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Access Atlanta > American Idol Buzz > Archives > 2008 > December
December 2008
12/31: Faretheewell movable type. Onto wordpress!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This is going to be my final Idol post on movable type. Check out the new American Idol blog here.
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12/29: Top Idol stories of the year
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I meant to post this a week ago but I didn’t have access so here are my top 10 “Idol”-related stories of 2008, in no particular order. On Tuesday, I will post my top 10 personal favorite stories from dealing with the “Idols” directly.
1- The David vs. David derby. If anyone remembers season seven in particular a few years down the road, it will be known as the battle of the two Davids. David Archuleta was the cutesy, aw-shucks crooner, a favorite from day one. David Cook, while not an immediate standout, quickly proved his worth with emotive rocker creds and a sense of sincerity and authenticity. By the time we got to the top 12, those were already the top 2 and that never changed, no matter how much we liked Jason Castro’s hair or Carly Smithson’s tats. Overall, while not quite as compelling as season five, this crew was a major upgrade from season six. And both Davids are already having solid impacts on top 40 radio.
2- Jordin Sparks and who else? And just to confirm why season six was such a bust, the only one who has made a genuine impact so far is winner Jordin Sparks. We have to be proud of this 18 year old, who ended up with three top 5 hits, more than 5 million downloads and a near-million seller in a day and age when million sellers are rare. She has the charm, the grounding and the voice to carve out a decent career. Heck, even her so-called “controversy” defending the Jonas Brothers’ promise rings was kinda cute.
3- Poor Jennifer Hudson The year started out well with her: a decent role in the blockbuster film “Sex & the City,” another one in “The Secret Life of Bees” and her first full-fledged album, which was well received and garnered a decent-sized hit in “Spotlight.” But things went dark fast for her when her mom, brother and nephew were murdered in October. A fellow family member has been accused of murder. It’s just sad all the way around and overshadowed her upward career trajectory. We can only pray she can keep things going in the wake of such tragedy.
4- Clay Aiken out! In perhaps the least shocking news of all, Clay Aiken told People magazine earlier this year that he’s gay. We all knew that and the bloggers here were just glad he is able to free himself of the burden of the “secret.”
5- Paula Abdul and that stalker. Paula Abdul was her usual nutty self on the show this year. My favorite quote: “David, you are ridiculous. I wanted to squish you, squeeze your head off, and dangle you from my rear-view mirror.” But later in the year, things go weird when that stalker died near her home and Abdul complained that the show let the stalker on the show despite her complaints. (The producers said they knew nothing of the extent of the stalkers’ dealings with Abdul over many years.) She’s even talked about leaving the show when her contract is up. We’ll see. For 2009, we will still have Paula.
6-Carrie’s that all American gal The most consistently successful “Idol” alum has been Carrie Underwood. Her second album was a blockbuster in 2008 with four No. 1 hits and a streak of six in a row. She won a Grammy and a CMA. Her personal life, while occasionally chronicled in the tabs, remains relatively pristine. It’s good to be Carrie Underwood.
7-Broadway, here we come! In 2008, “Idol” alums continued to find work on Broadway or on national tours of Broadway hits. Three were on one play alone: “Ain’t Misbehavin’ ” (Ruben Studdard, Frenchie Davis and Trenyce.) Clay was on “Spamalot.” Taylor Hicks was Teen Angel in “Grease” both on Broadway and on the national tour. Constantine Maroulis played a cheesy 80s rocker in “Rock of Ages.” Fantasia finished up her critically acclaimed role in “The Color Purple” in January.
8-Being a pro didn’t hurt The biggest controversy of the season seven contestants were the number of folks with prior record contracts. I personally didn’t think it mattered much but a lot of critics groused about the track records of Michael Johns (known in the past as Michael Lee), Carly Smithson (once known as Carly Hennessy) and Kristy Lee Cook all had deals with major labels at one point. Carly’s story was chronicled in a page one Wall Street Journal story many years ago. In the end, none of those three even made the top 4, though David Archuleta was a “Star Search” veteran.
9-The flops. Several “Idols” lost record deals in 2008. Ruben Studdard (off to Broadway). Taylor Hicks (Broadway, too). Katharine McPhee (at least she has her modeling and movie career to fall back on). Blake Lewis. (remember him?). Given stumbling record sales across the board, labels have little patience. So no surprises here and given that folks can release albums successful independently, this is not a big deal. (See Elliott Yamin.)
10-Changes in 2008 vs. 2009 We saw a few good changes in season seven (instruments!) and bad (mosh pit!). With producer Nigel Lythgoe out of the picture, “Idol” is making even bigger tweaks in 2009 including a fourth judge and a restructuring of the semifinal rounds (plus more emphasis on air of the Hollywood rounds.). With the show in its eighth year, it’s now a question of managing the show’s slipping ratings. I’d expect another 10 percent drop this year after 9 percent in 2008. But if the show keeps the drop to less than 5 percent, that’s a huge success.
Any other big stories in your minds that I missed?
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12/26: Sorry about my absence!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
My laptop died on me while I was on vacation and didn’t have easy access to my blog software. I’m using a temporary laptop today and may have to delay official launch of Wordpress into midweek next week. My aplogogies! This was probably the longest period of time I was not on the Web since 1995!
I hope you all had a great holiday!
MJ obviously was working all week so in go to her for more details but she had heard that Chikezie is telling folks at the holiday concerts he has signed with Universal Records though the label has yet to say anything official. There’s video of David Cook at the Christmas Day parade with Disney. And (People mag reports](http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20248825,00.html) that Jennifer Hudson may make her first public appearances since the family murders in February at a MusicCares event, then the Grammys. And she has the new video of David Archuleta’s latest single “A Little Too Not Over You.” You can watch it here.
I have access this month to radio airplay charts courtesy of Media 24/7. Here are numbers are compiled year to date earlier this month.
