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Access Atlanta > American Idol Buzz > Archives > 2008 > December > 07
Sunday, December 7, 2008
12/8: Justin Guarini at Atlanta Salvation Army Christmas concert
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I unfortunately missed both Athens concerts with Kimberley Locke, Diana DeGarmo et. al and Tamyra Gray’s appearance at the Salvation Army Christmas concert on Saturday.
But I wasn’t totally remiss in my “Idol” duties this weekend. I got to meet season one runner up Justin Guarini for the first time at the Salvation Army Sunday night Christmas concert at the Salvation’s Army’s temple off North Druid Hills and I-85.
I’ve spoken to him by phone but this was my first shot at sitting down with him and just gabbing. He’s definitely more comfortable in his own skin now and has embraced “Idol” as part of him. We talked about his gig with “Gone Country,” an Internet radio show and his engagement.
Diana DeGarmo was originally committed to this event but the holiday tour got in the way. So her mom and Jerry Friday helped track down Justin to sub in. He made a quick pitstop in Atlanta before going to Nashville to work on different songwriters.
Why Nashville? He said he was inspired by the experience. He finished taping last month. The show debuts next month on CMT. (Ironically, Diana was part of the original “Gone Country” a year ago.) He wasn’t very verbose about the show itself in terms of details but he said he roomed with George Clinton and bonded with Sheila E. (Others include Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees, actor Richard Grieco and Miss USA Tarah Connor.)
“The way I write on guitar lends itself to country rock,” Justin said. “I can infuse my soulful sound into it… I’ve been searching for the sound that fits me.” And though he has done jazz, R&B and pop before, he feels he needed to stretch himself. “The show has opened so many doors for me,” he said, echoing Diana’s sentiments last year.
He credits new management for helping him get even more work than before, a small group called Axis Artist Management in Los Angeles with Nelly Neben. It’s smaller than past management groups and gives him far more personalized attention. (Nadia Turner and Anthony Fedorov also work with Axis.)
He is also doing his TV Guide gig again. He seemed to enjoy “Idol Chat” last year with Kimberly Caldwell and Rosanna Tavarez. “It’s our bread and butter,” he said, related to him and Kimberly. “We know all abou it. We lived it.” He is also helping out with the new Idol Disney experience, which debuts in February. And he is working on a new Internet TV show that’s “Late Night meets Chapelle. It’s going to have music and interviews. They’ll be skits, too. That launches in February, too.”
His quick take on season seven: “It was a pivotal year for Idol. They really needed to reprove the brand. I think they did by picking David Cook.” He acknowledges the show is in decline but it’s coming off a very high base. He’s curious to see how the show will evolve minus Nigel Lythgoe and more input from Simon Cowell. “The viewing audience needs that excitement, to mix it up,” he said. “I’m looking forward to seeing the new dynamic among the judges,” with a fourth judge added to the mix.
On his reconciliation with the past: “What I went through at the time, the brand was not nearly as well organized. I got off the merry go round. It gave me wonderful perspective, gave me an appreciation of the gift I was given. I have worked consistently over the past six years doing what I love to do for people all over the world. For that alone, I am grateful.”
At the church, he sang four traditional Christmas songs including “Silent Night” and “Angels We Have Heard on High.” He did a lovely job. He’s toned down some of his cheesier ticks from the “Idol” days and his voice is just as solid as ever. Here’s a video I took of him singing “Angels We Have Heard On High.”
And here he is doing “Go, Tell It On the Mountain”:
Justin is also doing well personally. He just got engaged to Reina Capodici, 26, of Doylestown, PA, his hometown. (Her mom was his English teacher! They grew up together though he’s older than she is.) In fact, he recently got a place there and will make that his home base. He said a tentative wedding date is for July 4, 2009.
On his dad Eldrin Bell, now county commission chairman in Clayton County: “He’s got a servant’s heart, that’s the long and short of it. What most people see as headaches or things they don’t want to deal with, he enjoys. We had a birthday dinner at his house recently. My brother and sister and I got together and hired a chef to cook everything.”
On his hair, which is big as always: “Why mess with the brand?”
I also got a funny anecdote from Pastor Rick Mikles. He said on Saturday while former Norcross resident and fourth-place finisher from season one Tamyra Gray was singing “Silent Night,” a couple of the live animals decided to challenge that sentiment. First, the donkey began braying, then the camel answered the call. Gray, during what is normally a very moving, solemn song, couldn’t help but chuckle at the end.
When I told Justin about it, he laughed. “Never work with children and animals,” he said.
