Access Atlanta > American Idol Buzz > Archives > 2008 > February
February 2008
2/28: Alexandrea Lushington’s exit interview, Robbie Carrico’s hair
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Douglasville teen Alexandrea Lushington was the Queen of Poise Thursday when she was ousted in the semifinals of “American Idol.” Oddly, her friend and fellow contestant “Idol” David Archuleta was the one falling apart, tears flowing. Lushington ended up consoling him with a hug.
“I probably would have been the same way if he had left,” Lushington told me during a press conference Friday. “I’d never seen him that emotional before.” By coincidence, Lushington and Archuleta knew each other a few years ago when they competed against each other on CBS’s “Star Search.” (Archuleta outlasted her that time, too.)
They bonded as younger contestants: “We were minors so we were always in school. We ate lunch and breakfast with each other. Our dads would hang out together. We’d joke that our dads were like Laurel & Hardy.”
Lushington landed a song to sing Wednesday she had never heard before, the very mellow ’70s Chicago hit “If You Leave Me Now.” The judges were lukewarm, and the voters obviously weren’t impressed either.
“I could have done better and I’m capable of better,” she said. She took solace that judge Randy Jackson was a big supporter. “That gave me a slight piece of motivation. I don’t regret anything.”
TMZ a few days intimated that Robbie Carrico might be wearing (gasp!) extensions. This mtv.com story says it’s real. And so did Robbie today on the press conference:
“I’ve been growing this hair for a very long time,” he said. “I think it’s ridiculous they have to come up with something like that. No wigs!”
As for his Britney past, “I haven’t spoken to her in many years. It was a long time ago. We were friends on tour. That was pretty much the gist of it. It wasn’t that big of a deal. We went on a couple of dates. That was pretty much it.”
What song would have have sung next week if he had survived from the ’80s? Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell.” Could he do the snarl?
2/28: Hometown gal Alexandrea Lushington out, plus Jason Yeager, Alaina Whitaker, Robbie Carrico
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Poor song choice helped do in Douglasville teen Alexandrea Lushington, who picked a lame Chicago song and didn’t do enough with it to survive. In the blogosphere, she was among those targeted to go home after an okay week one and a mediocre week two. She also suffered from relative lack of airtime.
“To me it’s not really the right choice, but you know, listen, here’s the problem,” Randy said. “You’re a great singer, you’ve got great skills. You just picked the wrong song. It was the wrong time for that. You need to shine every time.”
She was very stoic about her departure, no tears during the broadcast. In her farewell, she sang “If You Leave Me Now” again and actually did it with more emotion and improved upon her performance that aired Wednesday.
Her “Star Search” competitor David Archuleta was seen crying emotionally. He beat her five years ago, too. Ouch. The cameras did not close in on any of the gals crying. She went over and hugged Archuleta. Awww….
Alaina Whitaker, the Carrie Underwood lookalike, being ousted was not a surprise. She did a pageant-like version of “Hopelessly Devoted To You” and failed to distinguish herself personality wise from the other blonde gals who got more airtime. She was really torn up over it and said she couldn’t sing. Such a sweet gal. She eventually got her act together to sing Olivia Newton John one more time, with the other gals surrounding her. Despite or because of her emotional state, she did much better than Wednesday. Go figure.
Kady Malloy and Amanda Overmyer were threatened but both had enough personality (and in Amanda’s case, a good first week) to survive.
Among the guys, the first to go was Jason Yeager, who was again one of the pre-top 24 ignored ones. He simply didn’t do anything special. We won’t remember him in about three hours.
And shocking no one, the ex-Britney boyfriend/former boy band/fake rocker dude Robbie Carrico was cut, too. He was simply overshadowed by David Cook, who seems more legit in that arena. Now if only Robbie had pulled off those alleged extensions live on air! That would have made him truly memorable!
So I got three out of four right. That’s not bad after getting only two right last week.
During the group sing, was it just me or was Amanda even worse than she was yesterday? And since it was a Bonnie Tyler song, she should have hit her little portion of the song out of the park.
And as you’ve noticed, I’ve stopped reporting on www.dialidol.com numbers. I personally think with more people text messaging, it makes the issue of “busy signals” less of an issue and ultimately makes the predictions less useful.
The Fox press release sent out at midnight EST notes that Blake Lewis will perform his next single “How Many Words” on the results show March 6. His first single “Break Anotha” went nowhere.
Reality check for the semifinalists who don’t make the final 12. Paula may say this is just the beginning but how many semifinalists have done anything of note?
On a related topic:
Has there been a season where the ostensible likely winner appeared so early in the competition? (I might repeat this blog entry topic on a slower day but I’ll post it now, too.) Justin was the early fave season one before Kelly overshadowed him by week two of the competition. Ruben & Clay had the tightest battle of them all season two and nobody could predict who could pull it off at any point. Fantasia was not necessarily a lock at this stage season three with LaToya and Jennifer Hudson nipping at her heels at this stage, but by the time she did “Summertime” in the top 8, it was over. Season four, Simon nailed Carrie as the winner very very early on and he was right. Bo made a nice run but couldn’t quite reach her. Season five, Daughtry and Taylor were considered the likeliest winners at this stage but nobody could predict who would pull it off. Last year, Jordin hadn’t broken out yet at this stage and even though LaKisha had blown us out of the water with her “And I’m Not Telling You,” I don’t think folks were fully convinced she had enough range and personality to take it all the way home. I don’t think Jordin became the true contender to win until the top 10.
In other Idol news:
Nigel has finally wrangled clearance after years of trying for the Beatles catalog. Woohoo! The top 12 will sing Beatles hits. This should be good! Ryan Seacrest broke the news yesterday on his radio show.
“It’s something we’ve waited for for seven seasons now,” Idol executive producer Nigel Lythgoe told Seacrest. “Sony has agreed to release the Lennon and McCartney songbook to us.”
Next week, by the way is my decade: the ’80s! And Ruben is singing the farewell song! And for the April “Idol Gives Back” special, guests will include Mariah Carey Snoop Dogg, Daughtry, Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Miley Cyrus and Carrie Underwood.
Amanda had a DUI. yawn. TMZ reported this and Robbie Castro’s alleged extensions to make him look more like a rocker.
And it seems David Archuleta’s version of “Imagine” was closer to that of the late jazz-pop singer Eva Cassidy. Check this out:
And he apparently sang that version a couple of years ago on “Good Day Utah,” which is probably why it was so smooth and nuanced. It wasn’t like he learned that rendition 72 hours earlier. This is similar to Daughtry two years ago when he sang a cool version of Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line,” that was actually similar to that of Live.
2/27: Top 10 gals recap. Blah city!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This is a rare week where not a single performance deeply impressed me. I didn’t give anybody more than a B-plus. At least Ryan didn’t say this was the best group ever again because tonight, that certainly was NOT the case.
The best of a mediocre lot? I’m going to give it to Carly out of default, followed by Syesha, then Kristy Lee Cook. My favorite Asia’h I rank fourth. Brooke and Ramiele are fifth and sixth, followed by Alexandrea. Kady Malloy is someone I so want to like because she’s so entertaining in film, as Simon said, but her vocals are oh so bleh.
The two worst performances were Amanda Overmyer and Alaina Whitaker. Who will go home? It might just be those two. I’m not looking at dialidol.com or your comments. Those are just my gut instincts.
