American Idol winner Jordin Sparks and finalists Blake Lewis and Melinda Doolittle  join superstar Martina McBride on the live broadcast of the “Macy's 4th of July Fireworks® Spectacular.”  Jordin, Blake and Melinda will perform one song together in tribute to the Nation’s 231st birthday.  Check your local listings to find out where and when. Then, only two days later, they join the other Top 10 Idols on tour. Find out more about the American Idols Tour.

American Idol winner Jordin Sparks and finalists Blake Lewis and Melinda Doolittle  join superstar Martina McBride on the live broadcast of the “Macy's 4th of July Fireworks® Spectacular.”  Jordin, Blake and Melinda will perform one song together in tribute to the Nation’s 231st birthday.  Check your local listings to find out where and when. Then, only two days later, they join the other Top 10 Idols on tour. Find out more about the American Idols Tour.

InStyle Magazine gets up close and personal with seven popular female artists in today's music scene to find out what music inspires them, and two of them are American Idol's own!  First up is Carrie Underwood, who tells InStyle that she is inspired by the true pioneers of country music. “In country music, we remember the people who came before us: singers like Tammy Wynette, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton. It is awesome for me to have a chance to honor them—they are the reason I’m here! Growing up, I listened to their old 45s on our record player all the time. It was great to see strong women doing so well—and to know it was possible to become like them.” The original American Idol and two-time Grammy winner, Kelly Clarkson, is featured in the issue next to Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, both pictured with their mouths agape, which seems to have become Steven's signature pose. Kelly tells In Style, “[Tyler] is the ultimate rock icon. I remember being completely enthralled the first time I heard ‘Dream On.’ Steven has the perfect voice, but I have no idea how he keeps it. He came to my show once—it was the first concert of my tour—and I tried to impress him. I ended up throwing my voice out. At my next gig I sounded like Janis Joplin.” Pick up a copy of the July issue of InStyle, for the full article. Check out InStyle.com for behind-the-scenes footage!

Former Marine Josh Gracin will tour the Persian Gulf this summer in support of our troops overseas. Josh will leave his wife and three children at home in Nashville to play shows and spend time with the troops stationed throughout the Persian Gulf. The overseas tour is sponsored by MWR and Stars For Stripes. “It means a lot to me to do this,” said Josh. “As a former Marine it’s important for me to give back to our men and women in uniform. I hope these shows can help them to escape for just a moment and bring a little piece of home to our folks serving overseas.” Josh Gracin’s self-titled debut CD is certified gold by the RIAA and has sold over 680,000 copies. The first single from the project, “I Want To Live,” was also his first hit – climbing the charts to #4 at country radio. Josh’s second single, “Nothin’ To Lose,” was his first #1 record. His third single “Stay With Me (Brass Bed)” was also a Top 5 hit, giving him three consecutive Top 5 songs at country radio. To catch up with Josh, visit his myspace page.

Jon Peter Lewis has been hitting the road with his debut album, Stories From Hollywood, and will be performing at the renowned Roxy Theater in Hollywood Saturday, June 30th. This all ages show will feature Jon's phenomenal band and promises to be an exciting night! Watch the video of JPL singing "Amanda Grace."

Audition Dates Also Set For: Dallas, Omaha, Atlanta, Charleston, Miami and Philadelphia With auditions scheduled in seven cities across the nation, the phenomenal American Idol begins its search for the next singing superstar. Once again, talented singers will have an extraordinary opportunity to perform before millions of TV viewers and become household names, with one winning the American Idol title and a major recording contract. The quest to become the next American Idol is about to start. Auditions for the seventh season of American Idol begin in San Diego, CA, on Monday, July 30, at Qualcomm Stadium. Auditions will continue in the following cities: Dallas, TX: Monday, Aug. 6 at Texas Stadium Omaha, NE: Friday, Aug. 10 at Qwest Center Atlanta, GA : Tuesday, Aug. 14 at Georgia Dome Charleston, SC: Saturday, Aug. 18 at North Charleston Coliseum Miami, FL: Wednesday, Aug. 22 at AmericanAirlines Arena Philadelphia, PA : Monday, Aug. 27 at Wachovia Center Audition information for these cities will be announced shortly. Season Seven of AMERICAN IDOL premieres in January 2008 on FOX. SAN DIEGO AUDITIONS WHO: Men and women 16 to 28 years old on July 28, 2007 and eligible to work in the United States. Restrictions apply – please go to Americanidol.com for specifics. WHEN: Monday, July 30 WHERE: Qualcomm Stadium 9449 Friars Road San Diego, CA 92108 LINEUP: Wristbands will be given out from Saturday, July 28 (starting time TBA), until 8:00 AM on Monday, July 30. Auditioners will not be permitted to camp out; therefore, once they obtain their wristbands, they will be asked to return to Qualcomm Stadium on Monday, July 30. Additional information will be available on Americanidol.com. All press requests should be e-mailed to idolpr@fox.com. American Idol is created and executive-produced by Simon Fuller, founder of 19 Entertainment; and executive-produced by Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO, FremantleMedia North America, Inc.; Nigel Lythgoe, President, 19 Television; and Ken Warwick, Executive Producer, FremantleMedia North America, Inc. Click here for Audition Rules, Audition FAQs and the Audition Release Form.

Due to the overwhelming popularity of the downloads, we have decided to make them available to you for another month! But don't wait around--head to the Idol Download Store to make some of your favorite "Idol" tunes, available in extended MP3 format, part of your own collection! Remember, the deadline is July 23rd, so take advantage while you can--download Jordin and Blake's music now!

Due to the overwhelming popularity of the downloads, we have decided to make them available to you for another month! But don't wait around--head to the Idol Download Store to make some of your favorite "Idol" tunes, available in extended MP3 format, part of your own collection! Remember, the deadline is July 23rd, so take advantage while you can--download Jordin and Blake's music now!

Bucky Covington sure has enjoyed the sweet taste of success since his time on American Idol. This week, his self-titled CD saw the biggest % increase of all titles inside the top 10 on Nielsen SoundScan's Top 75 Country Albums chart. His CD has spent all but two weeks inside the top 10 since its release in April, as his debut single, "A Different World," climbs the country radio charts. Congratulations Bucky! Watch our exclusive interview with Bucky now!

The "Blaker Girls" will surely swoon when they see the upcoming PEOPLE’s Hottest Bachelors of ’07 issue. Blake Lewis is featured as one of these bachelors, and he divulges his biggest dating secrets to the magazine. The first one concerns his approach to dating women. As he tells PEOPLE, "I was always jealous of guys who can go up to girls and ask for their numbers. It's never been my bag." Blake prefers to establish a rapport first. He calls himself a "dozen roses kind of guy." He's also done some serenading. "In an intimate setting singing to a girl is beautiful." Ladies, listen up--Blake does have some definite turn-offs. He tells PEOPLE, "I'm not a fan of carcinogens and I'm not a fan of lazy people. If a girl's sloppy, that's just a sign of laziness." He likes his girls neat and organized, just like he is! Check out the issue of PEOPLE for the whole article--it's on newsstands this Friday, June 15th. In the meantime, check out Blake's transformation throughout the American Idol season!