Idol Headlines for 1/29/08

By On 01/29/2008 · 58 Comments · In Uncategorized

Phil’s Pages: The first installment

Let’s start out the week with the inaugural installment of Phil’s Pages, wherein Season 6 finalist Phil Stacey kicks off a series of first-person accounts of his new, post-Idol career.

Hi! Phil Stacey here, you might remember me from the last season of American Idol. So much has happened in the last few months. It seems like ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s gone by so quickly.

The American Idol tour finished in late September. In October, I ended my active-duty Navy stint and ended up joining the Navy Reserve. I also relocated my family from Florida to Nashville, which was really cool. As much as I loved Florida, I didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have any family anywhere near me. My mom and dad live in Nashville, and so do my brother and sister-in-law, and now we get to all see each other a lot.

You might have also heard that I signed a record deal with Lyric Street Records and have my first CD coming out on April 15. I met the folks from the record label while I was on tour and we talked about the possibility of cutting a record. After the tour, we decided to go ahead and do it.

Idol Chatter

American Idol support group

Leesa Bellesi threw her hands up in the air and prayed: “Here I am Lord, send me to the backstage of American Idol.”

She was watching Season 5 of the ultra-popular television show in her Laguna Beach home at the time.

It was her calling, she thought, “to minister to the needs of the people on that show.”

Several weeks later, out of the blue, a pretty girl named Katharine McPhee walked into Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena where Leesa’s husband, Denny, founder of Coast Hills Community Church in Aliso Viejo, was serving as the interim teaching pastor. Katharine asked Leesa and Denny to pray for her à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ as she was about to go into seclusion for American Idol.

After so many Idol encounters, Leesa is launching a website, aiministryresource.com on Feb. 14, the day after the top 24 are announced, to offer them spiritual encouragement and financial support as they sing for votes and a shot at a life-changing record deal.

“I think it’s great,” says Sligh, who last week flew from Nashville, where he is recording a Christian rock album, to stay a few days at the Leesa’s mobile home getaway overlooking the oceanfront Montage Resort in Laguna Beach. “To have people who are willing to come to you financially when you’re in that position; It is a struggle.”

OCRegister

‘American Idol’ producer likes mining Texas talent

“There are some weird and wonderful people here,” says American Idol producer/director Nigel Lythgoe, explaining why Texas has become such a breeding ground for real-people casting calls. And Dallas in particular holds a special spot for Mr. Lythgoe, who not only brought the Idol auditions here in August, but was back in town earlier this month to hold tryouts for his other hit show, So You Think You Can Dance, at Southern Methodist University.

Dallas News

American Idol shows signs of being watchable this time around

The song remains the same as American Idol’s ghoul train pulls into Omaha, Nebraska, tonight. The same bum notes, the same hound-dog wailing, the same hit parade from Simon Cowell — the grand delusion springs eternal.

And yet, something is different this time. The genuine contenders appear to be sharper, more mature and more genuinely talented than in seasons past.

Canada.com

American Idol Smoke and Mirrors Continue

The above clip shows the American Idol audition of Kyle Reinneck, the Jake Shears-gone-demonic auditioner whose performance of “Never Again” sent him packing during the Dallas audition episode two weeks ago. Or does it? If Reinneck is to be believed, the clip above is actually the product of some creative editing, and the judges’ nasty comments about his weirdo stage presence are all in reference to his performance of a different song! Oh man, is this going to inspire some Zapruder-like scrutiny.

Idolator

American Idol: Songs That Need the Old Heave-Ho

After seven years and about 3.5 million episodes, we à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“American Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  faithful have heard it all from à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Like a Virginà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Let My Peepllllllll Gooooo.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  In many cases weà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve heard the song over and over ad nauseum. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s time to retire some of the old stand-bys. Likeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

Phillyburbs

Jason Rich keeps faith in God, looks to ‘American Idol’ for fame

Christian singer/songwriter Jason Rich, a 21-year-old from Dike, wasted no time in adding ?2008 American Idol contestant? to his biography.

Tuesday night’s episode of the hit talent contest on the Fox network will feature auditions in Omaha, Neb., that were held in August 2007. Viewers may get to see footage of Rich, who sang a country song, Keith Whitley?s ?When You Say Nothing At All.?

During the auditions, he was followed by an Idol camera crew for four hours as he worked on his girlfriend?s dad?s farm, something he does on a part-time basis. Such attention is usually a sign the show will feature Rich in some sort of profile segment. Rich was one of 20 contestants in Omaha to receive one of the show?s famous ?golden tickets,? usually seen being waved above a singer?s head just before they?re smothered in a group hug.

