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Access Atlanta > American Idol Buzz > Archives > 2008 > April > 14 > Entry
4/15: Michael Johns interview, part two
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here’s what I got from Michael Johns Monday while he was being ferried between media interviews in New York. He sounded understandably tired.
Q: You’ve lived in Los Angeles for years. Why did “Idol” list your residence as “Buckhead, Georgia”?
A: When the show asked me if I had a chance to move anywhere once the show ends, I said I’d move back to Buckhead. So that’s [where] they listed me living. I had no problem with that. I did find out later that Buckhead is actually a small city outside of Atlanta.
Q: Have you had a chance to re-watch the final minutes of the show?
A: About 50,000 times. Every [media outlet] would play it. It’s still a little painful to watch.
Q: How was singing “Dream On” that last time?
A: I wasn’t expecting to sing that night. I wasn’t really warmed up. But I got through it. It was probably one of the most emotional performances I did on the show. I really liked it.
Q: What made you decide to sing behind the judges?
A: It was spontaneous. It happened so quick. I wasn’t singing for the judges. I was singing for America. I walked behind them, looked in the camera and said thank you.
Q: Carly Smithson was a waitress at Fado [Irish Pub in Buckhead.] Did you two ever cross paths?
A: No. She wasn’t there the same time I was. I performed there in 2001-2002. She worked there 2003 to 2005. I did come back to Fado in 2006, so I think we just missed each other.
Q: What’s your take on Buckhead Village being torn down [including his former home base, CJ’s Landing]?
A: It’s really sad. The last time I went by there was just before going to Hollywood [in November]. It was unrecognizable. I have so many good memories down there.
Q: What made CJ’s so special for you?
A: I got to perform there every week for years. I took it as a big responsibility. The fact people came there on Fridays and Saturdays to see me sing on their nights off, I took great pride in that.
Q: Your friends said you loved doing Pearl Jam covers. Why?
A: I used to get a lot of tips when I sang Pearl Jam. I grew up with grunge. I could do a good impersonation of Eddie Vedder. I’d get $20 tips!
Q: Did you request to do Pearl Jam on “Idol”?
A: No. I didn’t want to do that. That’s not the type of record I want to make. I picked songs that showcase the style of music I’d sing on my own record.
Q: Were you surprised people kept pushing you to do blues/soul and not as much rock?
A: I have a rock side. That’s a part of me. But so is soul and blues. My record is going to blend the Stones, Otis Redding and INXS.
Q: Please tell us about your bacon obsession.
A: What isn’t it about bacon? It’s the perfect food!
In other “Idol” news:
Paris Bennett, my favorite interview subject, tried out for a role on “Legally Blonde,”according to the New York Post.
Paula Abdul won’t be performing live on the “Today” show after all. She hasn’t performed live in years. No comment from Paula in The New York Post..
Comments
By JTesla
April 14, 2008 6:36 PM | Link to this
Thanks for the new info!
By JTesla
April 14, 2008 7:23 PM | Link to this
I vote that if Paris gets the part Rodney does another interview with her!
By Deirdre
April 14, 2008 7:50 PM | Link to this
Thanks Rodney! I like the way Michael keeps talking about his record…makes me think that someone is already talking to him about it!
By Jim
April 14, 2008 8:04 PM | Link to this
It’s definitely a puzzlement. There is quite a bit of speculation that they are going to use the extra week (because they didn’t send anyone home during idol gives back week last time)for some kind of wildcard show. So Michael Johns might be back after all. Here is another fine article regarding the stars of American Idol for who is interested jviz.blogspot.com/2008/04/young-stars.html [http://jviz.blogspot.com/2008/04/young-stars.html]
By Jim
April 14, 2008 8:06 PM | Link to this
It’s definitely a puzzlement. There is quite a bit of speculation that they are going to use the extra week (because they didn’t send anyone home during idol gives back week last time)for some kind of wildcard show. So Michael Johns might be back after all. Here is another fine article regarding the stars of American Idol for who is interested jviz.blogspot.com/2008/04/young-stars.html [http://jviz.blogspot.com/2008/04/young-stars.html]
By Deirdre
April 14, 2008 9:00 PM | Link to this
Oh Jim…please don’t get my hopes up!
But is there an ‘extra’ week? There wasn’t an extra week last year. If you remember, they sent 2 people home the next week after Idol Gives Back. I think both Phil Stacy and Chris Richardson went home that week.
By Cherish
April 14, 2008 10:01 PM | Link to this
No, there isn’t an extra week. AI’s finale is Wednesday, May 21. If you look on your calendar, you will see that 2 will be singing on Tuesday, May 20 with the winner being announced on Wed. May 21. Besides, they’ve never had a wildcard show. The “wildcard” that everyone refers to when speaking of Clay Aiken happened BEFORE the top 12 was picked. Anyhoo, Michael Johns will go far. He was my fav this year!
