Mariah Carey Close to Signing 17M Deal As American Idol Judge (Report)

By On 07/21/2012 · 125 Comments · In American Idol, American Idol 12

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Deadline is reporting that pop legend, Mariah Carey, is close to finalizing a deal to join the American Idol judges’ panel. Sources are reporting that Mariah is negotiating a salary for more than 17 million dollars, which would set a record for talent on a reality series, eclipsing the salary of Jennifer Lopez.

If the report is true, it lends credence to the rumor that Jennifer was let go. Idol honchos were willing to pay a high salary–just not to Jennifer. Or maybe Jennifer really did walk away from a big paycheck. However, it throws a little wrench into that budget cutting report–unless Idol plans on going super cheap filling the remaining empty seat.

Speaking of empty seats–if Mariah takes a spot on the panel, will it be beside her manager, Randy Jackson? Or will he end up working for Idol in another capacity–or not at all? If Idol wants Mariah bad enough, she could make the continued presence of Randy Jackson part of her deal. Or, if Randy was responsible for bringing Mimi on board, I’d say Idol owed him a SUPER SOLID favor. Hm. What could have been going through the Dawwwggg’s mind as he sold his fly watches on HSN tonight?

Deadline has heard that Fox moved quickly to snag Mariah before Simon Cowell could get his hands on her for X Factor. Heh.

Via Deadline

 
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  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Hollie-Heathers/100003923240960 Hollie Heathers

    Mariah Carey at 94 on VH1′s Greatest Artists Of All Time

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

    (I think she should be higher, but whadda I know? I’m a ride or die kinda stan for her,lol)

  • Anonymous

    Wasn’t 17 million the amount of $ J-Lo was asking for? She made $15m last year and supposedly asked for a $2m raise. So if they wouldn’t pay J-Lo that, why give it to Mariah, whomay actually be less relevant than J-Lo in terms of current commercial success?

  • Anonymous

    IKR…

    It just seems odd that Fuller is an Executive producer on idol & represents both Steven & Jlo, he would let either or both of them walk away from a guaranteed contract & his cut while he still tied to the show. I guess it may be that they are/will make more with their other projects he represents them on.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Hollie-Heathers/100003923240960 Hollie Heathers

     It may be like MJ said – they were willing to pay the 17mil – just not to JLo… who knows what the tipping point was for Idol. It does make it seem like Idol bid Jlo ‘Dueces!!’ and not the other way around. IMO, in no universe, especially the musical one they inhabit and fans like me live/breathe/eat and sleep, will JLo ever be more relevant than Mariah Carey. Never ever,NEVER. Regardless how long Mariah in these later stages of her career may go without the endless string of hit singles or platinum albums. If Idol is willing to meet her price, makes it seem like they were after her all along… wasn’t Mariah on their short list a couple years ago when JLo got the nod? Maybe JLo was sloppy seconds when Mariah was always the first love… Speculation is fun, lol…   

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=553395465 Deanie Warder Lambeth

    this seals it….didn’t like Jennifer as a judge…didn’t like Stephen as a judge….Mariah is in the same ballpark….last year will be my final year……..

  • Anonymous

    Mariah has massive crossover appeal, plus, she knows how to sing. She has a ton of credibility. However, all of us don’t know how she’ll be as a judge. I hope she brings smarts and fun to the table. I’m worried about who’ll be the two sitting next to her in the judges’ table. I hope they’re not lame choices that I see floating around the rumor mill.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_I3NQHPT3NA6VGKK22RCMTGOCII Tiffany

    If ever they wanted a judge to make the show about a judge, Mariah is the one to do it.  Cannot stand anything about her. 

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/DY5236XYY2SBL7EJNTK5ROIGMA Madred

    Since she has a new single out in August, I will say she rides the publicity this gives her all the way til the announce the actual judges. This is like two seasons ago when everyone was just about to sign and then the actual front runners showed up last minute. 

  • Incipit

    “Willing to give her a try, but – nice voice aside – find her music boring.”

    lovetheusa1776, yeah, it’s that simple. I don’t like her music. Never have. Very forgettable. And no matter how many octaves she can sing, the tone and texture of her voice do nothing for me.

