Randy Jackson News Blog @newzblogz.com

American Idol hasn't held auditions in Miami since its second season, when cast and crew piled into the Fontainebleau to audition 1,925 hopefuls.

Clearly, the show has gotten considerably bigger since that November day in 2002, so it's not surprising that a larger venue has been tapped for Idol's return. That's right, fans and wannabes, American Idol hosts auditions for its seventh season at AmericanAirlines Arena in downtown Miami Aug. 22. Miami is one of seven cities producers have tapped to find the next Jordin Sparks. (The others: San Diego, Dallas, Omaha, Atlanta, Charleston and Philadelphia).

Let's hope we do better than we did in 2002. Miami wasn't represented in the finals ( Ruben Studdard of Alabama won the season), and the judges weren't impressed with our aspirants. ''It's been O. . . K,'' was the best Randy Jackson could muster after a day's worth of bad renditions of standards and Alicia Keyes' Falling.

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2007ATLANTA -- 'American Idol' is coming back to Atlanta.

The popular reality series will hold auditions at the Georgia Dome on August 14.

It will be the first time since season three the show has included Atlanta as an audition stop.

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The number of cruelty investigations in 2006, a 24 percent

increase from 2005.

The number of rescue calls for sick and injured animals in

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MEMPHIS Nothing was hotter Friday in Tennessee than the air-conditioned Orpheum Theater, where some of the greatest living soul artists gathered in tribute to Stax Records' 50th anniversary."One thing about Memphis, you guys are the soul center of the planet," show co-host Chuck D of Public Enemy told the packed house at "50 Years of Stax: A Concert to Benefit the Stax Museum of American Soul," which was broadcast live on satellite radio.

The 13-act, three-hour concert was equal parts Southern summer revival, vivid history lesson and rollicking night at the Apollo. The raw, gritty soul music slowly dripped like sweet honey down the ornate gilded theater walls as Stax legends such as Booker T. & the MG's (featuring Nashville guitarist Steve Cropper), Isaac Hayes, Mavis Staples, Eddie Floyd, William Bell, Mable John, The Soul Children and a phenomenal Rance Allen performed some of the greatest American music ever made."This will be...

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