Let me show the ranks of how various Idols did on different radio charts.
All radio stations put together
5- Jordin Sparks
7 - Daughtry
29 - Carrie Underwood
61- Kelly Clarkson
216- Jennifer Hudson
Top 40
3- Jordin Sparks
10- Daughtry
66- Kelly Clarkson
67- David Archuleta
80- David Cook
101- Elliott Yamin
Country chart
8- Carrie Underwood
28- Bucky Covington
44- Josh Gracin
56- Kellie Pickler
106- Phil Stacey
121- Kristy Lee Cook
Urban chart
35- Jennfier Hudson
45- Jordin Sparks
86 - Fantasia
Urban AC
32 - Jennifer Hudson
42- Fantasia
118- Ruben Studdard
Rhythmic top 40
26- Jordin Sparks
93- Jennifer Hudson
181- Fantasia
Adult contemporary
8- Daughtry
9- Kelly Clarkson
34 - Jordin Sparks
53- David Cook
58 - Carrie Underwood
64- Elliott Yamin
136- Kimberley Locke
Hot AC
1- Daughtry
13- Kelly Clarkson
17- Jordin Sparks
40- David Cook
66- Carrie Underwood
138- Elliott Yamin
145 - David Archuleta
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12/19: Simon Cowell exit in 2010?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I had a doc’s appointment Wednesday and only caught part of Simon Cowell’s phoner with reporters. Sorry I’m only getting to it now. And technically, I’m on vacation anyway:
—Â He hasn’t ruled out leaving “Idol” after 2010 but thinks the show will last another 10 years with or without him.
— He doesn’t especially like being ganged up on by two women now that Kara Dioguardi has joined the judge’s panel. But he likes being able to break ties.
— He wants Britney Spears to come on the show, either as a mentor or performer. He loved how much attention she got on his Brit show “The X Factor” though not all the Brits agreed.. He still wants Paul McCartney, who has resisted coming on “Idol’ for years.
- He also supported Nigel and Ken re: the Paula stalker. He agrees that they knew nothing about the extent of Paula Goodspeed’s obsession with Paula.
And a quick look at the charts courtesy of Idol Chatter shows David Cook’s album passing 500,000 to 582,000. David Archuleta is up to 430,000 and should pass 500,000 himself by the end of the year. Carrie has passed 2.5 million with her latest. Jennifer Hudson crossed 500,000 this week, too. Daughtry is up to 4.3 million. Kellie Pickler is up to 129,000 and Jordin Sparks is now at 971,000 and is about eight weeks from hitting 1 million and was certified platinum, meaning 1 million album shipped. “Crush” remains the top download and has sold 1.15 million. David Cook’s “The Time of Your Life” has also surpassed 1 million downloads.
-And if anybody cares, word is out that Kristy Lee Cook has already lost her album deal after just a few weeks, modest sales and a barely top 30 appearance by “15 Minutes of Shame.” In other words, the title of her song was a self-fulfilling prophecy.
-MJ notes that Kelly Clarkson has shot a video for her single “My Life Would Suck Without You.”=
-And MJ has news that Michael Johns has signed to the same management company (Three Ring Productions) as Elliot Yamin, as noted on the Web site. Lil Kim and Jermaine Durpi are also clients.
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12/18: David Archuleta at Star 94’s Jingle Jam with video and photos
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ABOVE: David Archuleta singing Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles.” A “classic” for a 17 year old, I fathom.
I didn’t get a chance to talk to David Archuleta but I got some video and took a few photos from his six-song, 25-minute performance at Gwinnett Arena for Star 94’s Jingle Jam.
This was the first time in recent memory that Jingle Jam was not sold out. Last year, more than 10,000 people came to see the Jonas Brothers, Avril Lavigne (and Elliott Yamin). This time, I guess there were at most 6,000 people there. In fact, they moved the stage forward to help make it look fuller. The problem: no obvious headliner. Colbie Caillat and Gavin DeGraw performed after Archuleta (though I only came for David.)
I posted the video below of him getting an early Christmas cake from his band on stage. (He turns 18 on December 28.) The crowd sang him “Happy Birthday” impressively offkey. The cake had trick candles so he couldn’t blow them out. He then sang “Crush,” his hit, and “The Christmas Song.” I uploaded this onto YouTube last night and hadn’t even linked it. This morning, it already had more than 1,100 views. Amazing! (The videos I uploaded of him surprising Q100 viewers a few weeks back are already up to 37,000 combined views.)
I have to say he was his usual charming, aw-shucks self and he sounded great. Here are some more photos I took of him.
I’ll get to Simon Cowell’s comments from Wednesday’s press conference tomorrow. (I’m going on vacation for the next week so I’m going to probably be a little lighter on the content than usual until December 29, when we launch on Wordpress!)
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12/17: Changes forthcoming with the blog (nothing bad!)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For you regulars who are reading this, I am going to move to wordpress soon. I think it’s best to start on a Monday but since I’m on vacation next week, I’m going to officially launch over to the new site on December 29, 2008. In other words, I will keep posting at this url until then. I’m going to post a farewell transitional blog entry on December 28 or 29 on this blog and tell everyone to move over there. If you want to know now, the link is http://blogs.ajc.com/american-idol-blog/ though there is nothing there yet. I want to give myself a little time to play with the new software, figure things out.
Thank you all for your patience. The good news: Wordpress will post your comments MUCH MUCH faster. And I think there’s actual polling software there, too. So that’s all good.
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12/16: David Cook interview and video performance at the Q100 Christmas concert
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I spoke briefly with David Cook before the Q100 “Miracle on West Peachtree Street” Christmas concert Monday night. He was not wearing any makeup and had no bags under his eyes despite the whirlwind of the past few months. He actually looked relaxed and happy.
