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Access Atlanta > American Idol Buzz > Archives > 2005 > May
May 2005
May 31: single pre-sales for Bo-Carrie/// re-watch the finale
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On www.barnesandnoble.com, Bo is ahead of Carrie in presales of their respective singles. Carrie (with “Inside Your Heaven”/”Independence Day”) is ranked No. 3 as of Monday night. Runner-up Bo is ranked No. 1 (with “Vehicle”/”Inside Your Heaven”). Echoes, again, of Clay/Ruben?
Also, www.watchidol.com now has the entire finale on video and audios of all songs performed May 25 for you to download. This helped me because portions of the show I didn’t watch very carefully while I was at the Birmingham civic center. I did see that the producers kept shooting to Nancy Downes, Bo’s mom, and identifying her incorrectly as “Carrie’s family.” She actually looked happy for Carrie, so much so, she psyched out the camera people. And they showed her not just once, but three or four times.
And I also noticed that LaToya London called Bo, “Bo Brice.” And that kid was cute with the question about “reverse psychology,” something I couldn’t hear at all in the arena.
May 30: Back in time to Hollywood audition day one
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Happy Memorial Day for the handful of you who are actually still checking this site five days after the show is over for the year. I, being so pathetic, went on www.watchidol.com and began re-watching the first Hollywood audition episode. It’s fascinating knowing what we know now.
About three minutes in, as contestants go into the hotel, there is our first glimpse of Bo Bice wheeling his luggage down a hallway, followed immediately by a shot of Carrie Underwood doing the same thing! (Have fun conspiracy theorists!)
She also happens to be part of the first 10 and the very first person profiled that episode. She, believe it or not, forgot the words to her first song but was still so good, she got through to the next round unanimously.
About nine minutes in, Anthony Fedorov pops up and the tracheotomy story is retold. He’s very good in his very first Hollywood audition.
Nadia was mesmerizing from the get go with Stevie Wonder. Top 24er David Browne was really good early on. Ditto Scott. Anwar was amazing, too. Vonzell (doing Whitney, naturally) was okay, a little shaky but her smile was there. Mario (no hat yet) is cocky but still wonderful doing “How Can You Mend This Broken Heart.”
Day one, half the group was on the beach. “We’re having a blast; this is awesome!” Bo exclaims, sunglasses on of course. His first words on camera 22 minutes in.
Day two, the three rockers, Aaron Kelly, Constantine and Bo were paired to sing “The Letter.” And all three were really good. Aaron was sort of scary looking. Bo had no facial hair. “I’m not here to make friends,” Constantine said. After getting a yes, he does a big theatrical leap from the stage.
Simon notes that Mikalah is the most confident 16 year old he has ever seen. She threatens that Simon would have to go to her prom if they reject her. Of course, they don’t.
Lawrenceville’s Janay actually sounded good the first time around.
Of the final 12, 10 of them are featured from the first day. The two missing: Jessica and Nikko.
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May 29: Great Baltimore Sun story on past Idols
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here’s a link to a well-written take on life for Idols who don’t become big stars, which is most of them. I actually started writing a similar piece a year ago focusing on Cumming resident R.J. Helton but it got set aside when Diana DeGarmo went further than expected. The Idol story link
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May 28: recommended reading/Justin update
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Donna Reynolds of the esteemed www.foxesonidol.com Web site (my favorite) gave a wonderful recitation about why Bo will do just fine. Here’s the link
Donna thinks he will be like Clay Aiken, a winner despite being runner up who is likely to be around for decades (a la Barry Manilow). I tend to agree. And rightfully, he is far more distinctive than Diana DeGarmo, a runner up with great pipes who hasn’t done quite so well outside the Disney set. Then there’s first season runner up Justin Guarini, out in California doing indie films and working on a jazz CD with no label signing as of yet, according to his half brother Adrion Bell, who lives in Atlanta.
May 27: Notes: Gwinnett tour date sold out/ ratings up from 2004/Kiimberly Caldwell DUI/links to Bo-Carrie interviews
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Another sign this season was better and more popular than last year: If you are trying now to buy tickets to the “American Idol” tour at Gwinnett Arena July 16, you may have to try to win them on the radio or go to a ticket broker because the 10,000 or so tickets are gone. I just tried on ticketmaster.com for two tickets and got nothing and Gwinnett Arena general manager Preston Williams confirmed that they are indeed sold out except for a few stray single seats. They might open up a few seats the day of the competition if some freebies get given back. This is far more than what “Idol 3” sold, which averaged 5,000 nationally and 8,000 at Philips Arena. The second “Idol” with Clay Aiken sold the most.
And again to prove the fourth version was bigger than the third, the finale Wednesday night drew 30.3 million viewers nationally, up five percent from 28.8 million in 2004. But that only ranks fourth among finales this season.
“Everybody Loves Raymond” drew 33 million; “CSI,” 30.7 million and “Desperate Housewives,” 30.6 million.
The Fox show faced tougher competition than usual since ABC countered with the two-hour finale of “Lost,” which garnered a solid 20.7 million viewers.
Locally, “Idol” drew about 1.3 million viewers, down about 24 percent from last year, when local gal Diana DeGarmo came in second.
Finally, Kimberly Caldwell from the second “Idol” (the same one Corey Clark was on) was caught with a DUI on May 19 in Burbank, Calif. Caldwell, 23, failed a sobriety test and was released after posting $5,000 bail, according to US Weekly. Caldwell’s representative says, “Kimberly is consulting a lawyer and disputing the charges.” Where’s George Stein when you need h
And MTV.com did interviews with Bo and Carrie after the show. Here’s the link to Bo He actually uses the phrase “bee’s knees.” How quaint! And he said he liked the lousy original songs he sang on Tuesday. His album will be “rooty rock.”
Here’s the one for Carrie. She said after Ryan said her name, she thought, “Did he just call my name?” And that Bo is like a big brother to her. She doesn’t want to live in L.A., loves her home. Plus she will do country on her album no matter what.
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May 26: Thank you all for reading my blog this season
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The season is over. It was a fun time for all. Let’s do it again next year.
I will continue to post on this blog, at least once a week and pretty much whenever I hear “Idol” related news. It won’t be easy to find this site during the off season so please bookmark it and check in every once in awhile. I promise fresh material and links! Why? Because I’m an addict and I aim to feed everyone else’s addition as well. :)
Now it’s time to go back and tell me your favorite moments of the “Idol” year, what made it worth watching, what you think “Idol” can do next year to maintain the momentum (if that’s even possible.)
And tell me how you liked this blog. Be honest. Did you enjoy my takes on things? Thought I was off my rocker? Hated my writing and occasional typos? I can take it — as long as you keep it clean! :)
The “Idol” tour is July 16. I bet that’s the next time this blog will get decent play on www.ajc.com. Maybe some of us can get together and grab a bite before hand!
Cheers, Rodney, rho@ajc.com
May 25: No Bo, Carrie wins!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here I am in a Birmingham Holiday Inn, just back from the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center, where 2,000-plus deflated Bo fans have left. Interestingly, the Fox affiliate emcee told the crowd during the commercial break at 9:50 p.m. (EST) to be polite and act with class if Bo lost. And believe it or not, the crowd applauded politely, with a few scattered boos.
By the way, I will own up to my miserable prediction track record. I opted for Bo and lost. So my final record is a whopping 3 and 8. That’s almost as bad as the Hawks.
Interestingly, Ryan didn’t say how many votes were cast last night (opting for some huge overall number) or what the difference was between the two. Last year, Fox gave out the total the next day so hopefully we’ll know soon if it was even close. The online polls unanimously had Bo leading but I think that was the case with Clay two years ago. So as usual, polls don’t equate to votes.
Earlier today, I visited Bo’s pastor Donny Acton. What a nice guy! He met Bo at the Guitar Gallery where Bo was the manager a couple years back. He invited Bo to play at the church and he began gigging with the praise band, got standing ovations for his original work. Over time, he had became much more spiritual, said Guitar Gallery owner Dan Vogt, who curiously did not have any Bo memorabilia or signage in his store. (He basically fired Bo when Bo told him last fall he was trying for “Idol” and while he said nice things about Bo, I could tell he wasn’t giving me the whole story.)
