American Idol

I just updated the Idol Appearances page.  If you know of an Idol Appearance that’s not listed, please contact me at mjsbigblog@gmail.com.

A bit of news on some of your favorite Idols….

This just in….one of the J’s–that’s Jeremy Brady the 2nd guitarist and youngest member of DAUGHTRY–has left the band.  According to Chris’s latest video blog, Jeremy is “gracefully bowing out of the band.”  Chris says they will miss him a lot, and that there are no hard feelings, but Jeremy feels this isn’t the, “right thing to be doing at this time in his life.”  Chris is currently looking for a replacement.  He better be–the DAUGHTRY tour starts tomorrow.  It looks like the band will be scrambling to replace Jeremy.

Being the cynic that I am, I tend to take “official” announcements with a grain salt.  Maybe Jeremy left for the exact reasons stated, but then again, maybe not.  Unless some juicy rumors surface, we’ll probably never know.

Katharine McPhee’s debut album drops on Tuesday, January 30.  It’s streaming online now at AOL here if you’d like to take a listen. Katharine describes the album as “rhythm pop”.  I haven’t had a minute to listen to the CD myself yet–I’ll let you know what I think on Tuesday.

A bit more news on Elliott Yamin’s brand-new record deal.  According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Elliott, “has signed with independent Hickory Records and also inked a deal with RED Distribution, which will help promote the album along with Sony/ATV, with whom he has a publishing contract.”  The first single, “Movin On”, is expected to be available online by Feb. 13.

Justin Guarini has a new gig.  He’s joined the TV Guide channel’s Idol Tonight as an on-air commentator.  Check your local listings for channel.  When the Top 12 starts airing in March, Idol Tonight will air a live pre-show on Tuesday before the performance episodes.

Jennifer Hudson was ABC News “Person of the Week”.  You can watch her interview here.

Bucky Covington announced in a recent interview with Larry King that he’ll be appearing at the Grand Ole Opry in on Friday, March 9.  The Idol themed episode of Larry King Live will be repeated Sunday night at 9 pm for those of you who missed it.  It features Bucky Covington, Ace Young, Kimberly Caldwell, William Hung and others talking about their Idol experiences.

There are more and more Idol bloggers online as the show becomes bigger than ever.  Ex-idols are even joining the fray.  Jon Peter Lewis, one of my fav Idols, is blogging the current season for AOL’s TV Squad blog.  You can catch up with his musings here.  Rather than comment on each contestant, JPL is relating his own Idol experiences as he watches the show.  Check this out from his New York recap,

I waited in line outside the Aloha Stadium in Honolulu for a couple of days, alongside thousands of people singing their lungs out, trying to prove to anyone who would listen that they were the next American Idol. Sometimes I get so caught up in the who’s who and what’s what of it all that I forget I was actually a part of it. I know what it feels like to stand in front of Paula, Randy and Simon, waiting for them to give you the thumbs up or down. It pretty much sucks. It’s probably the same feeling as hanging your balls out the window. I’ve never done that one before, though, so I don’t know.

Every second of every day during that whole week, just thinking of Idol made me feel cold, clammy and numb with nerves. I knew that at any moment I could be sent back to Idaho with a lot less money than when I started. Plus, I was looking at that audition as the one thing I’d do in life to say I gave the music business a shot. I’m pretty sure that if I hadn’t gotten a golden ticket — well, a yellowish piece of paper — to Hollywood I would have gone home looking for a nine to five and I knew I’d wake up 40 years later wondering where all the time had gone. Yeah, you could say there was a lot of pressure.

So, when I’m sitting at ease at home, eating lasagna on my Beatles Candlestick Park TV tray and wonder why people like Nakia Claiborne break down and say “I wish I could change their mind,” it’s easy for me to understand. These are their dreams, man. Still, if you’re not good, someone’s gonna tell you sometime. It’s just painful to watch.

He’s off to a good start, I think.  Oh, and it looks like Mikalah Gordon is blogging Idol too…

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