If there is a death knell of 'American Idol,' it seems as though this news could be the first ring. The notoriously successful tour that follows each season of the show has been forced to cancel nine tour stops on this year's foray. This is a bad sign.

19th Entertainment, the 'Idol' production company, cut the number of tour stops from 40 to 31. Cities like St. Louis, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Detroit, Las Vegas, Oakland and three other stops all had their 'Idol' concerts cancelled.

A spokesperson issued a statement saying (via Perez Hilton), "Due to production scheduling changes, the American Idol 2013 Tour will now begin on July 19th and go through the summer until Aug. 31st. The Idols look forward to performing in 30 venues across the country."

We have a sneaking suspicion that there was more issues than just production scheduling that lead to the tour cancellations. With 'Idol' viewership at an all-time low, we surmise that ticket sales to the tour were also suffering. People don't typically buy tickets to see someone they've never seen or heard. Just sayin'...

Season 12 of 'American Idol' was filled with drama that had nothing to do with the aspiring singers. Judging table bickering between Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj was a huge distraction and led to both divas having a one-and-done 'Idol' career. Veteran judge Randy Jackson quit the show and rumors are Keith Urban will be replaced too. Drama. Rama.

Looks like 'Idol' is losing its luster... and fast.

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