Male singers have edge among ‹Idol finalists
To turn the lyrics of one traditional …American Idol standard around, this one for the boys.
Eight of this season 13 finalists are men, and there could have been more had the rules not required one woman to make it out of each of the three semifinal rounds. Six men and three women were voted into the finals by the viewers, while the judges evened things out a bit by wild-carding two more of each gender into the group.
More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…
Opera Singer Critiques Idols
Michael Sarver? Go home. Anoop Desai? Eh, not bad. Danny Gokey? Now that guy can sing. So says Caitlin Erlbaum, a classically-trained opera singer and this week’s guest “American Idol” blogger.
TV: Helping Megan Joy on this year’s ‘Idol’
For the second year in a row, a Utahn has slipped her way into the top 13 (I’m still trying to wrap my head around that) of America’s highest-rated television show.
Megan Joy Corkrey, 23, of Sandy, was selected as a “wild card” pick to be one of the finalists on this season’s “American Idol, ” thanks to judge Simon Cowell, who liked her “current” musical style.
Corkrey, a pretty, petite blonde, sings with a smokey vocal presence that is much different from what the show usually offers, must be considered a longshot to win the whole competition. But I like her a lot, and she’s a local I’m happy to back.
Kidfetti unites families, with games, music, dancing
At Saturday’s Kidfetti, AC/DC fans met the Naked Brothers, as parents and children bridged generational gaps to rock out together.
“Kidfetti brings out the true kid in everybody, ” said Clermont resident Rob Muniz, who brought his 10-year-old daughter, Robbi, to the Ocala family festival celebrating literacy, healthy living and performing arts.
They were part of a crowd of thousands who gathered on a clear day for the second annual Kidfetti Music and Fun Festival in a large pasture in southwest Ocala.
David Archuleta: teens eat up ‘Idol’ star’s performance
Former “American Idol” contestant David Archuleta performed at Newport Music Hall Thursday night to a sold out crowd mostly composed of adolescent females. After a delayed entrance, the teen heartthrob burst onto the stage to an eruption of squeals and flashbulbs.
Archuleta opened with “Touch My Hand” from his self-titled album. Although he didn’t literally touch any of his fans’ hands, every girl in the front row reached for the 18-year-old Honduran-American.
Archuleta’s appearance was his second in Columbus since finishing second on “American Idol.”
“It’s awesome to be here in lovely Ohio, ” he said.
Music Review: Taylor Hicks – The Distance
Like many others, I first heard Taylor Hicks perform on the American Idol stage. I remember being charmed by his easy stage presence and was excited to be hearing something different in a competition that is criticized for churning out more and more of the same.
No one could argue there was something special about this guy who refused to dye his gray hair or compromise his preferred style of music, and I have to think it was that difference and commitment that him sail through to win that year. I impatiently waited for his debut release from the music-machine conglomerate ‘ 19 Recording Lmt. They would put out his self-titled, post-Idol album on the Arista label, only it didnt seem to stay true Hicks and soon fell out of my iPod’s rotation. It didn’t surprise me that they’d tried to mainstream his style or that the compromised sound didn’t hit.
Review | Taylor Hicks’ ‘The Distance’ not half bad, but not half good, either
Fifth season American Idol winner Taylor Hicks suffered the usual Idol indignity: Win the show and rush-release a mediocre major-label album. Then get dropped. Hicks returns as an independent artist with The Distance and . . . it’s not bad.
It gets off to a decent, if slick, start. The title song and What’s Right Is Right sound like tracks that would have fit well on Doobie Brother Michael McDonald’s first solo album in 1982. (They are also preferable to McDonald’s current career of regurgitating tired old Motown songs.)
Back to Gale-Force Power
Are we asking too much of Kelly Clarkson?
When she won the first season of …American Idol in 2002, it was unclear what sort of fame lay ahead. And it took time for her to create a recording persona that was as popular and as sure-footed as her …Idol one.
That those identities were somewhat at odds came as a surprise. On the show she was down-to-earth and a bit awkward, expertly running through a raft of blues-inflected classic soul, with a couple of detours to Celine Dion. But the contemporary soul of her debut album …Thankful often fell flat, and on her second album, …Breakaway, she was reinvented as an updated Alanis Morissette, confessional and blunt, singing big-voiced songs of disappointment: …Since U Been Gone, …Behind These Hazel Eyes, …Because of You and more. It went platinum six times over.
Clarkson adds passion to reliable old formula on upbeat 4th album
After a detour into rock-edged darkness with 2007’s “My December, ” which brought mixed reactions from critics and fans, Kelly Clarkson returns to more upbeat fare with an extra dose of power pop on her fourth album.
