Access Atlanta > American Idol Buzz > Archives > 2008 > July
July 2008
7/31: Jason Castro records “Hallelujah” for Mexican flick
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Real thin gruel for news today in “Idol” land.
-According to this item,, Jason Castro has recorded a version of “Hallelujah” for a Mexican film “Tierra de Tigres.”
-Idol Chatter notes that Jordin Sparks continues to make progress with “One Step at a Time,” which sold 41K copies, up 8 percent and 284K total. The single is now up to No. 22 on the Radio & Records top 40 chart, up four spots. I’d say it will definitely make the top 15, might be her third top 10 hit. “Tattoo” peaked at No. 5 and “No Air” peaked at No. 1. I don’t think this single will do quite that well but for a third single, it should help propel Sparks’ album closer to 1 million in sales. (She’s now at 864K.) Jennifer Hudson’s “Spotlight” is up to No. 149, up 17%. Her single is climbing slowly up the urban charts, up to 28 in its fifth week in the top 40.
Carrie’s “Carnival Ride” sold 12K and is the top Idol at No. 42. Total sales: 2.26 million. Daughtry is at No. 87, with 4.16 million sold.
In his album sales tally, Ace Young fell off the chart, sales slipped from 4,100 to just 1,000. Ouch. Jon Peter Lewis sold just 300 copies of his new album “Break the Silence.” Bucky Covington, with a new third single climbing (slowly) up the charts, is now up to 1,400 in sales and 355K total. Josh Gracin, who just went top 10 with “We Weren’t Crazy,” sold 1,300, up from 1,200 and is now up to 57K.
-I missed “Nashville Star” this past Monday. Just forgot to DVR. I heard Coffey was finally ousted. No tears shed there.
-This concert review out of Pittsburgh noted that “Idol” skimped on the stage this year vs. a year ago. I’m curious to see it in three weeks because the producers have been notoriously cheap about stage design many of the years. The reviewer liked the two Davids and not much else:
Overall, these performances were lackluster and flat as the singers went though their ever-so-scripted concert. What happened to all of the charisma? Without a doubt, it fell in the lap of the 17-year-old wunderkind Archuleta, who in the second half of the show managed to give a genuinely nice and untainted performance in the middle of this debacle.
-Presale tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. for the “So You Think You Can Dance” tour November 13 at the Gwinnett Arena. Password is: CANDANCE. General public sale is Saturday at 10 a.m.
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7/30: David Archuleta’s single coming soon, Melinda Doolitle goes indie
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
David Archuleta is getting his first single out later this week dubbed “Crush,” to debut on Z100 in New York Friday.
The top 40 station said it will be a mid-tempo tune, not a treacly ballad. We’ll see. More details here.
-EW reports that season six’s Melinda Doolittle has finally gotten herself a record deal with an indie label Hi Fi Recordings, home to Todd Rundgren. No street date yet for her album.
-MJ culled lengthy interviews with a bunch of the “Idols” to get tidbits such as Syesha and David C. moving to L.A., Ramiele and Danny Noriega planning to tour the Phillipines together and Ramiele meeting with Disney after the tour. Watch the videos here.
-TV Guide channel is in talks to pick up season three of “American Idol Rewind’ with Fantasia, Diana DeGarmo and Jennifer Hudson in the house. More here.
-There’s some suspicion online that Ryan Seacrest is in cahoots with Discovery Channel and “planted” that story about him getting “bitten by a shark” in time for the network’s big promotional “Shark Week.” Let’s see some physical evidence, Ryan! (Blog regulars might be amused to know that the shark bite bit yesterday was the top story on ajc.com, pulling in a whopping 60,000 page views, doubling the number for the month on the site. Thanks Ryan!)
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7/29: Jennifer Hudson in Atlanta this Friday, Fantasia coming August 23
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Season three winner Fantasia, who was in town just a few weeks ago for some paid club appearances to celebrate her birthday, will be back in three weeks for a concert with comic Rickey Smiley. It’s an interesting comedy/concert combo at the Atlanta Civic Center Saturday August 23. Prices are $51 to a rather steep $95 each.
Fellow season three contestant Jennifer Hudson is doing a small, private event for V-103 and its listeners this Friday August 1. Check here if you want to try to get in. I’ll try to get in myself and report how things go.
-Fellow “Idol” blogger MJ and I are in agreement: the original 1981 song by the Waitresses dubbed “I Know What Boys Like” was a hilarious goof, a memorable early ’80s new wave hit.
But now Katharine McPhee, in advance of her film “House Bunny,” has contributed to a remake of the song that is worse than the Hilary Duff version of the Go Go’s “Our Lips Are Sealed.” It’s in fact, just plain awful.
The origial possessed this languid, sarcastic lilt to it (“nya nya nya nya nya!” “Sucker! hmmmm….”). This new version has twisted the song with rap interludes, a dance beat and R&B-style, sucking virtually all the irony out of it. It’s something the Spice Girls would have rejected.
Listen and weep:
Here’s the delightful original:
Jay-Z, P. Diddy and Lil Kim did a rather raunchy version a few years back. Since it includes some R-rated words, I’ll just link to it. This version isn’t half bad, especially compared to the Kat McPhee verson. There are also videos on YouTube doing the song from Vitamin C and Shampoo.
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7/28: Ryan Seacrest bitten by a shark, hosts Emmys again but is joined by others
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ryan Seacrest told his KIIS-FM listeners Monday morning he had been bitten by a shark over the weekend.
It wasn’t exactly a “Jaws” type event, though, based on the accounting via Us Magazine.
Seacrest, 33, said the shark’s tooth “wasn’t a great thing to find. It was like finding a splinter!”
Although he said he was “in pain,” the American Idol co-host wasn’t hurt too badly, as he still went on the air to blab about it. (“I need to take an Advil!” he yelped.)
I tried to get some insight from his mom Connie but she said, “Mom’s out of the loop on this one.” She learned about it from E! News. She figured since he didn’t contact her, it wasn’t anything serious. “He should be in Salt Lake City right now doing ‘Idol’ auditions,” she said.
