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  Clay Aiken's 'The Way'/'Solitaire' CD single debuts at #1 in U.S. sales chart

  March 24, 2004
  A CD-single debuting in the U.S. with six-figure sales? It must be the return of American Idol 2 runner-up Clay Aiken.

• Jon Peter Lewis, Jennifer Hudson, Leah LaBelle and George Huff complete 'American Idol's Top 12 finalists

  March 11, 2004
  After a dramatic American Idol "Wild Card Night," Jon Peter Lewis, Jennifer Hudson, Leah LaBelle and George Huff advanced to the finals, completing the Top 12.

• William Hung to appear on FOX's March 1 'Uncut, Uncensored And Untalented' Idol special

  February 24, 2004
  Haven't gotten your fill of America's favorite reject singer yet? Well now here's your chance for more.

• Norway's Kurt Nilsen wins 'World Idol' as contest favorite Kelly Clarkson places second

  January 2, 2004
  In a surprise upset, Norwegian Pop Idol Kurt Nilsen, a former plumber, defeated competition favorites Kelly Clarkson and Will Young and won World Idol's clash of the world's Idols.

• 'World Idol' winner announced

  January 1, 2004
  WARNING: The following story contains spoilers as to the winner and finish orders of the World Idol results show which will air on FOX and CTV in the U.S. and Canada this evening. If you do not wish to know this information, please stop reading right now.

• 'World Idol' to feature performances, abundance of sniping from judges

  December 24, 2003
  Although we have no idea what the final cut of World Idol, to be broadcast by Fox and CTV on Christmas Day, contains, we have now received a number of reports about the taping sessions on December 17. If you can picture a judging panel made up of 11 Simon Cowells, you've got the right image.

• "Plus-size" contestant wins U.K. 'Pop Idol', as judge Pete Waterman walks out

  December 22, 2003
  If, as rumored, Pete Waterman becomes a judge for Fox's American Idol 3, he's got some growing up to do first.

• US and Canadian judges tangle over performances at 'World Idol' taping

  December 19, 2003
  Who stars in World Idol -- the national winners or the national judges?

• Simon Cowell to serve as "American judge" for the upcoming 'World Idol' competition

  December 5, 2003
  FOX has announced that Simon Cowell will serve as America's representative on the upcoming World Idol judging panel. According to reports, Cowell was given the choice to either represent either FOX's American Idol program or the U.K.'s original Pop Idol program (where he still also serves as a judge) and opted to represent the American edition on the international judging panel.

• Original 'Idol' runner-up Justin Guarini dropped by RCA Records

  December 3, 2003
  According to numerous media reports, American Idol runner-up Justin Guarini has been dropped from RCA Records after disappointing sales of his debut album. In comparison to the hit debut albums of fellow Idol alumni Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken, which have each sold well over one million copies to date, Guarini's self-titled "Justin Guarini" album has sold only 134,000 domestic copies since its June release.

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