I also checked out Bo’s home in little Helena, Ala. Acton didn’t even give me an address, just a description and I found it with little problem— that’s how small the town is! It’s a modest ranch wood-shingled home, a dented Mazda in the driveway with the words “Wash Me” on the driver’s side window. I met his neighbor Andy Wood, who was mowing Bo’s lawn and said when his wife was in Hawaii taking care of her daughter for three months, Bo would go out of his way to visit Andy, who admitted he was a bit lonely. He volunteered to watch Bo’s house from vandalism and even advised Bo to take off his Mazda license plate in case someone wanted to steal it for a souvenir.
The crowd at the civic center wore sunglasses and flipflops and had plenty of “Will you marry me Bo?” type posters. Before the show, they enjoyed bopping around beach balls. LaToya London was the host, which disappointed me because I wasn’t much of a fan, despite her wonderful voice. I could hardly hear her when she was on air but my friend Robin said she seemed to be acting drunk. She did sing a great “National Anthem” during a commercial break after that lousy singer did it.
I really enjoyed the guest star takes — they were all entertaining. I especially liked seeing Nadia up there again, doing “Walk This Way” with Jessica and Constantine. The spoof on the ABC Primetime special seemed too long and not funny enough — similar, I guess to the special itself!
Did you notice that Jasmine Trias got tons of airtime just standing in the audience. And we got glimpses of John Stevens and George Huff, too. But where was Diana DeGarmo. And did you notice Kelly, Ruben and Fantasia were absent as well?
Getting back to Bo himself, he is so experienced, winning or losing wasn’t as big a deal for him as it will be for Carrie, who will need the guidance more. Bo will get a record deal as well. It’ll be interesting to see how radio reacts to a Southern rocker— not many have made it on the charts of late.
Good news for Atlantans: the auditions are coming back here after “Idol” took a year off from using the city as a base. I’ll keep you up to date on when that will be.
So what did you all think? Was a Carrie victory a bad thing? A good thing? A “whatever” thing?
May 24: Last performances, schmaltzy originals
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Those songwriters commissioned by “American Idol” to do originals all seem to come right out of the Diane Warren School of Schmaltz. Yeesh! I enjoyed the summary of the show at the end more than the original tunes. And it was great to see the other 10 contestants. Or make it nine and Lenny Kravitz. Oh, wait. That was Anwar Robinson, wasn’t it? We caught shots of George Huff (looking a bit heftier) and Jasmine Trias in the audience. I know Diana DeGarmo was there but I didn’t see her.
Okay,I didn’t catch the names of the all the songs so forgive me if I get them wrong. It’s hard to grade these but here we go:
1) Bo. “Vehicle.” This reprise from ’70s week was easily the best of the night. He improved upon what he did a few weeks back, just owned it all the way beginning to end.
2) Carrie. “Angels Brought Me Here.” I thought that was her best vocal performance of the night despite the fact I’ve tried to block the cruddy tune out of my head already.
3) Bo. “Inside Your Heaven.” For what it’s worth, he did a decent job with yet another forgettable original. The chorus was almost passable but man, “Idol” will do anything to torture us with the overwrought, flatlining ballads. Since both sang this I presume this will be the single radio will ignore as they did last year with “I Believe.”
4) Carrie. “Independence Day.” She did somewhat better than she did many moons ago but I still can’t helpthinking how much better Martina McBride sounds sang this. Not a good comparison. She was understandably nervous on the last performance night but I wanted more spark, more something.
5) Bo. “The Long Long Road.” Booooring. This road has no view whatsoever but Bo tried to make it work. Even a great singer like Bo could make this horrible song tolerable. When the judges bust on a song the producers commissioned, you know it’s bad.
6) Carrie. “Inside Your Heaven.” This song seems like it was meant more for Carrie but she didn’t run with it. She wasn’t always in tune and I almost dozed off at points.
Thank God for the caffeinated crowd from turning this into a total snoozefest. So who did better tonight? It’s a tossup but I give a slight slight edge to Bo. Otherwise, I will stick with the conventional wisdom and say Bo wins by a few thousand votes. It’s going to be a nailbiter given the way the phones work.
We usually only allow comments from 8 to 6 p.m. weekdays but we’re keeping the window open tonight until 11 p.m. Feel free to pontificate! I’m off to Alabama Wednesday to hang out in Bice country and watch the show from the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center, so you won’t see a blog item from me til late tomorrow night after the results show, maybe 11 p.m. or so EST. See you then!
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May 24: Voting will be FOUR hours tonight// Bo-Carrie analysis
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After the show is over at 9 p.m. tonight, you will be able to vote on three lines for each contestant for FOUR hours instead of the usual two. So you’ll have til 1 a.m. EST Wednesday to cast the votes. ‘
Let’s look at the strengths and weaknesses of each contestant, both who will almost certainly get record contracts, win or lose:
Bo: Strengths — a rocker’s stage presence, always in tune, a resonant voice, sincerity and confidence, decent looks, gutsy song choices, esp. with the a capella “In a Dream” last week.
Weaknesses — overuse of sunglasses, not always fully committed to the song he’s singing, an outward “whatever happens happens” attitude that could dampen fan support.
Draws: Folks who appreciate rock, boomer types
Carrie: Strengths — angelic voice, sweet innocence, Middle America farm girl cute
Weaknesses — Wooden stage presence, a seeming preference to animals over people (people vote; animals don’t), more inconsistent than Bo, misses lyrics on occasion
Draws: Country fans, younger girls and guys who just like to look at her
Here’s a summary of the season I wrote for the Living section at this link.
And here’s some fun “Idol” trivia from mtv.com
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May 23: UK reporter’s take on American Idol
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Why the readers in the UK would care about who we select as “American Idol” is beyond me (well, it IS produced by a British company and Simon is a Brit) but the Times in the UK had its Los Angeles correspondent write about Bo and Carrie from a foreign corresopndent’s prism. It’s definitely not how an American writer would have approached it:
The writer makes it sound like Americans only like to listen to sweet Christian pop music and that hard rock is something odd and unusual, that Bo is a true novelty from that perspective.
Get this graf: Greg Marella, head of Top 40 Radio at Geffen Records in New York, said: “In the past, we’ve had these very sweet and innocent Idol winners. Maybe Americans are just getting tired of sweet-and-innocent and looking for someone with a bit more edge.�
He added that even hard rock bands such as Papa Roach are now considered mainstream in America. Veteran music executives, meanwhile, point out that Mr Bice’s brand of Southern rock has been popular with conservatives since the heyday of the Allman Brothers in the Seventies.
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May 23: Diano DeGarmo update
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I caught up with Diana at the Peachtree Ridge High School fundraiser Saturday. I saw part of her set, which included covers of “Jungle Boogie” and “Chain of Fools” as well as several songs from her “Blue Skies” CD. She was peppy as always, finishing up finals. She did the fundraiser (which included Ric Emmett of Triumph and Shawn Mullins) because the principal used to be at her school, Shiloh High.
Her fans at the benefit appeared to be mostly young girls, ages 5 to 13. Indeed, while top 40 radio spurned her singles, Radio Disney has embraced her. She performed at the 50th Disney World celebration and will attend the Hong Kong Disney opening this fall. She has a range of festival, corporate and sundry others set up this summer and fall, including an Alaskan cruise ship/workshop deal.
While her CD sales were only marginally better than Justin Guarini’s, RCA is sticking with her. She plans to work on her second CD and is delaying applying to college at least a year. (She plans to apply to UGA and will graduate Shiloh with honors.) RCA dropped Justin after his first album and he is still bitter about it. But even though RCA didn’t exactly put in massive energy into promoting “Blue Skies,” Diana forges on with a grin. If she’s bitter, she won’t make it apparent to me.
Diana will be at the finals Tuesday and Wednesday in L.A. — in the audience. No plans, she said, to show up on stage. Her mom Brenda said she will do some pre and post-show interviews as a special correspondent for Fox.
May 22: For the first time, polls and odds show Bo ahead of Carrie in every case I could find
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If Bo wins next week, he can thank his gutsy “In a Dream” a capella move for taking him to the next level.
Most betting sites have favored Carrie—until this week. According to readabet.com, bet365 now has Bo ahead at 1/2 vs. Carrie’s 6/4.
At [sportsbook.com][http://www.onlinecasinonews.com/ocnv2_1/article/article.asp?id=7935], Bo is favored 5/8 while leader throughout the season Carrie drops to 7/5 odds.
“Our odds have certainly changed after their most recent performances,” said Alex Czajkowski, Marketing Director at Sportsbook.com. “We thought Carrie was a shoe-in but Bo took it to a whole new level this week. Either way it’s likely to be a tight race and we wish them luck.”
