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Access Atlanta > American Idol Buzz > Archives > 2008 > April
April 2008
4/30: Top 5 Idol results show w/ Brooke White gone, Paula Abdul tries to explain gaffe
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jason Castro deserved to go tonight. Heck, he probably wanted to go home, take a little break before the tour and chill! But as recent weeks have indicated, the most obvious person hasn’t been going home. Instead, Brooke White is out.
And for the seventh time in eight weeks, I got it wrong. This is easily my worst year ever making picks. Thank goodness I haven’t staked any cash! You have to wonder if Paula’s flub actually helped Jason out.
I don’t think anyone is shocked or upset. But in the end, the ever tearful Brooke brought a sweetness, a singleness, a uniqueness to “Idol.” We never had anyone quite like her before. She’s the gal who didn’t drink, didn’t smoke, the gal Simon wanted to corrupt during the auditions but ultimately didn’t. She’s the new generation Carly Simon, a singer songwriter with a distinctive flair. She may not have had the best vocal chops but she has a real future ahead of her. I’m looking forward to what lies ahead for Brooke.
And not surprisingly, she messed up her post-elimination “I Am I Said” but she was so sweet about it, so human as she cried, it’s impossible not to feel for a lump in my throat. And as we talked about before here on the blog, I’m glad “Idol” allowed instruments because she truly took advantage of that new rule.
Mike S is right: Syesha wasn’t necessarily in the bottom two. Ryan never says she was and if dialidol.com is correct, she wasn’t. I’d say Jason was though he was the first pronounced safe.
Other parts of the show included a passable group sing (with David Cook doing the closest actual Neil Diamond cadence), a promo with Constantine (yes, Ryan asks him for “the look”) and Gina Glocksen for “American Idol Extra.” And Ryan didn’t address the Paula rumors directly but said she’s still duly employed with “Idol.” I’m surprised they didn’t let Paula explain herself to the viewers. There was a loooong promo for “So You Think You Can Dance” and a contest winner for the new Coke cup.
Natasha Bedingfield was the second Brit the British producers brought in. And an American treasure, Neil Diamond performed a fairly lame tune, then promoted his album in somnolent fashion. The pre-taped Q&A featured the gal he kissed as a nine year old. Can we have pictures?
In other “Idol” news:
-Paula Adbul — in damage control mode — did her weekly call to Q100 a week early to try to explain her, um, confusion last night. But she never really does, still clinging to that “I was reading my David Cook critique” excuse, which doesn’t make sense since she liked what he did. She said she did catch part of Jason’s second performance at dress rehearsal on a monitor. She also said the format change was thrown at the judges at the last second and the entire hour felt rushed and chaotic.
Bert confronted her about her pain medication for her bad back and that the meds affect her more some days than others. Her response: “That’s a very sweet and thoughtful. I do have pain in my neck.I don’t take anything that makes me do anything to act different, especially on show days. I’ve never been drunk in my life. I’ve never done recreational anything in my life… I am a happy workaholic.”
To ETonline.com, she elaborated thusly:
“It got very confusing … the producers come up to us in the dark and said, ‘We are not going to have you guys judge after each performer, we are going to have all the performers go once, then twice and at the end critique them.’”
-The theme next week is the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame. I presume that means songs from groups who are in the Hall of Fame (and get cleared by Idol). Or what?
-MTV talks to some of David Cook’s former bandmates of his band Axium, and they are all kind words.
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4/29: Top 5 Idol performance night with Neil Diamond & Paula’s (ahem) confusion
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
(For you live bloggers, sorry, I was out late tonight and only got around to posting my thoughts at about midnight.)
Neil Diamond is not going to bring in that younger audience “Idol’ is losing, but he sure has written some great songs over the years. And thank God nobody chose his cheesiest song, the ode to “E.T.” “Heartlight.” Then again, check out “America,” courtesy of David Archuleta, trying to pull another Kristy Lee Cook (as if he needs it!)
In the end, it was a pretty scattershot night. There were more than a fair share of clunkers for this point in the competition, a couple of great performances and more proof that David Cook should take this home for consistency, professionalism and vocal skills. Sorry, Archuleta!
Who will be in trouble? Well, Archuleta is fine as usual. I’m not sure at this stage if they even do a bottom three. If it’s just a bottom two, I’d say Jason and Syesha. Jason is going home is my guess only because Syesha was lucky enough to get the pimp spot, even if it was a disappointing final performance.
Dialidol actually has Syesha in the safe zone! You have to wonder if Simon’s comments about her being in trouble helped her, especially since he said them moments before voting started. Jason, Brooke and David A. are in danger.
And let me explain poor Paula Abdul’s belief that Jason sang twice already during the halfway point. (SEE VIDEO) The thing is—she and the others watched the dress rehearsal, where she had seen both performances and had, paraphrasing Ryan, “seen the future.” Then she got confused during the actual performance show. This is no proof that “Idol” is rigged or her comments are scripted. She simply can’t remember what happened 15 minutes earlier versus two hours earlier! In other words, vintage Paula. But very amusing!
I suspect Simon spends a lot of time gabbing with Paula during the actual performances since they had already heard them during dress. That’s also possibly why, if a contestant did great in rehearsal and bombed during the live show or vice versa, the judges’ comments seem way way off. Paula should have immediately explained herself and said she had heard Jason sing earlier during dress. That would have helped 99.9% of the audience watching that has no clue this is the case.
Anyway, at this stage, order of performance probably is less meaningful now that each contestant has to sing twice, especially going first.
So this time, I will rank the 10 performances in order, rather than post them in order. I’ll include judge’s comments when available since they only really talked after the second song (not counting that strange mid-time interlude when Paula’s brain went haywire.)
1-David Cook (“All I Really Need is You”) - Honestly, at this point, it’s hard not to root for Cook to win because he infuses every song with heart. Even if this wasn’t as stellar a vocal performance as usual, his emotional compass keeps everything in check and makes it worth listening to. Randy: “Again, you rocked the house!” Paula: “I feel like I’m already looking at the American Idol.” Simon: “I thought the first song was okay, the second song brilliant.” (seventh performance) A/A-minus
2-Brooke White (“I Am I Said”) - She personalizes the lyrics to Arizona, courtesy of Neil’s suggestion. This is more like it, a song that fits her. Sure, as usual, her vocals are just okay but this is the Brooke we love. I really wanted to hear a longer version, a good sign. Randy: “Nice job.” Paula: “What you did as opposed to the first song. It shows your vulnerability and it works.” Simon: “I really really hated the first song. It was like girls’ night out for karaoke. This is the Brooke we like. It wasn’t incredible but a million times better than the first song. Well done.” (eighth performance) A-minus
3-Syesha Mercado (“Hello Again”) - She does a drop-dead gorgeous version of this rather pensive song, though her big smile doesn’t seem to jibe. I enjoyed it. (fifth performance) A-minus.
4- Jason Castro (“Forever in Blue Jeans”) - This is a nice laid-back song that fits Castro well. He seems more comfortable than he was last week. (Is it just me or is the mosh pit looking a bit thin tonight?). Vocally, the song isn’t much of a strain for him and he imprints it with that Castro vibe and it works well. (First performance) B-plus/A-minus
5-David Cook (“I’m Alive”) - He opted for two lesser-known songs, which is not a bad idea. (Second performance) He’s comfortable and luxuriates in his lower register with a professional sheen that includes just a hint of that Diamond growl. Another solid performance, nothing to complain about. (Second performance) B-plus
6-David Archuleta (“Sweet Caroline”) - David took Carly’s song. He starts the song in a higher key than Neil. In fact, the whole arrangement barely sounds like the original, which is sometimes good, sometimes not so good. This time: not so good. The problem is he really isn’t very good at upbeat (see Brooke White). He even hits a few bad notes. He ends okay, at least, but this won’t win him any new fans. (fourth performance) B-minus
7-Pimp spot! Syesha Mercado (“Thank God for the Night Time”) - Her vocals feel a bit mannered and Broadway for a song that could have used a bit more vocal grit. The actress in Syesha is very much in effect. It feels very staged. Randy: “You finally realize who you are. Could have been on Broadway.” Paula: “First song I thought that vulnerable side is absolutely beautiful. That’s your magic. Your second song shows your other side. That’s your theatrical side.” (She said she’s a cross of Corinne Bailey Rae and Minnie Ripperton.) Simon: “It’s a bit chaotic tonight. You demonstrated again. You’re a good actress -stroke- singer. I think however you may be in trouble tonight. It wasn’t a memorable second song like the others.” [I agree.] (10th performance) B-minus
8-David Archuleta (“America”) - Big mistake picking one of Neil’s cheesier songs and another upbeat song. He lacks the gravitas that makes this work with Neil. It feels lightweight. But hey, it’s patriotic and he gets to hit a final grace note with “let freedom ring” while an American flag plays behind you. Randy: “You are in the zone. Another great performance, baby.” (huh?) Paula: “This was the absolute perfect song for you to sing.” (wah?) Simon: “That was a smart choice of song.. that was clever. It ticked all the boxes.” (ninth performance ) B-minus
9-Brooke White (“I’m a Believer”) - This song requires a really strong voice and she simply doesn’t have it. When she bugs her eyes out, she looks fairly absurd. Why is Paula up there dancing? It’s weak but you gotta give her credit for trying something outside her norm. (third performance) C-plus
10-Jason Castro (“September Morn”) - Paula already said she wasn’t feeling this one (from the dress rehearsal.) Maybe the advance criticism will help him. It’s actually just kinda boring. He does it in really sleepy AC style. His voice sounds lazy and the entire thing feels phoned in. Bleh. Randy: “It was just okay.” Paula: “I felt safe. You need to get out of the comfort zone.” Simon: “We don’t recognize you at the moment. There was no attempt to make the songs your own. They were both forgettable.” (sixth peformance) C
In other “Idol” news:
-The EW power five shows minor shifts with David C. remaining at No.1, David A. back at No. 2, Jason dropping to No. 3, Brooke taking Carly’s spot at No. 4 and Syesha taking Brooke’s spot at No. 5. TV Guide had them ranked the same order with votes as follows: 55.8% for David Cook. 20.9% David Archuleta. 12.7% Jason Castro. 6.7% Brooke White. 3.8% Syesha Mercado. Gambling sites have Archuleta winning, with Cook a close second. The other three are also rans with Jason at 15-1 and both Brooke and Syesha at 20 to 1.
-Michael Johns told an Australian pub how surreal it was to be at the White House Correspondents Dinner this past Saturday.: “Condoleezza Rice came up and hugged me, asked to take a picture and have an autograph,” Johns told Confidential yesterday. “Rob Lowe demanded a recount, everyone thinks I was robbed.”
-I have a spare copy of Phil Stacey’s new CD if anybody wants it. Email me at rho@ajc.com. It comes out today!
-The Ruben/Frenchie Davis take on “Ain’t Misbehavin’” is scheduled to kick off its national tour Nov. 17, 2008 at the Fox Theatre.
-Paris Bennett is performing with her grandma Ann Nesby at the “Songs of Soul & Inspiration” concert at Philips Arena on my birthday, June 21. Patti Austin, Chaka Khan, Yolanda Adamas Queen Latifah and others are headlining.
-Carrie Ann Inaba, a judge on “Dancing With the Stars,” notes that Paula Abdul might have problems if she joins the show:
“She’s [emotionally] fragile. And she’s had physical issues [a neck injury]. She won’t even realize how much pressure is on her until she’s already signed up and can’t get out,” Inaba tells TV Guide magazine (May 5 issue; hits newsstands Thursday, May 1). “I would hate to see her get hurt by something she loves.”
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4/28: Changing “Idol” to stanch the ratings losses, Jordin Sparks medical update
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Personally, I don’t think “Idol” can do much to keep ratings from falling. It’s just a question of stemming the losses. I think they have done a good job this year by getting rid of the “Sanjaya” sideshows, providing us more personal info about the contestants and giving us better vocalists. The instruments were a good new addition. I’m not 100% sold on the mosh pit but I don’t think it’s a detriment. I wish the would keep the band closer to the singers on the new set. It was fun having them near by this past week - their presence really energized Syesha.
Fox is now doing market research asking fans about the show. More info here in Broadcasting & Cable, where you can download the survey.:
“We’re not in denial,” Fox scheduling chief Preston Beckman told me. “It’s still the biggest show on TV, but that doesn’t mean there are things we can’t do. The feedback from this year you’ll probably see on the show next year.”
They have asked viewers if they’d like to see Hollywood earlier in the year with flashbacks to the auditions instead. That could be kind of fun, though there are people who only watch the auditions. In fact, “Idol” has consistently drawn more viewers, often 20 to 30% more, during the auditions than the actual competition.
They ask people for their suggestions on how to improve the obviously graying show. Throw yours out! If I get some good ones, I’ll post them and maybe someone can pass that along to Beckman!
Here’s other “Idol” news:
-Fresh theory on sliding ratings: not enough modern songs. MSNBC points out correctly that forcing themes upon the contestants during the semifinals was a mistake and that only four songs from the past decade have been sung. While this was common the first couple of seasons, more recent songs have become more the norm in recent seasons until this year.
-Fun stuff ousted “Idol” contestants get to do while killing time after being eliminated but before the “Idol” tour starts: I was in DC over the weekend, visiting friends and doing absolutely nothing “Idol” related. Yet I then find out Michael Johns was invited to the White House Correspondents Dinner — and I wasn’t! My friends and I did drive by the hotel where the dinner was held and saw folks in tuxes and fancy dresses but I missed Michael. He was the guest of sports analyst Tony Kornheiser.
-Jordin Sparks is recovering quickly and might be back to singing as early as next week and join the Alicia Keys tour, according to her mom. And she wrote MTV.com to say the same thing.:
“I’m feeling good,” she wrote. “I’m supposed to be on full vocal rest, which means no talking, laughing, giggling, and singing. Can I tell you how hard that is!? I want to tell my fans: Thank you for all the prayers and your concern. You guys are what keep me going, honestly. But not to worry! I’ll be better in no time!”
-Here are executive producer Nigel Lythgoe’s comments from a TV Guide interview about Carly’s departure.:
“I was very sad,” he admitted. “I think Carly is extremely talented, a brilliant voice. I was sorry to lose Michael and I was certainly sorry to lose Carly.” He dismissed the idea that Michael, an Australian, and Carly, who is Irish, were ousted due to having been born abroad. Carly was in the top four last week,” he pointed out. “Most times, America votes for the best performance of the night. I think this week, we saw America getting behind people they’ve supported over a series of weeks.”*
-And Claymates, don’t worry. It’s coming: my Clay Aiken interview later this week! I’ll post it Friday and provide folks info about your May 5 album release party at Manuel’s Tavern that evening. For now, you can read this interview he did with Billboard magazine.
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4/26: Phil Stacey interview, ratings, Carly Smithson fallout
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m in D.C. this weekend visiting friends so this will probably have to tide you over until Monday.
Phil Stacey, the Navy family man and “Idol” finalist last year, always struck me as an aw-shucks nice guy without a terribly distinctive persona despite his bald head and decent vocal prowess. But he did have a real passion for country music while on the show.
So Lyric Street Records (Rascal Flatts, Josh Gracin) signed him. His new self-titled CD is set to hit stores on Tuesday.
I readily admit I came into this interview kind of cold, without any prepared questions. But Stacey was conversational, friendly and properly grateful for the opportunity to have a career.
“We go through valleys and peaks where we feel like we’re on top of the world,” Stacey said. “I got to say: this entire thing has been the peak of a mountain. I feel like I’ve been living this dream for a year and a half.”
“I would never make the claim that I’m anything special,” he added, with proper modesty. “I love music… I feel very undeserving of the incredible life I’ve had.”
Here’s the video for his first single, “If You Didn’t Love Me.” The single, a mid-tempo love song, just broached the top 30.
The song is “really what I’m about,” he said. “I’m a man who is where he is because of the loving encouragement of an amazing wife. And I’m thrilled to show my acknowledgment to the world.”
He hopes his album sells. “I’d love to sell a million records,” he said. “But more than anything, I want my music to touch somebody.”
He said he is frequently mistaken for Chris Daughtry given his bald pate. The funniest moment he said was when he was at the Empire State Building during the “Idol” tour last year and a bunch of gals came up to him and one said, “You look like that guy from ‘American Idol.’ ” Then some gal started singing “It’s Not Over.” “I said, ‘Chris Daughtry! That’s awesome.’ I never told them I was on the show. For a sec, he considered pretending to be Daughtry, but “I thought Chris might be offended.”
Stacey said it’s fortunate his wife likes his shaved head, which he’s had since college. So he’s not even 100% sure if he’s balding.
