By Rosemary Ford
rford@eagletribune.com

From the first audition, “American Idol” judges told Lil Rounds that she has the name of a star.
Then they heard the songstress from Tennessee perform, and pronounced that she indeed had the talent to go along with the name.

Rounds would eventually beat out millions for a spot on the hit reality TV show, ultimately finishing seventh.

Now fans of Rounds can see her perform live, along with the other nine finalists, when the “American Idol” concert tour makes a stop the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, N.H. on Tuesday, Sept. 15.
In a recent phone interview from the road, Rounds said the 10-week tour making stops in 50 cities is going great.

“Those crowds that are really ready to party with you are the best,” Rounds said.

The three-hour show features performances of varying numbers of songs by each of nine finalists, building up to a five-song showcase by winner Kris Allen and closing with a group performance of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing.”

Several tour songs — including Allen’s cover of Kanye West’s “Heartless,” Adam Lambert’s version of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” and Danny Gokey’s rendition of Michael Jackson’s “P.Y.T.”  — will be familiar to “Idol” viewers. But there is also new material, like Lambert’s medley of David Bowie tunes and Allen’s cover of the Beatles’ “Hey Jude.”
Rounds’ favorite moment so far has been the tour’s recent stop in Memphis.

“The crowd went completely wild as soon as they announced my name. It was really nice. I really took it all in and had so much fun,” she said.

The TV show and tour have been two very different experiences for Rounds. On “Idol” she worried about the judges’ critiques, her performance and how much the audience was enjoying the show. On tour, she worries mainly about connecting with the audience.

“Once you hit the tour, you pick your songs — the songs that show who you are as an artist,” she said. “All you have to do is give that crowd the best show you can.”

For her set, Rounds sings Beyonce’s “Single Ladies,” Alicia Keys’ “No One” and a Mary J. Blige melody.

Her future plans include landing a record deal and getting an album out soon.

Rounds is a married mother of three. And she is thrilled with the opportunity “Idol” has given her.

“We were going through a hard time when I got on ‘Idol.’ We were coming out of some real bad financial struggles,” she said. “My children see their mom doing it, and that makes me really happy. They are really proud of me.

“It definitely set a foundation for me that I need to build on to go toward that goal and that dream of becoming a renowned artist,” she said. “I am really hoping I don’t let my fans down by dropping the ball in any way.”
Her favorite moment from the show? Going to Motown and meeting Smokey Robinson.

“That was awesome, really,” she said.

About the performers
Kris Allen (winner): Now 24 (23 at the time of the show), from Conway, Ark. Auditioned in Louisville, Ky. Married. Started singing at age 13. Plays guitar. Alternative and folk rock. Solo album in the works, due this fall.
Adam Lambert (runner-up): Age 27, from Los Angeles. Auditioned in San Francisco. Single. Started singing at age 10. Alternative rock. Solo album due this fall.
Danny Gokey (third): Age 28, from Milwaukee, Wis. Auditioned in Kansas City. Widower. Started singing as a child. Plays piano. Contemporary Christian, R&B, country-pop.
Allison Iraheta (fourth): Now 17, from Downey, Calif. Auditioned in San Francisco. Started singing at age 5. Plays guitar. Youngest finalist to reach the top 5. Rock.
Matt Giraud (fifth): Age 23, from Kalamazoo, Mich. Auditioned in Louisville. Single. Plays piano. R&B, blues, piano rock.
Anoop Desai (sixth): Age 22, from Chapel Hill, N.C. Auditioned in Kansas City. Single. Started singing at age 2. Contemporary R&B, soul.
Lil Rounds (seventh): Age 24, from Memphis, Tenn. Auditioned in Kansas City. Married, three children. Started singing at age 3. Contemporary R&B, soul.
Scott MacIntyre (eighth): Now 24, from Scottsdale, Ariz. Auditioned in Phoenix. Single. Show’s first blind finalist. Started playing music at age 6. Plays piano, guitar and drums. Classical, contemporary Christian.
Megan Joy (ninth): Age 23, from Sandy, Utah. Auditioned in Salt Lake City. Single mother of one. Started singing at age 3. Jazz, pop.
Michael Sarver (10th): Now 28, from Jasper, Texas. Auditioned in Phoenix. Married, two kids. Started singing at age 12. Plays piano, drums and guitar. R&B, soul.
Source: Dallas Morning News

If you go
What: “American Idol” 2009 Summer Tour.
When: Sept. 15 at the Where: Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, N.H.
How: Visit www.verizonwirelessarena.com for more.