But first, here’s a video I took of Cook from the concert where his brother Andrew dressed up as Santa and presented him with a birthday cake before he performed “Bar-Ba-Sol.” Cook turns 26 on Dec. 20. My camera took a few seconds to focus.
I asked him about how he felt his single and album were doing. “Knock on wood, so far, so good,” he said. Both are “still making forward progress. If everything holds up, we can hit gold [500,000 albums sold] this week.”
“Do you think ‘Light On’ can beat Archuleta’s ‘Crush’?” I asked.
“I don’t know! That song is a juggernaut. If I can get even close, I’ll be happy.” [“Crush” peaked at about 15 on the radio pop chart. Not quite a juggernaut but a solid opener for the Arch.]
I asked what he was up to next week. ‘I’m going to be off the grid for two weeks until New Year’s. This is my last gig until the Mirage [in Vegas.] This will give me a chance to reflect on the last year, try to feel normal.”
“How come you don’t look tired at all?” I asked. “You have no bags under your eyes!”
“I have a band full of friends and a bunch of amazing people that make this a whole lot easier,” he said.
“How did you manage to get two weeks off? Wouldn’t the label want you to work nonstop, even through Christmas?”
“Back in June, I fought, I begged and pleaded and screamed. It worked!”
“You’re battling David Archuleta on the VH1 video countdown. I saw he was No. 1 last week and you were No. 2.”
“We’ve been going back and forth. I think it’s just a testament to our fan bases. My video debuted at No. 1, went back, then 1, now 2.”
And he noted that he’s grateful. “Second place is a lot higher than I was charting before ‘Idol’!”
“So are you at all tired of talking about ‘Idol’?”
“In all honesty, ‘Idol’ is my meal ticket. I busted my chops for 10 years. ‘Idol’ gave me the platform to make people listen. I owe ‘Idol’ quite a bit.”
“What are you going to do in the new year?”
“We’re going to hit the road. It’s going to be an all-college tour in the spring. I remember I have an older brother’s Indiana State college yearbook, Larry Bird’s senior year. It had all these pages of concerts like Elvis Costello. You look at the current landscape of acts. Not a lot do college campuses. I want to bring it to the people who don’t get a lot of entertainment amid all the textbooks and make it fun.”
Summer, he noted, is still wide open. “If anybody is interested, call me!”
He’s still not sure of a second single. “We still want to give ‘Light On’ room to breath,” he said.
“A friend of mine wanted to know about the eyeliner. Why so much?”
“The eyeliner is more out of necessity. I’m a pale man of Irish, English and German descent. Anything to make the eyes pop amid stage lights! It stands ot reason. I just don’t want to go nuts. I went nuts on tour a little bit. I’ll scale back.”
“You missed your friend Michael Johns by a couple of days. Do you miss the ‘Mavid’ dancing?”
“I will tell you. We never did any serious dancing on the tour. Mike and I had fun with the ‘Mavid’ thing. But the show was basically stage blocking. We should never consider that dancing.”
“No dancing tonight, right?”
“A little rock star preening and holding on to the mike stand for dear life!” [Would you consider what he’s doing below preening? :) )
-Thank you MJ for linking to my Michael Johns video. And since I had so little time yesterday, I didn’t post a good summary of what Ken Warwick said during the press conference and with other media.
here is what MJ consolidated very well.
In summary of the summary, we’ll be seeing a bit more backstage shenanigans, which i think could be fun. Giving the judges full power to pick three of the top 12 is a bit problematic to me but perhaps some good contestants overlooked by the voters might get through.
The theme for the semifinals will be top 10 songs from the 1950s to today. Pretty broad, which is good. He also said Motown’s 50th anniversary means a Motown for sure. He also wants younger guest mentors.
He also said he knew nothing about Paula Goodspeed’s issues, repeating Nigel Lythgoe. Paula Abdul’s job is safe, he noted. He told EW that he added a fourth judge to take some power away from Simon Cowell. The two ladies will occasionally gang up on him, he said.
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12/15: “Idol” schedule for 2009, Nigel Lythgoe knew nothing about Paula Abdul’s stalker during show
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m having one of those “I can’t believe I have 18 things to do and I don’t have any time to do it” days. So I’m only getting to Idol blog right now. I haven’t solidified any David Cook time yet. May not in the end. We’ll see.
Anyway, the Powers That Be at Fox sent out a press release. I will update this blog entry to also include whatever we get from Ken Warwick at 3 p.m. EST. Here it is verbatim with my comments in parentheticals. Personally, I don’t like the fact they are bringing back the format from seasons one and two. That means giving 36 (instead of 24) semifinalists ONE shot (instead of three) to make an impression with the audience before they are picked for the top 12. This also means the audition and Hollywood rounds are ever more crucial for the contestants to get airtime to make it to the top 12. Some of the 36 will leave so little impression, I’m sure, they will have zero chance of going very far.
Fortunately, they do have the wildcard round, which does give some folks a second shot at making it. That’s where Clay Aiken got into the top 12 season two, if my memory serves me correct.
Warwick also told USA Today before the press conference that indeed, “Idol Gives Back” has been cancelled for the year, a reflection of the economy.
The wait is almost over for the return of television’s No. 1 show! Last season’s finale boasted a record-breaking nearly 100 million votes cast in the crowning of David Cook as the winner, and now, AMERICAN IDOL is set to return with a two-night, four-hour premiere event featuring extraordinary talent and outrageous new auditions Tuesday, Jan. 13 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) and Wednesday, Jan. 14 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.