    I never deliberately sought out a Mariah Carey song in my life until Idol had her on to mentor her own Theme Week in Season 7, and I listened to “Always Be My Baby” so I would know what the interpretive differences were between the original and David Cook’s version. I could not name you another title from her catalog off the top of my head…she’s not relevant to my music tastes.

    She’s got a limber voice that can dance around the notes, if that’s the kind of singing someone likes. I don’t. It seems the music she writes exists to be decorated, If one likes over-decorated music. I don’t.

    However, If someone doesn’t hit a note, she’ll know it, and whether it was sharp or flat too! If the phrasing is clunky, she’ll know that too. The lady knows what suits ‘her’ voice and persona. Can she extend that awareness to other people, and the songs they chose/are given to sing? Will she tell them any of the above? That remains to be seen.

    Does she even know what it takes to appeal to the Idol Audience, so her critiques (If she gives real ones)  have some kind of relevance for the contestants? That also remains to be seen.

    But, like JLo, I’m sure she’ll look good at the judge’s table, if that’s what matters.

  • http://twitter.com/Miztig Miz

    I can’t believe how disinterested I am. I think I may finally be over Idol. I’m definitely over 19Evil.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Hollie-Heathers/100003923240960 Hollie Heathers

    Seems there are a lot of tastes similar to the one you expressed in the current Idol audience, and that looks to be what they are now trying to fix – (They’re late to the party as usual, but better late than never) – that current audience that is mostly out of tune or touch with current, mainstream Top 40 radio, has no clue about the trends or what has been hot on CHR in the past few years – and what it takes to hit on it. The last several winners with their eclectic mix of pseudo emo/grunge/alt rock/pop rock/country dirge like mish mash of sound hasn’t exactly gone over too well in the mainstream (Scotty we’ll see on round 2, Phil too new to count) and has proven more forgettable than anything Mariah has ever sung, or will ever sing – as evidenced by David Cook’s recent Manila trip… what was the most requested song they wanted to hear from him? Light On? NO. The Last Goodbye? No. Declaration? No. It was Mariah’s Always Be My Baby… Seems her music has resonance and relevance in audiences the world over, moreso than the relatively fresh original compositions of a recent Idol winner…. but hey – taste is taste. She is not the kind of judge that Idol’s current audience will ‘get’ – she’s a bonafide rnb, hip/hop soul hybrid big voiced ballad singing DIVA, Capital D. But what if she is the kind of judge that can help Idol make inroads into a different type of audience… one it sorely needs in order to survive and stay relevant and keep just a smidge of its cred as a place that can pick a star. They haven’t done too well in that category, lately, and I’m all for change. Bring. it. on. We’ll start w/Mariah.

  • Incipit

     

    ” eclectic mix of pseudo emo/grunge/alt rock/pop rock/country dirge like
    mish mash of sound hasn’t exactly gone over too well in the mainstream “

    Heh. You forgot the Divas, Hollie Heathers, but yeah, Idol has a schizo problem. Why do they keep casting singers that are not just in the narrow band width of mainstream Top 40 Pop/Dance material, if that’s all they want? Because the majority of their audience doesn’t listen to that music.

    So here they are trying to hold on to a shrinking TV audience, just like the rest of the shows on Network TV recently, and the latest experiment is to ditch the audience they have and try to acquire a new one? Chancy, IMO. And only believable when we see who they cast this Season. They have no track record of casting Top 40 Pop/Dance artists, and no catalog for them to choose from in their cleared songs. I won’t even mention the Theme Weeks. Heh.

     I suppose they can go Kareoke with current music, they tried that some last season; I just don’t see much future in that path either. If the audience actually wants to hear the same damn song, sung in the very same way (debatable) – it’s already on the radio.

    I’m pinning no hopes for Idol’s ‘relevance’ in Pop Music on Mariah Carey…it’s an uphill battle. If they hire her, the least I would hope for is that she would be a useful judge, and able to help the contestants succeed on the show. The Market place afterwards is the Label’s concern.

    I’m “willing to give her a try”, as lovetheusa1776 put it, but it all depends on my criteria:

    “If someone doesn’t hit a note, she’ll know it, and whether it was
    sharp or flat too! If the phrasing is clunky, she’ll know that too. The
    lady knows what suits ‘her’ voice and persona. Can she extend that
    awareness to other people, and the songs they chose/are given to sing?
    Will she tell them any of the above? That remains to be seen.

