David Cook, the winner of the seventh season of "American Idol," may have been born in Houston, Texas, but when the 26-year-old graduated from college he decided to pursue his career in music in... Tulsa, Oklahoma. (To be fair, he didn't audition there but in Omaha.)
We hope the city's borders are prepared for an onslaught of shaggy, sideburned dudes with a weakness for rock ballads. If you are one, or want to meet one, you might do well to look in these hot spots:
Four Aces Tavern :: Live local bands stop by this watering hole every weekend, but you and your friends can also do karaoke there and live your local-stardom dreams. 11035 E. 41st St.
River Park :: Desert, schmesert! Wander along the city's source of fresh water alone or with man's best friend. Hwy. 44 and Riverside Dr.
The arrival of a substitute teacher is usually cause for celebration, name-switching and tabletop football games breaking out in the classroom. Of course, if your sub is Tracey Flick, maybe you'd be more inclined to pay attention.
When Reese Witherspoon dropped in on a New Orleans classroom this week at the Children's Defense Freedom Fund School, those kids probably snapped right up when she asked to help them out.
Reese's outreach is part of the Fox initiative "Idol Gives Back," which apparently is no longer limited to singers, "Idol" alums or actors who think they can sing. She's treading on Super World Travelers territory: Brangelina has been spending a lot of time there since Brad Pitt shot "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" in New Orleans last year.
All rise! Here's Carrie Underwood singing the National Anthem at Denver's Coors Field for the third game in the 2007 World Series, featuring the Boston Red Sox and the Colorado Rockies.
With last night's game, the Red Sox won their second World Series in 4 years, and if you want to sit next to a celebrity, you ought to root for them: Everyone from writer Stephen King to actor-director Ben Affleck has declared membership in Red Sox Nation. Pity the Rockies, who can at least drown their sorrows in Coors now that the series is over.
American Idol songstress Kelly Clarkson was in Manhattan this weekend at the uber-posh (and pricey) Mandarin Oriental at Columbus Circle with her bro Jason and promoter Jay Galvin.
The threesome apparently made a mess (and a scene) in the hotel's swank bar area, when Jason slopped a glass of whiskey "all over himself" (Kelly was sipping white wine to avoid stains, luckily). Ms.Clarkson then stood up just before midnight and announced, quite loudly, that she "had to go to bed" because she "had" to sing in the a.m.
We're guessing she stayed there overnight too, though no one's confirming it. The MO loves its celeb guests. You may remember it as Ashlee Simpson's hotel hideout post-SNL-gate, but it looks like Kelly was just there for a drink and expensive nap rather than crisis control.