Idol Headlines for 5/7/08

By On 05/07/2008 · 118 Comments · In Uncategorized

Exclusive Q&As: The “American Idol” Final Four

As the final four “American Idol” contestants — David Archuleta, Jason
Castro, David Cook and Syesha Mercado — vie to be crowned season seven’s champion, the quartet revealed its thoughts on their “Idol” experience, musical pasts and future plans in a series of exclusive Billboard.com interviews.

Billboard

The Kids and the Hall

Jason Castro did the impossible not once, not twice, but three times up on the American Idol stage tonight. With his disappointing performances of ”I Shot the Sheriff” and ”Mr. Tambourine Man,” the gentle, dreadlocked troubadour from Rockwall, Texas, likely gave the Unsinkable Syesha Mercado a free pass into the final three, helped me begin to understand why 90 percent of the people I know are rooting for a David Cook-David Archuleta finale, and, perhaps worst of all, made me momentarily miss Luke Menard. (For those of you fortunate enough to have forgotten, he’s the dude who ”sang” ”Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” during the last week of semifinals and who gave a typically cheesy thumbs-up from his seat in the Idol audience tonight. Yeah, him.)

Entertainment Weekly

Idol (Live) Redux: My Heart Goes Out to Jason Castro

Last week, I thought I had it all figured out. If you’re a preteen, you vote for David Archuleta. If you’re a teen-age girl, you love Jason Castro. And if you are a full-grown adult, you are all about David Cook.

But tonight, sitting in the live audience at Idol, I came to the realization that no matter who you are or what your age, when you hear David Archuleta in person, it is hard not to admit: He is so undeniably talentedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ with a voice so flawless and dynamic and pure, it actually resonates in your soulà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ that he probably most deserves to be the winner of this year’s American Idol. (It would explain why he got the only full-audience standing O’s of the nightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ and two of them, at that!)

Still, here’s the truly ridiculous thing you can clown me for (and I know many of you will): The 13-year-old girl in me weeps for Jason Castro!

Eonline

More Idol Headlines After the Jump…

American Idol: Four on the Floor

The à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Topà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  Four on American Idol were asked to pick two songs each from the 500 most arbitrarily influential rock songs of all time. As a result, we were treated to eight mostly bland covers of songs by such formidable artists as Duran Duran, Sam Cooke, and Bob Marley. It wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t all bad, but it was mostly not good.

Here are my reviews of the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Topà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  Four contestants. I judged them after each performance, just as Ryan Seacrest decreed.

Phillyburbs

American Idol Banter: Failing Rock and Roll

The insularity of the world of “American Idol” would be fascinating, if it weren’t so bleakly disheartening.

Tonight’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame edition let the remaining contestants cherry pick through half a century of pop music history, and what did we get?

Rocker David Cook opens the show with “Hungry Like the Wolf.” How many hundred songs from the greatest artists in pop history would you have to fast forward through before you got to this vacuous Duran Duran hit?

Jason Castro may have bombed with his hapless performances, but at least he picked two songs worth singing — Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff” and Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man.”

David Archuleta reveled in his own private Utah teenage in discussing why he picked “Love Me Tender,” sharing with his adoring audience that “I wasn’t that familiar with the song” so he surfed the web sites to audition different versions before settling on an arrangement that conjured up not the King of Rock ‘N’ Roll, but the Empress of overbaked ’80s R&B and pop, Whitney Houston.

Still, none of them came remotely close to Syesha Mercado’s blazing egocentrism in explaining her motivation for singing Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come.”

LA Times

Rock n’ Roll Live from the Mosh Pit

n the course of chronicling the full immensity of the most important show in entertainment history, this column has strived to take its readers deep inside the machine and the psyches that produce it. From the editing bays to the makeup room to the Idoldome bleachers, I have tried to provide fleeting glimpses into a few of the many mansions that make up house of Idol.

Ultimately, however, if one truly wishes to get to the essential nature of a beast, one must take a long and lonely walk through a dark snowy wood in that beastà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s footsteps. On Rock à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹n Roll Hall of Fame night, this columnist ventured deeper into the core of Idol then any have dared penetrate before. On Tuesday night, I became, provisionally, the first journalist in entertainment history to watch American Idol live from the mosh pit.

Although many of my colleagues in the Idol press bleachers chortled at my desire to leave the comfort of my seats and dive into the teen masses crushed before the stage, and as much as my faltering back and flat feet advised that this mosh pit truly was no country for old men, I knew that the only path to understanding the breathing, pulsing heart of American Idol lay through that pit.

LA Times

Jason Castro has a disastrous à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ night

Jason Castro has spent the past three months perfecting his image as the slacker dude with the guitar who doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t try very hard but sneaks by on his natural gifts and personality. Every week, the judges have gotten more and more annoyed at his style, but it doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t seem to faze him.

The audience has passed Castro along from week to week at the expense of more talented performers, allowing him to drift into the final four. Now, heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s at a point where heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the least adept singer and performer remaining. Combine that with an à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  staff that seems determined to create a pop star without allowing them to sing any songs that are actually played on Top 40 radio stations and disasters happen.

MSNBC

‘American Idol’ can’t stop the rock

Tuesday (May 6) night’s American Idol theme is about as vague and wide-open as the Top Four could possibly hope for. Songs from the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame? What does that even mean? Working from the Hall’s list of 500 influential hits, surely everybody should find great tracks to sing, right? Let’s see…

Zap2it

American Idol: Top 4 perform

Ryan revealed that three of the final four have been number one in the votes before. If we believe DialIdol that Syesha was the top vote-getter last week (remember that Ryan never declared her and Brooke the Bottom Two, rather stating only that one was safe and one was not), then that pretty much leaves poor Jason Castro as the odd man-out. I think it’s pretty safe to say that the Davids have both been in the top of the voter pool at one time or another, and probably several times each. If all of this is true, can Jason save himself this week? Luckily for him, the contestants have the best catalog of music to select from in many weeks with tonight’s theme: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

TV Squad

Yet another `American Idol’ hopeful flubs lyrics to a song

“American Idol” hopeful Jason Castro became at least the third contestant this season to flub lyrics to a song.

The Dreadlocked One performed the Bob Dylan classic “Mr. Tambourine Man,” and forgot the words to the second verse Tuesday.

Wearing a goofy grin afterward, Castro acknowledged: “I lost some lines in there; that’s kinda bad.”

Judge Simon Cowell thought Castro’s gaffe could mean the end of him. “Jason, I’d pack your suitcase,” Cowell told the 20-year-old folkster from Rockwall, Texas.

The other two judges were less than impressed, too.

Washington Post

American Idol: When rock lies bleeding. . . .

Like the man said at the outset of the show on Rock and Roll Hall-’o-Fame night à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  American Idol’s version of Jon Stewart’s Mess-’o-Potamia, as it would turn out à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  anything can happen, nobody is safe and nothing is guaranteed.

That man was Ryan Seacrest, and if you take the line “Nothing is guaranteed” to heart, Jason Castro will survive to make it to the final three à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  mark my words.

Yes, he hit a new low with a pale, wan à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  and loopy à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  take on Bob Marley’s I Shot the Sheriff, then topped that by booting an entire stanza of Bob Dylan’s lyrics on Mr. Tambourine Man. But nothing will prevent his legion of teenybopper fans from hitting their cell phones à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  and only David Archuleta’s larger legion of fans can prevent Castro from winning the whole thing.

Castro was so woeful, so pitiful that, for once, Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell looked angry à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  so angry that Seacrest commented on it, on camera, and asked Cowell if he was, in fact, “ticked off.”

The short answer? Yes.

Canada.com

‘American Idol’ Recap: Jason Castro Visits The Hall Of Shame, David Archuleta Sweeps Rock-Hall Night

It only took them 12 weeks, but on Tuesday night, “American Idol” finally found a theme that would allow the contestants to truly shine. No Broadway curveballs, no Mariah mountains to climb, no Beatles tunes to desecrate. Nope, instead the top four had access to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s list of 500 (!) songs “that shaped rock,” and with artists as varied as Elvis Costello, Arrested Development and Dion and the Belmonts represented, there was no excuse for any of the remaining singers to pick a loser. (Although, admittedly, if I were a finalist on “Idol,” I’d be tempted to turn Kraftwerk’s 20-plus-minute German opus “Autobahn” into a 90-second nugget of trainwreck television.)

MTV

The Idolettes Rock On and Roll With the Punches

David Cook, this year’s token rocker on “American Idol,” was ignominiously upstaged in the rock-and-roll round last night by the millennials’ David Cassidy clone, David Archuleta.

How’d that happen?

Washington Post

Reality Check: Battle of the Davids on ‘Idol’

If it were up to the judges, at this point we could surely declare David Archuleta the winner of “American Idol.”