In other Seacrest news, his hosting job a year ago at the Emmy’s was OK, but this year, with the introduction of the new “reality program host” category, he will be joined by fellow nominees Heidi Klum (“Project Runway”), Howie Mandel (“Deal or No Deal”), Jeff Probst (“Survivor”) and Tom Bergeron (“Dancing With the Stars”).
More info at deadlinehollywooddaily.com, a great site for TV/movie inside dope.
-Did anyone out there make it to weekend appearances in metro Atlanta by Ace Young, Kimberley Locke or Chris Sligh? How did things go?
-Curious fact: Colbie Caillat, who has had two big top 40 hits with “Bubbly” and “Realize,” tried out for “American Idol” but didn’t even make it before the main judges. But she marketed herself through MySpace, got herself a record deal and is now a big deal herself.
-Jordin Sparks told a U.K. media outlet that she had a crush on “No Air” duet partner Chris Brown and was disappointed to hear he was dating Rihanna. That’s tough competition!
-And this Rochester newspaper critic was not feelin’ the “Idols Live” tour at all..
I’d say this has been the most negative review I’ve seen this year:
In an evening of extraordinarily flat entertainment, the 10 Idols, lifeless as road kill, were overshadowed by the overly dramatic graphics introducing them on the video screens looming over the stage at the Blue Cross Arena.
Believe me, it doesn’t get better from there from Mr. Sourpuss Jeff Spevak.
He even noted that ratings have been in a “two-year death spiral,” a wee bit of an exaggeration for a program that’s still by far the No. 1 show in America.
You have to wonder which boss he’s hating right now for forcing him to go to that show!
- And here’s a movie poster I came across at a journalists’ convention in Chicago featuring Jennifer Hudson in an upcoming film “The Secret Life of Bees”:
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7/25: Idols Live tour doing better than season six version
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’ve been off the grid for nearly 24 hours at this journalist’s convention. Ironically, the last session I attended was about being a multimedia journalist and how to manage your time. (Me? Manage my times?) Without my laptop, I was itching to get back on the grid and update my blogs. It’s now Friday afternoon, kind of missing the mark in terms of timeliness before everyone goes off to weekend activities. But here we go nonetheless:
Not surprisingly, even with slightly higher ticket prices, this season’s “Idols Live” tour in its early going appears to be easily outflanking last year’s less interesting season six group.
MJ has compiled the first five dates vs. the past six seasons. With such a small sampling, it’s hard to say how things will ultimately play out but in terms of attendance (percentage of arenas filled), this season will probably come in third behind season five (which was closest to sold out across the board of any season) and season four. That makes sense. Season five is my favorite, too.
About 92% of seats were sold in the first five dates his year vs. 68% last year, 100% in 2006(Taylor/Kat), 96% in 2005 (Carrie/Bo), just 51% in 2004 (Fantasia/Diana), 75% in 2003 (Clay/Ruben), 82% in 2002 (Kelly/Justin). If memory serves me correct, ultimately, season two had better attendance figures than season one.
With higher ticket prices over time, this year might still pull in more cash than season five. I hope the “Idol” singers get far more money than the season one crowd, too, especially since they are doing far more concerts, too. Even if they are each paid, say, $3,000 per concert (as well as food and board), that comes out to about a $180,000 payday. I have no clue how much they are paid for real. I’ll have to ask one of the former Idols who might be willing to spill that info for at least their season.
-USA Today got a backstage to life on the tour.
A day and night spent with this group reveals friendships that have only gotten tighter, voices that have grown stronger and aspirations that have flown higher.
These are those high school drama buddies at the end of senior year, kids impossibly high on talent whose only lament is that very soon now they’ll all scatter to the winds.
-Idol Chatter notes that Jennifer Hudson’s “Spotlight” has made the top 200 downloads with 8,000 sold, up 36% over a week earlier and 33K total. The only other “Idol” song with upward movement is Jordin Sparks’ “One Step at a Time” with 38K sold, ranking No. 31, up from 39. The single is now up to 26 on the top 40 charts, according to Radio and Records..
Josh Gracin, in the meantime, notches his fifth top 20 country hit and third top 10 hit with “We Weren’t Crazy,” which took a whopping 40 weeks to reach that mark. Three “Idols” go back to back to back with Carrie (also on the chart with “Last Name” at 19) at 31 with “Just a Dream,” Kellie Pickler’s “Don’t Know You’re Beautiful” at No. 32 and Bucky Covington holding at No. 33 with “I’ll Walk.”
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7/24: Ace Young at Wild Bill’s Saturday, sales numbers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If I were in town, I’m sure I would try to see at least two of three Idols in town Saturday: Kimberley Locke at Wet Bar, Chris Sligh at Jimmy’s Mad Mad Whirled in Marietta as part of 104.7/The Fish family night, and Ace Young at Wild Bill’s.
Ace has sold 4,000 copies of his debut album in his first week, a relatively modest figure but he made it to No. 160 on the Billboard charts, according to Idol Chatter.. In case you want to check out his single, here’s “Addicted”:
-I’m curious to see if Jon Peter Lewis from season three will break the top 200 next week with his new CD “Break the Silence,” which came out Tuesday. I thought the single of the same name is pretty darned good:
-MJ dug up these interviews with Kristy Lee Cook and Michael Johns.. While Johns is leaning on going purely indie and releasing his own album, Kristy Lee Cook and 19 Recordings have already finished recording her CD over four days. Yes, just four days. Inspires confidence, eh?
Every day that I had off I recorded. I think it was like four days total, yeah in four or five days total I got my album done. So, now we’re just picking what sounds we want, mastering, mixing, photo shoots, we just did a photo shoot on my day off in Portland.
-Not surprisingly, AOL readers have voted Simon Cowell favorite TV villain (39%) and Paula Abdul worst TV judge. One third of those polled made “Idol” the best reality program.
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7/23: Trenyce joining Ruben, Frenchie in “Ain’t Misbehavin’”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m off to Chicago today for what is likely to be a very depressing journalists’ convention. (The biz isn’t exactly on a hot streak right now…) So apologies in advance that this won’t be the most scintillating Idol blog entry ever.
Trenyce is the third “Idol” finalist to join the national tour of “Ain’t Misbehavin’ ” which comes to Fox Theatre this November.
She joins Ruben Studdard and Frenchie Davis on the show.
