Access Atlanta > American Idol Buzz > Archives > 2008 > July > 18
Friday, July 18, 2008
7/18: Interview with LaToya London, Jermaine Dupri works with Elliott Yamin
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Season three’s LaToya London was too busy to do a face-to-face interview but I caught her by phone after working out and on her way to lunch here in Atlanta. She’s in town for two weeks doing the national touring production of “The Color Purple,” which opened earlier this week at the Fox Theatre.
She was very nice, very polite but content wise, this interview wasn’t exactly “60 Minutes” or even “Entertainment Tonight” quality. On the quotability scale, Kellie Pickler, she is not. More like Kimberley Locke. In a nutshell, she started playing Nettie in “The Color Purple” last spring and signed on for a second year that runs through March of 2009. She’s clearly very good at that tough role and enjoys it immensely.
“It’s a beautiful story,” she said. “I don’t mind it at all. Every night, I still get moved by certain parts of the story. I never get tired of it.”
LaToya, an Oakland resident, loves the hot weather here. She’s been to Apache Cafe to see some bands but otherwise has no grandiose plans while she’s here. She isn’t into touristy places like the aquarium. “Just soaking up the sun, soaking up the city,” she said.
She gives props to the Fox Theatre for its “authenticity. I love the elevators where you have to pull the doors open.” Opening night celebs Tuesday? R&B and BET reality show star Keyshia Cole is the only notable one she remembers.
Since “Idol” in 2004, she’s kept fairly busy, doing plays and gigs. She was talented enough not to have to get a regular 9 to 5 job and isn’t averse to joining other “Idol” alums doing package deals like many are doing in San Francisco and Branson right now.
She wants to do funky R&B on her next album. (Her first album “Love & Life” was a blend of jazz and R&B and sold about 58,000 copies). She hopes to have it out by fall of 2009. “I’m taking my time and actually cultivating what I want to do this second time around,” she said.
London doesn’t sound as if she’s tight with that many past “Idols.” She was closest to Jasmine Trias, not Fantasia or Jennifer.
-MJ found this video of Elliott Yamin in the ATL: he’s working with our local R&B producer/impresario Jermaine Dupri at So So Def Records in Atlanta. After Dupri mocks Yamin over his Lakers shirt, Yamin razzes the Hawks.