I mean, we’re at Top 4 time and he’s been delivering strong performance after strong performance and, in the process, racking up nothing but praise from our triumvirate. The night that he forgot his lyrics and made us briefly consider the fact that he may not be the Second Coming? Ancient history, my friends.

Fox News

Paula Abdul on Jason Castro’s Flub

We’re riding along with PAULA ABDUL for all the post-”American Idol” dish. What does the judge have to say about contestant JASON CASTRO’s lyrics flub on tonight’s performance show? And who does Paula think will be the last two standing? Watch our video to find out!

ETOnline

American Idol Tracker: A Glimpse of Destiny Denied

Tuesday on the Ellen show, the guest performers offered a peek at what might have been and a glimpse at the first stage appearance, out of capitivity, of the next great sensations American Idol will have unleashed upon the world.

Standing on a snow-flecked outdoor stage in downtown Chicago where Ellen was filming her tenth anniversary week, Michael Johns, the Duende from Down Under, took the mike alongside the most electrifying, likely the greatest performer in American Idol history, the sensational Carly Smithson, to sing U2′s “One” and “Hold On, I’m Coming” backed by Rickey Minor and the American Idol band. (You can watch the video here).

It is impossible to watch this video, see the incredible stage charisma and singing powers these two possess and not feel sadness, not wonder what Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame night might have been if these two were a part of it.

LA Times

‘Idol’s’ Archuleta will sing at hometown performances Friday

For the first time since he went to Hollywood as one of 24 “American Idol” finalists, David Archuleta is returning home to Utah.

He’s scheduled to sing the national anthem at Friday’s Utah Jazz-Los Angeles Lakers game at the Energy Solutions Arena. (However, after initially confirming that Archuleta would sing, the Jazz have acknowledged there are “rights issues” that “still have to be worked out” between the producers of “Idol” and the NBA.)

And there will be some sort of event earlier in the day in Murray, although details of that are still being worked out, too..

Deseret News

Cook and Archuleta’s Hair War!

I can’t help but smile when I see this photo. It’s as if competing vocally on “American Idol” every week wasn’t enough, these boys also are now battling to have the best right-reaching hair spike! Personally, I think the older David has got the cooler coif, but that’s because I’m Team Cook!

Popwrap

Simon Sounds Off on the Finals, Idol Fixes, Boring Themes & More

Meeting the press to promote the new season of NBC’s America’s Got Talent (premiering June 17 at 9 pm/ET), Simon Cowell inevitably was swarmed with Idol-related queries. Here is what the outspoken Brit had to say about:

It All Coming Down to David vs. David
“It’s what I genuinely believe will happen. I think you’re going to have a real scrap on the night. Without either of them being a red-hot favorite, [the winner] will be [determined by] what happens on the night, and that’s what the show is all about.”

TV Guide

Worcester piano man shares keys to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ singersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ success

Another contestant will get booted off à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“American Idolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  tonight, but according to associate musical director Michael Orland, it doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t really matter.

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I used to get really, really devastated over who got kicked off the show,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  said Orland, a Worcester homey who has been with the Fox mega-hit since the end of season one.

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“But after Clay Aiken in season two, it turned out that you didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have to win to have a career. Jennifer Hudson was the best example of that. She was voted off sixth from the end and she won an Oscar. Chris Daughtry was fourth from the end. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s feasible that every single one of the top 12 this year could have a recording career. So I stopped getting emotionally attached to where everyone finishes.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

Boston Herald

Nimbit Powers American Idol Brooke White

FRAMINGHAM, MA–(Marketwire – May 6, 2008) – Brooke Whiteà ¢’ž ¢, the nanny that won the hearts of millions on American Idolà ¢’ž ¢ now has her album available on the Internet. Fans everywhere can purchase “Songs From the Attic” CDs and digital downloads at www.brookewhite.com.

Powered by Nimbit, the www.brookwhite.com storefront uses nimbitSkinà ¢’ž ¢, a highly flexible storefront solution that enables artists to sell directly from their websites. Since 2005, Nimbit has helped Brooke and New Millennium Records Group (NMRG) bring her first album to market long before her big break on American Idol this year.

Marketwire

‘Sex and the City,’ at 40 and even maybe (gasp) 50

Early on in the new “Sex and the City” film à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  and don’t worry, we’re not spoiling the plot here à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  Carrie and longtime love Mr. Big are in bed together. A passionate interlude? Nah, they’re just reading. Except they both need glasses, and there’s only one pair.

Sharing reading glasses in bed? These two, who fogged up the small screen with their sexual chemistry during the TV series? Yes, and that small moment is a sweet acknowledgment that they’ve both aged.

As, of course, have we.

The series may be alive and well on TBS reruns. But it’s been a full decade since “Sex and the City” premiered on HBO, bringing us sex columnist Carrie, her three gal pals, and their lustful urban quest for love, good sex and even better clothes.

Associated Press

Parker: ‘Sex’ film needed a woman of color

U.S. actress and producer Sarah Jessica Parker said she feels “extraordinarily lucky” that Jennifer Hudson joined the cast of her “Sex and the City” movie.

In the big-screen follow-up to the iconic former television show, Hudson plays the assistant to Parker’s character Carrie.

“I just think we were extraordinarily lucky that she was interested,” Parker told reporters in New York this week.

Parker said Hudson’s character Louise, who is younger and more idealistic than Carrie, “was so necessary to contrast where Carrie is now.”

UPI

Exclusive: ‘American Idol’ Stamps Revealed

‘American Idol’ is giving back to the community by putting your favorite contestants on postage stamps. Each Thursday, Ryan Seacrest announces which former winner graces the next ‘American Idol Gives Back’ stamp, but we have your exclusive sneak peek right here every Tuesday.

This week’s stamp will be (drum roll please!) Season Five winner, Taylor Hicks. The limited-edition stamps already revealed include Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia, Carrie Underwood and Ruben Studdard. New photo stamps will be released each week featuring an ‘Idol’ winner until this season’s finale, after which the new winner will get his or her own stamp.

Popeater

Flint’s LaKisha Jones, of ‘American Idol’ fame, returning home for a free concert in July; Grand Blanc’s Beth Stalker also to perform

Flint’s “American Idol” standout will perform for free at the 4th annual “Bringing It Home” community celebration July 12 at Perani Arena.

Stayed tuned to mlive.com/flintjournal and The Flint Journal for more details on LaKisha’s concert in Flint as they become available.

Mlive

Kellie Pickler Goes to Washington

Kellie Pickler will sing Wednesday afternoon (May 7) on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., as part of the AARP GrandRally, an event targeting grandfamilies — grandparents raising their grandchildren. Pickler was 2 years old when her parents separated and her mother left. Her father has been in and out of prison on a variety of charges, and Pickler was raised by her grandparents, Faye and Clyde Pickler Sr. At the rally, Pickler will perform “My Angel,” a song she wrote about her late grandmother. As her charity of choice, Kellie has donated almost $50,000 to the AARP’s Grandparenting Foundation, which addresses the financial, legal and medical challenges faced by grandparents. “Having been raised by my grandparents, I know the struggles they face raising their grandchildren,” Pickler said.

CMT

Jordin Sparks Back To Work

Jordin Sparks is officially back to work after a vocal cord injury leaving fans worried if she would ever sound the same. The songstress just filmed her promo for her next single, and seems to be in good spirits after the break.

Looks like the rest, combined with support from her fans, made the healing process go quickly! Just a couple weeks ago, she told MTV, “I’m feeling good. “I’m supposed to be on full vocal rest, which means no talking, laughing, giggling, and singing. Can I tell you how hard that is!? I want to tell my fans: Thank you for all the prayers and your concern. You guys are what keep me going, honestly. But not to worry! I’ll be better in no time!”

Hollyscoop

Americaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Next Top Mormon

When brothers Ryan and Craig Simmons auditioned for the CBS reality show “The Amazing Race” in 2003, they hoped the novelty of their religion would give them an edge. Their audition tape showed them outside the Mormon temple in Provo, Utah, while the narration played off those classic Mormon ads (“Family: Isn’t it about time?”) with a question for the casting directors: “Mormons: Isn’t it about time?” It certainly is now. Since then Mormons have colonized reality TV as if they’d been assigned there by Brigham Young himself. They’ve won “The Biggest Loser,” “The Rebel Billionaire” and “Survivor” (along with two second-place finishes on “Survivor”). These days you can’t turn on “So You Think You Can Dance” or “Dancing With the Stars” without seeing at least one, and often several, members of the church. And they’re closing in on the biggest reality TV prize of all: cherub-faced Mormon David Archuleta is one of four finalists left on “American Idol,” and his chances just soared following the elimination last week of Brooke White. White is Mormon too, and now that she’s off the show, the two of them won’t have to split the faithful’s vote anymore.