Bo has been ahead on the AOL polling for several weeks. He is up 61-39.
Over at msnbc.com., Bo is ahead by 56-44.
Finally, at mtv.com, where Bo lagged a distant third just a few days ago when Vonzell was still in the running, is now ahead 60-40, up slightly from earlier days.
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May 21: TV Guide story, EW top 10 performances in “Idol” history
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
TV Guide, in its May 22-28 issue, had four reporters spend a week with the various “Idol” contestants after Constantine was booted. Great photos— never seen Carrie look this sassy. Most interesting tidbits:
— Carrie wears Care Bears underwear for good luck. (I kid you NOT) — Scott is quite emotional. Hours before he gets booted he is heard saying “I just want to *&(#ing go home [tonight]! I’m going to ask tehm to @#$#ing cut me! I want to go home!” — Carrie is worried she looks fat: “I read it on the Internet: People say I’m chubby. I’m a size 6…” — Hairdressers try to give Bo Pocohantas braids. He tries it, doesn’t like it. “I’m not comfortable. I’m from Alabama.” — Carrie says she got a call from Phillip Morris. She is soon corrected: “It’s William Morris.” (That’s a major talent agency, not a tobacco company.) — Paula awards the final three guys diamond cufflinks and women diamond rings from the Diamond Federation. The contestants call her “Paula Claus.” — Bo spends $1,000 of his own money to buy his own outfit including 100 percent tortoise boots.
The story does not reference the Corey Clark controversy at all.
EW’s top 10 performances in history (not counting this week) 10. Trenyce “Proud Mary” (I heard this again today online and it is impressive, even two years later) 9. Constantine “Bohemian Rhapsody” 8. John Stevens “Crocodile Rock” (More as a trainwreck than a great performance) 7. Clay Aiken “Unchained Melody” 6. Tamyra Gray “A House Is Not a Home” 5. Ruben Studdard “Superstar” 4. Jennifer Hudson “Circle of Life” (I saw her do it again at Mall of Georgia—she really has the pipes!) 3. Bo Bice “Whipping Post” 2. Kelly Clarkson “Stuff Like That There” (I listened to this again today and it’s pretty darn good but No. 2? Hmmm…) 1. Fantasia “Summertime” (I can’t argue with that one)
What do you all think of that? To refresh your memory, check out the audio and video for many of these performances at www.watchidol.com Season one and two and four audio is available and season four audio and video is up.
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May 20: Vonzell talks to print media
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Vonzell was utterly polite and sweet to the print/online media Thursday and not surprisingly, wasn’t terribly evocative.
I managed to get the second question in and I asked about why she was so emotional last week. Her answer:
“It was nothing really serious. It was just that day for me. It was really emotional. I was stressed out and under a lot of pressure. I sort of broke down. Everything was going wrong for me like my wardrobe. That was one of those days that things just affected me.”
Other comments: “I’ve grown a lot. I learned a lot from the vocal teachers.”
Her relationship with Bo & Carrie was naturally wonderful: “We are all really good friends. We’ve become so close. We are with each other every day. We go through a lot of stress together. It brought us really close. We all get along great.”
How she deals with stress: “I just pray a lot. I meditate. I talk to my parents. They’re my backbone. They’re there for me.”
And as her media training taught her, don’t favor any contestants. When asked who she thought should win, she said, “They’re both really great performers and artists. I don’t know. I’m praying for them.”
Her sweetest quote: “I still feel like I’m dreaming. I never really grasped it all since I came out here in February… It’s been an awesome journey. I feel like I have to wake up and go through someone’s mail.”
A reporter from Gannett News asked about tidbits on Bo and Carrie we may not know about. That didn’t quite pan out: “Bo — he’s funny. He makes me laugh all the time. Carrie’s very loving. She really loves animals. We could see a dog walking down the street and she says, ‘Oh doggy!’ She’s vegetarian.”
I got a chance to ask another question—her favorite song from the competition to sing. Her answer: “I Have Nothing,” which didn’t surprise me. “If I could, I’d sing that song every week.” Her weakest, she thought, was Dionne Warwick’s “Anyone Who Had a Heart.”
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May 18: Vonzell out, leaving a Bo/Carrie showdown
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Vonzell Solomon, known also as “Vonzy” or “Baby V,” was ousted Wednesday night on “Idol,” paving the way for the expected Bo/Carrie showdown next week.
This is not a shocker and my tally so far in predictions improves to a whopping 3 and 7 (and two in a row!). She was a solid singer, if not terribly distinctive, with a bubbly stage presence that made up for her deficiencies in pitch control. That smile and her genuine sweetness shines through.
The results show included all three hometown videos and a forgettable Ford ad. Rick & Bubba, seen on Turner South, got a quick cameo in the Bo video and so did two (really old looking) members of Lynyrd Skynrd, It was funny to hear Carrie note that she had never been on a plane before “Idol.” Such innocence!
Ryan said 37 million votes were tallied but did not say how far apart the three were or how the votes were split. Typical obfuscation.
A little bit country— a little bit rock-n-roll. Either way, we are going to have a new fourth “American Idol” who is nothing like the first three. And that is a good thing.
How is everyone feeling? And who do you think will show up for the Wednesday two-hour finale? I presume the first three “Idol” winners will be there. There’s no Tamyra Gray type that 19 Entertainment is shilling to bring out either. And Clay Aiken isn’t obligated either.
I plan to be in Birmingham for the finale with the Bo Bice Squad that isn’t in L.A. next Wednesday. It should be fun.
P.S. John below mentioned the song the trio sang at the end of the show, Brotherhood of Man’s “United We Stand.” Yes, the three sound great separately but meld together as well as Ann Coulter, Al Franken and Neal Boortz. Not pretty and that song is hokier than an Air Supply ballad. But like the Ford ads, painfully bad group sings are now an “Idol” tradition.
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Presale Internet sale for “Idol” tour on NOW
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Regular ticket sale starts at 9 a.m. Saturday for the Gwinnett Arena appearance of the top 10 American Idol finalists.
But you can nab tickets now in an online presale for $37 to $47 until 10 a.m. Friday. (It started 10 a.m. today.)
First go to this link at Pop Tarts (the sponsor) to get the password or type in POPTARTS in uppercase into the appropriate box at this Ticketmaster link
A second presale from 10 am. to 10 p.m. Friday has a password of IDOLS Here’s the link
May 17: Homestretch time & Clive has his say
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Second to last show and the tension is ratcheted up. We have three talented singers. What will they do with the three songs: one by Clive, one by each judge, one choice of their own. Overall, all three did fine, though I can’t believe we had to listen yet again to the most overplayed rock song in history “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.”
It does appear Clive is rooting for Bo, though it will be interesting how they market Bo (assuming he gets a contract, win or lose) in this current environment. But we’ll get into the marketing of the contestants for a future blog item.
Here are my rankings of the nine performances
Carrie. “Making Love Out of Nothing at All” (personal pick) Okay, I am going to admit to the world (and my college buds already know this, as is my disgusted wife): I like Air Supply and this song in particular. It’s a Jim Steinman (Meat Loaf, “Total Eclipse of the Heart”) special, completely absurd and over the top. She doesn’t get to sing the line about “making all the stadiums rock” but still, she vocally hits a home run on this.
Bo. “In a Dream” (personal pick.) Wow. A capella. He took a major risk and pulled it off. That’s how comfortable he is with himself and his performance ability. I’m not really familiar with the song (an obscure ballad by some British band in 1991 called Badlands) but I could see he knew it and did it with deepest conviction and sincerity. And except at the very end, a very clean rendition. This alone should get him into the final two with ease.
Carrie. “Crying” (Clive pick) I thought she was pitch perfect and for her, it was an impressively emotional couple of minutes. Wonderful song and she did it justice. I wouldn’t mind hearing her do the full-length version.
Vonzell. “Chain of Fools” (personal pick). I give her points off for yet another way oversung song on “Idol” that Kelly Clarkson pulled off three years ago and has been tried numerous times since. Still, again, her effervescence trumps the cliched nature of the tune and I enjoy it anyway.
Bo. “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me.” (Clive pick) A song that Clay really made his own a couple of years ago, Bo does a solid job though it didn’t give me tingles. The sunglasses thing is getting a bit old, too
Vonzell. “On the Radio” (Simon pick). I love this song to pieces. She is the right person to do it but it wasn’t quite as good as Donna Summer’s and her vibrato on the word “radio” bugged me. Still, again, her pep makes this far better than anything last year’s third place winner did (remember Jasmine?).
