Kristy Lee Cook, Michael Johns, Ramiele Malubay and Chikezie – Larry King Live – VIDEO – With Tour Spoilers!

Ahh, if only they could’ve talked to Michael a bit longer!

Awww.
Mj is such a class act. I am glad he at least got to be part of it via satellite.
He looked so good.

I am thrilled for him that he gets to do that special event with David Foster in Las Vegas.

That a cappella song was ten times better than any group number they did on the show!

Michael’s really starting to annoy me. “I went in a bit of a shocker.” Even if you think that, you shouldn’t say it. It makes you sound arrogant, in my opinion. Plus, Michael, most of your performances were pretty average. In addition, KLC was like a bad cold (annoying and wouldn’t go away) and at that point, everyone else was consistently better than you, so no, your boot was not that shocking.

There. I feel better.

/end rant

On another note, I’m VERY excited about the tour! It will be nice to hear them on instruments. I’m glad Jason will be bringing the uke – that was a very cool performance. The “yearbook” bit was funny, too. It seemed that they were in agreement on most everything.

How nice of them to give a shout-out to Luke. Get well, Luke!

And, is Larry King the most awkward interviewer or what? I think the Idols all did well despite the awkwardness.

“Who knows what’s gonna happen t—–”

That was so funny. Larry King Live always has awkward silent moments.

Michaelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s really starting to annoy me. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I went in a bit of a shocker.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  Even if you think that, you shouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t say it. It makes you sound arrogant, in my opinion. Plus, Michael, most of your performances were pretty average. In addition, KLC was like a bad cold (annoying and wouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t go away) and at that point, everyone else was consistently better than you, so no, your boot was not that shocking.

OMG! I so agree. He’s definitely getting a little too arrogant for my taste with those comments on how it was a shocker and how people always tell him it was robbed and how his past few weeks performances were strong. Come on. Let people pay you those compliments, don’t give them to yourself.

And I agree that the boot wasn’t as shocking as people make it out to be. He really wasn’t that good in my opinion, no stand out performances. I strongly agree with what Michael Slezak said in an article that his good looks might have convinced a lot of people that he sings better than he actually does.

KrazeeK120- MJ pulled the same thing TWICE on Ai Extra, talking as if he were God’s gift to AI. I liked him and he was good- but he blew it himself.

Ps. Larry did some serious spray tanning before the show.

I have posted before that I though MJ was overrated. He coasted on his audition and Hollywood week pimping until he finally gave a wow performance on Dolly night. That is the only performance of his I can honestly remember. The other performances weren’t really original, he was just mimicking the original artists, IMO, like many a good cover band lead singer. He was actually better in the group sings than when he sang by himself.

Oh. come on.

Geez, MJ has always been a very humble guy and was the first to say come finale night how thrilled he was for his friend David Cook.

If he was so full of himself how come all the idols seem to like him? Cookie especially, just saying.
It seems they have so much fun when he is around. He is the class clown, ha, ha.

I just think he is so used people telling him he was a shock departure that he just says it too. Why is it such a big deal?

He is a very nice guy, I’ve followed all his interviews after he left and really he is a sweetheart. Don’t judge him so harshly.

And yes, he IS a very talented guy, I in the other hand think he was way underrated during the show.
Besides Cookie and Archie he had one of the best vocals of this season.

thank you maracaibo!

Why is it that we project stuff on these kids? Is MJ humble? Not according to his interviews. Do I really care? Not really. His mugging is getting a bit annoying, but only because I’m not that interested in him.

I have mixed feelings about MJ. On one hand, I find him rather arrogant. On the other hand, I love his wit and sense of humor. But, one thing, I believe his singing is mediocre. I could actually see him acting and starring in movies. He’s just good looking, and, his Aussie accent is a huge plus.

Ok, I would be the only one laughing there when Larry said you will win a pair of my suspenders. I would be voted Class Idiot, lol. It seemed like he paused after he said suspenders but since it is autographed, it would be nice to own

‘Across the Universe’ was quite a memorable peformance.

Reminder:

I’m pulling comments. Please don’t get defensive when you’re favorite is criticized.

I just think he is so used people telling him he was a shock departure that he just says it too. Why is it such a big deal?

As I remember it was a huge deal when Daughtry was parroting the same lines and in his case, it truly was a shocker. For MJ, not so much. He never really repeated the awesomeness of his Bohemian Rhapsody and was pretty much mediocre for much of his run.