Newsweek

Behind the Idols (part one)

American Idol remains one of the most watched programs on television, and has its share of Christians among the contestants. Though some have expressed skepticism that believers can have any impact on a show with “idol” in its title, three finalists from the nation’s biggest singing competition have demonstrated you don’t have to win it all to be relevant or on a stage to make a difference. Mandisa, Chris Sligh, and Phil Stacey all made it into the Top 12 of the popular singing competition, but none of them walked away the top winnerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ Mandisa placed ninth in Season 5, while Chris placed tenth in Season 6 and Phil made it to the Top 6 that same year. Nevertheless, all three landed record deals and have plenty of stories about the relationships they forged behind the scenes. And since their time on the show, American Idol has become more tolerant and receptive of Christianity, never more clearly demonstrated than a live performance of “Shout to the Lord” on national television. Did these contestants play some small part in that? All three vocal sensations were more than willing to walk us through their Idol experience and share how their faith was demonstrated throughout.

Christianity Today

Clay Aiken Not Ready to Put Rumors to Rest

Believe everything you read about Clay Aiken. Go ahead, ask him yourself. The onetime American Idol runner-up and current Broadway star tells OK! he has no rumors to clear up à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  not even the one about his sexuality.

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“At this point everyone knows everything,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  Clay tells OK! à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I had a fan a few years ago say à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹I know everything about you except for what your favorite color is.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ In that case, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m never telling anyone my favorite color. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve stuck to it for five years à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ no one knows. For the most part, people know quite a bit. After five years, people have figured out as much as there is to know.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

OK Magazine

LGBT PRIDE TO BE CELEBRATED IN WEST HOLLYWOOD JUNE 6 – 8

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA (May 2008) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ The 2008 Los Angeles LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transgender) Pride Festival will take place in West Hollywood, CA on June 6 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ 8, 2008. The 38th annual parade and festival, which happens along Santa Monica Boulevard and throughout West Hollywood Park, celebrates the culmination of its three-year theme, “Our Agenda: Love. Equality. PRIDE.” LA Pride’s 2008 message is about taking pride in who you are, your family, your community, and the world around you. During Pride weekend, locals and visitors can expect to enjoy a parade, vendor booths, food, exhibits, dance pavilions and live entertainment.

LA Pride breaks new ground with an entertainment line-up on the WaMu ® Mainstage, and a myriad of LGBT community favorites. Musicians Joss Stone, Olivia Newton-John, and Kimberly Locke will headline the event on Saturday and Sunday night. Festival-goers will see the inclusion of over a dozen of CSW’s cultural partners and theatrical organizations who have joined in support of the LGBT community. The Parade Grandstand will once again accommodate Honorees, LGBT leaders, officials, and VIP guests and will be set alongside the broadcast at the Veterans Memorial triangle. The 2008 parade will take place Sunday, June 8, starting at 11:00 a.m. The parade will run west along Santa Monica Boulevard from Crescent Heights Boulevard to Robertson Boulevard.Out In Fresno

Ryan Seacrest may be replacing Larry King

Ryan Seacrest might be adding hosting duties of another kind to his schedule in 2009. A source from within CNN says that Seacrest, who has filled in for his friend Larry King in the past, is involved in “serious negotiations” to take over à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Larry King Liveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  around yearà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s end. King told The New York Times in April 2007 that Seacrest would be his first choice to take over the show when the time came.

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the classic generalist,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  King told the Times. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“The only thing I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know, and Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve gotten to know him pretty well, is how versed he is in politics, world affairs. Does he read the paper? Is he interested in Iraq? Because if he is, heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s going to be very good.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

MSNBC

AI Aftermath: 5th place finishers – VIDEOS

Welcome back to “AI Aftermath,” where we explore Idol’s past. Each week, as one more American Idol hopeful is eliminated from the competition, we take a look back at contestants past who were eliminated in the same week. We’ll examine how they did on the show and what they’ve been up to since their eliminations. In honor of Brooke White’s elimination last week we’ll be looking at other fifth place finishers.

This week: 5th place finishers, featuring featuring RJ Helton (Season 1), Trenyce (Season 2), George Huff (Season 3), Scott Savol (Season 4), Paris Bennett (Season 5) and Chris Richardson (Season 6).

TV Squad

“Kellie Pickler High School Hook Up” Promotion Results in 2 Million Text Messages for Citadel Broadcasting’s #1 Atlanta Country Station KICKS 1015

Leading mobile advertising network mSnap today announced the groundbreaking results of a campaign launched April 14-23, in partnership with Citadel Broadcasting’s #1 country music radio station in Atlanta. The text-to-win promotion received over two million text messages, resulting in the largest mobile marketing campaign for the Country music genre that Citadel Broadcasting has ever executed.

WKHX-FM / KICKS 1015 FM kicked off the “Kellie Pickler High School Hook Up,” targeting all high schools in the Atlanta metro area — for a chance to win an exclusive, private concert with the Sony BMG/BNA recording artist and American Idol Season Five finalist. The promotion was powered by mSnap, which enables both radio and television broadcasters and advertisers to easily create and manage SMS-based mobile campaigns.

Sun Herald

Hacking American Idol

As long as American Idol has existed, there have been accusations that it is rigged. And we wouldn’t be surprised, given the number of gambling sites like Bookmaker.com and Bodoglife.com taking bets on the show’s results. Currently on Sportsbook.com, Syesha Mercado is listed with 30-1 odds, as opposed to David Cook’s 10-11 odds of becoming the next American Idol.

But besides the betting bookers or tech-savvy hackers, some say it’s the producers who manipulate votes in favor of certain contestantsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ whether they’re awesomely good or awesomely badà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ to generate better television ratings. Of course, that doesn’t explain the early boot of this season’s favorite, Michael Johns. Fans flooded the message boards with their rage, accusing the producers of kicking off Johns early to spark controversy and create drama. This isn’t anything new, given the similar situations with Season 5 rocker Chris Daughtry and Season 1 powerhouse Christina Christian.

PC Magazine

 
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  • http://www.myspace.com/rjveritas MrRJ

    For a declining show, people sure write about it alot…..

  • BigNLiddle

    Michael was on a current affairs show called Today Tonight in Australia – here is the link (His Wife, Stacey, is in it as well)

    http://au.todaytonight.yahoo.com/article/3110002/lifestyle/meet-america-aussie-idol

  • chiquita55

    I don’t know MJ. I don’t think Jason did as bad as you think. I think you are playing into the judge’s hands. His rendition of ISTS was great in my opinion. He was totally cool and had a good time with it. I also thought his Mr. Tamborine Man was beautiful altho he did lose a line. But so have all the others. Why is Jason judged so harshly for the same things others do. Cook wasn’t so hot last nite. He sort of rasped out his songs. Especially the first one. Totally tuneless and it sounded awful. Syesha looked like an idiot trying to dance like Tina Turner.

    I didn’t find her so hot either. The only one that could really sing last night was Archuletta and its the first time in weeks he has picked it up and done well. I do believe all accolades go to him for last night. I am hoping and praying that Syesha goes home tonite and not Jason. The judge’s are just unmerciful to him. No wonder he forgot his lines. This is the first time he has ever done that. He has always been on pitch and on key. I can’t say that for any of the others. I hope Jason makes it thru to the next round, he deserves it. This is the last year I watch Idol. I don’t find the judge’s ripping someone apart something that I want to watch. And if Jason goes tonite, so do I. I bet this show really hits bottom in the ratings if Jason goes. He didnt’ deserve the treatment they have given him.

  • primeminister

    I rarely go out, but I sometimes I go to dinner with my family. You hear people whispering and talking and everyone wants to take your picture. And autographs are awkward. Don’t ask for autographs, people. I don’t understand the whole autograph thing. I don’t know why people like my chicken scratch. It’s strange.

    Oh, Jason. The boy’s obviously not used to the spotlight.

  • http://myspace.com/girlgeek mj

    I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know MJ. I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think Jason did as bad as you think. I think you are playing into the judgeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s hands. His rendition of ISTS was great in my opinion.

    ???

    These are headlines from the internet. I didn’t write any of these stories. I post whatever is out there, regardless of my own opinion.

  • chiquita55

    Oops, sorry MJ, I realized that after you posted a series of headlines but it wouldn’t allow me to edit my comment. Glad they weren’t your thoughts.

  • poporange

    It is all my fault w/ the help from the Doctor…yes all the meanest towards Jason Castro and Brooks stage fright /crying and also pompee ok that was the Doctor..

    So all blame goes to us not mj or anyone else………..

  • Tony

    Oh, Jason. The boyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s obviously not used to the spotlight.

