Idol Headlines for 5/18/08

Dave White’s recap of Fantasia’s performance had me laughing so hard I was crying. :lol_tb:

omg Steph…..me too!!! It is a MUST read for sure, LOL! It’s in the Advocate article.

As the season is winding down and any of you missed a performance or want to capture one or even an audition of a favorite that didn’t make the finale twenty-four there is a site that has it all. The videos and MP3 downloads are free for this years contest. They are very good quality also. She has season six (all contestants) and season five, she has Taylor’s complete file including all post idol interviews and guest appearances for a small fee. I ordered Taylor’s last year and was not dissapointed. I had it all downloaded on my computer but just wanted a back-up. Today I went in and downloaded six of Cookies and two of MJ’s. They come out great, full screen and I love having DC and MJ up close. The site is http://www.idoljunkie.com :wub_tb:

I’m going to post this,and, MJ, if you decide you’d rather not have this here, then you can delete it. This was dated May 10,2008. You’ll have to scroll down to find this particular entry, and, I’m not totally sure of the credibility. However, noting that David Cook has seemed down the past few weeks, is this a possibility?

http://www.evansradio.com/blog/index.php

Hereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s some inside scoop on American Idol and folks it ainà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t pretty! David Cook has been depressed and not totally into the show the last few weeks. The reason is that his brother has cancer and needs special transportation to bring him to LA for the finale! It will cost Davidà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s family $80,000, money they donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have. So, his family asked Idol producers if they would help pay it or at least lend them the money and they would pay it back with future money David makes. The family was told the show was not a charity provider and donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t ask again. This week alone 51 million people voted, and the producers make 50 cents for every dollar generated through text voting. Coke a Cola and other sponsors pay millions of dollars for product placement, and thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s over and above the money made through regular sponsorships. The reason they did the American Idol Gives Back show wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t because they have big hearts, it was because they got extra money from the network and it was a tax benefit! SHAME ON AMERICAN IDOL!

Seems we’re all jumping around a lot this morning, but dont know where to ask this. But…does anyone know whatever happened to the greycharles guy? Of course know his website closed etc. but…is he still around using another name? Perhaps making comments in this blog? Or ?

Dave Whiteà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s recap of Fantasiaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s performance had me laughing so hard I was crying.

I am still wiping the tears away. That was so effin’ funny. And you know what…I totally agree with him!

I think Gray Charles posts on the boogie board at times using his name, GC.

Dave White really captured the essence of the Fantasia performance in a way that only he could. LOL. That may be the best AI performance I’ve ever witnessed in my four seasons of viewership.

Haven’t seen Gray Charles posting anywhere, but then again I haven’t been looking for him. I am sure he’s posting on a music blog somewhere though. I do miss his blog.

On to AI 7 – I haven’t voted since Chikezie left. I like both the Davids but can’t decide which one to pull for. They are both deserving. Can’t wait for Tuesday night!!

The reason is that his brother has cancer and needs special transportation to bring him to LA for the finale! It will cost Davidà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s family $80,000, money they donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have. So, his family asked Idol producers if they would help pay it or at least lend them the money and they would pay it back with future money David makes. The family was told the show was not a charity provider and donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t ask again.

I’m going to be a hard heart here, but from what I see Fox does a lot for the families to be in the audience and get face time. Sorry for Dave’s brother’s illness, but it’s not the Fox station’s responsibility to provide $80K in transportation to his brother. If David C is depressed about it, he has to face facts that if he becomes a big star, he cannot tote his brother around to every concert, etc. When he makes big money like Keano Reeves did, he can do likewise and buy his brother a house and get the best medical care. But the station is right; I side with the station.

Honestly, look at the standout Idols from the hit show’s six previous seasons: They are all women.

And because this is a pop-oriented show (the original series in England is “Pop Idol”) it’s pretty simple to pick the Ultimate Idols, the singers who have graduated from America’s televised product and made some interesting and listenable pop music.