Des Moines Register

‘American Idol’ contestant from Chicago helps put spotlight on rare disease

When a 26-year-old Chicagoan recently moved on to the next round of “American Idol,” she was furthering more than her musical ambitions.

The popular show recently opened its seventh season featuring a video clip of Angela Martin and her 8-year-old daughter with Rett syndrome, raising awareness about a little-known genetic disorder.

“The e-mail started flying in as soon as the show was over,” said Chuck Curley, director of the International Rett Syndrome Research Foundation and a father of a 12-year-old with the condition. “This is a huge moment for us.”

Chicago Tribune

Larionov sisters might be on ‘Idol’

Listen up, fans of “American Idol” or Red Wings hockey or both.

There’s a chance tonight’s “Idol” episode — about the audition round in Omaha, Neb. — could contain a glimpse of Alyonka, 20, and Diana Larionov, 17, daughters of former Detroit Red Wings great Igor Larionov.

Although all things “Idol” are kept as secretive as possible, there’s been some Web buzz about the Larionov girls auditioning for the show.

You’ll have to watch to find out what happens. Little is known for sure, aside from a few brief comments dropped by their proud dad.

Last fall, during an interview with WXYZ-TV (Channel 7), Igor Larionov said his daughters were in Omaha trying out for “Idol” and waiting for final word from the judges.

Freep.com

Carly of American Idol

The past of one of the contestants on this seasonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s finally confirmed entrants on à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“American Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  has been the rage of some blogs for months.

Carly Smithson, who qualified during the San Diego auditions (aired last week on the show), is in fact Carly Hennessy, probably the most notorious singer to ever sell fewer than 400 CDs for a major label.

About six years ago, the Wall Street Journal focused on Hennessy as everything that was wrong with the music industry. (The original story is reproduced here.)

The one-sentence version of the story, from my point of view: A young attractive woman with a decent voice is run through a wringer by advisers and suits, and the resulting à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“productà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  fails to strike a chord with listeners during a downturn in CD sales.

Herald Review

Admire tries ‘American Idol’

“American Idol” fans soon may learn what many Siouxlanders already know: 17-year-old Katie Admire is very, very talented.

“She can do anything she sets her mind to,” says Diana Wooley, director of education at the Lamb School. “She should be able to go in a number of directions.”

Admire, though, is currently in the hunt for that elusive “Idol” title. The Sergeant Bluff-Luton High School homecoming queen auditioned last summer in Omaha and, according to sources, won one of the “golden tickets” to a second round. Beyond that? No one’s talking.

The popular talent show, in fact, is so secretive officials won’t even say what night an Admire audition may appear. Tonight, though, the Fox series is slated to spotlight its Omaha visit.

Sioux City Journal

Tulsan may be among ‘American Idol’ finalists

A Tulsa music scene regular also may be headed to Hollywood for “American Idol.”

David Cook, a singer/songwriter with an indie solo album, “Analog Heart,” will be shown in Tuesday’s “American Idol” episode featuring auditions from Omaha, Neb.

Tulsa World

Guadalupe homework program gets ‘American Idol’ grant

The Thunderbirds-Guadalupe Branch of Boys & Girls Clubs of the East Valley has received a $25,000 grant from American Idol to be used for its Power Hour program.

Power Hour targets youngsters 6 to 12 by providing opportunities for them to work on their homework and receive tutoring.

The money, received this past fall, was part of the “Idol Gives Back” telethon last season that raised more than $70 million.

The one-time grant of $25,000 will help Thunderbirds-Guadalupe cover training expenses, staffing, food, prizes/incentives, equipment, transportation and program supplies for the program, which runs Mondays through Thursdays. Another East Valley club, the Gila River Branch in Sacaton, also received an Idol grant.

AZCentral.com

Starr Report

Jackson doesn’t mince any words when it comes to former “American Idol” contestants whose albums have tanked following their initial success on the show. “Once you graduate high school you can’t blame the high school,” Jackson tells AOL Television. “The truth really is [that] it’s up to them to make amazing records. If they don’t make amazing records… you know, the business kinda catches up with them.”

NY Post

Midday Update

Carrie Underwood adds more March and April shows. Look for Ms. Underwood in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Ontario, Indiana and Michigan in March, Wisconsin, Ohio and Michigan in April.

Pollstar

Jordin Sparks, father share spotlight

Phillippi Sparks’ No. 22 New York Giants jersey may finally make it onto a Super Bowl playing field.

