Kara DioGuardi

Proving she's still as sweet as they come, PAULA ABDUL spent $1,000-plus on congratulatory bouquets, threw in 15 dozen gourmet cupcakes from BevHills Sprinkles and messengered them to "American Idol" judges SIMON COWELL, KARA DIOGUARDI, RANDY JACKSON and newbie ELLEN DEGENERES. Each package contained a handwritten note from ex-judge Paula, wishing them a fantabulous season on America's favorite reality TV show.  

Wednesday night was the guys turn to sing for America's vote and two will be eliminated by Thursday. The top 12 guys are Todrick Hall, Aaron Kelly, Jermaine Sellers, Tim Urban, Joe Munoz, Tyler Grady, Lee Dewyze, John Park, Michael Lynche, Alex Lambert, Casey James and Andrew Garcia. Todrick Hall is 24 and was once in "The Color Purple" with Idol winner Fantasia.

Kara was undressing him with her eyes   -Ellen DeGeneres

 

House star Hugh Laurie will be heard playing piano on the next Meat Loaf album. While the House star is best known for his acting he has had a few music roles over the years. He appeared in the Kate Bush video for the 1986 single 'Experiment IV' and was also seen in Annie Lennox's clip for 'Walking On Broken Glass'.  

The judges regretted bringing back Tim Urban, agreed on Casey James' good look that transcends his talent, and were disappointed by Andrew Garcia. On Wednesday, February 25, it was the guys' turn to take the stage of " American Idol " and garner votes from it. Todrick Hall was the first to perform and he took a bold step to re-arrange Kelly Clarkson 's "Since You've Been Gone" to an R & B. Simon Cowell said, "I thought it was a crazy arrangement of the song. What you did was completely murder ...

s "Since You've Been Gone" to an R & B. Simon Cowell said, "I thought it was a crazy arrangement of the song. What you did was completely murder the original song. You can boo all you want, but nobody would buy it. I think what you did was verging on stupid." Aaron Kelly was next and he did what's he's best for, country music. Singing Rascal Flatts   -Kelly Clarkson

 

With a huge social media following on Facebook and Twitter even before he performed on "American Idol," top 24 contender Andrew Garcia is already a fan favorite. MTV.com reports the 24-year-old, who hails from Moreno Valley, Ca., was an early frontrunner when he chose the Maroon 5 song "Sunday Morning" for his audition which landed him a golden ticket to Hollywood. Before Garcia auditioned for "Idol" he was part of a band called The Adrian William Project , TheHollywoodGossip.com reports.  

Only 17 teenage contenders have ever made it to the "American Idol" Top 12, and soulful 17-year-old Katie Stevens is hoping she will add to that count, most of all to cheer up her grandmother back home in Connecticut who has Alzheimer's. According to The Hartford Courant newspaper, Stevens said: "I want to make my grandma proud. To be in the Top 24 and her see me succeeding, it's just what I want. That would just be amazing." And based on judge Kara Dioguardi's feedback during her Hollywood ...

I want to make my grandma proud. To be in the Top 24 and her see me succeeding, it's just what I want. That would just be amazing.   -Katie Stevens

 

Bringing an indie classic rock feel to season nine of "American Idol" is platinum-haired Lilly Scott, who hails from Littleton, Colo. The 20-year-old made no secret of the fact that she thinks people need something else to "listen to besides Miley Cyrus or Britney Spears." Before auditioning for TV biggest show, according to her Facebook fan page, the musician had been playing in her folk rock indie band, Varlet, for years. It was her rendition of the Ella Fitzgerald classic "Lullabye of ...  

After losing his job as a paint store clerk and without an apartment waiting for him back home, "American Idol" contestant Lee DeWyze is betting he will go all the way in season nine. "My apartment lease was up and I got fired... so I don't have a job to go back to," said the crooner on his blog page. "I'm not worried about that... it doesn't matter what I gave up because this is the ultimate for me."  

According to MSNBC , the 28-year-old singer opened up to the judge and show host, saying she had tried not to cry before meeting with the judges. "I was preparing myself to be strong and talk to you guys, but then I saw the pictures of my daughter and I just feel apart," Martin said, referring to a screen that showed images of Idol contenders and their families as they awaited their news. Martin has had a rocky road with Idol ; this was her third time going through the show, and the last time due to the age limit.