(Reuters) - British "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell smiles during the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium in London in this July 1, 2007 file photo. Cowell said on December 17, 2008 that the apparent suicide of a former contestant and obsessed fan forced him to think "long and hard" about his blunt comments to hopeless singers on the show. REUTERS/Luke MacGregor/Files ( BRITAIN )

(Reuters) - Simon Cowell (L) and Randy Jackson, two of the judges on the American Idol television show arrive for the shows season finale in Los Angeles, California in this file photo from May 21, 2008. (Fred Prouser/Reuters)

(Reuters) - American Idol winner David Cook presents a Glamour Woman of the Year award at a ceremony in New York, November 10, 2008. (Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

(Reuters) - American Idol contestants pictured at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, May 24, 2006. (Chris Pizzello/Reuters)

Get Ready To Share Your Voice As American Idol Returns With A Brand-New Season, New Contestants and a New Judge Tuesday, January 13 and Wednesday, January 14 on FOX.

• Top 36 Semi-Finalists Revealed Wednesday, February 11.
• Voting Begins Tuesday, February 17.
• Top 12 Singers Revealed After Judges' Wild Card Round Thursday, March 5.
• Top 12 Finalists Perform for First Time Tuesday, March 10.

The wait is almost over for the return of television's #1 show!  Last season's finale boasted a record-breaking nearly 100 million votes cast in the crowning of David Cook as the winner and now, American Idol is set to return with a two-night, four-hour premiere event featuring extraordinary talent and outrageous new auditions Tuesday, January 13 and Wednesday, January 14 at 8/7c on FOX. The eighth season kicks off with three weeks of audition episodes, featuring tryouts held in East Rutherford, NJ, Jacksonville, FL, Kansas City, MO, Louisville, KY, Phoenix, AZ, Salt Lake City, UT, San Francisco, CA and San Juan, Puerto Rico.  After the two-night premiere, auditions will continue for two weeks on Tuesday, January 20 (8/7c) and Wednesday, January 21 (8/7c); and Tuesday January 27 (8/7c) and Wednesday, January 28 (8/7c).  The final audition episode will air Thursday, January 29 (8/7c) on FOX. The lucky auditioners who get the judges' approval then move on to the "Hollywood Round" where contestants vie for a semifinalist position during the grueling next phase of the auditions.  Extended for one week, the "Hollywood Round" episodes air Tuesday, February 3 (8/7c), Wednesday, February 4 (8/7c) and Tuesday, February 10 (8/7c).  On Wednesday, February 11 (8/7c), dreams come true for three dozen hopefuls, as Simon, Randy, Paula and Kara announce the Top 36 semifinalists. It will then be up to America to decide who moves forward in the competition.  For three consecutive Tuesdays including:  February 17 (8/7c), February 24 (8/7c) and March 3 (8/7c), 12 different semifinalists will perform each night in the hopes of moving on to the Top 12.  Each week during the LIVE results shows airing Wednesdays:  February 18 (8/7c), February 25 (8/7c) and March 4 (8/7c), the three finalists with the highest number of America's votes -- one male, one female and the next top vote getter -- will secure coveted spots in the Top 12. On Thursday, March 5 (8/7c), American Idol presents a special "Wild Card" episode featuring the judges' favorite remaining contestants.  After each of the contestants performs, the judges will select the three final contestants who will round out the Top 12. The competition heats up as those Top 12 finalists take the stage for the first time together Tuesday, March 10 (8/7c). Immediately following, America has another chance to share its voice and vote for their favorite finalists.  

(Reuters) - Simon Cowell, one of the judges on American Idol, as he arrives for the show's season finale in Los Angeles, May 21, 2008. (Fred Prouser/Reuters)

(Reuters) - Simon Cowell (L) and Randy Jackson, two of the judges on the American Idol television show, arrive for the show's season finale in Los Angeles, California May 21, 2008. (Fred Prouser/Reuters)

Phil Stacey has been anything but idle since "Idol"--with a country album under his belt as well as a tour to promote it, the season six contestant's career is going strong.  This Sunday, the Jacksonville Jaguars are bringing Phil back to perform the National Anthem.  He will also be performing in a concert with Julianne Hough of "Dancing with the Stars" on April 23, 2009, in Huntington, West Virginia.  Tickets for the show at the Veterans Memorial Fieldhouse go on sale this Monday, December 15, at ticketmaster.com. Phil is also one of the many former Idols to get in on the holiday fun.  He is featured on the CD, CoolSide of Yuletide, which is put out by the Young People's Chorus out of New York City.  According to the YPC's blog, they will be putting a "unique twist on holiday favorites," as well as including some original songs.  Phil sings the latter, performing with the YPC on a song called "How Many Angels". We had the chance to speak to Phil about his debut album and his thoughts on AI.  Watch the video now!

Jon Peter Lewis will be kicking off a night of great music for an equally great cause at the legendary Mint club in Los Angeles on December 21.  The annual Rock 4 Food event will be taking donations of clothing, blankets and food for the homeless.  Bring in something to donate, and you'll get a break on the ticket price!  Jon takes the stage at 7 PM. Catch some JPL before Saturday by watching his video for "Break The Silence," right here on americanidol.com.

Brandon Rogers quickly became known as the Idol who was an accomplished backup vocalist, having worked with the likes of Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera.  He just as quickly proved that he could pull off a great solo, with Simon Cowell even calling him one of the best auditioners from Los Angeles.  Unfortunately, just after grabbing a spot in the highly coveted Top 12, Brandon forgot some of the lyrics to "You Can't Hurry Love," and was subsequently voted off the show.  In an interview with Realitytvworld.com after his elimination, Brandon talks about the reactions to his departure: '"Everybody was very supportive.  Every single contestant came at me and told me how good I did, despite the mistake, and they appreciated the fact that I picked up.  It could have been a disaster, but I tried to maintain as much as I could," said Rogers.  "[The judges] all came up to me after I got voted off the other day, and nothing, but positive stuff.  They all told me it was my song choice and it was not my singing, and not my ability."' In the same interview, Brandon explained how AI helped to boost his self-esteem: '"I think this gave me the confidence to seek a solo career.  I've said this before, when you're a little kid, you don't dream of being a background singer.  It's a great job and I love every second of doing it.  But on the same page, I've always wanted to be on that big stage and to get a taste of that is a little too sweet to let that slip away and be relegated to the background once again.  So I'm excited to continue going forward on the solo path."' Since his time on "Idol," Brandon nabbed a guest starring role on FOX's hit show, "Bones," and he released a single, "Broken".  On his MySpace page, Brandon promises some new music, as well as remixes of his old tunes, soon. Watch the video for "Broken," right here on americanidol.com. Happy Birthday, Brandon!