According to MTV.com:

"Within the last three weeks, Sony BMG has reportedly severed ties with three former "Idol" contestants — the most recent being season-five runner-up Katharine McPhee, whose sole eponymous effort for the label, which dropped in late 2006, has sold only 365,500-plus copies since its release.

While McPhee's dismissal has yet to be officially confirmed by RCA Records, a source confirmed the parting to Entertainment Weekly on Wednesday. A spokesperson for McPhee could not be reached by press time.

Just last week, season-five victor Taylor Hicks was dumped by J Records, in what was described as a "mutual" split. Hicks wrote on his MySpace page that "artistic freedom and control [was] an exciting prospect" for him, and that he's begun writing tracks for his next release, which, according to The Associated Press, he'll be recording independent of any label. Hicks' self-titled debut has scanned nearly 700,000 copies since first it hit stores in 2006; it was the first album from an "Idol" winner that failed to reach the 1 million sold mark.

Late last year, "American Idol" season-two champ Ruben Studdard was also chopped from the J Records roster, following a poor showing for his 2006 LP, The Return, which, to date, has sold 236,000 units. "

Looks like quality music surpasses reality show fame and recognition.

"I'm just sayin" 



Aaron Fields is the Sales Marketing Coordinator for KSTW-TV in Seattle. All opinions expressed in this column are strictly his.