that might be what they heard — the honesty in the music.” – Read more at CMT News

SHOWBIZ: Popping with jazz – “I am self-taught on the drums and guitar, but I studied the piano and the double bass at the Idyllwild Arts Academy (also in California) with Hawkins. He had played with (jazz sax maestro) Miles Davis and (jazz singer) Shirley Horn,” says Abrams in a phone interview, adding that his self-titled debut album (released recently) features him on several instruments. “When I was in New York, I talked to some of the jazz musicians after the Idol show, and told them about my teacher. This guy says ‘Yeah, I played with him in 1968’. So you know what I mean, he’s the kind of guy everyone knows. It was an honour to have him as a teacher for bass and piano,” says Abrams from Burbank, California. – Read more at New Straits Times

‘X Factor’ Finale Makes No Mention of Melanie Amaro? Says Simon Cowell: ‘It Wasn’t Deliberate’ – So was there one utterance of Melanie Amaro’s name? We asked creator and head judge Simon Cowell, who said with a smirk like he’d just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, “You know the answer to that … and well-pointed out two hours later.” He then defended the singer, who was a second-chance addition (a la this season’s Diamond White) and his own mentee, adding that the snub “wasn’t deliberate.” Cowell confirmed that winner Tate Stevens is already committed to Sony Nashville and that, as of Jan. 2, he will be working on songs with hit writer John Shanks (Miley Cyrus, Michelle Branch). Unlike Amaro’s as-yet-to-be-released first album, Cowell promised that Stevens’ debut will “happen much, much quicker.” – Read more at The Hollywood Reporter

Who Should Replace L.A. Reid? The X Factor Team Weighs In – L.A.’s pick: “I think Rihanna should fill my spot so I’ll have a reason to watch.” Mario’s pick: “I love Demi and Britney, but if they want to add a female as opposed to getting a man, I’ve been campaigning for my girl Fergie from The Black Eyed Peas. I think she’d be awesome. We’ve been friends a long time and she’s so talented and I think she’d be an awesome judge/mentor. She’s cool and hip and I think the kids would really respond to her and like her.” Simon’s pick: “I’m firing them all. I’m going to be the only judge next year. I’ll just [mentor] the whole lot.” – Read more at TV Guide

Behold The Adorable-ness Of Fifth Harmony Backstage At ‘The X Factor’

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A 3-Step Plan To Save Reality Singing Shows From Themselves – Two seasons later, and the airwaves for singing contest have the look of a carpet-bombed no man’s land. Both Idol and X Factor have struggled in the ratings, while rival NBC’s The Voice has happily added to the overkill, staging not one but two seasons this year. A decade ago, American Idol seasons dominated the zeitgeist; their stars were ubiquitous on magazine covers and the airwaves. The Idol finale was briefly neck and neck with the Oscars second only to the Superbowl in national viewing numbers and the singing contest became our national entertainment. But today, it’s very possible to be completely unaware that an Idol, X Factor or Voice finale is in progress. And with ratings on the decline, that problem is only going to get worse. – Read more at Buzz Feed

The X Factor Winner Tate Stevens: This Is Big for Country Music – If anything, Cowell believes Tate’s age, and specifically his heartwarming story of a working father trying to follow his dream, might have helped him win America’s vote. “As much as I like Carly [Rose Sonenclar], I’m looking at them both: One is 13. One is 37, married with kids, and you’re going to give them a check for $5 million,” Cowell said. “My heart said it had to go to him because he needs it more than she does.”
Added Cowell: “When he sang that song at the end and you hear how good his voice is and his story, you could not not root for him. I think America got it right. I think it’s a great end.” – Read more at TV Guide

Tate Stevens: Can Oldest Reality Singing Winner Save ‘X Factor’? – Simon Cowell has known wild success. From his run on “American Idol” when that show ruled the ratings to the global phenomenons of Susan Boyle and One Direction, the music man with the Midas touch is used to coming out on top. But with the second, ratings-challenged season of “X Factor” in the books, the judge’s panel once again up in the air and a newly crowned victor who’s also the oldest winner in major U.S. singing show history (and whose commercial prospects are unknown), the question becomes, “Why hasn’t Cowell been able to make ‘Factor’ click with American audiences?” – Read more at MTV.com

Simon Cowell LOSES $20,000 Bet to L.A. Reid – Simon Cowell has TWENTY THOUSAND reasons to cry over Thursday night’s “X Factor” results show — and it’s all thanks to a rich-person bet he made with L.A. Reid. TMZ has learned … Simon and L.A. made a wager at the beginning of the season … and if either judge had a contestant win the whole shebang … the losing judge would cough up $20k. So when L.A.’s contestant Tate Stevens took home the crown … he grew just a tiny bit richer than he already is. And since Simon’s no sore loser, we’re told he plans on cutting the check ASAP. – Read more at TMZ

Many Hats of Chris Colfer – Chris Colfer learned as much at the ripe age of 18, when he was cast as the plucky gay countertenor Kurt Hummel on “Glee.” Armed with a golden voice and an uncanny ability to cry on cue (his secret: think of eye injuries), Mr. Colfer became a poster boy for bullying issues and the show’s breakout star. But back in his hometown, Clovis, Calif., things got weird. “People that I went to school with almost acted as if I had died,” Mr. Colfer, now 22, said in a recent interview at the Trump SoHo hotel. Classmates who once treated him like toxic waste were now bragging on Facebook that they had been best of friends. “I thought, Wow, this must be what someone feels like at their eulogy.” – Read more at New York Times