Today’s Idol headlines after the jump…
G.I., phone home
…This year, the goal was to double that amount with a larger fundraiser including former “American Idol” contestant Leslie Hunt of St. Charles, former 1985 Chicago Bear Otis Wilson and oldies band The Moods…
Antonella Is Booked This Summer at CU
Antonella Barba is coming back to Washington! Almost definitely. She’s pretty sure, anyway.
The Catholic University architecture student, who became a whirlwind sensation on “American Idol” and a cautionary tale for the MySpace generation, says she’ll return this summer to make up the classes she missed while competing on the show, in hopes of graduating with her friends next spring. Though if showbiz offers arise . . . ?
“If I want to do music, I’ll have to pursue it,” she said hesitantly. “Wouldn’t it be great if I could do both?”….
Local entries help salute our heroes
…Other participants included St. Joseph High School graduate A.J. Tabaldo, who appeared on the “American Idol” reality TV show; Santa Maria attorney Michael Clayton and his pirate ship float; and the Compton Sounders drill team…
Vocalist to sing with her ‘Idol’
…DeNesha — who was almost named “Miracle” — was selected to attend the second annual Ruben Studdard Music Camp in Dothan, Ala. Studdard won the second season of “American Idol.”…
…DeNesha, a sixth-grader at Max Abbott Middle School, was selected for her vocal skills after a lengthy audition process. The camp, which will be held this week on the campus of Wallace Community College, is designed to promote the growth and development of young, amateur musicians and performers.
Camp attendees will have the opportunity to play in the orchestra, sing in a choral group and also perform with Studdard in concert while learning about the music industry.
A finale concert will be at 6 p.m. June 10 at the James A. Smith Convocation Center…
Hot dog jingle whiz rides in style
Rocky Mount singer/guitarist and his family were given the V.I.P. treatment in Los Angeles.
…The commercial promoting this year’s “Sing the Jingle” contest debuted May 24 during the “American Idol” season finale. Former “Idol” contestant and Richmond native Elliott Yamin is the host for the 2007 contest.
The commercial will air on both network and cable television for the next three months. It can be found on the “Sing the Jingle” Web site, along with extra videos and skits featuring Baruch and the other winners. There’s one called “The Hot Dog Hills,” which finds the kids letting the Hollywood glamour get to their heads as they chat on cell phones by the pool, goof off at an arcade and lounge in the Wienermobile.
Although Baruch’s part in the 15-second commercial is brief, he’s just happy to have been a part of it…
THE CHANGING FACE OF AMERICA
…Although I thought Melinda Doolittle was the strongest singer throughout the competition, Jordin brought it home at the end with mesmerizing vocals. Hailing from Glendale, Ariz. Jordin, seemed so young when the season started, yet she clearly grew and matured as the show progressed.
Also, I couldn’t help but root for the daughter of a black man and a white woman who made it to the top without an obvious hint of racial controversy.
Decades ago, certain whites would have strung a black man up a tree and killed his racially mixed baby for mating with a white woman…
Notes: Cordero on a record pace
… Comedian Bill Engvall attended Saturday’s game against the Marlins and sat in the home dugout before the game, chatting with Yost and radio broadcaster Bob Uecker. … Elliot Yamin, the 2006 American Idol third-place finisher, sang the national anthem…
PBS’s ‘Great Performances’ has the love for ‘Ella’
…When Cole is asked what young singers could learn from Fitzgerald - whom Cole knew as a child as Auntie Ella when Fitzgeraldappeared with her father, Nat King Cole, on his TV show - she pauses on her way to take a photograph with Wonder and says, “They need to learn how to stay on pitch. That would probably be number one. Pitch, phrasing, tell the story, sing the song. Give the message, and get your ego out of the way.
Musical education
“It’s all about the music. It gets about you later. Because if they love the music, they’ll love you. They think it’s the other way around. You’ve got to sell the song.”
While there is an “Idol” alumnus on the show, Austin believes many young singers don’t have the musical education to sing the songs that Fitzgerald made famous.