The eighth season kicks off with three weeks of audition episodes, featuring tryouts held in East Rutherford, NJ; Jacksonville, FL; Kansas City, MO; Louisville, KY; Phoenix, AZ; Salt Lake City, UT; San Francisco, CA; and San Juan, Puerto Rico. After the two-night premiere, auditions will continue for two weeks on Tuesday, Jan. 20 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) and Wednesday, Jan. 21 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT); and Tuesday, Jan. 27 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) and Wednesday, Jan. 28 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT). The final audition episode will air Thursday, Jan. 29 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. [That’s three weeks instead of four weeks of auditions, though they’ve added an extra seventh audition episode there on Thursday January 29. That is one fewer than last year.]
The lucky auditioners who get the judges’ approval then move on to the “Hollywood Round” where contestants vie for a semifinalist position during the grueling next phase of the auditions. Extended for one week, the “Hollywood Round” episodes air: Tuesday, Feb. 3 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT); Wednesday, Feb. 4 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT); and Tuesday, Feb. 10 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT). On Wednesday, Feb. 11 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), dreams come true for three dozen hopefuls, as Simon, Randy, Paula and Kara announce the Top 36 semifinalists. [Yes, we get two extra hours of Hollywood week after they gave us short shrift seasons six and seven.]
It will then be up to America to decide who moves forward in the competition. For three consecutive Tuesdays including: Feb. 17 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), Feb. 24 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) and March 3 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), 12 different semifinalists will perform each night in the hopes of moving on to the Top 12. Each week during the LIVE results shows airing Wednesdays: Feb. 18 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), Feb. 25 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) and March 4 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), the three contestants with the highest number of America’s votes -one male, one female and the next top vote getter - will secure coveted spots in the Top 12.
On Thursday, March 5 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), AMERICAN IDOL presents a special “Wild Card” episode featuring the judges favorite remaining contestants. After each of the contestants perform, the judges will select the three final contestants who will round out the Top 12.
The competition heats up as those Top 12 finalists take the stage for the first time together Tuesday, March 10 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed). Immediately following, America has another chance to share its voice and vote for their favorite finalists.
- Nigel Lythgoe told People he knew nothing about Paula Abdul and the now-dead stalker when the show was on. More info here.:
“You do not take somebody in that room that you believe is a danger to herself or a danger to Paula,” Nigel Lythgoe told PEOPLE at Thursday’s Superstars of Dance press day in Los Angeles. “That would not enter our heads.
“The very fact that this happened, I’m really sad for her family,” said Lythgoe. “It happened about four weeks ago. For it to come back four weeks later, I’m really sad we’re still talking about it.”
Radaronline also says she’s in talks to double her $5 to $7 million salary with “Idol.”
-I saw on MJ’s blog that Michael Johns missed the Nigel Lythgoe charity event Sunday night due to flight troubles from Atlanta. Bummer.
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12/14: Michael Johns interview at Gwinnett Arena for Infinite Energy Tennis Slam
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Michael Johns says hey to his old bud Murphy Jensen, a former pro doubles tennis player.
We are converting to Wordpress soon, a more popular blog software. The good news there is you will be able to see your posts much much faster. I will try to do the conversion this week, time permitting.
Anyway, I stopped by Gwinnett Arena for the Infinite Energy Atlanta Tennis Slam, a charitable tennis exhibition Saturday night featuring Michael Johns as musical entertainment. I had to do Christmas shopping afterwards so my girlfriend and I only came for a pre-party to talk to Michael. He was feeling much better than he did at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in October, when he was visibly ill from food poisoning.
This time, he was with his Atlanta friend Cary Franklin, a former tennis partner. They actually got an hour of tennis in Friday and Cary thought Michael didn’t do half bad. I did a video interview with Michael. I don’t have editing software so it’s completely raw and my inexperience at doing video interviews certainly shows. (My girlfriend Helen Kim shot the video and inserts a question herself in the mix.)
Michael said he’s finished with his album, which will be more rock soul than rock rock. It’s due out in March, he said, with a single out in February. He’s doing a charity event with Nigel Lythgoe tonight. And he was vague about his Christmas plans, joking he’ll be working on his “Wii bowling.” He also mentioned how he got to Georgia, via a tennis scholarship, that he was a top 10 player in Australia in his age group as a teen. But he realized he wasn’t good enough to go pro.
He also said he’d love to move to Atlanta and misses it deeply. He hates to leave, he said. But for career purposes, L.A. is his home for now.
Anyway, here’s the video, for better or worse, with the bad lighting and awful background. Have mercy on me! (The videographer, of course, was brilliant!)
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12/13: Interview with Ryan Seacrest’s mom about his show “Momma’s Boys”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I tried in vain last week to get Dunwoody High School grad and busiest man in Hollywood Ryan Seacrest on the phone. I wanted to talk to him about the new reality show he’s executive producing on NBC called “Momma’s Boys,” which debuts Tuesday at 10.
But alas, Seacrest was too busy. So I buzzed his mom Connie Seacrest, who still lives in Dunwoody for insight into her son. The show itself features three “momma’s boys” mixing it up in a mansion with 32 single women (several from Georgia) and the three moms.
“I never considered him a momma’s boy,” said Connie, who flew out to Hollywood in the fall to shoot show promos with Ryan. “But we have a great relationship. He likes to run things by me and I’m happy to tell him what I think. I’m prejudiced but the reason he survives out there is he still has some grounding and good ol’ Atlanta roots.”
Connie hears from her son frequently by email and talks to him on weekends when she has time. Even when “Idol” is off season, she can listen to him online every morning while he does his Los Angeles morning show or see him at 7 p.m. on E! “I can keep tabs on him, like if he lets his beard grow too long. You know —Â that scruff,” she said.
Naturally, she’d love for Ryan to settle down and find the right girl but she’s patient. (She recalls him bringing home some nice gals in high school but doesn’t get a chance to scrutinize them to any degree now.)
“We all want what’s best for our kids,” she said. “Sometimes it takes longer for some than others. For Ryan, it’s smart he knows what his time frame is. He wouldn’t be the best in relationships until he has more time to be a social person.”
