Crystal Bowersox and Brian Walker: Married!

Crystal Bowersox recently made the insightful, intelligent comment that one's wedding isn't nearly as important as one's marriage.

With the first step taken care of, the American Idol runner-up can now focus on the second. That's right: Bowersox married fellow musician Brian Walker in Chicago yesterday.

"Our lives have never made more sense than they do right now,” Bowersox told People. “I can't believe how incredibly lucky we are to have found so much laughter, love, and light within each other. We're one happy WalkerSox family."

Ha! WalkerSox! We love it.

Bowersox and Walker got engaged in September.

Approximately 60 friends and family members were in attendance at the ceremony, including Crystal's young son and former Idol contestant Didi Benami.

Following the celebration, and a subsequent brief honeymoon, the artist will return to the music studio and put the finishing touches on her debut album. We wish her the best!

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Crystal Bowersox: Stop Hating My Ex!

Just a few hours before she took took the stage for the American Idol finale in May, Crystal Bowersox and her boyfriend broke up.

In an extensive interview with the August issue of Redbook, the singer wants to make one thing very clear: don't point any fingers at her ex, Tony.

"I want to make clear how amazing, kind, and generous a person he is, and that he truly considers my son his son and little Tony loves him," Crystal said. "He's been there since my son was about 3 months old. And in a lot of ways, he's the perfect man; he really is.

"But ultimately, we both knew it wasn't going to work out, considering the different lives we were leading. And it's better to come to that realization than to have an unhappy relationship. Mommy and Daddy need to be happy in order for baby to be happy."

Bowersox, who fell to Lee DeWyze in the finals of the competition, touched on a number of other topics, as well. To wit:

On almost quitting Idol: I did go talk to Ryan [Seacrest] at one point because he works 24/7 and I knew he would understand. He gave me the best advice: He said the best thing I could ever do was work hard enough now so I could take care of my family. And it's true. Sometimes you have to work really hard and make sacrifices so you can provide for the people you love.

On her hospitalization: You want to forget you're diabetic for a while, and maybe you don't watch yourself as well as you should. I ended up getting sick in March, and they told me I was off the show. I wasn't going to take that. I begged, I screamed, I pleaded. I said, 'I want to meet with the head honchos. I need this so bad for my kid. I'll go home if I'm voted off, but not because of this.' That's the one time I threw a huge fit, and thankfully, they gave in.

We were big fans of Crystal throughout the show and we wish her the best of luck.

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Crystal Bowersox Shows Off New Smile

Following her run to the finals of American Idol, Crystal Bowersox has not let success go to her head.

But she has let it get to her mouth!

The singer, who sported dreadlocks and a gap-toothed grin throughout her run on the show, visited the dentist before embarking on this summer's tour and has Tweeted a photo of her new smile, along with the following:

whats NOT missing in this picture?????? Yeah. That’s right.

We've posted the before-and-after shots below. Looking good, Crystal!

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Crystal Bowersox Rocks, and Other American Idol Women Sing Well

She went from the hospital bed to the American Idol stage to the leader of the season nine pack in just 24 hours.

Indeed, we aren't the first website to shower Crystal Bowersox with praise - and we definitely won't be the last - but it's well-deserved.

On a night of live performances that overshadowed the guys' lackluster efforts the evening before, Bowersox recovered from a dangerous illness and led the way. We run down the top 10 below...

1. Crystal Bowersox: She gets points for showing up and for not playing the sympathy card. But especially for her unique rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Long As I Can See the Light."
2. Lilly Scott: A close second. Challenged herself with the Sam Cooke classic “A Change is Gonna Come” and was even better than last week. Love her confidence in just who she is.
3. Michelle Delamor: Note to Todrick Hall: this is how you re-arrange a song! Michelle comes across as a professional singer and turned a Creed rock single into a ballad.
4. Siobhan Magnus: The anti-Aretha Franklin sung Franklin's "Think" and showcased her versatility. The place went nuts when she hit her high notes.
5. Katelyn Epperly: Ellen was off base with this critique. The song was supposed to be slow, and the use of the piano proved that Katelyn has multiple sides to her.
6. Katie Stevens: She has a great voice and a great personality. The judges have to get over the fact that she's 17 and just let her sing.
7. Paige Miles: It's always daring to take a song by an American Idol winner, but Miles did Kelly Clarkson's "Walk Away" sort of proud. Definitely needed more of an edge to it.
8. Didi Benami: We felt terrible for when the tears welled up during the judges' criticism. But "Lean On Me?" Really? It's impossible to make that song your own at this point.
9. Lacey Brown: Simply not up to par, vocals-wise, with the other contestants.
10. Haeley Vaughn: We're all for being happy, but her constant smiling freaks us out. She's like a doll of some kind.mi

It's a clear choice, in our view: Lacey and Haeley should go home tonight. What do you think?