    Does she even know what it takes to appeal to the Idol Audience, so
    her critiques (If she gives real ones)  have some kind of relevance for
    the contestants? That also remains to be seen.

    It also depends on what kinds of singers TPTB cast, and how well they know their own voices and styles, and how quickly they can learn what it takes to succeed on the show. I’m waiting to be convinced that Mariah even knows the answer to that one.

    JMO. Of Course.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Hollie-Heathers/100003923240960 Hollie Heathers

    “Because the majority of their audience doesn’t listen to that music”.

    And that is part of the problem – the current Idol audience hasn’t been supporting the kind of music they evidently like listening to and voting for, as evidenced by the poor sales and performance of the winners that they’ve been voting for recently. I see her as no savior for what ails this show, but looking at how things have been going -  with the insistence on picking winners that cater to the current audience, something needs to change. If she can HELP  bring in a different kind of contestant that tries out, or can bring in viewers or a different kind of audience -  those that like her and her style and brand of popular music, then maybe come the voting rounds there will be more diverse and viable choices for viewers to vote on, and maybe there will be enough voters that will start putting through a different kind of contender. Maybe. But IMO it’s worth a shot, cause the same old, same old winners model hasn’t been working, so it may be time for a change. Worst case scenario – a different model of potential winner can’t possibly do any worse than what has gone before, and they even may do a little better. I hope we get the chance to see.

  • Incipit

     

    “it may be time for a change. I’m all for that. “

    I agree, Idol needs a change, but it will have to be a rather large one to get my interest back. And they likely don’t want my interest anyway.  I’m one of the audience they are looking to shed. *snerk* I’m not a fan of the show, per se – I’m looking for new artists I may enjoy.

    I’ve had a scant handful of artists who caught my eye/ear in the last few years…and other than one winner, and a third place finisher, they don’t survive to the end of the show. Neither do I – and the Very Young People are a distinct turn-off for me. If I like an artist, I support the hell out of them and their work – but there were only two last year – and they were quickly gone. And so was I.

    We’ll soon see who TPTB cast, and what they give them to sing – and how Mariah manages to judge within the confines of the plans and schemes of TPTB – if she even makes the deal.

    I guess Wait and See is the only logical attitude. For me, anyway.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Hollie-Heathers/100003923240960 Hollie Heathers

     MJ has another cool thread about the Idol judging panel goings on – moseying over there to get more scoop!

    I know, it’s only Idol hype but I liiiiike it, liiiiike it, yes I dewwwwwwwwwww!! (total rip off of It’s Only Rock and Roll’ by the Stones)

    *Moves like Jagger on over to the other thread*

    :)

  • Karen C

    as evidenced by David Cook’s recent Manila trip… what was the most requested song they wanted to hear from him? Light On? NO. The Last Goodbye? No. Declaration? No. It was Mariah’s Always Be My Baby…

    Although they do really like his version of Always Be My Baby, and that does reflect on Mariah Carey in a way, that was not all they requested, they did know and want to hear the rest of his songs. It was amazing that they were singing along to his songs, even the newer ones, and his albums and singles are doing well there.   Though I think his version of the song fits in pretty well with the rest of his music, so it was him they were responding to.

    I do agree that if Idol is looking for a pop star, because she does focus on vocals, she would be the type that could come from Idol, and might be helpful to the contestants. 

  • Karen C

    And that is part of the problem – the current Idol audience hasn’t been supporting the kind of music they evidently like listening to and voting for, as evidenced by the poor sales and performance of the winners that they’ve been voting for recently

    But there is nothing that says even if they did have a winner that fit in with current pop, that they would sell much better.  Jordin Sparks did sell slightly better than the more recent winners, but did have a big dropoff in her second album, like the other recent idols have had, and she was one of the most current they have had recently.  

    Not that having a platinum single or album is bad.   

  • Incipit

     Karen C, exactly right – the audiences were singing along to ‘all’ David’s music, and male and female alike, they knew all the words. I don’t think the Filipinos liking David’s version of ABMB has anything to do with Mariah’s Pop music – because that’s certainly not a Pop music version of the song. It’s like saying because I’m crazy for the Chris Cornell/David Cook version of “Billy Jean”, that means I’m a Michael Jackson fan. Which, I am not. Makes no sense to me.