“He wants to be successful,” she continued. “I think he’s put blinders on about letting himself fall in love. For now, that’s on the backburner.”
And yes, Connie and her husband Gary will have the fondue —Â a Seacrest Christmas tradition —Â ready for her son when he comes back to Atlanta next week.
On Sunday, I will post a blog entry about my visit to Gwinnett Arena to see Michael Johns at the Infinite Energy Tennis Slam, where he is singing Saturday night between tennis matches. On Monday, I’m trying to procure an interview with David Cook before his appearance at the Q100 Christmas concert also including Natasha Bedingfield and O.A.R.
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12/11: Abdul says “Idol” failed to protect her from stalker
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Paula Abdul claims the “Idol” producers let the late Paula Goodspeed audition three times despite the fact they knew she had been stalking Paula for years.
Speaking on talk show host Barbara Walters’ Sirius Satellite radio show this week, Abdul said, “She came to the audition. I said, ‘This girl is a stalker of mine. Please do not let her in.’ I was shaking. The producers thought, for entertainment value, it would be funny. Fun for them to cause me stress. It would make good television. If you look at the audition on YouTube, you’ll see I couldn’t even look up. But it wasn’t just once. She showed up again in Las Vegas and she showed up the following year.”
Abdul adds, “(Then) Fox broadcasting literally went to my house and gave my address away and showed how easy it is to break in.”
She even implied she might leave the show after next year. We’ll see how Kara does this year. Maybe we can live (gasp!) without Paula Abdul on “Idol” one day!
And get this from TMZ: before her “Letterman” appearance, “Idol” suits told her to zip it and she did -somewhat. She is in talks to do season nine and those talks have been going on a month, TMZ said.
-Ryan Seacrest is executive producing “Momma’s Boys,” a new reality show on NBC, which is basically “The Bachelor” times three with moms (including an appallingly racist one) thrown into the mix. It debuts Dec. 16.
Ryan admits that his closeness to his own mother helped him come up with the concept for “Momma’s Boys” — a new dating series that poses the question: “Who is really the most important woman in every man’s life?”
So what kind of woman would Ryan’s mother want him to date?
“One that is under her spell — one that is under her control,” the “American Idol” host says. “I tend to like girls that are more provocative than my mother would approve of. She would definitely want the one that continues to go to church every Sunday. I might want the one that skips every Sunday.”
I missed the press conference Wednesday to be in a training session about Twitter. But I watched a preview of the actual show. It features 32 women, several who are from the Atlanta area. They chase after three guys, with moms in tow. One mom seems kind of cool, another is the quintessential Jewish mom with all the affectations (“I’m going to be vekempt!” she says while gushing about her son.). Then there’s the racist who can’t see her son dating a black, a Jew, an Asian or anybody too fat or doesn’t do what she says. What year is she from? 1958?
Some girls are sweet, innocent types who moms would love. Others are dopey model types (including a Penthouse pet and a Playboy centerfold type). There’s even a really shy gal who prefers animals over people and cleans up after everybody.
I just interviewed Ryan’s mom Connie. I’ll post that tomorrow or Monday depending on time.
-While Kellie Pickler does correspondence work for Seacrest on New Year’s Rockin’ Eve on ABC Dec. 31, David Cook will be on Fox with Spike Feresten. I’m also trying to get some time with Cook on Monday when he’s in Atlanta for the Q100 xmas party.
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12/11: Albums sales, most popular “Idol” search terms
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sorry. I’ve had a strange day and didn’t get around to finishing my daily “Idol” blog entry. This is all I have before I leave for the day. May update this or start a new one for the new day.
I haven’t updated download and album sales from Idol Chatter.
Here’s a quick summary:
Carrie Underwood “Just a Dream is at 84 on the download chart with 443K total. (It’s on the country “recurrent” chart for older songs on Radio & Records. Not a single “Idol” is on the top 50 of the country chart!) Her latest album is at No. 53 and is nearly 2.5 million in sales.
David Cook He remains in the top 10 on the Billboard Top 200, selling another 87K and 479K total. The single “Light On” is at No. 60 with 298K total in download sales. On the top 40 chart, it’s up to 25.
David Archuleta “Crush” is now at 28, dropping slowly off the top 40 chart. The single is the top “Idol” song on the download chart at No. 32 and 1.12 million sold.
Jordin Sparks Gotta wonder if a fourth single is forthcoming or not. I haven’t heard. “No Air” is now at 112 with 2.61 million sold total while “One Step At a Time” is at 113 with 1.02 million sold total. Her album is now down to 199 on the Billboard chart with 5K sold for the week and 955K total. That coveted 1 million mark may take awhile but she might eke it out in a couple of months.
Jennifer Hudson Her album was at 72, with 489K sold so far and 11K last week. She should 500K this week. The single tumbled to 143 w/ 9K sold and 332 total.
-Amazingly, Clay Aiken is in the top 10 on the Lycos searches of the year, ranked No. 7. He has always been a popular search term but who would think he’d continue to hold this much appeal? (The “I’m gay” pronouncement probably fueled things a bit this year.). What’s even funnier: who are the five folks who still use Lycos (top 10 searches on Lycos: Poker, Paris Hilton, YouTube, golf, Sarah Palin, Britney Spears, Aiken, Pamela Anderson, Facebook & Holly Madison). Among TV shows, “Idol” fell to fifth.
-On Google’s Zeitgeist David Cook came in No. 9 in “fastest rising” search terms. Then again, before January 2008, David Cook was not a celebrity so this is kind of silly.
“American Idol” was the top TV show searched, ahead of “Lost,” “SNL” and “The Office.” Among reality shows, it was tops as well, ahead of “Brig Brother,” “Dancing With the Stars,” “So You Think You Can Dance” and “The Hills.”
