The Dishing Diva

Another American Idol contestant has a new record deal!

Last year’s 4th placed winner Jason Castro, has signed on with Atlantic Records. He’s due to release his debut album later this year.

Castro reached #1 on iTunes last spring with his cover of Over The Rainbow after performing the tune on Idol’s stage.

The album will feature songs written by current AI judge Kara DioGuardi and Grammy award-winning songwriter John Fields as well as several other song writers in the industry.

Congratulations. I love that he is working with such talented writers and producers, and look forward to hearing the collaborative efforts of his new team.

Here is a clip from one of his past performances:

This friendly twittering went down today between John Mayer and Demi Lovato:

John tweeted, “I have ‘La La Land’ by @ddlovato stuck in my head. Actually, it’s not stuck. I’m choosing to sing it. B section is sophisticated. You’re going to make lots of records, I can tell.”

Demi excitedly responded: “Holy crap. THANK YOU. You’re so awesome. That is quite possibly the best compliment I’ve received in this business. Thank you so, so much….. !!!!!!”

John gave her some friendly advice: “Write one song at a time, never apologize for any of them, ever. From Wonderland to Trio stuff, they’re all my kids.”

She enthusiastically replied: “See, That’s exactly what I needed to hear today. Wow. If that’s not inspiration, then I don’t know what is! You’re incredible.”

Selena posted this:

“JOHN MAYER JUST TWITTERED ABOUT DEMI! SHES IS FREAKING OUT!!!!!!

=) TEAM DEMI & SELENA!!”

Miley Cyrus strikes a pose at the 2009 Academy Of Country Music Awards held at the MGM Grand on tonight in Las Vegas.

She is wearing a stunning Monique Lhullier gown with a jeweled one-shoulder and bustline, Cole Haan sandals and H.Stern jewels.

During the ceremony, Miley performed her hit song “The Climb” from her upcoming film Hannah Montana The Movie, which debuts in theaters this Friday.

Here is a picture of her singing:

Fergie is seen here at the Record Plant Recording Studios on Monday (March 16) in Los Angeles, Calif.

The Black Eyed Peas are reuniting and working on an upcoming album called “The E.N.D.,” which is due to drop in June.

Fergie’s new brunette hair colour that she showed off at the March of Dimes 34th annual Beauty Ball last week in New York City put a stop to the pregnancy rumors as hair dyes are not safe for pregnant women. She also confirmed she wasn’t with child when she said:

“I’m not going to be because I’m going on tour. I wouldn’t want to do that to the poor child.”

The E.N.D. stands for “the energy never dies” apparently.

Kelly Clarkson is on the cover of the April 2009 issue of Blender magazine. My question to the magazine is “why would a magazine ask such dumb questions?” I’ll have to check out the issue to make sure they talked about her album while they were discussing her urinary habits and nudity.

Interestingly enough, she didn’t seem to be offended at all by these questions. That is what makes her so …. oddly normal!

Here are some tidbits from the interview:

On peeing in the shower:

“Anybody who says they don’t is lying.”

On taking pleasure in walking around naked:

“I’m the kinda person who just doesn’t like clothes.”

On blowing her nose and then checking the tissue to see what color the snot is:

“I mean, if you have a cold, you have to check, to see how sick you are.”

On the essence of her appeal:

“The thing with me, and my audience in particular is, people look at me like a sister or a daughter. It’s not like people look at me as unattainable, some kind of star like that. People love the ‘real’ factor that’s involved, I think.”

On being an open book and willing to “talk about anything”:

“I do not lie. Ever. I will tell my girlfriend if she looks fat in her jeans… When you don’t make yourself clear or heard, that’s where trouble starts. And that’s something I learned as a child. No one is going to know what you feel unless you tell them.”

Possibly because of her personal troubles or maybe not, Britney Spears is still the hottest human being on Planet Earth, according to USA Today’s annual Celebrity Heat Index, which measures how much exposure a star gets in print and online.

For 11 weeks this year, Britney received the most media attention out of everyone else and because she did, she earned the top spot on the index for the second year in a row! That coverage included everything from her shocking breakdown last January to her best-selling album, just released on Dec. 2.

PEOPLE readers also honored her with not one, but two titles, “best comeback” of 2008 as well as being the “most talked about celebrity.”

Hilary Duff is Maxim’s cover girl and she is setting the record straight on some of the rumours written about her.

on her lap dance talents, relationship status, and what she has and has not said about her sex life.

She tells Maxim Magazine’s January 2009 that she never claimed to be a virgin, as was written in 2006:

“You know what? I was quoted saying I was a virgin, but I absolutely did not say that. That’s nobody’s business but my own.”

She goes on to clarify:

“I’ve been accused by the press of giving lap dances at clubs,” she says. “I mean, little ol’ me? It’s shocking… And they’re so descriptive about these lap dances. I don’t even know how to do a lap dance!”

She talks about her sexy new music video for the single Reach Out:

“I was ready to do something different. The intent was not to be overtly sexual; I’m not naked. I do have little shorts on in it.”

And on her much talked about engagement to hockey player boyfriend Mike Comrie:

“I’m a relationship person. Now it’s all over the Internet that I’m getting engaged to my boyfriend. The truth is, I just like to wear rings!”

Snoop Dogg and 3D of Massive Attack have done a collaboration that is now available on 3D of Massive Attack’s website. The song they recorded is titled ‘Calling Mumia’ and it will be appearing on the soundtrack of the film documentary ‘In Prison My Whole Life.’ The film follows the life of political activist Mumia Abu-Jamal who was charged with killing a police officer and sent to a U.S. prison.

In 2001, Jamal’s death sentence was overturned due to inconsistencies that surfaced during his trial.

In other Dogg news…

Dogg was granted a visa thanks to lobbying from the spin doctors at CPR, and he was in Flemington today as a guest of Lavazza. He also launched a sunglasses range by Arnette called Notorious at Revolver nightclub the other night which is a perfect venue given Dogg is on probation for gun offences.

Here is his rider request from the other night:

“A case of still mineral water at room temperature, six bottles of Moet White Star, a bottle of Grey Goose vodka, two bottles of Hennessy cognac, two packs of Hubba Bubba gum (watermelon), four packs of Vocalzone throat drops, cutlery (no plastic), a tray of chocolate brownies, video games, enough chicken strips for 20 people.

Britney, her father Jamie and manager Larry Rudolph were at the Polo in the Palisades event at the Will Rogers Polo Club in LA this past Saturday afternoon.

They were cheering on a team of players wearing pink polo shirts with “Spears Family” written on the back. She was the guest of honor at a charity match. It was sponsored by the Promises Foundation – an LA-based charity which helps Miriam’s House, a home for recovering mothers and their children.

Here she is posing with fellow guest Blair Berk, a criminal defence attorney.

Tomorrow, Brit’s latest single “Womanizer” is dropping on the Z100 and KIIS-FM radio stations.

Get excited, the B is back.

It looks as though Dawn is going to leave Danity Kane. I guess she feels she is just too good for the group and Diddy agrees. I feel as though a new reality series is in order. I bet all those girls can’t stand Dawn she seems a bit stuck up.

It is sad that most girl groups split up, while guy groups usually stay together. I guess it is harder to deal with Bitchy women!

Here are the girls playing nice, imitating Britney in an Esquire Magazine shot.