It’s hard to believe when we first met Jim Verraros, he was only 19 years old. The Season 1 finalist is celebrating his 27^th birthday today! Many people remember Jim as the contestant who was fluent in American Sign Language because both of his parents are deaf.

Jim performed on the first ever semifinals show and advanced to the Top 10 with his performance of “When I Fall in Love” by Nat King Cole. Although Jim was eliminated during the Top 10’s Motown Week, he went on to have a successful career in music. In 2004, he released an album entitled Unsaid and Understood. The indie-CD won an Out Music Award for Outstanding New Recording Debut – Male in June of 2004. On April 26, 2005, Jim released his mainstream debut album, Rollercoaster. The album garnered a Tp 20 Billboard Dance Hit with “You Turn It On.” The song “You’re Getting Crazy” was also a breakout hit.

This past year has been an exciting one for Jim, who got married on September 6, 2009 in his home state of Illinois.

Happy Birthday, Jim!

View photos of Jim on the groundbreaking season of American Idol.

Season 7’s rocker girl, Carly Smithson, and her band, We Are The Fallen, announced their upcoming tour this week. They will be touring with rock group HIM across the United States and Canada, but their tour will kick off in London on 3/23/2010. Tickets are now on sale for most of the shows. This was a big week for We Are The Fallen; the band released their debut single, “Bury Me Alive,” this past Tuesday.

Here is We Are The Fallen’s tour schedule:

3/23     Kings College                         London, GB
3/26     Theatre of the Living Arts      Philadelphia, PA
3/27     Sonar                                       Baltimore, MD
3/28     House of Blues – Boston        Boston, MA
3/30     Metropolis                               Montreal, QC, CA
3/31     Sound Academy                     Toronto, Ontario, CA
4/1       House Of Blues – Cleveland  Cleveland, OH
4/2       Clutch Cargo’s                        Pontiac, MI
4/3       Bogarts                                    Cincinatti, OH
4/6       The Orbit Room                      Grand Rapids, MI
4/7       The Pageant                            St. Louis, MO
4/9       House of Blues – Chicago      Chicago, IL
4/10     The Rave Bar                          Milwaukee, WI
4/13     MacEwan Hall                        Calgary, AB, CA
4/14     Edmonton Event Centre         Edmonton, AB, CA
4/16     Commodore Ballroom            Vancouver, BC, CA
4/17     Showbox SoDo                       Seattle, WA
4/18     Roseland Theatre                    Portland, OR
4/20     Regency Theatre                     San Francisco, CA
4/21     House of Blues – Anaheim     Anaheim, CA
4/22     House of Blues – San Diego   San Diego, CA
4/23     The Wiltern                             Los Angeles, CA
4/24     House of Blues Mandalay      Las Vegas, NV
4/27     Gothic Theatre                        Englewood, CO
4/29     House of Blues                       Dallas, TX
4/30     House of Blues                       Houston, TX
5/2       House of Blues                       Orlando, FL
5/3       Center Stage                           Atlanta, GA
5/4       House of Blues                       Myrtle Beach, SC
5/6       Irving Plaza                             New York, NY

AmericanIdol.com caught up exclusively with We Are The Fallen soon after the group formed. Watch the interview and a performance.

Season 4’s Top 12 finalist, Lindsey Cardinale, celebrates her 25^th birthday today. Only 19 years old when the Ponchatoula, Louisiana native auditioned for American Idol, Lindsey showed her smoky vocals singing songs like “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” and “Knock on Wood.” Since her time on American Idol, Lindsey has pursued music, going down the country music route. She released two singles, “Drive” and “Nothin’ Like a Dream” and continues to perform shows around the southern part of the U.S. In fact, Lindsey will be celebrating her birthday in New Mexico today and tomorrow by playing two shows in Red River, and next Saturday she will play a gig in her hometown of Ponchatoula.

"The whole 'American Idol' experience absolutely made me stronger," Lindsey wrote on her MySpace page. "I knew something great was going to come out of it, and now, two years later, I have so many opportunities on my plate. I would never have had that chance had I not decided to go to that first audition. I learned a lot on that show, not only about professionalism, but I also learned that this business isn't always a walk in the park; it's hard work and long days."

