Life after 'Idol' sounds sweet By MICHAEL GLITZ Is there life after" American Idol"? You bet --~ nd you don't even have to be one of the show's winners to win hig in the music biz.</p><p> Some of the show's runncrs ~up are far~ng almost' as weli in their performing Careers as the show's high-profile win ners.</p><p> Just check out Kimberly Locke, who came in third in sea son two.</p><p> She'll be bad nn Wednesday night's "AI" (8:30 on Fox/Ch. 5) to perform her first single, "8th World Won der," Of course, the three best known "Idol" ah.llnni -winners Relly Clarkson (c,cason one), Ruben Studdard (season two) and (-::lav Aiken (season two's first Huiner-up) --continue to dominat e the charts.</p><p> Even contestimis who wero forced OIlit of "AI" ~o •• like <J! sure thilll!g tft l'ol.rtiu-hulI1 gry producers.</p><p> Clilrk:-.am and /\iken, who aJ f: :-ouring j'ogether Ihis spring. h::lYC sC'.en tlH~ir nlbuTI1S go dOli' ble platinum, SI uddaru. vv.\)c, i-; sch(:.duJed to pcrfornl at ! he B~acun Theater April 14, als() has a platinum dehut album And tlwt':; jU(;t ll1<'! tip Gfthe iceberg.</p><p> Today, "Alll flrs!-.r,Ga S011 alumnu: " R f.</p><p> Helton is I e leasing his first ;:llbum, "l{e~1 Life," on the Christian music label Gospocentric.</p><p> Military roan Josh Graciu, whose cuuntry-fla vored vocals earned him a fourth-plilce finish in" AI's" second s~as(Jn. h;}~; a fast-risin g sin~~1c on the cuuntry charts c<1I1cd "J \,Vi:mt To Li'.re," It's ali e<'1liy at No Ll5 arter a merE' three wed::s.</p><p> But even contestants who were forced out of "AI" look like a sure thing to youth-hun gry pn ,ducers.</p><p> Frenchie Davis, who had I'll leave the show during its first season after topless photos of her surfaced on the lvternet, had a run on Broadway in "Rent," and is currently touring as the lead in the musical "Dreamgiris ," which is expected to return to Broadway this year.</p><p> WilHam Hung, this season's so-bacl-he ',-good contestant, just signed an inexplicable deal with Koch Records; his CD is cine out April 6.</p><p> Bushy-haired Justin Guarini seems like tbe only graduale of "American Idol" who can't get a break.</p><p> His debut "Ibum flopped and he lias been dropped hy his labe1.</p><p> And.though 'r"ll1yr;, c,r;;y had a recun ing role in the flmll sea !-ion pfthe Fox sel i~s "Boston Public," she has also been dropPf'li hy her labd -without releasi.ng [! single.</p><p> But mnst "American Idol" cu:mestanls h~vc turned what should have been J. men: 15 min utes of fame into real Cilrt:CI s.</p><p> Even hm Yen arns, the singer {roln seaSOl! ODe wllo signf·d one song ror his dc~f pC:irl..~nt s ilnd (~ndllred a har.sh touguc lashing from Simon Cowell, is launching a gay-duh tom in April and has rt lead role iu the indie lilrn "Eating Out," which debuts ilt the London Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Anrill.</p><p> Verr~lf(1S says it's~, relief to "jnst be able to step out of that 'American. idol' bubble and per· form the way I want to." Verrarm :; hopes to sigri ~l re cord deal by the end of lh~ su m mer for dance-pop music he's already recorded and posted on his \Ve·b sile, A special two-hour edition of "A,nH~rican Idol" airs tonight at g on Fox/Ch. 5.</p><p> Clay Aiken Season 2 runner-up a Double-platinum album 1112003 Billboard Music Award ior Best-Selling Single of the Year Josh Gr8cin Se~son 2 finalist Single "I WantTo live" at No. 45 on country charts after three weeks Kelly Clarkson Season '1 winner III Double-platinum album II! Grammy nomination Season :l! finalist First single, "8th Wortd Wonder" at No. 78 on Billboard charts