Kelly Clarkson takes the No. 1 slot. She did it first, and she did it best.

Fantasia Barrino makes sense at No. 2. She won Season 3, and her last record was ridiculously hot pop-infused blend of R&B and hip-hop.

And Carrie Underwood sounds great at No. 3. “But she’s a country singer,” some will whine. Ah c’mon, this Oklahoma girl was reared on Garth Brooks à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  and she’s pop-country through and through.

does Clive Davis get no love in this writeup? He’s the one who found the songwriters for Clarkson and Underwood. The reason the guys didn’t go well is because they rebelled….Bo, Taylor, Clay….and look where they’re at now?

“Justin Guarini? Blake Lewis? Forget about it. And what of Bo Bice? He’s actually the Idol I’ve seen most recently, in a large tent at this year’s South by Southwest Music Festival. Every March, music industry types and fans take over downtown Austin, Texas, and this year’s festival had Bice playing to a crowd of 25 people, at least half of whom were there only for the subversive spectacle of seeing a television star fade into obscurity in front of their eyes.”
Sad.

It sounds as though the family asked the producers, not David. And, if they did it for one, they’d have to do it for others who have situations going on in their lives.
So, I’m not hard hearted either, but, being practical.

Fantasia’s performance (?) was one of those WTH moments. She threw it out there, and, so it was. Couldnt’ understand a word she said, but, the song title, “Bore Me,” must’ve been tongue-in-cheek, because she was anything but boring. Maybe the title had to do with this season’s show. Like in bore me?

I highly doubt that this radio guy who wrote that blog has any idea what is going on behind the scenes on American Idol, and based on everything we’ve seen and heard about the Cook family, there is no way they asked the producers for an $80,000 flight for Adam. David’s fans have raised tens of thousands of dollars for the effort, I know Stevie van Zandt raised almost $10,000 on E-Bay for the cause, and there is a rumor that one of the Kansas City Royals players has offered to help with the expenses.

Right now, it’s looking like Adam may very well be a the finale, but there is no hoopla about it this time, and that’s the way it should be. I hope he can make it because apparently seeing David last time gave him at least a temporary lift in spirits and outlook.

Ummmm…Before this gets out of hand, please read the entire contents of that link skylight provided. That site is NOTHING but gossip. For some guy that thinks he’s in the know, he can’t even spell the names of celebrities correctly.

I find this ‘story’ extremely hard to believe any way. I doubt very strongly David Cook asked anyone to help pay for his brother to fly to LA. The thing is, there are some incredibly generous people living in both Indiana and MO that would step up to the plate if it was needed to help the family out ( I should know, I live here), before DC would ever have to resort to asking Nigel for a handout. Seriously peeps, I really hope this doesn’t get spread around to every news paper in America without some first hand evidence that it is true.

The story about Idol turning down the Cook family’s request for money is unsubstantiated and only appears as an item in Mike Evans’ blog. There is nothing else out there that confirms it, and I’m sure other sites and media outlets have been trying to verify the story. I know I did.

David’s fans are trying to raise money to bring Adam to L.A. and as of yesterday, had raised nearly $25K. I suspect someone will step forward and donate the balance, but as far as Idol refusing to help, no one really knows. I would imagine their giving money to the family could be construed as a conflict of interest, though.

Skylight: Fantasia was awesome….I called it Patti Labelle on steroids with Tina’s backup dancers.

I don’t know if Simon enjoyed it or not, but he was laughing and clapping at the end.

Like I said, it may not be credible, and I wasn’t really focusing on David Cook’s story as much as the fact that Idol gets 50 cents for each text message vote. If true, there is no way they’ll ever allow limited voting.

Yes, I know that David’s family has been trying to raise the money. Maybe they did ask for help, and, some of the blog seems to have credible information. I don’t know, I just posted for what it was worth.

And, the fact that some of the celebrity names were misspelled, doesn’t make it gossip. I know very educated people who can’t spell,a nd, some are school teachers. Go figure!