By Harmony
April 14, 2008 10:21 PM | Link to this
Hello Everyone. War, I was trying to indent and keep all my sentences from running together.
By Harmony
April 14, 2008 10:34 PM | Link to this
I don’t have to much to comment on except that I agree with Michael that bacon is the perfect food.
By JTesla
April 14, 2008 10:42 PM | Link to this
Thanks Cherish for the Finale week clarification.
Harmony, you know the only thing better than bacon, is bacon wrapped bacon.
By Harmony
April 14, 2008 11:04 PM | Link to this
So true JT! I like going to breakfast buffets and getting all the bacon I want.
By Harmony
April 14, 2008 11:14 PM | Link to this
Grilled cheese sandwich wrapped bacon is good too!
By ,,,=^..^=,,, from home
April 14, 2008 11:29 PM | Link to this
additionally, they didn’t have an “extra week” last year, they didn’t vote anyone off IGB week but two the next, to keep it on track :-)
yeah, bacon is great food, LOL!
By Harmony
April 14, 2008 11:36 PM | Link to this
Hey Linny from home, welcome to the bacon blog.
By Lara
April 14, 2008 11:41 PM | Link to this
Bo will be appearing on Fox Reality Channel’s “American Idol Extra” this Thursday at 7pm & 10pm ET/PT. The episode will feature Bo doing both an interview and an acoustic performance!
By Harmony
April 14, 2008 11:46 PM | Link to this
Thanks Lara, always liked Bo.
By ,,,=^..^=,,, from home
April 15, 2008 1:00 AM | Link to this
thanx Lara! me too! going to bed now…. if i can stop coughing, i HATE sinuses!!!
By Deirdre
April 15, 2008 7:47 AM | Link to this
Morning mushblogians.
Some improvement has been noted with mom…I had a hellish weekend!
While I don’t believe any of this ‘wildcard’ stuff, I DO think we’ll be hearing more about Mr Johns. I have no doubt that he’ll be offered some kind of contract after the tour.
By harrietth
April 15, 2008 8:27 AM | Link to this
Dierdre, glad to hear of the improvement. You will always be glad you did this. Not to have regrets is a wonderful gift to oneself. I speak from experience.
I cannot imagine a circumstance that would bring Michael back; especially after all the publicity his leaving caused. There is a professor here at school who started growing a beard, saying he would only cut it when Michael won. I saw him Saturday, and he is in mourning. He does not know what to do with the beard now. He had come to love it. LOL.
By Lara
April 15, 2008 8:50 AM | Link to this
Morning peeps! Deirdre - glad things are improving.
What do you think the contestants will do tonight? Are they only singing Mariah songs? I imagine this one might be a rough week for some…
By linny ,,,=^..^=,,,
April 15, 2008 9:25 AM | Link to this
whatever happens tonight should be interesting.
i’m at work, but swamped, AND i don’t feel so hot, so i may not be around much today…
D glad things are getting better… hang in there!
later,maybe!
By Deirdre
April 15, 2008 9:31 AM | Link to this
The guys will be interested in hearing that next week’s TV Guide gave Kristy a thumb’s up! I’m very proud that they said basically the same thing I said over the weekend. If you can get past the bland performance, her voice is really good.
By Lara
April 15, 2008 9:53 AM | Link to this
Well, our servers are down and I can’t work on anything - so frustrating! Anyone have any song ideas for tonight? Frankly, I don’t know that I could name a single Mariah Carey song.
By Mike S
April 15, 2008 10:42 AM | Link to this
Kristy is my dark horse for a top 5 and even possibly a top 3 finish.
Each year one contestant gets progressively better and more popular, and finishes high above where they were projected.
Season 2 - Kimberly Locke Season 4 - Carrie Underwood, Vonzell Solomon Season 5 - Elliot Yamin Season 6 - Jordan Sparks
This year the contestant that is improving week in and week out is Kristy. Plus she is a fantastic country singer, and we all know about AI’s country fan base that has made stars of people like Josh Gracin, Bucky Covington, and Kellie Pickler. Not to mention Carrie Underwood. Also Bo Bice has gone country Rock and lives in Nashville, and even Kelly Clarkson is now working with Reba mcIntyre’s people and is planning a country album.
Speaking of - Kellie Pickler won the most awards on last nights CMT Country Music Awards. She won Breakthrough Video Performer, Tear-Jerker video of the year, and Performance of the year. All for “I Wonder”.
By JTesla
April 15, 2008 10:56 AM | Link to this
Mike S, very good point regarding KLC, as Rodney said… she has figured it out. As long as she doesn’t have a big blunder top 5 should easily be within reach.