“When I heard Ruben was a part of it, I was excited because it has been such a while since we really got a chance to hang out,” she told blackvoices.com. “When I got the role and he called me and it took us a while to get off the phone because we were catching up on each others lives. He is like my brother. I love him so much. And then Frenchie, I hadn’t really seen her since I went to see ‘Rent’ a few years ago. It will be nice to see her again as well. I love the fact that we were all from the same season and now we are all reuniting on stage again, but in another capacity.”
Debra Byrd, the vocal coach for “Idol,” is helping out with the show as well.
-David Cook talks to the Detroit Free Press before Thursday’s “Idols Live” show.
As usual, he sounds like a decent guy:
Q: Is fame what you imagined it to be?
A: It is so much more than I could ever have imagined. I never want to be that person that turns anybody away for showing interest in my career and myself. In that aspect, I’m making the time for everybody. As soon as I got off the bus here, I went and dropped my bags off and went outside and signed autographs for 30, 40 minutes. The people that come to these shows are the people who put me where I’m at, so it seems like the very least I can do.
He danced around a question related to the fans “Cougars for Cook.”
-And the usual coverage of auditions here, now in Louisville, Ky..
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7/22: Jennifer Hudson on GMA, another Broadway gig for Diana DeGarmo, more on the Jordin Sparks appearance
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Check this site out to see Jennifer Hudson on “Good Morning America” promoting her new album out Sept. 30 and singing “Spotlight.” Do you like her page boy haircut? The song sounds kind of old school R&B. I’m not sure it will become a big radio hit but it’s showing some signs of life. It’s climbing the charts, No. 14 on the urban AC chart and No. 31 on the broader urban chart, according to Radio & Records.
-I’m not sure what this means for Diana DeGarmo’s pursuit of a country career but she has nabbed yet another Broadway gig, this time in a revival of “Godspell,” according to playbill.com
[Gavin] Creel (as Jesus) and DeGarmo, who made her Broadway debut in Hairspray, will co-star in the eagerly awaited production of the Stephen Schwartz/John-Michael Tebelak musical, which will begin previews Sept. 29 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre with an official opening scheduled for Oct. 23.
She had two successful stints as Penny in “Hairspray” in 2006 and 2007, sandwiched by a lead role in the national tour of “Brooklyn: The Musical.”
She’s now living in Nashville, is signed to John Rich’s production company and recently performed a few potential cuts at the recent CMA Festival.
DeGarmo also recently appeared at Midtown gay club Wet Bar for a benefit:
-“Nashville Star” surprised me Monday with original songs. Honestly, I was bracing for a huge wad of turd but it actually ended up being the best night so far. I’m really glad Sophia and Lauren, the two 16 year olds, didn’t make it or we could have been truly assaulted. I even liked Ashlee Hewitt, who came up with a catchy song even if I’m still not a huge fan of her voice. Too bad she was eliminated before Shawn Mayer. Mayer’s song is your typical soaring Nashville ballad (Faith Hill, Martina McBride could cut it, as John the judge noted. Too bad she simply lacks the voice to pull it off properly. I agreed with John Rich that Gabe Garcia still has a major personality deficit, even if he created a radio-friendly song, which was decent, if a bit generic. Coffey’s voice is pretty poor and his song is amusing, but totally a novelty. Melissa Lawson, given she’s a novice at songwriting, did a fairly good job. I enjoyed it.
Would “Idol” ever dare do an original songs week? I think that would be fascinating!
-I got more info about Jordin Sparks’ appearance in Atlanta Sept. 1, speaking with Stephanie McCartt, the executive director of the U.S. 10 K run and the nonprofit organization which distributes monies to children charities.
She said this is the biggest act the group has ever booked for the race, that in the past they usually relied on local bands or cover bands. They first went after the Dave Matthews Band but since the founder Donald Whitney is an “Idol” fan, they sought out Jordin Sparks, since she’s supportive of children’s charities.
The organization managed to get her at a greatly reduced rate though she wouldn’t reveal the amount. The hope is Sparks will draw even more money than the cost of her coming. “It’s a family weekend, a family event, you can’t go wrong with ‘American Idol,’ ” McCartt said.
The concert is available only to race participants and volunteers. It’ll start at 9:30 a.m. on Labor Day and last an hour. It will be in the parking lot of Whitewater. She will also do an autograph session during the family entertainment festival the day before.
You can sign up for the race or volunteer here.
Here’s the mission statement for the nonprofit group:
One hundred percent of the profits from The U.S. 10K Classic and the Family Festival benefit children’s charitable organizations. These organizations are chosen as partners in an effort to make a difference in the lives of children in Georgia and from around the world. After all the running, skating, cycling, celebrating, entertainment and good times, the real bottom line is that this event was created first and foremost as an annual and growing fundraiser for children in need.
One of the beneficiaries is:
The World Children’s Center is a 710 acre planned community in Haralson County, Georgia for approximately 500 homeless, orphaned and/or neglected children from Georgia, the U.S. and the World. Groundbreaking commenced on January 4, 2007, with the first phase of homes to be built by National Builder of the year John Wieland Homes & Neighborhoods. When complete the World Children’s Center will consist of 100+ homes serving 500+ children with two surrogate house parents and up to six children in each home.
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7/21: Jordin Sparks coming to Atlanta Sept. 1, Chicago Idols live tour
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jordin Sparks is coming to Atlanta to perform after the US 10K race, a charity event on Cobb Parkway in Vinings September 1 at a post-race concert.
If you volunteer for the race, you can get in free to see Jordin.
Here is the actual event, based on the Web site:
The U.S. 10K Classic is Atlanta’s premier multi-event road race, bringing runners, walkers, inline skaters, wheelchair athletes and professional cyclists together for a single cause - raising awareness and funds for children’s charities in Georgia and for the future development of the World Children’s Center.
I was out of town for her opening for Alicia Keys in late May so I’m looking forward to seeing her at this event.
-More reviews of the Idols live concert, now in the MIdwest, including Chicago over the weekend. MJ attended so she has extensive video and commentary.
This Chicago Sun Times reviewer was fairly evenhanded, though the writing was pretty flat.