The local football legend and Maryvale High School graduate slipped on and off the Giants’ roster between the team’s last two Super Bowl appearances: a 1991 victory against the Buffalo Bills and a 2001 loss against the Baltimore Ravens.

Though Phillippi never felt Super Bowl grass beneath his feet, his daughter, 2007 American Idol winner Jordin Sparks, will when she sings the national anthem before the Giants vs. New England Patriots showdown Sunday at University of Phoenix Stadium.

AZCentral

Clay Aiken: I’m Not Justin Timberlake

Asked if his reputation as, well, the kind of kid who’d be the last one picked for the school sports team might hinder his social life, Aiken says, “Let’s not fool ourselves. … There are people like Justin Timberlake, males who are cool on radio right now, and then there’s me. If I heard myself in a dance club? If I went into a dance club à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ which I never do à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ and I heard Clay Aiken come on, I’d roll my eyes and get out.”

People

Clay Aiken Is the Ron Paul of the Entertainment World

The sleepy comments pages of nymag.com have exploded in the past 24 hours thanks to a single, indefatigable force: the power of Claymates. Anyone who has ever written anything about Clay Aiken knows that he is the Ron Paul of the entertainment world: Like Paul, Aiken is followed by a cadre of fans that will tirelessly seek out anything written about the man and instantly, and overwhelmingly, respond. (This innocuous Quote Machine from back in July, featuring Aiken, was the subject of the most e-mails Vulture’s ever received about a single post.)

So it should be no surprise that since Ariel Levy’s fascinating profile of Aiken in the current issue of New York was posted online last night, it has already accumulated 104 comments, and counting. Some are from appreciative Claymates thanking Levy for writing such a thoughtful piece; most are from crazy Claymates with a bone to pick. Nearly all of them include digressions in which the writers loudly proclaim their everlasting love for Clay. A collection of the most passionate, after the jump.

NYMagazine

Clay Aiken on Romantic Relationships: I Don’t Have Any Desire

Clay Aiken sat down with the new issue of New York Magazine to promote his run in Broadway’s Spamalot. But Aiken ended up on a tangent about his personal life, saying he has no sex life and no desire. He has refused to talk about it in the past, and recently got in a spat with Newsweek when they tried to ask about it.

Let’s not fool ourselves,” he says with his eyebrows up in his arch, queeny way. “The truth is? There are people like Justin Timberlake, males who are cool on radio right now, and then there’s me. If I heard myself in a dance club? If I went into a dance club–which I never do–and I heard Clay Aiken come on, I’d roll my eyes and get out. But you know what? I’m fine with being kind of vanilla! It’s oh-kye!” In his book, Aiken says that it’s not just clubs but also bars he dislikes: “The only reason people go to bars is to get drunk and have sex. To me, bars are what hell is like.”He imagines his social life here will be “nonexistent, really. I’m not a nighttime person.” He does not plan on dating, and he is not involved with anyone. “Heck, no,” he says. “My dogs.” He has never had a romantic relationship with anyone, unless you count the girls he took to dances back in high school in Raleigh. “I just don’t have an interest in … any of that at all. I have got too much on my plate,” he says. “I’d rather focus on one thing and do that when I can devote time to it, and right now, I just don’t have any desire.”

Huffington Post

Sex Tape Starring AMERICAN IDOLÂ ® Finalist Jessica Sierra to Be Released January 30th As She Undergoes Rehab in California

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–While former AMERICAN IDOL ® finalist Jessica Sierra completes her current rehab in nearby Pasadena, Vivid Entertainment, the worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s leading adult film studio, will release a steamy sex tape starring the troubled singer.

“Jessica Sierra Superstar” will go on sale January 30th in retail stores nationwide and online at http://jessicasuperstar.com.

“Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s an exceptionally explicit series of vignettes both solo and with Charles “C” Youngblood a man she met at a Hooters bar in Tampa. The tape also reveals much about the personality of Jessica and gives some insight that would be helpful for anyone curious as to how she has arrived at her current situation in life,” according to Steven Hirsch, co-chairman of Vivid Entertainment.

Businesswire

 
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
Reddit Facebook Twitter Delicious Mixx StumbleUpon Digg
  • jersey

    Whoa, Clay, TMI.

  • t2

    Phil! Phil! Phil!
    He is just so cute — meeting “Tim and Faith” and having the time of his life. I hadn’t heard a peep about him since his single hit the airwaves so it’s just so good to see anything about him. Knowing that I will never hear his song on the radio (we only get Daughtry (Can that song PLEASE be OVER!!!?) and Underwood from the idol catalog in this area) it’s just nice to read about Phil’s happiness.