Carly Smithson (“Crazy on You” Heart) - She works at an Irish bar and is a homebody. She opts for a Heart classic. This is a good song pick for her. She feels comfortable and sings it competently. Is her voice ultra special? I’m not quite feeling that. So it was good enough. Randy: “It was good towards the end. Beginning was a little rough. The lower notes give you more problems.” Paula: “It takes a fine singer to sing those big notes. It’s great to hear you back healthy.” Simon: “I thought it was a much better performance than last year. I still don’t think yet you’ve connected with the right song. You are an incredible singer. What you have done is chosen that one song that will give you that absolute moment.” B-plus
Syesha Mercado (“Me & Mr. Jones” The Dramatics) - She’s an actress and they show one of her commercials. She also imitates a baby quite well. She’s got a sexy, caressing voice and she does this song like a pro. I enjoyed it. Randy: “I don’t think this was a great song for you. You got that big belting voice… pick songs you can do that on, everything sparkles.” Paula: “You fall out of pitch on the softer notes. I liked the interpretation.” Simon: “I thought it was a bit indulgent. The song was obviously not written for a girl. I was put off as soon as you started it. It’s not a song designed for you.” B-plus
Brooke White (“You’re So Vain” Carly Simon) She’s a hair stylist. Well, of course she’s going to do Carly Simon! Her voice isn’t quite as good as Carly, though. It doesn’t quite have level of depth. This song is ultimately venomous and she’s way too happy singing it. Randy: “It was a great song choice. I always felt you had that Carly Simon vibe. I don’t think you brought anything different to it.” Paula: “I feel this was a perfect song choice. It suits you. I liked what you did. You brought familiarity.” Simon: “I absolutely loved it. It absolutely connected. The song didn’t sound old fashioned.” B
Ramiele Malabay (“Don’t Leave Me This Way” Thelma Houston) She used to Polynesian dance when she was young. (Sure beats Sanjaya doing it a year ago!). Good song choice for her silky voice. I don’t think she has the best stage presence. She should have moved around more. I enjoy listening to her more with my eyes closed. Not that she isn’t pretty but she lacks a vibrancy that, say, Asia’h, possesses. Randy: “This was just okay vocally. Song choice was weird.” Paula: “You powered through. It’s the same notes. I feel like you didn’t get to perform your magic.” Simon: “Astonishingly, I agree with Paula. Trouble with that song is I’ve heard it so many times at ghastly weddings.” She kept changing song choices. B
Kristy Lee Cook (“You’re No Good’ Linda Ronstadt) She’s a tomboy. She needs a serious comeback to stick around. What a strange walking style and stance! Nonetheless, this is her best vocal performance since “Amazing Grace.” Strange last note, too. Randy: “That’s 100% improvement over last week. Better song choice. I was waiting for a breakout moment that didn’t quite happen.” Paula: “You’re back!” Simon: “I couldn’t remember what you sang last week. My only worry is I don’t know what to label you. I think if you go country you’d make more of a statement. I’m not sure you did with that song.” B-plus
Amanda Overmyer (“Carry On My Wayward Son” Kansas) She’s a bookworm! Go education! She has such a gritty voice, it sounds like she has been smoking for 30 years. As we suspected, when she goes soft, she sounds really rough. Missed notes all over the place. She doesn’t even look all that comfortable. Randy: “It wasn’t the right song choice. Way too much melody. Too many instrumental breaks.” Paula: “You got some moves. You can dance! You got to do what fits right and not worry about anything else.” Simon: “I thought in your film, you came over as very natural, very cool. Nothing felt real. I couldn’t wait for it to finish.” C
Alaina Whitaker (“Hopelessly Devoted To You” Olivia Newton John) She has an OCD issue of ensuring her food doesn’t touch each other on the plate. The problem with her is we already have Carrie Underwood. It was okay but nothing to write home about. Randy: “I don’t think that was the right song. The verses were really pitchy.” Paula: “I thought you did such a good job.” Simon: “I like you. My problem is it’s almost as if your grandmother prepared you for this audition. Everything about you is old fashioned.” He sees her as a dark horse, though. C-plus/B-minus
Alexandrea Lushington (“If You Leave Me Now” Chicago) She sang every year for the Atlanta Fire Department. They show a video of her doing the National Anthem. I’ve always found this to be an exceedingly boring song and she does about as well with it as she could. It was solid but again, her upper registers aren’t as strong as her lower. It never hit the wow button. Randy: “It was so safe for you. You got mad vocal skills.” Paula: “I still feel that you did let go and do your own arrangement. You made it your own.” Simon: “I was a big big fan of yours in the early stages. It’s absolutely stuck in its time period and there’s nothing you can do with the song. You were inconsistent. You looked uncomfortable with it.” She admits being an underdog. B/B-minus
Kady Malloy (“Magic Man” Heart) She can sing opera. And she imitates Simon. Tough song. This is the one Amanda should have sung. Kady’s vocals are just a wee too mellow to take on such an edgy song. It was okay but no pop. Randy: “You never found the pitch.” Paula: “When you powered, you sounded great.” Simon: “I’m very frustrated because everything you do on film is fantastic. The opera was very good. Then you come out here like someone trying to impersonate Christina.” B-minus
Asia’h Epperson(“All By Myself” Eric Carmen) She was a cheerleader. Geez. What a boring song! She starts kind of slow, misses the first chorus but she does a nice ending. Randy: “I know you were sick. But I got to tell you. Very difficult song. Celine sang everything out of it. Highest degree of difficulty. You did a good job.” Paula: “It was great. You had problems in the low parts, low notes.” Simon: “You have got to be one heck of a singer to pull it off. Unfortunately, you’re not. You shouldn’t have attempted that song. You almost got away of it.” B-plus
2/26: David Archuleta dominates - top 10 recap
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The night started slow and shaky but got better during the second half. Chikezie and Luke probably saved themselves but Robbie Carrico and Jason Yeager are in deep trouble.
David Archuleta just solidified his front runner status right then and there with “Imagine.” Phew! No contest. I can see him winning this easily.
The rest in order: David Hernandez, David Cook, Chikezie Eze were all excellent. Danny Noriega surprised me and I’m ranking him fifth. Luke Menard saved himself and I thought deserved No. 6. Close call but I place Jason Castro just ahead of Michael Johns, a disappointing No. 8. The bottom two are clear and as noted are Jason Yeager and at the bottom, Robbie Carrico.