“Nobody’s teaching them how to do it,” she says. “It’s a whole other form. It’s not something you can just jump up and do, especially if you’re a pop singer. It’s another mentality to consider…
Second Cup Café: Mandisa
“American Idol” Finalist Debuts Her First Album, “True Beauty”
“American Idol” fans remember the powerful vocals of finalist Mandisa, who appeared on the show in 2006. Now the rest of the world will get a chance to hear her with the release of her debut album, “True Beauty.”
Mandisa visits Second Cup Café to sing songs from the new album…
Celebrities brighten Strand
Fans brave storms at Sun Fun event
The sun wasn’t shining on the Sun Fun Festival on Saturday, but the stars sure were.
Celebrities - American Idol’s Justin Guarini, NFL Hall of Famer “Mean” Joe Greene, soap opera stars and others - drew hundreds of fans to the festival at Myrtle Beach’s Plyler Park, despite a pesky drizzle that occasionally erupted into a downpour…
‘Idol’ insider shares stories
For three seasons, Louisville native Art Conn has held a prized spot inside the whirling, white-hot supernova known as “American Idol.”
On a weekly basis this spring, wardrobe stylist Conn would take Jordin, LaKisha, Sanjaya and other “Idol” finalists shopping for their stage attire…
Big mouth strikes again
Don’t look now, but TV’s Mr Nasty is about to muscle in on our Saturday evenings all over again. Who knew being rude could reap such rewards?
…Walking up the stone steps to his large Holland Park house, therefore, is slightly intimidating. There’s a chauffeur outside and a security camera that lights up when you press the bell at the gate. The James Bond part of me is hoping for the front door to open onto a sprawling laboratory of popular culture, with vast super-mega-computers calculating the perfect cheekbones for a male singer, and a secret room of songwriting elves bashing away at fairy pianos, writing hits for The X Factor. When Cowell comes to the door, however, he’s all bounce and smiles. He’s wearing jeans and a dark, crew-neck jumper, his hair tousled. He carries a small, unmarked brown bottle in the same hand as his cigarettes and lighter, and dumps them before perching on a vast modern armchair in an immaculate, tasteful room decorated in muted autumn colours, a bit like a hotel. (He lived in one once, until he got bored with the room-service menu.) He – or, rather, his housekeeper – makes me tea, biscuits and hot cross buns, and he chats away, hesitant and cheerful rather than dry and snappy. I make some obvious goofs that television’s Mr Nasty would have leapt on, but he’s warm and friendly, and constantly calls me “Stephen”. ….
I WON’T BE A SPOIL SPORTY
…”But if the other girls do decide it is the way forward I don’t want to miss it so we’ll have to see.” She and the other girls - EMMA BUNTON, GERI HALLIWELL, VICTORIA BECKHAM and MELANIE BROWN - have been offered £1million each for a one-off Christmas concert.
Ex-manager SIMON FULLER is co-ordinating everything. It is only Mel C who is holding things up…
Elvis Everywhere!
…With the gate to the main concert area on Front Street not opening until 5 p.m., people were lining up in the rain as early as 3:30 p.m. to assure themselves good seats.
Minnie Williams was there to see 2006 American Idol winner Taylor Hicks and didn’t care how long she had to wait.
“He was my favorite Idol winner,” said Williams. “This will be my first time seeing him in person. If I have to sit in a little rain to get a good view of him than so be it.”…
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Morning, Lisa and thank you! I love this quote from the story on the tribute to Ella:
Let’s get her for a mentor on AI! That’s something those kids - of any season - need to hear from a real singer!
I would love it if the spice girls had a reunion show. I am not ashamed to admit I know all the lyrics to their songs. When we were little and used to pretend we were a spice girl i was either sporty or scary.
I do not recall seeing this video posted here (I’ve been reading the headlines all week) but I do apologize in advance if it was here. Ryan has a cameo in the new movie, Knocked Up; he has been getting a really good reaction from critics and the audience. Here’s an interview with him on the red carpet (it was before the finale), discussing the movie. He also said he was leaning towards one of the contestants to win (just slightly) but he thinks that will both have good careers. I bet it was Jordin but I’m not surprised - Jordin really wanted this win (being the AI junkie) and Blake did not really seem to care.
Here’s the link:
http://video.about.com/movies/Ryan-Seacrest-Interview.htm
Fronm Stephen Armstrong’s article on Simon Cowell, Times Online (Thank you, LisaB!)
