Get Yourself an Idol for Christmas

Do you have a couple hundred grand just laying around this holiday season? No? How about a couple of thousand? If so you can get yourself a real live American Idol for your own family Christmas party, or maybe something a little larger.

For the right price, “American Idol” castoffs, finalists and even champs will pay a visit to your wedding, Sweet 16 or bar mitzvah.

“The average going rate for an ‘American Idol’ finalist can be as little as $15,000 or as much as $150,000,” says a source familiar with the business of brokering singers, bands and other talent for corporate functions and exclusive private parties.

A wealthy entertainment mogul once shelled out big bucks – more than $30,000 – to hire second-season “Idol” champ Ruben Studdard to sing just three songs at a party for his wife.

Taylor Hicks, the latest champ, fetches as much as $150,000 for a private performance. He’ll be able to demand more if he ever becomes as popular as the original “Idol” winner, Kelly Clarkson, who sources say is paid as much as $300,000 to put on a private mini-concert.

On the lower end of the “Idol” scale are acts like second-season finalist Kimberly Caldwell, who garners around $2,000 a gig, according to the gossip Web site, PerezHilton.com. She pockets $3,000 if you ask her to sing. But she’s made bigger money in the past; at one gig, Caldwell got as much as $7,500 to sit for hours signing autographs, an industry source says.

If anyone is interested in getting me a present, feel free to send an Idol my way. Can I charge for tickets though once I receive something like that as a gift?

Source: ‘Idols’ for Hire