American Idol | featured news

Could Charlie Sheen be a judge on "American Idol"? The actor says he's game. In an interview Tuesday on Ryan Seacrest's radio show, Sheen said "Idol" producer Nigel Lythgoe publicly threw his name out there as a possible judge and the idea piqued people's interest -- including his own.

Jennifer Lopez was part of the all-star cast that helped lead "Ice Age: Continental Drift" to the top of the box office over the weekend, and the entertainer is eager to focus even more attention on her once white-hot movie career.

Jennifer Lopez is the second judge in two days to say she's leaving "American Idol." Lopez will not be back for a third year on television's top-rated but struggling show, her representative, Mark Young, said Friday. Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler announced Thursday he was exiting. That means the "Idol" panel is down to one, original judge Randy Jackson, and there are reports that he may take a different role when the Fox show returns next January.

Steven Tyler, after just two seasons as the front man -- or one of 'em -- for the "American Idol" judging panel, said Thursday that he's leaving the show... The Aerosmith singer says it's time to return to the band.

“American Idol” ratings may be down for the show’s eleventh season, but that has no bearing on the sales figures for this season’s winner, Phillip Phillips. Phillip’s coronation song “Home” earned the highest debut on the Digital Songs chart this week. The song hit number two on the charts with 278,000 downloads.

Less than a week after the season finale, the health of winner Phillip Phillips remains at the center of the American Idol discussion. The 21-year-old singer underwent eight surgeries during his time on the series to treat a buildup of kidney stones. Caused by a congenital condition, the stones have rendered his right kidney largely ineffective, prompting him to temporarily rely on a stint and the need for an operation that would bring about a more permanent solution.

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....

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.

“American Idol” will feature a contrast of styles in its final performance episode Tuesday night as it comes down to contemporary artist Phillip Phillips and timeless teenage prodigy Jessica Sanchez. One option is contemporary artist Phillip Phillips. The affable former pawn shop worker with a sneaky snarky side doesn’t offer the most technically perfect vocals in the world, but he does have the most radio-ready voice, and proves that every week by picking songs and arrangements that are easily imagined on the radio. He gets criticized by some “Idol” fans for being Dave Matthews 2.0, but the show’s brass would jump for joy if he had anything resembling Matthews’ career.

The "American Idol" judges are under Joshua Ledet's spell, and they aren't afraid to show it. For the second week in a row, the panel on Wednesday lavished the 20-year-old from Westlake, La., with praise, especially for his performance of "It's a Man's World." Ledet earned a standing ovation from the judges for the James Brown song and also won them over with a version of Josh Groban's "You Raise Me Up."