Carrie Underwood ties the knot

Carrie Underwood married Mike Fisher Saturday in an elaborate and pricey ceremony at the Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation, in Greensboro, Ga.

In a statement to 'People,' the newlyweds write: “We could not feel more blessed to have found each other and to have shared this day with our friends and family that mean so much to us! Mike and Carrie Fisher"

The hotel has been on lockdown since Friday morning when guests were informed they would have to check out by noon. Various reports indicate that Carrie booked the entire hotel, including the $4,000 a  night Presidential cottage, where she and her groom will spend their first night together as husband and wife.

People reports that Carrie wore a Chantilly lace dress by Monique  Lhuillier, who also designed the bridesmaids’ dresses.


Guests began arriving Friday afternoon for a rehearsal dinner that was followed by fireworks over the lake. Security has cordoned off the area both on land and on the water surrounding the facility.

Video: Bo Bice and Melinda Doolittle "People Get Ready"

A couple of weeks ago Bo Bice and Melinda Doolittle taped an appearance on TBN's Praise the Lord. The show aired Friday and featured a powerful duet between the two. Check it out.

July 1: Idols on the charts

Carrie Underwood's Play On is the only Idol-related album in the Billboard 200 Top 100 this week, but Adam Lambert's For Your Entertainment got a little bump, most likely due to his GlamNation tour. Clay Aiken's Tried and True continues its slide, dropping to No. 167. At this rate, the album will be off the charts within two weeks. 
Billboard 200 (Albums)

• 27. Play On (Carrie Underwood): LW 23, 34 weeks on the charts (1.621M total)
• 108. For Your Entertainment (Adam Lambert): LW 121, 30 weeks on the charts (671K total)
• 110. Leave This Town (Daughtry): LW 75, 50 weeks on the charts (1.086M total)
• 166. Daughtry (Daughtry): LW 175, 2 weeks on charts (reentered 6/11) (4.694M total)
• 167. Tried and True (Clay Aiken): LW 77, 4 weeks on the charts (41K total)

Jennifer Hudson - Behind the Music

This week, VH1 debuted 'Behind the Music - Jennifer Hudson,' and if you haven't caught the show, it's well worth checking out.  The special documents Jennifer Hudson's life from childhood to present, focusing on the highs and lows this remarkable young woman has experienced in the past six years. 

The show is also the first time Jennifer has addressed the horrific murders of her mother, brother, and nephew, allegedly at the hand of her sister's estranged husband.

"It's all a blur, it was surreal," she says . "It was like I was outside of myself."  After the murders, Jennifer went into seclusion, seeing only close family and friends, and as she said in the interview, praying.

This tragic event could have destroyed Jennifer, but her faith, family, fiance, and close friends brought her through and gave her the strength to continue.  Clearly, though, Jennifer isn't letting this tragedy define her and is moving forward with her career and life as a mother.

You can watch the full interview here.


Here's a clip:

June 24: Idols on the charts

Both Adam Lambert's For Your Entertainment and Daughtrty's Leave This Town moved up on the charts this week, and Clay Aiken's Tried and True hung in there for a third week. Check out where the Idols landed up on this week's charts.

Billboard 200 (Albums)

• 23. Play On (Carrie Underwood): LW 22, 33 weeks on the charts
• 75. Leave This Town (Daughtry): LW 84, 49 weeks on the charts
• 77. Tried and True (Clay Aiken): LW 47, 3 weeks on the charts
• 110. For Your Entertainment (Adam Lambert): LW 121, 30 weeks on the charts
• 175. Daughtry (Daughtry): LW 155, 2 weeks on charts (reentered 6/11)

Idols on the singles charts
It's still pretty grim for 'Idol' singles on the charts. For the second week in a row there are just two in the Hot 100, Carrie Underwood's "Undo It" (No. 25) and Adam Lambert's "Whataya Want From Me (No. 41). No sign of anyone from Season 9!

Carrie Underwood to marry July 10

Just Jared is reporting an article in Life and Style magazine has pinpointed the date of Carrie Underwood's marriage to Ottawa Senators' hockey player Mike Fisher as July 10. Carrie has not made an official announcement. According to the article, Carrie and Mike will honeymoon in Tahiti and Bora Bora.

Tuesday night, Carrie performed at Bridgstone Arena in Nashville as part of Nashville Rising, a benefit concert for flood relief.

In other 'Idol' wedding news, Kellie Pickler is now engaged to songwriter Kyle Jacobs. According to People, Kyle popped the question on June 15 on a beach. 

'American Idol' Season 9 tour looks like a bust

With less than two weeks to go until the July 1 kickoff of this season's 'American Idols Live' tour, reports are filtering in that ticket sales are extremely slow - so slow, in fact, that Live Nation has been offering special package deals for the shows. In addition, there have been several "Ryan Special" days where seats are being sold for $20 or so plus handling charges.

This is unprecedented and indicates to most 'Idol' watchers that sales for this season's show are even more anemic than those for Season 6's tour, which was the biggest flop to date. I checked availability at the Times Union Center in Albany, New York, which is the closest venue to where I live. If I were willing to fork over $85.50, I could still get a floor seat (Row U, seat 6) for the show (see chart). Earlier this week, I checked the same venue and the same seat was available. In past years, the only seats available this close to the start of the tour were in nosebleed heaven! What's interesting is that the "Ryan Special" seats were in Section 204. Clearly, this venue is far from being sold out and the production company is desperate to fill it. What next? Free seats?

None of this surprises me. This season's Top 10 failed to ignite much excitement, and obviously, there are a lot of people who are choosing to skip this summer's tour. I probably would have gone to the show had it come to Syracuse, but certainly not for $85.50.