Vonzell - “I’ll Never Love This Way Again.” (Clive pick) She was, as is common with her, a bit all over the place in pitch, as the judges said. Should she have been a little more serious, a little more morose? I don’t think so. Her ebulliant personality kept this from being a bad performance and I like the song, too.
Carrie. “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” (Randy pick) She has a very odd lower register. I didn’t even recognize her voice at first. And it seemed like her power wasn’t quite there later in the tune (or the band was overwhelming her.) Did the Air Supply song strain her voice? Again, Carrie and upbeat tunes don’t do too much for me.
Bo. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (Paula pick). Okay, Paula. You must be the only person on earth who wants to hear this song yet again, a tune flogged to death on oldies and rock radio the past four decades. I guess I was never a big fan in the first place. Sure, Bo did a credible job but even I got a sense he wasn’t exactly 100% into doing it. Thanks Paula! She should have given him “Foolish Heart.”
Overall: Bo was the most consistent and took the biggest chance but I have to give Carrie a close second since I loved her first two songs. Vonzell did about as well as to be expected for her but this HAS to be a Bo/Carrie finale. Then again, this is coming from a man who has only gotten two of the nine past predictions correct.
Homestretch, kids. What do you think?
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May 17: Extra phone lines for contestants tonight
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This probably will only modestly alleviate the congestion, but Idol will be offering two lines for each contestsant tonight. Text messaging, if you have it and are willing to pay, is still the best way to guarantee your votes getting through…’
Although many artists refuse to have their songs sung on “Idol,” the times when the show has done recent songs (Gavin DeGraw, Los Lonely Boys), they have helped sales of the real thing. Here’s the chartattack.com story.
May 16: Hometown tours for the trio
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here are links to hometown papers who covered the hometown tours of Vonzell, Bo and Carrie. (Bo gets to riff with Lynyrd Skynrd!) Tomorrow’s theme: one song picked by the contestant, one picked by the judges and one picked by Clive Davis, the winner’s future boss.
May 15: Polls— Bo leading comfortably over Carrie while Vonzell lags
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If the polls have it right, we are going to have another Alabama boy as the American Idol — just whiter and with more facial hair.
The AOL poll shows a massive lead for Bo that widened after Tuesday’s performances. He has a gargantuan 69% support among AOL users compared to just 19% for Carrie (the lowest for her in awhile) and 11% for Vonzell.
Entertainment Weekly this week has 2-1 odds for Bo to win, 5-2 for Carrie and 15-1 for Vonzell.
The MSNBC pollgives Bo a smaller edge (as it has all along) than AOL with the Alabama boy up 48% to Carrie’s 43% and 10% for Vonzell.
Carrie supporters shouldn’t be too discouraged because pre-finale polls two years ago showed Clay with a lead over Ruben. The way the phone systems work at Idol virtually guarantees this will be a very very close race (in other words, so many folks will get busy signals, it will be impossible to really judge how many votes would have gone through and it may come down to luck.)
At www.readabet.com, Carrie has slightly better odds at 20/21 vs. Bo at 11/10 and Vonzell at 13/2.
And wait! MTV.com has Carrie leading with 43%, Vonzell at 34% and Bo in third a 22%.
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May 14: So how’s Corey holding up?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Looks like time is not on Corey’s side. His allegations, while including some interesting circumstantial evidence, aren’t seeming to hold up in the world of public opinion. And Simon Cowell on a couple of daytime shows has assured the world Paula will stay with “Idol.” So this might end up being much ado about not much. Corey claims more “explicit” evidence but hasn’t spilled it.
Hopefully, we can just move on.
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May 13: Fedorov gabs, ratings still strong
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ratings on Tuesday were on par with recent weeks at 24.7 million but again, Wednesday’s results show drew a larger 25.5 million. The typical pattern has been smaller numbers for the results show. But then again, Fox and the 19 Entertainment producers have mostly kept it to 30 minutes instead of an hour lately. That helps.
Anthony Fedorov, voted off Wednesday, did the weekly phone press conference with print media, including folks from the Philly area, TV Guide, MTV, InTouch, People and me.
Given that he was not a terribly controversial figure and came across as a nice guy, his answers were not controversial and he came across as a nice guy. No surprises.
“I’m just happy this ride is over for me on a high note. I felt like I finally did a good job. I’m never happy with what I’m doing.”
I got to ask him how he felt being compared all the time to Clay Aiken:
“It didnt really bug me. It was cool to be compared with someone who is successful. My goal was to distinguish myself as an artist. I don’t want to be compared to somebody. I want to be myself.” And he added, “I didn’t think I would be here at this point.”
As for he and Carrie singing the same song:
“We were really excited to deliver two different versions of the song. I felt she did a great job with her song. I liked her arrangement. She put som things in there that made it interesting… I wish they [the judges] hadn’t trashed it.”
I got to follow up and ask about him and Carrie — they seemed so hunky-dory together Wednesday in the group sing and Carrie even cried after he got booted.
Anthony, who seems about as opposite from Corey Clark as possible, kept it on the straight & narrow:
“We definitely formed a really good relationship. But not just Carrie, but Bo and Vonzell and Constantine, Scott, everybody that’s been part of this journey. Itw as pretty tough to part from that.” awww….
And since I got to throw in the final question, I lobbed him a nice softball: “Since you didn’t get to say goodbye on the show since they ran out of time, what would you say to your fans.” (Morley Safer & Co. would kick me for such a lame question!)
“I would just say tahnk you for all my fans that got me to this point because without the fans, you couldn’t be anywhere. I appreciated every vote, everyone who voted constantly. It helped me get through. When I create my album, my solo album, I’m going to give it all back to them, give all I can.”
May 12: Clay Aiken tix on sale Saturday Chastain 8/2
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
FYI to Clay Aiken fans: The Chastain Park Amphitheatre “B” series is on sale Saturday, which includes Indigo Girls, Duran Duran, Tori Amos and, of course, Clay Aiken (August 2).
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May 11: Results. Anthony finally ousted
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With little fanfare (but actual tears from Carrie!), Anthony Fedorov was given the coach ticket home to Philadelphia Wednesday night.
Fedorov lagged badly in the online polls and despite efforts by votefortheworst.com, he didn’t get enough votes. At this point, I don’t think the Tuesday performances matter that much anymore. Each contestant has their fan bases and Anthony’s just wasn’t big enough. Also, you can speculate that Vonzell’s tears might have helped keep her alive. But since we don’t know the vote counts, who knows?
The group sing was one of my favorite karaoke duets “Islands in the Stream.” My wife and I laughed uproariously as Carrie and Anthony sang, “making love with each other, uh huh!” And then they held hands at the end. Awww…
The Ford ad was suitably silly. Then we got to enjoy the original audition tapes from each contestant, which ate up a chunk of time. If anything, those tapes proved how good all four contestants were from the get go. It was cool to see Bo’s tape, because it was the only one that has never been shown. And he gave his “Idol needs a rocker” speech. But I bet the producers early on had banked on Constantine, who got far more early air time. So they virtually ignored Bo until the semifinals.
The tapes (and useless added comments from the judges) left barely any time to tell Anthony goodbye. He had no chance to say anything and sang about 45 seconds of “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” before Fox moved on to “Stacked.”
Believe it or not, after making wrong predictions seven weeks in a row, I got Anthony right. (My last correct prediction: Lindsey Cardinale! Remember her?) I even got Vonzell right, too, in the bottom two. But then again, this was not a tough one with only four left.
Odds of a Bo/Carrie finale? Very very high now. So each contestant now gets the “hometown” treatment. I remember covering Diana DeGarmo’s a year ago. Man—time flies!
So how y’all feelin’ this morning?
May 10: Final four— a little bit of country, a little bit of soul
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Paula controversy was only alluded to in a peripheral way by Ryan. The audience gave Paula an extended ovation while Simon pointed at her in a sympathetic manner. La Toya London (season 3), John Stevens (season 3) and Mikalah Gordon (season 4) were in the crowd, along with Harry Hamlin and Lisa Renna.
The theme was one half Philly soul (songs of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff) and one half country. Question 1: Why did they let both Carrie and Anthony sing the same song? And 2: Why was Vonzell so emotional? Just because her family was there?
