Aaron Kelly: "The Best Thing" video

Aaron Kelly music video for "The Best Thing"

American Idol's Aaron Kelly sings "The Twist"

American Idol Season 9 contestant Aaron Kelly performing "The Twist" by Chubby Checkers.

American Idol hopeful Aaron Kelly sings "Crazy"

American Idol Season 9 contestant Aaron Kelly performing "Crazy" at the 2007 FHR Radio VIP Party at the Hilton in Downtown Nashville.

American Idol hopeful Aaron Kelly sings "Where the Blacktop Ends" at the Troy Fair

American Idol Season 9 contestant Aaron Kelly performs "Where the Blacktop Ends" by Keith Urban at the Troy Fair in his home state of Pennsylvania, 2008.

Aaron Kelly on David Letterman

Aaron gets interviewed by David then sings My Girl.

Aaron Kelly performs "Angel" on the Ellen DeGeneres Show

Season 9 Top 5 finalist Aaron Kelly visits the Ellen DeGeneres show and chats with Ellen about being the youngest Idol, at 16, and what it was like to attend school while competing for the title of American Idol. Aaron performs "Angel" by Sarah Mclachlan on May 7, 2010 after being eliminated from the show.

Order the American Idol Season 9 Album Now!!!

The American Idol Season 9 compilation features the signature songs from this year's Top 10 contenders - as chosen by the tens of millions of weekly American Idol viewers. This CD is the ultimate keepsake from one of the biggest Idol seasons ever!
Click the image below to order:


Track Listing:
1. Treat Her Like A Lady - Lee DeWyze
2. Forever - Andrew Garcia
3. Paint It Black - Siobhan Magnus
4. Me And Bobby McGee - Crystal Bowersox
5. Jealous Guy - Casey James
6. I Don't Want To Miss A Thing - Aaron Kelly
7. Ready For Love - Michael Lynche
8. Under My Thumb - Tim Urban
9. Play With Fire - Didi Benami
10. Let It Be - Katie Stevens

Want to check out any of your favorite Idol's Blogs? Just click their name above!

Aaron Kelly - Fly Me To The Moon (HQ Studio)

American Idol's Aaron Kelly sings "Fly Me To The Moon"

American Idol's Aaron Kelly Performs "Let It Be" and other songs Live

Aaron Kelly, American Idol 9 contestant, performing live at Dushore Founders Day in Dushore, PA on August 8, 2009. Aaron performs "Raining on Sunday" by Keith Urban, "We weren't Crazy" by Josh Gracin, Garth Brooks' "Two Pina Coladas" and "Let it Be" by The Beatles

American Idol's Aaron Kelly sings original song "It's Gonna Rain"

American Idol's Aaron Kelly original song - "It's Gonna Rain"

Get Aaron Kelly's album "His First Record"

Get American Idol Season 9 Top 24 contestant Aaron Kelly's album, His First Record

Casey James and Aaron Kelly Talk Touring, and Underwear Thrown at Them

GMMR's Marisa Roffman talks with American Idol contestants Casey James and Aaron Kelly about touring -- and the probability of underwear being thrown at them onstage.

Aaron Kelly sings "Fast Cars and Freedom" on the Idols Live Tour!

American Idol Season 9's Siobhan Magnus sings Rascal Flatts' "Fast Cars and Freedom" on the Idols Live Tour!

Aaron Kelly Sings "Walking in Memphis" live

American Idol's Aaron Kelly sings Marc Cohn's "Walking in Memphis" during the American Idol's Live Tour at Wachovia Center, in "The City of Brotherly Love," Philadelphia, PA.

AI Now Interview with Aaron Kelly & Crystal Bowersox

Interview With Aaron Kelly & Crystal Bowersox
Herb Longs / Monday, 21 June 2010 14:35

Today we bring you the second installment in our series of interviews from the Idols Live Tour media day at Center Staging last week. Check out our interview with Crystal Bowersox and Aaron Kelly below!
We started the interview off by asking Crystal how she plans to remain herself while working with Jive Records, a label that is most known for its successful pop artists. "I don't want to believe in stereotypes," Crystal said. "Jive has a lot of really credible artists and musicians...Jive might be known for more of a pop kind of thing, but that is not going to matter. It's not going to be a limitation."