Michael Johns (“Go Your Own Way” Fleetwood Mac) - First up! He’s big on tennis. Is this the first time Fleetwood Mac has ever cleared a song for “Idol”? It’s just an okay rendition. His vocals are a bit sloppy. It was good, not especially astounding. And that T-shirt is kind of ordinary. He likes to pull his mike in and out while hitting bigger notes. Interesting. Randy: “It started a little slow for me then you got into it. I wanted you to let you, you didn’t quite go there.” Paula: “You’ve got the whole crowd working. You’re a seasoned performer. You’re charming. You’re already there.” Simon: “It was by far your weakest performance. It’s what I call coasting along. There was no moment. A very weak choice of song.” B
Jason Castro (“I Just Want to Be Your Everything” Andy Gibb): What he hates is interviews. Loves singing, hates talking. He started strong, hit a few bad notes along the way, especialy in the chorus, but overall, charming. I liked it more than the judges. Randy: “As a vocalist, if I take [the guitar] away, the vocals just weren’t that good.” Paula: “I think you made a clever choice with the song. I liked the way you musically interpreted it.” She asks him to go without the guitar next week. Simon: “I thought the song was horrible. It was too schmaltzy, didn’t suit your voice. Your vocals were very weak on that. It didn’t got together this week. You looked uncomfortable.” B
Luke Menard (“Killer Queen” Queen) He’s part of an a capella group and has travelled around the world. Up third, he tackles Freddie Mercury. He is no Freddie Mercury on the charisma level. But he is darn good lookin’. Vocally, he’s very clean, just not anything breathtakingly special. Randy: “In degree of difficulty, you chose a tough song. I liked you better this week. This seems more your wheelhouse, your vibe.” Paula: “You picked the perfect song.” Simon: “It was a mistake. You are always going to be judged with the original. The singer of that song had charisma and personality. You didn’t. It was theatrical and verging on whiny.” B/B+
Robbie Carrico (“Hot Blooded” Foreigner) He drag races cars. He starts a bit sluggish, picks it up in the chorus. He’s like a less authentic version of Bo Bice. It’s quite karaoke. I don’t feel him being terribly hot blooded at all. Randy: “I don’t know if the rock is really really your thing. It doesn’t have enough oomph to be a rock voice.” Paula: “You played it a little safe. You have to up the ante.” Simon: “You don’t have to get so defensive. I thought the vocal was okay tonight.” C-plus
Danny Noriega (“Superstar” Carpenters) He sang in a punk rock band in ninth grade. I have to say he’s a far better vocalist than Sanjaya. He did a fine job. Wow! Randy: “I’m a fan of yours. You are a fun guy. There were some problems with the vocal. You have that slow vibratto. You should speed it up. Just let it go.” Paula: “You got amazing vocal skill.” Simon: “Last week was a disaster. It was better. It wasn’t a fantastic vocal. You were trying to so hard. What I do like is you stand out in the crowd and you’re interesting. And you look terrific on camera.” He said last week was a “disaster,” he admits. B-plus/A-minus
David Hernandez” (“Papa Was a Rolling Stone” The Tempations) He was a gymnast as a kid. He’s been my favorite pure vocalist in this competition and tonight, he proved it. That was really impressive. He had control of the stage and the song. Total soul patrol! Randy: “This is the David Hernandez we fell in love with!” Paula: “Your voice is so pure, it pierces right through the heart. You told a story.” Simon: “This may surprise you. In my opinion, that was the best vocal of the night so far.” A-minus/A
Jason Yeager (“Long Train Runnin’” Doobie Brothers) He plays multiple instruments. After last week’s soporific “Moon River,” he’s going to have to step it up to survive. This is better but he lacks the edge to truly pull of that song. He’s almost too clean cut. He just doesn’t have it. Randy: “It isn’t a singer’s kind of song. It was very pitchy and karaoke.” Paula: “It was fun to see this side of you.” She notes it lacks vocal range. “Pick singer’s songs.” Simon: “The simple truth last week was boring. This week was awkeward and ordinary. That horrific ending. It like you were drunk at a party. You are a quite good singer who can’t perform very well. I’m disappointed.” C-plus
Chikezie Eze (“I Believe to My Soul” Donny Hathaway) Why did he drop his last name? It makes him more memorable! His name is Nigerian, translates into “something well created by God.” It’s a mispronunciation but he lets it go. That was a solid performance, very soulful, very dominant. Randy: “Chikezie is back America!” Paula: “Very clever to pick a song in a story. Better remember my name!” SImon: “You look better. You sounded better. A million times better than last week!” A-minus
David Cook (“All Right Now” Free) He’s a huge crossword and word search man, a “word nerd.” Compared to Robbie Carrico, David is a much more convincing rocker. His voice has some edge and grit. Excellent! Randy: “You are our real rocker from the boys. I really really liked that. Smart choice of song.” Paula: “You are the real deal.” Simon: “It was solid. I don’t think that film helped you. Crosswords. That’s boring. That’s partly your problem. You don’t have a lot of charisma.” He talks back: “I don’t have to win you over with charisma. I have to win them over.” Simon: “I know the rules of this conversation… this is called an opinion. I don’t think a film like that does you any favors.” A-minus/A
David Archuletta (“Imagine” John Lennon”) He’s in the pimp spot. No surprise there. When he was 11, he got to meet Kelly Clarkson. He even had a video of himself awing Kelly while he sang “And I’m Not Telling You.” What a gutsy choice. He has that X factor. A tour de force in singing technique, with proper emotion and modulation. Bravo! Randy: “Dawg. That was one of the best vocals I’ve ever heard on this show.” Paula: “You are ridiculous. I want to squish you, squeeze your head off and dangle you from my rear view mirror.” (That has to be one of the funniest Paula quotes in history!) Simon: “Very very risky to do a John Lennon song, particularly that one. I got to tell you. Right now you are the one to beat. There are 19 very miserable contestants.” A plus
2/26: Fan names. What’s the next Soul Patrol?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The two most famous, rabid fan bases in “Idol” history were the Claymates for you know who and Soul Patrol for Taylor Hicks. And sadly, there were even a few Fanjayas for that dude from last year we’d all like to forget.
I’m going to freely steal a topic from www.idolator.com and ask if any of this year’s contestants will end up with anything quite so memorable?
Danny Archuleta could certainly have that type of following. Idolator said some are actually calling themselves Danny’s Fanny. That seems wrong. His mom suggested they be called Arch Angels. Some are calling themselves Archies. Any other ideas?
Danny Noriega’s fans? Danimals.
Robbie Carrico? Robbie’s Renegadez.
Luke Menard? Luke Force. (zzz…)
Rickey.org posted a poll asking whether Jason Castro’s fans should be dubbed Castronauts or Dreadheads. Dreadheads won.
Some Michael Johns fans are being considered the “Aussie Posse.” That’s not bad.
Some Carly fans are apparently calling themselves “The Fighting Irish” or “Mind Blowers,” in reference to her failed single from 2001 dubbed “I’m Gonna Blow Your Mind.”
Chikezie Eze: Eze Riders. (Hey, that’s pretty witty!)
There are more here.
2/25: Kyle Ensley on Ellen DeGeneres, Carrie Underwood on SNL
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I left the “Separated at Birth” entry up all weekend on purpose since it was so much fun. Two more Luke comparisons: Bryan Cranston of “Malcolm in the Middle” and Hugh Jackman. But alas, let us move on:
Paula Abdul did a phone press conference last Thursday I forgot to check in on. I just listened to the replay. Ultimately, I didn’t miss much. She defended Carly Smithson, saying she was unknown so who cares about her past record deal? She was promoting her video for her new song “Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow.” She complimented David A, Syesha, Jason Castro, Ramiele, Michael, Amanda, Alaina and Carly and as we know, it’s too early to pinpoint a likely winner.
Carrie performed “All American Girl” and “Flat on the Floor” (presumably her third single off her current CD) on “Saturday Night Live,” the first new episode since November 3, pre-strike.
Thank you, MJ, for this one of her doing “All American Girl.”
I loved that kid Kyle Ensley, the future politician. He loves to sing but he’s one of the few that has no desire to try to make it a career. He was cut for Colton Berry, the eliminated Ellen DeGeneres lookalike. So ironically, Kyle landed on Ellen last week:
I agree with Simon that Kyle deserved to stick around for pure entertainment value, but he might have ended up being the Chicken Little//John Stevens of the crew and deprive someone else a spot in the top six guys.
An Irish online betting site Paddy Power has already placed bets on the top 20. I’m sure Chris Sligh at this point was considered a front runner at this stage a year ago. At the moment, the favorites are David Archuleta (5-2), Michael Johns (11-4), Ramiele Malubay (5-1), Syesha Mercado (6-1), Jason Castro and Carly Smithson (8-1) and Asia’h Epperson (10-1). Odds are fairly good all seven will be in the final 12. The bottom three at 50-1 are David Hernandez, Luke Menard and Chikezie Eze.
Gone Country episode No. 5 featured a it more of Bobby Brown’s sleepwalking and he has an unfortunate habit of missing the bathroom when he needs to urinate. Poor Maureen McCormick accidentally steps in it. She also accidentally sees a bit more of Bobby than she would have liked and well, let’s just say he has big hands and feet, ahem. I never thought this show would go this direction*! Less memorably, the team learns line dancing, get some country clothing and work on their songs (though we still hear very little and Julio Iglesias Jr. has zip). Diana gets relatively little airtime on this one though she picks out a tight blue dress.
2/22: It’s Idol separated at birth! Zac Efron & David Archuleta? Michael Johns & Rocco DiSpirito?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Separated at birth!
