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Melinda Doolittle’s First Album Debuts In June

http://www.northcountrygazette.org/2008/04/02/melinda_album/

Last year at this time, Melinda Doolittle was appearing weekly on American Idol.

Melinda finished third in last year’s American Idol competition and has been busy touring and recording ever since.

The former professional back-up singer from Brentwood, Tenn., has been on tour as part of Dreyer’s Slow-Churned Light Ice Cream American Idol Tour and has a new album scheduled to debut in June.

The tour was part of a promotion on the American Idol web site (www.americanidol.com) that allowed fans to vote for their five favorite ice cream flavors with a chance to win an in-home ice cream party for 25 people with Melinda performing live. Doolittle is a spokeswoman for Dreyer’s ice cream, which comes in several “American Idol” flavors. Doolittle describes her debut album, which comes out in June, as “kind of eclectic.”

“I’m a soul girl at heart,” she said. “So it’s got soul. It’s got some groove to it. But I like that little rock edge. So, it’s a little gritty.”

She has also just released a single online of “My Funny Valentine”, available for download at iTunes.

She was my favorite last year...the only news I heard of her was when she traveled to Africa with Laura Bush to fight malaria.

Young People Who Rock

She auditioned for "American Idol" with the Stevie Wonder song "For Once in My Life." We know what happened next. Melinda Doolittle finished as the third place finalist of the sixth season of the show.

But what "Idol" fans might not know is that Melinda Doolittle isn't content with limiting herself to entertainment. During her rapid rise to stardom she threw her support behind a cause that wasn't so "celebre" -- malaria. With Malaria No More, Doolittle traveled with first lady Laura Bush to Zambia and other countries in the "malaria belt" of Africa to raise awareness of the disease.

She believes that malaria can be eradicated -- with medicine to treat the disease and with insecticides and bed nets to prevent it in the first place. Doolittle's goal is to help eliminate malaria once and for all in her lifetime.

Found this on the White House site:

President George W. Bush, Mrs. Laura Bush and guests listen to singer Melinda Doolittle perform Tuesday evening, Nov. 13, 2007 in the East Room of the White House, during a social dinner in honor of America's Promise-The Alliance for Youth.

President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush join singer Melinda Doolittle, center, and members of the World Children's Choir on stage Tuesday evening, Nov. 13, 2007 in the East Room of the White House, during the social dinner in honor of the tenth anniversary of America's Promise-The Alliance for Youth.