Aaron also has an album in mind, saying that he's been writing several original songs since "Idol." "I don't want to sit back and wait for someone to approach me," Aaron said. "Right now I've been working with Taylor Swift's producer and we're going to get lots and lots of songs written. And, if a label doesn't approach us, then we are going to record a demo and pitch it to some people."

Crystal complemented Aaron saying that even though we didn't hear about it on the show, Aaron is a "brilliant songwriter." Crystal also said that Aaron plays guitar really well. She joked, "He was too chicken to do it on the show." Aaron admitted, "I play better on my original stuff rather than other people's songs."

When we asked Crystal which one of Aaron's performances was her favorite, she couldn't name just one, saying he was so great every time. "I don't think you ever missed a note," Crystal said. Aaron said his favorite Crystal performance was the finale song, "Up To The Mountain."

And, we couldn't help but ask who Crystal and Aaron would pick to replace Simon Cowell on the judges panel. Crystal said she would really like to see Bret Michaels on the panel for his straightforward attitude and support of type 1 diabetes awareness. Aaron, meanwhile, is pulling for Harry Connick Jr. "Just because he has such a great ear...And another great thing is that he's honest. He's going to tell you what he thinks. He might not be as brutal as Simon, but you definitely don't want someone who is going to try and copy Simon."

To see the entire interview, including an update on Crystal's plans for a juvenile diabetes awareness event, watch the video below!

"The Day After:" Aaron Kelly Speaks About Elimination

Following last night's elimination, Aaron Kelly made his rounds talking to FOX affiliates and media outlets from all across the country today.
Below, you will find a transcript from today's press teleconference, which AI Now was a part of.

On the upcoming "American Idol" tour:
I'm really excited to be a part of it and interact with the fans and the supporters. It's going to be nice to connect with the fans and to be able to go out there and not have to worry about impressing the judges. It's going to be good, clean fun.

On how he grew in the competition:
I think the judges wanted to see a little more charisma. I got my confidence up and I was having a good time, I just needed to believe a little bit more. I felt the more I went into the competition, the more I was gaining ... I was still learning to add all the extra things to my performances.

On wanting to record country music:
Country music is what I've grown up listening to and it's what I feel I fit most comfortably. Simon said that country music is where I really shined. The people that inspire me most are Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban. They have such great, honest music. I have a great time performing country music and I see myself hopefully going down that road.

On his fellow contestants and Big Mike's parting words:
Mike was saying, "You made it this far and good things are going to come out for everybody." He said, "No worries, man, it's a good place to go and you're gonna do good things." I'm good friends with everybody on the show. It's one big family because we're all stuck in the "Idol" bubble. Contestants and the people behind the show are all we've got, so we stick together and we're all very close.

On his family and adopted mother who is actually his aunt:
My mom is a great support. She gave up so much to make sure all of her kids got what they wanted out of life and that we had a good life ahead of us. She's always encouraged us to follow our dreams. My dad as well. They both put out a lot for me to be able to do this so I'm very thankful for both of them. I love my mom very, very much for the things she's given up for me.

I've had a great life and I love getting to share all this with my family. My mom and dad put out a lot to make sure I have my dreams and I'm glad that it's my aunt and uncle who adopted me because if it hadn't been them, I wouldn't get to see any of my real mom and dad or any of that side of the family. They didn't want us getting taken away to some foster parents that would never let us see our real families, so I'm really glad to have that.

Aaron Kelly tells of his journey, talks of his plans

It has only been four days since Sonestown's idol, Aaron Kelly, was eliminated from the top five on American Idol. The crowd of hundreds that gathered at the Sonestown Inn in Kelly's hometown were waiting with anticipation Wednesday evening for Kelly's advancement into the top four, as he stood on stage next to Michael Lynche near the moment of elimination.
Because Michael Lynche had been in the bottom three so many times before, to include an elimination that he escaped when the judges utilized a save several weeks ago, guests at the Inn on Wednesday evening thought for sure that Kelly would be spared. And prior to that moment, which put everyone on the edge of their seat for the shocking announcement, guests at the Inn were also speculating that Casey James would be the one to go following his performance of "Blue Skies" during Frank Sinatra night that garnered negative reviews from the judges. Aaron Kelly's version of "Fly Me To The Moon" last Tuesday evening had actually generated mixed reviews from the judges, with most of them positive.