Someone Friday noted the resemblance between Ted Lange (Isaac from “Love Boat”) and Chikezie. Well, judge for yourself:
And as a farewell to Garrett Haley, here’s Leif Garrett vs. Garrett photographically:
And don’t forget about Peter Frampton, too:
I asked him during the press conference Friday about the comparisons. He said he had no clue who either of them were until the first audition. He went back to the house and Googled the two names. “I was hoping they were decent-looking guys,” he told me. “I was pretty happy when they popped up.”
(By the way, he said he wasn’t able to sing any of his first three song picks and ended up getting assigned “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do.” He had never heard it before. He’s also more a pop-rock guy, which we didn’t get to see. I sense he probably wasn’t familiar with the list of songs and had a hard time picking one himself while some of the more experienced singers knew what they wanted and honed in on them.)
How about chef and “The Restaurant” star Rocco Dispirito vs. Michael Johns
Someone said a young Tim Daly (“Wings,” “Private Practice”), too. What do you think?
Or Carrie Underwood vs. Alaina Whitaker:
The judges compared Brooke White to Carly Simon, stylistically and (apparently) visually:
Does anyone like the resemblance to Mia Farrow?
And since he brought it up himself, ousted Colton Berry vs. Ellen DeGeneres:
I asked Colton about the Ellen DeGeneres comparison. Here’s his response:
“People have been saying it for years. You know what—I’m one of her biggest fans. So you know, I just looked in the mirror and figured, maybe everyone is right. Maybe I look like Ellen. May as well embrace it!”
I asked him if Ellen has asked him to be on her show yet? “I haven’t talked to her yet. She called Ryan Seacrest and laughed with Ryan about the comments I said. If Ellen’s reading this, give me a call!”
How about Luke Menard vs. Kyle McLachlan (“Twin Peaks,” “Desperate Housewives”)?
And folks have also suggested actor Bruce Campbell (“Burn Notice,” “The Evil Dead,” “Hercules” and Orlando Bloom.
This one I’m not buying 100% but they could be siblings: Danny Noriega and Jessica Alba:
If David Archuleta wore his hair with bangs, he’d look a bit more like Zac Efron:
Here’s another one I came up with late Friday— Jerry O’Connell (“Crossing Jordan,” “Carpoolers”) and Jason Yeager:
There were a few others that I looked at that didn’t quite click. David Hernandez and Ray Romano, Grace Slick and Amanda Overmyer and David Spade and Robbie Carrico. And yes, I did look at Nadia Turner and Syesha Mercado but their resemblance is mostly the hair, not the facial features.
2/22: Jordin Sparks No Air video, vote totals
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Darling Idol blogger MJ has tracked voting totals. She noted that first-night voting in season five was 40 million, 32 million last year and just 28 million last night. Looking at dialidol.com, there were hardly any moments when folks had busy signals at all either night, though there appeared to be more fervor for some of the guys.
And here’s the video Jordin Sparks shot after I met her in Buckhead last month for her second big hit “No Air” with Chris Brown:
Plus, ratings last night for the Thursday night results show as 24 million, lowest of the season but not unexpected. It’s only down 1 to 2 percent from a year ago. This week as a whole is only down about 3 percent from 2007 and the gap has shrunken. Year to date, “Idol” has averaged 28.1 million viewers vs. 31.6 million a year ago after 13 episodes. The comparisons will get easier as we enter March and April because ratings started slumping a bit in 2007 as the competition dragged on and it became clear that this was a dull crew minus Sanjaya.
2/21: 1st four out - Garrett Haley, Amy Davis, Joanne Borgella, Colton Berry
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Idol bloggers picked Garrett “Leif Garrett” Haley to take his hair and go home and he was indeed the first one out. (I was not one of them initially but understood why people disliked him.) Breaking up with him was not hard to do.
They psyched out Kristy Lee Cook by having her come up but then cut Amy Davis, the least surprising pick. Everyone agreed she was abysmal last night. Combined with a lack of airtime and it was over. She does “Where the Boys Are” one more time and again, she misses more notes than she hits. Pretty gal, wrong song.
Third out: “Mo’Nique’s Fat Chance” plus-sized model winner Joanne Borgella, who had not a prayer. They created faux tension by placing her next to Amanda Overmyer. But we knew who was going home. Another pretty gal with an indistinguished performance. Being the second one up didn’t help her either. (Ramiele looks devastated as Joanne sings “Say a Little Prayer” again!)
Fourth out is a minor shocker (especially paired with Chikezie): Colton Berry. He wasn’t on anybody’s radar to go compared to the first three but didn’t have a serious chance of winning either. Honestly, we all thought Luke, Jason Y. and Chikezie did worse. He sang ninth, which isn’t a bad spot either. In the end, he got virtually no airtime. I thought his Elvis cover of “Suspicious Minds” was good but obviously not good enough. I bet it was really really close in terms of vote count. (Ramiele, with Kady by her side, is crying again as he bows out!)
The episode also featured the Paula Abdul video for “Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow,” which you can see in yesterday’s blog entry. It’s clear from her limited dance moves that she can’t do what she used to 20 years ago. Blame serious back problems. She still looks good.
Group sing was the usual cheesefest. I did enjoy the 60s wigs and dress. I didn’t pay terrible close attention to individual singing.
Based on blog feedback, it also appears a lot of folks really didn’t like Amanda. And Carly is about as polarizing as it gets. And could Danny Noriega be this year’s Sanjaya?
In other Idol news:
Jordin Sparks is in Ghana hanging out with the prez.
One blogger thinks Michael Johns lip-synced Tuesday.
2/20: Top 12 gals, Paula Abdul video
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Okay, here I am, better late than never.
There were plenty of first-night jitters and a few major disappointments, a few high points, a few low points. Overall, a mixed bag. In the end, the men and women are fairly evenly matched, as Simon said. There’s a decent top 12 in there somewhere.
Several of the gals were sick, especially Kristy Lee and Carly, the bookends of the night. It’s easy to pinpoint the two who should go home: Amy Davis and Joanne Borgella.
Here’s how I liked them in order: Asia’h, Amanda, Syesha are the top three. Ramiele, Carly, Alexandrea are my next three. Then Brooke, Alaina and Kady. The bottom three: Kristy Lee, Joanne and rockbottom Amy.