Here’s my top 8:
1) Bo. “Money.” A little irony here that Bo is singing the theme song to “The Apprentice,” a show that has lost steam while Idol keeps rakin’ in the moulah. Bo throws enough edge and grit to give this song bite. This was the best of the night.
2) Carrie. “If You Don’t Know Me Right Now.” She surprised me. The judges hated it but I really enjoyed it. I thought I saw signs of emotional life in her after all.
3) Anthony. “I’m Already There.” Not quite as good as Lonestar’s version but his voice works well for this dramatic ballad.
4) Vonzell. “Don’t Leave Me This Way.” She can do the disco thing well. This isn’t quite as good as her “Best of My Love” many weeks ago and did seem a bit manic, as Simon said. But overall, a solid rendition.
5) Anthony. “If You Don’t Know Me Right Now.” He is too cabaret for this song. It was clean but as Simon said, no soul!
6) Carrie. “Sin Wagon.” I adore the Dixie Chicks song but again, Carrie doing upbeat always seems stiff to me. It felt karaoke to me.
7) Vonzell. “How Do I Live” I hate this schmaltzy Diane Warren-penned song. She did seem out of sorts but she did okay, despite a few off notes. Again, we have no clue exactly why she started crying.
8) Bo. “It’s a Great Day to Be Alive” He started a little weak and then it got worse. The song dragged in the middle. He picked it up at the end, Anwar style. But it just didn’t work well.
Top 4 overall? 1. Carrie 2. Bo 3. Anthony 4. Vonzell This was a close one. I don’t think anybody had two amazing performances but nobody had two dogs either. It’s tight. The bottom two have to be Vonzell and Anthony simply given the support Bo & Carrie have. Who will go? I think Vonzell’s tears can only help her. Anthony finally goes home.
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May 10: Profiles of the final four, updated polls
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Let’s take a break from Corey Clark. Here are links to quicky profiles of each of the four finalists:
Bo & Carrie are tied at 44%, with Vonzell at 9% and Anthony at 2% on the msnbc.com poll
On the AOL poll, Bo has a we 53% lead over Carrie at 31%, Vonzell at 13% and Anthony at 3%.
May 9: Abdul on SNL & question of the day— Who would be a good replacement for Paula?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
(courtesy of nypost.com) On SNL, “American Idol” judge Paula Abdul got the last laugh when the show spoofed her alleged Fox show sex scandal.
“What you’re about to see is a reenactment of some events of this week’s biggest news story,” said Abdul as she introduced the NBC show. “Now, all the facts have been changed to get laughs at my expense. I hope you enjoy it.”
The cast then did a skit loosely based on ABC’s “Primetime Live” interview with ousted “Idol” contestant Corey Clark, who claims he and Abdul had an off-screen fling.
In the spoof, Amy Poehler played Abdul as a sex-starved hussy hitting on every male contestant from Clark to Justin Guarini.
But always the judge, the real Abdul had some criticism for Poehler’s portrayal of her.
“Amy, you need to prefect the clap a little more and be a lot more sexier so that contestants will be willing to sleep with you,” Abdul said.
Now onto the question of the day:
Paula annoys a lot of people with her cheerleader pep and loopy comments. She has to contort herself in a verbal pretzel to avoid criticizing a really bad performance. But she is the counterweight to Simon and folks in the end generally like her. Sadly, “Idol” may be forced to let her go if she fails to prove Corey’s allegations wrong.
If that’s the case, who might make a good replacement? Folks seem to be pondering a woman, since three guys would be somewhat unbalanced. (Notice on “Nashville Star,” the woman sat in the center, too, but Anastasia Brown was the Simon of the show.) I keep thinking up late 80s female pop stars but obviously someone more recent could handle the job, too. Tiffany? Debbie Gibson? Lisa Lisa? Jody Watley? Taylor Dayne? Monica? Brandy? Faith Hill? Throw me some names!
May 8: Corey on Howard Stern show/Donnie Deutsch
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Corey Clark went into more detail about his alleged affair with Paula Abdul on the Howard Stern show Friday.
A guy on mediafiends.com did a description of the rather lengthy interview with some explicit information. So if you’re not into Howard Stern, I wouldn’t recommend it.
He claims Idol knew something about him and Paula and that’s why he got booted, not for his arrest related to hitting his sister. He claimed he had a deal with Jive Records but AI said bad things about him and he lost it.
And to address how he got out at night, despite security, he said his bedroom at the mansion (with Ricky & Ruben) was near the exit.
He also said he had sex with Trenyce, another contestant from that year, which was rumored in the tabloids. But he didn’t have sex with Kimberly Caldwell.
Here’s the link to a transcript of Corey on the Donnie Deutsch show on cnbc
His comments on Paula’s body:
Mr. C. CLARK: Yeah. It was great. She’s got a great body, she’s got a great body. She looks real good. She looks better than some girls that are half her age…
He said he had sex with her 10 to 40 times, a range given by Donnie.
Corey said the tape of him going out the night before key rehearsals and going on the mechanical bull was orchestrated by the producers, not him.
and here’s a line you can believe or not:
Mr. CLARK: I mean, they might—there’s a few people out there that are probably saying that and, you know, more power to him if they—I’m not out here to try to drag Paula down or try to, you know, get into a back-and-forth with her. Like, she knows what’s up. I know what’s up. I’m not here to attack her. I’m here to get “Idol” off my back, and she’s the key to making that happen.
And he said he’s not going to cooperate with “Idol” producers in an investigations, telling USA Today: “I wasn’t required to report anything to them at all. I’m not going to help them do anything. They haven’t helped me do anything for the past two years except give me grief and headaches.”
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May 7: Paula responds—vaguely, Atlanta “Idol 2” contestant Vanessa Olivarez skeptical of Corey’s claims//”Idol” producer refutes them, too
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Paula’s latest statement below sheds no light and isn’t a true denial.
In fact, the singer doesn’t respond to the specific allegations made by Corey Clark - that they had an affair and that she coached him during the contest but she does say she never responds to “lies”.
She states, “All my life, I have been taught to take the high road, and never to dignify salacious or false accusations. And I have been taught never, never to lie. Not only do I never lie, I never respond to lies, no matter how vicious, no matter how hurtful. I do trust my fans who can see through attempts at character assassination, and I do trust the essential fairness of the American public.”
Vanessa Olivarez, the former coloring stylist who still lives in Atlanta, competed in “Idol” in 2003 with Corey Clark. She was the Lindsey Cardinale of this top 12, eliminated the very first week but well known for being told by Simon to lose a few pounds. She was sassy and bubbly in a Bette Midler sort of way. She had a minor hit indie single in Canada in 2003. She did the Toronto production of “Hairspray” last year and has recently started a band, Butterfly Stitch (Web site.
She said she missed the ABC special and her parents are expected to send her a copy. But based on what she’s heard, she isn’t sure what to think. “They had security 24/7,” she said, wondering how Corey managed to get out to Paula’s so often undetected.
She didn’t think much of Corey while competing with him. “He’s a dirty man,” she said. “He was not the most polite person. From what I know about Corey, this doesn’t surprise me.”
And here’s the MTV.com story in which Idol’s Nigel Lythgoe says the judges have relationships (albeit not sexual) with many of the contestants:
One of “American Idol” ‘s executive producers said Thursday he is investigating Corey Clark’s allegations against Paula Abdul, but that all of the judges (“even Simon”) make song selection and wardrobe suggestions as contestants prepare their performances each week.
“When it comes down to it, the kids make their own choices,” Nigel Lythgoe said on Ryan Seacrest’s morning show on KIIS-FM in Los Angeles. “And I know for a fact that a lot of the contestants have got Paula’s phone number and contact her and she contacts them. Paula’s the den mother. … I don’t have a problem with that. She’s been a star and now she can help them and that’s more than Simon [Cowell].”
On a special edition of ABC’s “Primetime Live” that aired Wednesday (see “Corey Clark Advertises Paula Abdul Affair, LP On ‘Primetime’ “), Clark said Abdul coached him while he competed on the show and that the two engaged in a sexual relationship.
Lythgoe said he needed time to “thoroughly and fully” look into Clark’s claims, but that he was unimpressed with the evidence presented on “Primetime.”
“The whole show was stretched out worse than one of our elimination shows,” Lythgoe joked. “It was probably four or five minutes of content.
“I think it’s pretty shoddy journalism, frankly,” he added. “I think we have to question the motives behind it, both ABC’s and Clark’s. They would never have done that if we weren’t the #1 show in America.”