The daily diss on Ramiele Malubay: Ramielle Malubay’s performance was completely forgettable. She’s got a great, big voice but needs to work on her stage presence.
Funniest line: Kristy Lee Cook, who looked and moved like an “Austin Powers” Fembot, warbled her way through a cringe-inducing cover of Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.”
Neither the Trib nor the St. Louis Post Dispatch from the night before was that impressed with David Cook. This from the Post Dispatch:
David Cook seemed to be a bit of a one-trick pony in his live performance, taking well-known hits such as Lionel Ritchie’s “Hello” and Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” and giving them a veneer of brooding alt-rock. Cook’s version of his single, “The Time of My Life,” was forgettable in comparison.
-USA Today’s Idol Chatter noted the recent dearth of action, Idol wise on the charts. Only Jordin, Carrie and Daughtry remain in the top 200 in sales. “Carnival Ride” is up to 2.23 million, Jordin’s is up to 850K and Daughtry as hit 4.15 million.
Jordin’s “No Air” remains the top “Idol” download at 35, selling 34K, totaling 2.24 million. But her new single “One Step at a Time” is gaining momentum, hitting 39, up from 58, with 30K for the week and 206K total. It has also entered the top 40 chart, her third top 40 single. David C’s “Time of My LIfe” is now up to 640K in sales and is top 10 in both the Hot AC and AC charts. Kellie’s new single”Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful” has yet to grab hold on country radio (it’s now at No. 35 on Radio & Records, just behind Bucky Covington’s “I’ll Walk” at 33) and fell off the top 200 downloads chart. Carrie Underwood’s latest single is “Just a Dream,” her fourth off the second album and it just debuted at No. 45.
Josh Gracin’s “We Weren’t Crazy,” which has been on the chart for more than 9 months is knocking on the door of the top 10.
I expect Ace Young will debut this week, though probably not terribly high. He has gotten decent reviews. (I saw 2.5 stars in the People magazine I flipped through at Wal-Mart over the weekend.)
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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.
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7/17: Idol gets five Emmy nominations, Idol auditions begin today, Kimberly Caldwell’s new gig
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“American Idol,” as usual, was nominated for best reality program. For the past five years, it has lost out to “The Amazing Race.” The show has one just one Emmy for a lesser category. The other three shows are the same as last year: “Dancing With the Stars,” “Top Chef” and “Project Runway.”
I am a huge fan of “The Amazing Race.” It wins because it’s an amazingly difficult show to shoot and intricately paced and choreographed. And it’s fun. It has never been a huge hit but draws a fairly steady fan base. “Idol,” seen singularly out of context, simply isn’t as impressive as “Amazing” to voters, especially those that probably don’t watch it.
The Emmy folks created a new category for best reality show host and naturally, Ryan Seacrest is nominated. He has a solid chance of beating out Jeff Probst (“Survivor”), Tom Bergeron (“Dancing With the Stars”), Heidi Klum (“Project Runway”) and Howie Mandel (“Deal or No Deal’).
I wrangled a canned quote from Mr. Seacrest via his assistant:
“I am grateful to be nominated in this new category and am thrilled that the academy is continuing to recognize unscripted programs. I am looking forward to attending and covering the red carpet so I can ask Tom Bergeron who he is wearing.”
-And it’s hard to believe but “Idol” has already started auditions today in San Francisco. Atlanta, as noted, is not part of the itinerary this year. For folks in this town who want to audition, the closest city is Jacksonville, Fla. Get more info here.
-Here’s some interesting factoids about Jason Castro. He’s really not a dope. He got a solid 1340 on his SATs and went to Texas A&M on a petroleum engineering scholarship. More here.
-Season two’s Kimberly Caldwell, who has made a nice niche for herself as a host on two shows on TV Guide Channel, has a major hosting gig with CBS’s upcoming show “Jingles.” And yes, the show is about folks coming up with catchy jingles. (See the cross-promotional advertising possibilities!). Gene Simmons will be a judge. It’s always good to see a female host. She should do a good job. Launch date has not been set.
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7/16: So You Think You Can Dance comes to Gwinnett Arena Nov. 13
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m not really following “So You Think You Can Dance” this season but if you are, mark your calendars for the victory lap tour, which hits the Gwinnett Arena Nov. 13. And by the way, I have a new laptop (or at least one who’s hard drive is making grinding noises.) So I’m back in business!
According to the tour press release:
Finalists participating include Chelsie H, Comfort, Courtney G, Katee, Kherington, Gev, Joshua, Mark, Twitch and Will. Jessica, who recently left the show due to an unfortunate injury, may return to the stage when the dancers embark on the nationwide tour.
Tix go on sale August 2 so check on ticketmaster.com as the date gets closer.
-And here’s the daily gratuitous dis about Ramiele Malubay, this time from MJ’s Big Blog review courtesy of Griffy from Salt Lake City:
Ramiele - She is so out of her league. Her performances weren’t terrible, but she just got drowned out by the crowd. Her onstage talking between numbers seemed super awkward. I think she is still sooooo nervous about all of this.
-How about this for random? Jordin Sparks is going to summer camp..
-Atlanta’s Sevendust isn’t stupid. Their latest single “The Past” features a guest vocal from Daughtry. Details here.
-Unions are trying to organize reality show employees, piggybacking on the “Idols Live” tour for publicity purposes. More details here.
-Forgot to mention that John Rich Monday during “Nashville Star” made it clear the producers of the show — not the judges — decided on the final contestants. And he was not pleased. Can you blame him?
-My numbers-obsessed friend Ken Barnes at USA Today posted the total sales of the various coronation songs here.. Given that back in 2002-03, most sales were CDs and now they are all downloads means a bit of an oranges to apples situation but Clay Aiken is at the top (and he didn’t even win!), followed by Kelly, Carrie and Ruben. Taylor is fifth but David Cook’s “This is My Time” will probably lapse it in a couple of weeks.
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7/15: Don’t expect too many Idol changes next year, Ace Young CD
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sorry. My laptop hard drive started making this grinding sound yesterday so tech is moving all my info onto a new drive. In the interim, I’m using a “pool” laptop and it’s taking me a long time to get access to everything I need temporarily. So I’m sorry if I’m a bit slow today trying to access information. (And I can’t upload photos for some reason on this computer.) Hopefully, I’ll have my computer back by the end of the day.