So the reaction from the crowd of Kelly's elimination from the top five came as no surprise. "It's not fair," resounded from most of the crowd that gathered Wednesday evening in Sonestown to support their idol.

But for Aaron Kelly, his experience on American Idol was an educational experience - and just the beginning of his journey, not the end.

In a direct telephone interview with Aaron Kelly on Friday, he spoke of his journey - and talked about what the experience has been like for him. He also shared, during the same interview, what his plans are for the immediate future.

The Journey

Seventeen-year-old Aaron Kelly was born the youngest of three brothers to a family that was struggling in Florida. It was because of these struggles that Kelly's aunt and uncle from Sonestown, Pa., decided to adopt Kelly - and he soon called Sonestown his home. And from that point on, Aaron has performed in front of huge audiences such as county, state and national events, school functions, private parties, weddings, talent competitions, numerous social and charity events, national and local TV and radio.

Recent local performances by Kelly, prior to his journey on American Idol, have taken place at the Bloomsburg Fair for two of the past three years, and a 2008 performance at the Troy Fair. Kelly has opened for or played with Loretta Lynn, Charlie Daniels, the Marshall Tucker Band and Martina McBride; and was a finalist on Pax-TV's "America's Most Talented Kids" when he was 11.

But when he was younger, Kelly used to watch American Idol, and felt it was something he wanted to do when he turned 16. "When I was watching Idol at a young age," said Kelly during an earlier interview, "I remember thinking that I wanted to be there, sitting in front of all those fans and being someone you admire."

And that dream soon came true as Kelly won over hearts during his first audition, and then advanced throughout each audition and performance to make it to the top five on American Idol - a spot where fans back home said Kelly wanted to be.

The Experience

And those who have tuned in, week after week, to watch Kelly perform and then vote, vote, vote, got to see their star shine - but were not able to talk to him throughout the experience. According to Kelly during the phone interview on Friday, he was able to go into his Facebook to read what people were posting - but he wasn't able to reply.

"It's like the Idol bubble," Kelly said of the focus and work required to be a participant in the show. "We spent all of our time working on selecting songs, and then preparing for them," he added. "Next thing you knew it was over, and then you had to start all over again for the next week."

Because of this, Kelly described how the contestants became like family to each other, and how everyone got along. "They're your family on the show," said Kelly, noting that of all the contestants - he and Tim Urban probably became the closest.

"Tim was like a big brother to me," said Kelly. "I was pretty sad when he was eliminated."

As for the judges, Kelly shared his thoughts about Simon Cowell, and how people perceive him differently than the contestants do. Kelly described Simon Cowell as being a great guy, who was just being honest.

"He always tells you the truth," said Kelly, "and he's always right." Kelly also noted that Simon Cowell was a really nice guy, even off camera, and that he was glad that he was able to perform on the show during Simon Cowell's last season as a judge on American Idol.

As far as the hard work that has gone into preparing and performing each week on American Idol, Kelly described it as being in "Idol College," and emphasized that it was training him for bigger things.

But of all the weeks that Kelly performed, he noted that Beatles week, for him, was the most difficult. "The list of songs to choose from was huge," said Kelly. "It took me a long time to go through each song and find one that would work for me," he added. Kelly's selection for Beatles week was "Long and Winding Road."

And, with no surprise to those who knew Kelly prior to his Idol experience, country week came easier. "By far," said Kelly, "Country week was the easiest." And although Kelly had a once in a life time chance of meeting Shania Twain, he said that his best experience was when he met Miley Cyrus.

"I grew up listening to country and it was cool to meet Shania," said Kelly, "but it was really cool to meet Miley." During Kelly's initial audition in Orlando, he won over the judges with "The Climb," a song written by Cyrus.

