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Season 10 runner-up and Mercury Nashville/19 Recordings/Interscope artist Lauren Alaina will release her new single, “Eighteen Inches,” to radio on July 16. The song was co-written by American Idol (and Lauren’s idol) Carrie Underwood, Kelley Lovelace and Ashley Gorley.

“It’s amazing to have an artist like Carrie Underwood, whom I look up to so much write my single,” beamed Alaina. “Kelley, Ashley, and Carrie all did a wonderful job writing such an incredible song. I feel so honored to be able to bring to life the beautiful story within the song.”

“It’s so wonderful when a song you had a hand in writing finds the perfect home,” said Carrie Underwood. “Lauren’s voice tells the story of ‘Eighteen Inches’ beautifully. What an incredible talent!”

The 17 year-old singer/songwriter is nominated for two Teen Choice Awards. Her nominations are for Choice Female Country Artist and Choice TV: Female Reality Star (AMERICAN IDOL). TEEN CHOICE 2012 celebrates the hottest teen icons in television, music, film, sports, fashion and other aspects of pop culture. The two-hour special airs live Sunday, July 22 at 8/7c on FOX and you can vote for Lauren here.

The American Idol Season 10 runner up released her debut album Wildflower and it landed at No. 2 on the Billboard’s Top Country Album chart and an impressive No. 5 on the Billboard Top 200. She became the youngest female artist to debut this high on the Billboard charts since LeAnn Rimes’ debut 15 years ago and is the best-selling country female debut since 2006. She landed her first major tour opening for fellow Georgia natives Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan for Aldean’s “My Kinda Party” Arena Tour and is currently on tour opening for Sugarland’s “In Your Hands” tour. In addition to her two TEEN CHOICE nominations, she received her first major award nominations this year for the CMT Music Awards “USA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year” for her top 30 hit “Georgia Peaches.”

Lauren returned to the Idol stage to perform “Georgia Peaches” during a Season 11 results show. View photos!

TasteOfCountry.com released their Top 100 Country Songs of all-time, and American Idol Carrie Underwood

Season 10′s quirky finalist, Casey Abrams, released his self-titled debut album today. Casey Abrams was released through Concord Music Group and is available on iamcaseyabrams.com, iTunes, and Amazon. The album contains 11 tracks including his two singles, “Get Out” and “Simple Life.” The eleventh song on the album, a cover of “Hit The Road Jack,” is a duet with Casey and his Season 10 pal Haley Reinhart. The pair had a successful duet to “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” released last winter.

The last week of June is a great week for our Idol family. Season 10′s Casey Abrams releases his self titled debut album on Tuesday.

While you wait for the release check out what where you can find your favorite Idol alumni performing this week:

Monday 6/25
Constantine Maroulis performs a collection of songs from the new musical Pump Up the Volume, at Joe’s Pub in New York, NY.

Tuesday 6/26
Casey Abrams releases his self titled debut album.
Scotty McCreery performs at the San Diego Country Fair in Del Mar, CA.
Lauren Alaina performs at the Mt. Pleasant Waterfront Park in Mount Pleasant, SC.
Carrie Underwood performs at the Palais Theatre in Vic, Australia.
Taylor Hicks performs at Bally’s Las Vegas in Las Vegas, NV.

Wednesday 6/27
Lauren Alaina performs at the Naples Fort Myers Greyhound Track in Bonita Springs, FL.
Jennifer Lopez performs at the HSBC Arena during the Pop Music Festival in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Aerosmith performs at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, ON, Canada.
Kris Allen performs at Starry Night in the Garden in Buffalo, NY.
Bucky Covington performs at Knuckleheads Roadhouse in Virginia Beach, VA.

Thursday 6/28
Bucky Covington performs at Columbia Music Arena in Portsmouth, OH.

Friday 6/29
Scotty McCreery performs at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY.
Carrie Underwood performs at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment & Conference Centre in Tamworth, Australia.
Bucky Covington performs at the WQHK Salamonie Summer Festival in Fort Wayne, IN.