I’d rather have Michael come off as arrogant by being honest than have him try to sell some kind of fake humble act. Maybe he has an ego, maybe not. True humility comes when you know your weaknesses and your strengths. As far as his singing was concerned, based off of his audition I predicted him to win the whole thing. But as the weeks went on it didn’t seem like he was able to get comfortable with his songs. If you listen to his audition it’s really good.

They’re all stinking cute and it seems like they have a lot of fun together.

Carly singing Evanescence? HA! Too bad she’ll put Amy Lee to shame.

What a great group, that was a fun watch for all of them. I love DC, I picked him from early days and he hasn’t disappointed me. He just got better and better. And to coin a phrase, he is one smart cookie! Wish I could see the tour, it has everything! Even a bathroom break with KLC!

And DC isn’t the only class act this season. Once again MJ, you are the dog’s bollocks as we say here. Thank you for having this site with all your hard work keeping us outlanders up to date. Logging on here and reading this blog makes me feel like I’ve shared the experience on what I thought was one of the best seasons we’ve had outside 5. A great group of kids who really seem to get along well. I can’t sing your praises enough.

And you are one hell of a hall monitor!! It is nice to read intelligent threads without them erupting into a cafeteria food fight like IDF becomes sometimes. Thanks again and look forward to reading about the tours!

Just a thought: Could it be that Michael is that way because he’s the only one getting the gigs right now? Look at him, performing with David Foster (the same David that signed Kat mcPhee, and where is SHE right now?), I would think that alone would give you a swell head. He’s the oldest one of the bunch and he knows it’s now or never for him….he took a risk and it seems to have paid off.

Michael Johns is not arrogant or annonying. He’s been asked similar questions, but from different interviewers. Obviously, it sounds as if he is repeating the same answers, but blame it on the interviewers, and not Michael. The rest of the idols like him, so he must be really nice.

As far as Michael not being talented, you should take some time to listen to his pre-idol songs. Why not try looking into this one, Q with his ex-band.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMwgwZijQlQ

If anything, he is so underrated when he was with AI.

Yet, the celebrities know talent when they see one. Since being booted off, he’s been invited to sing at David Foster’s Charity party with big stars, Andrea Bocelli, Peter Cetera, Josh Grobin, Michael Buble, and others. Not to mention, so far, he’s been invited to the White House Correspondent Dinner, sang with Carly on Ellen’s Show twice, played soccer with celebrities and many other events. In fact, he’s going to sing the national anthemn at the Cubs game in Chicago on 5/27.

I don’t see any arrogance from Michael, just an excited dude who is looking forward to a brighter future. I wish Michael the best of luck in his career and can’t wait for his CD to be released. :smile1_tb:

And, is Larry King the most awkward interviewer or what? I think the Idols all did well despite the awkwardness.

I just feel he needs to know more than what he does. Then again, some of the group laughing came about because of the way Larry King interviews.

I have a question. Who were the AMATEURS in the TOP 12?

We know Jason is. Ramiele said a year ago she was working (not related to singing) and going to college. Chikeze was working airport security. Anyone else? Apparently, Jason was the least experienced? Thanks!

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t see any arrogance from Michael, just an excited dude who is looking forward to a brighter future. I wish Michael the best of luck in his career and canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t wait for his CD to be released.

I agree. You know, he is surely asked that question about his boot a lot. What is he supposed to say – Yeah, I knew I was about to be eliminated? He hadn’t been in the bottom, if I remember correctly. I know it shocked me and my friends. So I think he’s just being honest. But you know, even if he is arrogant (which I don’t see), I don’t pick whose music I listen to based on how humble they are. If I did, I probably wouldn’t be able to listen to much. LOL

Just watched those clips again – I had seen it on tv last night….Anyway, I missed the part at the end of the song where Jason did a pointy pose. Must have been just for you, mj.

LOL Rolltide, I noticed that too. The kids sounded great on the a capella version of Freedom. Better than on the finale. Props to all of them for getting through a Larry King interview. Guy needs to retire.

I’ll try not to be too defensive about Michael here. I don’t find him arrogant at all but I guess you could think it if you don’t like him. His elimination was a shocker for a lot of people and much of the media. Even Simon said that he went too soon and would have liked for him to be in the top 4. I’m just happy that he’s getting opportunities even after going 8th. I was excited to find out that he was able to do both the David Foster concert and LKL.

The awards were too funny with Michael getting 3 of them. I guess he’s made an impression with the rest. I also liked the brainy one for DC and laid back for Jason.