Anyway, at the Television Critics Association press tour meeting that I’m missing in Los Angeles, Fox Entertainment president Kevin Reilly confirmed all the info we’ve already heard about “Idol” next season. The same judges and host are back, of course. The network is reverting back to more half hour results shows and there will be fewer audition episodes. We suspect they are going to expand the Hollywood auditions and do more “flashbacks” to the auditions from there. This probably means fewer bad bad singers, which appeals to most of the readers here but honestly, those episodes often bring in the biggest ratings so Fox is taking a risk there.
And given the success of Jason Castro and Brooke White, two contestants we know would not have made the top 12 without instruments, instruments are coming back. No surprise there.
While I tihnk “Idol” lost ratings simply because it’s seven years old and nothing lasts forever, Nigel Lythgoe blamed broader trends: “I don’t believe the ratings dipped for American Idol,” Nigel theorized. “I believe the ratings dipped for network television. And if you balance the whole ratings slide against American Idol, American Idol didn’t slip in comparison to everything else that moved downwards.”
Technically, he’s right. The dropoff in ratings for “Idol” was less than or on par many major shows such as “Desperate Housewives,” “House” and “Lost.” I’d say “Idol” lost about 8 percent of its total audience year over year, a bit more of its younger viewers.
-It’s been awhile since we’ve had a new “Idol” release. Well, season five finalist Ace Young finally has his day in the sun. He’s the ninth contestant out of 12 from that season to release a CD, the most of any season thus far.
He wished he had become successful without “Idol.” (How dare he say such things! :) )
“On ‘American Idol’ you sing other people’s songs and you get criticized for it,” Ace told the Boston Herald. “That doesn’t really create an artist.”
“As a songwriter, I’ve always been an artist first. The hardest thing for me was doing the show,” he said. “It’s a TV show first and a competition second. If I could have a career without it, I’d go that way. You get better support that way,” he said.
Does he think he’d be getting this much press without the “Idol” connection? Embrace it, Ace!
He received a Grammy nomination last year for helping co-write Daughtry’s hit “It’s Not Over,” so obviosuly Ace has some skills in the songwriting department.
And though Ace has the help of songwriter Desmond Child, his album lacks direction and focus, says the Dallas Morning News critic.
A fairly stout debut, but because Mr. Young tackles too much he fails to stand up - or out. Hey, Blake Lewis: You have company.
Here’s a more positive take on the album, courtesy of the Rocky Mountain News.:
His Michael Jackson tendencies - vocally and arrangement-wise - come through most on the single Addicted. He reins it in on the rest of the disc, letting his personality come through on songs like A Hard Hand to Hold.
-And yes, the “Idols Live” tour hits David Archuleta’s home and it’s pandemonium, I tell ya, pandemonium! Check out how much love he gets here.. And here via the Deseret News..
The screaming audience made it impossible to hear Murray’s “American Idol” runner-up sing his version of Robbie Williams’ “Angels.” It was obvious a lot of the 10,000-plus audience members were there to see the “American Idol” runner-up but not necessarily hear him.
-We thought two contestants were going to be canned tonight from “Nashville Star” but only one did after all. The final multi-person group (the lame teen duo Laura and Sophie) was finally eliminated. They will not be missed. John Rich was still angry at one of them (I don’t even know which is which) for rolling her eyes last week while Jewel was talking. I actually thought they did alright tonight with an age appropriate song by Taylor Swift but nobody will miss them except their family and friends.
This is the first night in which all the contestants sang actual country songs! And they were better for it. Ashlee Hewitt, the blonde gal, is like 100 other Nashville blond singers. I see nothing special about her and her “Cowboy Take Me Away” made me think of how great Paris did two years ago with that song during her initial audition. Gabe Garcia, who did a song by Georgia’s Billy Currington, is a virtual lock for final two, given his great voice, but the man simply lacks stage charisma. That won’t change. Coffey has stage presence but his vocals don’t cut it for this competition. I did feel for him as he sang “It’s Your Love.” He really brought some emotional weight to the song thinking of his mom. I enjoyed Melissa Lawson’s take on a great Martina McBride song but the judges thought she was over the top. Shawn Mayer? I couldn’t care less. She did okay with that Carrie Underwood song “Before He Cheats” but added absolutely nothing new to the proceedings. She’d get a good response at a karaoke bar.
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7/14: LaToya London in “The Color Purple” from July 15 to Aug. 3 at Fox Theatre
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
LaToya London, from that diva trifecta which included Fantasia and Jennifer Hudson, is in Atlanta for more than two weeks for the national tour of “The Color Purple.”
I haven’t had a chance to talk to her yet but probably will. Personally, I found her somewhat less interesting than, say, Trenyce or Vonzell Solomon but better than Jasmine Trias. Any fans out there?
If you want tickets, “The Color Purple” is at the Fox Theatre from Tuesday, July 15 through August 3. You can buy them here.
London plays Nettie, Celie’s sweet sister.
Any questions I should ask her if I get some time with her? I may actually attend the opener as well.
-MJ is reading blogs, Idols tour blogs. David Archuleta, Syesha Mercado and my favorite (or actually favorite to mock) Ramiele Malubay. First up for me is Ramiele’s because omg, it’s so fascinating! “Bare” with me now:
Tacoma, Washington!
Omg! Thank you so much to all the fans that waited outside for us. We tried to get to all of you, it’s just hard when they come by telling us “20 minutes, 15 minutes”, then we have to leave. WE try so hard to get to everyone. I also wanted to thank a family who gave me PUTO! Omg I ate it for breakfast and dinner, ahha. I love you guys.
Its so nice to come out to everyone. You really do make our nights and days better. Just bare with us, it’s really hard to get to everyone. And we don’t purposely skip anybody it’s just a really hard task. And sometimes some of us can’t make it out in the afternoon to sign its cause we’re either caught up or catching up on some sleep. Our schedules are crazy I’m sure you guys will understand though.
