Where are the American Idols Now?

Although this year's American Idols Live! tour was cut short due to poor ticket sales, former winners don't seem to be suffering the same fate as they criss-cross the globe to much fanfare. Never the shy one, Adam Lambert has taken his Glam Nation Tour all the way to Asia.

The top two contestants from the 2003 season, Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard, recently wrapped up their co-headlining Timeless Tour. The show featured them performing separately and together. Before they set out, the men were full of praises for one another.

Aiken said of Studdard, "I couldn't ask for a better tour mate. To be able to share the stage with him again is so exciting. He is such a talented artist. He inspires me daily and I think that respect and admiration will truly be reflected in our show."

"It is truly a blessing and an honor to be on the stage with my friend," Studdard responded. "The relationship that we have built over these past eight years will definitely translate into a great show for our fans. And I'm really looking forward to singing the timeless classics every night."

Although Aiken will be back out in 2011 on his own, by most accounts, the tandem Timeless Tour – which featured the singers against a backdrop of songs that spanned 60 years – was a success, even if it wasn't one of the top-grossing draws of the year.

That honor goes to Carrie Underwood who was ranked number 37 for the year by Pollstar, in terms of ticket sales. Underwood's Play On Tour is scheduled through December 19, when it will conclude after about 100 shows in 2010.

Critics, too, love Underwood, saying that her voice is “a gift from God” and that “her energy, charisma and talent are boundless.” Although Kelly Clarkson was tagged by Billboard as the most successful Idol winner in the broad scheme, Underwood is the undisputed champion in the tour arena.

Trying to get her head and her career back in the game after a turbulent year, Fantasia is all set to hit the road this fall. With any luck, her new record and upcoming performances will be good enough to shift the conversation away from her recent suicide attempt and drama-filled reality TV show.

Fantasia manager, Brian Dickens, said of the R&B powerhouse after the incident, "Fantasia is a fighter and a survivor. This is not the hardest thing Fantasia has endured. Fantasia will be stronger, smarter and better for it. Fantasia sends her praise to God and her eternal gratitude to her fans, friends, and family."

Taylor Hicks is also trying to keep a fire burning under his career. One way he plans to do that is with a move to Nashville: “I lived there once and recorded some music. Then Idol happened, and I've been so busy touring, making records, doing TV stuff. This time I'm going to let it happen more organically and be able to be in one place, have a base. And I think that musically it's the best place for me.”

At the moment, though, Hicks has been busying himself with shows in support of his latest release. He says of the bigger picture, “Obviously I enjoy touring or I wouldn't have been on tour for four and a half years. The Broadway tour with Grease was great, and I got to play a few shows here and there with my band. But this is getting back to a really good live music show for my record, The Distance.”

And then there's Katharine McPhee who has a Christmas release on tap. Though she's not doing a whole lot of touring, McPhee has Christmas Is the Time To Say I Love You set for an October 12 street date and a new video for “Say Goodbye” creating a bit of a buzz.

All in all, it's been a pretty good year for former Idols, though not without its challenges. The show itself has hit a few bumps in 2010, too, with a major renovation of the panel of judges. As always, the fans will be the ultimate deciders as to the fate of all involved.

Copyright 2011 mind-funk-music.com