I too concur that MJ was overrated and I roll my eyes every time that he says that it was a big shock that he got booted. It wasn’t nearly as dramatic as he thinks it was. I think the biggest drama about that was when Ryan made it sound like he could stay another week b/c of IGB.

MJ and the other idols need some sort of PR person to help them out with their comments. Does anybody know if they have one?

Yeah David A sang Imagine and Angels, songs he has done gajilion times before. I don’t have any problem with that. Same with Syesha.

KLC was my bathroom break, and now that I know she’s singing her “so clever” USA song, it’s definite. They seem to have a really good time with one another, and that normally translates to the tour. Not every year works out that well.

I love Michael Johns. He seemed like the life of the party, and when he left the show, you could feel the mood shift. Everybody seemed to become more and more uptight as the weeks passed.

Was his leaving a shocker? Yes. But, not because he was so, so good. It was mainly because he was better than at least two others the week he left. So, yes I was shocked. I think he was too. I remember reading a post at IDF from someone who had called in and donated to IGB and Michael answered the phone. She asked him if he was nervous about the results the next night, and he responded that he thought he would be in the bottom three but that he was sure he would last another week. Shocker for him? Yeah. Slight blow to the ego? Probably. But, he survived, and I’m glad to see he’s doing well.

I think it may have worked well with DC being a “residual fan of the show”. It may have worked in his favor in contrast to Archie. I remember Simon saying that Archie had watched the show for years, even singing for Kelly Clarkson at one point – basically knowing every motion to go through and never straying from the tried and true Idol formula. But, while Andrew was an avid fan of the show and DC was not, it think that’s what allowed him to step outside the box and at least help to make the show a little more interesting.

I’m very interested to see, after this season, what kinds of artists audition for the show. This group helped to open the door for some different kinds of talent.

SOTR, Angels, God Bless the USA, Let it Be, that sound like inspiration theme LOL I wonder if AI told them what songs they could sing.

My two cents-

Michael Johns was obviously well-liked by all of the other contestants so that means he is not a jerk/arrogant. However, his answers were the kind that make some people think that he might be. Really, this is just another example of how good David Cook is at interviews. DCook manages to always say the right thing, MJohns answers questions the way most people would.

AI PR people continue to that their lucky stars…

Of course, MJohns will never be in the same category as Kat “Over It” McPhee or Blake “Misguided” Lewis, and certainly nowhere near the smarmy, self-absorbtion that is Constantine. Talk about arrogance.

And I agree that “Across the Universe” was underrated and lovely.

Thank you so much MJ for these videos and all the news and videos you have posted during the season. I don’t live in the US so I would have missed a lot of stuff and that would have been terrible given my severe Cookaholism.

the yearbook stuff was great.
the smartest? duh, cookie! undubidily (boy i know i butchered that spelling!)

larry is old as dirt but he makes me laugh.

who all sent in questions via email for monday? mine was:
i will be seeing the tour late (mid august), will cookie be sick of singing toml by then?

omg when do we get a tour post? lots of things i want to add and questions i want to ask, but wont bombard them here in the lkl post.

Wow, I had no ideas people thought MJ was arrogant! I think he’s an absolute riot and loved watching him perform. I just wish he woulda had some more Dolly Parton night performances! I’ll never ever forget his moonwalk during that group number – that was the funniest group number of the season for me.

Jersey – Amen to the fact that LK needs to retire. He’s ridiculously awful.

I’m not sure I get an arrogant vibe from MJ, he seems pretty confident, but I find it normal enough. I think he’s just trying to come up with stock answers to the lame questions he keeps receiving.

He seems to have a great sense of humor. And, he’s good looking and can sing, so you think he would have had the package to go further. My thinking was, he’s just not exciting enough for tv. I would kind of forget about his performance long before they showed the recap at the end of the show.

I’m amused with how much better his performances have been after the show than while he was on. I have no explanation for that.

But I will say that I believe he’s benefited from having so many duets with Carly after the show – she brings up his game. That’s why I think that maybe a solo career isn’t his best choice. I think he’d do much better with a band to play off of.

I’m an MJ fan, and love his duets with Carly, Across the Universe and those “sexy loving lies”. But before he got kicked off, I wanted him to be a lot more smart about music and song choices than he was. Queen and “Dream On” were crappy picks for him. I was voting for Carly over him and was sorry he left, a bit shocked, but not really surprised.

