Constantine Maroulis just released his debut album this week. You can listen to it right here at AOL. It’s been 2 years since Constantine competed on Idol. As many of you remember, he was eliminated–shockingly! shockingly! at sixth place during Season 4. Ah yes, I remember it well. Paula’s meltdown, Con’s crying mother, Con’s fans wailing and gnashing their teeth. Good times. He went on to tour with his fellow Idols that summer. Afterward, Constantine seemed to have it going on–a development deal for a TV show with ABC based loosely on his life, lots of press–and there were hints from Constantine’s camp that a major label deal was imminent..
Unfortunately, as it often happens in show business, the TV show fell through, and there was no major label record deal. But, there was work for Constantine. If Hollywood would not have him, New York City would. He headed to Broadway where he snagged a supporting role in The Wedding Singer and followed that up with a starring role in a revival of Jacques Brel is Alive and Living in Paris. Then, as fate would have it, Hollywood came knocking for reals, and Con was offered a role to play a character kinda-sorta based on himself in the cheestastic soap opera, The Bold and The Beautiful.
In the meantime, Constantine started his own record company, Sixth Place Records, with a plan to release a record independently. His debut CD, fittingly called “Constantine” is a mixed bag, but, what I like about the record, is that it captures perfectly the cheeky theatricality Con displayed so cannily on American Idol. Try not to chuckle at some of the unintentionally funny lyrics here (the shout out to Nico, Yoko and then himself had me rolling…) and concentrate on the music. He’s assembled a top-rate band (check out the lead guitar work) and his vocals are excellent. The sound is a throw back to 70’s-80’s rock with a little Latin, a little glam rock, and a little pop and hard rock thrown into the mix. Me likey. The CD is being distributed by Sony Red, the same company that distributes Elliott Yamin’s fine debut..
Ok. My chatter buddies have been begging me for months to tell my Constantine story on the blog. Yes, I have one. So, to celebrate the release of his debut album, IT’S STORY TIME.
More after the jump!
Way back in January, I got an email from a friend of Constantine’s who was putting together a charity event in Birmingham. She asked me to plug it, and I said, “Sure!”
When I told her I was a fan, she asked me if I would like an interview with Constantine.
I’ve actually never interviewed an Idol before. It’s not something I’ve ever sought out, though who knows, maybe I’ll conduct one in the future. At that time, I wasn’t looking to interview anybody. But having an interview fall in my lap like that? Of course I had to say yes.
Con Friend says she’d call me in the morning, and at around 9 am, she calls me, but I am in my car driving to work. Very prompt. I am impressed. When I settle in at work, I slip away to the cafeteria to call her back. Mind you, I wasn’t expecting a lengthy interview, just a “hi how are you what are you up to” A 5 minute kind of deal. I thought it would be a nice little scoop for the blog, along side pimping the charity event.
I get Con Friend on the phone, and she’s all “Hi how are you! Do you want to talk to Con!” and I say, “Sure.” So, Constantine takes the phone and says hello. I say hi, and begin to ask him some questions.
I barely begin to speak when he cuts me off abruptly to ask, “WHO ARE YOU?”
“Uh, MJ?” I say. I’m thinking, “WTF???”
“DO I KNOW YOU?” Constantine asks curtly.
“I’m MJ from Mjsbigblog.com, an American Idol blog,”
“You aren’t Mrs. Jones? Do you write for AI magazine?”
“Oh, no no, that’s a different MJ,” I say. I go on to explain the difference.
“Well,” Con says coldly, “I don’t know you. I’m handing you back to my friend.” And without another word, or even so much as a goodbye, he hands the phone back to Con Friend, who is clearly mortified, because she seriously effed up.
I never got an apology from either Con Friend or Constantine himself for his clearly rude behavior. I can understand his not wanting to talk to me when he realized I was somebody he didn’t know, but he didn’t have to be rude about it.
I was somewhat stunned, but since Constantine’s reputation precedes him, not too stunned.
