New URL for the American Idol buzz blog!
Please go to the new American Idol Buzz blog at http://blogs.ajc.com/american-idol-blog/
Access Atlanta > American Idol Buzz > Archives > 2008 > December > 05
Friday, December 5, 2008
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.