Kristy Lee Cook (“Rescue Me” Aretha Franklin) First up! Horse trainer with the past record contract who sold a horse to audition. She’s not soulful enough for this type of song. It’s very bland. She’s cute but this did feel very amusement park. She ends okay but overall, not great. Randy: “I know the pressure is crazy… it wasn’t your best performance. You had pitch problems throughout.” Paula: “Being sick and first one, that’s a double whammy. Don’t let that get in the way of your shine.” Simon: “This seciton, we get to see what you’re really made of. What did we get that? Not a lot. This song didn’t suit you. Your performance was robotic.” C+
Joanne Borgella (“I Say A Little Prayer” Dionne Warwick) She sang second, a bad spot. The plus-sized model who won “Monique’s Fat Chance” pageant. She is a pretty gal. She reminds me of Mandisa minus the pipes. She has a distinctive voice but it’s not terribly compelling. She simply isn’t drawing me in. Disappointing. Randy: “There are some nerves jumping on this evening. It was pretty good… your voice felt a little shaky.” Paula: “You’ve got to pull it together… I liked it, didn’t love it.” Simon: “I didn’t like it. You’ve got to come out and nail it. What you did there was a very average cabaret version of a cabaret song.” C
Alaina Whitaker (“More Today Than Yesterday” Spiral Staircase”), the youngest contestant. She sang third. She looks a bit like a younger Carrie Underwood. I liked the way she started the song. I’m not so keen on her “louder” voice. But she’s not bad, far better than Joanna or Kristy Lee. Randy: “You sang it with so much conviction and confidence.” Paula: “You nailed it.” Simon: “I think you’re very good. I hated the song though.” B
Amanda Overmyer (“Baby Please Don’t Go” Muddy Waters) The rock-and-roll nurse totaled her car on her way to Hollywood. She seems like a one-note gal with the Janis Joplin voice. We’ll see if she can do something else. Wow! A bluesy song! Great guitar work. How did this end up on the list Nigel created? I actually liked her for the first time. Her hair looks like she stole it from Elvira. Randy: “I loved that. A bluesy rocker chick, doing a little scat thing. I like the trousers, too.” Paula: “I just love everything you do. You’re authentic.” Simon: “I really like you. I like you because I genuinely believe you’re authentic… It was all over the place.” But Paula said, “That’s the song.” A-minus/A
Amy Davis (“Where the Boys Are” Connie Francis) A trade-show model and grad student, she also did Janis Joplin. She started the song really offkey. She is truly pitchy. Bad performance deluxe! Randy: “A lot of country singers scoop up to the notes. Patsy Cline is good. You have to hit it dead on. There were a lot of pitch problems.” Paula: “The camera loves you. Once again, I feel the nerves got a little bit of you. I don’t know if it was the most engaging song for you.” Simon: “It was a very boring song, incredibly cabaret… you need that country twang to make that song work and you don’t have that.” C-minus
Brooke White (“So Happy Together” Turtles) She’s the charming sweet innocent gal with the Carly Simon vibe. She has a very mature voice, not very modern feeling. She’s sweet and likable and that will get her by this week. There’s definitely a personality there, if not amazing vocal skills. Randy: “Front part was not good, back part was good.” Paula: “What this competition is about is originality. You have your own thing.” Simon: “You chose the right song. But there are times I feel like I’m in some washing-up commercial from the ’60s. It was very you. I’m struggling with the relevance.” B/B-plus
Alexandrea Lushington (“Spinning Wheel” Blood, Sweat & Tears) Our Douglasville teen is the seventh to sing. She’s starts very breathy. I like her mid-range but her upper registers are in key but not incredibly strong. She’s very energetic, very together. That’s a plus at this stage. I liked it, didn’t love it. Randy: “You blew the doors off that.” Paula: “You took control of how your entrance would be. You thought about your performance. Dope outfit. I saw more confidence than in any tonight.” Simon: “I didn’t get it. It reminded me of these horrible little shows you see, like some awful musical. I didn’t think the vocals are great.” B/B-plus
Kady Malloy (‘A Groovy Kind of Love” The Mindbenders) A recording studio assistant who can imitate Britney way too well. She’s got pageant-level good looks and her performance is kind of at that level, too. Sigh. Randy: “I loved the Britney thing. This song was okay for me. It was so restrained and controlled.” Paula: “We all knew when we first auditioned you is your personality. I want to see the life of you. Fun!” Simon: “Amazingly, for once, I agree with Paula. That was like night of the living dead.” B-minus
Asia’h Epperson (“Piece of My Heart” Janis Joplin) The gal with the Marietta connection whose dad died really blew me away during Hollywood. Can she do it again? Yes! She’s truly a beacon of light in this fog of mediocrity. She has a spirit that just shines on stage and she has a smoky voice that we haven’t really heard yet in this competition. She’s a keeper, a comer, someone who can win this baby. Easily the best of the night. Randy: “I loved you brought a little bit of you in it.” Paula: “You had some really good moments in that song.” Simon: “For me, it was my favorite of the night. You let go.” A
Ramiele Malubay (“You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me” Dusty Springfield) I thought she was a bit overstylized up to this point but she is a looker! She picked a song that Nadia Turner season four owned. (I just watched Nadia’s version on YouTube and that reminded me why I loved her so much.) Technically, Ramiele is excellent. But I don’t feel an emotional connection. I’m not sure why. Randy: “You took your time. It built up. You saved it for the end. Very classy. Almost like a pro. That was hot!” Paula: “You are a force to be reckoned with.” Simon: “I didn’t like you when I first saw you. Then during Hollywood, I thought you were the most consistently good singer. Again, you outsung every single person.” B-plus
Syesha Mercado (“Tobacco Road” The Animals) A working actress, she’s got powerful pipes, even when she had laryngitis in Hollywood. Wow. She chose a rather edgy rock song and gives it a little sexy soul. That last note was a bit off but heck, she really put her heart into it. Phew! Randy: “You definitely can sing. There were a couple of pitchy things. Consistent.” Paula: “Joyful. Fun. Big!” Simon: “It wasn’t your best best performance. It didn’t matter. You are probably one of the most talented girls in this competition.” A-minus/A
Carly Smithson (“The Shadow of Your Smile” Barbra Streisand) Hmmm.. Michael Johns got the crucial last spot Tuesday. Now it’s the other former foreigner with Atlanta connections! This is more proof Nigel & Co. want her in the top 12, come hell or high water. She talks about her past record deal. Wow! It’s out in the open! Did we finally goad them into getting that revealed? Let’s get to it: she’s good. She’s very good, very self assured. Is she my favorite? Not at the moment. Randy: “That’s what this show is all about. I hear you have bronchitis. Guess what. The best vocal of the top 24 right there! Hot! Hot! Blazing hot!” Paula: “You do not even have to power of your voice. Beautiful inflections.” SImon: “I didn’t get it. There is so much hype about you. So much buzz about you. The song was too old fashioned for you.” Thank you Simon for the reality check. B-plus
In other Idol news:
Ratings for the men were 29 million Tuesday night, down only about 1 to 2 percent from the comparable episode a year ago, the smallest gap to date. That’s encouraging for those Fox execs.
Ken Barnes at USA Today noted download sales. “No Air” is the top download among “Idols” at No. 17 and is up to 306K. “Tattoo,” at 25, has sold 1.28 million. Carrie’s “All American Girl,” at 45, has sold 178K. “Before He Cheats,” at 64, has sold a massive 2.17 million. Daughtry has four songs on the chart: “Feels LIke Tonight” at 52 with 133K total. “Over You” at 84, with 878K total. “Home” at 94 with 1.34 mil total. And “It’s Not Over” at 142 and 1.67 mil total. So he has sold four million downloads. Impressive! This on top of his 3.79 million albums sold after moving another 38K (Grammy boosted.). Carrie’s “Carnival Ride” sells another 30K to move up to 1.86 mil and a little more than a month from hitting 2 million. “Some Hearts” moved 21K more and is at a staggering 6.28 million.
Other totals: Kelly’s “Breakaway”: 5.96 mil, “My December” at 751K. Pickler is at 718K, Blake at 264K, Bucky at 325K, Elliott at 494K and three weeks from 500K, Mandisa at 72K, Fantasia at 507K, Bo at 40K, Taylor at 700K, Kat at 367K, Clay at 523K, Ruben at 237K, Constantine at 24K, Paris at 21K and Kimberley at 18K.
And for your enjoyment, the Paula Abdul videe for “Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow.” It’s pretty typical as far as music videos go. Nothing special. I’m not sure why it ends with a shot of Ryan, Randy, Paula and Simon.
2/19: The 12 guys compete (and another ATL connection)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I just heard (and got confirmation) that Asia’h Epperson, one of my early favorites also lived in Marietta for four years at one point in her life, probably at the same time as Carly Smithson! Sheesh! Hopefully, I’ll get to talk to her at some point. She’s got a great shot of making the top 12 based on what we’ve seen so far.
Before we get to the meat of the action, you may or may not have seen that iTunes will be the exclusive provider of “Idol” music but they won’t reveal sales figures, as not to “influence” the voting. Uh huh. (Ryan pimps the connection twice.)
It was a good night, not quite as good as I had expected given the lofty advance notice of these 12. Part of it may have been the limited 50 songs they had to choose from. (No Beatles, no Rolling Stones, no Supremes, et. al). It was far better than a year ago. (I read my account from that night and it wasn’t pretty.)