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12/9: Michael Johns coming to Infinite Energy Atlanta Slam 12-13-08, reports of Fantasia house auction
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Former Buckhead man MIchael Johns is coming back to Atlanta to sing between tennis matches at the Infinite Energy Atlanta Slam, which features the Jensen Brothers and James Blake. Buy tix here.. Tix range from $29.75 to $200.
Johns was a decent tennis player as a teen who got a scholarship at Abraham Baldwin Agriculture College in Tifton, Ga. about a decade ago. He moved to Atlanta a year later. It doesn’t appear as if Johns will be picking up a tennis racket.
His Christmas song “Another Christmas” is available on iTunes and Amazon today.
And in case you missed it, I shot video of him October 26 at the Pep Boys 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway singing “Sweet Home Alabama”:
- The New York Post is reporting that Fantasia is in the middle of a complicated auction of a $1.3 million North Carolina home.
Barrino, whose rags-to-riches rise was chronicled in a Lifetime channel movie she starred in herself, is accused of defaulting on a $58,000 loan from a shadowy Florida corporation, according to court papers.
The company, called Broward Energy Management, loaned Fantasia an undisclosed sum to pay back taxes she reportedly owed the IRS, according to its lawyer, Laurence Goldman.
An AP story notes that the home “is up for auction after a company said Barrino failed to repay money it loaned her to cover her taxes in 2006.”
No response yet from Fantasia or her current attorney.
She bought the six-bedroom home in March 2007 but owns another home she bought in 2004.
-Paula Abdul finally speaks about the super-fan who committed suicide near her home last month to Good Morning America.
“It was devastating and tragic, and there aren’t enough feelings that I can articulate without getting into a whole plethora of things,” Abdul said in an interview today on “Good Morning America.”
Here’s more from “The View,” where she said she’s going to put that house on the block:
And here’s a very shaky (video wise, not the singing) version of Diana DeGarmo’s ode to the troops she wrote after doing a USO Tour called “Thank You” from one of the Athens concerts this past weekend. She gets very emotional partway through and her mom Brenda hears it for the first time, she said. She also has a brother who has served overseas.The audio is good:
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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.
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12/5: Catching up with Diana DeGarmo, Chikezie before Athens concert
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I won’t be able to catch the Athens concerts tonight and tomorrow (if anybody goes, please email me your pics/roundup at rho@ajc.com!). You have to wonder how they are going to fill the 2,100-seat Classic Center. I do plan to catch up with Justin Guarini at the free Salvation Army concert at 6 p.m. Sunday.
And I did talk briefly with Diana DeGarmo and Chikezie. I didn’t have a huge amount to ask Chikezie. Given his R&B skills, I’m sure he’ll be able to get gigs in the near future. A big star? That’s a high order.
Chikezie noted that this tour was put together by Michael Orland, one of the “Idol” vocal coaches.
“I’ll be having fun,” he said. “I hope the audience does.” Before the tour, he said he was writing and making contacts, plus he got himself an agent. His favorite event since the “Idol’ ended was a high school charity basketball game where he sang with a rapper, where they did a semi-improved version of “Santeria” by Sublime.
He noted that it’s great to work with David Hernandez again. They were apparently in the same early round cattle call audition in San Diego together. Hernandez, he said, was playing “A Change is Gonna Come.” Chikezie offered up a different version on his MP3 player but Hernandez said no way. He remembers telling Hernandez he could make the top 12 — and he was right.
Chikezie was a big fan of the show from day one and was excited to sing alongside vets such as Diana DeGarmo and Kimberlely Locke. “They get the job done every night with no problem,” he said.
Diana DeGarmo, now a Nashville resident but formerly of Snellville, is still working on her country album. And since her Broadway gig fell through a few months ago, she had time to do this tour. The Shiloh High School choral group will be there to sing the final song with them, a pure coincidence, she said. “They won the competition,” she said. “It had nothing to do with me but it makes going back home that much sweeter.”
She’s going to sing one of her original country songs at the concert called “Thank You,” which is about her experience overseas during a USO tour. She is going to sell an acoustic EP of some of her self-penned songs at the Athens concert to give fans a taste of what she’s doing. She said the songs will be up on iTunes next week as well.
She said she had never worked with Kimberley before. “We’ve had a good time,” she said. “Everyone has put their best foot forward. The boys are learning. We’re the ‘old school’ alums. We love trading war stories about the show.”
Here she is on YouTube dueting with Kimberley in El Paso on Monday:
Diana’s jealous how the newer “Idols” got ear monitors instead of monitors on the grates of the floor. They also got live bands and an extra vocal coach. She also recalls voting for Chikezie one week. (Chikezie remembers voting for Kimberley Locke season two).
The only downside to working this month, she said, is she’s had no time to decorate her own pad with Christmas. But she will be home in Atlanta for Christmas.
Diana’s doing auditions for another Broadway gig. She also has been focused on writing songs not just for herself but for others. She’d love for a major artist to pick up one of her songs. She’s even dabbling in songs for guys. She also lamented how male-dominated the business is.
-Mediabase reports that David Archuleta’s next single will be “A Little Too Not Over You.”
-Jennifer Hudson released a statement after getting four Grammy nominations, according to People.com:
“It’s been a childhood dream of mine to release an album,” she said in a statement, “so to receive four Grammy nominations is truly a blessing. I’m extremely honored and humbled by the nominations.”
-19 Entertainment has a hard time keeping its “Idols.” Jordin Sparks has split, according to her myspace page.
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12/4: Grammy noms, A talk with Kimberley Locke, coming to Athens in concert Friday/Saturday
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here are the “American Idol” noms from the Grammys:
Carrie Underwood got a nomination for best female country vocal performance with “Last Name” and best song written for motion picture, television or other visual media (“Ever Ever After” from “Enchanged”)
Jennifer Hudson was nominated for best R&B album and best R&B song & best female R&B vocal performance with “Spotlight,” along with best R&B performance by a duo or group with Fantasia for “I’m His Only Woman.”