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Crystal Bowersox Performance of the Week: Long As I Can See the Light

After last night's incredible rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Long As I Can See The Light," this may need to become a running THG feature:

The Crystal Bowersox Performance of the Week.

Despite being hospitalized earlier in the day for diabetes complications, the American Idol semifinalist strapped on her guitar, didn't complain and established herself as the season nine front-runner.

She even made a funny joke at Simon's expense in the opening video. Check it all out below and sound off: How awesome is Crystal Bowersox?!?

Crystal Bowersox Performance

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Crystal Bowersox vs. Janell Wheeler: Semifinalist Showdown!

Do you sense a theme early on season nine of American Idol?

The show is highlighting young women on guitars, possibly aiming to find the next Taylor Swift. Not exactly a misguided strategy.

Two of the female contestants that have advanced to the semifinals and made a strong impression on viewers are Crystal Bowersox and Janell Wheeler. The former can seriously rock a harmonica, while the latter was admittedly a bundle of nerves in Hollywood, but got the green light from all four judges anyway.

Consider the futures of these aspiring stars and vote below...

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American Idol Rundown: Ellen, Female Contestants, Guitars Rule Hollywood

Thank goodness it's Hollywood week on American Idol. Goodbye embarrassing contestants, hello major talent!

Before we get to that talent, however, let's also greet Ellen DeGeneres... with open arms. Wasn't she great on her first night as a judge? The comedian was funny (we loved when she had singers moving all around the stage before letting each one through), but also fresh and straightforward.

Ellen won't be Paula Abdul 2.0, sugarcoating every critique and covering up bad performances by telling the contestants how nice they look. She'll bring the criticism, but in a humorous fashion, such as when she told one dude his routine "scared" her and resembled a leopard stalking his prey.

There were also no contrived cat fights, nothing that Ellen did to bring attention to herself. She seemed steady, focused and, of course, funny.

As for the best of the night...

Didi Benami has finalist written all over her. She came across as a more polished Brooke White, strumming her guitar and bringing an emotional singer/songwriter vibe. Probably our favorite performance.

But the "infectious, real" Crystal Bowersox, as Simon put it, was a close second. She also relied on her guitar and had fellow contestants applauding before she even completed "Natural Woman."

The third impressive female was Haeley Vaughn. Only 16, she offers a unique pop/country sound and a healthy dose of charisma. We were very happy to see her advance.

Two men stood out, as well:

1. Andrew Garcia proved that guitar-playing was a theme for the top performers so far, impressing the judges with a soulful acousting rendition of "Straight Up." We wouldn't refer to him as "genius" or compare him to Adam Lambert (closer to Kris Allen), as Kara did, but certainly someone to keep an eye on.
2. The same can be said for Casey James, and not just because he took off his shirt for his initial, pre-Hollywood audition. We loved his bluesy number... played with the help of a guitar, of course.

Watch all five of these performances in our American Idol video section and then let us know: WHO WAS YOUR FAVORITE?

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Crystal Bowersox: From Farmer to Singer

She's a long way from a farm in Ohio now.

As one of the rumored 24 semifinalists on season nine of American Idol, Crystal Bowersox has made a home for herself in Hollywood for a few weeks.

The former country gal is actually accustomed to the urban life, as she's lived in Chicago for a number of years, playing the guitar, building a career as a folk singer and raising a little boy.

Crystal cites Janis Joplin. Aretha Franklin, Bonnie Raitt, Melissa Etheridge and Sista Otis as musical influences.

Below, you can watch and listen to her perform on stage and offer your critical take on her prospects: Might she be the next American Idol?

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