He said though he’s a songwriter, he decided to pick from 600 songs made available to him from Music Row. He tried to pick songs that reflect his own life, which he says is going well. So he had to deliberately pick one break up song. “It was too sunshiney without it,” he said. And he included a couple of Christian-based tunes. He stays in touch with Mandisa and Chris Sligh, both whom also live in Nashville and are in the contemporary Christian world.
“If I Didn’t Love You” was originally tied to Georgian Jason Aldean but Aldean passed it to Stacey. “He graciously gave it to me,” he said.
Stacey - who is picking David Cook as the winner this year — plans to open for different acts, including Kellie Pickler, Randy Travis and possibly Kenny Chesney.
Finally, his favorite celebrity meeting was with Tim McGraw. He was in New York City during the “Idol” tour with his wife at Central Park. She needed to go to the bathroom so she ducked into the Ritz Carlton. There, McGraw came up to Stacey and said he was a fan. “I was starstruck,” he said. “It threw me off.” Stacey and his wife ended up hanging with Tim and his wife Faith Hill. He said he tried to be cool by not whipping out the camera but now regrets missing that opportunity. “It’s a story I’ll tell my grandchildren,” he said.
In other “Idol” news:
-“Extra” asked executive producer Nigel Lythgoe about the declining ratings. His response:
“We’ve had a lot of pressure put on the media this year talking about losing ratings…We’re still number one, number two… It starts to annoy you after awhile. Come talk to me about ratings when we’re not number one on the charts anymore,” he declared.
He added, “I think this is a strange time with the writer’s strike. People said that we would be seen by more people because there wasn’t anything else on television, but it’s not true. People aren’t that stupid. If there’s something on that you don’t want to watch, you don’t turn your television on and you find something else to do which is why I believe all the ratings are dipping this season.”
-Did Carly Smithson get hurt by the song she sang, “Jesus Christ Superstar”? Maybe. The song has some historical controversy more than 30 years ago. I doubt most of the voters were familiar with the song for it to matter much. But it probably didn’t help matters.
Here’s the story from the New York Times.
Since its debut, and particularly following the release of the 1973 film version, “Jesus Christ Superstar” has been railed against by some Christians for its portrayal of Jesus as confused and at times unwilling to accept his role, and because it hints that he had a sexual relationship with Mary Magdalene.
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4/25: Anwar Robinson in Rent at Fox Theatre
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Anwar Robinson, the good-natured New Jersey vocal teacher from season four of “American Idol,” disappeared off the radar screen soon after.
But the smooth-sounding singer has spent the past six months crisscrossing the nation on a “Rent” tour playing Tom Collins, a gay philosophy professor with AIDS. The show arrives in Atlanta this weekend at the Fox Theatre.
In studying “Rent,” he related to the characters and Collins has an especially heavy part, especially since Collins gets attacked during the play. “He’s very patriarchal, by virtue of being grounded and optimistic,” Robinson said. “Collins is a role I can play with little or no anxiety.”
He was flattered when I mentioned that just two days before our interview, I had spoken with Debra Byrd, “Idol” vocal coach, and she said he was the only “Idol” she knew with perfect pitch, which means he can pick any note you say and hit it spot on. “I didn’t always know I had it,” he said. “When I was four, I had a Casio keyboard and I memorized the pitches in there. They always stuck.”
(Robinson said he ran into Byrd in New York City a few months earlier while she was working on a piece for Judge Hatchett. He mentored a gal Byrd was working with.)
In the two years before “Rent,” he said he recorded a bunch of cover tunes and has been seeking a way to release it. “I did a lot of freelance events and I would do workshops. I would be in parades. I’d do private parties and concerts. I was the vice president for a Celebrity Read campaign for Essex County [New Jersey.]” In other words, he kept busy, just not in a way that attracted much attention.
He hopes to venture out to Los Angeles and seek acting gigs. “I have a team who believes in what I’m doing and wants me to branch out and do more than tehater or what I was doing after ‘Idol.’ “
Robinson hasn’t had a chance to see much “Idol,” except during the semifinals while he was recuperating from knee surgery. He saw Jason Yeager sing “Moon River,” a song he sang during his semifinals, a performance I still remember. “It brought back fond memories,” Robinson said. “I loved that song. I loved ‘Breakfast at Tiffanys.’ “
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4/24: Carrie Underwood concert at Gwinnett Arena
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Carrie Underwood, co-headlining with Keith Urban tonight at Gwinnett Arena, proved why she’s already at this vaunted level after just two albums (oh, and that “American Idol” victory.)
Dressed in a demurely sexy black getup with four-inch heel leather boots, Carrie started right on time at 7:30 p.m. with a rabble rouser from her second album “Flat on the Floor.” Barely half the crowd was at their seats but the numbers increased rapidly in the intervening minutes.
She took advantage several times of a runway that ran more than halfway across the arena, giving folks not in the front row a better view.
Personality-wise, Carrie is no Kellie PIckler and she never will be. She’s more poised than she was three years ago thanks to oodles of practice on stage over the past three years, but her patter sounded stagey and scripted, at least in the early going. Her bag of stage tricks are fairly limited to wiggling her legs and waving to individuals in the crowd.
But vocally, she sounds amazing. And it seems so effortless. If she missed a note, she hid it well. The purity of her voice permeates every corner of the arena. She can hold high notes for hours if need be, as it seemed during “I Know You Won’t.”
Despite her rather vanilla persona, “Before He Cheats” proves she can play the tough gal and get away with it. And on her latest single, “Last Name,” the modest Carrie sass comes out in full force. Heck, she somehow got away with covering Guns n’ Roses’ “Paradise City” without a trace of irony or self deprecation.
Near the end, though, she got serious. “I want to thank you guys for putting me on this stage,” she said. Then she stopped and wiped her eyes. “I don’t know why but I’m about to cry.” Pause. “I get to watch ‘American Idol.’ It’s so amazing to think that a few years ago, I was on that stage. You guys helped me through. I can’t believe there are five people left. It’s incredible I managed to survive the next two years that followed. It’s been an amazing, amazing ride. Thank you guys. God bless you for it.”
Then during “Don’t Forget To Remember Me,” she literally stopped partway in tears and could barely finish the song. That truly defines sincere gratitude.
And when she sings “All American Girl,” it’s a title nobody can dispute.
Later, during Urban’s set, she joined him for a rip-roaring rendition of that classic Tom Petty/Stevie Nicks duet “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.” (above, from the huge high-def screen)
The set list:
Flat on the Floor
Wasted
Get Out of This Town
The More Boys I Meet
Just a Dream
Jesus Take the Wheel
I Know You Won’t
I Ain’t in Checotah Anymore
Last Name
Don’t Forget To Remember Me
Twisted
All-American Girl
So Small
Paradise City (yes, the Guns ‘n Roses song)
Before He Cheats
She performs again Friday night with Urban at G\winnett Arena. Though sold out, on Thursday, they opened up a few extra seats that may still be available at Ticketmaster.
For those of you who came to see Urban, this is the “Idol” blog, therefore I wrote about her. But I’m going to have to give props to Urban, who is a consummate entertainer. He’s not flamboyant, he’s not cheesy, but he managed to bring just enough grittiness and charisma to offset his pretty boy looks. And he pumped it out for nearly two hours after Underwood’s 70 minutes. (Okay, he really was the headliner but she was like a super opening act, as opposed to just a regular one.)
What made the night even more fun was the fact Urban was recording the concert for a DVD, so there were extra hi-def cameras, including one on a crane and another elevated over the runway. He did the acoustic part of act in the round with his entire band, including a wonderful version of my favorite Urban song, “Making Memories of Us.” (above, from the screen, where they showed him in black and white) And he hit pretty much all his big hits, without too much variance from the radio versions, from a pensive “Raining on Sunday” to a delightful “Somebody Like You.”
He did famous guitar riffs at one point to show off that he’s not just a great vocalist. He hit the piano for a couple of ballads, including an aching “Tonight I Wanna Cry” and a song he dedicated to Nicole Kidman, “Got It Right This Time.” He kept the patter to a minimum, though he did note that he rehearsed this set list at the Fox awhile back. During “You Look Good In My Shirt,” he climbed into the stands and sang about 10 feet from me. (photo above) He then signed and gave that guitar to a lucky gal in the audience.
And future reference for single guys: there were at least twice as many women there, due to the Urban Sex Symbol Factor.
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4/24: In defense of Brooke & Jason, Carly Smithson exit interview
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With Michael and Carly gone, there is building animus toward Brooke and Jason for very similar reasons.
Both are sweet, sweet people with limited vocal skills. Both are talented but fairly one dimensional. Both are more comfortable behind an instrument. Both emote quite nicely and sell their songs when they’re really into it. Both seem mildly awkward when interviewed. Both feel like real human beings on and off camera. The fact is likability over pure singing got them into the top 5. And no matter how badly either do, I have a hard time hatin’ on either of them.
Down the road, I think more people are going buy their albums over those by Syesha, Carly or Michael. I suspect both have those types of dedicated fan bases that can translate into ticket, merchandise and record sales.
And this proves once again the sbow has and always will be a popularity contest, not a pure singing contest. But there’s nothing wrong with that.
Plus, we know it’s going to come down to David & David anyway. Nobody truly expected Carly or Michael or Kristy Lee to make it to the final two. And I can’t see Jason or Brooke making it into the final two either unless something truly bizarro happens. It’d be great to see my early prediction of Syesha in the top 3 come true!
-Anyway, here’s what Carly Smithson had to say during the weekly elimination press conference.
She is, as I recall when I first interviewed her, a sweetheart and articulate, conversational and gabby (so gabby, she took far fewer questions than any other contestant so far this year.) She also has a good sense of humor and is very grounded. She said multiple times how grateful she is for the experience and is happy to be sixth. She’s truly heartfelt about everything she says. After every reporter, she said, “Thank you so much” with real sincerity.
“I think I made enough of an impact to be able to reach a good fan base,” she said. “I get to be me without the theme nights and make a cool record.”
Being sixth: She wants to see her husband and take a break, too. So she isn’t disappointed. As one of the reporters noted, she is far peppier and far sunnier than any prior contestant this year on these interviews. She said if she had finished 10th, she might have been more bummed but she’s cool with sixth.
**On how she changed over time on “Idol.”: “I realized not to take everything so seriously. Early on the show, they set the standard so high for me. They were a lot harder for me than a lot of contestants. It got to me for a few weeks. I think by the time I met Mariah Carey, I had changed my mind. She was just so cool and so normal and so nice. They want us to be stars. I come from a bar. I have no idea what a star is supposed to act like. When we met her, I realize I can just be normal. That’s cool.”
A second chance?: Although she had a record deal years ago, she said this feels like a first chance, not a second chance. “It’s so big and such a different experience,” she said. “It’s such a gift.”
She’s ready to make a record and write her own songs and stop doing cover songs (though she’ll have to do more covers all summer on tour.)
During the show, she said she was the “camp counselor,” consoling others, giving them support.
What she misses most? “I miss the most are my pots and pans. I’m a kitchen gadget nut. I miss my kitchen so much,” she said.
When asked her favorite “Idol” (other than herself), she naturally demurred as they seem to be trained to do. But she said her favorite of those eliminated was Amanda Overmyer, her former roomie.
What would she have sung on Neil Diamond week next week? “Sweet Caroline.” “I wanted to do a ballad version. I did such an uptempo song this week, I wantet to do it with a cello and piano, make it slower. It’s such a big, big song. It’s such a recognizable song. Neil Diamond has such amazing songs, such a huge catalog. We were amazed by the songs he had written but were sung by others.”
Her past: “I kind of started the show with some bad press. And I don’t think it helped me much.”
About fumbling her lyrics and saying she got it right last night, which some perceived to be a diss about Brooke, when in fact she was just talking about herself: “The song was so last minute. When I sang for Andrew Lloyd Webber, I had learned the other song, ‘All I Ask of You.’ There are a lot of works in ‘Jesus Christ Superstar.’ I fumbled on a few of the lyrics… I was so irritated! Last night, I got them all right.”
**Nobody asked if she felt her tattoo hurt her with Middle America. I’m going to try to talk to her Monday and ask some follow ups. But here’s what she had to say about the tattoo on her arm, which everyone (including this week’s mentor Andrew Lloyd Webber) thought was Amy Winehouse?
“It’s a geisha,” she said, with a chuckle. “It’s just not colored in. I love the tattoo but it really bothered me it wasn’t finished. We never got any time… By the time it’s done, she’ll look nothing like Amy Winehouse!”
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4/23: Idol top 6 results show - Carly Smithson is out
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I left the baseball game early to catch the elimination as the Braves were losing. And Carly is a goner, too. MInor shocker: Syesha in the bottom two. But although my initial instinct was for Jason to go (and he deserved it), I knew Carly was in serious danger.
Bottom line: those fans for Brooke & Jason came out in droves after their relatively poor performances last night. And Syesha’s lack of a fan base reared its ugly head (and going first, obviously, didn’t help.). But Carly had a good performance and as recent weeks have indicated (see Kristy and Michael), good is bad. Bad is good. It’s all very George Orwellian!
I predicted Carly finishing sixth when the top 12 were announced and I got that 100% right!
Carly has a wonderful voice but she always had trouble translating her bubbly off-camera personality on camera. She always seemed a bit desperate, a bit needy, shadows from her past failed record. And we all know about the Psycho Bunny From Outer Space look even when she sang sweet, happy songs. (She was only starting to correct that problem recently.) She was seldom horrible but I don’t recall her ever really hitting it out of the park. And you have to wonder if the tattoo factor hurt her just a wee bit.
But in the end, she’s got talent, she’s got a good head on her shoulders and if she can find the right niche, she might get a real second chance at stardom.
“You can leave with your head held high,” Simon said.
“I’m not upset I’m going home,” said Carly, the former Fado Irish Pub waitress here in Atlanta from 2003 to 2005.
Next week’s theme: the final mentor Neil Diamond.
Belatedly, I’m catching the actual full episode, including a respectful group sing of the song Carly was going to sing first (maybe she should have stuck with it in retrospect?). There was a “what’s up with?” piece on Tamyra Gray (“Rent”) and Clay Aiken (“Spamalot”), who got to namedrop his upcoming album to boot. And Brit “X Factor” winner Leona Lewis does a victory lap before the man who “discovered” her Simon Cowell.
In other “Idol” news:
-No answer why David Cook’s little indie recording “Analog Heart” disappeared from Amazon’s MP3 site.
-We’ve talked before about how the vote totals are never released. The Arizona Republic explores the topic.. Here’s the most interesting tidbit—executive producer Ken Warwick had no clue they were never released, even after the season is over:
“If there’s any overt rule that says why (totals) shouldn’t be released, I’m not aware of it,” executive producer Ken Warwick said in an interview last week. “I was under the impression they were open to scrutiny.
“No one is saying you can’t look at them,” he added.
But then the paper got this weird note credited to Fox and show producers Fremantle Media and 19 Entertainment: “The network and producers will not disclose voting tallies for the competition, as the release of such information would only serve to create additional rumor and speculation.”
Huh? Isn’t that backwards logic? Wouldn’t transparency blunt rumor and speculation?
-Do you remember Savannah’s Stephanie Edwards(right), who finished 11th last year? She was distinctly boring and overshadowed by Melinda and LaKisha. According to USA Today, she’s back at school chasing a psychology degree at Armstrong Atlantic State University in her hometown of Savannah, Ga.
“You need that backup and the education behind you,” says Edwards, 20. “It makes you a more well-rounded person.”
She does visit Atlanta to work on a pop/R&B debut, according to the story.
-Carrie Underwood, who will be at the Gwinnett Arena Thursday and Friday with Keith Urban for two sold-out concerts, is doing ads for vitaminwater.
-Tonight, competing with “Idol” is the Dove Awards, the Christian music equivalent of the Grammys. Three “Idols” are presenting: Phil Stacey, Mandisa and Chris Sligh.
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4/23: Idols live tour dates - Gwinnett Arena August 18
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
(I’m creating a separate blog entry for this just so folks can find it easier down the road though it’s going to be quickly superseded by the results show entry.)
Mark your calendars. Locally, the “Idols Live” tour will return to the Gwinnett Arena for the fourth year in a row, this year August 18. Ticket info forthcoming.
“Idols Live” will feature fewer duets and group sings and more solo work, according to a story in USA Today..
From the exclusive USA Today story:
Using extensive lighting and giant video screens, producers are aiming to “create a distinct mood for each singer,” Pirie says. Artists will be “encouraged to play an instrument only if it’s appropriate to them.”
Though some of the 10 have songwriting credits, concertgoers won’t be treated to any of their originals this summer. “We really want the experience to echo the television show, so expect to hear a lot of the songs that did well during the season,” says Iain Pirie, head of 19 Recordings U.S., which organizes the tour.