“From then on, it became about control – revenge and control. He wanted to create the environment in which his acts would be showcased. He wanted to own the formats, not appear in them. He wanted every step of the process to be in his hands.”
May answer the question about whether it’s all in our heads that Simon is proactively anti-Taylor. This quote seems to state clearly that vengence is a part of Simon’s character.
Thanks for the article about Mandisa, Lisa. I actually saw her sing on Fox News this morning. I was channel surfing and there she was! She seems like a great person and she sounded really good.
I doubt that Simon spends any time planning revenge on Taylor, Hickifino. He was talking about his competition. Speaking of Simon, America’s Got Talent is starting up again and I don’t know if I want to watch it this time. I enjoyed some of the acts but wasn’t happy that a singer won. We already have AI.
I never watched America’s Got Talent, Bean… The adds reminded me of The Gong Show. :) I dont think Simon plans revenge either. I just think he promotes who he thinks will pad his pocket book. That’s business.
I won’t say Simon is anti-anyone but he does say things that he feels will benefit the image of show, as well as, what he feels the fans of the show wants to hear. I’ve noticed that side of him from the beginning of AI. Simon is a man of his own personal agenda and will say or do whatever it takes to further it.
I’ve never watch the show, so what’s the benefit of winning the contest. Will the singer receive a recording contract?
These are pictures from Katharines second charity event with her Mcphee Outreach for kids program. The pictures of her are on pages 8 to 14, 19 and 20.
http://www.denimdiamonds.ca/gallery.php
She looks great, even Nick looks great, it’s so obvious how much he loves Kat. I don’t care about the age thing at all. It shouldn’t matter anyway.
Totally. He’s completely transparent and, for somebody who has a reputation for being honest, he’s probably the judge who contradicts himself the most.
Take for instance the constant drum beat he kept up during the early competition when Sanjaya and Haley were still in it: “This is a singing competition”. Simon shot death looks at poor Peter Noone when he said that he disagreed.
But, by the end of the competition, Simon was defending Blake by saying that he was the better Performer and that people should ignore his horrible singing on “This is My Now” and concentrate on how he performed on the first two songs. What happened to the singing competition?
Simon says whatever he thinks will sway the masses to do what he wants (and appears not to forgive easily…so don’t cross him).
Thanks to LisaB for continuing to post so many great Idol headlines. They certainly are in the news alot.
A little present for Hicksfans:
http://sheenabarnett.wordpress.com/
Since Simon’s “This is Your Life” is a headline today, here are a few clips from that show related to American Idol:
Simon getting surprised at the AI Finale (not shown on AI itself):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7G7Z1SOww2E
Paula, Randy, Ryan and Homer Simpson talking about Simon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1_wTrGEmac
The show aired June 2nd in the UK.
Oh Lord, I saw this last night. I had read that Seamonkey had a cameo but I didn’t spoil myself for just what went down in the cameo.
Needless to say, I lived out the cliché of finding something so funny that it could be termed a “knee-slapper.” (Or, really, a “thigh-puncher”…) I dare say that for a second there it seemed like he wasn’t even acting so much as he was Finally Getting Stuff Off His Chest.
It ruled.
It’s interesting that Taylor performed with LIMBO. I wonder if they are going to work together this summer. Nothing’s been said about who will be backing him now that the promotional tour is over.
foxydonna……….Taylors tour band has some time off. They will be with him starting on June 15th in Big Flats NY, and going on until an Oct date…….so far.
deleted because madaboutu is faster than me.
Did Kat perform here or was she just a guest? Nice to see her out with her Dad.
jersey……….not faster, just at the right moment. :)
I haven’t been commenting very much anymore, but like to check in on LisaB’s superb headlines.
The winner gets a million $, Sexygirl. It’s not a singing competition (really, this time). There were magicians, dancers, singing groups, a rapping granny, acrobats, jugglers, and various acts many of them oddball. I did enjoy some of them and hated others but ulitimately was disappointed that a little girl with a big voice won. They’ve replaced Brandy with Sharon Osborne as a judge.
