American Idol Season Six Auditions Start Today in Los Angeles

Can you believe it? Season 6 officially begins today.  Idol auditions start this morning at the Rose Bowl in beautiful (got family there!) Pasadena CA.  USAToday’s Idol Chatter blog will have a few folks on hand there to report the details as they happen.

Yesterday’s LA Times featured an interview with Idol producer and creator Simon Fuller.  According to Fuller, the producers plan to hold a songwriting competition in conjunction with the singing competition.  The contest will allow the public to choose the Idols’ coronation songs.  There is no age limit, which means anybody can enter a tune for consideration:

In previous years, professional producers and songwriters have been commissioned to write an original song for each of the two finalists. But uncertainty over who those finalists would be, as well as their respective singing styles, has meant less-than-perfect matches.

“It’s a thankless task, ” Fuller said.

But Fuller has devised a way to jump over that hurdle this season by having producers institute a songwriting contest that will run parallel to the singing competition. Anyone can compete to write a tune that will be sung by the two finalists, broadening the choices for possible finale songs and, by the way, bringing in a whole new competition for fans to follow. Some of the top songs may also be performed in a Fox special by former “Idols” and finalists.

Sharpen up those pencils, kids!