And the trouble with ‘Dream On’ was that it was a nothing short of an lame imitation of Steven Tyler. That is why it didn’t work.
What would work for MJ is joining up with the Matshal Tucker Band as Toy Caldwell’s replacement. Wish he had sung ‘Can’t You See’ on Idol. MJ’s voice fits in so well with the southern rock tradition.

Thanks for the vids, MJ.

Ah, I really love the group this year. I’m not sure I’m looking forward to Carly going all “emo” on Evanescence, but I’d like to how Ramiele will do with I Want You Back.

Michael is starting to get to me. I understand calling himself a “shocker boot” 6 weeks ago, but still calling himself it even now just speaks “arrogant” to me — although I guess he doesn’t have too big of an ego if the rest of the Idols all like him. The yearbook bit at the end and how everyone was in almost unanimous agreement as MJ for most of the questions was pretty funny, though.

Loved the harmonizing in the a cappella of Freedom.

Who sent in questions for Monday night’s LK show?
I have. I’ve asked Jason about Columbian music of his family and what instruments he might take up. I want LK to get off the stupid questions!

About the perceptions on Michael J. and Carly:

My family is Irish and I’ve worked with lots of Aussies. I think there is sometimes a misperception about both groups.

All the Aussies I’ve worked with were screamingly funny and also very confident. Must be in the collective national makeup. I didn’t see MJ as being arrogant. I saw him as confident. I would agree that if it were me, I would sidestep the question and deflect it into something else, as Cook so ably does.

Same with Carly. I feel there is a misperception there. What Simon saw as angry in her performances I saw as intensity. I am glad that she is maternal towards David A. and looks out for him.

Yay Brooke! Her pre-AI album is No. 34 on iTunes. Her version of Dream On is really nice. Too bad she didn’t swap that song with MJ and he could’ve done something else, something better.

Yay Brooke! Her pre-AI album is No. 34 on iTunes. Her version of Dream On is really nice. Too bad she didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t swap that song with MJ and he couldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve done something else, something better.

It actually peaked at #18, that’s so great for her considering there’s absolutely zero promotion for it. It’s at the top 10 of the itunes pop charts right now.

Her version of “Dream On” is aight, but her version of “Yellow” is fantastic. The originals are great too. I can’t wait for more music from her.

Yay Brooke! Her pre-AI album is No. 34 on iTunes. Her version of Dream On is really nice. Too bad she didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t swap that song with MJ and he couldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve done something else, something better.

Obviously, I haven’t been paying attention. I didn’t even know this was available on iTunes! I humbly apologize to my beloved Brooke. I shall click on mj’s iTunes links right now and get me some pre-AI Brooke White tunes. YAY!

I wouldn’t have minded if Michael had done a different song if it meant he wouldn’t get voted off but I really like the studio version of “Dream On” and still play it a lot. I have a feeling that Michael will be getting a band together of his own.

Jason’s pointy pose at the end of their number cracked me up, as usual.

I was really, really disappointed that Michael was eliminated at 8th place, but I guess I wasn’t really (that) shocked. I’m not too upset anymore, either. He didn’t get enough votes to stay longer. It’s that simple. That’s how the game is played. I love Michael’s recorded voice but recognize that he didn’t always sound all that great on stage during the live performances. At least, not until the last couple of weeks before his elimination when he seemed to finally hit his stride. That’s what mostly disappointed me, really – it seemed like he was only going to get better and then he was cut. It looks like he is going to do well, anyway, so I’m at peace.

BTW, there are some pics up from Michael’s appearance at the David Foster show here and here.

I watched a lot of the videos they had with MJ behind the scenes and I didnt see cocky or any of that. I saw this funny guy who made the others laugh – Cook and MJ together were hilarious. On stage he might not have had the best voice but what he did with his look and the way he moved, I dont know – he did look like a star already. I really missed him when he left.

Also when asked who is the class clown – MJ – every question that had to do with personality and humor – they said MJ – so he cant be that bad? Well, Archie said Cook, Syesha and Jason were funny too. They look like they will be having an amazing time together on tour.

I sent in about 6 different questions for Jason and told them I KNOW it took 6 years to grow his dreads and I KNOW he said vote vote not dont vote and I KNOW he wasnt giving up and to PLEASE ask new questions and hey of course they will listen to ME – JK

KrazeeK120 May 24th, 2008 at 1:04 am
Michaelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s really starting to annoy me. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I went in a bit of a shocker.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  Even if you think that, you shouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t say it. It makes you sound arrogant, in my opinion. Plus, Michael, most of your performances were pretty average.

