American Idols Live Tour 2006

Hits the Frank Erwin Center Stage

There’s no need to wait until next season to get your fix of America’s most popular show on television. The American Idols Live Tour 2006 was announced just before the crescendo of the fifth season reached its peak. Taylor Hicks was pronounced this year’s “American Idol” winner a matter of days after the tour schedule was made public. You can enjoy every one of the top 10 contestants of “American Idol” at the Frank Erwin Center on Sunday, September 10. This year’s top 10 are: Ace Young, Bucky Covington, Chris Daughtry, Elliott Yamin, Katharine McPhee, Kellie Pickler, Lisa Tucker, Mandisa, Paris Bennett and Taylor Hicks.

This year’s tour is expected to be hotter than ever. In fact, 20 new shows have been added – 16 additional locations as well as second shows tacked on to four markets. The incredible demand for these tickets and the extra show dates make the American Idols Live Tour 2006 one of the biggest tours this summer. According to MTV, the show itself is up nearly 20 percent in ratings from last year, one of only a few shows in history that can boast increased viewership after five years. “Idol’s” popularity has soared to unprecedented heights this year, beating out ratings for both the Grammys and the Winter Olympics. To grasp the level of success “Idol” is experiencing right now, consider this: MTV states that “most nights, the show’s ratings doubled those of ABC, CBS and NBC combined.”

“What normally happens with ratings is there’s a segment at the bottom that drops away, so shows stay pretty constant [or decline],” “Idol” co-executive producer Ken Warwick said. “But we’re not losing them. Once we got them, they stay with us, and the additions just keep adding up.”

“Idol’s” addictive nature is driven by several factors. First, the competition just keeps getting better. Also, the competitors personify the idea of the 'everyman/woman'; they can relate to normal people because they are normal people. You won’t find prima donna celebrities on this show (except for the judges, of course). Most people can identify with at least one of the contestants – there is no guideline for race, sex, age or locale. Another reason “Idol” has enjoyed soaring success is the fact that it represents a very small percentage of shows appropriate for the entire family. Mom, Dad, the kids and even Grandma are likely to form personal attachments to one of the contestants. Finally, “Idol” triumphs, as many popular TV shows do, because of the concept of social inclusion. If you aren’t up to speed on the most current contestant voted off or Simon’s most recent cutting remark, you have no hope of keeping up with the conversation that millions of people are dying to have.

“American Idol” has become the American dream, and this year Taylor Hicks is living that dream. The Alabama native was pronounced the fifth winner of “American Idol” after a breathtaking two-hour finale. The show was a smash hit with viewers, drawing an audience of 35.4 million people, according to Nielsen Media Research. At the peak of the show, during the last half hour, when the winner was announced, there were 43 million people tuned in, making it the second most-watched “Idol” finale ever, trailing just behind the 2003 finale. When asked how he felt about his win, Hicks simply said, “Stars do fall on Alabama.”

Both Hicks and runner-up Katharine McPhee accepted new record deals as a result of their wins, along with brand-new cars. Plans for their debut albums are pending, with Hicks looking to tour with R&B and rock musicians like John Legend and John Mayer, while McPhee plans on modeling her career after Julia Roberts, eventually making the transition into acting and getting back to her musical-theater roots. Don’t miss these extraordinary performers when their tour stops at the Erwin Center on September 10.