Idol Chatter & Voice Views

I’m sure no one wants to think about the end of summer before it begins, but Hersheypark has announced that Kellie Pickler will close out the 2012 season at the Hershey Amphitheatre.

Kellie will perform at the amusement park at 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 30.

Better yet, the show will be free with admission to the park, so it’ll be a bargain if you’re a fan of roller coasters and the Season 5 Idol.

At a cost of about $25 million, Hersheypark has added a new coaster — Skyrush — this year, but it has also raised title prices for folks 9 to 54 to $56.95. For more on the park’s plans for 2012, go here.

As for Kellie, she released her third album, “100 Proof,” earlier this year to a better reception among critics than the music-buying public. It debuted at number seven, but spent just five weeks on the Billboard 200.

She has, however, been nominated for a CMT Music Award for the video of “Tough,” her first single from the album.

Undeterred, Kellie has a long list of tour dates set for the next few months. And if you don’t mind driving to the Pocono Mountain area, you don’t have to wait until September to catch her live.

She’ll perform at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, Pa., on June 14. Tickets are $32 and $37, and you can get more information by heading here.