Vonzell Solomon's acting debut

Vonzell Solomon, the former Fort Myers Postal Worker finished third on last season's "American Idol,"

Since Vonzell's exit last season, the singer has been traveling all over the United States for public appearances on TV shows such as "The Tyra Banks Show," and VH-1's "Big in O5" awards show, concerts and other events such as Kellogg's 100-year anniversary party and serving as grand marshal for the Edison Festival of Light parade in Fort Myers.

Solomon finished season four of “American Idol” behind Bice and winner Carrie Underwood. She shot to fame on the show as a soul and R&B singer, covering songs by Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston. Now Vonzell has another string to her bow .. Actress.

Last summer, Vonzell was scheduled to appear in the film “Still Green,” much of which was being shot in Bonita Springs and Naples. But the night before her scene was scheduled to be shot at Silver Platter Records in Fort Myers, the film crew’s van was vandalized and her scene appeared to be in doubt. But the filmmakers insisted on making it happen and happen it did, finally, shooting in April 2006. Vonzell Solomon was in Charleston, S.C., to film her big-screen debut.
She plays Chelsea, a record-store clerk who tries to assist one of the main characters in finding an obscure record by a punk band.

“He gives me some attitude because I don’t know the band and that the record is filed in the pop section instead of the alternative section,” she said. “He gives me some attitude and I give it right back to him. There’s a little flirting going on too.”

“Still Green” is about a group of recent high school graduates who rent a beach house in Southwest Florida as a last hurrah before heading off to college. What was supposed to be a tranquil week, however, turns into tragedy.

“It was really interesting to see how a movie is shot,” Solomon said. “They had to shoot my scene from all these different angles.”

Next up for Solomon is an appearance on this season’s “American Idol” and the release of a new CD. She is continuing to work on her new CD for the indie label Melodic Records. When real clerks in record stores will be getting it, she doesn’t know.

“I’m still working on it, so I don’t know when it’ll be out,” she said