Today’s Idol headlines after the jump…
PrideFest shines despite downpour
…..“American Idol” contestant RJ Helton took a moment to squeeze in between drag queens Dieta Pepsi and Flo, who kept the crowd going all weekend long. The pair bantered back and forth between acts and introduced various performers. An estimated 80,000 people attended the event, held at Tower Grove Park.
Kelly Clarkson brings unpretentious talent to Gammage Auditorium
Kelly Clarkson just may be the most accessible pop star performing today.
Kell-ster slapped tons of people’s hands in the crowd at her concert Nov. 20 at Tempe’s Gammage Auditorium, and she had great rapport with the audience throughout the night, not acting pretentious in the least.
She opted for a stripped-down stage set-up, which really worked in the venue. Gammage seemed to be appropriate because the place was packed and there wasn’t much fanfare on-stage………
John Rich’s reality TV fiasco?
….The series cast includes Bobby Brown (R&B singer, former member of New Edition); Carnie Wilson (singer/songwriter, former member of Wilson Phillips); Dee Snider (radio personality and lead singer Twisted Sister); Diana DeGarmo (recording artist, Broadway actor and American Idol finalist); Julio Iglesias Jr. (pop singer); Maureen McCormick (The Brady Bunch); and Sisqo (R&B singer, former member of the group Dru Hill).
Can you say train wreck?….
‘Idol’ winner is fired up about debut CD
Describing Jordin Sparks, the reigning “American Idol” champ, as effervescent doesn’t do justice to the 17-year-old Arizona native’s fizzy personality.
Sparks’ self-titled debut, cranked out in the five months between her “Idol” victory in May and the end of October, hit stores this week. If she’s at all worried about her future in the ever-fickle pop music business, she doesn’t show it.
So how’re you feeling about your album? Nervous? Excited? Scared?…….
American Idol’s Jordin Sparks Releases Debut Album
Jordin Sparks, the youngest American Idol winner to claim the crown, has just released her first album. The production is a result of her last-season victory…but is Jordin now last season, as well?…….
Famous ‘Idol’ runner-up gets in the Christmas spirit
Claymates are on alert.
Big-voiced Clay Aiken, the object of their affection and the most famous runner-up in “American Idol” history, is on his way to St. Louis to celebrate “Christmas in the Heartland.”
“Doing a Christmas tour is kind of my Christmas tradition at this point,” Aiken says. “I don’t even know if I can do a December without doing a Christmas tour.
“But we don’t go to the same area every year, and it’s been a few years since I’ve done the Midwest,” adds Aiken, who released “Merry Christmas With Love” in 2004. Advertisement
“I like doing Christmas tours because people have memories that go along with Christmas songs, more than regular secular songs. I’m not sure you remember where you were the first time you heard ‘Bootylicious,’ but you remember when you first heard ‘Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire,’”"” aka “The Christmas Song.”
During his new tour, Aiken will incorporate original Christmas stories that fans submitted for the show.
“We wanted to make this as personal as possible,” he says.
Aiken will perform with the Fox Theatre Orchestra. On previous tours, he has used high school choirs, community theater musicians and local symphonies. Initially, the orchestra idea scared him, but now he relishes the opportunity.
“I get a whole new orchestra every night, re-rehearsing each time with different people,” he says. “Doing a regular show five nights can be stale. This freshens it up a bit. It’s always interesting with these different personalities and people on stage.”
In an interview last week, Aiken talked about the status of his new CD (which follows last year’s “A Thousand Different Ways”); his debut next year in “Monty Python’s Spamalot”; why he hasn’t watched “American Idol” in a while; and that rumored tour with Ruben Studdard and Kimberly Locke…………
Long Island Event Promises to Rock the Big Apple
Miss Dance of the United States(R) 2007 Justine Delpriora to Appear at
Cerebral Palsy’s Festival of Trees Event
The United States Tournament of Dance and Performing Arts announced today that 2007’s Miss Dance of the United States Justine Delpriora participate in the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County’s world famous Festival of Trees scheduled for November 23 - 25th 2007 at the Long Island Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Uniondale, NY. Miss Dance USA will be joined by American Idol show stars Kevin Covais from Long Island and Amanda Colucci “the Jersey Girl”………
Rock Band Daughtry Hope To Make A Difference For Kids With Autism
Parents Of Autistic Children (POAC) a non profit organization from Hazlet, New Jersey who provides scientifically based training to parents, teachers, emergency care providers and loved ones of autistic children throughout the area, is happy to announce that a portion of the proceeds from the Daughtry Concert at the Nokia Theater in Times Square New York City on Tuesday December 4th and Wednesday December 5th are to benefit POAC.
Earlier in the year, triple-platinum recording group Daughtry and their management team at 19 Entertainment were contacted by Kevin Martin, lead singer of the multi-platinum rock band Candlebox to perform together in a concert to benefit Martin’s favorite charity, POAC.
Immediately Daughtry replied with a resounding yes. Since that time the two groups were having a tricky time finding a schedule that would work out where they both could play together…………
Third place the charm
With lucrative recording deal, ‘Idol’s’ Yamin enjoys life at the top
Elliott Yamin always loved to sing but, as his mom has pointed out in interviews, there was a time he was too shy to do so in front of an audience.