Also I wanted to put this out there… If any fans come out with signs or shirts of me I will most deff try to get MEET AND GREET passes for after the show to whoever I see first. I won’t be able to get all but fear not fans… my mission is to help get you in after the show!!!! I LOVE YOU GUYS! Bring more signs and stuff so I can have something to find you guys with :)
- Ramiele
David Archuleta likes to write haha instead of :) and he also likes the John Mayer version of “Free Fallin’.” And Syesha had an allergic reaction to some soap and her eyes were all screwed up. And she provides advice when critics go after you for pure gratuitous reasons (as in me and poor Ramiele):
Whenever someone is mean to you show them more love. Whenever someone hurts your feelings try your best to make someone else feel good about themselves. Take all the negativity thrown at you and use it for good.
-Every summer, television writers fly to Los Angeles so networks can pitch their shows and we can get access to stars we might not normally be able to meet. But alas, given the economic circumstances of the day, I haven’t able to go. A writer I really respect, Ellen Gray, from the Philadelphia Daily News, was still able to make it out there and George Martin, the Beatles producer, has been rumored for years to be a possible mentor. He told critics that no way he would ever do it, not his “cup of tea.” Oh, well. They’ve already done Beatles night twice, probably won’t need to do that again for awhile.
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7/11: Future album releases, more tour stuff
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Have a great weekend, everybody! It was a pretty quiet week here in “Idol” land, save for all the tour reviews from the West coast.
MJ on her Idol blog must have a lot more spare time on her hands of late because she seems to be putting even more info on her Idol blog than ever, even off season. She’s reading other blogs, scanning Web sites, doing stuff I wish I had the spare moments to do, too.
For instance, she found Brooke White’s blog about the tour.. She gives a day in the life in a font that’s impossible to read. I tried but only got through a few grafs before my eyes bugged out.
She also dug up this item from EW from last week noting that besides Kristy Lee Cook and the two Davids, Kelly Clarkson is set for a new album before Christmas. No confirmation it will have a country twang but we’d all put money on that.
The story also noted that Daughtry is working on his sophomore album but he’s not rushing. “I don’t want to put out anything that is second rate or be accused of going through a sophomore slump,” Chris Daughtry told EW.com at the Hollywood premiere of Hancock. “So we’re taking our time on it.” Likely release is spring of 2009.
-Here’s the “Idols” doing a “Guitar Hero” commercial singing “We’re an American Band.”
And Paula Abdul doing an ET bit with the Idols tour in L.A.:
-OK! Magazine has a rumor that Kellie Pickler is lobbying for a spot on “Dancing With the Stars.” She’d be the first “Idol” alum on the show and she’d be amazing! We’d get to see her in ridiculously gaudy, tight dresses and she’ll get to be flighty and delightfully funny before 20 million people a week.
-Here’s the generally favorable Sacramento Bee review of the Idols Live stop.
And yes, the daily diss on Ramiele “Wake Me Up When She’s Done” Malubay:
One of the reasons Malubay didn’t make it past No. 9 wasn’t so much her voice, but her obvious lack of showmanship. If the audience did quiet some, it was during her set, becoming almost catatonic during her version of Taylor Dayne’s “Love Will Lead You Back.” Moving back and forth across the stage was an effort for her.
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7/10: David Cook working with Atlanta’s Ed Roland (Collective Soul)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ed Roland, who is buds with Michael Johns from his days in Buckhead, is working with “Idol” winner David Cook, according to Entertainment Weekly..
As you may recall, Cook sang “The World I Know” during “Idol.”
Cook is also working with Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace, another group he paid homage to on “Idol.”
In San Jose, the Merc dissed Cook’s performance during the Idols Live concert.:
Ironically, the qualities that made Cook stand out on TV are the very things that could hold him back in the music business. He came across like a one-trick pony, relying too heavily on the novelty of turning pop/R&B songs into brooding rockers.
At his best, he seemed to channel the worst of ’90s alt-rock, coming across like one of those generic frontmen from groups signed to record contracts just after Stone Temple Pilots and Matchbox Twenty arrived on the scene.
Fair? Unfair?
And since I’m unfairly targeting Ramiele, who should not have been in the top 10 (David Hernandez, where are you?), here’s another funny critique about her:
Things were so subdued, I could have sworn crickets were accompanying Ramiele Malubay on Taylor Dayne’s “Love Will Lead You Back.”
The San Francisco Chronicle was even less kind, clearly written by someone who didn’t watch Idol:
[Cook is] certainly a capable rock singer, not all that different from Chris Daughtry, but Cook’s decision to throw all those chugging riffs and sweaty metal vocals behind limp songs by Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson and Diane Warren seemed like the kind of thing that would have got him a round battering on the actual “American Idol.” Where is Simon Cowell when you need him?
-Ready to pre-order the new Jennifer Hudson CD nearly three months early? Amazon is giving you the chance.. And as Just Jared noted, is this photo of Jennifer Hudson a wee bit, um, photoshopped?
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7/9: David Cook gets Skechers endorsement
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Joining Carrie Underwood (right), David Cook has nabbed a Skechers endorsement, the start of what should be a very lucrative couple of years for the “Idol” winer.
This is from the press release, which hard-working MJ over at her blog nabbed:
Launching in Fall ‘08, the campaign coincides with the “PopTarts American Idols Live! Tour 2008,” and the debut of David’s first post-Idol album on 19 Recordings/RCA Records. The SKECHERS Cook campaign will include print, outdoor and in-store.
I have to give her credit. She’s been all over the Idols Live tour coverage.
-If you want an unapologetically raving review of the Los Angeles “Idols Live” concert, check this L.A. Times blogger Richard Rushfield. This piece could have been written by an “Idol” publicist, it’s so over the top positive, almost comically so.
Yes, he even liked Ramiele! These are words I have never written nor will I ever:
Throughout the season, Ramiele brought a spirit of fun and youthful mischief to the show that made her unforgettable even after her early departure.
And he believes Carly Smithson to be the best singer in the show’s history. I beg to differ on that count. On a pure volume standpoint, she’s up there with LaKisha, Kelly Clarkson and Fantasia. But I’m not sure she really connects with the audience the way Kelly or Fantasia did (thus, her sixth place finish).
That might make a good question of the day— who’s been the best vocalist in “Idol” history from a pure pipes standpoint?
-Here’s a much better, actual review of the concert from Variety.