I understand that the show pays none of the contestant families expenses. All they do provide is tickets to the show and facetime. The only exception is for minor’s when one adult has to chaperone the minor and their expenses are paid. Some families struggle just to attend especially if they live far away. I think Idol thinks this might set a precedent and might open a flood gate of hard luck stories. David’s brother is an extreme case and the expenses involved are really high. I’m not sure what the answer is.

I suspect someone will step forward and donate the balance, but as far as Idol refusing to help, no one really knows. I would imagine their giving money to the family could be construed as a conflict of interest, though.

ITA. Many, many families who don’t live close by fly out to CA weekly, on their own penny, so that they can be in the audience. It has always been the responsibility of the contestants’ families to provide their own transportation to and from the show if they choose to come, and I don’t see why they should make an exception now, regardless of the circumstances.

I too am thinking that there will be someone(s) stepping forward to donate the balance needed to get Adam to the finale. But a fangroup raising $25K in and of itself is something impressive. But like cheese, I’m glad that there will hopefully not be any hoopla over his presence there this time around. Hopefully, it will lift Adam’s spirits and give DC the extra motivation he needs to bring home the win.

Oh, and a bit OT: if ANYONE doubts Nigel’s manipulation on the show, check out the reruns of last season’s SYTYCD on MTV today. It’s amazing what can happen when Nigel himself is on the judging panel and doesn’t have to rely on a mouthpiece to do his dirty work for him. For that reason alone, I don’t want any of the AI judges to go anywhere, for sheer fear that Nigel would just step in as the replacement. *shudder*

No one wanted to believe the Jeff Archuleta story either when Naomi Judd broke it. And, personally, I don’t think its a bad reflection on the Cook family if they did ask for help. David stands to make them a lot of money in the future. He’s a hot commodity right now. His earnings from the tour would more than cover a loan of this type. The winner gets paid much more than the other contestants. I read a scale someplace, but, can’t locate it right now. But, it definitely matters where you finish on the show, as far as how much your earnings will be for each venue played during the tour.

Nigel was known as Mr. Nasty during his judging on Popstars, which was the forerunner of Pop Idol, which was the forerunner of AI.

Clay is not doing well in his career? Hmm, I don’t see that at all. And, I hardly think that Bo and Taylor are starving artists either. So, what you’re saying is, either toe the line, cower to Clive Davis, or you’re toast?

Bo was sick for a very long time. He did the album, “The Real Thing,” promoted it like he was supposed to, but, since it was more pop than what his fans wanted, it didn’t do as well as it should’ve. He had to take a year off to recuperate. He nearly died. I imagine he rebelled somewhat with a follow up album because he wanted to get back to his roots, and, I can’t say I blame him for that.

Sky- Naomi didnt break the JA story, she just confirmed it. That story had been around for quite sometime before Naomi said what she did on the TOday show.

The thing is about DC is he doesn’t talk about his brother Adam and wants no sympathy votes either. The guy is smart enough to realize that if you go to Nigel or any other producer and ask for that kind of money, it will end up in the press. The producer’s would never do that unless there was a huge payoff for them…..PRESS COVERAGE. You think DC doesn’t understand that first hand….1) His trip to the hospital 2) Adams first trip to AI and Ryan trying to get him to talk about it on the air. I will believe this story when I see it from reliable journalists with reliable sources. THe last thing I would believe is some DJ in LA, gossip blog.

LOL,

PMSNBC, like many others, have a revisionist history going on. Taylor won fair and square. He is a musician and a performer and that is why he won AI, despite the rah rahs from AI hirelings pushing Chris, the audience decided they liked Taylor the best.

Chris was arrogant and doing the clichà © “rocker” thing that turned off a lot of watchers. That said, Chris has 3 nice songs on his well-promoted CD; radio play drives sells and he got that.

Taylor ticked off AI by going with the best deal for him, rather than the “deal” that would fill AI’s coffers. He pwn3d them and IMO that is why they has continually dissed him.

