Several thousand people gathered on the campus of Belmont University this morning, some arriving as early as 6 a.m., to welcome American Idol Top 3 semifinalist Melinda Doolittle back to her alma mater. Doolittle, who was once the college mascot, graduated in 1999.

Melinda, who rode through the streets of Brentwood, Tennessee in a white Mustang convertible, wiped away tears as she looked out at the crowd, many of whom were wearing “Belmont Hearts Melinda Doolittle” gear. About the homecoming, Melinda said “Wow. This is probably one of the most amazing things I’ve ever experienced, and it’s so good to be home.”

Belmont president Robert Fisher led Doolittle to the unveiling of a new blue street sign that read “Melinda Doolittle Way.” That sign indicates more than just the street’s temporary name for the month, Fisher said. “Melinda Dolittle Way is the way to live life,” Fisher said. Melinda is known for her humility, so it’s no surprise that she reacted to the street sign with a gasp and shaky hands. Fisher also proclaimed it “Melinda Doolittle Day.”

After taking the stage, she said, “I’m a mess. OK, my mom is worse than I am so I’m OK.”

Doolittle sang, “Home,” but the sound went out several times during the show because of production problems. She also sang “Since You’ve Been Gone,” (not to be confused with Kelly Clarkson’s song).

Doolittle said what she has learned from her Idol experience is, “You can dream so big and God can take it farther than you ever thought.”

Doolittle began her morning at the Wildhorse Saloon where she appeared on the local Foxshow “Tennessee Mornings,” and was scheduled to meet Gov. Phil Bredesen at an afternoon press conference at the state capitol.

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Post from: Crushable

Yahoo! tracks the searching habits of Idol fans not only by who is being most searched, but also what, in particular, people are searching to find out. Let’s take a look.

Sanjaya is still the overall leader (can you believe the staying power of Antonella and Alaina?)

American Idol Leaders
Rank Idol Move Score
1 Sanjaya Malakar +14
2 Antonella Barba +4
3 Haley Scarnato +5
4 Blake Lewis – 2
5 Melinda Doolittle +1
6 Alaina Alexander – 1
7 Chris Richardson – 1
8 Gina Glocksen – 1
9 Chris Sligh – 1
10 Lakisha Jones – 0

But Haley is the biggest mover (don’t we know it…)

American Idol Movers
Rank Idol 1 Day Move
1 Haley Scarnato 217%
2 Melinda Doolittle 176%
3 Sanjaya Malakar 125%
4 Chris Richardson 110%
5 Blake Lewis 58%
6 Alaina Alexander 44%
7 Antonella Barba 37%
8 Gina Glocksen 36%
9 Chris Sligh 29%

But what, exactly, are people are searching for?

Here is a list of the top five searches broken down by contestant -

- Sanjaya Malakar

1. Sanjaya Malakar Hairstyles
2. Sanjaya Anthem
3. Sanjaya Conspiracy
4. Who is Voting For Sanjaya
5. Sanjaya Wig

- Haley Scarnato

1. Haley Scarnato Scandal
2. Haley Scarnato Legs
3. Haley Scarnato Pregnant
4. Haley Scarnato Shorts
5. Haley Scarnato Height

- Melinda Doolittle

1. Melinda Doolittle School of Humility
2. Melinda Doolittle Neck
3. Melinda Doolittle Shrek
4. Is Melinda Doolittle Married?
5. Melinda Doolittle MP3s

- Blake Lewis

1. Blake Lewis Shirtless
2. Blake Lewis Tattoos
3. Blake Lewis Love Song
4. Blake Lewis 311
5. Chris Richardson vs Blake Lewis

- Chris Richardson

1. Chris Richardson Dating
2. Chris Richardson Shirtless
3. Chris Richardson and Alaina Alexander
4. Chris Richardson Girlfriend
5. Contact Chris Richardson

- Jordin Sparks

1. Jordin Sparks Father
2. Jordin Sparks Height
3. Jordin Sparks I Who Have Nothing
4. Jordin Sparks Fan Sites
5. Jordin Sparks American Juniors

- Lakisha Jones

1. Lakisha Jones Videos
2. Lakisha Jones Biography
3. Diamonds Are Forever Lakisha Jones
4. Lakisha Fanatics
5. Lakisha Jones Last Dance

- Phil Stacey

1. Phil Stacey Navy
2. Phil Stacey Audition
3. Phil Stacey Wife
4. Phil Stacey Hair
5. Nosferatu Phil Stacey (LOL, my son said this last night!!!)

Post from: Crushable