I agree. That didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t come across very becomingly. Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s probably just repeating what heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s been told by his fans, but youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re right, even if you think that, you shouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t say it. Better for someone else to toot your horn for you.

This is how I have felt about Michael Johns: he was a SUPER-SIZED IRRITATION to me every single week! His big notes were always flat, and he always sounded like he was mimicking the record à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ karaoke à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ but the judges would never call him on it! Then the week they FINALLY told him he was doing karaoke, he went home! I think he made it as far as he did on his looks and his song choices.

Sciencefan, I also thought MJ was somewhat karaoke a lot of the time. Like a kid imitating an MTV video, only a bit better. He didn’t show originality the way Cook was showing it, and once Cook took off in the Top 12 rounds, it was a matter of time til MJ was voted off. He definitely had the looks and the early pimping going for him; I think if he had selected better songs, ones that could show off his style, not someone else’s, he would have fared much better. To me his boot wasn’t “shocking” but expected. And I also agree his glory notes were not always in tune, and he was never called on it.

When I hear Michael speak of his “shocking elimination” I think of Constantine and his “shocking elimination” because afterwards he was everywhere too. (Like a bad penny.)

I was not shocked that Michael left. I was shocked that he did not leave sooner. The judges gave him too much undue praise for average to bad performances. It was irritating. It was obvious manipulation.

Gosh… Poor Michael. This blog is definitely not MJ friendly I guess.

He is such a talented, sweet guy. IMO he has a very powerful voice and those of you who can’t appreciate it, well I quite don’t get it.

MJ has been trying to make it in the business for a long time and this was another step forward for him. Please give him a break, it’s not that he won Idol or anything close.

I actually thought all of his Top 12 performances except Top 11 week were quite impressive.
“Across the Universe”, “We Are The Champions”, “It’s all Wrong But It’s All Right” and “Dream On” great.
In fact “Dream On” is one my favorite MJ peformances. He sang that song so well. Perfect for his voice. He just got thrown under the bus by the judges that night.
He’s a rock soul artist and his music will have a feel of a mix of Stones, INXS and Otis Redding.
And sorry, if you listen to his performance of “It’s All Wrong But It’s All Right” and still say he can’t sing, you are definitely deaf.
His I-Tunes tracks are awesome. This guy has an incredible recording voice and I can’t wait for his CD to go buy it.

I just think all the praise he got in the beginning hurt him because people were expecting a lot. Maybe he was not d the best at choosing songs during the show, but he has lots of raw talent. When he picks the right song he is mesmerizing and compelling to watch.
I am positive he will do well if he chooses right and is managed by the right people.
Go Mikey.. Dream On..
I hope you get to live from your music and never go back to teach tennis lessons.

maracaibo, I will grant you IAWBITR for MJ was fantastic easily one of the best performances of anyone this season; that’s the sort of thing he needed to be doing all along in order to make it to the end. Unfortunately he didn’t follow it up with another bluesy, soulful number, he chose to sing Dream On, which IMO was another karaoke performance. Apparently America agreed, and he got the least # of votes.

No word on if he did “St Elmo’s Fire” but a couple of reports that said he sounded great. A Kat fan said that David Foster predicted great success while introducing Michael.

There’s a clip of them all at the end of the concert last night. Michael does a dorky dance near the end.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=KAl4KL44mRY

Obviously he did get the lowest number of votes that week for whatever reason, Mocha. I think part of it was DC did poorly that week and Jason did well both of which could have siphoned some of MJ’s votes. It doesn’t really matter because he did get elimated. I do believe and have heard that he has a lot of fans who never vote so hopefully they’ll “vote” where it counts and buy his cd.

Not only am I NOT deaf, I am a singer and a musician, and have been for over 30 years.

As far as Michael not being talented, you should take some time to listen to his pre-idol songs. Why not try looking into this one, Q with his ex-band.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMwgwZijQlQ

Very late two cents: This MJ I could listen to. AI MJ hurt my ears. What’s the difference? Acustic, soft vocal, and no “frowny face”.

And sorry, if you listen to his performance of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s All Wrong But Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s All Rightà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  and still say he canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t sing, you are definitely deaf.

Anna, I’ve already deleted one of your posts in this thread. If you continue to post in a rude and defensive manner, I’m going to ban you.

Sorry mj. I guess I am being too defensive about MJ.
Promise I will let it go.