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4/22: Top 6 Idol performance show
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you hate Broadway, you’d happily skip over tonight and watch “The Biggest Loser.”
But despite a true mess that was Jason Castro, he was sandwiched by two great performances, a very good one, a good one and Brooke, who I’d say was a split decision.
My rankings: 1- Syesha Mercado (totally in her element!) 2- David Cook (who woulda thunk he could pull that off?) 3- David Archuleta 4- Carly Smithson 5- Brooke White 6- Jason Castro
The bottom three is pretty easy this week. It has to be Carly, Brooke and Jason, with Jason going home. He really tanked it this week with a bad, bad song choice. He may as well have taken Kristy Lee’s “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina.”
Again, I made these picks without reading any of your comments or checking dialidol.com. What? Syesha is in the danger zone? Not surprising the two Davids are safe.
Anyway, a standing ovation for Andrew Lloyd Webber. He was possibly the best mentor/coach on Idol since Barry Manilow. He gave each person truly useful advice and provided us viewers proper skepticism when need be.
And it was great to have Ricky Minor and the band closer to the contestants, though Syesha was the only one to truly take advantage of it.
Up first in what we shall from now on call the death spot: Syesha Mercado (“One Rock ‘N Roll Too Many” from “Starlight Express”) She has a theatrical feel about her so this could work for her to ham it up. A fetching tight dress doesn’t hurt. She works with the band and hits all her notes. She let it go and had fun. I thoroughly enjoyed it. So people—vote! She deserves it! Randy: “This may surprise you. I feel tonight not only is your element. You could be a huge Broadway star.” Paula: “This is your happy place.” Simon: “That was very sexy… I think this was one of your strongest performances so far. You showed masses of personality we haven’t seen before.” Good sign—at 9:15 p.m., I’m hitting busy signals on the 01 line so I went to 07 and things were clear there. A
Jason Castro (“Memory” from “Cats”) Another ballad for Jason to emote upon. He does it in a very whispery way. It’s rather horrid at points. This song really needs a stronger voice to work, especially the lower registers. (Oh, boy, the hands are waving in the mosh pit.) A nice subtle ending cos really, he couldn’t ever hit the big notes anyway. I sense trouble. Randy: “I thought vocally, it was a little bit of a trainwreck. It’s not the type of song for you. Too big of a song.” Paula: “Everyone is so used to hearing this song by a female power balladeer. That’s not who you are. It was a very wise choice. [huh?] It allows you to put your influence on it. [so?]” Simon: “It felt to me the longest two minutes of your life. Reality it came over as a young guy being forced by your mom and dad to sing a song you didn’t want to sing. You were miserable throughout. I was miserable. It was a struggle.” C
Brooke White (“You Must Love Me” from “Evita”) You have to love Andrew’s frankeness, First he disses Jason (properly) for his song choice, then he says Brooke has no clue what she’s singing, at least at first. He coached her properly on the background of the song about a dying woman’s plea. Oooh. Second time, she had to start over. Wow. Big stumble! Brooke looks really uncomfortable. No piano, no guitar. At least she only has to sit and stand. Vocally, she actually isn’t bad. And she ends strong. I ended up liking it despite the problems early on. Randy: “This wasn’t great. Parts were good once you started. One thing -you listened to Andrew Lloyd Webber. You need to believe what you’re singing. I believed in the vulnerability. Vocally, a little tough.” Paula: “You must never start and stop. You’re strong enough and great enough to pick up the pieces. What I did love is you didn’t overact.” Simon: “It was so dramatic. It completely threw you. You were so tense. Your voice was straining. You will be disappointed when you watch this back.” She chose to stay quiet during the judge’s feedback. Simon was actually kind about her starting over. And you know—I’m cool with that, too. She handled it with dignity and she acted humbly. B-minus
David Archuleta (“Think of Me” from “Phantom of the Opera”) Another song meant for a girl and Andrew was baffled. He did it in a different way from Andrew’s version. He told him to open his eyes. Good advice! This is yet another one of those ballads I tend to hate but David really knows how to make them bearable. And with eyes wide open, he sold the song, brought it home. It was a good week for the young David. Randy: “Dude. It was the bomb. This boy is the one to beat!” Paula: “It was absolutely perfect. You took a risk on a known theatrical song and turn it into a pop ballad.” Simon: “It was a pleasant and one of your weakest performances over the live shows. It was a bit forgettable for me. Sorry” Simon’s earlier promise to stop apologizing has been broken, eh? A-minus
Carly Smithson (“Jesus Christ Superstar”) He’s the first mentor to just veto a song that I can recall. (Someone with a better memory might be able to tell me otherwise.). She started singing “All I Ask of You” from “Phantom” and he said that’s the wrong song for someone with a chest voice. She went for “Jesus Chris Superstar.” Much better pick! Wow. She’s smiling. Only minor Killer Bunny From Outer Space moments. The music mix during the chorus was a bit off and her singing a beat off was offputting. But it’s true. She really is enjoying herself. It was good. Not quite as good as Syesha but good enough. Randy: “I don’t know if it was your best performance. It was definitely good. I like the outfit. It’s kind of fly.” Paula: “I thought it might be too high a range but I loved waht you did in the chorus.” [I didn’t.] Simon: “It got a bit shouty in the middle. It was actually one of my favorite performances of the night.” She held up a T-shirt that says “Simon Loves Me (This Week)” Cute, but surely some might find it over the top. B-plus
The pimp spot: David Cook (“Music of the Night” from “Phantom”) He has done musical theater and Andrew says it’s sensual and he has to sex it up. “It was strange to stare longingly into Lord Andrew’s eyes,” David says, chuckling. Andrew said “maybe it will work.” This is definitely not a David Cook we’ve seen before. If any song tonight feels Broadway, it’s this one. He left the grunge at the door this week. And surprisingly, he pulls it off. He even hits that high note! He sold this to one of the hotter sorority girls in the mosh pit, for sure. Bravo! Randy: “That was an amazing vocal performance.” Paula: “This proved you are so well rounded as a performer. YOu have a beautiful instrument.” Simon: “You made the most of the song. I much prefer the grittier. It was too rounded off.” A
In other Idol news:
-Power ratings. Both ew.com and TV Guide are doing weekly “power ratings” ranking the contestants based on your votes. (I’ve requested we do the same thing but have only gotten shrugged shoulders.) David Cook is No. 1 in both rankings. Jason is No. 2 on ew.com, slipping ahead of Archuleta. Carly is at No. 4, Brooke at No. 5 and Syesha No. 6. At TV Guide,, the rankings are the same except Archuleta is No. 2 and Castro is No. 3. Syesha has been in the bottom two for six straight weeks yet has survived into the top 6. That’s impressive! The gambling sites remain in Archuleta’s camp.
-Have you noticed that “Idol” has been much more amenable for press to sit in the audience and report on how the show operates, at least from the crowd’s perspective? Entertainment Weekly is there virtually every week and even the New York Times stopped by, noting how organized the show is.
“At the end of every performance you will stand on your feet.” That is one of the commandments offered by Cory Almeida, the indefatigable warm-up man who exhorts and instructs the audience for 15 minutes before each performance and during the numerous commercial breaks.
For the audience members who stand in the “mosh pit,” the area immediately in front of the stage, special instructions are required. “When you are applauding after a performance, we need your hands above your head,” Mr. Almeida said before a recent Tuesday performance. “Otherwise we can’t see that you’re clapping.”
-And for your amusement, a Baltimore Sun story bemoaning how irrelevent Idol is, a story that features quotes set up to prove the writer’s point more than anything else.. I don’t agree with all his points but yes, “Idol” is showing signs of strain, the inevitable consequences of middle age. It happens to all of us!
-William Hung’s appearance fees must be finally drying up because he’s gone back to school, according to the California State University Sundial newspaper.. When I interviewed him last year, he said he had made more than $1 million. Not bad!
Before his 2004 appearance on “Idol” that made him the most famous mocked contestant of all time, he had been attending UC Berkeley but never finished his schooling because of the infamy (and cash) he received for singing — badly.
-Jordin Sparks, now resting her voice after an acute vocal hemorrhage, just got lapped on the top 40 charts by Simon Cowell’s “X Factor” discovery Leona Lewis and her song “Bleeding Love.” So “No Air” might end up getting stuck at No. 2 and not go to No. 1. I had a feeling that might happen.
And Mariah, who just appeared on “Idol” last week, should be disturbed—her first single “Touch My Body” is already losing steam on the charts after just 9 weeks and a couple of weeks in the top 10. Madonna’s single “4 Minutes” (with a heavy assist from Justin Timberlake”) jumped into the top 10 in just a month. Daughtry’s third single “Feels Like Tonight” appears to have peaked at 12. Carrie’s “Last Name,” her third single from her current album, is on the verge of the top 10 on the country chart. Both Bucky and Kellie have singles that are now falling off the charts after making it into the top 20. Josh Gracin’s “We Weren’t Crazy” is struggling but still gaining airplay and is at No. 26. Chris Sligh’s “Empty Me” is at No. 19 on the Christian soft rock chart.
-TMZ twisted some of Carmen Rasmussen’s comments last week to make it sound like she was truly peeved. “She went home in sixth place, to lead a life of obscurity and bitterness,” the gossip site noted. But she told [the Deseret News} that’s no the case: “The only point I was trying to make was that some contestants get more attention than others,” said Rasmusen, who — surprise! — was not contacted by TMZ about its story. “I chose that example because Clay is so well-known.” (She had said Clay got more time with the coaches than she did.)
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4/22: Declining ratings, use of instruments, going first
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The addition of instruments has been a boon in particular for two contestants still in the running: Brooke White and Jason Castro. Both are far more comfortable (especially Brooke) behind a guitar or piano. David Archuleta has worked the piano and David Cook, the guitar. But it seems both can handle the stage with just a mike without too much pain. Castro has survived without the guitar but still seems more at home with it. Brooke’s attempt without the guitar or piano during that Beatles week was a minor disaster and she even admitted it.
If they had to adhere to the old “no instruments” rule, would their charisma and sweetness have kept them in the running to this stage? I have a feeling Brooke wouldn’t have even made it to the top 24.
-And the buzz about “Idol’s” declining ratings, which I have chronicled in bits and pieces all season, goes up a notch with this Los Angeles story.. Younger viewers are bailing at a faster rate than the overall viewership, which is typical of an aging show. Among 18 to 34 year olds, this past Wednesday’s results show had its lowest ratings since season two. The fact is most shows start losing steam between seasons five and seven and “Idol” is following suit.
Question: how much time does “Idol” have left? “E.R.” lost buzz six to eight years ago yet it’s still on, drawing just 8 million viewers last Thursday - yet it will have one more season, a 15th. “Survivor” is only drawing 12 to 13 million viewers a week, down from 20 million just three years ago—the show’s first 10 incarnations actually held up well and the slide only began with Guatemala in the fall of 2005. Yet it’s in its 16th edition in its eight year and has been renewed for two more cycles, guaranteeing 18 versions. “America’s Next Top Model” has only started showing a slide in ratings this spring in its 10th edition. (In both those cases, the shows operate two editions a year, while “Idol” only does one.)
At what point in viewership will Fox pull the plug? At this point, the show has a long way to drop before that even becomes a question. I’d guess if average viewership drops below 9 million, then it will probably be close to retirement. And when Simon Cowell leaves, will that hasten the exodus?
Realistically, I think “Idol” can last through 2010 no problem. I figure Simon will stick around until then but after he bails, the show may only have three more seasons left, depending on who replaces him. So I can picture the final time Ryan Seacrest crowns an “Idol” sometime in 2013 or 2014. That would mean the show will have lasted 12 or 13 seasons. That’s very respectable for any telecast.
And how long will this blog last? Well, I can’t imagine it will last that long. Readership is down big time over last year and there is nothing much I can do about that. Casual interest isn’t as strong as it was even a year ago and those are the types who drive up traffic. I’m just glad I was around to capture season five, which can now be considered the peak of the show in terms of its popularity and power.
-We already knew this but someone actually calculated it: going first is a big disadvantage. Michael Johns went first and that may have caused his departure. Out of 69 eliminations, 20 folks going first were voted out, far greater than chance. Going seventh is the most charmed spot. The stats were tracked by USA Today here.. We know that viewership is lower earlier in the show and memories fade by the time the show is over.
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4/21: Jordin Sparks’ vocal problems forces her off tour, Kelly Clarkson performs for the Pope
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jordin Sparks canceled an appearance at Penn State Sunday due to “an acute vocal cord hemorrhage condition.”
Because of the risk of permanent vocal cord damage, Sparks has been ordered to strict vocal rest and will not be able to perform anywhere until her condition improves.
A rep Monday told Associated Press she”l have to miss the first month of the Alicia Keys concert tour. It’s a question whether she’ll be able to make it to the Atlanta date May 28.
“Jordin Sparks is on vocal rest and is expected to make a full and complete recovery,” according to a statement from 19/Jive Records. “Sparks has been going non-stop over the past two years and now she’s going through the normal course of learning how to manage and care for her voice.”
Now here’s quite an honor! Kelly Clarkson (who has had her share of vocal issues, too) sang “Ava Maria” for the Pope at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers Saturday. Do you think the Pope had any clue who Kelly is, much less what “American Idol” is?
And here’s that Michael Johns appearance on Ellen DeGeneres that aired last Friday, courtesy of MJ. Sorry it took so long for me to post it:
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4/18: Finally— the Josh Gracin interview!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ABOVE: From his appearance last year at a 94.9/The Bull client party.
Okay. It’s a quiet day, a day to finally bring out the Josh Gracin interview!
He was more forthcoming than he was the last time I interviewed him two years ago and seemed to be in a much better place, more comfortable, just happier.
Gracin’s career, post “Idol,’ opened strong with three top 10 country singles and 670,000 copies sold of his first CD in 2004-05. Then he hit a wall as he worked on his sophomore release. Lyric Street released what was going to be the first single of the second album in March 2006, “Favorite State of Mind.” It did okay, breaking the top 20, but wasn’t a breakout hit. So the album got held.
At this stage of his career, all the time he’d been spending on the road promoting his records had taken a toll on his personal life. (He’s married with kids.) And he said he ultimately wasn’t satisfied with the way the album was coming together. He changed producers and he wanted to get more involved in writing his own songs.
Ultimately, he said, if “Favorite State of Mind” had become a massive hit, the album would have come out, an album “I was not happy with, not comfortable with. It should have been better.”
That’s what got him to the current single “We Weren’t Crazy,” an autobiographical song. “I had just gotten off the road,” he said. “I thought about how my parents disapproved of my relationship when I was 16. [He married his high school sweetheart.] I thought about how people thought I was crazy joining the Marines. I’m fortunate it’s worked out three kids and 11 years later. I proved them wrong. I wasn’t crazy!”
He admitted that the post-“Idol” whirlwind meant strain on his marriage. “A lot of those times, I was gone. When you are a high school sweetheart and things are moving so far, you grow up at your own time. It’s hard to really get a chance to figure each other out. A lot of family members around me went through hard times and stuck it through. I wanted to set an example. I believe once you get married, whatever hard times you have, you figure it out and don’t take the easy way out. We try to do anything and everything we can to make it feel like there isn’t a disconnect. Just last night, I finally played around with my Mac. I figured out how to do an iChat. My kids can see me through the computer and I can see them back before I go to bed at night.”
He also wrote a song that he literally placed on the album at the last second, an ode to his wife “Unbelievable (Ann Marie).” He penned it in January and actually played it for the first time at Cowboy’s in Kennesaw:
“I wanted to immortalize my love [of my wife] and our time together,” he said. “It really has no traditional verse and chorus structure. That’s why it’s unique to me. It will be the second single.” When he played it at Cowboy’s, “they loved it. It was definitely a defining moment.” That convinced him to put it on the album.
He said that was his third or fourth trip to Cowboys. “The crowds have gotten bigger and bigger,” he said. “I love going there.”
He wasn’t miffed that “Idol’ skipped over him for their recently Nashville update, which featured Phil Stacey, Bo Bice and Bucky Covington. “I hope that later on down the line, they’ll give me a chance to get back on the show and perform and show how much I’ve changed and grown as a musician.”
Gracin’s current CD “We Weren’t Crazy” has sold 25,000 copies over two weeks. I spoke to him just as he was getting first-week sales of 18,000 (compared to about 57,000 from his first CD.) “Normally, I’d be upset,” he said. “But I haven’t had anything in the marketplace in four years. And everything is going digital. I’m not upset.” He noted that 35% of his sales came from iTunes which is high for a country artist.
