According to the NY Times, Kelly Clarkson is attempting to assert her independence already:

Ms. Clarkson, 20, the former comedy-club waitress who triumphed on "American Idol" on Wednesday night, said in an interview that she was considering withdrawing from singing the national anthem at a Sept. 11 commemoration at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington.

A Washington charity, Champions of Hope, had agreed with Ms. Clarkson's management company, 19 Entertainment, one of the producers of the "American Idol" show, that the winner of the competition would sing at the organization's "United Day of Service" ceremony on Sept. 11.

The deal prompted criticism that the producers of "American Idol," which attracted 23 million viewers for the show's finale, were turning a day of national mourning into a giant promotional opportunity. Yesterday, Ms. Clarkson said, "I think maybe it's a bad idea."

"If anybody thinks I'm trying to market anything, well, that's awful," she added. "I am not going to do it."

Executives at Fox Television, which broadcast the program, last week began to distance themselves from the deal made by the producers of "American Idol." One senior Fox executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a performance that day could be seen as exploitative. "I hope she reconsiders that one," the executive said.

Melissa Helmbrecht, the founder of Champions of Hope, a group that organizes young people to volunteer for community service, said Ms. Clarkson was still on board.

"She's still scheduled to sing," Ms. Helmbrecht said.

Ms. Helmbrecht said that news stations had inquired about covering the events but that it was not scheduled to be broadcast on any specific network. It is open to the public, she said, and free.

Tom Ennis, who runs 19 Management, a division of 19 Entertainment Ltd., based in London, said yesterday that he would allay Ms. Clarkson's concerns and that she would sing the anthem on Sept. 11.

Meanwhile, Kelly and the Idolaters have a full schedule ahead of them:

American Idol's top 30 contestants are scheduled to perform in a show from Las Vegas that will air on Fox on September 23.
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