Within hours of its release, Tim Halperin's album "Rise and Fall" reached No. 1 under the singer/songwriter section on iTunes. 

Tim Halperin was released from "jail" at 9 Tuesday morning, just as his CD "Rise and Fall"  went on sale to the public.

Halperin is expected to perform  at 11 a.m. on KiddTV. Halperin teamed with radio disc jockey Kid Kraddick to promote the release of the album from a self-imposed jail from the Shops at Legacy mall in Plano.

Halperin spent 28 hours in behind bars to symbolize the “jail” of his “American Idol” contract. Under the terms of the contract Halperin was prohibited from releasing any music.

“I’ve been doing the same song writing thing for years and I got really going strong when I was at TCU,” Halperin said. “So for me it felt like being in prison because I couldn’t release my music for people, which is what I love to do and want to do.”

In a telephone interview Monday afternoon,  Halperin said he had about 20,000 people watch him live online at Ustream.tv and 100 people come by and see him.

Halperin played songs from his new album and making some up on the spot.

“I’ve been doing songs so randomly, trying to take some requests,” Halperin said. “I’ve been being my ridiculous goofy self and making up some songs on the fly. People say some funny stuff and I’ll make a song about it for the ‘Ustreamers’.”

Halperin said he was surprised he’d been able to keep his energy up throughout the day but his biggest inspiration of the day was the Kidd’s Kids charity. Founded by Kidd Kraddick, Kidd’s Kids is a 501(c)(3) organization for children with chronic or terminal illnesses. Every year Kidd Kraddick takes 50 to 60 children and their families to Disney World. 

Halperin said Kraddick asked Halperin to write the Kidd’s Kids song for this year.

“It’s the first track on my CD, ‘Rise and Fall’, so all the proceeds from that track on iTunes will go to Kidd’s Kids,” Halperin said. “So I’m out here taking donations for Kidd’s kids and that, to me, has been the biggest inspiration.”

Halperin has already raised money for the Susan. G. Komen Foundation with his single “We Fight Back.”

“I try to always be about giving back with my music and I want to make sure that is always a huge element of what I do,” Halperin said. “There is always going to be need out there and if you have ability and skills or talents or ways to bring people hope or help people out I think you need to use those gifts for that.”

The title of this article was updated, correcting the misspelling of Halperin's name, at 3:34. p.m. on Monday, September 26th.