P.S. “American Idol winner Taylor Hicks has announced that he and Arista Records have mutually agreed to part waysà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ . Hardly dropped. I hate lazy “journalists”/ “news people”.

I love the Cookman and I hope he will not be a pawn for AI. He’s too good to be treated badly . . .

I did some checking on Mike Evans, and, he has connections with Robin Leach,and, Rupert Murdock. Anyone recognize these names? He has something to do with AI. And, in his bio, he states that he can’t spell very well.

Rupert Murdock: He publishes 175 newspapers, including the New York Post and The Times of London. In the U.S., he owns the Twentieth Century Fox Studio, Fox Network, and 35 TV stations that reach more than 40% of the country…His cable channels include fast-growing Fox News, and 19 regional sports channels. In all, as many as one in five American homes at any given time will be tuned into a show News Corp. either produced or delivered.” (he’s also known for a few other things which aren’t so great)

Robin Leach was the host of “Lifestyles of the Rich And Famous.”

And, for the record, the first I heard of Jeff A, was through Naomi Judd. So, if the news was out there before this, I didn’t hear it.

Don’t shoot the messenger.

I hope David’s brother gets to the finale. It would do my heart good to see him in the audience.

I can think of worse things than Adam Cook not being in the audience for the finale. I honestly can. The real sad story here is that his children will more than likely grow up without a father once he passes on from cancer.

I’m sure there are many contestants over the years who haven’t had their families in the audience because they could not afford the expense. Fox has never shelled out money for the families, ever. They shouldn’t be expected to make an exception now. But it’s a moot point. I think the writer of the article is jumping to stupid conclusions about things he has no way of know about.

Skylight, I have to admit, that’s a story I would have passed on posting on my front page. That DJ sounds like an idiot.

I have a probably unpopular opinion about all this money being spent on getting Adam to the show, once again. I can think of better ways to spend 80,000 dollars. Some of those ways have to do with the future of his children. But, I’ll just leave it at that.

Either way, it’s really the business of the Cook family. No need for anybody, including famewhoring DJs, to make a big deal out of it.

I’ve read your opinion on the $80,000, and, I don’t totally disagree with it. As I said, I don’t know if the source is credible or not, however, his take on 50 cents from every text that AI receives also caught my eye. That made me think that they will NEVER limit the number of votes one can make. And, what to make of the IGB tax break?

And, I personally think everyone in the media, whether it be a DJ or a news correspondent, is a famewhore to a certain extent.

I saw that article at some point last week, sky, and I didn’t shoot that messenger, so I’m certainly not going to shoot you. The thing I actually have the hardest time believing is that the producers would tell him no by saying “we’re not a charity provider. Don’t ask again.”

I would actually have no problem if David asked for help. I would have no problem with the producer’s telling him no. I have no problem accepting that he may have been depressed that Adam couldn’t come. I don’t believe, however, that Idol producer’s wouldn’t explain that it isn’t fair to Cook. I have a hard time believing that they would basically tell him to go fuck off. They’re evil, but I don’t think they’re the actual devil, if you know what I mean. Of course, they really could be the devil, so what do I know?

I really believe that Cook already knew that they wouldn’t pay, because his family already had to find help to get him there the first time.

Oh, and .50 per text vote? I certainly hope if that’s true, that’s the only money they’re paying the show for promotions, because that is way more than it actually costs to send one text vote.

The reason is that his brother has cancer and needs special transportation to bring him to LA for the finale!

I read on Rickey.org that someone over at davidcooktheamericanidol debunked this story.

I’m racking my memory, but, I seem to think that the winner of AI gets $15,000 for each venue they play. Of course, this was back during season 2. I actually had contact with Faye Parker, so, this is a credible source. The runner up received $10,000. That was 5 years ago, and, they may get paid more than that now. But, if anyone has better information, please post.

I know there is an organization called “Make A Wish Foundation,” for children. Is there a similar one for adults? This could be a source of revenue if the Cook family wants to send Adam to the finale.

Hereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s some inside scoop on American Idol and folks it ainà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t pretty! David Cook has been depressed and not totally into the show the last few weeks. The reason is that his brother has cancer and needs special transportation to bring him to LA for the finale! It will cost Davidà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s family $80,000, money they donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have. So, his family asked Idol producers if they would help pay it or at least lend them the money and they would pay it back with future money David makes. The family was told the show was not a charity provider and donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t ask again. This week alone 51 million people voted, and the producers make 50 cents for every dollar generated through text voting. Coke a Cola and other sponsors pay millions of dollars for product placement, and thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s over and above the money made through regular sponsorships. The reason they did the American Idol Gives Back show wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t because they have big hearts, it was because they got extra money from the network and it was a tax benefit! SHAME ON AMERICAN IDOL!

This story has been proven false.

You say it’s been proven false? Links please.

I too do not believe the story about the family asking for money to bring Adam Cook to the finale. When families come to a performance, they all pay their own way and all they get are tickets to the show. I am sure that David was very happy to have Adam come and see at least one of his performances. He didn’t live near Adam prior to Idol and though he probably made some trips to visit him, he probably kept in touch with Adam regularly by phone.

Adam is terminally ill and has his good days and bad days and from all indication, he has made it past the time his doctors gave him. It was probably very taxing on Adam to have made the trip the first time, but he did it. He is again undergoing aggressive theraphy, but it will only prelong his life a little bit longer. This type of cancer is terrible and devastating for everyone especially because he is young with a young family. It is very hard on him and I doubt very much that David would want to subject his brother to another trip, or that his family would either. I think the fans want this more than anyone in the family.

I am very familiar with that type of cancer Adam has and I know from experience that Adam was very fortunate to have made it this far. David will no doubt treasure the fact that Adam was able to see him on stage once and would probably prefer Adam to watch the show on TV and be comfortable. What probably depresses David is that fact that he will go on tour soon for the Pop Tarts American Idol tour and he may not be able to be with his brother when the end comes.

The salary for the tour used to start at $1,000 for the tenth place finisher and scale up to $5,000 in $500 increments for the winner. This was valid in season three.

reinharv, I’ve thought of that too. What if Adam passes while David is on tour? What a devastating dilemma. I’ve also wondered if during this season if Adam had passed away, would they release David to go to the funeral? Brooke couldn’t go to her sister’s wedding, but, of course, that isn’t even on par with losing a loved one. Just things I’ve thought about.

David would most assuredly be devastated if he couldn’t get out of a couple of nights of the tour to be with his family. Kat McPhee was sick during the season 5 tour, and, missed a lot of the venues, so, I’m hoping if that did occur, TPTB wouldn’t be crass about David missing a few dates. I’m wondering if these things are weighing heavily on his mind. I know they would be for me.

David would most assuredly be devastated if he couldn’t get out of a couple of nights of the tour to be with his family.

Of course David would be relieved of his tour duties for awhile to attend the funeral of a close family member. That’s a no brainer.

More salary information. Starting in season six, the top 12 were paid AFTRA scale, which is a minimum of $921 per one hour show. So this year, with all the results shows being an hour, these kids did okay!

Here’s my source:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2007-03-14-union-idol-usat_N.htm

The salary for the tour used to start at $1,000 for the tenth place finisher and scale up to $5,000 in $500 increments for the winner. This was valid in season three.

Is this PER SHOW? I’m assuming so…$1,000 for close to 60 tour dates would be pretty shabby pay.

If so, the winner gets around $300,000 ($5,000 per show x 60 shows). That ain’t bad at all!

Thanks for that information on the payscale. I think in season 2, they only got half that amount. I think it was $450 an episode. No wonder none of them want to leave. That’s pretty good money. And, with AI Rewind now on, the contestants from seasons 1 & 2, are receiving residuals. Now, what about the after Idol interviews, such as the bootee contestants do when they are eliminated? The shows, such as Ellen, Regis & Kelly have to pay when a contestant sings, and, notice they only sing about 90 seconds of their songs.

