NBC will celebrate America’s 231st birthday with a live broadcast of the “Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular.” Of the performers, country music star (and American Idol guest) Martina McBride will open the event and Jordin Sparks, Blake Lewis and Melinda Doolittle will perform a song together to tribute the Nation’s birthday.

The event is America’s largest 4th of July fireworks extravaganza and will feature 35,000 shells which will be set off over New York City.

Cool. Wish I could be there but I’ll just have to watch it on television!

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Post from: Idol Stalker

In an interview with Goof Morning America on Thursday, Simon tells Britney to “go home to your family.” I’d say that some good sound advice. He also says that Brit-Brit is still able to say her career because she is “still one of the most talked about pop stars on the planet. She has the X-factor because people want to write about her. She’s not conventional, she’s not normal.” He adds, though, that Britney “can’t handle the tension and the pressure.” His advice? “Lock the door, don’t go out with your stupid friends, have some home-cooked food, get a sense of reality, go lie in the garden, okay? And then say to yourself, ‘There’s more good in my life than bad. I’m still a rich, talented girl – now I want to get my career back on track.’ End of story.”

HERE’S WHAT HE THINKS ABOUT WHO SHOULD HAVE WON…

Simon went on to say that “Jordin was the most improved over the whole season. She didn’t start the best but midway through, this was the girl who suddenly got momentum.”

But…

“Melinda should have won,” he says. “She tried the hardest, was consistently the best and had the best voice. I think about it now – whether I should have endorsed her as much as [I did],” he says. “I think it was the right thing to do.”

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Post from: Idol Stalker

So many of you have written in to ask if I saw Melinda Doolittle’s face during Jordin Sparks’ performance. I did but I did not have a screenshot of it. TallFreak has graciously provided me with one. It is priceless. Melinda’s probably just concentrating on what Jordin’s doing but I cracked up last night. In this shot, even Chris Richardson looks a little taken-aback but he is a Blake Lewis fan, so it’s understandable.

Thanks, Tall Freak!

Post from: Idol Stalker

Melinda Doolittle went home last night. I am beginning to wonder about some of the theories circulating out there. One of the most popular is that they want Jordin to win, so in order to do that, they had to remove the biggest threat – Melinda. I love Blake and that is not meant as an insult, nor is it a suggestion that Jordin is not talented, but I can kinda see the logic. This is a sad day. To tell the truth, any one of the three going home is tragic. They were all so different and so talented in their own way. I think the absolute saddest part was Simon Cowell’s reaction. He was visibly upset by the news. I don’t know if I have ever seen him react like this:

Goodbye, Melinda. You are a class-act, amazingly talented and have grown so much as a performer. I hope to see your name in lights someday soon!

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Post from: Idol Stalker

Several thousand people gathered on the campus of Belmont University this morning, some arriving as early as 6 a.m., to welcome American Idol Top 3 semifinalist Melinda Doolittle back to her alma mater. Doolittle, who was once the college mascot, graduated in 1999.

Melinda, who rode through the streets of Brentwood, Tennessee in a white Mustang convertible, wiped away tears as she looked out at the crowd, many of whom were wearing “Belmont Hearts Melinda Doolittle” gear. About the homecoming, Melinda said “Wow. This is probably one of the most amazing things I’ve ever experienced, and it’s so good to be home.”

Belmont president Robert Fisher led Doolittle to the unveiling of a new blue street sign that read “Melinda Doolittle Way.” That sign indicates more than just the street’s temporary name for the month, Fisher said. “Melinda Dolittle Way is the way to live life,” Fisher said. Melinda is known for her humility, so it’s no surprise that she reacted to the street sign with a gasp and shaky hands. Fisher also proclaimed it “Melinda Doolittle Day.”

After taking the stage, she said, “I’m a mess. OK, my mom is worse than I am so I’m OK.”

Doolittle sang, “Home,” but the sound went out several times during the show because of production problems. She also sang “Since You’ve Been Gone,” (not to be confused with Kelly Clarkson’s song).

Doolittle said what she has learned from her Idol experience is, “You can dream so big and God can take it farther than you ever thought.”

Doolittle began her morning at the Wildhorse Saloon where she appeared on the local Foxshow “Tennessee Mornings,” and was scheduled to meet Gov. Phil Bredesen at an afternoon press conference at the state capitol.

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Post from: Idol Stalker