That’s a far cry from the flashy “American Idol” stage in California where Yamin, 28, sang his way past fan favorites like Chris Daughtry, Paris Bennett and Kellie Pickler before 30 million viewers — and the hypercritical Simon Cowell — to finish third in 2006.
To get there, he battled Type 1 diabetes (he was diagnosed at 16), 90 percent hearing loss in his right ear, crooked teeth in a looks-obsessed industry and, of course, Simon Cowell.
“People get emotionally invested with the whole underdog story. Maybe I didn’t have the commercial look, I was labeled the underdog. I was always labeled the kid with the potential growing up but didn’t realize until now. It’s flattering,” says the Virginia-bred Yamin who rolls into Revolution Hall in Troy on Friday evening……..
Good sounds
JORDIN SPARKS Jordin Sparks; Jive Records.
Jordin Sparks is “Young and In Love” – and “Just for the Record,” she’s into that “Shy Boy.”
Those are some of the song titles from Sparks’ self-titled debut album, which oozes the earnestness that endeared the bubbly 17-year-old to gazillions of tween girls – and their mothers – as she sang to victory on “American Idol.”
Sparks has the wholesome appeal of a Disney Channel star – clearly an asset, at a time when Miley Cyrus/”Hannah Montana” is selling out stadiums in no less than four minutes…….
Sparks pleasing on debut album
….Unlike many of her “Idol” predecessors, Sparks eschews the all-things-to-all-people approach. Instead, her handlers wisely have her rotating on a dance-pop-soul axis in the vein of Beyoncé, Nelly Furtado and Christina Aguilera. It’s going to take Sparks awhile to establish her own creative identity — she’s a little too formless vocally here — but the potential is obvious.
As has been the case for a few years, the Norwegian songwriting/production team billed as Stargate shows a real flair for wedding analog instrumentation to digital cool on “Just for the Record,” which should be a ubiquitous smash on the order of “Irreplaceable.” The songs share a formula: a singsong melody that adheres instantly to the brain, a leisurely groove punctuated by clap-beats and twitchy percussion, and an almost country-style guitar riff. “Record” has the bonus of a winding whistle in the background that adds to the sunny-day, forward momentum. It may be a template, and one they use to less shiny effect on the first single, “Tattoo,” but it’s a cookie cutter that offers reliably pleasing shapes….
Sparks Pleased To Duet With Her Crush Brown
American Idol winner Jordin Sparks was delighted to record a duet with Chris Brown recently - because she used to have a poster of the R’n'b hunk on her bedroom wall.
The pair’s No Air duet features on her upcoming eponymous debut album, and Sparks admits she never thought she’d get to sing with her ideal man.
She says, “I have the biggest crush on him (Brown).”……..
Related Posts
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving! :)
We should all remember the old theory “If we were all alike it would be a boring world”. So, we should all be thankful for the opportunity to choose what musical talent we want to give fan support to.
Happy Thanksgiving to my U.S. friends, and thanks to MJ and all who make this the best Idol resource in the known world. Even though I am not able to post much due to work constraints, I still read almost every word, every day!
As for today’s headlines, I got a chuckle out of Clay’s comment about Idol. “I haven’t watched an episode in two years, by choice. It’s not fun for me anymore. Everyone has to graduate at some point,” he said. Do I detect a teensy, weensy bit of bitterness?
Hey Foxy. Thanks. :)
And this:
Maybe a little irked that pop radio won’t touch him with a ten foot pole? Ha ha.
If Clay gets good reviews on Broadway, it’ll help his cred. Spamalot is a really good opportunity for him.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Have a wonderful day.
On this Thanksgiving, I also want to say, thanks MJ for this blog. It is a great one!
(and if you can, please record Chris Sligh’s National Anthem performance tonight - please please please) 
Oh, and I almost forgot - the traditional Thanksgiving song:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=b8DtpdXZi0M
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I’d like to add my thanks to MJ also for this great blog. I’m hooked! :) Thanks for all you do MJ!
Happy Thanksgiving! I too would like to give Thanks to MJ for all the work she puts into this great site!
Amen to that! Hope everyone reading this has a wonderful day!
Stopping by to say:
Thanks to MJ for such an entertaining and informative blog.
Thanks to Lisa B for the news and info.
Thanks to the posters here who also keep me informed and definitely laughing pretty much every day.
Cheers! And on with the eating!!!
Ahhhh Packers football and *** McPhee. What could be better on a Thanksgiving Day? Packers football without *** McPhee.
Thanks for reminding me Ladybug. Lisa B thanks for all you do too! And thanks to Kirsten for the numbers!
Katharine McPhee Mother Goose Parade - Part One
Katharine McPhee Mother Goose Parade - Part Two
Happy Thanksgiving to MJ and all who post here! Yay for Thanksgiving, family, food, and football with the Cowboys!
Katharine McPhee anthem for the Detroit game today.
heh.