    Didn’t he used to be on a TV show?

    But seriously, Jason has got to be kidding me. American Idol finalist = overnight celebrity.

  • primeminister

    Didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t he used to be on a TV show?

    Maybe for like a total of five minutes.

  • sumidol

    Still, hereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the truly ridiculous thing you can clown me for (and I know many of you will): The 13-year-old girl in me weeps for Jason

    Eonline explained it for me – I will look forward to him after someone else besides Idol takes him under their wing and helps him to be what he wants to be, someone who is better at guiding his type of singing. The mob mentality is going to take over for a few days and people will become evil but that is just in a lot of humans make up. Kick a dog when its down is a lot more fun with some people instead of reaching down and helping that proverbial dog “get better”. I will have his music to listen to from the show for now but I think it is crazy cool how this kid from Texas with no training grabbed hold of the hearts of many and gave us all a lot of joy. I wish the best for Cook but I dont think that the best is going further on this either. He got the exposure he needs but I dont see a Bono, Billy Corgin future for an American Idol rocker. Someone like David A is better suited for that type of thing

  • Tony

    The preliminary ratings are out. Last night: 21.25 million viewers (8.2 rating/23 share)

    Compare that with season 5 & 6

    Season 5 (top 4): 28.8 million (11.2/27)
    Season 6 (top 4): 25.47 million (9.3/28)

  • Tony

    Maybe for like a total of five minutes.

    LOL. OK.

    A quick YouTube search of “Jason Castro Cheyenne” disagrees.

    My point is that this is not the first time Jason had a TV camera stuck in his face for long periods of time.

  • http://myspace.com/girlgeek mj

    My point is that this is not the first time Jason had a TV camera stuck in his face for long periods of time.

    I don’t think you can compare his experience on some MTV reality show–a show that wasn’t even that popular–to what he’s experiencing now on Idol.

  • primeminister

    LOL. OK.

    A quick YouTube search of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Jason Castro Cheyenneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  disagrees.

    My point is that this is not the first time Jason had a TV camera stuck in his face for long periods of time.

    I’ve seen those episodes, Tony. Sure, he got face time, but he didn’t say much and definitely wasn’t the star of the show.

    My original comment referred to his remarks about not being used to people asking him for autographs. Did his short stint on Cheyenne cause people to ask him for autographs while he’s enjoying dinner with his family? I think NOT.

  • SpenserJ

    LOL. OK.

    A quick YouTube search of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Jason Castro Cheyenneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  disagrees.

    My point is that this is not the first time Jason had a TV camera stuck in his face for long periods of time.

    Tony – I think the difference here is between having a small part on a taped reality show that no one watched and being in front of a decent-sized live audience while simultaneously being broadcast live to over twenty million people. Most people have never even heard of the title character to the show that Jason was on, let alone remember him. But now – strangers are walking up asking for his audience.

    And, we may all think that these kids should know what to expect, and they should just suck it up. But, some people don’t enjoy insta-fame and may get a little freaked out by strangers suddenly acosting them.

    I know the popular opinion is that somehow celebrities get what they deserve, but I disagree. I think having the paparazzi film your every move and tabloids report your every transgression is something that no one deserves. The vulture culture is really kind of disgusting to me. And, famous or not, people should be able to enjoy a meal with their families without being interrupted by strangers.

    I don’t think it’s okay to be rude to my neighbors, and I don’t think it’s okay for me to judge them on how they spend their money. And, for me personally, those values don’t change regardless of how famous someone may be.

  • abbysee

    None of them were ready or exposed to this kind of spotlight, they are just handling it differently. This show for all of it’s decline puts a bright spotlight on this guys. It must be difficult to deal with, but that is what they all signed up for. I mean he must have watched the show once or twice.

  • Tony

    I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think you can compare his experience on some MTV reality showà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’a show that wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t even that popularà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’to what heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s experiencing now on Idol.

    True. That show was a complete failure (and so was Cheyenne’s music career). But I still find it totally strange for Jason to be so timid when 1) his every word with his girlfriend was recorded on film for a TV show and 2) since he’s on American Idol. How can he still not realize that this show means instant fame? He’d probably want Bob Marley’s autograph the same way a random girl off the street would want his.

    Maybe one of the Davids could explain this to him. lol

  • J.S.G.

    Is it just me or did anyone else feel just a little dirty after DavidA sang ‘Love Me Tender?’ Like I’d been unwittingly exposed to kiddie porn. Something more jaded that the image of Light of Doom on NGAB with their shirts off.

    I had to run into the washroom and take a long hot shower just to cleanse myself. Is that what being a Morman is all about?

    Didn’t catch the last of the show. Did I really miss anything?

  • dancin

    j.s.g. lol yes i couldnt handle it but what was worse was randy talking to him about how he caressed each word i was like OMG PERV ALERT lol

    something about the randy love for david A just bothers me lol

  • Trina

    Aw Simon. From that TV Guide article

    Michael Johns was probably the only contestant that should have stayed on a bit longer. I was thinking this week it would have been nice to see him in the Top 4. I think he would have got better.”

    Damn straight :cry_wp:

  • rher

    This was mentioned last night and now I don’t have time (a little thing called work) to read through all the posts. What was jason mouthing last night? Vote? or Don’t Vote? The obsessive in me was ready to replay it back last night, but work and family needs won!

  • cheese

    JSG – I felt the same way about “Love Me Tender,” like he was singing an ode to pedophiles or something. Sort of like how Sam Cooke wrote “Change is Gonna Come” as an Ode to Syesha’s AI Journey. I actually want those two to be in the finale so I can stop watching the show one week early.

  • Chicago-sally

    Am I the first one? Holy cow….well after last night, Jason C. probably wants to go home even worse than he did before.

    As much as I’m a Syesha rooter, that imitation Tina Turner thingy she did, was not impressive. I betcha Ricky Minor convinced her to do it. No good….not original at all.

    It looks like David vs. David, although I betcha even David C. would be relieved to go home….the stress of his bro’s illness must be a heavy weight.

  • gelfling

    Believe everything you read about Clay Aiken. Go ahead, ask him yourself. The onetime American Idol runner-up and current Broadway star tells OK! he has no rumors to clear up à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  not even the one about his sexuality.

    à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“At this point everyone knows everything,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  Clay tells OK! à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I had a fan a few years ago say à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹I know everything about you except for what your favorite color is.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ In that case, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m never telling anyone my favorite color. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve stuck to it for five years à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ no one knows. For the most part, people know quite a bit. After five years, people have figured out as much as there is to know.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

    OK that is just so wrong. They took his answer to a question about his fans and quoted it from an interview from last week and put their own spin on what he meant. His quote wasn’t about tabloids and rumors. He was talking about whether he was surprised about how much his fans knew about him.

    What a dirty trick!

    I think having the paparazzi film your every move and tabloids report your every transgression is something that no one deserves.

    They sure don’t. Especially when the transgression is fabricated to create scandal and controversy out of nothing.

  • J.S.G.

    cheese – I just got a call from my AI insider and I now know the reason for Syesha’s over the top waterworks.

    Right after her second song, Ryan whispered to her, “Sy, Obama has carried North Carolina handily. Indeed girl, a change is gonna come.”

    I don’t think we’ve ever given Syesha enough credit for the elevated level of policitcal consciousness and conviction she brings to this competition.

  • http://www.idolicious.com Kat

    I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think you can compare his experience on some MTV reality showà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’a show that wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t even that popularà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’to what heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s experiencing now on Idol.

    Exactly. And even if you could (just for the sake of argument) — doesn’t he have a right to change his mind? These kids are young. Hell, I know people who busted their butts for three years of law school only to say “eh, this isn’t really what I want to do” at the end. I don’t get how signing up for a reality TV show means that you can’t regret it later. And as transparent as Idol has become, reading about it and living it are two entirely different things.

  • J.S.G.

    C-Sally -

    Yeah, I’m officially off the Syesha bandwagon. It has been a great ride since it was always easy to get a good seat. But my work is done here. She doesn’t need me anymore. I’ll be holding a press conference tomorrow.

    As for the dancing in PM, that was the first time she has moved around the stage in shoes. I guess she felt the need to wear high heels to channel Tina.

    Unfortunately, Syesha didn’t have time to buy a new set of heels so she borrowed some from Brooke White. So it is no surprise she moved around the stage more like Brooke, than Tina.

  • gabam

    With all of the episodes combined Jason was on screen maybe a half hour. It was just a show-mance. Jason’s band and Cheyenne had the same manager so that’s how he really ended up on the show.

    The Billboard interviews were good. Thanks MJ.

  • hicksaholic

    I rewatched Jason’s ISTS and he definitely mouthed VOTE twice.