His current single “We Weren’t Crazy” is edging up the country chart and is now at No. 25.
I asked him his memories of “Idol” dredged back up courtesy of ‘Idol Rewind” in syndication. He was eliminated Bee Gees week. “It brings back memories of me never singing disco again!” He said he has nothing negative to say about his Idol experience. “I didn’t sing anywhere near as I would have liked but vocal cords are like muscles you have to build and that was a great way to do it,” he said. “You can really hear the changes in my voice from the first to the second album. I’ve grown as a singer.”
He has also lost weight. During his incessant touring, he gained 80 pounds, he said. He has since lost 65 of it. He cut out milk and soda. “You name it, I cut it out,” he said. “I used to drink a gallon and a half of milk a week. That’s a lot of fat grams. I just drink iced tea with Sweet & Low and water.”
In other news:
-Paula Abdul, who canceled on the NBC “Today” show April 25 performance, will be on now August 29, according to the New York Post.
-Carmen Rasmussen wrote a first person piece about how she was not given equal treatment in terms of coaching as others during her season. Fascinating stuff.
I only received minimal vocal coaching from “American Idol” voice instructor Debra Byrd. In fact, I can count on one hand the number of times I actually received applicable, specific advice from her. Most of the time, it was, “You sound good. Just do your thing.” Or, “You need to work on your high notes.”
One day, as I was waiting downstairs for my private singing lesson, Clay Aiken was in the music room. I could hear him going over and over his song, dissecting it.
Finally, after about 30 minutes, the door opened. It was my turn. I walked in and sang my song about three times before being dismissed. Hardly the personal one-on-one attention Aiken had just received.
And this:
But perhaps more than wardrobe or vocal coaching, performance coaching was the one thing we needed the most — and received the least. Besides performing for my mom or in front of the mirror, I wasn’t given any outside perspective on what does and does not come across well on camera.
Some of the contestants this year have received negative comments on looking “overrehearsed” — but how would they know what looks good if no one takes the time to help them out?
-Brian Dunkleman finally admits he was wrong quitting “Idol” after season one. But he still comes off as sanctimonious in this TV Guide interview.
TVGuide.com: You know, I have to ask, what in the world made you quit American Idol?
Dunkleman: I’ve answered it so many times it’s curious to me why I keep getting asked — I wish I had gotten fired, it would be a hell of a lot easier to deal with. I don’t understand why people would think I would lie about it at this point. It was such a big mistake in judgment, it’s embarrassing. I was unhappy on the show, they treated the kids like [crap], I didn’t think it was cool. If I had known it was going to run for 70 years I would have sucked it up and become callous like the rest of them. I had a lot of great experiences on Idol, but I just have a deep philosophical opposition to what they do.
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4/17: Kristy Lee Cook exit interview
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Kristy Lee Cook came across as poised and articulate, largely avoiding the pablum and cliches that came out the mouths of Ramiele and Chikezie. Some have complained she was a bit of a country robot on stage and was not the emotional lump that Brooke sometimes is. But I ultimately liked her for her rather grounded and rationalized approach to the show.
She admitted never having sung much in the way of non-country tunes and was hamstrung by the song choices during the semifinals, when she was also ill. (In past years, she would have had a greater chance to show off her country chops earlier.)
She felt more comfortable post Beatles. And she defended her take on “Eight Days a Week.” When I asked her about that, she felt the judges’ negative comments shaped America’s opinions about it.
*I’ve had mixed feelings on it. A lot of people actually liked it. A lot of people I worked with on the stage and the band. They absolutely loved the version… I thought it was kind of cool and deserved a bit more praise. I did make it my own.” One lesson she’s learned is to ignore the judges when watching the show and making her own judgment.
Cook said picking “God Bless the USA” wasn’t necessarily at attempt to save her own hide by going the patriotic route. Rather, she said her dad, a Vietnam vet, loved the song so she was thinking about it when she saw it on the list of songs the year she was born. Then her sister called and suggested the same song, which Kristy has sung before. “That was an instant yes in my mind,” she said.
Her fiance Andy also proposed to her secretly in a sauna March 15 and did it officially on “Idol” this week, though I don’t think that ended up on camera because I don’t remember it.
She would have sung “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” for Andrew Lloyd Weber. That would have been a serious challenge!
Cook was naturally surprised she got booted this week. “My performance was pretty strong this past week. I’m happy I went out on that note.”
How about serenading Simon? “He later said, ‘You made it kind of awkward for me.’ I said, ‘Now you know what it’s like!’ “
And being in the bottom three so many times.: “I kind of built up a stamina for it and kind of got a little tougher each time, and finally, kind of learned how to control the emotions that were coming from the whole situation.”
In other “Idol” news:
-I decided to check on my top 12 on March 8 before David Hernandez was eliminated. I’m not doing too badly. I actually had Michael Johns ranked at No. 8. That’s the only one I’ve gotten right so far exactly right. (I had Kristy Lee at 12, Chikezie at 11, Ramiele at 10 and Amanda at 9.) But my top 7 were: 1- David A 2- David C 3- Syesha 4- Jason 5- David H. (whoops!) 6- Carly 7- Brooke. I was clearly optimistic on Syesha but who knows?
-My bud Chris Sligh does a fine job sifting through the Mariah performance show.. He was bored by David A., underwhelmed by Carly, impressed by Syesha, okay with Brooke, enjoyed Kristy, rocked by David C. and pimped Jason C.
-I did want to note that Tuesday’s ratings (23.6 million) for “Idol” were the lowest Tuesday show in five years, since season two, according to Hollywood Reporter. The results show finished at around 23.3 million, down about 23 percent from a year earlier. the biggest gap this year (excluding “Idol Gives Back”). And thanks to Michael Johns, I had my best week last week on the blog in terms of page views at about 60,000 though this blog is still down significantly in traffic from a year ago.
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4/16: Top 7 Idol elimination night. Surprise! Again! Kristy Lee Cook a goner
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Well, we all got it wrong again! Kristy Lee Cook, the country gal I thought was safe, is going home.
Cook started with so much promise (“Amazing Grace”!). Then she went into a long funk yet somehow lasted week in, week out. She was a perpetual bottom three dweller, that stinker of an “Eight Days a Week” still stuck in our craw weeks later. Then she dug out that Lee Greenwood nugget a couple weeks ago, a song pick that impressed everyone (including Simon) for her shrewdness. Her “Anyway” last week was a highlight. The consensus was she was on the rise, that she could even finish in the three or four.
But for the second week in a row, “Idol” threw us for a loop! Her fans again must have figured she was safe while Brooke and Syesha gutted it out.
In her farewell, Kristy Lee does a lovely serenade of Simon of “Forever.” By the time she was out, I liked her more in her departure than for much of her run. And she always looked hot!
Idol did the annual split into threes and try to get a fourth to pick which group to join.
And they faked out Syesha by sticking her in the “safe” group, then swapped her with David Cook, who was obviously safe. They also tried to get David Archuleta to pick which group to join and he did the “sit in.” (Who did that before? I’ll have to go back in my files here to find out what happened the past three seasons.).
Cook helped him out by joining him Indian style in the center. And well, Cook was right. He was safe with Carly (!!) and Jason.
So the bottom three were gals as expected: Kristy Lee, Syesha and Brooke. The bottom two were Brooke and Kristy Lee. Simon says Kristy will go. And he’s right!
Okay, let me re-wind to the beginning. An excruciatingly boring group sing of “One Sweet Day.” A respectable performance by Elliott Yamin. A rather toothless (or let’s say, vocally constrained) Mariah Carey. More jokes between the judges over silly viewer questions. And that weird marionette Ford ad. Did I miss anything?
Oh, yah— Andrew Lloyd Weber is the mentor next week.
In the meantime, here’s other “Idol” news:
The four performers who have played instruments in the top 12 are still alive— the two Davids, Brooke and Jason. Entertainment Weekly notes this phenomenon and you have to wonder—without the guitar or piano, would Brooke and Jason still be in the competition?. Good topic! I’ll pose that question as a lead blog entry later this week or early next week.
Ratings last night were 23.6 million, down 11 percent over the same episode a year ago, the final week of Sanjaya. E! online poses the question—can we blame Sanjaya for the 8 to 10 percent decline in ratings this year or simply a broader case of “Idol” fatigue?
David Cook’s stricken brother Adam, who attended Tuesday’s show, has brain cancer and sat in the front row. More here, courtesy of People.com.
“His brother came to town a few days ago, and he’s not in the best of shape and you can tell it’s affecting David and everything,” says dancer Lacey Schwimmer, of So You Think You Can Dance, who has stepped out with David recently. “But I think it’s a good thing that he’s here because it shows that his brother is still supporting him.”
- If you are a fan of comic Lewis Black, check out his hilarious “debate” show tonight in which two comics argue over two topics and Lewis deems which one is more evil. Last week, it was Dick Cheney vs. Paris Hilton. (Cheney won.). Tonight at 10:30 p.m., it’s high school vs. American Idol. So is getting noogies and wedgies more evil than listening to yet another version of Heart’s “Alone”? Is taking the SAT worse than Paula’s ramblings? We shall see. It’s Comedy Central’s “Lewis Black: Root of All Evil.” I’ll review it tomorrow.
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4/15: Top 7 Idol performance night: Mariah Carey!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We knew it. Ballad hell. That’s what we got courtesy of Mariah Carey, the theme and the mentor. How about this timing? Her latest album comes out today, too! What a coincidence!
Nobody did dreadfully. David Cook lifted his game, boldly grunging where grunge has never been. David Archuleta was in his comfort zone, did his usual emoting. Kristy Lee Cook is still keeping herself alive with smart song choices. Syesha was, as usual, solid but is solid good enough? Carly didn’t quite hit the heights and will be in trouble again. Brooke is in that red zone as well, totally out of her element. Jason’s fans will love him and he was in the pimp spot to boot so he’s fine.
Anyway—my rankings: 1- David Cook 2- Syesha 3- Kristy Lee 4- David A. 5- Jason Castro 6- Carly 7- Brooke
Bottom three? Syesha, Carly and Brooke. Who will go home? I think Carly has been skirting the edges and isn’t bringing it home. It’s time for the Irish gal to go back to San Diego. [I made those picks before checking your comments or Dialidol.com and I’m glad to see the bottom three at the moment are indeed Syesha, Carly and Brooke.]
Up first: David Archuleta (“When You Believe”) - This was apparently a minor hit with Whitney in 1998 that I don’t even remember from “The Prince of Egypt.” David’s wearing leather pants. I hope they don’t squeak while he walks. It’s your standard issue ballad and he did it well but man, I can’t stand this drudgery. And it has some sort of inspirational theme, right up his alley. Randy: “You can sing anything. That was the bomb.” Paula: “It must feel great for Mariah to hear your interpretation of the song.” Simon: “I would have bet $1 million you’d pick that song in advance. I thought that was very good. You set the benchmark.” B-plus
Carly Smithson (“Without You”) - She noted how boring it is now without Michael Johns around or “MJ” as she calls him. This was actually a cover song for Mariah, a top 3 hit in 1994, and made a major hit by Harry Nilsson in the early 1970s. She’s going into her lower registers to start this song and restrains herself until the end. She really tried to dial back the Angry Bunny From Outer Space look with mixed results. It was a solid vocal performance, not transcendent but not very good. Randy: “You have to trust your lower register. It was pretty good.” Paula: “I liked you shared some vocal restraint.” Simon: “Did you pull it off? No. I think you’re overthinking everything. I still think you’re wound up. It was an okay version.” B-plus
Syesha Mercado (“Vanishing”) - This was an album cut from Mariah’s first CD, a gospel-tinged ballad. Yes, another ballad. It’s going to be one of those nights. It was beautifully done. Controlled yet emotional, lovely. Randy: “I love how you go for it every week. You did a good job on it all thing considered. It’s hard to sing.” Paula: “This week, you’ve been extremely smart… You picked a song not many people know. Overall, tonight was unbelievably magical.” Simon: “Once again, technically, it was very good indeed. Having said that, I’m not sure I would have chosen a song not many people know about. You run a risk.” I agree with Simon that a relatively unknown song might hurt her. A-minus
Brooke White (“Hero”) - She missed her sister’s wedding this past Saturday. “Hero” was Mariah’s eighth number song in 1993-94, definitely one of her signature songs. Brooke hit a bad note to start but she smartly does a quiet, stripped-down version of the song. It’s just okay in coffee-house form. Not her best, not her worst. I almost wish she had slowed it down a bit more. It felt mildly rushed. Randy: “I liked the fact you brought the singer-songwriter thing. I was digging it until the bridge.” Paula: “Every ounce of you is totally authentic to who you are.” Simon: “I don’t think you had much choice but to do what you do. It was a bit like ordering a hamburger and only getting the bun. In other words, the vital ingredient, the meat. Your voice isn’t strong enough to carry that off.” (Brooke looks confused.) B
Kristy Lee Cook (“Forever”) - This was a middle-tier hit for “Mariah” in 1996, not one I know particularly well. But that’s wise so we as viewers lack a preconceived notion of this ballad. (Yes, another ballad! Nobody has dared take on “Dreamlover” or “Always Be My Baby”). Kristy Lee has been improving in recent weeks and the confidence is definitely there. She gives it a nice Faith Hill-style feel. (Notice they’ve stopped the front area crowd from waving their hands—thank God!). I enjoyed it. I’m jonesing for something more upbeat at this stage of the show but hey, she did her thang, as Randy might say. Randy: “I don’t think that was amazing… but I gotta tell you. You definitely stepping up toward the end. You hit that note at the end.” Paula: “You have this all worked out in your plans. I’m blown away.” Simon: “You didn’t give me chills. I think you managed with what you could. It was a little whiny at times. It wasn’t ever going to be advantage for you. It just wasn’t great.” A-minus/B-plus
David Cook (“Always Be My Baby”) - Oh, well. David is daring to take on one of Mariah’s more ebullient songs, one of my favorites from 1996. He does his little grunge-rock turn on yet another pop song, Chad Kroeger style. It’s actually quite captivating though the female backup singers really is a strange addition given the way he sang it. And we know he didn’t “borrow” that arrangement from Chris Cornell off YouTube. Randy: “You are ready to make an album. I’d never stood up. That was the most brilliant performance yet.” Paula: “You’re it.” Simon: “It was like coming out of karaoke hell into a breath of fresh air because that was original. It was daring. It stood out by a mile. This is the sign of great potential artist. Someone who takes risks. Congratulations.” A (With his sick brother in the audience, he’s in tears.)
Pimp spot! Jason Castro (“I Don’t Wanna Cry”) - How will he Jack Johnson this Spanish-tinged No. 1 ballad from her early days? Ick. She touched his dreads! This was not one of those tunes I particularly liked which makes it hard for me to enjoy his rendition. He did alright. It was no “Hallelujah.” Randy: “I felt like I was at a weird beach luau and someone was playing music in the distance.” Paula: “If I was at that luau, I’d listen all night long.” Simon: “I have to agree with Paula. It identified with you. It was a cool version. The guys won the night.” B-plus
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4/15: Kellie Pickler wins three CMT awards, Debra Byrd interview
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Kellie PIckler last night won breakthrough video, performance and tearjerker video of the year for her autobiographical song “I Wonder.” Congrats Kellie!
I also briefly interviewed “Idol” music director Debra Byrd this morning. She has been with “Idol” since the beginning and continues to mentor and help the finalists. Last year, i got to gab with her for an hour but this year, I only had a few minutes this time around.
She’s promoting a “pitch pipe” with volume control, which ensures singers can start on the right note. She said Justin Guarini and Blake Lewis are two finalists who use it. More info about Byrd and her product here.
Byrd, who has been with “Idol” since day one, said the only contestant she can think of who didn’t need a pitch pipe was season four finalist Anwar Robinson, who is in Atlanta this week to perform in “Rent’ at Fox Theatre. He had, what she would call, “perfect pitch.” That means you ask him for a note, any note, and he’ll hit it no matter what.
I wish I had more time but she did give me a little insight into how do deal with Mariah Carey songs when you don’t have a five-octave range. “Her songs are written for her style,” she said. “So you have to dissect them and take her voice out of the equation. For someone like Kristy Lee Cook who doesn’t vocally go near the instrument that Mariah Carey has, we strip it down. You have to go to the essence of the song.”
I asked her about Michael Johns. “I think he did a great job with ‘Dream On.’ We were surprised he didn’t make it. I wish I knew why.”
As for Kristy’s progress: “She’s getting better every week. That’s a great testimony to her ability as a human being. She’s really working hard on her songs. She has a great handle on who she is. She works her hiney off. She’s changed a lot of bad habits.” (What bad habits?) “She stopped riding that horse when she sings. And she stopped mashing potatoes with her foot.”