I did not intend to offend anyones with that comment.
Once again, sorry if it came across the wrong way.

Even later two cents.

I guess the saying that you can please someone some of the time but not everyone all the time is true on this blog.

In my world, the show is all about Michael. If not for me clicking on the net one day to check out Q and IAWBIA, AI would have barely registered on my radar. Perhaps I might have taken a passing interest but thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s all. I have since downloaded a lot of his stuff and I am a fan for life.

I discovered something along the way too. I have not embraced the final two like I have with Michael. Could not understand it at first. I do enjoy some of what they do once I got into the show but I am not sure if I would consider following them when its over like I would Michael.

Someone said this on another site à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Cook sells the sizzle but not the steak, which is 110% right and something Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve been TRYING to say but couldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ t find the right words. Little David on the other hand is the exact oppositeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  . That is very true as far as I am concerned and as for Cook being original. I like Hello and Billie Jean a lot. However I sometimes feel he is using the sameà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ templateà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ again an appropriate word someone used for a lot of his arrangements. And I am hesitant to add à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ but Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll do it anywayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ I cannot help but feel he à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹discoveredà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ that template after listening to Chris Cornellà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s version. He plays the game well and more power to him. I have no doubt both Davids will do well.

Finally, I am with you Maracaibo on so many points. DO is one of my faves and A Day in The Life is getting a lot of play too. He used THAT soft voice and its hot like David Foster said. Whether he chose his songs correctly or not at the end of the day, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll leave it to the individual to decide, but they are very precious to me and I am grateful he chose them when he did. For anyone who do not appreciate him and thinks he is arrogant I canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t quite get it too. Perhaps I have my MJ blinkers on. He can be cheeky though which makes him even more appealing so I guess weà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll just have to agree to disagree.

MN Sue – thanks for that link – he really does sound good in that and look – all dressed dorky and cute not all rico suave.

LOL Rolltide, I noticed that too. The kids sounded great on the a capella version of Freedom. Better than on the finale. Props to all of them for getting through a Larry King interview. Guy needs to retire.

Larry King is retiring soon. He is considering Ryan Seacrest to replace him.

I agree about Larry. It’s always been cringeworthy watching him butcher names and obviously not have a clue. Interesting song choices but am so annoyed that KLC is doing that song. Wasn’t it enough pandering to do it during the show? Oh well, it’s better than “8 Days a Week”. :wacko_tb:

According to the AI Michael forum, he did “She’s a Beauty” and “St Elmo’s Fire” and nailed both. I’ll be buying that dvd when it comes out in the fall. :clap_tb:

Ooh I love the song “Bring Me to Life”. Looking forward to the tour!

I’m with you Bean – I’ll vomit if I have to hear KLC sing that effing song again.

Also – wait – MJ does St Elmo’s Fire? Cool – I’d love to hear that.

Good for Michael for being David Foster’s new pet! There’s one in every AI class, I think. I’ve loved Michael in all the backstage videos and he seems like a very fun and very funny guy. He was also my favorite after the initial audition rounds, but then he never really impressed me again until the very end of his run, and I had a new favorite by that point. I think his problem was not being good enough in the early rounds to become the absolute favorite of enough people. He certainly had everything going for him coming into the semi-final rounds.

I do love the tone of his voice, but I wasn’t impressed with any of his take on classic rock songs at all and I think he delved into karaoke territory one too many times. (I didn’t enjoy Bohemian Rhapsody or Light My Fire, which I guess were supposed to secure his place as a frontrunner coming into the semis). I think he should have played guitar instead of bouncing and waving his arm around.

His performance style is so weird and OTT to me, and I was laughing out loud as he oversang in each of the group numbers on finale night. (I wish he had just gone ahead and grabbed the mic from Bryan Adams, you knew he wanted to!) But it was his last moment to shine on the Idol stage, and I don’t blame him for going for it. It does look like he’s heading for atypical success for an 8th placer, and I will check out whatever he puts out there.

I thought I was the only one tired of hearing MJ and Carly’s pimps tell us how they “left too soon”!!!!!!!! Like duh….who of the rest was supposed to go before your “highnesses”???

FOr good or bad, each contestant had fans and if in a particular week they didnt vote for you or felt that your performance was below par….Deal with it. The whole MJ overpimping makes me sick.He has a great voice but so do several out there….it takes an extra “”IT factor to make it and maybe he doesnt necessarily have it? And if he does, then may we look forward to great hits from now, instead of reminding everyone everyday he left too soon!!