  • sumidol

    Did anyone else think it was pretty cool how Carly stood up for Jason – She was staring right at him as if to say – its ok, its ok – you can get thru this – hang in there. In one of his interviews he said Carly was the one that helped him come out of his shell more and more. Ahhh – mama Carly – I was always back and forth on her performances but I sure thought that was really nice.

  • Frogpond

    I saw her stand also ,I like her singing when she was lower in her voice .I just hate shrieky .(sp?)

  • Lu

    Wow I just watched the youtube performances from last night. I didn’t iss much. As unpopular as the thought is here – I think Archuleta took it last night. Poor Jason… bless his heart. His song choices – baaaaaaaaaad.

  • http://www.myspace.com/rjveritas MrRJ

    Hey look at Carly’s face when she stands up. That is not a happy face! That is a concerned, OMG what just happened face. She was being polite not exited.

  • beesims

    I think winning idol takes a great deal of calculated choices— from song choice, to the persona one projects in interviews and before the judges, and even smaller choices like wardrobe and hairstyles. Those that are left standing at this point have shown themselves to have made the shrewdest calculated choices.

    Cookie is the master of taking calculated risks. He picks songs that on the surface would seem doomed to failure and then puts his unique spin on it. No one else in the competition would have thought to pick such an obscure Neil Diamond song as “All I Ever Need is You”. No wonder he has such a big freakin’ head—the wheels in there are always spinning.

    Archie has his father masterminding his every move and picking songs that are universally familiar and have a Disney, feel good message. He has very little musical imagination, but he is blessed with a sweet breathy tenor and the ability to do the runs that gets Randy all hot and bothered for some reason.

    Syesha has got this far by picking “big” songs that show her range (which isn’t as great as she thinks it is, showing off her sex appeal and using her acting skills to sing in character (as in “One Rock and Roll Too Many”). I am convinced that if you could graft Melinda Doolittle’s voice and inate musicality on to Syesha’s face and body, there would be little question that she would be in the final two.

    Jason has made the calculated choice to just be Jason—goofy, somewhat detached, unwilling to pander to the judges, and singing in a style that is decidedly not “idol”.

  • sumidol

    Carly wasnt happy at all, you can see that – she WAS concerned and stood up to try and lend Jason some strength thru her and I thought that was really cool of her to do. She, being there with him thru this, obviously knew what he went thru to even get out on that stage, as he said in interviews and right after Daydream – he said “it is scary up here”. I think it was really nice of her to do.

  • http://www.myspace.com/rjveritas MrRJ

    Yes, I am not a carly fan, but she did seemed concerned for Jason as he kind of imploded up there.

    Speaking of ISTS….what a terrible, terrible arrangement. On the same show DA gets a marvelous arrangement for SBM.

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/iamthepurplewalrus purplesmile

    Poor Jasonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ bless his heart. His song choices – baaaaaaaaaad.

    But, but, Lu…it’s “Bob Marleeey!” ;)

    (I’m not going into the Bob Dylan song choice, because I know just how much you love his voice, Lu…lol)

  • IGetCranked

    Did anyone else think it was pretty cool how Carly stood up for Jason -

    I just rewatched the show and noticed that David A took up for Jason also right after Simon made the crack about whistling. He said, ” Aw I liked Jason’s song.”

  • sumidol

    How can he still not realize that this show means instant fame? Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d probably want Bob Marleyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s autograph the same way a random girl off the street would want his.

    I think he realized how it could bring you instant fame but just not that he would be the one getting it? I cant wait to hear from him and the others and see what really was up with all of it and get it all straight.

    Yes MrRj – you are right – David A did good last night as my little ones told me over and over and over and over – see mom – see mom. So, a portion of my household was very happy last night

  • Kylene

    Cranked, I saw that re: DavidA last night too, and, surprisingly, it endeared me to him instantly. Sometimes it feels like “the kids” vs. TPTB, and it’s nice when they instinctively stick up for each other, however subtley.

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/iamthepurplewalrus purplesmile

    It broke my heart, but I finally put all my pool points on my favorite boy. I think this is it. (This might me a bad fan, but) I hope it is. :(

    I had been looking forward to his appearances on Ellen, R&K, Leno, AI Extra, etc., anyway. I hope he brings his goofy self to all of those. :)

  • primeminister

    It broke my heart, but I finally put all my pool points on my favorite boy. I think this is it. (This might me a bad fan, but) I hope it is. :(

    I had been looking forward to his appearances on Ellen, R&K, Leno, AI Extra, etc., anyway. I hope he brings his goofy self to all of those. :)

    Same here, purps. I’m sure his interviews will be fun!

  • sciencefan

    Tony May 7th, 2008 at 11:27 am
    …
    But seriously, Jason has got to be kidding me. American Idol finalist = overnight celebrity.

    He had a little recording studio at home, and his family talked him into trying out after hearing him sing.

    This is a much bigger bite than he wanted to chew, apparently. Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s kind of shy and prefers his privacy.

    I didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have that problem with Love Me Tender (thankfully). I just enjoyed it for the pretty song that it was.

    It looked to me like, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t vote.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  The mouth formation for D and V are very different. Some slow motion should be able to make it more clear, but several other people whose articles I read today thought it was à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢tà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  also.

    sumidol à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ I agree with your assessment of what Carly was doing.

  • sciencefan

    Three people who read lips say he said “Vote, vote.”

  • http://inkdbylilyanna.com carolina

    David A is AI perfection (in this group).

    That is the problem.

    The other problem – he isn’t a performer. He isn’t able to headline. Gosh and giggles don’t work. Holding out one hand doesn’t work (reminiscent of a panhandler!). Relying on your Daddy to micromanage you doesn’t work.

    He also doesn’t have the emotional maturity needed to sustain a success career.

    His choice of songs is boring ballads. period.

    That’s why DCFTW!

  • poporange

    I agree it is bad the way they treated him and that thecontestants are thier for each other ..Daivd A and Carly this week …Daivid C for Brook last week. I keep it in perspective though ,,,.

    My thoughts go to the victems of the cyclone now the updated death tol up to 100,000 they fear disease may take more ..That is a true catrastrophy.

  • Karen

    I put all my points on Jason too. Maybe that will save him. I have many weeks in the pool of zero points.

  • sumidol

    I had been looking forward to his appearances on Ellen, R&K, Leno, AI Extra, etc., anyway. I hope he brings his goofy self to all of those. :)

    Yes, Purple – me too – I think we are getting it a little sooner than we really wanted it? I sure hope he sings SOTR again

  • IGetCranked

    Sometimes it feels like à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“the kidsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  vs. TPTB, and ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s nice when they instinctively stick up for each other, however subtley.

    EXACTLY!!

    This “cast” seems so close and supportive more so this year. Also this years eliminations have been so much more emotionaly charged this year since the first show. I love this year!

  • http://myspace.com/saltwatercures pj

    I put all my points on Jason as well. I wonder which song will he choose as his sing out selection.

  • primeminister

    I put all my points on Jason as well. I wonder which song will he choose as his sing out selection.

    My pick would be the Dylan song. Hopefully, he’ll get to use his guitar (unlike Brooke, who didn’t get to play the piano).

  • cheese

    I was sad to put all of my points on Jason this week, too. However, 4th place is pretty damn good for a quirky, folky cannon fodder contestant and he has nothing to regret if he goes tonight.

    The Billboard interviews were interesting and it’s cool to see how differently they are all handling the pressure and new fame. I am not surprised that Syesha wants to win a bunch of awards. Jason truly does seem weirded out by this whole thing. David A is a sweet kid who really does love the music even if I personally find his taste/style unappealing. I agree with DC’s statement that he’s competing with himself and I think the judges see him that way, too. If he’s still there next week, I expecting the judges to give him “Beat It” and expect a fresh arrangement that somehow sounds nothing like the Fall Out Boy song. I would not want to be in his shoes right now. The boy did not look happy or healthy last night (hmm, I wonder if the top 4 were introduced to the coronation song this week? that would explain it)

  • Allison

    blazing egocentrism

    re Syesha’s explanation of the Sam Cooke classic — I love it!

  • wfowfowfo

    How did Taylor get them to change the song they picked for him? Sheer stubborn refusal? Cook at least might have a chance at ‘fixing’ it – they wouldn’t make him sing it straight like they did Blake, right? Wasn’t there an interview with Simon that hinted at that very thing?

    Cook did look stressed and tired. The spark is gone from his eyes (any word on his brother lately?) I don’t think he likes the competition part of the entire show. I think he’s feeling badly that he’s competing with a child like DA, and a loveable goof like Jason… He’s older, wiser, and has been around the block in the business way longer than the two of them, I think it bothers him that he’s got to beat them to continue. I truly think he’s a genuinely nice person — and he’s worn out by the entire process.