With David Cook, “he never opened his eyes early on. Now he opens his eyes.” WIth Jason Castro, “we worked on his breathing. He’s getting better each week.” And how about Carly Smithson and the angry look? “She wasn’t aware she was doing that before. We’re working on that.”
Alas, we ran out of time so I didn’t get a chance to parse Brooke, Syesha or David A.
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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..
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4/14: Bucky Covington interview, songwriters competition
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m speaking to Michael Johns one on one while he’s in New York at about 10:05 a.m. EST today so email me any questions to rho@ajc.com and I’ll see if I can get to them.
The folks at CMT have their big music awards show tonight at 8 p.m.. Three “Idol” folks have been nominated in various categories, including Carrie, Kellie and Bucky, who is up for “Breakthrough Video” for his first single “A Different World.”
Bucky Covington was the most available so the CMT publicist hooked me up with him to promote the show (though it would always be fun to talk to Kellie.)
Naturally, Covington is psyched to be nominated for something. “The video is really great,” he said. “We put the song out, it was in the 20s [on the country chart.] The video hit No. 1 and the single went top 10.”
Bucky said he’s living his dream and is amazingly happy. “A couple of years ago, I was working in a body shop, not making a whole lot of money. To be honest, I was happy as a lark then, too. I’ve just got a lot cooler hand dealt for me. It’s been awesome. It’s a real cool life. I’m glad my life has turned out the way it is.”
He lives in Nashville and hopes to eventually buy a big plot of land outside the city for him, his twin brother Rocky and his mom.
This got me to ask about whether his brother resents him and how he takes being mistaken for Bucky all the time. Bucky says Rocky doesn’t mind. “He loves the interaction with fans,” Bucky said. “He’s a real people person.” He says they’ve always looked the same, grown their hair the same. “It’s like a mirror,” Bucky said. “If it looks good on him, it looks good on me.”
He has marveled how slowly his two singles have climbed, which is typical for new artists on the country charts. (Just ask Sugarland). “It’s Good To Be Us” is knocking on the door of the top 10 right now in its whopping 31st week on the chart. “It’s amazing,” he said. “I had no idea it’d take this long.” [Since I did this interview 10 days ago, his song peaked at No. 11 and has begun slipping off. Georgia’s Lady Antebellum leapfrogged him into the top 10.]
Since he’s been able to steadily sell albums (approaching 400,000), he’s remained “very busy” the past year-plus, mostly touring, touring, touring. He’s now opening for Dierks Bentley with Georgia native Luke Bryan. Bucky has his brother and his best friend in the band so being on the road is fine, he said. (Jeff Cease, a former guitarist for Atlanta’s Black Crowes, is also in his band.) He also has gotten a girlfriend. “Single life would kill me right now,” he said.
He hasn’t had a chance to watch this season’s “Idol” and has hardly ever watched much TV. “It’s almost been there, done it. I know all the ins and outs. I know every angle. There are no surprises hardly to me.” He does like Comedy Central standup comedy and music videos.
He and his label Lyric Street is talking about a third single from his album, probably a ballad, “I’ll Walk.” (Ballads are generally a tougher sell on the charts so we’ll see.) He said the album has been around long enough that people in the crowd can now sing along to all the songs. “When you see them sing the songs back to you, nobody can cut you a check that big, it feels that good!” This means a second album probably won’t be out until 2009.
His favorite “Idol” moment two years later was spending time with Steve Wonder and doing a decent job with “Superstition.” “I really appreciate that now,” he said. And since then, he’s still amazed when bigger stars like Tim McGraw and Dale Earnhardt Jr. know who he is. “That’s flattering,” he said.
In other “Idol” news:
-That songwriters’ contest is back. Last year, we ended up with that pile of poo, “This is My Now.” The finalists are now available online for you to vote. You have to register to do so and to even listen to the songs. Ricky.org has all the songs in one place. Check it out. I never got around to sampling all the songs last year. Maybe I’ll try to do so this year. Then again, I don’t know if I’ll have the tolerance level to get through the dross.
-In a takeoff of those Geico ads, on Jay Leno last Friday, Michael Johns gamely worked with Gene Simmons here. Michael was almost too subdued. He should have totally gone goofball with a goofball like Gene!
-Ratings last Thursday were subpar because it was on Thursday instead of Wednesday. And people may have been “Idol-ed” out after 2.5 hours on Wednesday. Ratings were about 20.1 million, about 20 percent lower than normal.
-The Writers Guild has sent out a press release in which a dozen workers from some of TV’s biggest reality shows including “Idol” allege that they are not being paid proper amounts of overtime. See more here if you’re into labor disputes.
And totally unrelated to “American Idol,” but this dude (“Partyin’ Marty Hardy”) hosting “Solid Gold” in 1981 makes you truly appreciate the skills of Ryan Seacrest. Pour on the cheese! (If you’re under the age of 25, just be glad you didn’t have to live through all that gold lame and tight spandex.)
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4/13: My CNN Radio guest spot, most shocking departures in Idol history
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I did CNN.com’s weekly “Idol Chat” last year during its final weeks. Unfortunately, we were cancelled this year. But CNN Radio has been doing its own audio version this season with Michelle Wright and Richard Benson. Benson was on vacation so Michelle invited me to sub in this week. Listen to our commentary here.
And before we get to the heart of this entry, I’ve been watching MTV’s ‘Rock the Cradle,” featuring the kids of Olivia Newton John, Bobby Brown, Joe Walsh and others. Sadly, most of the kids are nowhere near as good as their parents vocally or charismatically. MC Hammer’s daughter, as one judge noted, looks about 40 even though she’s 19. And Bobby Brown’s son strikes me as old and rather dull, too. The only one who stood out last week and has by far the best vocal ability is Joe Walsh’s daughter Lucy Walsh. Dee Snider’s kid Jesse isn’t half bad either. Olivia Newton John’s daughter Chloe is just strange.
The Michael Johns surprise cut Thursday enters my top 5 most shocking “Idol” exits ever. Here’s my list:
1- Chris Daughtry, fourth place, season five. That angry look on Daughtry’s face when he was given the boot is forever implanted in my brain. (I tried to find it online but couldn’t for some reason.) He was still peeved the day after during interviews. But he’s not angry anymore. Success does mitigate such pain. He was a favorite to win though there were plenty of Soul Patrol fans who slagged him for being a Nickelback ripoff. Daughtry’s rationale for his exit was complacency on the part of his fans, not any particular bad performance. Perhaps the rocker contingent wasn’t as enthusiastic to vote hundreds of times.
2- Clay Aiken, runner up, season two. Clay fans are still peeved about this one and his post-“Idol” sales at least gave them some solace. His success also proved that victory isn’t necessary to do well after “Idol.” Interestingly, Nigel Lythgoe, the producer, said Clay was far ahead of the others in votes throughout the season. One technical issue may have made it closer than it could have been and may have tipped the balance for Ruben: busy signals. So many fans couldn’t get through that the lines were packed with votes the entire time, thus ensuring a very very close final vote count. This was also before texting was a regular phenomenon, which might have helped Clay. I do believe Clay would have won if there had been more phone lines available. Nonetheless, Ruben was a force to be reckoned and few could deny his skills.
3- Michael Johns, eighth place, season seven. This is the earliest “shocker” the show has ever had. He’s a truly talented stage performer with solid vocals. And he’s never had a really bad day. But he didn’t always look totally comfortable on stage and lacked a certain edge to be a true rock star. And he didn’t mine the bluesy soul stuff enough. If you look at office pools and commentary before the results show. I doubt anybody pinned him to be going home Thursday. I was one of the few to even place him in the bottom three. And I did so out of default. We’ll miss you, Michael!
4- Jennifer Hudson, seventh place, season three. This was the classic week of the top 7 season when the bottom three were the divas: Jennifer, LaToya London and future winner Fantasia. Ultimately, any of their departures would have been construed as surprising but they did cannibalize each other at this early stage. I always found LaToya bland and Fantasia the most heartfelt (and the most deserving winner). But nobody could deny Jennifer’s vocal skills. In fact, I felt Jennifer’s final performance was one of her best (Barry Manilow’s “Weekend in New England”) Hudson carries a certain histrionic sadness to her being, which worked perfectly in “Dreamgirls” three years later but may not have helped her in voting circles. She did go home too early so even though she has yet to release her own album, that Oscar I’m sure looks great on her mantle!
5- Tamyra Gray, fourth place, season one. At the point of the final four, many had figured it would be a Kelly Clarkson/Tamyra Gray finale. Tamyra (who used to live in Norcross and is now on the Broadway production of “Rent”) already had great stage presence and incredibly mature chops. She lacked the gee-whiz freshness of Kelly but was far less cheesy than Justin Guarini. And nobody really could take Nikki McKibbin seriously. How she got as far as she did (third place, ahead of Tamyra) remains a mystery. So Gray’s departure still hurts. And just think: if Tamyra had made the final two, the film “From Justin to Kelly” would never have been made!
And just to show not everybody was shocked, this Newsday blogger was surprised, not shocked.. Here’s his interesting theory on why Johns is gone:
Michael Johns was good, but not great. His last few outings have been blah. Aerosmith on Tuesday? Blah blah. Kristi Lee, who effectively LIVES in the bottom three, has actually gotten better - or better at getting more clever in song choice. Brooke - one of my early favorites - has gotten worse, to the point of awful. Yet she has so completely conned her fans with that sweet lil’ ol’ me act that they don’t even hear her performances.
But Johns never seemed to work his fans, never worked the judges. He was a bit of a cypher, really, unreadable, inscrutable. The Great Sphinx of the seventh season.
Sometimes it’s not just about the singing. Sometimes it’s about selling yourself too. Johns never learned that little secret. That’s why he’s gone.
Do you agree? Did he not sell himself properly? I do think he should have loosened up more during his performances, showed his goofier side at some point. And stop being so earnest when defending himself with the judges. And it’s true: talking back to the judges, even in a calm way is seldom good. Brooke tries to talk over the judges. Michael always felt obligated to defend his song choices. It’s probably best just to shut up. This is a weekend entry so I’m not expecting a lot of comments so I’ll problaby make that an entry sometime in the future. Talking back to the judges? Good or bad?
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4/12: Michael Johns exit interview, friends reaction
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m going to speak to Michael Johns one on one Monday but for now, here are the highlights from the mass press conference interview call this afternoon:
He actually thanked me for my coverage when I got on line. What a classy guy!
Anyway, I asked him why his off-stage goofy persona was so different from his serious. earnest on-stage persona.
“When I perform, I get into it. Even when I’m in dress rehearsal. I go up another notch. I don’t know what comes out sometimes. Off stage, it’s a whole different persona. I’m just Michael. I like to have fun and cut up. But onstage, we go to work.”
And what song would he have sung next week for Mariah Carey week? (My standard question).
“A really cool soul blues version of Vision of Love. It was hot, too. I’m a little bummed I can’t do it.”
His reaction again to being dropped so early? “I would be lying if I say I wasn’t shocked. I hadn’t been in the bottom three. I thought my last two, three weeks were my strongest. But you know in this competition, stuff happens. And it did.”
Some reporter asked him if his choice of ascot might have hurt him? “The ascot that killed America?” Johns mused. “It was a fun outfit. It was time for me to step it up stylistically.”
Did he enjoy the medleys? “I tried to bring as much light to it. If you take it too seriously, you look like an idiot. I tried to have fun and just laugh. I actually really enjoyed Wednesdays.”
On this season’s crop of singers: “Of any season, to be part of this one is special. There were no laughing stocks, no jokers. [He was clearly referencing the likes of Chicken Little and Sanjaya.] We had a lot of respect in the public eye. That’s something I can be very proud of.”
He was honored when he heard Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, fellow Aussies, were fans of his. And he spoke with Dolly Parton on “Fox & Friends” this morning and she raved about him, too.
On Simon “He wanted me to sing more blues soul. Not every theme week fit that. Through the competition, I wanted to show a representation of the kind of artist I’m going to be. I’m going to do rock soul. I’m proud I stayed true to that.”
As for the reacton to his departure “Nothiing’s sunk in yet but it means a lot. It means I struck a nerve somewhere.”
Will he ever go back to Australia as a resident? “I’ve been here [in the United States] 10 years. I love it here. I’ve been here my whole adult life. I’m going to be living here the rest of my life.”
On wearing that Dolly Parton T-shirt last week “We were backstage putting on outfits. One of the stylists hung it up there, this vintage Dolly Parton T-shirt as a gag… So I went went on stage and wore it, try to lighten things up. He gave me a look—are you crazy? It was well worth it.”
On Ryan cruelly teasing him about possibly staying alive another week “I get the television aspect of this competition. It was tough… When he said that, I thought maybe I’m going through, they’re just having a good laugh… then reality set in… I don’t hold it against Ryan.”
I didn’t pay much attention last night to his last performance but he did sing “Dream On” with more heart and soul than he did on Tuesday. “I wasn’t thinking. I was just feeling,” he said. “I’m glad that came across.”
I spoke to a few of Michael Johns’ closest friends from Atlanta and here are their reactions to his departure:
Blaine Terry, 27, Buckhead. Johns would sack out at Blaine’s pad when he visits Atlanta: “A bottle of scotch later, I’m okay. I figured he might be in the bottom three since he hasn’t before. But I didn’t expect him to go.” He said his phone blew up at 9:01 p.m. Thursday and he spoke with 30 to 40 people that night until 1 a.m. and received 200-plus text messages from outraged friends, family and acquaintances.
Marc Thomes, 28, attorney, Atlanta. He tried to look on the bright side: “I think it might be a good thing for his career long term. He’ll be able to move on and make the record he always wanted without as much of that Idol stigma if he had stayed on longer.” He was able to talk to him briefly Thurday night. “He was in good spirits. He was shocked but he’ll move on.” He said he and Blaine were at Marc’s pad and were stunned into silence when the news broke.
Cary Franklin, 30, Atlanta, owner of entertainment site www.sneakysunday.com. A former pro tennis player, Cary met Michael Johns through Collective Soul’s Dean Roland and he and Mike have spent time on the courts. He was in San Francisco on business last night when people began texting him with the news. “My mom called all panicked,” he said. “I was really shocked. I felt like he was going to have his work cut out for him once he made the top five. But I really thought he’d be safe a few more weeks. I thought he was picking up momentum.” He did wonder why Michael never used the guitar, a staple for Brooke and Jason. “He’s a very accomplished guitar player,” he said.
Jason Ingram, 34, Atlanta production graphics specialist: “The way the news was delivered was weird.” He said he went through the multiple stages of grief relatively rapidly, anger, sadness, then reality set in. “When I talked to him a year about doing this show, Michael wanted to just get out there and get some exposure and allow people to see he’s a worthy artist. That was accomplished. He’s in the game. Sure, he wanted to win. I’d have less of a problem if he had made the top 4 or 5. I think the show loses a bit of an element he brought.” He said the one bad thing is Michael won’t get a chance to work with future mentor Andrew Lloyd Weber. “I know he was really looking forward to that. He could have taught him something about hths voice and expanded him in a new genre.”
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4/11: Theories why Michael Johns is gone
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For those of you wondering when my Josh Gracin interview will ever be posted, well, I’m going to have to make you wait yet again because it’s all about Michael Johns today!
I’m going to post his post interview comments from the press conference later today and I’m going to try to get a one on one with him by phone (though that may not happen until Monday.) But first: every theory I can think of postulating why he didn’t get the support this week in classic Monday morning quarterbacking form:
1- He never fully defined himself. The judges themselves complimented him more when he went the bluesy rocker route rather than arena rock. And that’s when he best connected with the audience. But he opted for a more traditional rock song with “Dream On” by Aerosmith. And though it was good, he’s no Steven Tyler.
2- Even as a rocker, he lacked that rocker edge. He’s a nice guy. All his friends said so. He emanated niceness all around. Even when he tried to emote “serious rock dude,” he couldn’t quite pull it off. Ironically, despite being a nice guy, he always came across as too serious on stage and never seemed totally relaxed.
3- He’s an Australian native. Sure, he’s married to an American and all that, but some bloggers here (War Eagle, for one) didn’t think he should be the “American” Idol. That might have cost him some votes.
4- He went first. Viewership is about 20 percent lower at the start of the show vs. the end of the show. That doesn’t help matters. That’s why the pimp spot is so important and that helped keep Brooke out of the bottom three despite lukewarm feedback.
5- His fans got complacent. Michael on Tuesday was good, but not particularly bad or inspirationally great. David Cook had arguably his worst performance to date and that in and of itself could have landed him in the bottom three. But his fans knew he wasn’t working from a position of strength and voted hot and heavy. Michael’s fans didn’t step up.