In yesterday’s Idol Headlines was an article by a critic that claimed that Chris Daughtry dissed American Idol. I was totally shocked at that since Chris has repeatedly thanked Idol in interviews for giving him the wonderful opportunity that all of the top 10 competitors benefit from. Today I ran across this comment from another source that seems to refute the information in the first item.
The following appeared in a 2-page spread in a UK Magazine:
“I’LL NEVER REGRET AMERICAN IDOL…..
It was great and I had fun while I was on there. I wouldn’t take it back and it is not something I would ever regret doing. Without it I would still be playing to the same 15 people in North Carolina.”
There was more in that paragraph which I couldn’t make out even with a magnifying glass. But I think the above shows Chris’s true colors.
It’s easy to cherry pick quotes to prove what you believe. And there are plenty of soundbites out there to be used by fans and naysayers alike. If I weren’t so lazy, I could do a compare and contrast. :).
By the way–this is for Kat–I found one media outlet…MSNBC, that tried to take that Daughtry quote from the Ama’s and make something of it.
And there is a video here
Ha ha…Dan Abrams has crappy ratings, so I don’t think he’s going to have much impact.
I just heard Kelly Clarkson do the half time show at the Cowboys football game and I was shocked. Was this an off day or is that the style singing she’s doing now. I loved her on AI but not today. I’m probably out of the loop as far as popular music is concerned but I do have likes (and dislikes). Kelly,the singer. please come back.
sou
Kelly C. blew chunks at the half time show.. She really needs to take sometime off. What happened to her voice??
Interesting day for Idol appearances….Kat singing the NA before the Lions/Packers games was not so good. She started off too high and I cringed when she screamed the highest notes. Jordin was adorable as she lip-synched her song “Tattoo” while riding a float in the Macy’s parade. Very sweet and highly cheesy - perfect for the Disney crowd. And then there was Kelly’s half-time performance at the Dallas/NY Jets game. I noticed she sang all of her “old” songs. IMO her singing was off and, as Randy Jackson would say, “It was just a’ight.”
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I ate waaaay too much turkey and dressing. Now I need a nap.
Haha, mj, thanks for finding that for me. I’ve got mixed feelings about it–in a way happy that all the Idols are fair game (instead of just the ones who are predetermined to be underperforming “losers”), but mostly disappointed because it’s stupid to take one quote out of context and make a story out of it.
Happily eating my words from yesterday. They taste delicious with cranberry sauce. Happy Thanksgiving to all!
I just watched the link Bignliddle left of Kat singing the National Anthem.
Wow. That was not good. Lots of screeching and unnecessary vocal gymnastics.
I tried to tape Kelly’s performance this afternoon, but my recorder goofed up.
Kat- I wasn’t even trying to look for that, it just showed up in one of my alerts. Dan Abrams looked a little pathetic trying to make something out of nothing. I never watched his show before. It’s pretty lame.
Baaaaaaaad….
Kat’s NA was so slow. I thought it would never end! What’s a “pe-roll-lous” flight anyway? It was bad, but unfortunately, not as bad as Kelly’s performance. Yikes. Can’t find a YouTube of that, and for her sake, I hope none surface.
I’m sorry to hear that about Kelly. How many songs did she sing?
Everyone has an off night. Last year a video surfaced of Clay butchering some xmas song. It happens to the best of them. Daughtry bitches about idol, Kat yells, and Elliott wears a hideous white suit in an equally hideous video. Like I say everyone has an off night.
ETA: It does seem like Kelly does seem off during these sports events. Don’t know why, but she does.
Funny thing about the Daughtry comments being taken out of context - Carmen Rasmussen, who apparently has no other job than to go on TV talk shows & talk about other idols, says it was taken out of context. Last year, when Taylor’s comment about Idol fizzling out for him, since it was time to pass the torch, so to speak, Carmen was all over those shows saying how ungrateful he was. Sure am glad she’s out there to get to truth for all of us.
She did three songs - Walk Away, Never Again, SUBG, and went from bad to worse. Yikes..
After seeing how full of herself little goat girl is from the rewind show, I understand how she thinks she is fit to comment on far more successful idols, and yep, that includes Taylor, he may be b list, but she is certainly d list at best. See Carmen we can all be critics, lol!
Which season is Carmen from? She may be lower than the d-list… Who in the heck is she?
Carmen’s from Season 2. She placed sixth, and was actually Simon’s wildcard pick for that season. She’s a country singer but her voice is extremely twangy. Cute girl, but hasn’t been able to go far with a career. She was known more for being so young on the show and a mormon (she was into her religion).
Thanks BigNLiddle. I wouldn’t know her if she appeared at my door. :)
I had forgotten that Carmen didn’t make the top 32 that season. She was brought back, though (I think they decided to bring people back to compete because they let Frenchie go - I really don’t remember), and Simon picked her as his wildcard to go to the top 12. I remember there was much consternation as others more worthy were passed over. Once she got to the top 12, she proceeded to pretty much butcher every song she sang, and Simon and Randy tore her to shreds. Had there been a VFTW that season, she would have been their pick. As it was, she remained far too long and on one show, dissolved in tears. I think she made the top six.
I am enjoying Idol Rewind. Season two was really good. I noticed they didn’t give Frenchie a chance to talk about her disqualification. They should have.