Kelly also spoke, during Friday's interview, of what life has been like for him in Hollywood. Coming from a town that has a population of just over 900, and only 27 homes at its center, the hustle and bustle and glitter of Hollywood was assuredly an experience for Kelly.

The one thing that Kelly said struck him the most as being different in Hollywood is that nothing seems to ever close down. "At home," said Kelly, "everything closed at either 6 or 8 p.m." "Everything out here is open forever."

The Journey Continues

Although the fans at the Sonestown Inn were catapulted into silence, and a somber feeling filled the room this past Wednesday upon Aaron Kelly's elimination - the journey for Kelly is far from over.

Describing what he felt at that exact minute he was eliminated, and not even connecting the thoughts that there were that many people tuned in back at home who were waiting on the edge of their seats, the most difficult part of that moment for Kelly was seeing the journey.

"I didn't know what to feel," said Kelly of the moment Ryan Seacrest said, "The one going home tonight (pause), is Aaron Kelly." "When they show our journey to us at elimination, it's hard to not cry and to then go out and sing," Kelly said. "It's really hard."

But those back home loved every minute of watching Kelly on the big screen, and were feeling every bit of his journey along with him. And Kelly was feeling much of this support along the way, with friends and family sending him links to news articles being published about his journey, and the literally thousands of comments received on Facebook.

"I love how much support I've been getting from Little 'Ole' Sonestown," said Kelly. "I was most excited to see the photo of my dog," he added of a Daily Review feature that had printed a photo of Aaron Kelly's dog Bo. "When I saw that picture .... he's my little buddy," he said with a bit of emotion.

But Kelly will be able to see Bo soon, and the two will be able to reunite during a six day visit to his hometown in the upcoming weeks. According to an American Idol spokesperson, Kelly will be able to travel back home for six days, and then will have to be back in Hollywood for the finale scheduled for May 25. After that, Kelly will stay in Hollywood where the Top 10 will prepare for their upcoming concert tour. It is not known at this time what six days Kelly will be allowed to come home, but the American Idol spokesperson will communicate his agenda once it is established.

And Kelly has many opportunities that await him. On the lighter side, Kelly said he has received a ton of marriage proposals since he became a household name on American Idol. Kelly also noted that the number of prom requests has been even higher. "I actually had two girls send me a letter from California stating that their friend would literally die if I didn't go to prom with her," said Kelly. When asked if he would take up any of the offers, Kelly stated that he wouldn't have time to go, and that they have much work to do to prepare for the tour which kicks off on July 1 in Chicago.

With the tour on the horizon for Kelly, he is looking forward to being on the road and seeing his fans. "It will be so much fun," said Kelly. "It will give me a chance to give back to all those fans out there."

Beyond the tour, Kelly hopes to record some music, and will be finishing up his high school education as well. According to Kelly, he just completed his Junior year through cyber school, and will now be picking up his electives so he can graduate.

And as far as his stop home before the finale, Kelly said the first thing he will do - which is understandable - is sleep. "I'm going to get lots and lots of sleep," he added.

source: thedailyreview.com

Casey James and Aaron Kelly talk about the upcoming Idols Live Tour (video)

American Idol finalists Casey James and Aaron Kelly talk about the upcoming Idols Live Tour.

Aaron Kelly and Katie Stevens interview each other (video)

During a break from rehearsals for the upcoming American Idol Live summer tour beginning July 1, and after running through their group number - a cover of Kelly Clarkson’s “My Life Would Suck Without You” more than a dozen times - the Top 10 Idols paired up to grill each other. While some Idols did their interviews completely unscripted, others had the help of index cards. All offered plenty of laughs!

Aaron Kelly and Katie Stevens interview each other:

American Idol Live! Tour 2010 Tickets are NOW on Sale!

The Top 10 finalists Aaron Kelly, Andrew Garcia, Casey James, Crystal Bowersox, Didi Benami, Katie Stevens, Lee DeWyze, Michael Lynche, Siobhan Magnus, and Tim Urban will hit the road this summer on the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2010.

Presale begins TODAY, Friday 05/14/10 at 10:00 AM!!

