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Jennifer Lopez? Nah. Kara DioGuardi? Over her. American Idol Season 7 runner-up David Archuleta shares with me his dream team to step in as Idol’s new judging panel.

Judge One: Elton John
“He would be really cool,” says Archuleta. “He is an icon who has established himself strong in the business. He has taken risks and has been through it all. He would be respected and people would really listen to what he has to say. He’s also English like Simon, so we could expect him to speak his mind.”

Judge Two: Randy Jackson
“Randy is one of the few originals left, so I think for old time sake it would good to have him around,” Archuleta says. “When people look at American Idol, he’s someone we all think of.”

Judge Three: Madonna
“She does what she does and always surprises people,” notes Archuleta. “She was the trend starter. She would be a very open, opinioned judge who would make sure what she says is helpful to those on stage.”

Wohoo! David Archuleta walked the red carpet at the 2010 Teen Choice Awards. David didn’t just walk the red carpet though, he also took home an award for Choice American Idol Alum!

David Archuleta’s parents filed for divorce a month after dad James Jeffrey’s arrest at a Utah massage parlor for allegedly soliciting a prostitute, according to divorce papers obtained by RadarOnline.com.

James Jeffrey and Lupe Marie Archuleta blame irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split, and have agreed to share joint custody of their three minor children. They have five in all, including singer David, 18.

The elder Archuleta made himself known during his son’s fruitful run on ‘American Idol’ two years ago.

In the court papers, James Jeffrey requests that Lupe pay him $349 in child support each month, they both waved any alimony requests. They’ve agreed to sell their house in Murray, Utah and split the profits.

This is actually their second filing for divorce. The first came in 2002, but they backed out right as David was gaining attention for his singing.

James Jeffrey was arrested in January and charged with soliciting a prostitute at a Utah massage parlor. Archuleta’s attorney claims that his client was there strictly for a back problem, and that no sexual activity occurred. He pleaded “no contest” to the charges, and resolved the situation by paying a $582 fine.

David Archuleta has been nominated for two 2010 Teen Choice Awards, in the American Idol Alum category and the Fan Fanatics category.

He is up against Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry, Jennifer Hudson, and Kelly Clarkson in the American Idol Alum category. In the Fan Fanatics category, he is pitted against the Glee Cast, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, and the Twilight Cast.

David Archuleta is highlighted in the current issue of 20 Under 20 Magazine. Kimberly Lawson reports, “The teen Idol plans his second album and writes his memoirs.”

Move over, Justin Bieber, there’s another pint-sized singing sensation on the scene! David Archuleta might be short in stature but he’s certainly not short on talent. This crooning cutie rose to fame with the help of not just one but two star-making making machines: Star Search and American Idol. The Utah native claimed the title of Junior Vocal Champion at the age of 12, and while he might have only come in second to David Cook two years ago on American Idol, his success in the music industry is second to none.

Shortly after his run on American Idol, David Archuleta released his self titled debut album. The album itself went on to sell over half a million copies, while the lead single ‘Crush’ became one of the biggest hits of 2008, moving 1.8 million downloads. And late last year, he released a Christmas album which included covers of yuletide favourites like ‘Silent Night’, ‘O Holy Night’, and ‘Ave Maria’.

These days, David is hard at work in the studio working on a follow up record. The teen heartthrob is working with some of the same great writers and producers, like Emanuel ‘E-man’ Kiriakou, who helped craft his debut, but he says he wants his follow up to be a bit more grown up. According to his blog on DavidArchuleta.com, he’s taking the reigns by writing more of his material this time around as well. He told the L.A. Times earlier this year, ‘Lyrically, I just want it to sound more like me. I want people to say, ‘This is David talking.’ Instead of just interpreting.’ David obviously knows what he wants, and it sounds like a recipe for success!

Fun Facts About David

-David Archuleta was born in Miami, FL on December 28, 1990, but spent most of his childhood in Murray, Utah
-David’s fans and friends on American Idol call him ‘Archie’
-In 2005, David suffered vocal paralysis and had to undergo risky surgery on his vocal chords.
-David gets his vocal chops from his mother, Lupe, who is also a singer.

Earlier this year he was heavily involved in disaster relief efforts for Haiti; the singer donated his time to the NBC Hope for Haiti telethon, funds to Plane to Haiti, and lent his voice to the Spanish language We Are the World remake. Even more recently, he’s teamed up with DoSOmething.org to help other teens who have been affected by natural disasters. Gotta love a star who’s heart is as big as his talent!

With a gorgeous voice, a knack for songwriting, and a heart for helping people, it’s easy to see why David Archuleta has held on to his American Idol fanbase well after his run on the show and picked up new fans along the way. Keep an eye out for this book this summer, and his next single, which is due to impact radio later this year.

Thank you to Becca for the scans and to ArchieRx.com for posting them on their site.