Gareth Gates Dropped By Sony BMG

The Sun reports that ‘Pop Idol’ season one runner-up Gareth Gates was dropped by music chiefs at Sony BMG on Wednesday (April 12). “The record label felt there was no way for them to take Gareth’s career forward,” a source explained. “He had been working hard on trying to relaunch himself with a new sound and new image. But his latest material wasn’t strong enough to compete with fresh talent being churned out on programs like ‘X Factor’.”