It will be interesting Tuesday night to hear which David Simon declares, “You’ve just won AI.” Since he favors Cook, I believe that he will receive the accolades from Judge Scowell.

I’m sure they are getting more than $1000 per show,(10th place finisher) since they get $921 per hour of television work. The shows are 2 hours in length? And, do they get a cut of merchandise sold at the venues?

Maybe a tour is different than tv, I don’t really know. Did I type $15,000 for the winner? I don’t know where I got that figure, but, it seems he/she does get the lion’s share of money for winning. Maybe it was $5,000.

Is this PER SHOW? Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m assuming soà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦$1,000 for close to 60 tour dates would be pretty shabby pay.

It’s per show. Making it to the top 10 pays off, and the longer a person stays on the show, the more they can make (weekly pay, iTunes, and more). I’ve never been able to find out if they get paid to do the Ford commericals, but I can’t believe they don’t. It’s a separate activity from the actual show and they put in a full day doing them.

I found this a few days ago:

PRweb

Whether or not you are a fan of American Idol, you’ve likely heard about one of the current finalists, David Cook and his brother, Adam. David is a talented singer, musician and songwriter vying for a chance to become the next American Idol, while his brother is battling a brain tumor. David and Adam are very close, and David wants Adam with him every step of the way on his road to fame.

For the previous taping of the show, generous family members and friends donated enough money to fly Adam, his wife and a nurse and medic from their home in Terre Haute, Indiana to the show in Los Angeles. After attending that show, Adam reportedly did a 180 degree turn for the better.

Let’s do this guys. Let’s give back!

David’s fans are now trying to raise money to fly Adam, together with his medial team, to the show’s finale where the American Idol will be named. Their fundraising efforts include selling a silicon/rubber bracelet that says “David Cook Rocks”. Half of the proceeds will support Adam’s trip and the other half will be donated to the American Brain Tumor Association, which funds brain tumor research and provides educational information to patients and their families.

To order these bracelets and to read more about David and Adam visit: http://davidcookbracelets.googlepages.com.

Foxydonna, do you know if they get a cut from the ITunes? Ryan always says the money goes to IGB. Just wondering, since they are singing covers. I would think they would get paid extra for the Ford commercials.

I can think of worse things than Adam Cook not being in the audience for the finale. I honestly can. The real sad story here is that his children will more than likely grow up without a father once he passes on from cancer.

Dang MJ, you’re right. Now I feel like a putz for even posting about it.

Ryan always says the money goes to IGB.

Can you provide an example of this? I was under the impression that ONLY the money made from the downloads of the performances from IGB week actually went to IGB. I don’t remember Ryan ever saying that downloading performances from any other week would donate to IGB. I very well could be remembering wrong.

That said, I wouldn’t have any idea where money from the rest of the downloads goes. I kind of thought that evil TPTB horded it for themselves.

Dang MJ, youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re right. Now I feel like a putz for even posting about it.

No worries Lu. It’s just my dumb opinion. .

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹American Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ falls out of tune
ljworld.com
May 18 2008

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“American Idol,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  we need to talk. I just canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t pretend ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s working anymore. After seven years, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s time to call it quits. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m gonna slip out the back, Jack. Make a new plan, Stan. Take back the key, Lee, and get myself free.

In other words, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“A.I.,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  I want a D-I-V-O-R-C-E.

I know you ainà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t too proud to beg, but donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t even ask for a trial separation. This is no seven-year itch. It will take more than a summer hiatus to heal after the worst season ever. I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know where we went wrong, but the feelingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s gone, and I just canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get it back.

I think only the songs done during IGB go to the idol gives back fund. I don’t know what happens with the others and hope that the contestants get part of the money. Starting last season, there was no idol compilation cd and I believe in years past, the contestants received money from that cd. so it stands to reason, they would get something from the itune sales. Does anyone know if they do?