Saturday 6/30
Scotty McCreery performs at the Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, NJ.
Carrie Underwood performs at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Center in Brisbane, Australia.
Taylor Hicks performs at the Alabama Songwriters Festival in Guntersville, AL.
Jennifer Lopez performs at the Centro de Convencoes in Fortaleza, Brazil.
Aerosmith performs at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY.
Adam Lambert performs at Independence Square in Kiev, Ukraine.
Kris Allen performs at Magic Springs Water Park in Hot Springs, AR.
Bo Bice performs that the Tavern on the Mountain in Vernon, NJ.
Bucky Covington performs at Dough Boyz in Ashville, OH.
Mandisa performs at the WFRN Friend Fest in Nappanee, IN.

Sunday 7/1
Scotty McCreery performs at the Indian Ranch in Webster, MA.
Jennifer Lopez performs at the Centro de Convencoes in Recife, Brazil.
Aerosmith performs at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY.
James Durbin performs at Boonstock in Gibbons, AB
Bo Bice performs that the Iota Club in Arlington, VA.
Phil Stacey performs at the Princeton Pike Church of God in Hamilton, OH.
Siobhan Magnus performs at the NESAA For the Love of the Animals Benefit in Mashpee, MA.

Monday 6/25
Constantine Maroulis performs a collection of songs from the new musical Pump Up the Volume, at Joe’s Pub in New York, NY.

Tuesday 6/26
Scotty McCreery performs at the San Diego Country Fair in Del Mar, CA.
Lauren Alaina performs at the Mt. Pleasant Waterfront Park in Mount Pleasant, SC.
Carrie Underwood performs at the Palais Theatre in Vic, Australia.
Taylor Hicks performs at Bally’s Las Vegas in Las Vegas, NV.

Wednesday 6/27
Lauren Alaina performs at the Naples Fort Myers Greyhound Track in Bonita Springs, FL.
Jennifer Lopez performs at the HSBC Arena during the Pop Music Festival in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Aerosmith performs at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, ON, Canada.
Kris Allen performs at Starry Night in the Garden in Buffalo, NY.
Bucky Covington performs at Knuckleheads Roadhouse in Virginia Beach, VA.

Thursday 6/28
Bucky Covington performs at Columbia Music Arena in Portsmouth, OH.

Friday 6/29
Scotty McCreery performs at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY.
Carrie Underwood performs at the Tanworth Regional Entertainment & Conference Centre in Tamworth, Australia.
Bucky Covington performs at the WQHK Salamonie Summer Festival in Fort Wayne, IN.

Saturday 6/30
Scotty McCreery performs at the Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, NJ.
Carrie Underwood performs at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Center in Brisbane, Australia.
Taylor Hicks performs at the Alabama Songwriters Festival in Guntersville, AL.
Jennifer Lopez performs at the Centro de Convencoes in Fortaleza, Brazil.
Aerosmith performs at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY.
Adam Lambert performs at Independence Square in Kiev, Ukraine.
Kris Allen performs at Magic Springs Water Park in Hot Springs, AR.
Bo Bice performs that the Tavern on the Mountain in Vernon, NJ.
Bucky Covington performs at Dough Boyz in Ashville, OH.
Mandisa performs at the WFRN Friend Fest in Nappanee, IN.

Sunday 7/1
Scotty McCreery performs at the Indian Ranch in Webster, MA.
Jennifer Lopez performs at the Centro de Convencoes in Recife, Brazil.
Aerosmith performs at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY.
James Durbin performs at Boonstock in Gibbons, AB
Bo Bice performs that the Iota Club in Arlington, VA.
Phil Stacey performs at the Princeton Pike Church of God in Hamilton, OH.
Siobhan Magnus performs at the NESAA For the Love of the Animals Benefit in Mashpee, MA.

Season 10 finalist Casey Abrams

Two weeks ago, reigning American Idol Phillip Phillips had surgery to remove the kidney stones that had been plaguing him. The recovering Idol is happy to report that he’ll be performing again on the Fourth of July on Washington D.C.’s National Mall.

Phillip said that this will be his first time at the nation’s capital, and Entertainment Weekly reports that the singer will “perform his hit single ‘Home‘ for an expected audience of more than 300,000 from the lawn of the U.S. Capitol before the annual fireworks. The show is broadcast live on PBS and NPR. Phillips will join Matthew Broderick, country singer Josh Turner, Smash star Megan Hilty, composer John Williams, U.S. Olympic athletes and others at the concert, along with the National Symphony Orchestra. ‘It’s probably the biggest thing I’ve ever done besides American Idol,’ he said. ‘I’m just excited to get out there and do my first real live performance since everything that’s been going on.’