Not every “American Idol” finalist realizes it yet, but the post-broadcast tour is an extended audition that’s just as important as the first go-around that landed them in the money on the Fox TV show. This time, however, they are playing to audiences who pay for music, fans looking for stars to invest in down the road. Those who present coherent stage personas that connect with their “Idol” performances — the two Davids, Syesha Mercado, Jason Castro, Carly Smithson and, surprisingly, Chikezie — are helping their careers. Those who see the tour as a chance to reconnect with past televised glory — Kristy Lee Cook, Ramiele Malebay, Michael Johns — are wasting a golden opportunity.
(I do love how Variety magazine shortens words—“perf” for performance and “aud” for audience.)
And the writer was more realistic about Ramiele:
Ramiele Malubay, decked out in junior dominatrix wear, was weathered by her third song, her voice too thin to power through anything but soft accompaniment.
Plus, here’s an interesting U.K. take on Jordin Sparks. There, she had a big hit with “No Air.”
Chris Brown’s doing just fine with ‘Forever’, but Jordin Sparks, truth be told, is facing an uphill struggle. Nothing on her debut album is in quite the same league as ‘No Air’, and she doesn’t have much of a profile outside the US.
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7/8: Kimberley Locke, Chris Sligh, Ace Young coming to Atlanta July 26
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m going to miss three “Idol” alums who are coming to Atlanta Saturday, July 26. (I’ll be in Chicago that day for a convention.)
-Season two finalist Kimberley Locke is showing up at the gay Midtown club Wet Bar. She’s obviously gay friendly. She came last year, too. It’s at 960 Spring Street.
And in a complete contrast, season six finalist and contemporary Christian artist Chris Sligh is joining 104.7/The Fish. for “Fish Family Night” at Jimmy’s Mad Mad Whirled in Marietta at 9 p.m. The photo is him with Kevin and Avery, the morning hosts for the show from March.
Ace Young is coming to Wild Bill’s the same night. His album, out July 15th, is now available for streaming on AOL here.. His publicist just told me about the Wild Bill’s date so it’s not up yet on the Web site but check here for more details when they become available.
“(Young and Lewis) took a huge step to be in control of their records,” says My Rocket Science director of digital media Alicia Yaffe, who is working with both artists. And while this allowed them creative control with little label interference, they face the challenge of getting that music heard.
-And for the five of you left still watching “Nashville Star,” Pearl Heart and Navy dude Tommy Stanley were surprisingly ousted - especially before high school talent show act Lauren and Sophie. Pearl Heart naturally had a great performance (for them) before getting ousted. Tommy didn’t even get to sing. Very odd way of doing things there at “Nashville Star.” And John Rich was plain grouchy towards annoying Shawn Meyer and vocally limited Coffey. And while Gabe Garcia has the best male vocals left (out of two), he is still lacking in the charisma department. Melissa Lawson was okay but isn’t improving much in my mind. Ashlee Hewitt is simply okay to me. Personally, I have no real favorite here because we won’t be seeing much of any of them after this show ends.
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7/7: Top 40 who missed top 24 now eligible for 2009
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In years past, “Idol” did something I thought was unfair and locked out some potentially great talent. They’d make it so folks who made the top 30 to top 44 were ineligible to compete again even if they missed the top 10 to top 24. In other words, some folks we barely see (and that’s fairly common) get screwed while folks who make it to Los Angeles and the top 150 or so but get cut early (see Gina Glocksen) get multiple shots.
That’s completely unfair. So finally “Idol” has changed the rules to allow those 16 who missed the top 24 last year but made the top 40 a second shot, as long as they haven’t been signed like Josiah Leming or aged out. The most memorable person for me was Kyle Ensley(right), the goofy yet endearing political wannabe supported by Simon Cowell but not by the other two. We here on this blog suspected the producers didn’t want another Sanjaya or Kevin Covais and locked him out.
MJ reported this originally. Honestly, I don’t really remember anybody else, can you? But maybe we’ll see a few gems in the rough.
-I learned a bit more about the “Idols in Concert” event in San Francisco at the Hotel Nikko. It is a rotating crew of 16 different “Idols” created by show pianist and arranger Michael Orland. Here’s the list: Anwar Robinson, LaKisha Jones, Jon Peter Lewis, Gina Glocksen, Rickey Smith, Mikalah Gordon, Julia DeMato, Trenyce, RJ Helton, Constantine Maroulis, Jasmine Trias, Vonzell Solomon, Brandon Rogers, Christina Christian, Leah LaBelle, Camile Velasco and a special Idol to be announced later. Most of them are also doing the Branson show. Saddly, despite the hotel locale, no Nikko Smith!
He’s also planning a holiday show on the road (perhaps coming to Atlanta?) with folks such as Diana DeGarmo, Kimberly Caldwell, Constantine Maroulis and David Hernandez. More details here.
-And here’s Doug Elfman, an “Idol” hater forced to cover the “Idols Live” tour in Las Vegas.. And boy, did he have to grit his teeth through this ordeal!
But if you’re interested in the human race moving forward, “Idol” and this tour lets you down by breathing new life into gramophone and jukebox songs in the age of the iPod. It’s like when vampires suck blood out of children so they can live forever. It’s exactly like that.
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7/7: The art of the duet
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Hope you all had a great July 4th. I went to a party and didn’t make it to Frenchie Davis’ appearance at the Civic Center though I’m sure she did great.
This story comes a little late in the game considering “No Air” by Chris Brown and Jordin Sparks is already well on its way down the charts. But Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe ruminates on the disappearance of the traditional love song duet.
Rather, we usually get the vocalist with a rapper doing a cameo and often it’s just aggressive and dance-club like such as “Promiscuous” or “4 Minutes.”
She thinks perhaps the success of the Jordin/Chris tune will herald the duet’s return. Another recent success that would fit in this category she forgot to mention: Rihanna (featuring Ne-Yo) with “Hate That I Love You.” But I have to say “No Air” has that wonderful interplay and emotional feel that classic duets have, impressive given the relative young ages of both Jordin and Chris.