Lythgoe questioned why it took Clark two years to come out with the allegations and shot down his claim that he sent Abdul a secret message by singing “I owe it all to you” on the show. The serenade was choreographed by the producers, he said.
A statement released Thursday and credited to FOX and the various production companies behind “Idol” also questioned Clark’s motives, but said an investigation is pending.
“We take any accusations of this nature very seriously, no matter their source,” the statement said. “Upon recently hearing rumors of Mr. Clark’s claims, we contacted him and requested that he detail his accusations to us. That has yet to happen.”
Clark has said he has no intention of helping “American Idol” since the show was no help to him.
In their statement, “Idol” producers said contestants are contractually required to raise any concerns about the contest during the taping of the show. “Despite documented procedures and multiple opportunities … we were never notified or contacted by Mr. Clark or any other individual, nor presented [with] any evidence concerning these claims,” the statement said. Clark, however, denied knowing of any such requirements to USA Today on Thursday.
Sting7, the “Idol” expert at Reality News Online, believes Abdul should be fired.
“I don’t believe everything Clark said, but I believe enough of it,” he said. “There is enough evidence to strongly suggest that Clark got coaching from Abdul, and for that she should be fired. I think her objectivity will always be questioned by viewers if she stays, and that is bad for ‘American Idol’ overall. … Seeing a popular contestant eliminated is enough to generate speculation with some viewers. ‘American Idol’ just can’t afford to potentially alienate viewers by keeping Abdul on.”
Sting7 thinks the producers will eventually agree with her. “And if ‘American Idol’ does let Paula go, I have no doubt it will weather this storm like all of the others,” he said. “At the end of the day, it is the performers who are the stars. After the auditions, the judges are basically window dressing.”
Abdul denied the allegations last week, but has not commented since “Primetime Live” aired. She was not available for comment Thursday.
Clay Aiken, who competed against Clark on “Idol’s” second season, and Simon Cowell have spoken out in support of Abdul, as have the last two eliminated contestants.
Scott Savol, eliminated Wednesday, said Thursday morning he believes Clark made the allegations to promote his “mediocre product.” “The best way to get into the limelight is to start a controversy,” he said.
“It hasn’t affected us at all,” he added. “We’re still a part of the #1 show on TV, whatever’s came out.”
Last week, Constantine Maroulis called Abdul, who cried when he was eliminated, a wonderful woman. “She had so much support and so much love in her heart and she’s just been amazing through this whole thing,” he said. “She has so much to offer us and teach us, that we just need to just shut up and listen because she’s the bomb.”
On Wednesday’s “American Idol,” the contestants gave the judges flowers and kisses for Abdul, although Savol denied it was a sign of support. “I think they just had some extra flowers in the back,” he said.
� Corey Moss
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May 6 “Idol” notes: Scott talks, ratings, polls still point to a Bo/Carrie runoff
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I listened in on the Scott Savol print media press conference Thursday at 11 a.m. while on my way to visit inlaws in South Carolina. (Today is a day off for me). Didn’t get much out of him in terms of interesting details or quotes. He gave mostly monosyllabic-style answers. An exception: one reporter observed Method Man in the audience one night as part of Scott’s posse. Scott said he ran into the rap star/actor in a shoe store and invited him to an “Idol” taping. He said he’d love to collaberate with Method Man.
But otherwise, “I am who I am,” was his standard reply to questions about his likability. He said he believed his fans got complacent (not the word he used) so he didn’t get the votes he needed. He didn’t sound too upset, at least to us. He wasn’t exactly a fountain of color, insisting he had no best friends among the “Idol” contestants and he was friends equally with all of them.
When asked about his arrest coming out on thesmokinggun.com about a month ago, he said: “I think it was just because somebody really wanted me to get kicked off the show. But it didn’t really affect me.”
Plus, he followed the Fox company line about Corey’s allegations, saying he was simply a “mediocre” publicity seeker trying to push a book and CD. He wants to do an R&B record (no surprise.) He has a four year old son but doesn’t sing to him too much— he says his son only slightly understands what’s going on with “Idol” and has visited him once in L.A. He will return to Shaker Heights in Ohio sometime next week.
We each got to ask a question or two. I asked him about his future plans after “Idol.” He wasn’t sure. Then I tried to tease some comment about the challenge of doing Hall & Oates in front of Hall & Oates. Didn’t get anything there either. And yes, when he raised his arms and looked up in the sky in past weeks after being “safe,” he was praying to God.
Ratings info
The ABC special drew 13.5 million viewers, more than Law & Order and CSI. “Idol” on Tuesday drew an uncharacteristically low 23.8 million but in a rare occurence, the Wednesday results show drew more viewers — about 24.5 million. Both numbers are below average despite all this extra publicity.
Poll update
Finally, the msnbc.com poll shows things haven’t changed much with Scott’s departure. Carrie is edging out Bo 46% to 43%, with Vonzell a distant third at 9% and Anthony at a negligible 2%.
Bo remains the leader in the aol poll, with a commanding 55% lead over Carrie at 35%. Again, Vonzell is at 6% and Anthony 5%. Neither is even remotely in the running.
Readabet.com gives Vonzell a bit more credit. Carrie has the best odds at 21/20, followed by Bo at 6/4, Vonzell at 7/2 and Anthony at 16/1.
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May 5: Busy, busy: Scott booted, Corey talks, Kelly sings
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I just spent 20 minutes writing a lengthy posting and somehow the blog item never got through. So here I am starting over again. Sigh…
Okay, first off, I had to watch “Idol” results and the ABC special hours after the fact because I attended the Kelly Clarkson concert at the Fox Theatre. In summary, she rocked! Her voice is still incredible, her persona still “gee whiz” goofy, and her ability to connect with the audience stronger than ever. Three years after “Idol,” she has proven her worth and last night simply amplified why people like her so much. I tried to talk to her for a few moments at the post-concert meet and greet but a handler said she was too hoarse to say anything, so I went home. I presume they had to protect Kelly from herself. Given her druthers, she would have gabbed away with her fans for hours. Heck, she signed tickets and programs during the final song “Breakaway” on stage with a level of joy seldom exhibited by non-“Idol” pop stars.
Now onto the results: Scott Savol is gone. Now was this a question of reverse psychology at play? He had what Simon dubbed the best performance of his time here with “On Broadway.” He acted a bit arrogant but that has always been the case. Did his fans get a wee complacent while the anti-Scott folks worked triple time for their contestants to ensure his departure? Probably a bit of both.
And yet again, Jeanne Dixon I am not. For the seventh week running, I predicted the wrong person. I opted for Vonzell, thinking she was just average enough to be forgotten. But her fans kept her afloat, perhaps helped by negative comments by Simon. (Now why didn’t that help Nadia three weeks ago?) As for Anthony, who I did predict in the bottom two with Vonzell, his strong version of “Incomplete” saved him with his fan base. Perhaps his really poor “Poison Ivy” worried them enough to rev his vote total up.
Now the show itself was amusing enough. The group sing simply proved how incompatible the five of their voices are. The Ford ad was tolerable only because it had a dog in it (That “Rudy” song was primo irritating.) Then the “Idol” producers played their usual mind games with the viewers and contestants by sending Anthony and Scott to the bench without saying they were safe. Anthony caught on and said, “It’s not over” as he walked over. Scott was a little less discerning, raising his arms to God and clapping like a seal as he walked to the couch, thinking he was safe. Anthony told him not to be so happy. And he was right.
Both had to sing a song; Anthony smartly chose “Incomplete” and did even better than Tuesday night. Scott sang his less than thrilling “Every Time You Go Away.” Prescient perhaps? He kept his cool on camera but I would love to hear his immediate post-show comments.
Anyway, here is my top 4 in likelihood of winning: 1) Bo 2) Carrie 3) Vonzell 4) Anthony. I was thinking about the top 24 and probably only Carrie was an early favorite though Anthony had gotten a lot of airtime up to this point was was well liked. With Constantine in the picture, I don’t think anybody at that point gave Bo a prayer. And Vonzell was just that cute postal worker.
Finally, let’s get to ABC’s “Primetime Live” special, which featured Corey Clark almost exclusively. Clark came across as a bit of an ingenue who got sucked in by the vortex that is Paula Abdul. 20/20 caught some telling moments on camera between him and her. There is some fair evidence he was coached because he did look pretty street early on, then by the time he sang “Foolish Heart” in the semifinals, he had prettied up to resemble Justin Guarini. The phone records are pretty damning and the corroborating evidence from his friends and parents are passably convincing. Those voicemails that sounded like Paula after it was leaked he was pushing a book proposal about the alleged clandestine affair do not help her cause. And her response by besmirching his character and motives as opposed to the substance of his allegations is telling, too.