    Poor Clay. The guy just can’t say anything without it be analyzed under a microscope. Yikes! With the way he is inspected, how could anyone expect him to have a normal relationship?

  • primeminister

    Yeah, TMI that everyone keeps asking him for! Ugh, the media will never leave him alone until he divulges everything about his personal life. Give the man a break already!

  • Nanny Mcphee

    I just heard Taylor on the Howard Stern show, he was being interviewed by one of Howard’s people at that golf tournament he went to a while ago. He said he loves Howard and listens to his show everyday. He was asked to describe Howard in one word and Taylor said “kind”, then he said something about smelly genitals, and how he likes when Howard busts his chops. Then he said I would love to go on his show, it was cool!!!! :smile1_tb:

    ETA: The smelly genitals thing was because Howard’s interviewer asked him if he had ever been with a girl that had them, and he gave some funny answer.

  • Little Boy Blue

    Poor Clay. The guy just canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t say anything without it be analyzed under a microscope. Yikes! With the way he is inspected, how could anyone expect him to have a normal relationship?

    Hey, he and that other guy who would not kiss a girl until they married could be best buddies ( in the most wholesome way of course :wink1_tb: )

  • Little Boy Blue

    For those who have the latest edition of TV Guide, there is a 1-page interview with Chris Daughtry mentioning his Grammy nominations.

    Believe it or not, he was asked about what he thought of Taylor Hicks being “dropped by his label” (those were the words they used) . Here’s how Daughtry sees it :

    “I think major labels are not for everyone. For some [artists], their vision of how they are creatively doesn’t quite fit the commercial aspect of the music. Hopefully Taylor will get an independent deal where he’s able to be who he is. Because the stuff I heard from his solo projects didn’t quite sound like the stuff that he put out on the major label.”

  • poporange

    deleted

  • abbysee

    Oh Cry Me a River Clay, puhleez. I feel about as sorry for him as I do for I’m gonna date a paparazzo Britney. You get the kinda press you make. This crap doesn’t happen by mistake, but by design.

  • hapi

    howard stern? tell me its not true. arrrrrggggghhh ick

  • Pixie Baker

    Gosh, the *Howard Stern* interview certainly doesn’t sound like an attractive thing for Taylor to say. I have read many of his interviews and this does not sound like him….sometimes he sounds like he stumbles for words when caught off guard but the *inappropriate* talk is something I have a hard time believing he said. If he did, I am disappointed. Taylor seems too much like a gentleman for this. JMHO
    Pix

  • http://www.AuthorsTeam.com maheshg

    Taylor was on Howard Stern. If you want to do Howard, you gotta get down and dirty. “No comment” is not gonna get you invited back. Once you decide you want to go on his show, you’ve decided to go the ungentlemanly route.

  • hapi

    Agree Pixie. Seems he is smarter than to “go there.” But sometimes one gets caught off guard. No comment and a smile with goodbye is the way to go on these things. Dont get me started on Stern. I surfed by once when he was trying to get a young man to get involved w/incest w/his sister. NOT funny.

    btw…he wasn’t on the Howard Stern show! But the stern show played an interview by one of “their” people who interviewed him at the golf tournament.

  • Lu

    à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“No commentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  is not gonna get you invited back.

    Note to self… always say “No Comment” to Howard Stern.

  • Lu

    Taylor’s Howard Stern comment (if he said it)…. ewwwwwwwwwwww yuck. Some things just dont really need to be said – ever.

  • hapi

    Remember…he was NOT on the stern show.

    it was an interview they chose to play on the show

  • Lu

    never mind… hapi had already answered

  • Pixie Baker

    Maheshg, I understood that Taylor’s interview from the Golf Tournament was played on Howard Stern….not that he was on the show. If he chooses to appear than that is another story. I have never watched or heard the program…only the comments. It is certainly no place I want to visit!

    Hi Lu!
    P.S. Sorry girls…you beat me to it! Fast fingers there!!!!!!

  • dorothy

    Does anyone have a link to this Howard Stern correspondent’s interview? If you go on HS site, there is no mention of it at all. Not to say that Taylor is big news anymore, but it is hard to believe that there was a taped interview of him played on the show today and there is nothing confirming it anywhere. Link please.