I don’t know what happens with the others and hope that the contestants get part of the money.

Just like the Idols join the union that guarantees them scale for work on the TV show, I believe they are also members of the musicians union that would guarantee them pay for recording music.

There’s no way TPTB could get away with not paying them for their work on recordings.

I’d be very surprised if the Idols didn’t get standard royalties on iTunes sales – around seven or eight cents per download (although the formulas are rather complicated and would depend on their contracts, management fees, etc.). In the past, they got a cut of the compilation CD.

Ok, I’m back. Not that anyone missed me, but, I do believe I heard Ryan last week say that money from ITunes goes to charity. Of course, like the judges, I may have selective hearing.

And, I apologize for bringing up the Mike Evans blog. But, I did post that I wasn’t sure it was credible, so, take it with a grain of salt.

As for me, I much prefer watching AI on the television. Of course, I don’t get to see what happens during commercial breaks, etc., but, thats why we have moles.

I was reading another blog, and, it seems the idols do get a cut of the merchandise sales during the tour. So, buy, buy, buy your favorite idol trinkets.

sky, I don’t think there is any need to apologize for bringing the Mike Evans thing over here. It was possible news, and I am always for that.

Do they normally use those fugly pictures from the beginning on the tour merchandise? I really don’t want anything horrible scarf picture of DC on it, even if I lurve him way too much.

I don’t know what pictures they use for the venue merchandise. I only went to the season 2 show, and, bought a key chain with Clay Aiken’s mug on it. I hated the photo they used. Also, we got t-shirts, which were a little nicer.

American Idol falls out of Tune pretty much sums it up for me too. I’ve lost that loving feeling, and, can’t seem to get it back. Is it possible the producers have managed to sabatoge their own show? I think it’s very possible.

Skylight, Ryan may have been referring to AI’s portion of the sales from the itunes downloads. Whatever cut the show gets, that may be what is going to charity.

On the Season 5 tour, they had absolutely the most gorgeous pics of Taylor, NOT the ugly ones from the beginning of Top 24. I’m sure they will make Cookie all purdy for the tour merchandise.

Seasons six and seven may have Taylor Hicks to thank for their pay checks while on Idol. In his book he tells how he got the top twenty-four and their families together to negotiate with the show re how the pie was being split. He wanted them to not sign their contracts as they were being paid something closer to room and board when millions were being made from the show. He lost the battle but I think the union came in after that. I’m sure this made him really unpopular with TPTB. I read somewhere that the Idols get a six figure pay checks from the tour and I find that believable,

I didn’t know that Taylor did that. No wonder they don’t have much love for him. But, they were in essence cheating the contestants, if this is the case.

Taylor brought in the Union? Fer sure? (can you tell I didn’t buy his book?)

I don’t have a stand on unions, plus or minus, but when applying it to Idol —-hell yeah.

I’m one who won’t donate to Idol Gives Back because I’m pretty sure that Idol take a hefty chip out of everything they touch plus a touch charge. Nothing they do is altruistic. It’s all about the money.

Corporate afterthought — Maybe DA should win. AI has spent a ton of energy and money pimping him. May they reap those rewards. Still. . . . .

(DCFTMFW — if they thought Taylor was a nightmare, I suspect DC could be their worst nightmare and I’ll vote for that !)

Michael Johns in STM magazine

Michael Johns is the American Idol Vampire

I always wondered how Taylor made it through the early rounds considering his attempt to get the top 24 more money.

Sillerman says he’s “sure” that his company will sign record deals with semi-finalists David Archuleta and David Cook – and may pick up others.

“There’s a thought that there may be a (Chris) Daughtry lurking in the weeds in this year’s crop, someone who was voted off a little bit early who might have some value.”

http://www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080518/NEWS09/80518006

I have a thought at who he could be talking about. Michael. :wub_tb:

Purplesmile, there’s a page missing on that article. I believe you can read it at Idol Forums in the MJ section. It was an interesting article.