THANKS!! I didn't even think to look for tickets locally. I just got my 2 (presale code is POPTARTS at ticketmaster.com). Hurry, cuz even before the "offical" onsale Saturday, best available was Section 2

There are DVRs and VCRs, MC.

It'll be interesting to see what happens next season. It seems most demographics have been covered over the years with each winner, from R & B to Country, to Blues-ish to Rock, etc....

What's next?

By Steve Gorman Mon Aug 25, 11:22 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "American Idol" on Monday added a fourth face to its panel of talent judges, a songwriter and producer who calls herself a "feisty" "straight-shooter" looking to crown a winner who is, above all, unique.

The Grammy-nominated pop composer, Kara DioGuardi, will join veteran "Idol" judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson for the upcoming eighth season of U.S. television's most watched show when it returns in January 2009.

The addition of DioGuardi, 37, marks the biggest format change for the series, subtitled "The Search for a Superstar," since it burst into prime time on the Fox network in 2002.

Self-assured with a matter-of-fact, no-nonsense style, DioGuardi is expected to provide a counterweight to the sometimes gushy, even vacuous on-air persona of Abdul, 46, who first gained fame in the 1980s as a pop singer.

Though hardly a household name, DioGuardi has written and produced songs for numerous recording artists, including pop stars Gwen Stefani and Christina Aguilera as well as past "Idol" winners Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson, and has received several awards in recent years.

In a conference call with reporters, she noted a previous collaboration with Abdul, saying they co-wrote a song early in her career, "Spinning Around," that went on to become a hit for Kylie Minogue.

"For the past seven seasons, Paula has had to endure the experience of being the only woman at the judges table," said Mike Darnell, head of alternative programming at Fox. "With Kara by her side, Paula finally has some back-up, and now there is going to be a lot more 'girl power' on the show."

Producers will put that chemistry to its first test on Tuesday, when DioGuardi joins Abdul, Cowell and Jackson for the kickoff of auditions in New York.

DioGuardi declined to critique her soon-to-be peers but said she finds Cowell, known for giving the most unvarnished appraisals among the panelists, to be generally fair. "I think Simon is pretty spot on most of the time," she said.

The record producer and talent scout described herself as "pretty feisty" and willing to stand up for her opinions.

"I'm going to be a straight-shooter," she said. "I'm just somebody who's really honest and gives my opinion, and if I feel the need to be hard with someone in order to get that across, I will be. And if I feel I need to be softer and more nurturing with some of the contestants, I'll be that."

The most important quality she is looking for in singers, aside from a "great voice," is a style that sets them apart.

"It's not about vocal acrobatics. It's about being unique and doing things that are identifiable to you," she said. "What makes an artist is ... when their song comes on the radio, I know exactly who it is."

She said her favorite song is John Lennon's "Imagine," a tune that figured prominently in the show last season as the signature performance of young crooner David Archuleta, who was narrowly defeated by rocker David Cook in the end.

The show averaged 28.1 million viewers weekly last season, compared to 30.8 million at the height of its popularity in 2006. But the finale in May between Cook and Archuleta drew some 32 million viewers, up 3 percent from a year earlier.

Although "Idol" has featured a three-judge panel since its inception, the program was originally conceived as having four panelists, said executive producer Cecile Frot-Coutaz.

Producers hired hip-hop radio personality Angie Martinez as a fourth member of the team for the second season, but she quit after judging a few auditions because she felt bad about having to reject some contestants and never appeared on the show.

Other international editions of the show, including the original British version, "Pop Idol," all had four judges.

DioGuardi is not a complete newcomer to TV talent shows, having served as a judge herself for ABC's short-lived, singing contest, "The One: Making a Music Star."

(Additional reporting by Jennifer Martinez; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Dan Whitcomb)

Reuters/Nielsen

By Michael Conlon – 2 hrs 23 mins ago

CHICAGO (Reuters) – The mother and brother of Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Hudson were found shot to death in the mother's Chicago home on Friday, according to published reports.

The Chicago Tribune Web site quoted a police source as saying the suspect in the double homicide was in custody, but a 7-year-old boy, possibly Hudson's nephew, was still missing from the house on Chicago's South Side, where the victims were found. Police did not confirm the report or the names of the victims.

The Tribune said the Cook County Medical Examiner's office identified the victims as Hudson's mother, Darnell Donnerson, 57, and her brother Jason Hudson, 29.

Police said neighbors reported hearing shots in the area during the morning, but the bodies were not found until midafternoon.
"A missing child was possibly abducted from the scene ... and may be in the company of William Balfour, a suspect in the double homicide investigation," police said in a statement, adding that the man was "considered armed and dangerous."

The statement listed two vehicles Balfour may be driving. It did not say who Balfour was or whether he was related to the family.

The Illinois Department of Corrections Web site lists Balfour, 27, as having been convicted of attempted murder, car theft and vehicular hijacking. He was released from prison in 2006.

Police said the child was identified as Julian King, adding they believed he was the grandson of the woman found slain.

The Tribune, quoting police, said the killings may be linked to a domestic disturbance.

Hudson gained notice as a contestant on No. 1-rated U.S. television talent show "American Idol" during its third season in 2005. She was one of 12 finalists, but was voted off.

Still, her booming voice and popularity kept her touring in live shows and eventually she earned the role as Effie White in the 2006 film version of stage musical "Dreamgirls."

The role of soulful singer White, who is kicked out of an all-girl 1960s singing group, earned Hudson the Oscar for best supporting actress and made her an instant star in Hollywood.

Since then Hudson has appeared in the movie version of "Sex and the City," and is currently in "The Secret Life of Bees."
Media reports said Hudson was in Florida when she was told of the shootings and was headed back to Chicago.

(Additional reporting by Andrew Stern in Chicago and Bob Tourtellotte in Los Angeles)