  • Lu

    Hey Pix!!! :)

  • undecided

    abbysee Jan 29th, 2008 at 11:18 am

    Oh Cry Me a River Clay, puhleez. I feel about as sorry for him as I do for Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m gonna date a paparazzo Britney. You get the kinda press you make. This crap doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t happen by mistake, but by design

    After all this time, seeing how the media takes turns trashing and misquoting all of them, do you really believe what you so harshly stated? Do you really think he deserved to be mocked by that little twit reporter because she can’t relate to a guy that would put relationships on the back burner while concentrating on his career? He deserves this treatment? Really?

  • http://myspace.com/girlgeek mj

    I don’t think you’re going to find a link to audio. Howard’s on satellite, and he does not stream his program anywhere. Unless someone comes across bootleg audio, I think you’re out of luck.

    IMO, I don’t think its a big deal. Howard has lots of fans. I’d say that the majority of them are not depraved. Therefore, if Taylor is a Howard Stern fan, that would not be a big deal, imo. Ditto if Taylor appeared on his show.

    ETA: For now, we’ll treat Taylor’s appearance as a rumor until there’s further proof

  • http://myspace.com/girlgeek mj

    Kill me now, but I thought the NY Magazine article on Clay was illuminating–interesing and thoughtful. I don’t think the reporter trashed Clay. I don’t think she’s a twit, either.

    I also don’t think there is any reason to feel sorry for him.

  • jersey

    I agree, MJ. I don’t think the reporter trashed him either – and I certainly don’t feel sorry for him. I also didn’t need that much info – idol love lives etc. – meh – don’t really care – JMO.
    ETA – as far as Taylor being on Stern, and his alleged comments – again – not in good taste but not a big deal. It’s Howard Stern, after all.

  • calimari

    Didn’t the poster who mentioned hearing Taylor on Stern say he ANSWERED a question about “smelly genitals” and Taylor gave a funny answer. No indication that Taylor brought up such a subject. I’ve listened to Howard when he used to air in Detroit. Sometimes the guy is absolutely hysterical, sometimes he goes too far. Again – his target audience are men between 18 & 35 or something like that. How many of us at MJ’s fit that demographic?

  • undecided

    mj Jan 29th, 2008 at 12:26 pm

    Kill me now, but I thought the NY Magazine article on Clay was illuminatingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’interesing and thoughtful. I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think the reporter trashed Clay.

    An easy thing to say when you don’t know much about him that doesn’t come from articles and tabloids that go for the sensational. Who needs accuracy when you can have fun at someone’s expense instead.

    All reporters refer to their subjects as liars and hicks don’t they? The interview subjects should be mocked by typing out their words in phonetically exaggerated southern accents too. If I were writing for NY magazine, I’d make it a habit to describe men as having queeny eyebrows and question their honesty and character in print before millions of readers. You can never tell with these southerners if they are real or a fictional creation by a public relations team, you know.

    Did you know that Clay is promosexual? Yes, isn’t the twit just so very clever. She even ignored the interview she had with him in favor of taking unrelated quotes from his now 4 year old book and weaving them into her own analysis of a man she just met and with whom she shares nothing in common. She was even so kind as to hire a highly controversial photographer who is anti-christian and known for taking very weird and ugly photos of celebrities. He delivered probably the most distorted picture of Clay I have ever seen. It did match her equally twisted portrayal of him. Shoot she even had him voting for Jesse Helms in 1996, before Clay was even old enough to vote, but then who worries about accuracy or journalistic integrity any more.

    I’m so sure that every artist dreams of having every word chopped, edited and twisted, rather than to be portrayed honestly and respectfully. Clay was called a “good little charity worker”. How much more bloody condescending could she get?

  • t2

    Well, even I have to admit that the picture they chose to show of Clay with that article was pretty cruel….

    Not worried about Clay though because he is doing a great job with Spamalot and enjoying himself.

    Now if we could only get back to the next CD…

    eta: is anyone else getting immense pleasure that Jared Kotter is getting more visibility than either Sundance or Sabrina Sloan?

  • jersey

    OMG, I know this has nothing to do with the headlines but the news program I’m watching just said that Drew Peterson contacted the Fox show Moment of Truth (which I believe is broadcast after AI, just to keep it relevant) because he wants to take a lie detector on the show on live tv! Unbelievable.

  • http://myspace.com/girlgeek mj

    An easy thing to say when you don’t know much about him that doesn’t come from articles and tabloids that go for the sensational.

    How do you know what I know about Clay?

    I’m not that invested in Clay as a person. So, I didn’t take offense to the writer’s approach.

    I rooted for him on the show, I think he’s got a good voice, but I find his sensibility too cheesy for my tastes. That’s why I applaud his stepping out of his box by moving to New York and attempting “Spamalot” which has some bite and some edge. Like the writer from NY Mag, I think Clay could come out of this experience a changed person.