Kirstin, after Simon said that they shouldn’t judge Blake on the extremely unfair song selection that was forced on him (my words, lol), he turned around and judged him on it by saying that Jordin mopped the floor with him on the song. I still prefer Simon to the other 2 judges. He’s as likely to trash my favorities as not but at least he makes it interesting.
I’m back from Tupelo!! :D I will type a recap and get it sent to MJ later tonight. The show was ABSOLUTELY AWESOME :D
Thanks for the info on Taylor’s band. He’ll be in Watertown, NY in August, and I’m hoping to get up there to see him.
Kristen, Simon took one listen to Blake’s redition of the Maroon 5 song he did and saw dollar signs. Just look at Blake as Maroon 5 lite..If I was not in love with the lead singer of that group, (he is so darn cute) I would say vocally Blake could easily replace him and I would not even blink.
Bean you hit the nail on the head. Simon is interesting and unorthodox in his comments. He is not really honest but he dares to take being meanspirited to a new level. It’s what makes him so well liked and hated at the saame time. He has made being meanspirited cool..
Yep. Simon is not afraid to contradict himself on the same show. LOL.
He is an interesting judge that does help to make the show what it is.
I like Blake and I agree with Peter that it is not strictly a singing competition, so I wouldn’t have had a problem if Blake had won.
Wow! That’s a better prize than winning Idol (which is a million dollar contract, but given the way that record companies account for spending, who knows what you actually get. Plus, it has never been made clear whether or not you have to pay back the million dollars out of your earnings just as with a regular recording contract). Of course, you get more exposure on Idol, so there is that (but you don’t have to win to get the exposure).
Simon liked Blake way before Blake ever stepped on that stage singing Maroon 5. I don’t know if Simon “gets” it, or if he does indeed just see dollar signs. But he was on Blake’s side before that week.
Yeah I remember right around the time finals started, Simon was talking about Blake being a darkhorse in the press…
Sarah, I’m not saying that Simon did not like Blake. Liking him and wanting him to go far because he sees him as being very marketable are two different things in Simon’s eyes. He also liked Sanjaya too, if I’m not mistaken.. Simon’s words are like silly putty being thrown up against a wall, IMO. He puts a lot out there to see which one will stick so he will always looks like he knows what he is talking about. He was always like that.
Do you regret NOT voting for Sanjaya, or not voting enough for him, during Season 6? Do you feel guilty that he did not place in the top 3 or 4, - or better?
Well, now is your chance to right that wrong. Yes, you now have another chance to VOTE FOR SANJAYA.
Most likely both, usually every event she goes to they ask her to perform, she and “her dad” were receiving another award for their charity work.
I happen to think Nick looks great, but JMO.
She didn’t perform Nanny, it was actually held in Montreal and a local radio station had a contest where you got to hang out with mcphee and go shopping.
What I love about Simon is he says a lot of what people are thinking but afraid to say, or already saying in their houses.
Thanks Rad, I wasn’t sure, I just know that most of the time she is asked to perform. I for one would have loved to win that contest. I don’t really care about the shopping, I just bet Kat would be great fun to hang out with. : )
Does Simon actually make money from any of the idol contestants? I found it interesting that he made it clear that he wanted Melinda to win but she probably won’t be the biggest money maker from this season.
RSF
So, Simon liked Sanjaya, eh? I must have missed him saying that amongst all the “you’re terrible” comments.
I am not saying, sexygirl, that you ever said that Simon did not like Blake.
My point - you said Simon took one look/listen/whatever at Blake singing Maroon 5 (which was during top 3 week) and saw dollar signs. That statement implies that this was the first time Simon had ever said anything positive about Blake or the first time he had ever realized potential in him. Whereas, Simon was actually complimentary of him, even calling him a “star” (on Oprah, after IGB) and “the strongest male in the competition” (top 10 week), FAR before then.
Sarah, I think you misunderstood my post. My post was in jest to the question Kristen asked in reference to Simon’s comment about singing, as far as Blake was concerned..Maybe next time I need to put the “LOL” behind my statement…LOL
By the way, Simon did like Sanjaya during the Hollywood round and his audition. It was when Sanjaya got on the top 24 stage did Simon started to sing a different song, so to speak.