6- Rocker fans preferred David Cook. Men who like rock didn’t generally like Michael. Women certainly did. And they vote more than guys. But Cook certainly diverted potential fans for Michael.
For comparison, here are the other folks who were eliminated at this point in past years:
season one: A.J. Gil. Yah, I know. Who?
season two: Rickey Smith. Hercules, hercules, hercules! Nope, he was okay but more Chikezie level than Ruben level.
season three: Jon Peter Lewis. Goofy dancer, so-so singer.
season four: Nadia Turner. Sniff. I still like her. Her fire. Her passion. But strange song choices did her in.
season five: Bucky Covington. Decent country singer and the most successful eighth place finisher to date. (I will be posting an interview I did with him Monday in advance of the CMT Awards.)
season six: Haley Scarnato. She’s got legs… and not much else going for her.
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4/10: Top 8 Idol elimination night: Michael Johns out!!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mark me stunned. Biggest shocker of the year: Michael Johns is gone! Ryan cruelly gave him momentary hope, mentioning how they didn’t eliminate anybody the week of “Idol Gives Back” a year ago. But no charity this year: he really is outta here.
“I’m definitely surprised,” said a visibly flustered Johns. “I enjoyed singing that song. It’s a song about Dreams. [“Dream On” by Aerosmith]. If there’s a song to go out on, that’s not a bad one.”
Even Simon says some kind words after a few not so kind words: “Based on the performance, it wasn’t the right song. You have to learn a lesson. I’m going to miss you. You’re a very good singer and a very very nice guy.” Michael goes out to the judges and gets big hugs from Paula and Randy after singing “Dream On” out near the judges. (Michael skips the big notes at the end this time around but who cares?)
On the bright side, for the first time this season, I got the bottom three correct: Syesha, Carly and Michael. But I thought the former Buckhead denizen was safe. So I’ve been wrong picking who gets ousted four out of five times. Not good.
“It’s freaking shocking as hell,” said his friend Jason Ergle. “I don’t know what else to say.”
Going first didn’t help Michael but I’m seriously surprised he was cut out after having never been in the bottom three and gaining what I thought some currency during Dolly Parton week after a great version of “It’s All Wrong, But It’s All Right.”
Well, I’ll be calling his buds tomorrow and getting their reactions.
If you skipped last night’s charity event (and a good number of you did), “Idol” provided a quick four-minute summary tonight, including Fergie upstaging Heart and Kimmel ribbin’ Simon’s nips. Some leftover pleas were thrown in that didn’t make the cut last night. And they repeated the lip-synching bit with celebrities from last year using “I’m a Believer.” Seen this year: Eddie Izzard, Rob Schneider, George Lopez, Zack & Cody, Dr. Phil, Kobe Bryant, Michael Chiklis, Cat Deeley. Also: a rather lengthy Forest Whitaker video from Angola is featured midway through. And the Presidential candidate videos pop up tonight instead. (Nice joke, John McCain!)
Over 31 million votes came in, the most this season.
Up first: Brooke White. She’s safe and will probably miss her sister’s wedding. David Cook is safe, too, despite using up some his goodwill Tuesday. And David Archuleta came up third and shockingly, he’s safe, too. And the girls scream incessantly.
At 8:40 p.m., they get to Jason Castro, who is also safe. So now they’ve got four people and only one is not in the bottom three. Kristy Lee Cook comes in at No. 5 and she’s also safe.
Amount raised so far: $60 million. Not quite as much as last year - the lower ratings certainly didn’t help. But all the extra promotion tonight should bump the figure over last year’s $76 million.
The show featured Chris Brown with Jordin Sparks doing “No Air,” which proved why Jordin won last year. The song is within 8 to 10 days of hitting No. 1 (though “Bleeding Love” by U.K. star Leona Lewis might pass her before she gets the chance). “No Air” has also passed 1 million in downloads. Her CD is now past 630K. And “Tattoo” has surpassed 1.5 million downloads.
There was some controversy that the lines of last night’s finale song was censored to omit the word “Jesus,” using the word “shepherd.” This time around, in a reprise, the word “Jesus” was uttered loud and clear. The song ends with Syesha and Carly, which might be how the end looks in about 40 minutes.
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4/10: A new measurement tool? Stamps! And Idol Gives Back ratings
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Rather than sandwich Josh Gracin’s interview in between Idol Gives Back and the results show blog entries, I’ll hold off until tomorrow.
But I got an interesting email from TiVo that predicts Syesha Mercado (above) is a goner tonight based on how many times a particular performance was watched in time-shifted form. Here’s the press release:
TiVo Inc. announced today a prediction of the “American Idol” contestant most likely to be voted off the show in this week’s eliminations. For past four weeks, TiVo has been using its second-by-second audience measurement to determine which performers had the highest and lowest viewership. It turns out, this information, especially among viewers who are watching on a timeshifted basis, is highly predictive of which contestant will be voted off. Viewers tend to rewind and watch their favorite performances multiple times, while fast-forwarding through the ones they don’t like. These viewing preferences correlate with voting patterns (for each week TiVo has measured). As always, the viewing information was collected in strict accordance to TiVo’s privacy policy, which uses a sample of completely anonymous data from 20,000 random anonymous subscribers, analyzed only in on an aggregated basis.
David Archuleta ranked in the highest audience numbers during his performance.
Syesha Mercado was the lowest on the totem pole this week, with the fewest viewers sticking around for her performance. For the past 4 weeks running, the person with the lowest viewership as recorded by TiVo subscribers has been voted to go home.
Intriguing!
Paula Abdul on Q100 today said she’s really worried for Carly Smithson, who is clearly in the danger zone, too. Some folks think Brooke might join them and make it an all-female bottom three but could Michael Johns be in trouble, too?
-Usually postage stamps only feature dead people but Idol has convinced the U.S. Postal Service, desperate for attention, to sell “Idol” stamps with “Idol” winners. According to USA Today,, if the limited edition stamps sell out, that would be $7 million for “Idol Gives Back.”
The stamps are not being sold in post offices. They’re available online only at PhotoStamps or linked via AmericanIdol.com, a product of Stamps.com, which offers USPS-approved, Internet-based postage services.
-“Idol Gives Back” pulled in only about 70% of the regular audience, not a surprise. It averaged 17.6 million from 8 to 10 p.m. based on preliminary numbers. Last year, the show pulled in 26 million viewers but that was because there was a pretense of a results show.
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4/9: Idol Gives Back is back
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Reese Witherspoon and Brad Pitt participate in “Idol Gives Back,” most of which was taped Sunday but aired Wednesday. CREDIT: AP
Well, “Idol Gives Back” has started. I’m not sure how much live stuff will appear, if at all. So far, as of 7:45 a.m., it’s all the taped stuff from the Kodak Theater Sunday. I have heard nothing since about bringing back some of the rejected “Idol” folks for a spot on the tour. I can’t see that happening and certainly not tonight. Kinda off message, eh?
The opener indeed featured the top 8 singing “Don’t Stop the Music” by Rihanna with several of the “So You Think You Can Dance” singers. Ryan Seacrest makes some embarrassing dance steps himself.
The taped pleas include Jimmy Johnson, George Lopez, Kylie Mingoue. The cadaverous Maria Shriver pops on stage. Comedy relief: Ben Stiller-he wants to raise a “googillion dollars.” Jennifer Connelly stars in an ad for clean water. Snoop Dogg smokes the stage. More pleas from Kobe Bryant, then Triple H.
Teri Hatcher sings a bit of “Before He Cheats” after she “catches” Carrie working with James Denton on a sink. Denton plays guitar in the “Band from TV” group. She’s actually not half bad. Mary Murphy, wearing khaki (??), from “So You Think” screams and screams. Hey, at least this all happened before the traditional 8 p.m. primetime hour!
At 8 p.m., the Jonas Brothers plea and the girls scream. Billy Crystal makes some jokes about not knowing who Miley Cyrus is and vice versa. Wow, this bit drags on and on. But the crowd seems to like it. Fox must love this extended promotion for ABC (“Desperate Housewives”) and Disney (Cyrus). It’s all for charity, folks! Must… clamp… down… cynicism!
At 8:10 p.m., the first shots from the regular “Idol” studios pop up with the top 12 on stage literally taking live donations. Look—David Hernandez, Amanda and Chikezie are back! Bono on tape is in Africa in a village decimated by AIDS. After a commercial break, Julianne Moore does a pre-taped plea.
Then it’s Fergie with John Legend followed by “Idol” favorite band Heart (“Barracuda”). Bringing Fergie on seemed a little indulgent on Fergie’s part. Just let Ann do her thang, bless her heart!
WWE’s John Cena, then Adam Sandler throws out the 1-800-IDOL-AID number. Call! Eli & Peyton Manning show up on stage at the Kodak to promote Save the Children. Oh, and the Beckhams read cue cards. Syesha, Kristy, Michael and David Cook are in the front rows and are getting more airtime. It’s now 8:40 p.m., with more Bono, joined by Annie Lennox, both in Africa. Lennox is truly emotionally wrought. Kiefer Sutherland in suit and tie tapes a quickie plea.
By 9 p.m., we see Celine Dion in Africa. Jimmy Kimmel roasts Simon. “All the good feelings about the British Mary Poppins brought here he has undone… we should set aside a little bit of money tonight to buy Simon a shirt that fits him. I know you’ve had that black v-neck since the fourth grade.. but it’s time to let it go… on some nights it looks like you’re smuggling the Olsen twins under your shirt… Back to Simon’s nipples.. some think Paula is crying. It’s his nipples keep poking her in the eyes.”
“American Idol without Simon would be like Christmas without the Grinch, a picnic without ants, like Ryan Seacrest without the faux hawk.” We watch a video of Simon visiting mobile medical units paid for by “Idol Gives Back” to help the medically uninsured. It’s disorienting seeing Simon in this role of playing empathetic. He then introduces Carrie Underwood, who he reminded us was the one he (correctly) predicted would outsell all other Idols. She sings, with the proper emotional nuance. Whoopi and it’s commercial time!
Finally, we hear an upbeat song courtesy of Gloria Estefan with Sheila E in the background. They are giving the illusion that the Sunday night taping is live by hiding the “Idols” in the side boxes at Kodak while their live versions are on stage at the regular Idol theater. And notice Ryan opened at Kodak but has since disappeared from that portion of the show once he was shown live.
Uh oh, Sarah Silverman—being sincere? About malaria? Forrest Whitaker shows us how one pill can save someone from malaria in Africa. The Prime Minister of England pops in via video. Okay, we’re getting close to the end. It’s 9:20 p.m. with Keith Urban doing the plea. Reese Witherspoon (who had mike problems and had to do her take again) promotes the Children’s Defense Fund and shows a video of her at a “freedom” school in New Orleans.
The Idol stage is cleared of phones and the top 8 sing some inspirational tune. We know it’s inspirational because there’s a big chorus. Then Dane Cook pops up at the Kodak Theatre three days earlier to promote Keep a Child Alive with Alicia Keys in Africa.
Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale, from the set of “High School Musical 3,” do the plea followed by a second (!) performance by Miley Cyrus (her hit “See You Again”). They must figure she’s ratings gold for those kid demos so why not double up? She and her dad Billy Ray visit some really poor parts of the Appalachian area.
Then Robin Williams reprises his “Moscow on the Hudson” character as the Russian “Idol.” (I guess Yakov Smirnoff was busy.) ” ‘Midnight Train to Georgia’ means something totally different there,” he said. Wow. Jokes about good ol’ communist Russia and drinking! How timely! He sings and if you find Robin amusing, well, there ya go. And Rob Schneider (“Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo”) does the plea. Rob Schneider?
Homestretch, people: Tyra Banks does a taping. Then David Spade (“Tommy Boy,” “Joe Dirt”) introduced Brad Pitt (“Fight Club,” “Seven”), whose charity is helping post-Katrina New Orleans. His mike didn’t work so they showed the director came up to fix it, saying, “I needed a reason to touch him.” He showed a tape of Daughtry in Uganda.
Hold your horses, WAGA-TV news staff. This looks like it will go well past 10 p.m.! In fact, at 10:02 p.m., Mariah Carey hits the stage with Randy Jackson on bass. (Mariah hasn’t looked this trim in years and she can still vocally break champagne glasses.) At 10:05 a.m., Ryan closes out followed by the final eight (dressed in white) singing “Shout to the Lord.” Did I miss Maroon 5? And I thought Fantasia and Elliott Yamin would come by though I may have just overlooked them. And where was Amy Adams? And I also thought they were going to get videos from the three major Presidential candidates. Just as well keep the political stuff out of it. Then again, some leftover performances from Sunday may just be shown Thursday night. (I was told the taping took more than three hours with no commercial breaks.)
Overall, I actually enjoyed last year’s more. This one was longer, which didn’t help. There was unfortunately no “what the…?” moment like last year’s Celine/Elvis bit.
This year, the groups which will receive your monies are Global Fund, Malaria No More, Children’s Health Fund, Save the Children, Children’s Defense Fund and Make It Right, Brad Pitt’s campaign to help New Orleans recover from Hurricane Katrina.
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4/8: Top 8 performance show
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Overall, I was expecting lots of Celine Dion/Bette Midler/Michael Bolton crap. But on the most part, the top 8 picked quality songs and the performance levels were pretty good. There is not a really weak Sanjaya/Haley type character this year. And we are forever grateful.
That doesn’t mean some folks aren’t dancing on the edge of elimination. I’d say the bottom three are going to be Carly Smithson, Syesha Mercado and for the first time, Michael Johns. (We need a surprise!) And who will go home? Syesha, sadly enough. But Carly isn’t in the clear. This wasn’t a great David Cook performance but I think he has enough residual goodwill to avoid the bottom three. And Kristy Lee Cook is picking good songs for herself and staying just out of trouble. It’s a perfect time for her to pick up the pace while others struggle to define themselves.
Here are my rankings: 1- Jason Castro 2- Kristy Lee Cook (who woulda thunk it that I would ever rank her this high?) 3- David Archuleta 4- Brooke White 5- Michael Johns 6- Syesha Mercado 7- David Cook 8- Carly Smithson
I did my rankings before reading anybody else’s comments or checking dialidol.com. Let me do that now. (If dialidol is accurate, I have the bottom three correct though only the top 3 are safe—the same three I ranked at the top.)
And somebody lifted Paula’s pups a bit much. They must have been screaming in pain!
First up: Michael Johns (“Dream On” Aerosmith) He used this song as a template for his own life. “Dreams come true and it’s happening to me,” he said. As noted in the last blog entry, the pure rock thang doesn’t work quite as well for him as the bluesy-soul stuff. This song has some bluesy elements to it so it’s actually not a bad fit but he isn’t quite as edgy or dirty as Steven Tyler to truly pull it off from a performance standpoint. Vocally, he hit it, even those high notes. Randy: “I thought it was a pretty good song choice but it had some pitch problems but I still don’t buy you as an Aerosmith. That’s not the singer you are.” Paula: “I couldn’t disagree more. It was a perfect song for you to pick. You sound as good as you look. The high notes, I think my chihuahuas are going to join you on stage.” Simon: “It was a very good performance. What I’m slightly with Randy. I don’t like it when you do an impersonation of a rock star. I prefer the more blues/R&B of last week… it was a little bit wannabe-ish.” B-plus/A-minus. (I tended to agree with Simon on this one.)
Syesha Mercardo (“I Believe” Fantasia) Oh, boy. Talk about risky. Taking on Fantasia’s signature “Idol” winning song. I’ve seen Fantasia do this live and it’s a sight to behold. I’ve gotten those dreaded Paula goosebumps. I can’t imagine Syesha could match it no matter how much I like her. She does a fine job but it may come to connecting with the audience. And like being compared to Whitney last week, being compared to Fantasia is a losing proposition. She simply doesn’t connect to that emotional level. Randy; “You took another tiger this week. Fantasia is one of the best singers. She has that special connection I didn’t find with you… she sang the living daylights out of it.” Paula: “She has her own unique style. You flipped it and made it your own. This was one of your most shining nights.” Simon: “To be fair, there’s going to be a comparison.. technically, I thought you sang it very well. However, what it lacked was that big wave of emotion when Fantasia sang it. I want to find out what you are all about.” B-plus/A-minus
Jason Castro (“Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” Israel Kamakawiwo’ole) - This is my favorite version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” You might remember it from the Adam Sandler/Drew Barrymore film “50 First Dates.” Jason pretty much apes that version with the ukelele but it’s still lovely, his best performance in weeks. Great song choice. And the crowd is no longer waving their arms out of sync, thank goodness. Randy: “Dude. Jason Castro is back in the hunt. That was the hottest tonight.” Paula: “You have the most definitive sound… it was the perfect song and I loved that version.” Simon: “Fantastic!” A/A-minus
Kristy Lee Cook (“Anyway” Martina McBride) A smart song choice but can she surpass Martina? That won’t be easy. Our perennial bottom three singer lacks the purity of Martina’s voice but she puts her heart into it. The chorus is a nice touch. I actually liked it a lot. She might have sung herself into the safety zone. This was my favorite Kristy Lee Cook performance so far. Randy; “I loved that. That was really good.” Paula: ” You outdid yourself tonight. It was your best by far.” Simon: “Randy made a point. With a choice this broad, you have an opportunity to show who you really are. And I thought you were very very good indeed.” A-minus.
