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Gwinnett Daily Post

LAWRENCEVILLE — Gwinnettians awoke to a forecast of thunderstorms and rain, but Snellville’s biggest star is bringing “Blue Skies” to the world this morning.
Diana DeGarmo, the 17-year-old Shiloh High School student turned “American Idol” sensation, released her debut album on RCA Records today.
“We’re all very excited. We’re all trying to get the word out,” said Nancy Fowler, community school director at Shiloh. “My daughter loves her music as well, so I’m sure I’ll have to get two.”
And with the release comes a flurry of publicity, beginning this morning with an appearance on CBS’s “The Early Show.” She’ll be a guest on “Live with Regis & Kelly” one Wednesday morning and be heard in Atlanta on Thursday night on Q100.
DeGarmo will be in town to sign copies of “Blue Skies” beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Snellville Wal-Mart. “We have people coming from Florida for this thing,” Store Manager Suzanne Prather said.
Other upcoming appearances include the Disney Christmas Parade on ABC Christmas morning and “The Brian Boitano Skating Spectacular” on New Year’s Day. She will be featured on the cover of Teen Prom magazine later this month.
The album drops more than six months after DeGarmo finished in second place behind Fantasia Barrino on the third season of Fox’s “American Idol.” Her first single, “Dreams,” has sold more than 180,000 copies since its June 29 release, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
It’s also earned her a nomination for Top Selling Single of the Year in the Billboard Music Awards, which will air Wednesday night. She’ll compete against fellow “Idols” Fantasia (“I Believe”) and Clay Aiken (“Solitaire/The Way”) for the award. (A publicist said DeGarmo will not attend the event.)
“Dreams” is one of 12 songs on the album, produced by recording industry legend Clive Davis. The album also includes “Don’t Cry Out Loud,” her rendition of Melissa Manchester’s hit that earned DeGarmo praise during “American Idol.”
Her second single, “Emotional,” was released to radio stations Monday, giving her fans around the country something to cheer about.
“I think she’s just super. I think she’s every bit as talented as any of the American Idols,” Fowler said. “Diana is a wonderful young lady. She’s just the epitome of a great student ... and a great person.”

EMOTIONAL HIGH

"Emotional", the first single from Diana DeGarmo's debut album, "Blue Skies", makes a lofty debut at #10, becoming her fifth top ten single of 2004. The last female act to reach the top ten with her first five singles was LeAnn Rimes, who placed her first eight singles in the UU-BRU Internet Radio top ten between 1996 and 1998. Diana DeGarmo has collected a pair of number one hits with "I Believe" (originally charted by Fantasia Barrino) and "Don't Cry Out Loud" (a #14 song for Melissa Manchester in 1979). If covering a previous hit is any indication of Diana DeGarmo's success, then prospects are good for "Emotional" to reach number one as well. Michelle McManus, UK's POP IDOL 2 winner, spent three weeks on UU-BRU Internet Radio last June with "Emotional", peaking at #40. Diana DeGarmo is also proving that winning isn't everything. With "Emotional" debuting at #10, she is currently beating new releases from all three winners of AMERICAN IDOL. Kelly Clarkson, winner of season one, debuts at #37 with "Since You've Been Gone". Season two winner Reuben Studdard has yet to chart with his newest release, "I Need Angel". Meanwhile, season three champion, Fantasia Barrino, climbs to #22 with "Free Yourself".