Today’s Idol headlines after the jump…
‘American Idol’ winner gets stage legs on tour of ‘Heaven I Need a Hug’
The winner of the second installment of Fox’s top-rated “American Idol” comes to Milwaukee this weekend to prove that he’s more than just a singer.
Ruben Studdard stars with Robin Givens in “Heaven I Need a Hug,” on Saturday and Sunday at the Riverside Theater.
“I try to keep myself as busy as I can, because, you know, you have to work while you’re young,” says the 29-year-old Studdard.
This play is preparation for the 30th anniversary revival of “Ain’t Misbehavin’ ” he’ll be doing next year.
“I just wanted to get the opportunity to get some legs, some stage legs, under me,” he says of this theatrical endeavor……
Daughtry gets all the basics right
The former ‘Idol’s’ performance has appealing if generic songs, a strong voice, singalongs, and a tinge of dark mystique.
Ben and Sophie Ulene had trouble elaborating on what drew them to the Daughtry concert Monday at the Orpheum Theatre.
“I liked him on ‘American Idol,’ ” was all Ben came up with beforehand, referring to singer Chris Daughtry, the 2006 “Idol” fourth-place finisher who fronts the quintet bearing his name. The group has this year’s biggest-selling album and, as of Sunday, three American Music Awards. Beyond that, Ben only shrugged………
Clarkson wows crowd at concert
….In a night of many highs, Clarkson’s soulful, gospel-tinged version of Patty Griffin’s “Up to the Mountain” stood out, as did the singer’s flustered reaction to a woman’s sign that read “Kelly, I’m Pregnant With Your Baby!” (Clarkson joked, “Security!,” then asked, “How is that possible?”)….
Kelly Clarkson breaks away from expectations
It may seem odd to start with the very last song Kelly Clarkson sang at the Gibson Amphitheatre on Sunday but in considering that tune you come to appreciate both where she’s been and where she’s going.
“Since U Been Gone” is the Kelly Clarkson song that practically everyone knows, a near-perfect single with just enough crunch to feel like rock, and a chorus so irresistible that it’s impossible not to sing along……
Billboard, AEG Align For 2008 Awards Show
….Billboard will not produce an awards show this year. Instead, a comprehensive breakdown of the most significant chart achievements of 2007 in a wide array of genres will appear in Billboard’s year-end issue, on newsstands and online Dec. 14.
Boys and Girls Club watch performance by Bo Bice
The Oprah Winfrey Boys and Girls Club along with hundreds of school-age children from across Mississippi attended and participated in the Lights On Afterschool 2007, a celebration of afterschool programs and the positive impacts they have on children and communities, at the MSU Riley Center for Education and the Performing Arts in Meridian Nov. 15.
Attendees were surprised by American Idol alum Bo Bice and Julia Burton, an up-and-coming country singer and 2004 Miss West Virginia…….
Single Minded: Sebastian Bach, Freeway, Nine Inch Nails and More
….Jordin Sparks, “Tattoo” [MySpace]
First single from last year’s American Idol winner is built on the chorus “you’re on my heart just like a tattoo.” This prompts a few questions, chief among which is, “Where can we get one of these heart tattoos? Do you have to go to some kind of combination inker/cardiologist? Do they take Aetna?”….
Dot Dot Dot vies to rock a record deal on Fox
….Dot Dot Dot is one of seven bands remaining from the original 12. And while they’re billing themselves as a Chicago band, Dot Dot Dot has plenty of support in the Rockford area. The Janes were staples of local bars, fairs and festivals, and Dot Dot Dot in its current form has made the Rockford rounds as well.
The band is also getting a little help from Lonnie Iske and Ginny Austin, who film concert footage and make music videos for local bands through their company, Vixen Productions. Iske and Austin, who met two years ago in a class at Rock Valley College, filmed Dot Dot Dot’s concerts throughout the summer and fall. Each week, they make a new music video using that footage and a song from the band….
