Josiah Leming – A sensitive soul, but no American Idol
Josiah Leming is only 19-years-old, but when I tell him I have to put an “away message” up on my AOL IM so as not to be disturbed during our evening chat, he says, “IM? Like AOL IM? Wow, that’s old school!” Sure, AIM may be a “classic, ” if you will, mode of technology and communication, but it’s still a way that many people keep in touch. Leming, however, uses an even older, much more direct method of connecting with other human beings. He sings. He writes lyrics. He plays the piano. He speaks through his music, perhaps one of the oldest and most effective modes of getting an emotional point across. I spoke to the Tennessee transplant about the journey which got him from the South to the meaner streets of Los Angeles.
Idols, Youll Have to Pass Through Her
ONE day after Christmas and 18 days before her life was to take a turn toward the absurd, Kara DioGuardi was here, in her cozy two-story vacation home that overlooks the harbor, sipping red wine and reassuring herself that life could always be this calm.
…Here I am, she said, sighing between stretches of self-analysis, …being scrutinized again.
About 15 years ago this New Rochelle, N.Y., native moved to New York City after college and tried to make it as a rock star, taking the usual knocks along the way: …I should lose five pounds, my nose is too big, youre not black enough, youre not white enough: those were actual comments, she said. So instead she found her way as a songwriter, becoming one of the more successful and ubiquitous pop engines in recent memory, responsible for hits by Celine Dion, Pink, Kelly Clarkson and Christina Aguilera. Behind the scenes had become home, and she was fine with that.
More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…
‘Idolatry’: See you in one week!
American Idol’s New Judge Kara Dioguardi Speaks to FOX 4
American Idol’s new judge Kara Dioguardi spoke to FOX 4 News live on Friday morning from Los Angeles.
American Idol is back for a brand new season, and this year they have a brand new judge. Kara Dioguardi spoke to FOX 4 News live on Friday morning from Los Angeles. Watch her interview here.
‹American Idol’ remembers it’s a talent show
The eighth season of “American Idol” is just around the corner and here’s what we know so far.
It will begin at 8 p.m. EST Tuesday on Fox with the first of six nights of auditions. Hard as it may be to believe, the show’s producers are actually putting this “Idol” tradition on a diet. In previous years the screechy, erratic, “Gong Show”-style street theater masquerading as tryouts have gone on seemingly forever.
But the producers have tweaked their schedule to reduce the likelihood that the show will launch any more careers like William Hung, the defective crooner who soared to fame after his dreadful “Idol” audition was televised in 2004.
American Idol gets a makeover
Season 8 is looking like an era of new Idol beginnings. And it looking to have ‘ thankfully ‘ more focus on talent.
Welcome fourth judge Kara DioGuardi, who has written hits for A-list pop stars. There will be an extended look at the Hollywood rounds; and more semifinalists ‘ from 24 to 36. The wild-card segment, where ousted singers get a second shot at making the big 12, will return. And expect a more finely tuned results show, which has felt endless and dull the past few years.
Naysayers point to last season 8 percent ratings drop as the reason for the tweaks. But even with that slight slide in its seventh season, American Idol was still TV No. 1 overall program. (Take that, scripted dramas.)
The eighth season of Fox seemingly unstoppable ratings monster premieres at 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday. The endless chatter will strike up soon after the first audition.
Here comes the judge; now which way will ‘Idol’ go?
The introduction of a new “American Idol” judge hardly ranks up there with the inauguration of a president. But when Fox announced in August that the judging panel for Season 8 of “AI” would expand to four, the entertainment media exploded in a frenzy of questions to rival the White House press corps.
Who was this Kara DioGuardi? Why a fourth judge, and why her? Was she intended as a replacement for Paula Abdul in the wake of Abdul’s charges that producers had deliberately advanced a stalker in last season’s auditions? Or was she, maybe, the eventual new Simon Cowell, given that Cowell’s contract runs only two more years?
Would DioGuardi be nasty or nurturing? Would her comments be incisive or incoherent? And above all, where would she sit?
Reese and Carrie Do It for Themselves!
“Carrie Underwood, she always sings her heart out and gives it her all. I just think she’s awesome!” Interesting, as we asked Reese’s gal crush Carrie about her own girl-on-girl matchup:
Specifically, we inquired if Underwood was planning on collaborating with that other blond country crooner Taylor Swift? “Not to my knowledge, ” dismissed Car about a possible duet, tho she also said, “Nobody has told me if I am!”
Wow, are you that overmanaged? “Our recording schedules are on different time frames. It happens a lot with people you’re friends with or would like to record with. It’s really hard to get together with anybody and do anything.”
Sure, could be scheduling’ or maybe the Idol alum’s afraid of the competition? Or maybe it has something to do with Swifty admitting that Underwood ex Chace Crawford is her celeb crush. Such awful thoughts we put out there, forgive us, please!
Kellie Pickler Chills Out
New Year Eve was nice and toasty if you watched 2009 roll in on TV. It was downright freezing if you were out in Times Square making merry with Ryan Seacrest and the swarms of party animals in the Big Apple.
Kellie Pickler trolled the crowd as a correspondent on “Dick Clark New Year Rockin Eve.” The reported temperature was 18 degrees, which is cold enough, but there were also gusts of up to 35 miles an hour, making it both uncomfortable and potentially dangerous.
Jordin Sparks of ‘Idol’ fame to headline Ocala’s Kidfetti
OCALA – It took five months of negotiations and schedule juggling, but 2007 “American Idol” champ and recent Grammy nominee Jordin Sparks has been booked to headline Ocala’s second Kidfetti festival, according to the event’s primary organizer.
“We are very excited about Jordin because she fits right into the whole Kidfetti concept. She’s very family-oriented, ” said Laurie Menard, development director for The Centers and chairwoman of the committee that organizes the family event.
This year, the outdoor event is slated for March 7 on property south of Ocala International Airport. Also on the bill are Nat and Alex Wolff, of The Naked Brothers Band. Parents need not worry about the name here; the two real-life young brothers also star in a kids’ TV show of the same name on Nickelodeon.
You Were There: Line of Paula Abdul jewelry given to American Idol is available for online purchase by ordinary people
NEW YORK — Paula Abdul doesn’t let any American Idol contestant — winner or loser — leave empty-handed. Each season, she designs and distributes jewelry for the aspiring singers as a keepsake of their experience.
Abdul’s fans are now able to buy similar mementos from HSN.
“I pretty much wear my jewelry all the time now, but I end up giving it away, ” Abdul said. “I’ll take it off my wrist or neck and give it to someone who likes it.”
She has made jewelry since the first season of Idol in 2002. Once she saw what the contestants had to endure from harsh critic Simon Cowell, she wanted to do something nice for them, she said. “I wanted something the kids could touch and feel to remind themselves that their talent got them here.”
Stepping it up: ‹Dancing hits road
What in the world of Arthur Murray is going on?
If in 2005, you were told that not only would ballroom dancing become a prime-time ratings winner for ABC with reality show …Dancing with the Stars, but the same program would annually go on tour performing before thousands of fans in arenas, people would say you must have slipped on the dance floor and bumped your head.
However, that exactly what has happened as the fourth …Dancing with the Stars ‘ The Tour comes to Cleveland on Tuesday. Joining celebrities Lance Bass, Toni Braxton and Maurice Greene from Season 7 and Marlee Matlin from Season 6 of …Dancing with the Stars are the show popular professional dancers. The list includes Mark Ballas, Cheryl Burke, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Derek Hough, Kym Johnson, Alec Mazo, Lacey Schwimmer, Edyta Sliwinska, Karina Smirnoff and Fabian Sanchez.