After the Independence Day performance, Phillip will hit the road with the Top 10 for the American Idol LIVE! Tour, kicking off July 6. See where they’re headed and get tickets!

Season 7 winner David Cook and Season 10 star Haley Reinhart join Major League Baseball on July 9 for the Taco Bell All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game, which features MLB legends taking the field with top celebrities. The game will take place on July 8th at the Royals’ Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO, where David Cook actually worked before Idol! You can watch the game on ESPN.

Here are the fun facts that David and Haley listed in their celebrity softball bios:

DAVID COOK
-Favorite team is the Kansas City Royals
-Favorite players are George Brett, Buck O’Neil, Greg Maddux, Nolan Ryan
-Grew up playing baseball in Blue Springs, MO
-Won the 7th Season of American Idol
-Worked in the suites department and in the stadium club for the Kansas City Royals

HALEY REINHART
-Favorite team is the Chicago White Sox
-Favorite players include Paul Konerko, Frank Thomas, Joe Crede & A.J. Pierzynski
-Haley grew up throwing the ball around with her dad.
-Went to White Sox games all the time
-Played softball for two years in high school, but it has been awhile…
-Her debut album Listen Up! just came out last month and is available on iTunes.

Also participating in the game is Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith, father to Season 4 finalist Nikko Smith. Ozzie played for the San Diego Padres and spent most of his career playing for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Good luck and batter up!

The summer is in full swing and two of our American Idol judges, along with many of your favorite alumni, travel around the country and the world putting on amazing concerts!

Read on to get the details on where you can find Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler, and members of the Idol family performing this week.

Monday 6/18
Kimberley Locke to perform the National Anthem for the Brooklyn Cyclones in Brooklyn, NY.
Siobhan Magnus performs at the Moon River Theatre in Branson, MO.

Tuesday 6/19
Aerosmith performs at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH.
Jennifer Lopez performs in Santiago, Chile.
Daughtry performs at the Arkansas Music Pavilion in Fayetteville, AR.
Haley Reinhart performs at KS95’s Live 95 Concert at the Varsity Theater in Saint Paul, MN.

Wednesday 6/20
Haley Reinhart performs at the State Theater in Bay City, MI.
Daughtry performs at the Snowden Grove Amphitheater in Southaven, MS.

Thursday 6/21
Bo Bice performs at the Harpeth Community Church in Franklin, TN.
Carrie Underwood performs at the Royal Albert Hall in London, United Kingdom.
Jennifer Lopez performs in Buenos Aires, Argentina at Club GEBA.
Casey James performs at the Happy Birthday West Virginia Community Concert in Spencer, WV.

Friday 6/22
Aerosmith performs at the United Center in Chicago, IL.
Daughtry performs at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, IA.
Bo Bice performs at the Milltown Music Hall in Carrollton, GA.
Bucky Covington performs at Wild Bill’s in Duluth, GA.
Haley Reinhart performs at the Thirsty Parrott in Colorado Springs, CO.
Casey James performs at the Historic State Theater in Elizabethtown, KY.
Phil Stacey performs at Lighthouse Lounge in Wichita, KS.

Saturday 6/23
Lauren Alaina performs at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheater in Chicago, IL.
Kelly Clarkson performs in Sao Paulo, Brazil at Arena Anhembi (Pop Music Festival)
Jennifer Lopez performs in Sao Paulo, Brazil at Arena Anhembi (Pop Music Festival)
Daughtry performs at the Nebraskaland Days Festival in North Platte, NE.
Scott MacIntyre performs at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, IL.
Bo Bice performs at the Harpeth Community Church in Franklin, TN.
Phil Stacey performs in Springfield, MO.
Jason Castro performs at the College Park Center UTA in Arlington, TX.

Sunday 6/24
Melinda Doolittle performs at Pittsford Park in Lake Forest, CA.
Phil Stacey performs at Life 360 Church in Springfield, MO.