America’s #1 show will make 49 stops this summer at a mix of top arenas and amphitheaters across North America giving fans a chance once again to catch their favorite “Idols” performing live in a town near them. The Live Nation promoted tour begins on July 1st at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit and runs through September 14th in Pittsburgh at the Consol Energy Center. The complete list of dates is below.

Simon Fuller, creator and executive producer of American Idol stated, “We are all looking forward to this year’s American Idol Live! Tour. This is always one of the highlights of the year. Each of the Idols have the chance to meet the people that voted for them and perform at incredible venues all over America, another special moment in their developing careers.”

A limited number of 4-Pack ticket packages will be offered for $75 that includes 4 lawn tickets to participating amphitheaters, while supplies last. Quantities are limited and additional fees may apply.

Omaha, Nebraska and Toledo, Ohio go on sale May 14th. All other dates listed go on sale May 15th. Event times and dates are subject to change.

Here is the complete set of dates for the 2010 Tour:

DATE CITY VENUE ON SALE TIME
7/1 Auburn Hills, MI Palace of Auburn Hills 5/15 10am
7/2 Milwaukee, WI Summerfest 5/15 10am
7/3 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena 5/15 10am
7/5 Hamilton, ON Copps Coliseum 5/15 11am
7/7 Wantagh, NY Nikon at Jones Beach 5/15 10am
7/10 Atlantic City, NJ Mark G. Etess Arena 5/15 10am
7/11 Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center 5/15 10am
7/13 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena 5/15 10am
7/14 Manchester, NH Verizon Wireless Arena 5/15 10am
7/15 Hershey, PA Giant Center 5/15 10am
7/17 Albany, NY Times Union Center 5/15 10am
7/18 Mansfield, MA Comcast Center 5/15 10am
7/20 Newark, NJ Prudential Center 5/15 10am
7/23 Washington, DC Jiffy Lube Live 5/15 10am
7/24 Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena 5/15 10am
7/25 Charlotte, NC Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre 5/15 10am
7/27 Columbus, OH Nationwide Arena 5/15 10am
7/28 Knoxville, TN Thompson-Boling Arena 5/15 10am
7/29 Virginia Beach, VA Virginia Beach Amphitheater 5/15 10am
7/31 Lexington, KY Rupp Arena 5/15 10am
8/1 Duluth, GA Arena at Gwinnett Center 5/15 10am
8/3 Sunrise, FL BankAtlantic Center 5/15 10am
8/4 Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum 5/15 10am
8/7 Houston, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion 5/15 11am
8/8 Tulsa, OK BOK Center 5/15 10am
8/9 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center 5/15 noon
8/12 Phoenix, AZ US Airways Center 5/15 noon
8/13 Los Angeles, CA Staples Center 5/15 10am
8/14 Mountainview, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountainview 5/15 10am
8/16 San Diego, CA Viejas Arena 5/15 10am
8/17 Anaheim, CA Honda Center 5/15 10am
8/18 Sacramento, CA ARCO Arena 5/15 10am
8/20 Seattle, WA Key Arena 5/15 10am
8/21 Portland, OR Rose Garden 5/15 10am
8/23 Denver, CO Comfort Dental Amphitheatre 5/15 10am
8/25 St. Louis, MO Scottrade Center 5/15 10am
8/26 Omaha, NE Qwest Center 5/14 11am
8/27 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center 5/15 10am
8/29 Minneapolis, MN Target Center 5/15 10am
8/30 Chicago, IL United Center 5/15 noon
8/31 Des Moines, IA Wells Fargo Arena 5/15 noon
9/2 Toledo, OH The Huntington Center 5/14 10am
9/3 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center 5/15 10am
9/4 Indianapolis, IN Conseco Fieldhouse 5/15 noon
9/7 Winnipeg, MB MTS Centre 5/15 10am
9/10 Buffalo, NY HSBC Arena 5/15 10am
9/11 Cleveland, OH Quicken Loans Arena 5/15 10am
9/13 Bridgeport, CT Arena at Harbor Yard 5/15 10am
9/14 Pittsburgh, PA Consol Energy Center 5/15 10am