Someone Actually Impressed By ‘Idol’ Reject
You’re forgiven if you thought for a second that Kip Winger was death-grinning at you from the cover of this week’s Village Voice; in fact, that rictus belongs to American Idol cast-off Constantine Maroulis, who was the inexplicable recipient of a lengthy profile in today’s issue………
Exclusive Interview: Jordin Sparks, Winner of ‘American Idol’
Jordin Sparks, the teenager from Glendale, Arizona, was the surprise winner of American Idol’s sixth season, taking down heavyweights like Melinda Doolittle, Blake Lewis, and Lakisha Jones along the way. Her big voice and infectious personality made Sparks a beloved figure, and America voted accordingly, crowning Jordin American Idol champion last May. Since then, Jordin has enjoyed a whirlwind Idol tour of America, followed by a fevered stint in the recording studio. Her first album, entitled Jordin Sparks, was released today with heavy expectations. Jordin spoke with us yesterday about her first album, her time on the Idol tour and what she has in store for the future……..
Christmas Begins on GMC this Weekend
American Idols George Huff & Mandisa Kick-Off Gospel Music Channel’s Christmas Programming this Weekend
This weekend, Gospel Music Channel begins more than a month of world premiere specials, series, music videos and holiday programming to celebrate Christmas 2007. American Idol favorites Mandisa and George Huff launch the GMC Christmas season this Sat. Nov. 24 teaming for the first in a series of exclusive, new world premiere Christmas specials. On Monday, Dec. 10, GMC’s primetime line-up will switch to all Christmas programming, with blocks of Christmas music videos nightly. Then on Saturday, Dec. 22, GMC will begin presenting Christmas programming 24 hours a day leading up to a commercial free Christmas day………
Idol’s Sierra Gets TV Treatment
Onetime American Idol finalist Jessica Sierra has discovered a new way to stretch out her 15 minutes of fame.
The would-be singer, who has been in a drug-treatment program in California after pleading no contest to cocaine possession, will be the subject of an episode of VH1’s upcoming reality series Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, premiering Jan. 10.
She is one of nine participants on the show, which will be hosted by Loveline’s Dr. Drew Pinsky; others include Andy Dick, Tom Sizemore and former wrestler Chyna………
BET Serves Up ‘The Beyonce Experience,’ a BET News Special on Darfur and Marathons of Viewer Favorites, ‘Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is,’ ‘Baldwin Hills,’ ‘American Gangster’ and ‘College Hill: Interns,’ Beginning Thanksgiving Day
….BET AWARDS 2007 - BET celebrates another year of honoring extraordinary achievement in music, entertainment and sports, with a star-studded encore telecast. Peformances by 50 Cent, Diddy, Keyshia Cole, Lil’ Kim, Beyonce, Kelly Rowland, Ne-Yo, Ciara, Jennifer Hudson featuring Jennifer Holliday, Robin Thicke, Public Enemy and Bootsy Collins, Yolanda Adams, T.I. and more. Appearances include Chris Brown, Rihanna, Corbin Bleu, Nick Cannon, Jordin Sparks, Michael Clark Duncan, Queen Latifah, Big Boi (Outkast), Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and many more. Don Cheadle and Diana Ross are honorees for this year’s Humanitarian and Lifetime Achievement awards, respectively. Special musical tributes for Gerald Levert and James Brown….
Seventeen Style Stars Auction
….Celebs on the young and hot list are: Jessica Alba, Beyoncé, Ashlee Simpson, Avril Lavigne, Fergie, Rihanna, Pink, Hilary Duff, Lauren Conrad, Vanessa Hudgens, Jordin Sparks, Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen, Amanda Bynes, Hayden Panettiere, Emma Roberts, Lil Mama and Aly & AJ…..
Daughtry Looks Gift Idol In The Mouth?