    But “if Idol is looking for a pop star,” I’ll believe it when they cast some artists who want to sing in that genre, provide them with some music choices that are a decent fit, and not orchestrate the critiques to minimize whatever they sing. 

    So far, they haven’t made that effort.

  • Karen C

    I’ll believe it when they cast some artists who want to sing in that genre, provide them with some music choices that are a decent fit, and not orchestrate the critiques to minimize whatever they sing.

    I agree with you. And if they do change things, the trick will be getting a new audience without alienating their old one.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Hollie-Heathers/100003923240960 Hollie Heathers

    Goes further to prove my point that those out of touch with pop music or culture would have no clue that it’s spelled B-I-L-L-I-E Jean, lol… 

    I guess some folk can hear a cover or karoake version of a megaselling song, and prefer it over the original. That rarely happens with me. I can appreciate effort, but in the end it’s still a cover. If the cover outsold the original, or the response from the general public overshadowed the original, I could understand. ABMB is Mariah all day, Billie Jean will never get better than the original.  But let’s get our priorities straight – whether you like the artist or not, let’s take a crash course in Pop and Music Culture 101 and learn to spell such a significant song as B-I-L-L-I-E Jean, lol

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Hollie-Heathers/100003923240960 Hollie Heathers

     I figure they have nothing to lose by going a different route in finding and promoting a different kind of winner model than has been chosen the past 4-5 seasons… I say so what if they alienate some audience – they seem to have alienated some already by turning out the same basic prototypical winner – come meet the new boss, same as the old boss… The Who hits the nail on the head for me… they need IMO to send a different kind of message with these proposed changes… and if they really want some change, revamp the voting system… might be pissing in the wind there, but there it is. I’ve said it b4 – any new approach, new model of winner can’t do any better, or worse, than what’s gone before. I may be the minority in opinion here, but I’m tired of the WGWG assembly line Idol has turned into, it’s lost any kind of appeal for me – perhaps if this winner type were selling and showing some legs I’d be inclined to be in the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ crowd… but IMO Idol is broke, change is uncomfortable for a lot of people – but real change is needed to shake this dinosaur out of the doldrums, and make for some exciting TV again – and perhaps a different kind of winner than we’ve been getting.

  • Incipit

     Bwahahaha! Oh well, If spelling is your priority, I’ll leave you to it. It isn’t mine, especially if it’s used to obscure a point. IMO.

  • Karen C

    I say so what if they alienate some audience – they seem to have alienated some already by turning out the same basic prototypical winner – come meet the new boss, same as the old boss…

    If this was true the same type wouldn’t win, because they still need a significant number of votes in order to get that far. 

    What they need to change is a contestant to become so popular they not only win viewers over, but pull in new viewers.

    And just because people don’t like some pop music doesn’t mean that they aren’t familiar with it.  Especially if it is a 29 year old song…….

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Hollie-Heathers/100003923240960 Hollie Heathers

     It’s just 29 years old? That’s young in Idol land… I wonder what the average age is of the songs the producers keep foisting upon the Idol contestants, lololol… the Elvis catalogue, B-I-L-L-Y Joel, etc…  when a Led Zeppelin song sung on Idol is considered ‘new’… there ya go… A 29 year old song? A babe by Idol current standards :)

  • Anonymous

    “Mariah — don’t do it. The people on these boards will slaughter you. They’re already criticizing you and you haven’t EVEN STARTED YET! Don’t put your head on the chopping block for the audience.”

    I love this comment.  I am a huge Mariah fan – she is my all-time favorite singer, favorite celebrity, hero.  But reading these scathing comments – even though I’m used to it! – is breaking my heart already.  She is brillant musically – gifted in just about every way - WRITES ALL of her own songs, produces her own albums, mentors other artists - and that makes her more than qualified for this job.  It’s just that I am nervous about the way she presents herself.  Mariah uses strange mannerisms more often than not.  She likes to have fun and play a character a lot of the time and even though I get her, I know that other people do not, and I understand why.  I’m nervous for my girl!  Of course I know she could win people over and do brillantly, but I’m not sure the risk is worth it.  She has nothing to prove to anyone.  After twenty years in the business, many of them spent at the top of the charts, if people missed out on her talent and just don’t get it, then that’s their loss.

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