Jordin Sparks with Chris Brown got one nom for best pop collaboration with vocals for “No Air.”
Daughtry was shut out.
- Kimberley Locke, the third-place finisher from season two, has become the queen of Christmas music among Idols, with three No.1 adult contemporary hits and a Christmas album last year. So it’s natural she’s doing a holiday concert tour with Diana DeGarmo, Chikezie and David Hernandez. She’ll be at the Classic Center in Athens Friday and Saturday nights at 8 p.m. with tix ranging from $10 to $70. (She did a Christmas tour last year with Dave Koz.) I spoke with her by phone from Pennsylvania yesterday.
“I always knew I’d do a Christmas album one day. I just didn’t know it’d be so soon,” she said. “I wanted to do a traditional Christmas album with songs people remember. Just add a little bit of a twist and your own flare.” She said she chose “Jingle Bells” because it’s not as commonplace to do. I joked that she definitely outdid the barking dogs.
The first half the concert will be straight Christmas music. The second half will feature covers and originals. We then mused about how all the concerts now end up on YouTube. “Some people will upload videoes before we even get off the stage,” she said. “It’s scary!”
I asked her about 2009 plans, noting that half her peers seem to be doing Broadway. “I have been on some Broadway auditions,” she said. “I just haven’t found the right part.”
Her big project is a special Royal Caribbean cruise on September 12-17. You can get details at www.lockeandloaded.com. And don’t worry. Dustin Diamond, whom she clashed with on “Celebrity Fit Club” in 2007, won’t be around. “I would throw him overboard!” she joked. “Then I’d feel sorry for him and save him.”
Her boyfriend and the “Fit Club” personal trainer Harvey Walden will have both fitness sessions and concerts for 1,500 people on the cruise. She’s already got commitment from Vonzell Solomon and Jon Peter Lewis to join the cruise. She’s trying to get a couple more “Idols” to join her. The itinerary is Miami, St. Maarten, San Juan and Labadee. Pricing ranges from $849 to $1,950 per person.
She lost 40 pounds after doing “Celebrity Fit Club” and has kept the weight off, she said. (Dating Walden certainly helps!)
“On the cruise, I can share with every day people what the tips are to lose weight,” she said. She will get to hang with fans extensively, she said.
She has been to Atlanta at least once or twice a year since “Idol,” doing gigs at the Wet Bar and Atlanta Pride. “I always get treated well in Atlanta,” she said.
You can buy tix here. I’m not sure if these four Idols are a big enough dra to fill the Classic Center once, much less twice. The Center’s capacity is 2,100 people. We shall see! I’m going to try to make it to Friday’s concert.
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12/3: Justin Guarini, Tamyra Gray doing Atlanta Salvation Army benefits this weekend
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here’s a press release I got from the local Salvation Army. It appears we’ll be seeing a LOT of “Idol” folk this weekend. Besides the four (Chikezie, Kimberley Locke, Diana DeGarmo, David Hernandez) at the Classic Center this Friday and Saturday, season one finalists Tamyra Gray and Justin Guarini are doing free concerts for the Salvation Army this weekend.
Tamyra grew up in Norcross and Justin’s dad was the former Atlanta police chief and he spent summers here growing up. Justin’s stint on “Gone Country” on CMT starts January 24.
American Idol Finalists to Perform for Free Christmas Concert
What: In a time of financial uncertainty for many, American Idol Finalists Tamyra Gray and Justin Guarini will help Celebrate Christmas with a free holiday concert and musical celebration.
Along with the Gray and Guarini Christmas medley, the two-night event will feature performances from The Salvation Army’s Brass Band, a live Nativity scene, and a Contemporary Christmas Worship Service on Sunday evening).
For more information visit www.salvationarmyatlanta.org.
Who: The Salvation Army Metro Atlanta Area Command officers, staff. Tamyra Gray, American Idol Finalist, recording artist/actress Justin Guarini, Georgia Native, American Idol Finalist, recording artist/actress
*When: 7pm, Saturday, December 6, 2008, Featuring Tamyra Gray, Doors open at 6pm
6pm, Sunday, December 7, 2008 Featuring Justin Guarini
Where: The Salvation Army 2090 North Druid Hills Road Atlanta, GA 30329
-MJ posted the top iTunes songs of the year and congratulations to Jordin Sparks for her duet with Chris Brown “No Air” for coming in seventh. Simon’s gal Leona Lewis came in No. 1 with “Bleeding Love.” Jordin’s “Tattoo” came in No. 41. David Cook’s “Time of My Life” was No. 58 followed by David Archuleta’s Crush at No. 62 and Sparks’ “One Step at a Time” at No. 63. “Carnival Ride” was the 27th biggest iTunes album of 2008, followed by “Daughtry” at 35 and Jordin’s self-titled album at No. 97.
-And if you want early spoilers on who made it to Hollywood, check [Joes Place.}(http://www.joesplaceblog.com/) Nobody identified from Georgia just yet.
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12/2: Cops arrest suspect in Jennifer Hudson family case
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Chicago police have finally arrested William Balfour in the murder of three family members of Jennifer Hudson in October.
Balfour is Hudson’s estranged brother in law. Charges have not yet been filed. Cops have had him in custody for three weeks as a “person of interest.”
-I haven’t checked in on radio airplay charts in a couple of weeks on Radio and Records. On the country chart, it appears songs by “Idol” folks are not on the upswing. Carrie Underwood’s “Just a Dream” is at No. 8 after 20 weeks after peaking at No. 1. Kristy Lee Cook’s “15 Minutes of Shame” is struggling at No. 31 (her begging notwithstanding). Josh Gracin’s “Unbelievable” peaked at No. 40. Bucky Covington’s song “I’ll Walk” peaked at No. 10 and has fallen off the chart (they take old songs off the chart after falling out of the top 20.) Surprisingly, Kellie Pickler’s “Best Days of Your Life” is struggling, falling from 56 to 59 in its second week.
