Popdust is a celebrity gossip site that reports on musical artists that create and perform the biggest songs in the country.

Craig Marks is the Editor-in-Chief / Co-Founder of Popdust…

Craig served as top editor of Spin and Blender magazines.  He became music editor of CNET in 2008 and was most recently Editor-in-Chief of Billboard magazine.  He has written for GQ, Details, Rolling Stone and the New York Times.

On Tuesday, this web-magazine published a fluff piece about The 15 Best Pop-Star Pet Names.  The cute article includes pets owned by Katy Perry, 50Cent, Michael Jackson and Beyonce.  Number 13 on the list is Raleigh, the cute little dog who belongs to Clay Aiken. Poor Durham!!  I hope he is not feeling left out.  Click on the following link to see the entire list.  POPDUST

Tuesday there was an expose published on the Internet about American Idol, 19 Management, and the business side of being a contestant on the popular Fox Network show.  The web-site is titled:

Lee Bailey’s eurweb – Electronic Urban Report.  It concentrates on Black Entertainment and Urban News.

The article’s focus is on Jacob Lusk, a young black man who is a current contestant on American Idol.  The author, Mo’Kelly says that the information he is relating is from someone who worked a number of years for a number of different music labels within the industry.

Mo”Kelly feels that not winning on American Idol is a blessing in disguise for many of the Idol contestants.  He feels strongly that Jacob Lusk has the potential and talent to win, but that it would not be a good business step for him to be tied with 19 Entertainment.

In the article, Mo’Kelly says”

Presently, the winner and runner-up are required to sign an exclusive management contract with 19 Entertainment (a producer of American Idol) and variations of that agreement (for lesser money) are also offered to top finalists.  The key distinction is offered versus required!

The article is rather long and is filled with some strong suggestions about the difficulities the young singers have to face.  The following are a few interesting points made by the author.

*  Industry estimates are that Idol winners make anywhere from $650,000 to more than $1,000,000 in their first year.

*  The contracts for the winner and runner-up lock them into a 7-year deal, more than twice that of any average, first-time management contract.

*  The contract locks the artist into ancillary marketing, royalty and licensing deals which allow 19 Entertainment the ability to make money off the artist for as long as 10 years.

For Clay Aiken fans, the most interesting part of the articles says:

What has been less discussed is Aiken’s successful lawsuit to be released from his 19 Entertainment contract and subsequent ban from all Idol-related events.

Althought the article focuses on Jacob, it is full of interesting bits of news for all readers who are interested in American Idol and the singers who are the contestants.  You can read the entire album at eurweb.

I loved reading the following announcement.  Quiana Parler is a musician who supports young people and is trying to make the world a bit easier for them.  I wish I could be in Charleston tonight.

The College of Charleston Upward Bound program will present the Third Annual Jazz Benefit Concert on April 6, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. The concert will be held in Physicians Memorial Auditorium.

All proceeds will be used to help the Upward Bound program sustain the residential summer program and provide scholarship assistants to graduates.

Jazz vocalist Quiana Parler will be the featured artist. Parler’s legendary band will include Chuck Dalton; Lonnie Hamilton III; Jamie Harris; James T. Rollerson; Richard White and Joe Wilson.

The Upward Bound program is a college preparatory program designed to give students the skills and motivation necessary for success in education beyond high school. Since 1975, the College of Charleston Upward Bound program has provided special academic and cultural opportunities for students who have expressed an interest in pursuing a post-secondary education and have demonstrated the potential for success in college. In most cases, these students will be the first in their families to earn a college degree.

For additional information contact Upward Bound at 843.953.5249.