Thx to those who pointed that out

My favorite was never Mj – I went back and forth with Cook and Jason but MJ really entertained me. His voice was absolutely no where near Michael Hutchins but his performances were reminiscent of him I had been to many INXS concerts and could see how he worked the stage like him, in my mind anyhow. I llooked forward to Mj each week for that reason, he had the rock star “feel” and look to him – very different than that greasy Constantine, classier and that has obviously been noticied by a very classy bunch of people and being David Fosters pet is better than a kick in the butt and getting invited to the White House is pretty big. Cook and Jason to me had the kind of voices I loved though. One gave me rock and roll and the other a mellower vibe but it was the three of them that I really looked forward to each week for a different reason with each.

I am listening to “Q” and really like it. Thanks for the link. DC and Jason are still MY favs but I do think Michael Johns’ has the voice, looks, and personality to be successful.

I hate to say this, because I liked Michael a bit after Dolly week, but him and his sense of entitlement just might be my smoke break on tour. He absolutely failed at selling any song on the show except for the Dolly Parton number and his audition. I saw his ouster coming from a mile away, honestly, because he was just. not. any. good. 90% of the time. The idea that it was a “shocker” is pretty laughable to me, so it is especially irritating to hear him say it five million times.

Carly and Michael failed to connect with the audience, yet they keep being shoved back into our faces time and time again, as if at some point, we’ll have to give in. Now Michael is going to go the way of DAVID FOSTER? Seriously? I wouldn’t wish the dreck that David Foster puts out on my worst enemy, but if it means that he will go the way of Kat and I’ll never have to hear him on a radio station that I’d actually listen to, it is probably a good thing.

Oh, chachi, but I would want to hear Michael on my radio… :s

I think Q is a good song, but the one I liked best of all his pre-Idol songs is one called “The Hours In Between.” Too bad the youtube of that seems to have been pulled out.

I do agree that Foster did not do too well with a couple of the past Idols and some of his work may be considered dreck for many but everyone has many hits and many misses. MJ could do worse than be in the company of any of any of the following David Foster success stories.

Barbra Streisand, , Faith Hill, Mariah Carey, Destiny’s Child,i, , Dolly Parton, Gordon Lightfoot, Madonna, Al Jarreau, Kenny Loggins, Natalie Cole, Michael Bublà ©, [Chicago (band)|Chicago]], Peter Cetera, .

He has produced debut albums for The Corrs,[2] Michael Bublà ©,[3] Renee Olstead, and Josh Groban.

Foster also composed the score for the film St. Elmo’s Fire,[5] including “Love theme from St. Elmo’s Fire” which hit #15 in US pop charts. Another song from the film, “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion)”, recorded by John Parr hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 7, 1985. He collaborated with then-wife Linda Thompson on the song “I Have Nothing” sung by Whitney Houston in the 1992 film, The Bodyguard. The couple was nominated for a Grammy Award and an Academy Award for Best Song for the song. He won 14 grammys also, not too shabby for dreck

I didnt see it as a “shocker” that he left, my passion was elsewhere but I was disapointed

Oh, guys, I didn’t mean to offend you if you like that type of thing, but I very much don’t. I don’t like a single one of those people you named, sum, and if Michael wasn’t pissing me off with his attitude right now, I would think that he is above that type of thing. He has a soulful quality to his voice when he sings the right type of song. David Foster seems mostly like elevator type music to me and he’s pretty much a jackass who has a very narrow view of talent and potential.

A lot of people in the music industry aren’t humble, but they still need to be able to sell what they’re singing, and that’s Michael’s biggest problem, for me. There is such a disconnect between him and what he’s singing about. It’s honestly really strange for me to watch, because he looks like he’s trying to sell it, but it’s just not THERE. I don’t know, to me, Michael just doesn’t have “it” even though it seems like he SHOULD because all of the parts are there, but somehow they just don’t come together.

MJ was one of my favs too, but I agree with Chachi to some extend..There is that “something” missing. ANd to hear him go on and on about how his leaving was a shocker is a big turn off!

Chiachi, you did not offend. The ones I mentioned arent people I would go out and buy cds of or get too excited to see. I was just thinking that David Foster is a good connection for anyone let alone MJ. Hopefully he will do good for him and Cook and MJ are so close and planning to work together, connections like that could only work in someones favor?? I dont know, that is just my small opinion. My personal fav’s are in a completely different direction then those mentioned also – I am a huge Pumpkins, Staind fan(I will forever love Steve Perry and no one sings quite like him). Well now I am also a huge Castro and Cook fan!!

does anyone know if the Carly/MJ duet from Finale night is on iTunes…either the video or audio version?? i cant find it.