David Cook (“Innocent” Our Lady Peace). The spoilers got it right. He’s taking a risk by offering up a song that hardly anybody knows. (I know a handful of Our Lady Peace songs. This was not one of them. I see that it barely scraped the top 20 on the modern rock charts in 2003.) I thought he was very pitchy early on but the ending was better, with the inked “give back” on his left hand. It felt a bit stagey and for once, he didn’t feel quite so organic. I wasn’t thrilled. Randy: “I’m not sure this was one of your strongest weeks. I didn’t quite get it tonight.” Paula: “You are so well defined as being the whole package. You are it and I believe in you.” Simon: “I didn’t like this performance very much. I thought it was a teensy bit pompous. The whole white jacket… we say this week after week, originality, choice of song..” B
Carly Smithson (“The Show Must Go On” Queen) Speaking of pompous, this song is deeply indulgent. We want her to be warmer and this does nothing of the sort. She has a weakness for this theatrical pomp. And she ended it kind of abruptly, allowing the chorus to finish it. Randy: “Just okay for me. Disconnected for me.” Paula: “There’s something I’m going to agree with. Your voice as always is totally pretty perfect. I didn’t feel the connection. I didn’t feel engaged with you.” Simon: “You look good. I thought it was an unusual choice of song. I’m being honest. I think you oversang it to the point you did lose control of the song towards the end. It came over strangely an angry performance, which felt out of kilter with the night. You might be in a bit of trouble after tonight.” B-minus (She said she lost focus when she looked at Simon. That’s not good.)
David Archuleta (“Angels” Robbie Williams) This is a solid song choice for David. It’s not terribly well known here in the United State, though, where it peaked at No. 41 in 1997 (but No. 4 in the U.K.) He’s quite at ease behind a piano. Very Josh Grobin. Treacly? Hell, yeah! But what do you expect from David Archuleta? Randy: “That’s the David Archuleta I love. Crazy hot. Loved it!” Paula: “Fantastic.” Simon: “Best song choice of the night so far. It was never a hit here but one of the best pop songs written… it was a bit nasally… I’m nit picking. You will sail into the next round.” A-minus
Pimp spot: Brooke White (“You Got a Friend” James Taylor) This may be the first time Brooke has gotten the pimp spot and that’s always a good thing, especially at this stage. And this is a brilliant song choice. Given her Carly Simon, early 70s singer-songwriter vibe, picking a Carole King piece is perfect. She decided to ditch the piano and just stand there. Her voice sounds kind of rough tonight in the first verse. But she’s so sincere and captures that “connection with the audience” feel that Carly missed this week. Brooke was born like 35 years too late! Randy: “For me, I don’t think it was your best performance. It was okay.” Paula: “My sister played it over and over again. And I think it’s a perfect way to close the evening.” Simon: “It was a pleasant walk in the park. It was nice. Was it original? No. Was it pleasant? Yes. Thank you.:” A-minus/B-plus
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4/8: Advice for Michael Johns, judges on Larry King, Clay Aiken single
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I just spoke with Josh Gracin about his new album “We Weren’t Crazy,” which came out on April 1, nearly four years after his successful debut CD, which sold nearly 700,000 copies.
While he wasn’t intimately revealing, he gave me more than I expected about why the album was pushed back so many times and how his life is now. There’s plenty of material already in this blog entry so I’ll post the interview tomorrow morning.
-And speaking of Michael Johns, USA Today has four vocal coaches dissect why Michael and Carly Smithson aren’t doing better and what they need to do so..
Here’s a bit of what Rona Elliott says Johns needs to do:
You need to review the above and step into and own, at the cellular level, the concept of being a rock star. You need to long to be looked at, like Mick and Sting. You need to want to be desired and admired by men and women. You need to develop a self-indulgence and self-love that enhances your charisma. You need to discover the exhibitionist within who needs, like food and water, other people’s admiration and envy and being the object of their attention, to shine.
I agree with her. Good points. Embrace your inner rock god! Just let it go!
And thoughts about Carly, which are also spot on:
Carly needs to embrace her beauty, femininity and vulnerability. As a girl, I can also add, she needs to soften up some: change her makeup from harsh black to browns, lighten that lip gloss (sorry guys!) and pull her hair off her face in a different style that’s more revealing. This will all communicate more openness.
-MJ’s Big Blog posted the entire hour of Randy, Simon and Paula (plus Ryan) on “Larry King Live.”.
She was kind enough to provide a summary, which offers no surprises. As conventional wisdom states, they think it will be David vs. David but Simon prefers Cook. Randy thinks Kristy Lee can make it as a country singer; Simon, not so much. Randy thinks Syesha can end up on Broadway; Simon doesn’t think she’s strong enough vocally. Simon thinks Jason it too laid back and Randy wouldn’t sign him. Everyone agrees Brooke should stick to singer-songwriter stuff. They think Carly hasn’t figured out who she wants to be as a singer while Michael Johns should stick to blue-eyed soul and not so much the rock stuff.
Spoilers have David Cook singing this song tonight.. And here’s what David Archuleta mght sing tongiht.
Preview Clay Aiken’s sugary new ballad “On My Way Here” here.. Email me at rho@ajc.com any questions I can ask him on Friday.
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4/7: Idol Gives Back spoilers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Part of Idol Gives Back was taped Sunday night at the Kodak Theatre and will be melded into the live show Wednesday.
Kristin Sample from TVSquad saw the show and gives her skinny on it.. If you want to be surprised, don’t read the rest of this entry.
Among the celebs who show up on stage: Snoop Dogg, Reese Witherspoon, Brad Pitt, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Miley Cyrus (right), Carrie Underwood, Annie Lennox, Fergie, Heart.
I also spoke with Jason Igram, a friend of Michael Johns, who sat in the first balcony of the Kodak Theatre last night. He said he enjoyed the Robin Williams bit with Randy, Simon and Paula. He apparently plays a Russian “Idol” contestant. Billy and Miley tease each other about not knowing who each person is. Ryan hosted. The contestants got to do a couple of group sings, the opener featuring some “So You Think You Can Dance” dancers. He said Jimmy Kimmel was hilarious cutting down Simon.
The taping itself lasted 3 to 3.5 hours with no commercial breaks.
The New York Times noted that “Idol” has not released a full accounting of how the $76 million raised last year was spent. But after reading the story, it sounds like “Idol” has been prudent in how it spend and distributed the money.
A spokesman for the Charity Projects Entertainment Fund, the organization that oversaw the fund-raising and distribution, said its financial statements were being audited and would be released by the federal financial reporting deadline for charities in May.
That does little, however, to help individuals and corporations that, while considering further contributions, might wonder what happened to the money they gave last year. But interviews with officials involved in the charities that received money as well as people associated with the fund-raising effort show that most of what was raised last year has been given or pledged to organizations fighting poverty in the United States and Africa. Some $5 million of last year’s proceeds and interest remains undistributed.
I’ve got interviews set up for Josh Gracin Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. and Friday with Clay Aiken at 2:40 p.m. Any questions I should ask either? Email me at rho@ajc.com.
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4/7: Acts whose songs have never been on “Idol”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m prepping a story for the print edition about Michael Johns and his time here in Atlanta circa 1998 to 2005 and one of his favorite acts to cover was Pearl Jam (above). He even spent one night at his old haunt CJ’s’s Landing, I’m told, doing all Pearl Jam covers. I originally thought the band has never cleared a song for “Idol” but I’m wrong: Sundance Head last year actually sang “Jeremy” — badlyl — during the semifinals. I blocked this out of my memory for good reason. As noted below, I can’t imagine Eddie Vedder would dare clear another song again after that travesty even though Michael would do much better.
Nontheless, there are a huge number of major music acts that have never been heard on “Idol.” The ones I’ve listed come primarily from the rock world, where I’m sure there are still credibility issues related to the show, even after all these years and the success of the likes of Daughtry. (Most hip-hop acts haven’t been heard on the show either but that’s probably because there isn’t a lot of rapping on the show.)
Here’s a list of some big acts we have never heard on “Idol” ( in the competition round, that is.)
Tom Petty, John Mellencamp, Nirvana, Talking Heads, Radiohead, the Who, Bob Dylan, Stone Temple Pilots, Coldplay, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, the Cars, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, the Clash, Elvis Costello, R.E.M., the Kinks, Creedance Clearwater Revival, Depeche Mode, Prince, U2, INXS (though they had their own “Rock Star: INXS” reality show on CBS in 2005).
Has there ever been a Madonna song on the show? I can’t remember one!
Feel free to add your own or correct me. I’m certain I’m wrong on at least a couple of acts on the above list.
In other Idol news:
I’m watching the top 4 episode on “American Idol Rewind.” I actually was amused watching Clay Aiken sing “Grease” in a ridiculous red leather jacket and hip thrust a couple of times. That was definitely a memorable moment from that season that Randy & Paula loved but Simon called “horrible.”
That taping of Chris Brown & Jordin Sparks “No Air” last week will air this Thursday during the results show.
Stats courtesy of “Idol Chatter” Jordin is the top Idol seller on the Billboard charts last week, ranking No. 25 and selling 17K and now past 612K. She’s now five weeks away from passing Taylor Hicks’ sales. Daughtry is just behind her at No. 27 selling 17K and 3.92 million and just five weeks or so away from 4 million. Carrie’s “Carnival Ride” sold 15K and is just 22K from 2 million copies sold. “Some Hearts” moved another 10K and is up to 6.35 million. Kellie Pickler sold 3,700 and is up to 738K and is the second-biggest selling act from season five. Randy’s album fell off the charts after three weeks and has moved just 22K. Kelly’s “Breakaway” is up to 5.97 million and will eventually hit 6 million. “My December”: 759K. “Thankful”: 2.7 mil. Blake is at 284K. Bucky is at 333K. Elliott: 502K. Kimberley Locke, despite an appearance on “Idol,” sold only 900 copies of her latest album and is up to 19K. Mandisa: 75K. Fantasia: 510K. Bo: 43K. Kat: 369K. Clay’s latest: 524K. Taylor: 701K. Ruben: 237K. Constantine: 25K.
He had downloads, too. Jordin/Chris’ ‘No Air” is up to 972K sold and will surpass 1 million this week. “Tattoo” is up to 1.48 million. Carrie’s “All American Girl”: 377K. Before He Cheats: 2.35 million. Daughtry’s “Feels Like Tonight”: 275K total. Paula’s “Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow” has sold 237K. Chris Cornell’s “Billie Jean” sold 15K. “Hallelujah” (Jeff Buckley edition) has sold another 18K. (We don’t know the exact sales of the “Idol” songs themselves this season. iTunes is withholding those numbers on purpose.)
Not surprisingly, the top 2 on this gambling Web site is the two Davids. A distant third is Michael Johns, then Carly and Brooke. Syesha is way way back and Jason Castro is even behind her now! Kristy Lee Cook is rock bottom on the odds to win the competition.
Crying girl Ashley Ferl, who was sobbin’ for Sanjaya last year, is now burblin’ for Jason!
I’ll update this blog Monday morning with inside info on tonight’s part one taping of “Idol Gives Back.”
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4/4: New Clay Aiken, Josh Gracin albums
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Quiet Friday, pre “Idol Gives Back.” I hope you all have a great weekend!
Josh Gracin came out with an album “We Weren’t Crazy” this week. Talk about under the radar! I just remembered!
His first album came out a whopping four years ago. Does anybody here want me to try to interview him? I probably should try to find a copy somewhere at Best Buy or get the label to send me one.
Clay Aiken’s album is coming out May 6. I’m definitely going to try to do a Q&A with him but he’s one of those that may be too high up the food chain for me to access for any real personal time. (The others being Kelly Clarkson, Daughtry, Carrie and Jennifer H.)
Ken Barnes at USA Today spoke with Aiken. This will be his first all-original collection since his debut in 2003 and it’s about time!
Aiken co-wrote one song on the new album, Lover All Alone, which first surfaced as an iTunes bonus track for Thousand. Musically, he promises the new album has “a little bit of something for everyone, from symphonic-type ballads to upbeat, edgy stuff.
In other “Idol” news:
Ratings this week were down about 5 percent from a year ago. At this point a year ago, Sanjaya mania was at its peak (or nadir, depending on your point of view.)
CMT was “appalled” by country night for not being very country..
Jordin Sparks does not go out on a limb and predicts a David vs. David finale. Her single “No Air,” by the way, is at No. 3 on the top 40 charts and is showing enough momentum to take the No. 1 spot since Chris Brown’s other hit “With You” and Sara Bareille’s “Love Song” are both starting to lose spins.
DJSlim reports that some Kelly Clarkson cuts for her upcoming album have been stolen and spread on the Web. Kelly spoke to billboard.com and said she hopes folks like the songs but admits they are just rough cuts. I found them online (Google is your friend.) The song titles are “Close Your Eyes,” “One Day,” “Ready” and “With a Little Bit of Luck.” The first three songs are very folksy ballads. Best of the lot: “Close Your Eyes.” “Ready” has potential, too. “Luck” is the only one which features a full band, a brooding mid-tempo tune.
Chase Crawford of “Gossip Girl” copes with his breakup with Carrie Underwood.. Yah, I don’t really know who this guy is either.
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4/3: Ramiele Malubay’s exit interview
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ramiele Malubay’s exit press conference was a snooze, as expected.
The second Filipino-American Idol finalist (after Jasmine Trias) was packed full of cliches but not much insight. My attempt to glean thoughts about why she chose Carrie Underwood’s breakthrough song (Heart’s “Alone”) two weeks ago elicited this:
I watched her performance. I just thought that the first week I had [which was often noted as her best], I was trying to bring that back… my whole goal was bring back the first week.
So her logic doesn’t compute. Take a song that Carly Smithson already did during Hollywood week, that Gina Glocksen performed reasonably well a year earlier and Carrie mastered in 2005 and somehow that would help bring back whatever magic Ramiele thought she had weeks ago? Heck, I don’t even remember what she did the first week that was so good.
When someone asked if there was a song she wanted to sing that didn’t get cleared, she chose “A House Is Not a Home,” a classic that Tamyra Gray already worked over in season one and was arguably her best performance that year. Ramiele also did the overdone Phil Collins hit “Against All Odds.” This simply tells me Ramiele learned her musical repertoire from watching previous seasons of “Idol.”
And when some idiot journalist asked the stupid “What advice would you give to aspiring singers?” question, she gave the classic cliched answer: “Be yourself.” In Ramiele’s case, that didn’t exactly work, did it?
She also plans to room with Danny Noriega once the tour is over cos they are such BFFs!
She managed her stress by crying every week when contestants were eliminated. And she cried a lot last night, too.
In other “Idol” news:
Chris Sligh on ew.com gives a detailed rundown of what happens after you get eliminated, including the farewell dinner at the local Italian restaurant, the press interviews and such. His favorites from Dolly Parton week: Syesha, David A., Carly and Michael. Most foregtable: Kristy Lee and Ramiele. In between: Brooke, Jason A. and David C.
Billboard.com reports that the rankings for the Idols singles from last week popped up. Archuleta’s “Smoky Mountain Memories” ranked No. 7, Michael Johns’ “It’s All Wrong, But It’s All Right” came in at No. 12, David Cook’s “Little Sparrow” at No. 14, Jason Castro’s “Travelin’ Thru” at No. 20, Carly’s “Here You Come Again” at No. 30 and Brooke’s “Jolene” at No. 47.
Next week’s musical theme is inspirational songs for “Idol Gives Back.” Grab the dramamine stat!
The Los Angeles Times was in the audience last night and reported that Brooke White was in convulsions of tears during break when she found out she was in the bottom three and had to be consoled by virtually the entire production staff.
And here’s EW.com’s extended take on what happened on Tuesday in the theater.. Apparently, they taped an advance for some future results episode of Chris Brown and Jordin Sparks doing “No Air.” Cool!
In this Good Morning America report uploaded by MJ’s big blog, David Archuleta’s friends denied that his dad was any worse than other dad. And that David is shy and humble, even off camera. His vocal coach talked about his paralyzed vocal cord. He never fully recovered but gave his voice more texture.