    Of course, that writer may be very sorry she wrote the article. I hope her phone number and address are unlisted. I hope somebody warned her about the wrath of the Claymates. lol. That’s *some* Claymates..

    ETA: I liked the photo with the article *shrug*

  • undecided

    The wrath of the Claymates has become a legend of mythical proportions and is highly exaggerated, mj. She was thrilled that her article got 104 comments in 24 hours. That’s rank amateur according to the Claymate lexicon.

    ABC News is now picking up on the twit’s article and adding their own incredibly rude slant. They are discussing whether Clay is asexual, sexually repressed due to past trauma or just exhausted. Wouldn’t you love to be psychoanalyzed by some pseudo expert strangers based on a twisted article written by someone you met once and probably didn’t like?

    http://www.abcnews.go.com/Health/Story?id=4209024&page=2

    ETA: I liked the photo with the article *shrug*

    Maybe because that fish-eye view matches your view of him. People who know and like him are horrified at the cruelty of it.

  • http://myspace.com/girlgeek mj

    Maybe because that fish-eye view matches your view of him.

    I didn’t find the picture unflattering. Using a fish-eye lens to take a portrait like that is not unheard of.

    The press is always going to take a controversial statement and run with it. That’s just how it goes. I don’t think the writer should be blamed.

    ETA: That ABC article–spinning a whole story from Clay’s quotes about asexuality and consulting “experts”–is just STUPID.

  • tinawina

    Yeah, uhhh.. Clay has some… DEDICATED fans. The more extreme may indeed be a small percentage of the total, but that small group sure do earn every bit of their reputation, IMO.

    Clay’s a celebrity, and celebrities get asked all kinds of nosy questions constantly. Especially when the media sense a star’s frustration or reluctance talk about something. He’s not really being singled out in that way. Kinda comes with the territory, IMO.

  • jpfan

    Taylor was on Howard Stern? Good for him. I hope he does a full interview and says lots of funny, crude thing. He needs to get away from his AI persona as quickly as possible and become a “real” person again. Good first step Taylor in not becoming Clay Aiken.

    The article in New York magazine was interesting and I think pretty positive. Too bad Clay, your overinvested fans still think they need to protect you from the cruel world. My advice to you is appear on the Howard Stern show pronto. You’d probably be hilarious.

  • primeminister

    Look on the bright side, at least Clay is still making the news.

    And speaking as a fan of his, I like the photo in the article- it lessens the effect of the 30 pounds he apparently gained.

  • jersey

    There’s a preview for Paula’s new video up on Perez Hilton.
    http://perezhilton.com/2008-01-29-this-looks-like-it-could-be-good

  • hickifino

    In an interview about himself, Ryan Seacrest said something about being focused on career, too busy to date. Ryan went on to say that he was only 32 and would probably get serious about marriage and children when he was 40 or so. Ryan said he didn’t care if people assumed he was gay. Sounds as if Ryan and Clay are both saying pretty much the same thing.

    Maybe that’s the way it is for folks in show biz careers. They have to work while they’re in demand and put off a fulfilling personal life.

    It’s a shame they have to take so much flack for staying out of trouble and off of the scandal sheets.

  • jpfan

    Yeah, Ryan and Clay are both saying the same thing. :lol_ee:

  • Kirsten

    [Taylor] needs to get away from his AI persona as quickly as possible and become a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“realà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  person again

    See, now I don’t get where people are getting this so-called AI persona from at all. How does one get from “I was a roadhouse singer” to “too gentlemanly to ever make on off-colour joke”? I’m not criticising you, jpfan (I think we are on the same page here), I’m just stunned that some people would think that your typical chitlin circuit singer is a non-smoking, non-drinking, virginal, straight-laced, non-ribald joking kind of guy. Perhaps it’s just me, but I would tend to think the opposite. If Jane Austen can put off-colour jokes in her books (let alone what she wrote in private letters), I’m not going to be surprised when a guy who works in a bar in the 21st century finds such things amusing.

    Now, I don’t personally find Stern’s humour funny, but I don’t care to judge those that think he is. I’ve known far too many otherwise wonderful people who have senses of humour who differ from mine that I would have to be judging everybody.

    I’m far more bothered by Simon’s cruel Bush Baby jokes than by dirty jokes. Humour that his basically harmless doesn’t bother me.