    Just my opinion, obviously.

  • s fl sizzler

    Funny story … I was breezin’ through Rickey’s and MJ’s and subsequently clinked on a link for some Entertainment Site with Paula’s after the show critique of last night’s performances (unsure which site I was on at the time). Anyway … when I clicked to start the video, background music was playing with a very familiar female voice and it prevented me from hearing the audio of Paula’s tape. Besides being very interested in knowing the artist because I really liked the song, I wanted to turn it off to hear Paula. I just figured it automatically started streaming when I clicked the Entertainment link. Well I checked out the entire webpage numerous times and couldn’t find ANY audio player to turn off and/or to find out who the heck was singing. The voice sounded so very familiar … I actually thought it was possibly a song on Leona Lewis’ new CD (though one more soulful and slightly less popish than Bleeding Love). It was driving me crazy as song after song came on by the same female singer (that I pretty much liked as well) … I just could not for the life of me figure out where it was coming from. Suddenly it dawned on me that it could possibly … just maybe … be Brooke, which shocked the hell outta me considering the sound, but I still didn’t know where it had originated from and was now more curious than ever. I finally found that I must have, without realizing it, mistakenly clicked on a previous link immediately before the EW one that had started Brooke’s CD streaming at almost the same time that Paula’s video initiated but it had been minimized and was hidden beneath my bottom task bar.

    Mystery solved but holy bejeesus … after immediately purchasing her CD from itunes … there are quite a few very commercial songs (top 40 AC) and only one or two stinkers, inclusive of an AI coronation ballad called ‘Change’ (perfect for little D). She does a cover of Aerosmith’s Dream On (honestly great), a sweet and haunting little ditty called ‘In Love’ (that I really liked) and another that could definitely be a Pop Hit called ‘Come To My Resue.’ You can definitely hear the Carly Simon, Carole King flavoring on the CD but it has a variety and I do not think that they all sound too much the same either. Check it out.

  • http://www.myspace.com/gundomom CarieB

    Jason is so much better than that unfortunate catastrophic display we saw tonight. Yes, he bombed. Big time. To the point where Simon told him to “pack his bags.” But I can tell you that in rehearsal, the guy was genius.

    I thought so as well, at least on ISTS. I was so sad to put all my points on Jason today but if I’m honest, I have to say it’s time for him to go. He doesn’t belong on that stage anymore.

    I will miss his sweet face and lovely voice, but will look forward to seeing him on all the talk shows and on the summer tour.

  • jersey

    All my points are also on Jason (*sob*). I have to admit I didn’t even vote for him all that hard last night. I really do think he’s ready to go. I also agree that that Billboard Q&A made it seem like he is kind of freaked out by the whole “fame” thing. I hope he sings Mr. Tamborine Man as his sing out and blows it out of the water. I’ll be watching him on Regis and Kelly etc. (or at least dvr’ing it for later viewing).

  • sciencefan

    Harumph. Too bad Simon didn’t critique Jason’s rehearsal performance.

    Is the AI forum down for you guys, too, or have I been banned? When I click on a link it says the op has been removed – for all the threads, even the “stickeys”.

  • primeminister

    Jason updated his facebook status last night:

    Jason Castro is “begging everyone to vote tonight so i can come home to a parade this weekend! otherwise i wont get to come home till after summer :( VOTE!!!!

    I guess that answers the “Don’t Vote” question.

  • moody

    I just rewatched the show and noticed that David A took up for Jason also right after Simon made the crack about whistling. He said, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  Aw I liked Jasonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s song.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

    I missed that. Probably because I was still mad about the comments for Jason. I’m happy to see the contestants sticking together like that.

    I know it’s time but it makes me sad to see Jason go after the not so good performances and the harsh words. I hope they have the decency to treat him well tonight.

  • Frogpond

    AI worked for me ,so Idk why you are having problems .

    I voted for Jason I wanted him to have the nice big homecoming over some other actress if you know what I mean .

  • wfowfowfo

    but if Jason goes home tonight, he gets to go the media interviews — right? Third gets no appearances due to the final-night schedule…

    I really want to see him on Ellen — (although I’d really like a Castro/Cook final…) I’m being realistic — tptb won’t let achie go.

  • sciencefan

    I keep thinking about Syesha. How would she feel if she went home tonight, but Jason stayed after such horrible performance reviews from the judges? Wouldn’t that be an insult?

    What’s Jason’s facebook address?

  • sumidol

    You know what – this is sweeps month and it started on 4/28 – and Paulagate was on 4/29 – votes went up by 10,000.00, didnt they say? Jason leaving wouldnt really do them any good at this point with his huge following? I really dont think that he will be staying though unless it is a really big upset that could generate them some more big publicity??? Probably nothing – just thought of that.

  • http://myspace.com/saltwatercures pj

    # Jason Castro. Whether this was the first time this side came out, or was only visible from the pit, the hippy crooner clearly lost his mellow for a moment after his first judging and showed signs that his previously unruffled demeanor had actually been shaken by the poor notices. Watching from feet away as a contestant is fed to the lions is hard to see and not feel compassion for.

    This also says to me that he does care about the competition (despite claims to the contrary). The Facebook thing is interesting. Unfortunately, I don’t think Jason is going to get his wish.

  • sciencefan

    Frogpond, were you signed in to the forum?
    Cause it works for me if I sign out.
    I didn’t say anything over there that other people are not saying there.

  • colette

    Letter to David Cook:

    Dear Cookie:

    Haven’t written you in a while, but need to reach out, bro, to both buck you up and set you straight.

    You know I’ve been on your side all the way, since “All Right Now” and “Happy Together” (don’t diss yourself on the latter, it was great!) and to this day.
    But last night I felt you wavering off course, and on behalf of all of us who believe in your talent and your own passionately competitive spirit, I hope you can regroup for the rest of this marathon.

    We know you’re coming out of this experience with a major label record contract, no matter what. But we need you to keep fighting into the top 2, just to remind us all what you’re capable of now and in the future, and to save AI from itself this season.

    I can only imagine how exhausting this weird strange trip has been, and how surreal it must be to go from Tulsa bartender-musician with a hometown following, and dreamboat king-of-the-world rock god attracting throngs of drooling women and hyperbolic bloggings. I can see you trying to maintain your equilibrium, which involves enjoying this party to the hilt but also not taking the media-celeb hype too seriously. Stay real, bro, stay real.

    But I can’t hide my disappointment in the choices you made on Rock Night. Many of us anticipated that this would be a wonderful week for you, with a plethora of classic songs to put the David Cook spin on. So when you chose that forgettable Duran Duran tune, my spirits sagged. And when you tore into the Who number, yes, the fire in the belly was back. But the song was a terrible fit, to my mind, into the narrow Idol format.

    David, David, David, stop kissing those dolphins for a minute and moussing your hair into a peak, and remember that to connect with that vast sea of Idol voters you don’t have to prove your rockster street cred. You’ve done that already, and permanently.

    Now it’s time to again choose a song that truly speaks to you, and to your listeners. A well-crafted, memorable, ode with beaucoup emotion — whether it be love, lust, longing, rage, or whatever. While we were all dreaming of you singing a great Dylan or Van Morrison or Clash or Beach Boys tune to us, you passed the opportunity up.

    We know how musical diverse you are, how you can ace a Mariah or Dolly or Beatles tune. But you don’t have to fear “karoake” when you attack a beloved standard, because your musical sensibility won’t allow that to happen.

    However it all ends up, you know I want to follow the rest of your career closely, and I’m hoping for great things. I want to own and hear those David Cook albums, and I want to love them. But I also want you to pick up this enervated American Idol season, and give it a final jolt of real musical power.

    You don’t have to do anything weird or crazy to do that. You just have to pick out songs that connect, and sing the hell out of them.

    pax,

    Colette

  • GeminiDolly

    Best of luck to Jason. I hope he continues to pursue music because I really enjoy it.

  • http://www.idolicious.com Kat

    As much as I’ve been ragging on her all season, I do want to see Syesha make the final three, based solely on last night. I actually don’t think her performances were that great, but last night she finally acknowledge that she is an actual human being with real emotions, and though it only lasted for a brief moment (and came after the whole “civil rights = me!” debacle), I softened my opinion of her a little.

  • Fender

    sizzler,

    LOL things like that have happened to me before… the mystery music from the computer haha.

    Anyway I’m a huge Brooke fan, and I really like her CD, although I do think it is overproduced (whoever produced it looooves reverb). I think it they toned down the arrangements even more, it would have been fantastic – for her less is more. Regardless, I think that CD showed she has some solid to excellent songwriting chops, especially considering all the tracks were all written when she was about 20. I really believe she can put out a fantastic second CD, and I will be first in line to buy it.

