The 45-date itinerary has this cadre of talent making its way to many cities coast-t0-coast. Other stops include St. Louis (7/11), Seattle (7/18), Los Angeles (7/23), Dallas (7/29), Orlando (8/2), Washington, DC (8/8), Pittsburgh (8/14), Newark (8/28), Atlantic City (9/7) and finishing up in Milwaukee (9/11), just to name a few.

The AI winner won’t be announced until May, but the contestants are excited and getting prepped for this next journey in their Idol adventures. With the full agenda, this group of youngsters will be anything but idle!

Though the duo are required to participate in the American Idols Live 2011 tour, there’s nothing holding them together beyond that except their love for country music.

“With the album I just want to establish myself as an artist and put my stamp on that album,” McCreery said in a pollstar.com interview. “My main focus is going to be country music, that’s what I grew up with and what I love.”

Stay tuned for updates on the Idols Live tickets and more news on the McCreery/Alaina duo.

This year, three former American Idol stars–Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood and Adam Lambert– have received Grammy nominations in R&B, Country and Pop categories, respectively. Here’s the breakdown:

Fantasia - Best R&B Female Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song for her single “Bittersweet”, as well as Best R&B Album for her latest release Back To Me.

Carrie Underwood - a repeat appearance for the previous Grammy winner, nominated this year for Best Female Country Vocal Peformance for “Temporary Home” from her last effort Play On.

Adam Lambert - he’s capping off a stellar year with a nomination for Best Pop Male Vocal Performance for ”Whataya Want From Me” from his debut studio album For Your Entertainment.

American Idol has every reason to be proud of the accomplishments of its alumni. And it goes to show you why hopeful young singers place so much stock in making it to one of the coveted final spots. The show has proven its ability to create award-winning megastars, so it will be interesting to see if this year’s crop will take home the ultimate prize… a Grammy.

The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards will air on February 13, 2011, at 8pm on CBS. Check out a full list of the nominees at Grammy.com.

DioGuardi’s departure leaves only one judge confirmed for the next season: Randy Jackson, who has been with the show since it began in 2002. Possible judges for the next season could be Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez.

Her departure comes as the show gears up for its 10th season, which begins airing in January. Tryouts in six cities have already been held, so it’s possible that DioGuardi will appear in some of the upcoming episodes even though she will have already moved on.

“I felt like I won the lottery when I joined `American Idol’ two years ago, but I feel like now is the best time to leave `Idol,’” DioGuardi said in a statement on Sept. 3.

American Idol Season 10 begins this January, and this is the last month to get American Idols Live tickets. In fact, the finalists of season 9 will be performing tomorrow night, Sept. 14, at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh.

19 Entertainment, the production company, was with Sony Music but decided to switch to the larger group. Sony Music did produce successes in Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, and Carrie Underwood. The latter has won many high awards including multiple Grammy Awards.

Simon Fuller, the creator of the show, said about the switch, “With Idol celebrating our 10th season I wanted to inject some new power and weight behind our brand. It is exciting to have the world’s biggest show partnered with the world’s biggest music company.”

According to TMZ, Tyler and multi-talented artist Jennifer Lopez will make up the two missing judging spots on the show’s 10th season. Randy Jackson will stay as the third judge. Auditions are currently being held and the premier is set for January

Jennifer Lopez is replacing Ellen DeGeneres after she announced Thursday that she is quitting the show after just one season at the judges table.

Simon Cowell recently decided to focus on launching a new series called The X Factor, quitting American Idol after being with the show since its beginning.

The show was all well-known songs, things people could sing along to. I think part of the fun in it was that I could watch the performer onstage while standing at my seat belting out the lyrics myself.

Right before intermission, the first six performers came back onstage and performed “The Climb,” by Miley Cyrus. The song choice was perfect considering how well it detailed their journeys to make it to the top ten of the show.

Although the entire cast was amazing, one performer really stood out to me. When Crystal Bowersox started playing a harmonica to accompany her guitar, I was very surprised. Her talent extended far past her singing ability. Lee DeWyze was also quite impressive. His rendition of “Hallelujah” was inspiring.

At the end of the show, all of the performers stood on stage and sang “It’s My Life” by Bon Jovi and “My Life Would Suck Without You” by former American Idol Alum Kelly Clarkson. Loud applause followed what was truly a great performance.

When American Idols Live tickets first hit the streets there were a total of 46 dates. Now, that has dwindled down to just 39 shows and a ton of revisions.

While some dates–including Kansas City, Omaha, Portland, Maine, Toronto and Winnipeg– were canceled, others were moved, like Bridgeport, Conn., which is taking place tonight–more than a month ahead of time, Cincinnati, Ohio, is also getting pushed forward four days, as is Indianapolis Ind.

Apparently, the key to this summer’s tours is to stay flexible. We’ll give you all the news on the American Idols Live tour, so check back soon!

The live tour is one of the highlights of the American Idol season, giving fans the opportunity to meet the contestants they voted for!  As the kickoff date creeps closer, fans will have access to exclusive updates and information via message boards, interactive tour maps, interviews and more at americanidol.com.

The most recent interview features Crystal Bowersox, this year’s runner up.  She talks about the upcoming tour, her experience on the show and the future of her musical career.  She is currently signed with 19/Jive Records and it is rumored that her debut album will drop sometime this year.

American Idol Live tickets are available now.  Hopefully the tour is coming to a city near you!

Starting on July 1 in Auburn Hills, Mich., the top ten finalists from American Idol Season 9 will kick off the American Idols Live tour. The 49-city tour runs through Sept. 14 in Pittsburgh.

Don’t miss your chance at American Idols Live tickets to see your favorite contestant from the top ten: Didi Benami, Crystal Bowersox, Lee Dewyze, Andrew Garcia, Casey James, Aaron Kelly, Michael Lynche, Siobhan Magnus, Katie Stevens and Tim Urban.

The concerts, most of which will be held at arenas, will feature solo and group performances. Visit americanidol.com for a complete listing of tour dates.