    I think some people tend to project their own values onto others. I think this causes some to expect too much of others and will ultimately lead to disappointment. Provided somebody does what I’ve contracted them to do (e.g. sing at a concert) and they aren’t hurting anybody else by their actions (e.g. I’d have trouble attending a concert of somebody who enjoys torturing dogs to death), I think it’s best to let them lead their lives as they see fit. Anything else is asking too much.

    IMO, of course.

  • jersey

    The voice of reason.

  • jpfan

    I always felt Taylor “cleaned up his act” on Idol and played a character more than his real self. I’m sure his fans will appreciate getting a real person even if it involves a few off color comments. Anyway, it makes me like him more.

  • Little Boy Blue

    I always felt Taylor à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“cleaned up his actà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  on Idol and played a character more than his real self. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m sure his fans will appreciate getting a real person even if it involves a few off color comments.

    Anyone who ever saw Taylor’s performance of HOLLYWOOD NIGHTS at rehearsals.com would know who he really is. :wink1_tb:

  • Kirsten

    I always felt Taylor à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“cleaned up his actà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  on Idol and played a character more than his real self.

    Well, I do think that there are a places for things. AI is not the venue for making off-colour jokes or swearing like a sailor. It is aimed at a wide demographic. Nor would it be appropriate to whip out a ciggie in the middle of your song (and if you got one too near Paula’s Coke glass, there would probably be a catastrophic fireball).

    The Howard Stern Show is entirely different story. Singing Pat Boone songs and giving Amy’s little sample lecture would not go over well in that venue (unless one was trying to be ironic). Keeping it real doesn’t mean you have to sing dirty songs in church just because you sang them at the campfire the night before.

    But ultimately, trying to please all people all the time is not possible. So be real, but give some credence to the venue/audience, say I.

  • cheese

    Too bad Clay, your overinvested fans still think they need to protect you from the cruel world.

    Aww, c’mon, I’m sure some segment of the Claymate population will be inspired to lavish Clay with gift baskets filled with Viagra, porn movies and sex toys (but no oysters! Clay is allergic to shell fish!)

  • neonorange

    Kirsten, both your posts were ace

  • KTINTN

    Anyone who ever saw Taylorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s performance of HOLLYWOOD NIGHTS at rehearsals.com would know who he really is.

    Agreed … :)

  • CarieB

    Thanks for posting the preview of Pauler’s video, Jersey. She looks really good and can move at the ripe “old” age of 45. Heh. I did NOT, however, need to see Randy’s moves. Man looks creepy moving in to her like that…

  • Nanny Mcphee

    Ok people, I’m the one who posted the thing about Taylor being on Howard Stern, it’s true, he was on an interview, I did NOT make that up. He said he loved Howard, he said that he listened everyday, he made a comment about smelly genitals, he said he would love to go on Howards’s show one day and he described Howard as kind. He was not uncomfortable, he was laughing and joking with the interviewer, who’s name is Gary Garver, there were also other people being interviewed that were at the golf tournament. I have sirius satellite radio, I can’t post a link or anything, but I’m not just making it up. I heard it with my own ears, it was actually very funny. Taylor is human right? so I think he is allowed to like Stern and want to go on his show, because that is exactly what he said. Sorry everyone to “let you down” or whatever, but Taylor Hicks did an interview with a Howard correspondent and said all of those things that I posted that he said, I didn’t think it was really that big of a deal.

  • Pixie Baker

    I see that I am in the minority here about my comment about Taylor….just being disappointed if he made that *off-color* comment. Must be a generational thing….I am very old…..:)……it would make me uncomfortable to hear him or anyone else make statements like that. The bottom line is I like his music and that is what is *real*(whatever the *ell that phrase means) for me. I am not a fanatic fan that even remotely knows who he is other than on stage…other than meeting him and being impressed with his *gentle* nature! :) Pix

  • Caffiend

    Howard Stern is hilarious. I have no doubt that Howard, not Taylor, brought up the genitals question. A lot of people don’t get Howard, but his schtick is making fun of people and acting like an adolescent boy. In real life, no one has anything but nice things to say about the man. The fact that Taylor went on the show means he doesn’t take himself too seriously. I like people like that.

  • Kirsten

    just being disappointed if he made that *off-color* comment. Must be a generational thingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦.I am very oldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦..:)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

    LOL. Aren’t all of us Taylor fans old? Really, I don’t think it’s generational. You can find off-colour comments going back centuries. In literature. In politics. On the stage. In personal correspondence. etc. Not all people enjoy off-colour comments, but those who do cross generational, class and social lines.