    Glad to see someone else enjoys her CD as much as me!

  • jpfan

    “You know what – this is sweeps month and it started on 4/28 – and Paulagate was on 4/29 – votes went up by 10,000.00, didnt they say? Jason leaving wouldnt really do them any good at this point with his huge following”

    I’m too lazy to look up the exact numbers but Paulagate did nothing for the ratings. Last week’s elimination night was off from the week before and that was the height of “the they done Jason wrong” controversy. The votes don’t reflect any increase in viewship at all. It’s been going South for awhile.

    Last night’s Top 4 show had less that 22 million which has to one of the lowest Tuesday night ratings in years. So the interest in Jason by his “huge following” has not led to any ratings blimp. Sanjaya and his elimination were much bigger ratings boosts for S6.

  • cochem

    I posted on Clay thread…but here is HDD projection one day sales..
    RCA American Idol alum Clay Aiken is On My Own Here, with loyal Claymates pushing his first-week sales total to 80-85k, just ahead of fellow J Records heartthrob Gavin DeGrawà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s self-titled sophomore album with 75-80k.

    http://www.hitsdailydouble.com/news/newsPage.cgi?news07090m01

  • primeminister

    How Hard Is Jason Castro Trying To Get Kicked Off ‘American Idol’?

    Excerpt:

    Grammy-nominated songwriter Ace Young, the seventh-place finisher in the fifth season of “Idol,” said he’s heard from sources that Castro is just trying to “coast through” and get ready for the summer “Idol” tour and figure out his next career move. “I heard that it started a couple weeks ago, that he was kind of coasting,” said Young, whose self-titled debut album is due July 15. “I hope it’s not the case. I hope that deep down, he has a competitive spirit. I mean, I wanted it the whole time. I still do! It’s funny when you see someone in a competition like this lose the fight out of the dog this early. What will happen later?”

  • jpfan

    (I can’t edit) but I’m going to predict that next weeks Top 3 if it includes the 2 Davids and Syesha will get better ratings than the Top 4 show with Jason. And that’s with the “huge” number of fans that will be pissed if Jason gets the boot and will boycott the show. Although, it’s still a very boring Top 3 so maybe I’ll be proved wrong.

  • sumidol

    heard that it started a couple weeks ago, that he was kind of coasting,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  said Young,

    Hmm – wonder where he heard THAT from – then we get the REAL interview today on billboard a week later

  • http://www.idolicious.com Kat

    Okay, I take it back. I just read this in Syesha’s Billboard interview:

    I want to take on many different projects. After this, I want to work on an album. I definitely want to collaborate with different artists and make a great album to give back to the world, to share my music with the world and touch people because so many people are touched by just this whole ‘American Idol’ experience. [I want to] star in a Broadway show. I want to star in a movie and I want to win a Grammy and an Oscar.

    And a Tony. That’s one of my new goals. And I want to start foundations. I really, really want to do that. I think the biggest part of being famous is not just about wearing a pretty dress and ‘I’m singing at this place, I’m singing at that place.’ It’s really about helping people.

    LOL. “I just want to be a performer because that’s what I love” is one thing; “I want to be famous and win awards” is another. I know, I know, there’s nothing wrong with it, but it still cracks me up.

    If Syesha Mercado and Katharine McPhee ever came face-to-face, what do y’all think would happen — would they become BFFs, or would they secretly vow to destroy one another?

  • abbysee

    Colette said:

    “David, David, David, stop kissing those dolphins for a minute and moussing your hair into a peak”

    That was just frigging funny. My keyboard and monitor aren’t appreciative.

  • Frogpond

    Sciencefan :
    I was logged in .I have been banned and gagged over there before (season 5 like to many times to count )

  • Frogpond

    Well the only way they may and stress may get a boost is if the rumors I have heard are indeed true .Cause if Jason leaves tonight I don’t want to watch this boring show .

  • holeighannie

    Grammy-nominated songwriter Ace Young? Did I miss something here? :S

  • http://www.myspace.com/gundomom CarieB

    Ace was nominated as co-writer of It’s Not Over by Daughtry (and others)

  • jpfan

    It’s Not Over – co written by Ace and Daughtry. Ace rarely says anything negative and is usually a straight shooter. It’s obvious the Jason has been coasting (to me anyway) and the judges probably have noticed it for a while.

  • Lu

    and came after the whole à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“civil rights = me!à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  debacle

    Oh gag. I’m really glad I missed the show last night.

  • holeighannie

    Ohh, I didn’t realize he co-wrote that song. Good to know. I have no problems with Ace, I just don’t like it when ex-Idols come out talking about their “sources” and whatever…especially when they’ve got an album coming out. All I’m saying. I was a fan of Ace’s.

    Well the only way they may and stress may get a boost is if the rumors I have heard are indeed true .

    ??

  • sciencefan

    It sounded to me like Ace was just repeating a rumor… which can be dangerous territory. I mean I been reading that online for a week.

    Well, if Jason stays tonight, I’ll feel bad for Syesha, but I’ll be happy for him that he gets to fly home for all that fame and glory, but it sure seems by that Billboard interview that he doesn’t want fame.

  • jpfan

    I thought the two Davids came across as intelligent and real music lovers in their interviews. I was especially impressed that David A reads old Billboard charts so he is familiar with a lot of different music. So you can be 17 and still be interested in “older” music. Maybe he even knew Memory was a song from a show about cats.

    Jason is a cute guy who has talent. It’s kind of shame that if he gets the boot tonight, he’ll leave like a quitter. I know most people here think the judges’ intense criticism turned him off. I think they saw the quit in him and that turned them off. But that’s just my opinion. I’m sure most here see it differently.

  • gabam

    I guess Syesha is the Season 7 version of Kat. Actress-turned-singer who can’t wait to get back to acting. They both just wanted to be famous so that is working out for both of them.

    CD sales may be similar also, if not less for Sy, depending where she lands in the competition.

  • metsin6

    Letter to David Cook:

    Dear Cookie:

    Havenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t written you in a while, but need to reach out, bro, to both buck you up and set you straight.

    You know Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve been on your side all the way, since à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“All Right Nowà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Happy Togetherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  (donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t diss yourself on the latter, it was great!) and to this day.
    But last night I felt you wavering off course, and on behalf of all of us who believe in your talent and your own passionately competitive spirit, I hope you can regroup for the rest of this marathon.

    We know youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re coming out of this experience with a major label record contract, no matter what. But we need you to keep fighting into the top 2, just to remind us all what youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re capable of now and in the future, and to save AI from itself this season.

    I can only imagine how exhausting this weird strange trip has been, and how surreal it must be to go from Tulsa bartender-musician with a hometown following, and dreamboat king-of-the-world rock god attracting throngs of drooling women and hyperbolic bloggings. I can see you trying to maintain your equilibrium, which involves enjoying this party to the hilt but also not taking the media-celeb hype too seriously. Stay real, bro, stay real.

    But I canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t hide my disappointment in the choices you made on Rock Night. Many of us anticipated that this would be a wonderful week for you, with a plethora of classic songs to put the David Cook spin on. So when you chose that forgettable Duran Duran tune, my spirits sagged. And when you tore into the Who number, yes, the fire in the belly was back. But the song was a terrible fit, to my mind, into the narrow Idol format.

    David, David, David, stop kissing those dolphins for a minute and moussing your hair into a peak, and remember that to connect with that vast sea of Idol voters you donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have to prove your rockster street cred. Youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve done that already, and permanently.

    Now ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s time to again choose a song that truly speaks to you, and to your listeners. A well-crafted, memorable, ode with beaucoup emotion à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  whether it be love, lust, longing, rage, or whatever. While we were all dreaming of you singing a great Dylan or Van Morrison or Clash or Beach Boys tune to us, you passed the opportunity up.

    We know how musical diverse you are, how you can ace a Mariah or Dolly or Beatles tune. But you donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have to fear à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“karoakeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  when you attack a beloved standard, because your musical sensibility wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t allow that to happen.

    However it all ends up, you know I want to follow the rest of your career closely, and Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m hoping for great things. I want to own and hear those David Cook albums, and I want to love them. But I also want you to pick up this enervated American Idol season, and give it a final jolt of real musical power.

    You donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have to do anything weird or crazy to do that. You just have to pick out songs that connect, and sing the hell out of them.

    pax,

    Colette

    AMEN!!

  • dante

    I just got home and have not read any of the blog today.

    After being a RAVING LUNETIC last night and still upset this morning – I have regained my composure and distance from the show. I don’t even care who goes home tonight …….

    Who am I kidding? I do care and I am so sad to see Jason leave as I think he has so much potential and such a good soul. I love his voice.