During MSNBC Live with Dan Abrams on Monday night (November 19), Dan’s ‘Winners & Losers’ segment targeted ‘American Idol’ season five Chris Daughtry as the big loser of the day after he allegedly badmouthed the show backstage at the American Music Awards saying, “That show didn’t make me who I am.”
Abrams talked with former ‘Idol’ finalist Carmen Rasmusen about the report and said it was taken out of context.
Rockdirt will hook you up with a video to segment if you weren’t one of the handful of people that watched the show. - check it here
Strong women recording
….The first American Idol title and Grammy Awards are no guarantees of continued success. Kelly Clarkson is proof of that. Her third album My December (RCA/19), a far darker and more personal effort than her first two discs, is a declaration of independence in more ways than one. With the disc, she essentially washes her hands of an ex-boyfriend. It’s also an attempt to trade her American Idol image in for one with spikes instead of sparkles, and move out from under the shadow of contentious label head Clive Davis. So who won? It looks like a draw. Clarkson made and released the record she wanted to, but hasn’t been embraced in the same way as her other discs….
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I think it’s time to reassess what is expected of Idol winners. Record sales are down across the board. Winning AI is less of a novelty now than it was the first 3 or 4 seasons.
I wish! I don’t think they’ll EVER get tired of badmouthing Taylor Hicks. And Ruben. :(
Right. He was a member of Christian rock band who went Nickleback - and it’s working for him. He made a really good cd but if he were the same guy playing the same music, he’d have signed with a Christian label and he wouldn’t be rolling up the top 40 music charts… again, jmo.
Ruh roh…
Boy, they’re still dogging Kelly. When will they give her a break? So the album didn’t sell as big as her previous CDs, but d***, whose does? Most artists have a bad CD, down sales, it’s part of the music life.
Go Kelly!
I still think Jordin will do okay. The thing to remember about her is that she didn’t have this phanatical voting fanbase the way most AI winners do. She did enough to stay in the game and pull out the win at the end so she isn’t going to have a huge fanbase to go out and buy her album the first week.
I wouldn’t be surprised if she comes in a little higher than HDD is predicting though- Black Friday makes things awfully unpredictable in the end.
mj,
Maybe Taylor’s name will be out there in the near future. According to the audio blog he left at thhq today, he has some gigs lined up in December. He didn’t give any specifics, though.
I think it’s very possible that Jordin’s sales will be modest in the beginning, and then grow as she gains fans amongst the general public. She could do very well in the end. Or not. :). Time will tell.
The thing with Taylor, is that once his fanbase bought up the album, his sales were pretty much over. He just didn’t connect with the public beyond Idol-watchers.
Which in the grand scheme of things isn’t a bad thing for him. He’ll earn a nice living from his loyal fanbase, so it’s all good. Along the way, that fanbase may grow larger. It will be interesting to see what he does with his next album.
I think Jordin COULD grow if her JIVE is willing to be patient and invest in her. That remains to be seen though.
If she get’s a 2nd single (with video) then it means her label really believes in her. If not, then it means they’ve written her off.
The second single thing is not necessarily a sign of label support. Katharine got a second single as a follow up to her modestly successful first single. They shot a video and everything yet the song got no support from the label.
They may throw a second single out there and expect it to sink or swim on the merit of Jordin winning AI.
I think what the lower sales from both Taylor and now Jordin is proving that is the days of guarenteed album sales from winning AI are over. The labels are actually going to have to put out some money from promotion to get a return on investment.
I heard that McPhee had to pay her own money for that music video because the label was reluctant to release another single. I could be wrong but I swear I read that somewhere.
But I agree, AI guarantees nothing. Everyone can’t be Carrie or Daughtry. But that’s the problem with major record labels these days, they don’t invest in artist development. If an artist doesn’t hit it big immediately, they get kicked to the curb in short order.
If you take Jordin out of the context of ridiculous AI expectations, those numbers are excellent for a debut artist. But AI wants another Carrie or Kelly Clarkson. Me thinks Jordin is gonna start feeling the AI freeze soon if her album doesn’t have legs.