Entertainment Weekly reports that "American Idol" producers issued a statement Thursday saying "Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson did not break the contest's amateur eligibility rules when she had recorded five songs for an album with three veteran pop songwriters before she appeared on ''Idol'' this summer. Separately, a lawyer representing the songwriters who recorded with Clarkson told EW.com that the tracks were just demos, and that no record contract was in place.
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As we reported earlier, the story, as printed in the Star and updated in the New York Post, said that Clarkson had already started recording an album with pop songwriters Gerry Goffin, Michael Blum, and Barry Goldberg. ''She signed a production agreement with us in early March to record a full slate of 12 songs for an album, but after doing five wonderful songs, she walked out,'' Goldberg told the Star. ''Idol'''s rules, as posted on the show's website, stipulate, ''You are ineligible if you already have any type of talent representation or a recording contract.''
Jay Cooper, who represents Goffin, Blum, and Goldberg, told EW.com that the Star story was ''completely wrong,'' and that Clarkson's agreement with the songwriters did not constitute a talent representation pact or a recording contract but were merely demo tracks. Cooper added that his clients are hoping to sell some of the recorded songs to Clarkson's label.
On Thursday night, the producers of the show issued a statement in Clarkson's defense, saying, ''Kelly Clarkson ... did not breach any rules of the competition. She won the 'American Idol' competition fairly and was rightfully chosen by the American public as their American Idol. We at 19 Entertainment, Fremantle Media and Fox are proud of our winner.''