Who will go home? Jason Yeager and Luke Menard were both ignored early on by the producers and their vocals did nothing to break through. Zzzz… in both cases.
I didn’t have a clear favorite but I liked the top 3 about equally. I have to Castro the stop spot simply because he is truly an underdog. Danny’s over-the-top Elvis places him near the bottom for me but he will survive Sanjaya-style. The top 12 in order for me: Jason Castro, David Cook, Michael Johns, David Hernandez, David Archuleta, Colton Berry, Robbie Carrico, Garrett Haley, Chikezie Ezie, Jason Yeager, Danny Noriega, Luke Mernard.
David Hernandez (“In the Midnight Hour” Wilson Pickett) — He already did a 60s song for his first audition. Raised by single mom in Glendale, Ariz. — same city as Jordin Sparks. Simon was the skeptic. I think he has an amazingly pure voice. At this stage in the competition being first is bad but not fatal. Being second is worse. Does he have the stage presence? I’m not 100% sure. But he’s a solid singer, far better than many past top 12 contestants (including most if not all of last year’s men.) “I like the gospel thing in the front,” Randy said. “Fell a little apart at the end. Watch the long phrasing.” Paula: “It’s lovely. Perfect vibrato.” Simon: “It was better than I thought it was going to be. Beginning was terrific. Middle was rabbit in headlights. You have to loosen up a bit.” (Agreed.)
Chikezie Ezie (“I Love You More Today Than Yesterday” Spiral Staircase) He sang second. He made it to Hollywood a year earlier. He improved this year. He’s got a great voice but it was kind of boring. Maybe it was the song. Or maybe it’s him. Hard to say at this point. Randy: “It was pretty good. The only problem is you’re an old-fashioned singer… make it new, fresh, young.” Paula: “You’ve come a long way.” Simon (calls him jacuzzi): “I hated the whole performance. The suit is hideous. [Chikezie tries to talk back.] The wink was hideous. It was old-fashioned, corny, cheesy. This could have been something we filmed 40 years ago.”
David Cook (“So Happy Together” Turtles) He goes third. A bartender and musician from Missouri, he said he had no clue what that Simon term “worthy” meant in the first audition. I don’t particularly like his rocker looks but he does a fine job with this classic Turtles song. He’s less cheesy than, say, Constantine. Randy: “You worked it out making a rock joint out of ‘So Happy Together.’ It’s crazy!” Paula: “It’s worthy of great praise.” Simon: “I thought it was good. I thought you shouted the song a bit in the middle… You almost made it believable.”
Jason Yeager (“Moon River” Andy Williams) He sang fourth. He’s a 28-year-old singing server from Texas with a son. They give him an extended opening segment focused on said son. What an old-fashioned song. He does nothing to modernize it. He has a fair amount of charms and good looks, as well as solid vocal ability. Is that enough this year? I’m not sure. Randy: “All you guys can blow. You had a couple of problems pitchwise. Never lose concentration.” Paula: “I have such sentimental value to that song. I did my first ballet recital to that song.” [That was dedicated to my grandmother, Jason said. Awww…] Simon: “I bought my first puppy to that song. You came much older [than 28.] It was very cruise ship.”
Robbie Carrico (“One (Is the Loneliest Number) by Three Dog Night) He went fifth. Britney’s ex is all rocked out. “I was in an boy-girl group and toured with Britney Spearks,” he said. “I wanted to do rock bad.” It was good. He was a little nervous but did alright. Randy: “A nice version. You had me rockin’ out.” Paula: “You picked the perfect song. You are authentic.” Simon: “The only performance we’ve seen tonight that felt current. I’m struggling with the authenticity.” He doesn’t seem as authentic as Bo but more authentic than Constantine.
David Archuleta (“Shop Around” Smokey Robinson) He sang sixth. The former “Star Search” winner seemed liked a happy-go-lucky kid. He’s going to get the teen vote! There’s an impressive depth in his voice for his age. He’s clearly a pro. Randy: “I thought that was really brilliant. You were born with a gift.” Paula: “I feel that was a brave and bold choice.” Simon: “When you got it you got it. That was by a comfortable best performance of the night so far.”
Danny Noriega (“Jailhouse Rock” Elvis) He sang seventh. This kid annoyed me from the get go. He does like to bug his eyes out! He made it to Hollywood a year earlier like Chikeze. This was a high-risk song. Didn’t Taylor Hicks do this at one point? Danny seems a wee bit young to be doing this mediocre Elvis imitation, but it’s hard to deny a great voice. Randy: “You know how to have a good time.” Paula: “It was very warm, almost scalding. This was a safer song which allowed you to be a performer.” Simon: “I don’t understand a word you just said [about her colors.] It was verging on grotesque.” And wait—isn’t this song from the ’50s???
Luke Menard (“Everybody’s Talking At Me”- Harry Nilsson ) He sings eighth. We never saw him before. He’s a carpet cleaner and he was also someone who auditioned a year earlier. He was cut in Memphis. He’s got movie star looks. He’s got a bit of that Ace Young soprano vocals. He starts a bit slow with a very soft rock snoozer of a tune. But he picks it up midway, then slides back to way too mellow. Way too mellow. Randy: “For me, that song, it was very pitchy. It was almost consistently sharp.” Paula: “I am going to agree. I didn’t feel this was the best song choice for you. You have Kenny Loggins tenderness to your voice.” Simon: “Your problem was, it was forgettable. Nobody is going to remember that as being a great performance or great vocal.” He’s toast.
Colton Berry (“Suspicious Minds” Elvis) He sings ninth. Earlier, he gets some airtime during the Coke segment. “During certain angles I look like Ellen DeGeneres,” he said. Boy, that’s going to build his fan base! When he gets nervous, he sings the Teletubbies theme song. He’s the one who got the spot Kyle Ensley might have gotten. He’s a perfectly adequate singer and has some charm. He sounds better as he goes along. Randy: “You did a pretty good song. Started a little rough but by the end you were feeling your way.” Paula “It’s nice to see a different side of you. We’ve heard the ballads.” Simon: “It was okay. It wasn’t quite as bad as the other Elvis song. The whole idea is to find a recording artist. What did I get? Nothing. You have no relevance in today’s chart. Young kid singing an Elvis song.” I agree with Simon.
Garrett Haley (“Breaking Up Is Hard To Do” Neil Sedaka) He sings 10th. He’s one of those we haven’t seen or heard yet. He is compared to Leif Garrett and Peter Frampton with his big hair. He’s cute and tried out on a lark while vacationing in San Diego. He is one of those truly inexperienced ones. That alone would make me root for him before I even hear him. As for song choice, didn’t we retire Neil Sedaka songs years ago when he was the guest judge? Ugh! Vocally, he could be Leif Garrett redux, too. He’s likable and he does what he could with a lame song. Will this make him stand out? No. But fortunately for him, there were less memorable performances that may save him an extra week. Randy: “You didn’t do anything with it. Don’t be afraid to make it your own.” Paula: “If you stay at that slow tempo, it brings the performance down.” Simon: “It was boring. Your voice sounded a bit whiny. You looked terrified.” It wasn’t that bad. But I agree that it felt old.
Jason Castro (“Daydream” Lovin’ Spoonful) He sang eleventh. He is the first one to opt for an instrument - a guitar! And he’s one of the six guys we barely saw. He’s the dude with the dreads who is a drummer and only has sung publicly a few times before this. He picks a sweet pop song by Lovin’ Spoonful. I like this dude. He has a quiet confidence and ease about him. He’s the best of the crew we haven’t seen much of despite a little vocal shakiness at the end. Randy: “Little pitch problems like that high note at the end.” Paula “You did blow me away.” Simon: “That was in the top two performances of the night. You like David have got it. Great choice of song. You made it sound current.”