    As long as DC stays in I will watch but if DA and Syesha are in finale I won’t.

    it is only a reality show……it is only a reality show…..it is only a reality show

    lol

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

    The boy did not look happy or healthy last night (hmm, I wonder if the top 4 were introduced to the coronation song this week? that would explain it)

    :lol_tb:

    I didn’t even THINK of that. LOL. Good one, cheese.

  • metsin6

    it is only a reality showà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦it is only a reality showà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦..it is only a reality show

    lol

    I felt that way at the beginning of this season. I kept telling myself I will not watch this show ever again. I even miss the first two weeks of semis. That was until David C’s breathtaking Hello performance, and I was seduced back into the madness once again. Damn you, DC and your smolderingness(that’s not a real word, but whatever). But after this, no more. :lol_wp:

  • hapi

    Is “Bo Bice” performing tonight???

    seems read that somewhere. is it true????
    hope so and hope he does rocks. You never know on this show how the guests will sound.

  • bean99

    I heard that also, Hapi.

  • KrazeeK120

    Something has been bugging me ALL SEASON and it finally dawned on me today what it was!

    I started watching way back in season 2, and have seen every episode since. Back then, I got the impression that the show was about finding the best raw, undiscovered talent in America. People who would otherwise have no way into the music business. Season 1 produced Kelly Clarkson, a huge star. Wasn’t she a waitress or something? She didn’t have the means to enter the world of Hollywood and now look at her. Idol really gave her a huge stepping stone.

    I feel like since then, there have been more and more people with high levels of prior experience entering (and succeeding) in the competition. And it seems like the producers and some of the mentors are less and less willing to help those who don’t know as much (or anything) about the business.

    Let’s take Jason Castro as an example. Jason is very raw and very untrained and obviously has no clue what he’s doing. But there’s something special in there and it doesn’t seem like too many people have tried very hard to pull it out. Like ALW week…ALW didn’t like Carly’s song choice, and recommended a different one for her (funny how that didn’t work out), but he let Jason go on with a horrible song choice. Why didn’t he guide Jason to some other song? Isn’t that the point of having a mentor at all? Why didn’t he “mentor” Jason?

    I just really think that the Jason Castros of the world will ever succeed on this show. TPTB don’t seem interested in giving talented, yet uneducated, people a hand any more. Maybe in the first couple of seasons, someone like Jason would have had an opportunity to win (or at least be in the finale), but not any more.

    And, this is ALL just my opinion. I really needed to get that out though. I fee better now. Glad my little cannon fodder boy got all the way to #4.

  • http://www.xanga.com/hisaki_chan707 Hisaki

    KK, you are amazing. I’m glad he got to #4, too, but he’s been fodder from the start so I’m guessing TPTB have pretty much always wanted him gone, gone, gone. Now they’re just going to do anything they can to get rid of him, because Nigel’s head will be ablaze if he doesn’t see the Davids at the finale.

    Cook also says his method for selecting songs to sing on
    “American Idol” has involved “an idiot savant aspect”: “If the vibe of a song grips me … that’s usually a good indicator that I probably should do that song. As far as arrangement, I operate on the mantra just keep it simple, stupid.”

    LOL. This boy cracks me UP.

    Cookie Dorkstravaganza!

  • idolbeat

    Prime minister, Ace’s source is probably the same one that want to get rid of Jason.

    I loved the MTV article! Jim’s college experiences seem smiliar to mine LOL!

    The E! Online article was also great. I am glad that Carie shared the same feelings, maybe others felt the same way too. I really think Simon’s cutting remarks did damage his focus. For all you people who didn’t vote for him because you thought he said don’t vote – shame on you. I am going to be very emotional tonight.

  • primeminister

    kk- I don’t think Jason would have done as well in other seasons as he did this season. Firstly, because of the instrument rule. Secondly, because of 6 previous seasons of big-voiced contestants, Jason was a breath of fresh air.

    He had a good run.

  • idolbeat

    whoops, can’t edit for some reason – should read similiar in my last post.

  • http://inkdbylilyanna.com carolina

    jpfan

    . . . . I was especially impressed that David A reads old Billboard charts so he is familiar with a lot of different music. So you can be 17 and still be interested in à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“olderà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  music. Maybe he even knew Memory was a song from a show about cats.

    Gah. Has David A. ever been to school or is he being homeschooled by his keeper…. I mean, Dad?

    I guess when cookie came in with his joke and David A. was sitting in the dark he was memorzing music charts.

    I really think he has no life of his own.

  • cheese

    The studio recordings are up early!

    After initially being pissed that DCook recorded Hungry Like the Wolf instead of the Who song, I’ve changed my mind. This is HOT.

  • Steph

    The Ford Music Video is up. Check out the outfits…LOL

  • jersey

    I downloaded Jason’s already, too. Too bad Mr. Tamborine Man didn’t go this well last night!

  • http://myspace.com/saltwatercures pj

    It’s pretty, isn’t it Jersey?

  • Steph

    It is telling me that “Hungry Like the Wolf” is not available. I will keep trying. I think he/they/whoever gets to choose picked the wrong song to do a studion recording for again this week. I was really hoping for a full version of Baba O’Riley. Errrrrr.

  • jersey

    Yes, pj, it is. I really do love his voice. I’ll miss it. :cry_tb:

  • bean99

    I’ve been listening to “I’m Alive” from last week. It may have syrupy lyrics but is very catchy and I like it. I don’t think I’ll buy the new one since (unlike MJ, lol) I love Duran Duran’s version. I’m an 80′s girl when it comes to music.

  • Chicago-sally

    http://www.tmz.com/tmz_main_video?titleid=1542755414

    Did Jason say “don’t vote?”??? THIS is hilarious!

  • hapi

    Wow…really like Jason’s Tamborine Man studio version!
    Where is “Dingo”? Listen to that little growl in there that she likes. He has a great recording voice!

  • poporange

    deleted

  • GwendolynD

    cheese
    May 7th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
    The studio recordings are up early!

    After initially being pissed that DCook recorded Hungry Like the Wolf instead of the Who song, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve changed my mind. This is HOT.

    How about that growl, huh?

  • GwendolynD

    American Idol: Springsteen Ticket Auction to Help David Cook’s Brother

    Steven and Maureen Van Zandt donated two tickets to upcoming Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band shows at Giants Stadium. The tickets are up for auction on eBay.

    Steven is a member of Bruce’s E Street Band and these seats are the Van Zandts’ personal guest seats. The winner of the auction will also be invited to attend Steven’s backstage pre-show reception.

    All the proceeds from the auction will go toward a fund to fly Idol contestant David Cook’s brother, Adam Cook, from his home in Indiana to Los Angeles for the finale week performances on May 20 and 21. Adam, who is battling cancer, is only permitted by his doctors to fly on a special medical flight which costs nearly $80,000.

    MYFOXNY.COM

  • http://myspace.com/girlgeek mj

    All the proceeds from the auction will go toward a fund to fly Idol contestant David Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s brother, Adam Cook, from his home in Indiana to Los Angeles for the finale week performances on May 20 and 21. Adam, who is battling cancer, is only permitted by his doctors to fly on a special medical flight which costs nearly $80,000.

    80 thousand dollars? Wow. I have really mixed feelings about this.

  • GwendolynD

    Wonder who made it happen and how?

    I don’t think they’ll raise the 80 grand from the tickets, though.

  • http://www.myspace.com/rjveritas MrRJ

    MJ…you and me both. It seems to me that money like that could help the family or his treatment or research much better than a trip to be in the live audience. But, then again, people get to make their own choices for their own reasons.

  • Grammie Kari

    I miss Jason already but felt that he missed the lyrics on purpose. He was ready to go home. I love the Group Song! Jason was having a ball and so care free. He was the BEST singer in the segment. He is just awesome guy and I will miss him so much! No more voting for me!

    Take care Jason – you will have a terrific carerr!

  • http://myspace.com/girlgeek mj

    MJà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦you and me both. It seems to me that money like that could help the family or his treatment or research much better than a trip to be in the live audience.

    That money could pay for his kids college education, for instance.

    But, then again, people get to make their own choices for their own reasons.

    Yes.

  • http://www.myspace.com/rjveritas MrRJ

    That money could pay for his kids college education, for instance.

    But, then again, people get to make their own choices for their own reasons.

    Yes

    As Robert Frost wrote, “How hard it is not to be King, when it is in you, and in the situation”

  • Crazymomelon

    “All the proceeds from the auction will go toward a fund to fly Idol contestant David Cookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s brother, Adam Cook, from his home in Indiana to Los Angeles for the finale week performances on May 20 and 21. Adam, who is battling cancer, is only permitted by his doctors to fly on a special medical flight which costs nearly $80,000.”

    ick.