There is not a single Idol in the top 20 on the pop charts. David Archuleta’s song “Crush” peaked at about No. 15 a couple of weeks and is down to 21. David Cook’s “Light On” is moving up slowly, now at No. 31 from 34. After 22 weeks, Jennifer Hudson’s “Spotlight” remains at No. 10 on the urban chart.
-A papparazzi stuck a locator on Simon Cowell’s car. According to the New York Daily News, Cowell’s not pleased.
The discovery was made after Cowell realized the same motorcyclist had been following him to privately scheduled meetings. Members of Cowell’s security team are the ones who found the device.
“He was aware that someone kept turning up a few minutes after he went everywhere. He couldn’t work out how that person knew his movements,” the source said. “The tracking device was quite sophisticated.”
-Michael Johns, who is coming back to Atlanta Dec. 13 for a tennis Infinite Energy Slam at Gwinnett Arena, will release the song “Another Christmas” to raise money to fight Lou Gehrig’s disease. He was inspired by Nancy O’Dell, whose mom died of the disease.
-This has nothing to do with “Idol” but since Cowell recently featured her on his Brit show “X Factor,” Britney Spears is coming to Philips Arena March 5. There are places to buy tix early but general public tix go on sale December 8. Tix are $39.50 to $129. Do you think she’ll sell out?
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12/2: Clay Aiken to be featured on E! Hollywood Story 12/12, a sexed up Idol promo
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I may as well post this press release before MJ gets to it! :)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
*”CLAY AIKEN: THE E! TRUE HOLLYWOOD STORY” PREMIERES FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12 AT 9PM ET/PT ON E! *
One-Hour Special Uncovers The Inside Story Of The Quirky American Idol’s Rise To Super-Stardom And Recent Revelations About His Personal Life
Los Angeles, CA, December 1, 2008 - Clay Aiken may have finished a close second to Ruben Studdard in Season Two of the mega-hit reality series “American Idol,” but the 29-year-old North Carolina native turned his loss into a major victory. His first album, “Measure of a Man,” became the number-one-selling solo debut from an artist in a decade, launching several cross-country concert tours. From there, the popular crooner authored a best-selling book, worked as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF and took center stage on Broadway. As his fame grew, Clay maintained a squeaky-clean image, but in 2008, he shocked even his most beloved fans with news that he fathered a child with his 50-year-old record producer, Jaymes Foster. Then, following years of rumors about his sexuality, Clay finally set the record straight and publicly announced he was gay in September of this year.
This revealing episode features an exclusive interview with former Army Green Beret John Paulus, who claims he was romantically involved with Clay for one night in 2006. There is also a new interview with Clay’s number-one fan, comedian Kathy Griffin, who explains why she was afraid she would run into Clay after joking about him during her act. Other new interviews include: actor/director Terrence Mann, who directed Clay in regional theater when he was just starting out; Rickey Smith, a finalist with Clay on “American Idol,” who gives his opinion on Clay’s performance on the show as well as on him becoming a proud father; Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLADD) President Neil Guiliano, who comments on Clay’s recent controversial announcement; and several devoted Clay fans at a performance of his Broadway show, “Spamalot.”
In addition, the special contains unique video of Clay from his early years, including footage of him performing as a wedding singer and appearing in a local stage producction of “Oklahoma!”
-And here’s a “family friendly” Idol promo that would fit nicely on E!’s “Girls Next Door” or any trashy VH1 reality show. I have a feeling this is not the rawer, more real “Idol” Fox has promised but a desperate way to draw, um, 18-34 males????
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12/1: Vague changes promised by Fox officials
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Back to work, everybody!
This story at televisioweek.com implies a few tweaks in the way “Idol” will look and feel for season eight:
“The show is more real, it’s back to its roots,” said Fox marketing chief Joe Earley. “It doesn’t have a veneer.”
Mike Darnell, Fox’s president of alternative programming, said it’s too soon to offer specifics about the changes in the works. He did say, however, that “Idol” would be “more intimate” and “more raw” than last year.
“It’s going back to letting the kids be more emotional and seeing more of their reality,” he said. “We’re going to allow the public to see a little more of their emotional state.”
Did they not show enough emotion last year? Was it too sterile?
Ever the hypster, he also thinks the talent is best since season five. (Didn’t they say last year had the most talent ever? Or do they simply say that every year?)
-MJ found out that Amanda Overmyer has told the world on her myspace page that she has an album coming out soon. We haven’t heard from her in ages, have we?
Well, I would like everyone to welcome the new edition to the Overmyer team, Solidify, my very first album!!!! Mixed, mastered, completed!!! I am so excited to share this music with you!! I really think you will be very pleased with the outcome. Quick thanks to Rocco for all the time and effort he put into it, he spent hours and hours!! It will be available for sale on my website amandaovermyer@gmail.com by either download or hard copy that will be shipped to your house. This will happen end of December/January - ish. Also, it will be available on itunes and at all of my shows. For now, we will be selling them at all of my upcoming appearances for the remainder of the year. Indy, and Chicago. They will be limited edition albums all signed by yours truely as we await our artwork and packaging for the final CD. Hope to see you all there, looking forward to hearing your comments on the new music. Thank you all for being so patient, We did it!!!
And MJ also has Lakisha Jones releasing her album Feb. 17, if you care.
-And a fashion writer is hatin’ on Jordin Sparks’ dress line for Wet Seal here.
Suffice to say if any American Idol contestant wore Jordin’s Wet Seal dresses on the show, Simon would tear her a new buttonhole. Blech, blech, blech.