Happy Birthday, Lindsey!

View photos of Lindsey and the rest of the Season 4 gang performing on American Idol.

The Road to Hollywood was filled with some very memorable performances and wonderful song choices from the seven hometown audition cities. Here is a list of the songs the contestants sang, as well as the songs that American Idol inserted to set the mood.

Title: Pants on the Ground
Artist Version: Original
Contestant: LARRY PLATT

Title: Cry Baby
Artist Version: Janis Joplin
Contestant: JESSICA FURNEY

Title: Footprints In The Sand
Artist Version: Leona Lewis
Contestant: JESSICA FURNEY

Title: Oops I Did It Again
Artist Version: Britney Spears
Contestant: AMANDA SCHECHTMAN

Title: Good Morning Heartache
Artist Version: Diana Ross
Contestant: AMANDA SCHECHTMAN

Title: Ain’t No Sunshine
Artist Version: Bill Withers
Contestant: LEE DEWYZE

Title: Piece of My Heart
Artist Version: Janis Joplin
Contestant: CRYSTAL BOWERSOX

Title: I Gotcha
Artist Version: Joe Tex
Contestant: n/a

Title: Over The Rainbow
Artist Version: Judy Garland
Contestant: LACEY BROWN

Title: Fever
Artist Version: Peggy Lee
Contestant: STEPHANIE FISHER

Title: Baby Love
Artist Version: The Supremes
Contestant: STEPHANIE FISHER

Title: Wrong Again
Artist Version: The Jonas Brothers
Contestant: RACHEL HUBBARD

Title: How Am I Supposed To Live Without You
Artist Version: Michael Bolton
Contestant: THADDEUS JOHNSON

Title: I Told You So
Artist Version: Carrie Underwood & Randy Travis
Contestant: GENESIS MOORE

Title: Breakout
Artist Version: Miley Cyrus
Contestant: n/a

Title: The Rose
Artist Version: LeAnn Rimes
Contestant: n/a

Title: Can’t Help Falling In Love With You
Artist Version: Elvis
Contestant: ADRIAN CHANDTCHI

Title: Unchained Melody
Artist Version: The Righteous Brothers
Contestant: MICHAEL LYNCHE

Title: I Will Follow You Into The Dark
Artist: Death Cab for Cutie
Contestant: n/a

Title: Hey Jude
Artist: The Beatles
Contestant: DIDI BENAMI

Title: The Climb
Artist: Miley Cyrus
Contestant: AARON KELLY

Title: I Kissed A Girl
Artist Version: Katy Perry
Contestant: KIMBERLY BISHOP

Title: Fallin’
Artist Version: Alicia Keys
Contestant: SHADDAII HARRIS

Title: I Hope You Dance
Artist Version: Lee Ann Womack
Contestant: HOPE JOHNSON

Title: Just Say Yes
Artist Version: Snow Patrol
Contestant: n/a

Click on the highlighted contestants names to watch their interviews golden ticket interviews. To watch all of the other Hollywood-bound contestant interviews, click here.

Song lists from other auditions:
Denver
Dallas
Los Angeles
Orlando
Chicago
Atlanta
Boston

Season 4's American Idol and five-time Grammy award winner Carrie Underwood has landed a supporting role in her first studio movie Soul Surfer. The inspirational film is based on the autobiography of 19-year-old champion surfer Bethany Hamilton, who, for over six years, has defied all odds to compete and win professional championships after losing her arm in a shark attack at age thirteen. Carrie will play Sarah Hill, a church youth leader. Filming is to take place in February. She showed off her acting chops during Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special last December.

The film also stars Academy Award winner Helen Hunt as Bethany’s mother Cheri, Golden Globe nominee Dennis Quaid as Bethany’s father Tom, and Young Artist Award winner AnnaSophia Robb as Bethany Hamilton. The cast also includes Lorraine Nicholson (as Alana Blanchard) and Kevin Sorbo (as Holt Blanchard).

Carrie has been extremely busy lately. She collected her fifth Grammy award last Sunday and performed in a Michael Jackson tribute. This Sunday, Carrie will sing the National Anthem at football’s biggest event of the year.

From small-town farm girl to superstar, Carrie has made quite the transformation. Check out her evolving style in our transformation gallery.