Michael Johns (“Light My Fire” Doors ) Our former Buckhead boy from Australia gets the driver’s seat spot, the 12th position, the pole position that virtually guarantees him survival at this stage. The producers give what they usually think is the most powerful or upbeat performance the end spot. Oddly, he’s citing Atlanta, not Los Angeles, as his home. Okay, so he’s no Jim Morrison. (Morrison wouldn’t wear a scarf on stage.) But he’s really good and the type of guy who is clearly marketable. Watch the praise cascade down: “You just throw all caution to the wind. You sing great. I see a true legend rock performer. You’re like a Michael Hutchence.” Paula: “Excellent way to end the night.” Simon: “I would say you are the most consistent contestant we’ve had… You have the natural charisma of a lead singer.”
2/19: Alexandrea Lushington interview, Idol rewind, Josiah Leming update
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I wrote a print edition piece for today summarizing my three interviews with Michael Johns, Carly Smithson and Alexandrea Lushington here..
Alexandrea Lushington could be this year’s local Diana DeGarmo. She’s only 17 and has performed many a National Anthem at local ballgames, just like Diana. She grew up mostly in College Park and only her sophomore year moved to Douglasville. So I don’t anticipate she’ll be pushing the “Douglasville” angle as much as Diana promoted Snellville. She’s now a junior at Douglas County High School, though obviously she probably is going to miss most if not all of this semester if she makes the top 10.
She was my last interview at about 6:15 p.m. EST Friday. She was clearly distracted as she was getting ready to rehearse in Los Angeles. There was a lot of background noise and I had to repeat questions a few times. Her answers were fairly short, too. So as I went over my notes, I realized I didn’t have much at all. I figured I spoke with her for less than 10 minutes compared to 15 minutes with Michael and 20 minutes with Carly.
Alexandrea began singing at age 2 or 3, said she wanted to be part of “Sesame Street” at age 5. Both her parents are musical; her mom was in a gospel group, he dad studied music at a Brooklyn conservatory. She said she performed at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem at age 7. She sang Jackson 5’s “Who’s Lovin’ You” and made it on stage twice. “The stage looked huge to me. Now when I looked back, it’s kind of small,” she said. She also did National Anthem work with Georgia Tech, the Atlanta Fire Department (her dad was a firefighter, her mom her agent/assistant), the Braves and the Hawks, to name a few.
She attended school in College Park until sophomore year of high school when she moved to Douglasville and attends Douglas County High School (better school system).
Her great grandmother, 94 years old, got more airtime than she did during the Atlanta audition episode. “She’s at the peak of her life,” Alexandrea said. “I’m glad Ryan liked her.” She said 20 people came to her audition.
As for her lack of airtime, “I can’t be disappointed not getting a lot of airtime. I’m just glad I have made it this far. They can’t help but give me airtime right now! It really doesn’t bother me. I’m focusing on my next performance.”
She said she loves all kinds of music— soul and rock & roll. Then she got cut off and the conversation abruptly ended.
UPDATE: I just heard she actually competed against David Archuleta on “Star Search” a few years back. Here’s the proof.
Onto other topics: I caught “American Idol Rewind” from this past weekend and it was the night Charles Grigsby was eliminated with the appropriately titled “Wiz” song “You Can’t Win.” He really wasn’t very good but seeing him five years later in an interview, I just can’t believe how much hair the poor guy lost. These performances simply solidified why Clay (“Somewhere Out There”) and Ruben (“A Whole New World”) would finish in the top 2 and why Julia DeMato would be eliminated the next week with her so-so take on “Flashdance.” Ruben, at this point, was really pimping out the “205” Birmingham shirts.
And do you wish Josiah Leming had made it? He was definitely an interesting story but he may not have been quite ready emotionally to handle the competition.
Access Hollywood caught up with him and I anticipate he will get a few more minutes of fame.
“My belief is that they were trying to make me look bad. They were trying to make me look like a crybaby and then trying to make me look like I was overconfident - but I’m thankful. If I could see them right now, I would give them the biggest hug ever because they have launched my career.”
It’s true! Josiah told me, thanks to this publicity, he has sold over 1,000 albums on his MySpace page and has earned himself a cool $9,000 in the process. Not a bad take for a kid who lives in his car. Although, he doesn’t live there anymore, Josiah tells me. It sounds like those days are over. Mostly, it’s because his car is broken down. Not to worry. A local car dealership in his hometown of Morristown, Tennessee has come to the rescue and offered him a car to borrow while he pursues his dreams.
Plus, it gets better. The President of Fox has called him and requested a meeting about casting him for something else and “The Ellen Degeneres Show” is flying him out on Monday to perform on the show.
Need more? MTV.com has him gabbing and gabbing about himself. There’s even video.
And his appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”:
Finally, Carrie Underwood is performing this Saturday on the first post-strike “Saturday Night Live” featuring Tina Fey as the guest host.
2/18: Carly Smithson interview
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
At the Wall Street Journal, I worked in Atlanta with a colleague named Jennifer Ordonez. Now at Newsweek, she eventually moved to Los Angeles to cover entertainment and in 2002, wrote a memorable page one story about the screwy economics of the record industry using Dublin native Carly Hennessy as an example. Two numbers stood out: MCA Records spent an estimated $2.2 million on Hennessy including recording production living expenses, a video, a mall tour, imaging, and radio promotion. The teen-ager sold 17,000 singles and just 378 copies of her album three months into its release when the story came out.
Fast forward six years and we now have Carly Smithson, a possible favorite to win “American Idol.” I got a few minutes with her on the phone Friday because she lived in Marietta for two years with her eventual boyfriend from 2003 to 2005. That’s a good enough excuse for me, especially given how her story has been floating around the Web since November, when the top 50 were named. I didn’t particularly like her audition in San Diego, thought it felt desperate. But given her past, that desperation is truly heartfelt and justified. I started liking her a bit more when she sang “Alone” during Hollywood.
Talking to her one on one, I liked her a lot. I brought up the WSJ story immediately and she groaned - but goodnaturedly. She kept talking about her past record deal in the second person as in “you feel horrible” or “you can’t believe it’s happening,” like it was an out-of-body experience. I’m glad I caught her now because I’m sure after she answers the same questions 100 times, they won’t come out quite the same.
I didn’t properly prep for the interview - like re-reading the WSJ story in detail. Part of it was the last-second nature of my request since I only knew Thursday night about her Atlanta connection. And I should have written questions down because by winging it, I missed an obvious one. I forgot to ask her if she felt like “Idol” should have revealed her MCA deal early on and whether that would have any impact on people voting. She’s certainly not hiding it herself because she did bring it up in her video interview on www.americanidol.com.
“I kind of had a bad experience,” she said. Her viewpoint of the WSJ story: “It was nonsense. It was very damaging.” She ultimately didn’t buy the $2.2 million figure. Unfortunately, I didn’t recall the details in the story so I couldn’t go through it and have her dispute or agree with the specifics. I presume someone will eventually do that or already has. She did scoff at the fact in the story that she drove a convertible but the label did get her a Volkswagen Golf (which comes in a convertible option.). Anyway, she recalled getting signed at age 15 and moved to L.A. and said she lived in Marina Del Rey.
“We did a fantastic recording for a 15 year old,” but she said the label wasn’t happy with it and it sat around. Her sound didn’t match up with that of Britney and Christina and the hot sounds of the day. (This was 1999-2000, the peak time for boy bands and such.) She worked with Gregg Alexander, then lead singer of the New Radicals (“You Get What You Give”) and he pushed her more alternative.
“Gregg pushed the envelope with the lyrics,” she said. “I thought it was a great, cool record. I listen to it to this day. It had some great tracks on it. He helped me find exactly what my sound was. I was pleased.” Though she had been signed at 15, she said this record didn’t get done til she was closer to 17. Given the adult nature of the CD, they waited until she was 18 to release the single “I’m Gonna Blow Your Mind” (about oral sex). It was gaining traction, she said, but then 9/11 happened and “nobody was interested in shopping a new record.” It died. And that’s when the WSJ came out.
