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'Idol' Katharine McPhee dumped by label too

By Stone Martindale Jan 10, 2008, 20:08 GMT

11/18/2007 - Katharine McPhee - © Eric Shimohata / PR Photos

Ex "Idol" contestant Katharine McPhee has joined fellow “Idols” Taylor Hicks and Ruben Studdard as former members of the Sony BMG family. The artist has parted ways with RCA after a solitary album, a 2007 self-titled affair that debuted at No. 2 on The Billboard 200.

A label source confirmed McPhee’s departure, which was first reported by Entertainment Weekly.

McPhee struggled to connect with a wide audience with her debut, which was led by the single “Over It.” That track topped out at No. 22 on Billboard’s Top 40 Mainstream chart and No. 29 on the Hot 100. The album has sold just 366,000 units in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

As McPhee told Billboard last year, she quickly realized the art of the compromise when it came to record the album, fresh off the road from the “American Idols Live” tour.

McPhee’s prior experience was solely limited to musical theater.