That’s my Con story. I hope you peeps like it.
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Joan, your interview was arranged. He KNEW WHO YOU WERE. He’s certainly going to be on his best behavior when he’s being interviewed by someone from his hometown newspaper. He would have been stupid not to be nice to you.
I think you can really tell someone’s character by how they respond to people when they DON’T have to be nice. You see, I don’t think he realized that I literally reach thousands of people with my blog. If he had, I’m guessing his behavior would have been completely different. My point, is that he handled a situation where he didn’t have to be nice, like a tool.
As it was, I think he thought his friend set up him with some loser fangirl who ran a blog that nobody read, except for maybe her cat. (uh, I don’t have a cat by the way). In which case, I was not worth his time. If he thought that, he was wrong. :).
Well, as some readers here know, I have a first hand account of Constantine’s asshatness.
Besides, his assistant should have explained who MJ was before handing him the phone. MJ didn’t seek this interview.
Actually, he should have just known who MJ is. The Season Six idols sure know her. :)
That said, MJ was pretty nice to give him such a good review. Personally, I am petty and will never buy a Constantine CD. I did listen and don’t think he’s worth downloading illegally, either. LOL.
ETA: I am enjoying his run on B&B, however. I hope he wins the duet contest over Rick. I don’t care for Rick.
Since he doesn’t know who MJ is, it is highly unlikely that Constantine is lurking here. But, in the event that he is….
Constantine, would you please let us know if ACE has signed a contract yet?
I heart BS. That is all.
Con is not one of my favorites it is pretty safe to say. When our local Tulsa fox reporter was waiting on the red carpet to interview Carrie after her win, she did get this great video of Con. heh.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwZ0jS-8yuk
MJ,
I know where you’re coming from, but it’s not as though that was the only interview or the only time I was in contact with Constantine. Before that, I was at one of his shows in NYC and he was on stage signing autographs and I handed him a letter telling him that I would be calling.
He had no idea who I was and couldn’t hear me (noise was so loud) and bent over so that I could whisper in his ear and tell him. He smiled and said sure, not knowing if I was a nut or what.
And then, he supposedly had only ten minutes to talk as he was rushing to the studio, but stayed on the phone for a half hour, listening to what I was going to write and then talking about the Yankees with me UNTIL I had to tell him to get going and that he was going to be late to the studio for the Queen tribute.
And then, at the ballgame, he waved his fans in from SRO and I had my own seat and was going to the ladies room, when he waved at me to come sit with him, his mom, brother and the other fans. Honestly, he was mobbed by fans and sat and signed every autograph by nervy fans. Some who saw me on the ball field with him gave me their cell phones (after having *bothered* him with already to speak to family members at home.) I WOULDN’T DO IT! But, they did it again and he spoke again.
So, he wasn’t just nice to me. He was so nice to everyone and it is just a small newspaper, nothing big. I still think it might have been a misunderstanding with you, but who knows what really happened? Maybe, he thought a friend was trying to play a prank on him OR you were someone who had taken a shot at him.
I can only tell you another side of him, not only with me, but with his fans, lots of them. There were 10,000 people at that sell-out night and they all mobbed him and he was nothing but courteous, silly and bent over backwards to please everyone. I’m sorry for your stinky experience, but I thought that everyone deserved to know that he can be a good guy, too.
Just trying to be fair, here. You were more than kind in your review of his new CD when you could have held a grudge, so we are both trying to be unbiased and judge each situation on his own. Again, I’m sorry that your experience couldn’t have been a good one.
Joan
Well Joan it looks like saying he’s a nice guy just isn’t as fascinating a thing to comment on as saying he’s a tool. But yes it’s a great big free country and you’re free to speak your mind as long it’s juicy gossip and disrespectful. I’ve heard much more good than bad about him. I like him.
What can I say? Constantine earned my disrespect. Karma is a bitch.
It’s also fair to say that the truth hurts.