At that time, they tried to promote the CD in Europe. She moved back there. But she said the record company went away at that point and promotion really stopped. “The story forget to mention all that,” she said. “It looked like I put out a record and it went nowhere.” She said the reacton to the story “was kind of crazy. One article can have such a snowball effect. They believed everything in it.” [I gently told her this was the Wall Street Journal, not the National Enquirer.] “It was just bizarre. All these facts are in this aritcle and they’re taken as facts. Now you have no record company. The record company overnight was imploded. You have nobody with you.”
That’s when she moved to Atlanta with her new boyfriend Todd. “At that point, I really hated the music industry.” Singing “wasn’t my thing anymore” in Atlanta. “I just needed to take a rest, just be normal for a minute, have a normal job.”
She had met Todd (who is from South Carolina) in a Los Angeles airport and moved with him to Marietta with some of his roommates who did custom hot rods. She’d help out. “I have little hands so they’d hand a wrench to me. They’d fit my little hands in little spots in motors. It was cool.”
Carly worked at Buckhead’s Irish bar Fado as a waitress to earn cash. Her husband Todd worked at Sacred Heart Tattoo in Little Five Points. After the MCA debacle, she said she didn’t sing at all in public while in Atlanta. Strange coincidence: “Michael Johns used to sing at Fado Thursday nights,” she said. “We never spoke to each other until Idol.” Because of their name changes, she didn’t make the connection until they talked in the top 24. “I just wrote his name [Michael Lee at the time] on the chalkbaord every Thursday.” She said she loved Fado. “It was a great spot. It was very sad when we had to leave to come to California for music reasons.”
In 2005, she moved to San Diego and tried out for “Idol” but had visa problems, as “Idol” mentioned several times. “Paperwork got misplaced in the system,” she said. When she got cut from “Idol” in 2005 over visa issues, “it was awful, I swear. If you had no talent, that would have been easier than a glitch in your paperwork.”
She didn’t try out again in 2006, she said vaguely, “due to things happening in my life at the time.” Todd and Carly had opened a tattoo shop in San Diego. With auditions in San Diego this past summer, Todd convinced her to try one more time. “I went, I queued up. I got sunburned and auditioned. I had a great time.”
She said the reason she was so emotional was her low self esteem. “In this industry,” she said, placing her situation in second person, “you get so beaten down, your confidence is trashed. By the time you do something like auditioning again, it’s very hard… Everybody else had told you no. Why not these people? When they said yes, they were nice and excited, tell you you’re good. For me, it’s so emotional. I was overjoyed. I kept telling myself to stop crying. I couldn’t stop.” By the time the top 24 came along, she said she didn’t think she’d make it. She also said this was going to be her last try. “I wear my heart on my sleeve,” she said.
About her tattoos: “everything seemed to be positive. Todd and I talked about it. Should I wear long sleeves? But wearing tattoos is becoming not so taboo anymore. That’s just who we are. If people don’t like it, they won’t like me… I wouldn’t want to hid who I am at all. We’ll see how Middle America takes it. The public hasn’t voted yet. I have no idea.”
She said she agrees that this is an especially talented top 24. Her husband said, “you auditioned the wrong year!” She hopes the ratings rebound as people glom onto the better singers.
As for her struggles, “it was definitely meant to be. If I had everything when I was 19, I probably wouldn’t have appreciated it. Right now, I love life. With the bartending and singing in bars, I had been at the lows and the highs. Everything is a bonus compared to the life I’ve had. Todd and I are lucky if we have $2 to our name. We’re still happy. We’re great together. We’re a great team. We’re very simple people. We’re not into going out and partying. We like to go to the beach and cook dinner at home. I’m a nester. I like decorating my house… I used to be excited about shopping and fancy restaurants. I’m not like that anymore.”
Interestingly, her CD “Ultimate High” that sold in the hundreds in 2001 is readily available on eBay. A week ago, it was selling for $5 or $6 including shipping. The day after she was named in the top 24? $18.99. The WSJ story said only 10,000 were even placed on shelves so if she goes far, this could become quite the collector’s item.
2/17: Gone Country, Jordin Sparks opening for Alicia Keys, chart update
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I hope you’re all having a nice, quiet weekend.Tomorrow, I’ll post my interview with Irish gal Carly Hennessy Smithson, who lived in Marietta from 2003 to 2005. (Vote For the Worst Sunday today noted that Randy Jackson was an A&R head at MCA Records when Carly was there from 1999 to 2002. Could this be construed as a conflict of interest? I would have asked Carly if I had known this before I talked to her Friday. Oh, well…) On Tuesday, I’ll post my interview with Douglasville’s own Alexandrea Lushington. The boys, by the way, are on Tuesday, the gals on Wednesday.
Here’s the top 24 commercial.
Not much to say about this past Friday’s episode of “Gone Country.” The group did a car wash to raise money (Nope— nobody wore swimwear. It was all very G rated.). Then they visited a children’s hospital in Nashville, a tradition for country artists in Nashville. Bobby Brown was especially affected by a woman whose child was dying and he cried, cried a lot. In other words, it was all about Bobby again. Given his drinking issues, this might eventually turn into “Celebrity Rehab with Bobby Brown.” In the last minute or two, we finally seeing them start working on their songs at the end of the episode but we don’t catch anything Diana did.
CMT, by the way, noted that Diana has essentially ensconced herself in Nashville, staying at 13 acre dig. Here’s the scoop.
“I figured if I want to do it, I’ve got to be here,” she says. “So I’m here. I’ve been living the country life. I had wild turkeys in my carport a couple of days ago, and I about had a heart attack. I have deer in my yard all the time. I had some country history, so I’ve had a lot of old friends come out of the woodwork and say, ‘Finally! You finally came back from the dark side!’ It’s been fun. I’ve had lots of really huge writers and producers [contact me], so it’s all falling into place.”
And she gets into some detail of what her country album may sound like:
“Sort of like a country pop record, more in the vein of Martina-meets-Faith, with a little Dolly Parton thrown in, just because I’ve got to,” she says. “‘Jolene’ is my favorite song! I respect her and love her so much.”
Jordin Sparks, when I interviewed her last month, said she was trying to solidify an opening slot for a big star. Well, that big star is Alicia Keys. That’s an excellent pairing. They hit Philips Arena May 28. I won’t be in town. Bummer.
Kimberley Locke’s lyrical memories will be tested on a future episode of “Don’t Forget the Lyrics.”
How about sales? MJ’s blog reports that Jordin saw a small boost after her Super Bowl appearance and now is up to 491,000 (with 17K last week), so she should hit the 500,000 mark this weekend. With “No Air” one of the fastest climbing singles on the top 40 charts right now, she should be on pace to sell 15 to 20K for the next few weeks. That would get her within Taylor’s 698K by June, which is currently the low point of sales among past winners prior to Jordin.
Daughtry, with a hot fourth single “Feels Like Tonight,” is still in the top 20 after more than 15 months on the charts and is up to 3.8 million. Carrie’s “Carnival Ride,” with “All American Girl” another top 10 hit for her, is now up to 1.8 million while “Some Hearts” (the Grammys didn’t hurt here) up to 6.3 million, the most of any “Idol” album thus far.
2/15: Nigel Lythgoe says 60s theme next wk, defends Carly Smithson
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“American Idol” producer Nigel Lythgoe fed us media folks some tidbits today.
For instance, next week’s theme will be ’60s songs. This is the first time the semifinals will feature a theme. There will be a new set for the final 12. He also made sure the singers will sing more familiar songs that were cleared. “These are the 50 songs you can choose from the 60s,” he said, as opposed to letting the semifinals pick a potentially obscure song or one that doesn