Funniest moment: seeing Randy Jackson play bass with Journey.
I had a flood of memories coming back watching the old “Idol 2” clips, too. The time Corey spent the night partying. The serenading of Paula in which he went right up to her during “Kiss From a Rose.” How big Ryan’s hair was back then! I’m surprised none of the other final 12 contestants such as Trenyce had anything to say. Were there no rumors about his relationship with Paula among the other finalists?
Anyway, I apologize for how obnoxiously long this blog item is. Too much to talk about, too little space and time!
Here are three questions I pose to you blog readers. Pick and choose whichever you want to talk about:
1) If you attended the Kelly concert last night, what did you like the most and was there anything you wish were better? (Her punked out version of “A Moment Like This” was worth the price of admission.)
2) How are y’all feeling about Scott’s departure? I found him fascinating, far more interesting than, say, Lindsey Cardinale or La Toya London. And he was such a polarizing water cooler talk contestant! Plus, he didn’t have a bad voice. But I guess it was his time to go.
3) Did you buy Corey Clark’s story? And if you think it’s reasonably close to the truth, should “Idol” boot Paula Abdul from the show for her transgressions?
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May 3: Leiber & Stoller (who?) and current songs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With five left, there was time for each to sing two songs. “Idol” chose two out of the hat that have nothing to do with each other. First, songs by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Who? I’ve heard the pair’s names over the years but didn’t connect that they produced a bunch of big hits from the ’50s and ’60s, including more than 20 for Elvis (“Hound Dog,” “Jailhouse Rock”). Then they each did any song on a current top 40 chart — that “Idol” could clear, of course…
I’m ranking all 10 performances in order:
Scott “On Broadway” He came on stage with an agenda, sang a key line to Simon (“They say that I won’t last too long on Broadway”), and accomplished his goal. I enjoyed the vocals and solidifed his chance to be in the final four. One bit of advice: stop clapping for yourself. But bonus points for picking a song which references a Greyhound bus (see Jennifer Wilbanks.)
Carrie: “Trouble” Who knew Carrie could go blues and get away with it? And I even didn’t mind the mike kick (since Constantine is gone.)She had a good time and so did I. She felt more natural and less stiff than normal.
Bo “Stand By Me” He did this classic with authority and nostalgic sweetness. I also give Bo props for identifying Leiber and Stoller with this song immediately after Ryan told the group the theme.
Anthony “Incomplete” This is the most current song an “Idol” singer has ever done. It fit Anthony to a tee. He is clearly boy band territory. While he lacked the edginess of the original in the chorus, he sounded warm and embracing. Go figure!
Scott “Everytime You Go Away” I am not deeply familiar with this Brian McKnight song but I thought he pulled it off well. It’s a pleasant R&B song he did in an emotional but subdued way. His confidence (arrogance?) was a might bit overbearing, though. But it probably works well with his fans.
Vonzell “When You Tell Me That You Love Me.” She cheated a bit by playing a song she already knew from the group sing. Overall, this song sounds old fashioned, and not in a good way. She had clean vocals and that peppy personality that kept it from falling totally into cheese factory territory.
Bo “Heaven” This was the Los Lonely Boys version. Although the judges liked it, I for some reason didn’t find this particularly exciting or an improvement on the original. It wasn’t anything he did wrong, just a subtle feeling or lack thereof.
Carrie: “Bless the Broken Road” This recent No. 1 by Rascal Flatts was also sung on “Nashville Star” recently by Dallas, Ga. singer Jayron Weaver. Carrie did okay. Not my favorite song. It lacked emotional resonance. I just didn’t feel it.
Vonzell “Treat Me Nice” Wow, this felt sloppy. I didn’t enjoy it but it may have been my lack of familiarity of the song as well as the inconsistency of Vonzell’s performance and vocals.
Anthony “Poison Ivy” Again, upbeat and Anthony don’t go together. His vocals didn’t match what the Coasters song needed to work. Plus, he can’t dance, no matter what he says.
Here are my top 5 in order:
Scott: I still can’t see him as the “American Idol” but I thought he kept himself alive.
Bo: Solid, if not anything “Oh wow!” He should be safe but stranger things have happened.
Carrie: She played to her strengths as usual and there is no way she is going home tomorrow.
Anthony: Bombed out the first time and did well enough on the Backstreet Boys song. On balance, he’s on the bubble.
Vonzell: As Simon said, I think she’s in danger, too. She didn’t do badly but I’m not sure if either performance could be called inspiring either.
So who will go? I have a feeling the bottom two will be Anthony and Vonzell and Vonzell will go, leaving both Scott and Anthony in the top 4. Who woulda thunk it? If they do pick out a bottom three at this stage (I can’t recall if they do or not), I’ll place Scott in there, too, but as I said, I think he’s safe.
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May 3: ABC News releases teaser on Wed. night special. Focal point: Corey Clark’s relationship witH Abdul
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Yes, it’s been a nuttier-than-usual season and this Wednesday’s Primetime Live (10 p.m.) might just fuel the fire. Will any of it hurt “Idol”? I doubt it though it might hurt Paula Abdul.
Ratings, by the way, improved last week from an unusually poor one, with 25.5 million on Tuesday and 24.5 million on Wednesday.
An Illicit Affair on ‘American Idol’? Ex-Contestant Says He Got Coaching From, Had Relationship With, Judge Paula Abdul
May. 3, 2005 - A former “American Idol” contestant told ABC News’ “Primetime Live” that Paula Abdul, one of the judges for the hit reality television show, provided him with off-camera tips and assistance while he was a contestant, even helping him select some of the songs he would sing.
“She was opening my eyes to like, ‘Look, you sing this stuff. This is how you’re going to get through,’” said Corey Clark, one of the 12 finalists during the Fox show’s second season.
Clark, then 22, said that during the competition he had an off camera relationship with Abdul, then 40, which was at first platonic but later became sexual. He said Abdul, who was herself a chart-topping singer in the late 1980s, initially told him, “I want to look out after you like I’m your mom.”
He said Abdul then quickly changed her mind and said, “Well, maybe more like your special friend.”
In April 2003, Clark lost his spot among the amateur singers auditioning for the grand prize of a recording contract when producers abruptly removed him for failing to inform the show that he had been arrested after a domestic dispute with his sister in October 2002.
Abdul has issued a statement in which she says she “will not dignify the false statements made by Corey Clark with a response.”
“Primetime” received the following statement from “American Idol”: “Disqualified ‘American Idol’ contestant Corey Clark was removed from the show for failing to disclose his criminal arrest history.
“Despite documented procedures and multiple opportunities for contestants to raise any concerns they may have, the producers of ‘American Idol,’ FreemantleMedia, 19 Entertainment and FOX were never notified or contacted by Mr. Clark, nor presented any evidence concerning his claims.
“We will, of course, look into any evidence of improper conduct that we receive. In the meantime, we recommend that the public carefully examine Mr. Clark’s motives, given his apparent desire to exploit his prior involvement with ‘American Idol’ for profit and publicity.”
Clark said Abdul helped him with his look — even choosing a hair stylist — and gave him prescription cough syrup, with a prescription made out in her name, to soothe his throat.
Clark said he thought Abdul was “polishing that dust off the dirty diamond and helping me shine a little bit.”
He said he and Abdul were friends for a month and then it became a romantic relationship.
Clark’s parents told “Primetime Live” that their son told them at the time that he was involved with Abdul and that they expressed concern about his becoming involved with a judge while the competition was ongoing.
They also told “Primetime” that they sometimes spoke to Abdul themselves when she called their home looking for Clark.
Two of Clark’s friends say he also told them about the relationship at the time and even brought Abdul to meet them.
An Issue of Publicity?
“Primetime Live” interviewed other losing contestants from the 2003 American Idol competition and told them about Clark’s claims.
They said that if Clark’s allegations about receiving secret advice and coaching from Abdul are true, then they feel that the competition was unfair.
Clark is recording his first album and writing a book. News of the book proposal was leaked to the media last month.
Clark said in recent phone conversations and in a recorded voice mail message that he played for “Primetime Live,” Abdul implored him not to talk about her or publish his memoirs.