-While a coterie of rotating “Idol’ finalists are working the Branson route this summer, a trio are also doing a nine-week run in San Francisco. Here’s the combo: Jon Peter Lewis, Anwar Robinson and LaKisha Jones (though sometimes, it will be Gina Glocksen). It’s at the Hotel Nikko. Seating capacity: 140. In other words: quite intimate. You can buy tix here with prices at $45.. There are basically enough “Idol” alums floating around that most can make a living in the near future doing these types of combo gigs.
-Country music is not a big deal in the U.K. So it’s taken all this time for Sony BMG to release Carrie Underwood’s two albums over there. (Daughtry apparently didn’t do well there, either). Here’s a recap.
-Ken Barnes in USA Today gave a rundown of the download charts.. I’m glad to see Jordin’s third single “One Step At a Time” is finally getting some traction, moving from 105-58, a 76% increase in sales to 25K and 152K total. I also heard the song on Q100 for the first time. The song just broke the top 30 on the pop charts. Jordin has now sold more than 4 million download singles.
And Kellie Pickler’s new single “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful for her next album is now charting, selling 19K in its first week and debuting at 79. Airplay has been somewhat slow so far but it’s still early.
On the country charts, Carrie’s “Last Name” is slipping off after peaking briefly at No. 1 while Josh Gracin’s “We Weren’t Crazy” is holding at No. 13 after a whoppingly slow 37 weeks climbing the chart. Bucky Covington just broke the top 30 with his fourth single “I’ll Walk.”
In top 40 land, David Cook’s “Time of My Life” has actually charted but I doubt it will go very far. Cook did his best with a lousy song but it’s no winner.
Over in album land, Carrie’s “Carnival Ride” is up to 2.2 million and “Some Hearts,” up to 6.47 million. Jordin is up to 834K and Daughtry is up to 4.13 million. Those are the only “Idol” folks on the top 200. He also noted that season five contestants have now sold about 7 million albums (a majority from Daughtry). Ace’s album comes out July 15. I hope to get a copy soon.
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7/4: Frenchie Davis interview promoting Atlanta Pride Festival
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Frenchie Davis has managed just fine without “American Idol,” thank you very much.
After she was unceremoniously booted in 2003 from the show because of topless photos of her landing on the Web, the vocally talented Davis landed a job singing on Broadway’s “Rent,” a job she kept for four years.
“I’ve been making a living doing what I love to do,” she said. “My major in college was theater so I was already groomed for it.”
Not that it was easy. “I had no life,” she said. “I couldn’t go out on weekends. I had to make necessary adjustments to do live theater.” But she admired the dedicated “Rentheads” who have seen the play 100 times and can mouth all the words. “You get used to seeing them hanging out at the theater,” she said. “They get used to seeing you.”
She’s only had one stalker problem, a dude who got her cel phone number and sent a picture of his penis. She had to call the cops and he never bothered her again.
She grew up in Los Angeles and prefers her hometown over New York: “I didn’t like the smell of urine outside the apartment I’m paying $2,500 a month in rent for.”
In recent months, she had been recuperating from surgery to remove a polyp from her left vocal cord. She’s now fully recovered. “My voice is back,” she said. “It’s weird because I have had this polyp for years on my vocal cord. I had speech therapy and now certain notes come out way easier than they used to. I don’t have to work as hard.
Unlike most “Idol” alums, she has no need or desire right now to cut an album. “That’s not my priority right now,” she said. “I’m focused on pursuing my theater career. I’m even considering my education. I think at some point I might get my masters. That’s what I’m debating on.”
This fall, she joins Ruben Studdard in a touring production of “Ain’t Misbehavin’” that hits the Fox Theater this November. And she will appear Friday at the Atlanta Civic Center with CeCe Peniston, Thelma Houston and Expose for the Atlanta Pride Festival.
“I’ve done a lot of prides,” she said. “Los Angeles. Boston. Albuquerque, Cincinnati. As a college student, one way I made money was singing in local gay clubs. That’s always been my first audience. They embraced me. They’ve supported me and appreciated my talent so when they call for me to perform, I always say yes!” And she’s looking forward to Atlanta. “My father just moved there!”
Her take on her Thelma Houston (“Don’t Leave Me This Way”): “That b** can sing!” CeCe Peniston (best known for the song “Finally”): “Some people have instruments that recordings don’t do justice. Her voice is ridiculous live.”
She plans to sing some Whitney, throw in a new dance song called “You Are.” “We’ll play it by ear,” she said. “I have to preserve my voice.”
And she’s not big on talking about “Idol.” I figure she didn’t like the way she sounded last year when she commented about how Antonella Barba got away with naughty photos on the Web and didn’t get cut but she did. In retrospect, it does seem pretty unfair.
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7/3: Idols Live tour reviews and set list
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Last year, there were plenty of duets and trios and group sings. This year, just two group sings and all solo routines otherwise. Given the makeup of season seven, this makes perfect sense though I would have enjoyed a couple of cool duets, too.
A thumbs up from the Arizona Republic.
Livedaily said it surpassed expectations.
LA Times’ gushing behind the scenes look here.
Each singer did truly create a very authentic and compelling stage persona. The performers’ song choices defined their styles and highlighted the best of the vocal strengths.
Here’s the set list:
Chikezie: Donny Hathaway’s “I Believe To The Soul,” Usher’s “Caught Up” and John Legend’s “So High.”
Ramiele (snooze) Malubay: Jackson 5’s ‘I Want You Back,” Taylor Dayne’s “Love Will Lead You Back” and Maroon 5’s “If I Never See Your Face Again.” (How apropos!)
Michael Johns: Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” Dolly Parton’s “It’s all Wrong But It’s All Right” and Aerosmith’s “Dream On.”
Kristy Lee Cook: Carolyn Dawn Johnson’s “Squeezin’ the Love Outta You,” Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” and perhaps “How ‘Bout Them Cowgirls” by George Strait (MJ and others just dubbed it “Cowgirls” so I’m not sure what it is.). Also, Wikipedia states she sings “Eight Days a Week.” I’ll fix this once I know for sure.
Carly Smithson: Evanescence “Bring Me To Life,” Heart’s “Crazy For You” and Cyndi Lauper’s “I Drove All Night.”
Brooke White: Beatles’ “Let It Be,” Feist’s “1-2-3-4,” Coldplay’s “Yellow.”
Group sing: U2’s