Just a sidenote and could be a little Idol related? Journey with their new discovery Arnel will be on Ellen the day after Cook is on next week. I wonder if they will have Randy show up? Hope not – and sorry the new guy is NOT Steve Perry but I know a voice like that cannot go on forever and ever, Arnel is very good. Anyhow, half my work will be in the audience that day, they were hoping the taping would have been the same day as Cook but no such luck!

I never understood the MJ fascination. I think he is so unattractive and has the worst body. Everything he did was just bad karaoke. The only time I even bothered to watch him was Dolly week, I thought that was terrific. I did see the funny though!
As far as all the stuff he has been invited to, I don’t think it has anything to do specifically with MJ. I was/am a huge Ace Young fan and Ace got invited to the White House and many, many different functions the other Idols did not go to. I think it’s more the timing of when you leave the show. Also a personality thing, Ace is extremely personable and MJ seems to be the same.

Thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a clip of them all at the end of the concert last night. Michael does a dorky dance near the end.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=KAl4KL44mRY

Awww. I just realized that little girl MJ hugged at the end is the Filipina girl who was on Ellen and Oprah recently, Charice Pempengco. Lucky girl! Heh. I met her about three weeks ago (very, very sweet girl) and hugged her, so I’ll just think I was somehow hugging MJ with her. Hee. LOL :tongue1_tb:

I agree about Larry. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s always been cringeworthy watching him butcher names and obviously not have a clue. Interesting song choices but am so annoyed that KLC is doing that song. Wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t it enough pandering to do it during the show?

I wonder if she’ll do it in Canada? Last year, Phil Stacey and the girls did not sing … Oh shoot, I forget the title of the song (American the Beautiful perhaps?)… Anyway, that song Phil sang while dressed in uniform, they didn’t do it in Canada…

Did I hear people over here are calling Michael arrogant because he keeps saying he was shocked to get voted off when he did……..please give me a break.

I recommend watching the tape again, Paula’s jaw is on the floor, and even Simon and Randy have their mouths opened and stunned. Come on most of the AI audience were stunned. The other contestants were stunned. Carly said they usually get ready for dinner after the show and are all chatty but this time everyone was in such shock they didn’t know what to say for about 20 – 30 minutes.

People keep telling MJ they were shocked, I was shocked to see him in the bottom 3 let alone voted out, and people keeps asking him how he felt when he was voted out. As you will see with David Cook you get asked the same question one million times you give the same answer on auto pilot.

If MJ wasn’t your cup of tea fine. But the fact Michael was shocked is hardly a sign of arrogance. It is merely common sense based on the facts as they stood. He has said he didn’t expect to win but just to make it farther down the line. Why people didn’t vote for him is anyone’s guess. Likely vote splitting and people thinking MJ was safe and voting for other faves that seemed to be in trouble. Water under the proverbial bridge.

Like Michael, I am glad David Cook won – he was my No. 2 boy and he deserves it.

I didn’t think Dream On was Karoke myself, I don’t know many people who would dare to attempt the song let alone do a good job singing it and to me it is the kind of anthemic song that you don’t dare mess around with. I can say I don’t care who would have sang Dream On, I am not sure I would appreciate any tampering of it. I mean was his brilliant rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody Karoke? You don’t mess with Bohemian Rhapsody, that is a sacrilege.

The theme was inspirational songs. Before we heard what the songs were going to be I looked up all the inspirational songs lists for the US and guess what, Dream On is on every single list. So all the people that compile these lists sure thought Dream On was an inspirational song.

Even if you didn’t like his singing, he certainly was nowhere near the worst of the night. Again my theory and I am sticking it to it, is that clearly people were voting for the Idols that Simon said were in trouble and assumed MJ was safe because he had not been in the bottom three yet.

What his elimination shows is that you can never take granted that your favourite will be safe and you have to vote your heart out each and every week, like all the Cook fans did, esp after Simon trashed the poor guy all final performance night did and it showed with that 12 million vote spread.

I love this guy’s voice and I am not alone. Been waiting for some good blue eyed soul for a very long time and I love this guy’s pre-Idol solo album – the lyrics are sexy the singing is sexy so I look forward to the next album, mate! Just you and Cookie stick to your guns!