Matt Giraud's Caledonia performance included five original tunes he penned since his "Idol" tour ended in September. • View photo gallery from performance• Video interview with Giraud

When I first saw David Cook on the seventh season of American Idol a show he'd wind up winning over Muppet Boy David Archuleta I thought he looked like a weary door-to-door salesman pushing Hoovers in Boise. I also thought Cook had supremely bad hair, like a reverse mullet or, for that matter, a "skullet."

LOS ANGELES -- Jennifer Lopez plans to include fireworks and an on-stage costume change in her performance at the American Music Awards. "American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert will incorporate leather and chains into his.

Fresh off a victorious spat with the editor of OUT magazine , American Idol's Adam Lambert is gearing up for what is likely to be the biggest week of his young professional career.

Watch "American Idol" finalist Allison Iraheta's fabulous video for "Friday I'll Be Over U."What a great video. It's like a cross between A-Ha's "Take On Me" and something out of the Dire Straits oeuvre. We love the irony that the born-in-1992 Idol has a video straight out of 1983. Fantastic.In all the hoopla surrounding Kris Allen and Adam Lambert's first albums, we'd forgotten how catchy ...

Jordin Sparks, winner of season six of "American Idol," has been hospitalized for appendicitis.Through the power of Twitter, we have found out Jordin Sparks is recovering from having her appendix removed Wednesday night. She tweeted Thursday, "Was struck w/ acute appendicitis...took out that appendix last night. Recovering today & the next week or so."Jordin is diligently keeping us abreast of ...

Recording artist Beth Schafer makes her way into the mainstream with her new CD "Raise It Up Bring It Down." Building on the messages and music that made her popular as a contemporary Jewish artist, and the fanbase she built through her American Idol Underground win and her performance for President Barack Obama during his campaign, Schafer adjusts her trajectory toward mainstream acoustic rock.

For reasons still unfathomable six months later, Adam Lambert finished second in this year's "American Idol" competition to Kris Allen.

For reasons still unfathomable six months later, Adam Lambert finished second in this year's "American Idol" competition to Kris Allen. But none of that matters now: With the release of his debut album, Adam Lambert is about to become a huge star.

Would you call 'American Idol' important? In a musical context? Why?