Stung by debate at her record label over her last effort, Clarkson went to two sources of teen-pop hits – Max Martin (Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, ‘N Sync) and Ryan Tedder (Jennifer Lopez, Hilary Duff) – for help.
The CD’s Martin-produced debut single, “My Life Would Suck Without You, ” uses a blueprint similar to Clarkson’s 2005 chart-topper, “Since U Been Gone.” (Martin has co-writing and production credits on both songs.)
Former ‘Idol’ Kelly Clarkson has all she ever wanted
NEW YORK ‘ Kelly Clarkson can’t stop saying she’s sorry. Having shown up 10 minutes late for a morning interview ‘ she had trouble dozing off the night before, then overslept, she explains ‘ the normally punctual singer spends much of the next 10 minutes apologizing for everything from her tardiness to her appearance.
“Do you know what it’s like when you’ve just woken up, and your lips are all huge and your face is swollen?” Clarkson asks. “Every time I talk, I keep licking my lips. They must look monstrous. I must look like a platypus.”
Idol Chartwatch, March 9 : Brooke White Breaks into the Hot 100 and More
There nothing like an appearance on American Idol to boost a new artist career! After her appearance on the show two weeks ago, Season 7 Brooke White first single, …Hold Up My Heart, is enjoying an impressive debut on the Hot 100. The single enters the chart at #47. It also on Hot Digital Tracks (25) and Hot Digital Songs (27). Brooke post-Idol debut album (so, not counting Songs From The Attic), High Hopes and Heartbreak, is tentatively set for a June 2 release.
Rascal Flatt …Here Comes Goodbye, which was co-written by Chris Sligh, breaks into the Hot 100 at #89 and Jennifer Hudson …If This Isnt Love also enters the Hot 100 at #92 and Hot 100 Airplay at #71.
Ryan Seacrest’s Date Night With His Mom
Though there was another young woman at the table, Ryan Seacrest only had eyes for one lady on Saturday night: his mom Connie.
Seacrest took his mom, who was visiting from out of town, to hotspot eatery Madeo Ristorante for a fancy meal.
“He was with a group of six people, sitting in the very back, like at the last table, ‘” says a fellow diner. “It was Ryan, a young brunette two seats away, and two older couples.”
Simon Cowell’s No. 1?
On Thursday night after the surprising Wild Card round, most of the “American Idol” team journeyed to the after-party at West Hollywood’s Area nightclub to celebrate. Simon Cowell, however, attended a New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project charity event at Eva Longoria Parker’s Hollywood restaurant Beso. The reason for his non-“American Idol” event? Ex-girlfriend — and perhaps on-again flame — Terri Seymour was a co-host of the function, along with Longoria Parker, Danny Masterson and Leah Remini. Simon and Terri looked cozy together on the red carpet; Popsugar has photos. With comedian Nick Mitchell/Norman Gentle out of the “Idol” Season 8 running now, it’s Simon’s maybe-girl who’s making him smile.
Shiela E. Wins ‘Gone Country 3’
John Rich has the idea that a star with Latin roots (and a family tradition of performance) can do well in Nashville. So after choosing Julio Iglesias Jr. the winner of the first season of “Gone Country, ” the Big N’ Rich member selected Shiela E. the winner of the third season Saturday.
The former Shiela Escovedo, who scored a hit as part of Prince’s camp with songs like “Glamorous Life” and “A Love Bizarre, ” has been active musically ever since and went on to become a judge on a reality show (“The Next Great American Band”).
She won “Gone Country” over a field that included such fellow veteran recording stars and million sellers as Micky Dolenz of the Monkees, 80s pop singer Taylor Dayne, and godfather of funk George Clinton. Also in the field was poor Justin Guarini; the runner up from the first season of “American Idol” who couldn’t even win this minor cable competition. And there were a couple of people who were not normally associated with singing, from former Miss USA Tara Conner to “21 Jump Street” actor Richard Grieco.
‹Dancing relies on four main ingredients
If youre addicted to …Survivor or …The Amazing Race, you can at least hide behind the fact that these shows are logically interesting, simply because real people care about winning a million dollars, so they act in dramatic and unexpected ways when you wave money in front of them.
Let face it: you could stage a one-million-dollar IKEA-furniture assembly contest, and it would be the most intense and compelling hour of hammering and cam-bolting ever aired.
Dancing With The Stars, American Idol Betting Odds
The 8th season of Dancing With The Stars kicks off on Monday while the American Idol contestant pool has been cut down to 13 on Tuesday. For savvy online gamblers, the ultimate winner could prove to offer a hefty payout. Dancing With The Stars and American Idol betting odds were now available with some of the best prices.
Early on last year, Gambling911.com monitored David Cook’s Idol odds in the double digits. He ultimately went on to win.
