This Week’s Top 5 Top 6
Jon Bon Jovi is mentoring the kids this week for Top 6 Part Deux. Idol arranger, Michael Orland spills the beans in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. He says the kids will select their songs from a pool of Bon Jovi tunes. Michael thinks the theme will be easier for the guys than the girls. But, about Jordin Sparks he says, ”…the second it was announced we were doing a Bon Jovi week, she requested her song early. She knew exactly what she was going to sing. ”
On Wednesday, Jon’s band, Bon Jovi drops by to perform their new single, “(You Want to) Make a Memory.”
American Idol Songwriting Contest
On May 2, voting starts for the American Idol Songwriter contest. Twenty songs have been chosen out of thousands of submissions, and after registering online fans can listen to the candidates and vote for their favorite.
Simon Cowell on Ellen
Simon Cowell appeared to chat with Ellen DeGeneres on her show Monday. Watch his interview here. He thinks Melinda Doolittle and Jordan Sparks will be final two, but Blake Lewis and LaKisha Jones could come up from behind. And, he thinks that Phil Stacey and Chris Richardson are in trouble this week.
Simon admits he doesn’t pay attention during contestant’s performances because he’s already heard them in dress rehearsal, where there are no distractions. In other words, his mind is pretty much made up after dress, allowing him to spend time during the televised performance chatting with Randy Jackson and torturing Paula Abdul. Ellen ran a clip from country night that had Simon pulling on Paula’s nose while Phil Stacey sang his number.
More on Idol Gives Back
Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher is unhappy with the IGB video piece that featured the folks from Eastern Kentucky as toothless, illiterate and out-of-work. He feels that the segment, “emphasized Appalachian stereotypes and did not mention the strides the state has made in improving literacy.”
According to Slate Magazine, Shrek the Third producer Jeffrey Katzenberg, who was in the audience with Shrek star Antonio Banderes was supposed to deliver Justin Timberlake, who plays a young prince in the movie, to Idol as a mentor. The official reason Justin’s appearance fell through, was that his touring schedule changed. But it turns out, Justin was in Scotland with his family last week.
Here’s People Magazine’s behind the scenes account of Wednesday’s special. Seal drove himself to the gig in a black Ferrari.
Beatles for Sale
This interview with Ken Warwick is stale, but it does offer up a few interesting tidbits worth noting. For instance, the producers tried to get Beatles producer George Martin as a mentor for a Beatles week, but Martin could not fit an Idol appearance into his schedule. Plus, there’s quite the lengthy discussion of how the mics are set up in the studio vis a vis “eyeroll gate”. The interview is a very complete transcription of Ken’s teleconference interview with reporters last week.
A Passage To India
Finally, from Blogcritics.org a very interesting take on the Simon Cowell–Sanjaya Malakar dynamic, taking English colonialism into consideration.
Related Posts
What a nice picture to see first thing in the morning when I come to MJ’s!
It would have been better had Richie been in it but I can handle looking at JBJ First thing in the morning. I can be happy knowing I see Richie tomorrow night! :)
oh the eye candy of Jon Bon Jovi is alone worth watching tonight.
Regadless that I’m not really in love with his newer material, I still think he’s quite nice to look at.
Saw Bon Jovi in concert ages ago. They do put on a GREAT show.
Let’s hope for some good Bon Jovi choices this evening!
Now this quote is interesting. We are supposed to infer that Phil was in the bottom two this past week? When I would bet good money it was Lakisha and Chris. Heh. I knew there would have to be a sacrife to quell Tsathy. Still hopin it’s not Phil…
Love the pic, thanks MJ. I love that Jon will be the mentor this week, major eye candy. I’m not so sure about Bon Jovi songs for the idols, though.
I love Bon Jovi and look forward to tonight’s show, for a change. And it will be interesting to see how the remaining competitors do with his brand of pop-rock. It will also be interesting to see if anyone (Phil or Lakisha) has the nerve to tackle Wanted Dead Or Alive
Simon Cowell has yet again demonstrated that he is both a rude and boorish Brit. Even if he listens during rehearsal that, in no way, makes up for the fact that he acts like a recalcitrant juvenile delinquent during the actual broadcast. I can imagine that his antics are off-putting to the contestants or have they learned to just avoid looking at his corner of the table during their performance.
I thought I read a long time ago that the judges do NOT listen to/watch the dress rehearsals? Maybe I am wrong.
I thought Simon was bored with the show starting Season 5 and this seems to have carried over to Season 6.
As to Bon Jovi. Bring on the hot boys! I am ready for that one.
It will be very interesting to see what this group has chosen to sing from the band’s catalog. Perhaps I will perk up a bit this show.
Ladybug, I am with you on the dress rehearsal bit. I thought that during dress rehearsal that they had “fake judges”. In other words other people sitting in pretending to be R, P, and S. I know for a fact I read that somewhere last season from someone that attended dress rehearsals on a regular basis.
I want to see how Melinda and Lakisha do with Jovi. I just can’t picture it.