By kellyfan
April 15, 2008 10:59 AM | Link to this
Hi y’all…
Mike, I gotta agree with you on Kristy. She seems to be getting better vocally, I hope she irons out the performance issues. (i.e., “You’re not on a horse, stand up…”)
Honestly, country music is the genre to be in these days. I saw the CMT Awards last night (and even I knew practically all of the performers/nominees…) Oh, and on top of all mentioned, lets not forget that Diana’s als “Gone Country” (puns…yay)
By JTesla
April 15, 2008 11:10 AM | Link to this
I’ll admit that I’m a country music hater, but even I got sucked into parts of the CMT awards last night, my wife is a fan so she had it on. I liked Sugarland’s Life in a Northern Town, of course that may be because I really liked the original.
By Deirdre
April 15, 2008 12:04 PM | Link to this
I have 2 possible spoilers for you. Simon’s girlfriend said in an interview that Carly will be singing Without You.
Archie is said to be singing When You Believe.
By harrietth
April 15, 2008 1:24 PM | Link to this
I just listened to samples on her greatest hits album, and I swear, I can’t imagine some of these idol contestants singing those songs. Maybe it is just me. Thanks for the spoilers Dierdre. I love hearing about what is going to happen on performance night.
By Deirdre
April 15, 2008 1:30 PM | Link to this
Harrietth, I’m not sure if those spoilers are correct. You’re right, the Mariah songs will have to be changed quite a bit…nobody on Idol this year has that kind of voice. I would have loved to have heard Michael’s version of Vision of Love.
By MCR
April 15, 2008 1:48 PM | Link to this
Idol, Schmydol.
Where I come from a regular slander is good for a black eye! Only God know, why? But on American Idol, Simon getting the hook sounds exciting. Nobody knows why? Maybe its in their sliding scale to win. People go through all the changes they go thru for what ever reason. But on American idol I noticed a perfectly great artist insulted beyond my wildest dreams. The vocalist named Patrick who is African American, sang well. He looked great in a black custom built suit. Then dressed in his yard clothes, this Simon (who is a judge) character comes on insulting this contestant. Then the next contestant who is white singing a song recorded by a black man is getting complimented. For his school boy outfit. Just because he is related to two presidents doesn’t have a damn thing to do with a talent contest, mister. This show has a certain discourse for straight laced slander. Now, if you crindge after a bold face critic. One with zero talent. Stick with shows that are geared toward ones own ethnic orientation. Because nobody really knows what causes these character clashes with Simon? Is he blyme or what? It could be the day of the month. But theres one thing for sure and its simply this. With Simon in, the show sucks. Its not just Patrick’s black suit (that seems O.K.) Without a a pale faced flop. As in flop on the staff of American Idol. The show may have a chance. What ever the reason its another season for foolery, flack overs and high jinkx .Move over Imus. The wack wagon is on another roll. With Simon. Like Simon, my thumb is down and my nose is up! Somebody ought to cancel the show completely, for slander. Simon, get off. Theres no secret, its called overconfidence and nobody likes a hypo-cra-tic dogg. See Simon, Simon met a pieman on the way to the unemployment office. With no measurable talent. They had mercy that day and gave Simon this job on a talent show. Out of work critics gotta eat too, you know.
By JTesla
April 15, 2008 1:57 PM | Link to this
Random paragraph generators seem to be popular these days, one of the better features of the internet I guess.
By Huh?
April 15, 2008 2:12 PM | Link to this
Did Paula post MCR’s thoughts incognito? Because I didn’t understand a thing that said.
By War Eagle
April 15, 2008 2:25 PM | Link to this
Me neither huh.
By harrietth
April 15, 2008 2:48 PM | Link to this
You’re right, Dierdre. A Michael version of Vision of Love would have been incredible. Even if the spoilers are not correct, it is still fun to speculate.
And, as for the long post by MCR, who knows? Perhaps “it is a tale,/Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,/Signifying nothing.”
By harrietth
April 15, 2008 2:50 PM | Link to this
Oops! Meant to credit Shakespeare with my last post. No plagiarism intended.
By Deirdre
April 15, 2008 2:59 PM | Link to this
MCR…you lost me. I think you don’t like Simon…..you DO like black suits, and maybe somebody named Patrick. After that , I’m totally lost.
By Rodney Ho
April 15, 2008 3:07 PM | Link to this
I’m interviewing Anwar Robinson, Mr. Perfect Pitch, tomorrow since he’s going to be doing “Rent” at the Fox Theatre this weekend. Any questions, pass them to me at rho@ajc.com.
By JTesla
April 15, 2008 3:17 PM | Link to this
I think MCR’s comments were regarding something from the auditions which aired back in January. A response to our inquiries should be posted next August.