In her statement to “Primetime Live,” Abdul ‘s representative said: “He is communicating lies about Paula Abdul in order to generate interest in a book deal.”
But Clark says he is making these allegations now because “I need to set the record straight for myself.
“Unfortunately, I need to set the record straight for her too, because she was a part of it,” he said. “This is me telling the truth. It just so happens to be a very explosive truth.”
Copyright © 2005 ABC News Internet Ventures
The link below is to an AP story about “Idol”
‘American Idol’ Contest, Gossip Heat Up By LYNN ELBER AP Television Writer
LOS ANGELES � Two would-be idols with arrest records, one of whom also is guilty of felony cockiness. Allegations of judicial activism � in the bedroom. A phone voting gaffe. Or was it a conspiracy?
If “American Idol” had a fourth-season theme song, it might be the long-ago hit “Anything Goes.” As with the best reality shows, Fox’s talent contest has a knack for holding viewer interest by being unpredictable.
But could the highly lucrative program be veering into crisis? Is “Idol” idolatry in danger?
Robert Thompson, director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University, doubts it. (Rodney adds: This guy is the resident “quote” person for all things TV and pop culture. He’ll give a soundbite about anything! I’ve even used him when desperate for an “expert.”)
“I don’t think most people think it’s the ’50s quiz show scandals, and I don’t think it’s the ’50s scandals,” he said.
Even Corey Clark’s claim of an affair with judge Paula Abdul while he was a contestant on the show, if true, isn’t enough to qualify.
“I don’t think that changes anything,” Thompson said. “I think in a perverse sort of way it makes it more interesting.”
Jason Rich, author of “American Idol 4: Official Behind-the-Scenes Fan Book,” said he had free access to contestants and the production for the book and for a third-season guide. He defends the show’s integrity.
“Based on what I’ve seen this season and last, I have not seen any scandal worth an hour of a prime-time television expose. I haven’t heard of anything, even if they wanted to grasp at straws,” Rich said.
The hot gossip hasn’t cooled the ratings. The series is averaging nearly 28 million weekly viewers for Tuesday’s performance show and more than 25 million for Wednesday’s results half-hour, bettering last season by several million, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Boosted by a group of older, more accomplished contestants, the show’s twice-weekly airings hold the No. 2 and 3 ratings spots for the season so far.
Such numbers add up to big rewards. The “American Idol” franchise, including all international versions of the show, record sales and other merchandising, has turned into a billion-dollar baby.
Diana DeGarmo, last season’s runner-up to Fantasia Barrino, advises a little perspective.
“It’s a TV show before it’s anything. I think sometimes people need to remember that,” DeGarmo said. “They have to have something that gets them good ratings.”
But as the May 24-25 finale approaches (the field pares down to five finalists this week) attention has become so fevered that a news program on another network is scrutinizing the Fox show.
ABC News’ “Prime Time Live” is promising to examine “explosive” allegations Wednesday about “American Idol,” declining so far to provide hints of what will be covered.
The ABC compulsion for this particular type of investigative journalism during the crucial May ratings sweeps, a period used to set ad rates, is as unsurprising as yet another Celine or Whitney song on “Idol.”
Luring curious fans of the Fox show would bolster ABC’s own viewership numbers; whether “Prime Time Live” can deliver remains to be seen.
Fox declined to comment Monday on the ABC news program.
It’s expected the focus will be on Clark, who was bounced from the show in 2003 for failing to disclose a past arrest. In a tabloid interview, he said he is hawking a tell-all book and detailed allegations about Abdul.
Dancer-singer Abdul, known for her upbeat critiques of even the most hopeless contestants, punched back at him and ABC. Her lawyer sent a letter to the network threatening legal action if the special airs.
“Mr. Clark is an admitted liar and opportunist who engages in unlawful activities. He is communicating lies about Paula Abdul in order to generate interest in a book deal,” said a statement issued on her behalf.
The drip of bad news continued with last week’s report that rocker Bo Bice, a finalist, had been arrested twice in the past four years on drug charges (dismissed after he completed a diversion program).
Fox said it stood by Bice, who was candid about his past. The network also sniped at “various salacious gossip Web sites” that had dished about Bice.
It’s understandable if the network and producers feel beleaguered; any “Idol” event is reason for suspicion.
When incorrect call-in numbers were displayed for three contestants in March, the network added an episode to repeat the vote â€â€? prompting mutterings that it was a nefarious bid for higher ratings. A producer dismissed such speculation as “rubbish.”
It recalled controversies from years past, in which fans raged about clogged phone lines for voting and angrily speculated about conspiracies that allowed less talented contestants to hang on.
In yet another odd incident this season, finalist Mario Vazquez abruptly quit and without explanation.
Some viewers, however, revel in the show’s imperfections.
The Web site votefortheworst.com encourages viewers to do exactly as its name says and has attracted more than 370,000 visitors so far.
“It’s fun to make fun of the people who take it so seriously,” said site founder Dave Della Terza, 22, of Los Angeles.
Last year, the site stumped for Sinatra-style crooner John Stevens.
This year, Scott Savol is the pick.
Credit lack of charisma and the kind of arrogance that should belong only to a genuine superstar, not a guy who’s hit enough off-key notes to draw judge Simon Cowell’s wrath.
Savol’s background is another a factor, said Della Terza: He was arrested in 2001 on a felony domestic violence charge after a confrontation with his fiancee, ultimately pleading to misdemeanor disorderly conduct.
“How do you promote the guy who threw a phone at his child’s mother?” said Della Terza, savoring the plight of 19 Entertainment, which oversees recording and other deals for “American Idol” stars.
(FremantleMedia is co-producer and co-licensor with 19 Entertainment for the entire format.)
Viewer Janina Perez doesn’t appreciate the Web site gag. She swore off watching after handsome, talented Anwar Robinson was voted off and Savol â€â€? “the guy seems rude,” she grouses â€â€? survived. But she tuned in again, only to see sexy, talented Constantine Maroulis dumped and Savol, inexplicably, hang on.
Perez reluctantly admits she can’t help herself: “Now I want to watch just to see what happens to him.”
DeGarmo is glad her season “went over with less craziness.” The 17-year-old from Snellville, Ga., offers her wisdom on the pop culture gossip mill grinding on “American Idol”:
“It’s just like high school: drama appears out of nowhere whether it’s true or not. The more I’m in the business I’m like, ‘Wow, I thought I was graduating to get out of this,’ but I’m graduating to get back into it.
“It keeps things interesting, let’s put it that way.”
On the Net:
http:www.fox.com
http:www.votefortheworst.com
May 2, 2005 - 8:57 p.m. EDT Copyright 2005, The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP Online news report may not be published, broadcast or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
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May 2: Former “Idol 4” contestant from Jonesboro talks about Savol — and not in a good way
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Matthew Meyers, the Jonesboro resident who carried a teddy bear to his last audition in Hollywood before being eliminated relatively early in “Idol 4,” was in a trio with Scott Savol, currently in the final five of “Idol.” Meyers was shown on camera saying he couldn’t stand Savol, that he wanted to “pimp slap” him. I spoke with Meyers a few weeks ago and just realized I had never posted his comments. I left him a message today to a get updated comments but the ones he said a month ago still stand:
“It makes me very upset he’s still there. I give him total credit for being a great singer. I just can’t stand him as a person.â€?
“When he was on camera, he was trying to create drama. When the cameras were gone, he’d say, ‘I was just doing that to get more air time.’ He’s a sorry individual. He didn’t care about anybody else.” Meyers said Savol “thought he was untouchable. He was a diva. I don’t appreciate divas.”
He also got to hang with former Atlantan Bo Bice and raved about him:
“He’s a fantastic guy, probably one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met in my life. He just has great appeal to people.”
May 1: “Idol” Family Feud
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
From the “Family Feud” publicist:
On Monday, April 18 the popular game show, “Family Feud� received a major upgrade in the Atlanta area. The “Feud� can now be seen on WATL (WB affiliate Channel 36) Monday-Fridays at 9:00 am and 6:00 pm. This upgrade comes just in time to catch the May 2 weeklong special featuring “American Idol Stars� from all three past seasons of the hit series.
In the same style of the current season of “American Idol,� the songbirds will compete boys against girls on “Feud.� The teams include A. J. Gill, Julia DeMato, Ricky Smith, Amy Adams, Diana DeGarmo, Jon Peter Lewis, George Huff, Vanessa Oliveraz, Matt Rogers and Kimberly Locke.
