Fox's American Idol isn't the only reality TV show hitting the pop music charts any longer. Billboard reports that the debut CD of Buddy Jewell, the winner in the finale of USA Network's country-music reality series Nashville Star, sold 52,000 copies last week, good enough for 13th place in the Billboard Hot 200 CD charts. The CD, simply entitled Buddy Jewell and featuring Jewell's smash hit "Help Pour Out the Rain (Lacey's Song)", also debuted at #1 on the Country CD chart.

ADVERTISEMENT
Unlike the TV-friendly stars of American Idol, Jewell is a fortysomething career demo singer who seemed to have missed his chance at stardom -- only to have Nashville Star give him a second chance. We send our best wishes for his continued -- and well-deserved -- success.