In just a few weeks, American Idol Live! will kick off its summer tour. Tickets for the season 11 tour went on sale to the general public on May 11. The tour, which will consist of 45 performances across North America, begins on Friday, July 6 in Detroit, MI at the Joe Lewis Arena, according to the official “American Idol” website.

The performances will continue throughout the months of July and August and conclude on September 11 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Some notable stops along the way include two performances in Canada &mdash Ontario on July 25 and Toronto on August 16 — along with Los Angeles CA; Dallas, TX; Washington, DC; and Philadelphia, PA.

“Every year we are amazed at the extraordinary wealth of untapped talent that is discovered on ‘American Idol’ and we couldn’t be happier with this season’s top 10 contestants,” stated Iain Pirie, the president of 19 Entertainment said in a statement to Fox 19. “We are truly excited to bring our contestants on tour across America directly to our fans’ hometowns.”

The American Idol Live! tour will feature the 10 finalists of this past season of “American Idol” — Colton Dixon, Hollie Cavanagh, DeAndre Brackensick, Jessica Sanchez, Elise testone, Joshua Ledet, Erika Van Pelt, Heejun Han, Skylar Laine, and Phillip Phillips.

Phillip Phillips beat Jessica Sanchez in the May 13 finale to take the title of “American Idol” for season 11. Phillips, the 21 year-old guitar wielding musician from Georgia, won over the audience with his performance of “Home” which is his debut single.

Reports of Phillips health concerns soon overshadowed his crowning achievement. The singer under-went eight surgeries to “treat a build-up of kidney stones,” according The Hollywood Reporter. Despite the series of surgeries, all of which took place in the midst of this past season, it was thought that Phillips would be in need of additional surgery in June, which could have conflicted with the start of the tour. However according to MTV, Phillips has since received an “alternative treatment” that has been effective in treating him. The surgery is still an option, but may, at this time, be unnecessary. Phillips stated that he will still be touring with the other Top 10 Idols.

Sanchez, the 16 year-old from California offered audiences a soulful sound and states on the “Idol” site that her musical influences include Beyonce, Celine Dion, and Michael Jackson, among others. Just a few weeks prior to the big finale Sanchez found herself in last place. When asked about it in an interview with Rolling Stone Sanchez replied, “I sang a not very well-known song from a not very popular artist, but I wanted to sing it and if I [had gone home], it was from doing what I wanted to do.”

Thankfully, according to Rolling Stone, the judges — Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson, and Steven Tyler — “saved her” and she was able to return to the show to become the runner-up. Sanchez further explained to Rolling Stone that the “save” didn’t cause her to lose confidence, but just pushed her harder.

According the New York Times, season 11 experienced huge rating dips compared to seasons past. Nielsen ratings reported a typical episode this season saw an audience of 19.2 million compared to 24.7 million from last season. Despite the drop in ratings the demand for tickets to the American Idol Live! tour remains with the performance in Jackson, MI currently sold out, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The “American Idol” site states that this year $1 of every ticket purchased is being donated to The Heart Foundation, which helps save lives and eradicate heart disease.

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UPDATE:

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Phillip Phillips has undergone surgery for kidney stones. Phillips rep tells THR that, “He will be ready for the Idol tour kick off in July!”

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