Idol's McCreery tops album chart

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13 October 2011 Last updated at 09:57 GMT McCreery is known for his deep bass voice Eighteen-year-old country singer Scotty McCreery has become the first American Idol winner to top the US charts with a debut album since 2003.

McCreery, who beat Lauren Alaina in May's final, sold 197,000 copies of Clear As Day in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

He is also the youngest solo male artist to go straight to the top of the Billboard 200 with their debut release.

And the first country act to debut at the top with their first studio album.

Ruben Studdard was the last American Idol winner to go to number one with a debut album, when Soulful sold 417,000 copies in its opening week - entering the chart on 27 December 2003.

Kelly Clarkson - the show's first winner in 2002 - also went to number one, on 3 May 2003, with Thankful, which sold 297,000.

Lee DeWyze, winner in 2010, only managed sales of 39,000 copies and an opening chart position of number 19.

The previous youngest male solo artist to open at number one with their first album was Omarion, then 20, with O, in 2005.

Prior to embarking on a solo career, the R&B singer was a member of US boyband B2K.

McCreery, known for his deep bass voice, released American Idol winner's single I Love You This Big - which reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 - on 25 May.

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Michael Jackson Gets Posthumous Album — And Cirque du Soleil Show

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Michael Jackson's family attend the world premiere of "The Immortal World Tour" in Montreal on Sunday.

Christinne Muschi / Reuters

Details of his death may currently be under the spotlight, but fans will soon have the chance to celebrate the highlights of Michael Jackson's life thanks to a new posthumous album scheduled for November.

Immortal, set to feature newly-discovered outtakes and revamped versions of the star's biggest hits, will become the fourth compilation to be released since the King of Pop's passing in June 2009.

Distributed by Epic Records in conjunction with Jackson's official estate, the album will also showcase a highly-anticipated alternative version of the Jackson 5 classic "ABC."

(PHOTOS: Artifacts from the Michael Jackson Estate)

Kevin Antunes, the music designer who has been reworking MJ's original recordings, said in a statement that the new album "was built with love and respect for Michael's music, his family, and his millions of fans around the world."

Immortal forms the soundtrack for a new Cirque du Soleil spectacular focusing on the singer's music and life. Jackson's three children were in Montreal on Sunday for the "Immortal World Tour" premiere, ahead of its 10-month schedule across North America.

Having left what is said to be a "wealth of musical material" behind, Jackson seems likely to continue adding to his estimated 750 million worldwide record sales for many years to come.

Immortal goes on sale on November 21 and will be available as a single 15-track album or a deluxe double-disc 22-track edition.

PHOTOS: A Post-Michael Guide to the Jackson Family

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"(The Rapture will) be finished out on Oct. 21, that's coming very shortly. That looks like it will be ... the final end of everything."

— HAROLD CAMPING, giving an update on when the Rapture, an event he says started on May 21, will finish (via Christian Post)

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