- Finally, Gawker noted on TMZ.com the insensitive comments made about Claudette Yamin, Elliott’s dead mom and how they put up a poll asking if people thought it should be pulled. 78% did. I won’t bother repeating the offensive comment, which also mocks Taylor Hicks. (TMZ makes fun of Taylor Hicks constantly.) Judge for yourself.
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4/2: Top 9 results show - bye bye Ramiele Malubay!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ramiele is cute and has a decent voice but she’s got several issues: awkward stage presence, minimal charisma and a poor ability to pick songs. In summary, bland and forgettable, as Simon might say. So it’s time for Ramiele Malubay to go home tonight. And thank goodness, she does. I was never a real fan, never loved any of her performances.
On the bright side, she was far better than several past contestants such as Lindsey Cardinale, Camile Velasco, Mikalah Gordon, Julia DeMato and last year’s yawner Haley Scarnato. Faint praise, I fathom.
I’m at a Ron White concert but someone texted me that I finally got it right after four weeks. I also got Kristy Lee Cook correct as part of the bottom two but instead of Carly, it was Brooke’s first appearance in the bottom three. This means every gal now has been in the bottom three and only the two Davids and Michael have escaped that fate.
UPDATED: It appears I didn’t miss too much else. The group sing of “9 to 5” was amusing mostly because the singers hung out with the judges. The Clark Brothers were impressive as always. And will Simon stop apologizing when he insults somebody, as he promised after someone asked him why he did that. The “what’s up with past Idols” piece out of Nashville was fun. A little catch up with Bucky Covington (who I interviewed last week for a CMT preview next week.) and Phil Stacey, who has added some facial hair (if not hair on top of his head.) They also did a short bit with Bo Bice, who noted he had severe intestinal surgery and took a year off. He noted how his new album is more to his roots than his first album. “Do what you love, genuinely give it what you’ve got and that’s what ‘See the Light’ is all about,” he said. And he’s a dad.
In terms of the order of safety and elimination, Ryan had all nine in the back and brought them out one by one. He placed Michael, Carly and the two Davids in the safety zone before placing Ramiele and Kristy to the bottom three seats. Later, he gave Syesha a thumbs up. Brooke and Jason are given the last slots. Brooke is at the bottom three. I think the fact she went first hurt her because I thought she didn’t do badly at all.
Simon agreed with the bottom three (all roomies!).
In advance of “Idol Gives Back,” there’s a video showing how difficult life can be in Ethiopia and how some of the $76 million raised last year helped out some children there, including a reunion of two sisters. Finally, there’s Dolly Parton doing “Jesus & Gravity.” She sounds a bit rough but she did a better job than Diana Ross last year. The choir helps hide some of the vocal flaws near the end. And for a 62 year old, she looks better than Priscilla Presley. (Her plastic surgery isn’t quite so plastique.)
And yes, Ramiele, even through tears, did better with her song post elimination than the day before. The producers also managed to ensure she got her entire song in before 19 logo came up. They’ve had better luck doing that this year. I think the times when they cut people’s exit song occurred more often when they had only 30 minutes.
Not much happened from the Nigel Lythgoe press conference today about “Idol Gives Back” except that he confirmed the TMZ report about David Cook’s heart palpitations and high blood pressure. He also said Mariah won’t be doing a duet with the late Marvin Gaye because the show couldn’t get clearance. He’s psyched to see Heart come on the show. And he’s looking forward to whatever antics Robin Williams will be up to. Part of the show is going to be taped Sunday and part will be live on Wednesday. And yes, Ellen DeGeneres can’t host the Sunday portion due to some strange production conflict. He said after two questions about Cook rather emphatically that he would only take questions about “Idol Gives Back’ so I dropped asking him about Michael Johns and went to the “is the Mariah/Marvin duet going to happen?” At least I got a newsworthy answer.
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4/2: Michael Johns viewing party photos at Tin Roof Cantina
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ABOVE: Jason Ingram, 34, a production graphics expert from Atlanta, shares a laugh with Soozz Graham, an Australian native and 32-year-old nanny living in Buckhead. Johns gave his long-time friend Ingram a ticket to see the March 25 show. (Johns gets four tickets per show.) Graham is set to go next Tuesday, April 8.
Michael Johns has some dedicated friends in Atlanta. Every week, about 20 of them gathered on the patio of the Tin Roof Cantina, now on Briarcliff, to cheer on Johns on “Idol.” Tin Roof used to be in Buckhead, where Johns lived and worked for many years and amusingly, is still cited as his home on the show itself although he has been in Los Angeles for three years. Virtually all these folks hung out at CJ’s Landing when he performed there regularly. They’d hold these parties at CJ’s but it was part of Buckhead Village that has since been torn down.
Cary Franklin, a former pro tennis player who spent a lot of time hitting balls with Johns, said he got drunk plenty of times watching Johns. “I went up and sang Kenny Rogers’ ‘The Gambler’ a few times on stage. It wasn’t pretty - at least me.” He said Dean Roland of Collective Soul was hanging out backstage giving Johns some advice and support Tuesday night.
Blaine Terry, an air conditioning company sales guy, said he was still in school when he saw Johns perform when Johns was Michael Lee at CJ’s and quickly became a fan. “He was so freakin’ good. He was very in with the crowd, very interactive, an amazing voice, a good guitar player, real entertaining. He never stopped. He’d play from 10:30 til 4 a.m. And he’d sing the hits.”
Marc Thomes, another close Johns friend and an attorney, even remembers the first three songs Johns sung in his presence that got him hooked: “She Talks to Angels” by the Black Crowes, “Meet Virginia” by Train and “Black” by Pearl Jam. “He’s got that charisma and tone in his voice that immediately made me think of Bono,” he said .
His buds were very protective of the man, singing his praises, avoiding any stories related to any drunken revelry. The most amusing bit was about his love for bacon. Johns loves the Waffle House, the only obvious option in town after his late-night gigs to eat. He’d have a tip jar at CJ’s he’d call the “Waffle House” tip jar and he’d use some of that cash to order bacon at a local Waffle House. Often times, he’d order so much, he’d have to be cut off because the staff worried they’d run out, according to his friend Jason Ingram, a 34-year-old Atlanta production graphics specialist.
Several folks at the party Tuesday night have attended the “Idol” shows. Johns gets four tickets per show. His wife Stacy usually gets one but he has been doling them out to his buds in Atlanta, too. They cheered him on with gusto but were kind to the other contestants, too, though many laughed and clapped when Simon insulted Carly Smithson’s fashion sense.
ABOVE: Vince Guyomade (left) and Dave Sysko cheer on Johns after his performance of “It’s All Wrong, But It’s All Right” on the patio of Tin Roof Cantina on Briarcliff Rd. off North Druid Hills.
ABOVE: Jason Ingram watches Johns’ performance April 1 with his wife Lacey.
ABOVE: Johns on the TV screen at Tin Roof Cantina.
ABOVE: (L-R) Australian native Brent Bacon, Christi Smith, Soozz Graham and Nikki Turpin.
ABOVE: Rebecca Terry votes for Michael Johns after the Dolly Parton show.
THE MAGIC OF TEXTING: Gabe Gehret, a 30-year-old mortgage broker, estimates he can vote up to 2,000 times for Johns in two hours thanks to text messaging, far more than you could by phone.
In other “Idol” news:
Funny quote: “I wonder what Seacrest is doing now” - Brian Dunkleman, dressed in scuba gear doing a challenge in 80 degree heat on a Malibu beach on VH1’s “Celebrity Fit Club: Boot Camp.” This is indeed the Dunk’s biggest gig since “American Idol.”
The Nigel Lythgoe press conference is at 4 p.m. If he says anything fascinating, I’ll post it immediately, else, I’ll wait til tomorrow. If you have any good questions, email me at rho@ajc.com.
Mariah Carey reports on her Web site that she’s dueting with the very dead Marvin Gaye, probably similar to what Celine did wtih Elvis a year ago. The show is taping Sunday and will air Wednesday April 9. She will duet “What’s Goin’ On.” (UPDATED: It isn’t happening. I just asked Nigel Lythgoe about it and he said they couldn’t clear the rights for Marvin Gaye so this isn’t happening. I didn’t get to do a followup to ask if some other dead person might pair up with Mariah. She will be there.)
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4/1: Top 9 performance show w/ Dolly Parton, David Cook goes to hospital
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For folks who have been blogging for hours, I apologize for being so late with my thoughts, but I hung out with Michael Johns’ Atlanta buds at Tin Roof Cantina for three hours. Great folks. I’ll post photos and info I gleaned about Michael tomorrow. (I went to collect what we call “string” for the print edition next Tuesday.)
Anyway, since I wasn’t paying 100% attention during my stay at Tin Roof, I am re-watching the show now. Note to Ryan: I hope you didn’t write that lame April Fool’s joke. Unfortunately, my knowledge of Dolly songs is fairly shallow, starting with “Jolene” and “Here You Come Again” and ending with “9 to 5,” “Islands in the Stream” and “I Will Always Love You.” So several of these songs I’m 100% unfamiliar with.
Overall, there were no disastrous performances, nothing quite as bad as, say, Ramiele’s “Alone” last week. So here’s my order from best to worst, with No’s 3 to 6 virtually indistinguishable, ranking wise, for me.
1- Michael Johns (Hopefully, I’m not being too biased because I spent the night with his friends!) 2- Syesha Mercado (Justin-you and I are holding up the fort here!) 3- David Cook 4- Brooke White 5- Jason Castro 6- Carly Smithson 7- Kristy Lee Cook 8- David Archuleta 9- Ramiele Malubay.
I expect Ramiele will make her very first appearance in the bottom three and get eliminated. The other two? As usual, Kristy Lee will pop in there and survive. The third one is tougher. Carly may land there a second time, though this may just be wishful thinking to keep Syesha from having to stand by Ryan yet again. Jason’s fans will keep him safe this week, I suspect, and David A. has zero chance of being in the bottom at this stage no matter how bored I was. (I’m making these predictions without seeing Dialidol.)
ADDENDUM: TMZ reports that David Cook landed in the hospital after tonight’s show because of heart palpitations. His blood pressure was too high. He was treated and released. TMZ speculates that it might be stress related to the show and his brother’s cancer.
Up first: Brooke White (“Jolene”) I enjoyed it. It was a standard Brooke White performance. She certainly didn’t improve upon the Dolly Parton version but she’s safe. Randy: “I don’t know if that was a stellar performance. You had some pitch problems.” Paula: “You put your heart and soul and have an emotional connection with every song you pick.” Simon: “I think what was lacking was any emotional… I thought all of you looked odd together as a group.” B/B-plus
David Cook (“Little Sparrow”) Curiously, “Idol” decided to have Ryan ask Cook about his arrangement, giving him a chance to credit Neil Zaza and Doxology, the band bitching he took their version of “Eleanor Rigby” and Whitesnake for “Day Tripper,” as well as Chris Cornell for “Billie Jean.” “Tonight, I’m going to do my own arrangement of ‘Little Sparrow.’ ” he said. The song is about a man crushing a woman like a sparrow, so it’s a bit odd for a guy to sing it. Nonetheless, he does yet another vocally solid, heartfelt performance. Randy: “I like how you went into the false. You made your own arrangement and it was very cool.” Paula: “I like your haircut… I’ve never heard a guy do that song. It was fantastic.” Simon: “I’m not going to say it was as good as last week. If you can make a song about sparrows good, which you did, congratulations.” B-plus/A-minus
Ramiele Malubay (“Do I Ever Cross Your Mind”) She hasn’t been in the bottom three yet. Maybe it’s time. She adds a little twang and puts a bit more verve into it than normal. For Ramiele, it was pretty good though her bouncy movements are awkward. Nice final note. Randy: “You showed some signs of strength and conviction. 6 1/2 out of 10.” Paula: “You really connected with the audience and you were having fun!” Simon: “We’re not going to remember this in 10 years time. It was cute. You sang it quite well. It was forgettable. Something reminiscent of what you’d hear on a cruise ship.” (Yes, that’s her future job, in all likelihood.) B
Jason Castro (“Travelin’ Thru”) - That laid-back surfer vibe is prevalant as usual. It should satisfy Castro fans though I’m not sure if he can anything new to his persona that could expand his fan base. The song picks up and improves as he goes along. Randy: “It was pretty good.” Paula: “You seem so comfortable. Your voice sounded strong and rich.” Simon: “I didn’t like that at all… if this had been the first time I had seen you or heard you, I wouldn’t get it. Sorry!” B-plus
Carly Smithson (“Here You Come Again”) - Did Carly smile while she sang? She gives a throatier, heartier version of this pop crossover hit from the late 1970s than Dolly. It was good, not amazing. Randy: “That will probably be one of the better performances of the night. Nice job.” Paula: “That voice of yours. Oh my god!” Simon: “It was good, I didn’t think it was great. You’ve got to have a word with whoever is dressing you. I think at this stage, without being rude, you have to start looking like a star and I’m not seeing that progression.” B-plus
David Archuleta (“Smoky Mountain Memories”) - One of Michael’s friends tonight said he is like Josh Grobin. Good comparison! David’s strength is ballads and he picked one tonight that fit his voice perfectly. It’s a bit sleepy for me and is that hand-waving audience getting deeply annoying or what? Technically, note perfect. Just not my style. And look—there’s his dad or as we always call him “stage dad.” Randy: “I stand corrected—THAT was the best performance of the night.” Paula: “You are just glorious.” Simon: “This week, absolutely on the money!” B
Kristy Lee Cook (“Coat of Many Colors”) - She can’t possibly mess up a Dolly song, could she? Barefoot and in a dress of many colors, Kristy looks wonderful and sounds fine. Will it keep her around? Probably—just barely. For Kristy, this was . Randy: “This is definitely your wheelhouse.” Paula: “You look stunning and gave a beautiful performance.” Simon: “This was pleasant but forgettable.” Kristy then Simon an air kiss—semi-sarcastically. B/B-plus
Syesha Mercado (“I Will Always Love You”) - She merges a bit of Dolly and Whitney with it. I have always loved Syesha but this is a major risk given it’s iconic nature. But you almost think she has to go for it at this stage to avoid elimination. She doesn’t quite have the powerhouse vocal theatrics of a Lakisha or Whitney. But it’s warm and silky and that end note hits the heart. Go Syesha! Randy: “You took on the biggest tiger of the night. I think you did pretty good. It’s still hard for me to hear anybody else do that.” Paula: “I think you’re growing and connecting with the audience so much more. I love it.” SImon: “I almost wish you hadn’t gotten it. First part was good. Second part paled by comparison to the Whitney version. I don’t know if it helped you. It was good, wasn’t fantastic version.” A-minus
Pimp spot! Michael Johns (“It’s all Wrong, But It’s All Right”) - It was a good night to be on a patio full of Johns’ buds. He made them proud. He added a huge dose of soul and blues. With the one-hour format, the songs were even shorter than normal and I wanted more this time around. Randy: “You keep on bringing it up a notch. That was blazing hot.” Paula: “You’re a star, a rock star.” Simon: “This is the best I’ve ever heard you sing!”
Here’s other “Idol” news:
— Claudette Yamin, Elliott Yamin’s feisty mom, has died. She was featured on the sho was having medical problems but rooting emotionally for her son’s success. More details here.
— Randy Jackson’s “Best Dance Crew” show on MTV became a monstrous hit - at least in MTV land. It opened at a solid 1.7 million and built up to 4.9 million viewers for the finale last Thursday. If you haven’t seen the winning dance troupe JabbaWockeez, here’s a sample. They’re incredible!
— The Today Show ran a story about “Idol” and notes that the two frontrunners are now David Cook and David Archuleta. And the rumors about Archuleta’s stage dad are brought up again. Thank you MJ for posting this.
— And the controversy over David Cook covering other band’s covers of famous songs won’t die down. Doxology keeps claiming he took their version of “Eleanor Rigby” without attribution. He did give Chris Cornell credit for his version of “Billie Jean.” More info here at ew.com.
[Former Soundgarden lead singer Chris Cornell is both flattered and mildly concerned that fans were confused, even though Ryan Seacrest namedropped him.}(http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSN0144532620080401)
“Don’t get me wrong. He sang it great,” Cornell continued. “But it was literally a note-for-note take on what I came up with. At the end of the day, it’s all good. It’s a good thing for me. There was a moment when I was sitting there writing this new arrangement thinking, ‘Is this a good idea or a bad idea?’ Watching the response from the judges was really gratifying. They were signing off on it right there. It was something that worked. It was an idea that went over huge. When I play it live on tour, it brings the house down every time.”
