''Idol'''s Tamyra gets an RCA record contract

Tamyra Gray’s ouster from ”American Idol” this summer may have been one of the show’s biggest upsets, but as judge Simon Cowell said at the time, ”Watch this space.” Sure enough, Gray is back, with RCA announcing Wednesday that she’s signed a record distribution deal with the label. That makes her the third of ”American Idol”’s top four finishers, after winner Kelly Clarkson and runner-up Justin Guarini, to sign with the label. (What, is Nikki McKibbin chopped liver?)

Starting next year, RCA will distribute solo CDs by all three ”Idol” alumni, who are signed to ”Idol” producer Simon Fuller’s company, 19 Recordings. ”The ‘American Idol’ finalists are all winners in our eyes,” said RCA chairman Bob Jamieson in a statement. ”Tamyra is a superbly talented singer who holds tremendous promise as a recording artist. We look forward to helping her build a successful recording career.”

Gray is currently knocking ’em dead on the ”Idol” concert tour with her version of ”A House is Not a Home,” MTV reports. Those who don’t get to see her on stage will have to wait until February to see her again, when she returns to Fox to play a high school student on four sweeps-month episodes of ”Boston Public.”

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