Have you written a song deserving of all the glitz and cheese that is the American Idol finale? Then today's your lucky day. For the second year in a row, Idol creator Simon Fuller and his company 19 Entertainment are scouring the country looking for the perfect song for this season's finalists to perform. Last year's winning number, "This Is My Now," beat out 25,000 songs to become the first single for Season 6 winner Jordin Sparks.Songs must be submitted online between today and March 31. The entries will be narrowed down to 20, and the winner will be chosen by fans through an online vote that begins April 10. The winning track will be announced and performed at the Season 7 finale on May 20. — Adam Bryant
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American Idol producer Simon Fuller is known for producing shows with high pop-music star wattage, but for his next series, he'll be going inside a less glamorous profession: ER surgery and life as an EMT.His upcoming drama pilot, Austin Golden Hour, has been green-lit by the CW and will follow action in real time, starting from each show's big starting trauma. The show will follow a group of tight-knit ER surgeons and EMTs in Texas, centering on their work and, of course, their personal lives.If this sounds familiar, the storyline was birthed from the experience of ER alum Lance Gentile, who cowrote the pilot. Think Fuller's up to made-up drama? Or will this series need resuscitation? I'm biding my time in the waiting room. — Anna DimondWatch American Idol clips in our Online Video Guide.
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The man who gave us Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and, um, William Hung — Simon Fuller — will receive the Producers Guild of America's Visionary Award on Feb. 2 at their awards dinner. Sadly, his beef tenderloin will still be overcooked, and his mashed potatoes lumpy.... For his charity work, Richard Gere has been given the Marian Anderson Award by the city of Philadelphia. — Ben Katner
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It’s official: Jordin Sparks has signed a contract with Jive Records in conjunction with 19Recordings, the label managed by American Idol creator Simon Fuller. The contract was part of the prize the young singer won for nabbing the top spot on Idol. Her debut album is scheduled to be released in November. Her first single, “Tattoo,” is due to hit radio waves on Aug. 27. —Reporting by Marissa Klein
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She may be Posh, but Victoria Beckham wants to set the record straight. “I’m just a normal girl from London,” says the British tabloid queen who hopes American viewers will see that side of her on her upcoming NBC special, Victoria Beckham: Coming to America.Perhaps that’s why you won’t see famous friends like Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes on the one-hour special, which airs July 16 and will chronicle the star’s move with her family to Los Angeles as husband David Beckham prepares to join the Los Angeles Galaxy soccer team.“It’s more a documentary than a reality show,” she says. Still, a major part of her real life won’t be seen on TV — her three sons, Brooklyn, 9, Romeo, 4, and Cruz, 2, won’t appear on the special. “We don’t ever allow our children to be photographed or filmed.”But she doesn’t rule out the possibility of future TV appearances. Simon Fuller, the creative force behind the Spice Girls, as w...
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