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Access Atlanta > American Idol Buzz > Archives > 2008 > August > 07
Thursday, August 7, 2008
8/8: Obama not too keen on “Idol,” Ryan Seacrest gets name boost for “Rockin’ Eve”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Barack Obama told ew.com that he isn’t a huge “Idol” fan.
Are there any shows you two argue about?
She likes American Idol, her and the girls, in a way that I don’t entirely get.
Have you or any member of your family ever voted for an Idol?
I think the girls did vote in last year’s contest. I don’t know who they voted for, but I recall that a vote was cast. They were very excited about it. [Obama’s camp won’t comment, but rumor has it that his daughters, Malia and Sasha, were big David Archuleta fans last season.]
-Ryan Seacrest, apparently recuperated from that shark bite, will have his name added to the ABB New Year’s celebration. Originally known as “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” it’s not “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest.”
According to TV Week:
The company [Dick Clark Productions] has triggered a three-year option on its deal, which means Mr. Seacrest is now locked in through 2010.
Back in 2005, Mr. Seacrest signed a long-term deal with DCP that called for him to eventually take over as sole host of the franchise.
-Seacrest interviewed Nigel Lythgoe about his departure from “Idol” here.. He said the time pressure to deal with both SYTYD and “Idol’ was tougher and tougher. “I needed a break to do something else,” he said. He said leaving “Idol” was not as tough as coming to America and leaving the U.K. “It is one of those things. It’s the love of your life you need to give up purely and simply because I have to move on and the program has to move on. I hope they don’t tweak it too much.” Who will take his place? He doesn’t really answer that. “Everyone knows what they’re doing. I’m such a control freak, I never let them off the leash.”
-Sorry to be so late on this one: Bo Bice weclomed child no. 2 on Tuesday, People.com reported.
The baby boy, named Caleb, was born in Nashville. He joins big brother Aidan, who will be 3 in September.
-“Gone Country” on CMT debuts August 15 at 8 p.m. with season four finalist Mikalah Gordon (as well as Jermaine Jackson, Irene Cara, Lorenzo Lamos, Sean Young, Sebastian Bach and Chris Kirkpatrick of N Sync.)
-Remember when Natalie Cole “dueted” with her late great dad Nat King Cole? Well, Elvis will be “dueting” with a bunch of country stars, many who weren’t even born when he died. Carrie Underwood is one of them, singing “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.” Kind of nauseating though how can this beat Celine Dion singing to his hologram during “Idol Gives Back”?
-“Nashville Star” winner Melissa Lawson actually made it to the top 75 season four but got zero airtime! Here’s the excerpt from an ew.com interview.:
Give me an example of one of those times when you’ve been knocked down and you can now look back and say, “Okay, that was just a step in my getting here.”
You know, probably one of the ones that people would relate to most is American Idol. I competed Season Four and made the top 75, but after going through all of that, I never got airtime at all. It was almost a slap in the face, and it just made me feel like there was no validation there at all, no respect for the time that was put in. It just made me feel horrible. That’s one of many. Overall, I’ve paid a lot of dues to get where I’m at today, and I feel very, very fortunate to have won last night. Time is ticking in such a weird manner right now, I can’t believe it was just last night.
-A quick summary of sales from Idol Chatter: Jordin Sparks’ “One Step at a Time” increases sales 9% and is up to No. 28 with 44K sold and 328K total. The song in Radio and Records is up to No. 16 from 22. It’s positioning itself nicely for a top 10 spot, Jordin’s third. David Cook’s “The Time of My Life” edges up to No. 33 on the top 40 charts. I doubt it will get much higher.
Her album is picking up, too, from No. 108 to No. 69, up 22%, bringing totals to 871K. Daughtry moved up, too, to 78 with 7,000 sold and 4.17 mil total.
On the country chart, Carrie’s “Just a Dream” is up to No. 21 while Josh Gracin’s song started slipping and given its age, was quickly dropped off the chart. Bucky’s “I’ll Walk” moves up to No. 28 from 30 while Kellie Pickler holds at No. 31 with “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful” but still gaining airplay (albeit slowly.) Kristy Lee Cook’s “15 Minutes of Shame” debuted at No. 58.
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8/7: David Archuleta seeking that “Miley touch”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
No, that headline doesn’t mean David Archuleta has the hots for Miley Cyrus.
Over the next two weeks, David A. will record at least two Rock Mafia-sanctioned songs that 19 Recordings and RCA Records are hoping could turn into hit singles, the source said.”
He already has a likely hit on his hands with “Crush.”
-Ryan Seacrest wants to tease Simon Cowell by putting up a billboard to countdown Cowell’s 50th birthday, according to an interview Seacrest did with Cowell’s younger brother Nick.. “That would flatter him,” Nick said. “People think he looks older than 50.”
-Yes, even the New York Times reviews the “Idols live” tour.. The reviewer was less than impressive with David Cook’s performance, which he felt was “perfunctory” while David Archuleta was “charming and impressing.” But he left the best words to Carly Smithson, the first time among all the reviews I’ve read in which she gets singled out in such a fashion. (Somehow, he didn’t even bother to mention Ramiele!)
Ms. Smithson has a pleasantly brassy voice, though she was erratic on the show. But while television might not have suited her, the stage did. Here, her three songs — Evanescence’s “Bring Me to Life,” Heart’s “Crazy on You” and Cyndi Lauper’s “I Drove All Night” — were stunning. She hit the big notes. She drew the audience close through careful deployment of volume. She dramatically dropped to her knees. All in all, it felt strangely like a concert.
In Albany, the reviewer liked Smithson, Michael Johns and Kristy Lee Cook. over David Cook.
But the real star of the show was — the Show. Stage runways, multiple large projection screens, MTV-style camerawork, screaming tweens, embarrassed parents, huge arena space, AI theme song introduction to the program — it was all there and all encompassing.