    Look at our own Nanny McPhee. She belongs to our happy group, yet she listens to Howard Stern. I’m sure that she is not the only one. You might not want to swap uncensored jokes with the Howard Stern fans, but you can still have a pleasent and gentle conversation with them. Some very nice and very charitable people I know have a very warped sense of humour. And I’m sure we’ve all known or heard about a straight-laced person or two who are absolutely horrid human beings. One does not preclude the other.

    I’m sorry that you are disappointed and that is your right. We all have our expectations and hopes. The things that bug us. I only sought to explain my point of view. I try not to feel bad when others disagree with my opinions and I do try to see where somebody else is coming from. The diversity of opinions is what keeps a site like this interesting. IMO, of course.

  • CarieB

    So, we get to see David Cook audition tonight, right? I’m looking forward to the show but we had a power outage the other day and the surge killed my tivo. Lost all my content as well. :cry_wp: Will have to watch it in real time tonight and won’t be able to rewind. At least it’s still in the auditions phase.

  • chewsday

    I can’t stomach HS or his brand of “humor” but I agree with Kirsten.

    There’s more of the story over on the BB. Apparently Carver was interviewing someone else when the “genitals” question came up. Taylor cracked up and suggested that maybe it was Howard’s privates that were smelly. Anyway, Taylor, it seems, earned some points with Howard for his comment – whatever those points are worth.

  • http://www.myspace.com/swood1104 Sarah

    Yeah, supposedly he auditioned in Omaha, Carie. He looks like a somewhat interesting contestant so I’m curious to see him. Hopefully they’ll show his audition.

    Hope you get your tivo fixed soon! :)

  • Lu

    Well I personally cant stand Howard Stern but to each his own. I’ll never forget the horrified look on my dad’s face when he was flipping channels at my house one night and landed on Stern’s tv show… lol.

    I wasn’t so much picking on Taylor as I was the topic. Sorry to be a prude but speaking about smelly genitals no matter WHO said it makes me want to hurl…

    And I agree about the Clay article. I’m not sure why people are upset about it. I’d love to be able to check him out on broadway. I’ll bet he’s great!

  • http://myspace.com/saltwatercures pj

    I passed the theatre that’s showing Spamalot last weekend when I was in NYC. Didn’t catch the show… my friends had no interest. How have Clay’s reviews been?

  • Nanny Mcphee

    Look at our own Nanny McPhee. She belongs to our happy group, yet she listens to Howard Stern. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m sure that she is not the only one. You might not want to swap uncensored jokes with the Howard Stern fans, but you can still have a pleasent and gentle conversation with them.

    Thank you Kristen. I for one love Howard Stern, he’s not all lesbian and poop jokes like people think he is. He is actually a very smart and charitable man, but he has a radio persona that some people love and some people hate. He is very polarizing. Kinda like my lovely Miss, soon to be Mrs. Mcphee. To each his own right. :wink1_tb:

    P.S. I thought the small little snippet they played of the Taylor interview was hilarious, he seems like a fantastic person. :smile1_tb:

  • http://myspace.com/girlgeek mj

    I for one love Howard Stern, he’s not all lesbian and poop jokes like people think he is. He is actually a very smart and charitable man

    I agree. And FWIW, I’ve heard from people who know his ex-wife’s family here in the Boston area, that he’s extremely charitable. And a nice guy.

  • JOJOSIE

    I bet I’m the senior member here as I am 75 and will be 76 in March. I personally do not like Howard Stern but lots do as they are paying him many millions to do his show. I enjoy lots of types of humor but do not care for the stuff that seems to haunt our movies today and also lots of TV. It’s stupid and crude to say the least. Since I don’t like it I just don’t watch or listen to it. Those that do enjoy it that’s their right and I respect that. I certainly don’t put anyone down for this as I probably would have to include several of my kids and grandkids. Taylor wants to expand his fan base and Howard Stern would be a way to get the attention of the younger men. A few swear words in your lyric is no big deal, I’m sure there aren’t many we haven’t heard. I do think performers have to feel their audience. Sermon over. Thought for the day. growing old is mandatory but growing up is optional and I don’t plan on growing up any time soon.

  • http://inkdbylilyanna.com carolina

    Holy Moly. Randy boppin’ his butt up to Pauler about sent me ’round the bend. Gross.

    Then, there’s Pauler, a relic of her former self. Granted, I only saw the provided snippet but my MIL can do that stuff and she’s 93 — okay, so she has to hold onto a chair but still….

    And the singing sounds like Bratney.

    Re: Taylor and Howard Stern — a little Howard won’t hurt Taylor. In fact, it might help him.