Can ‘American Idol’ Be Saved?
Since its Jan. 12 premiere on Fox, the ninth season of “Idol” has been plagued with chatter about the show’s decline. The pool of contestants was widely considered to be the weakest in the show’s vaunted history, with the top 10 finalists, who will perform together on this summer’s American Idol Live! tour, comprising a bizarre mix of pop/R&B singers with identity crises and guitar-strumming “street busker” types, as Simon Cowell likes to call them. The remaining two hopefuls — Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox — are both of the latter strain, and one will emerge as the winner on the May 26 season finale.
‘American Idol’ castoff Casey James: ‘I knew at the beginning it would be Crystal and Lee at the end’
Say what you will about Casey James making the top three — he was as surprised as the most outspoken naysayers. But just because his Idol journey is over doesn’t mean life has calmed down. Read on for his thoughts on the future, those cougar jokes, and the upcoming tour.
On our message boards people were still pretty livid. Some felt like you were “thrown under the bus” when Randy and Kara chose “Daughters.” Did you like that song? Or would you have wanted something else?
Uhmm. [Exhales loudly] You know, like I said, I think everything happens for a reason. I’m happy with the way things worked out. I’m not going to say anything other than that. I definitely think it ended up working out exactly the way it should have.
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Bowersox an Idol to idolize
There was a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment on American Idol earlier this season, during the auditions stage. It was a quick, video screen-grab of a then-unknown young woman playing guitar on a Chicago subway platform, while all around her commuters rushed by. No one gave the singer with the dreadlocks and folk-styled voice a second glance.
On May 26, Crystal Bowersox is poised to become one of the most improbable and remarkable stories in American Idol’s eight-year history.
Why Lee DeWyze Will Win American Idol
I have’t been crazy about the contestants on this year’s season of American Idol. Mostly, I’ve found it difficult finding someone I really want to rally behind. I do like the person who I’m pretty sure is going to win though, even if it took some time for me to warm up to him.
Let’s not beat around the bush; I’m talking about Lee DeWyze. Lee has grown on me just as much as he has grown on everyone else. And in a lot of ways, that trajectory is precisely the reason why Lee will win. In fact, in retrospect, his inevitable win is pretty darn textbook (see “How to Win American Idol”). I don’t think he consciously planned out every last detail but one couldn’t have planned out the path to an American Idol win any better.
Adam Lambert: ‘If I Had You’ Exclusive Pictures!
Scope out these exclusive promo pics from Adam Lambert’s new “If I Had You” music video, directed by Bryan Barber.
The first pictures were posted a week ago and are from the tail end of the music video. These new pics show two new outfits from Adam’s five different wardrobe changes.
“It was Willy Wonka meets Thriller meets Interview With The Vampire, ” an on-set source tells JustJared.com.
Chart Watch Extra: Out-Of-The-Box Smashes
2008. David Archuleta’s “Crush, ” Debut and Peak: #2. American Idol’s Season 7 runner-up debuted at #2 three months after winner David Cook bowed at #3 with “The Time Of My Life.”
2006. Taylor Hicks’ “Do I Make You Proud, ” Debut and Peak: #1.
2005. Carrie Underwood’s “Inside Your Heaven, ” Debut and Peak: #1.
2004. Fantasia’s “I Believe, ” Debut and Peak: #1.
2003. Clay Aiken’s “This Is The Night, ” Debut and Peak: #1. American Idol’s Season 2 runner-up debuted at #1 the same week that winner Ruben Studdard opened at #2 with “Flying Without Wings.”
David Archuleta Blogs – 5/21/10
Yesterday I was finishing up vocals on some more songs. I know that Eman has been bubble tweeting and teasing you guys on twitter by playing the ends of some of the songs I’ve worked on with him lol. He’s funny. But I can’t wait until you guys get to hear the WHOLE songs! I’ve really appreciated how you guys have been supportive even during the quiet times, it really makes me feel better :). I’ll really try to wrap things up though! We’re just trying to plow through things and still get them sounding good. Today I’ll be heading out to Cupertino to the Apple headquarters! It should be fun to go there. I’ll be participating in what they have called Apple Idol for the workers there and it’ll be fun to see everything. I know Brooke White went last year and had a really great time. What have you guys thought of American Idol this season? You excited about the final 2? I think Crystal and Lee are both really talented people. I’m still impressed with how nice of a guy Lee was when I went back to perform earlier this season. He’s a really cool guy.
American Idol: Interview With Bo Bice
This morning I had the opportunity to talk with runner up from Season four of American Idol Bo Bice about his newly released album ‘3?, his new haircut, his family and his favorite American Idol contestant from this season.
Ash: Why did you cut off all your hair?
BB: Well it was time for a change and I didn’t cut it all off. I just got a little bit of a trim, more of a trim than I had last time. It’s time for a change just like everything else you know, there comes a time when you need to do a little bit of something different.
Bo Bice on his three sons, Carrie Underwood and album titled ‘3’
Huntsville native and 2005 “American Idol” runner-up Bo Bice sat on the couch in his Nashville home recently with his three toddler sons, turned on the television and what did he see? “Dora the Explorer”? “SpongeBob SquarePants”?
Nope. It was the young lady who some think stole his dream — “American Idol” winner Carrie Underwood, recently named the Country Music Association’s Female Entertainer of the Year for the second straight time.
As his sons sat there playing together, oblivious to the moment, Bice had a sense of peace about his life.
VIDEO: Backstage with Alex Lambert
Alex Lambert continues to work toward his dream of making it as a singer. The Top 24 castoff, who was invited to join Simon Fuller’s Web reality show “If I Can Dream” shortly after his “American Idol” elimination, had his first real gig on Wednesday night at The Mint. Sharing the bill with housemate Justin Gaston, Alex’s half-hour set included a soulful rendition of his original song, “Butterflies, ” as well as a few covers, among them: Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody, ” which he played to a packed house.
Mary Murphy details her limited role on So You Think You Can Dance: “I’m back in the pool”
Mary Murphy’s demotion from full-time judge on the seventh season of So You Think You Dan Dance was in part her decision, but it leaves her participation as a choreographer and guest judge largely up in the air, even now. In addition, she said she’s open to returning as a full-time judge in the future.
“Guest judges have to sit there and wait. It’s usually like two weeks out they’ll ask you whether you’re available or not, so we’ll see. I also give lectures on domestic violence, so, I’m also booking myself up in that way, too, ” she said. Last fall, she revealed that she was raped and beaten in an abusive marriage.
‘Dancing With the Stars’: Does Chad Ochocinco already have his ‘Perfect Catch’?
The perpetual “are they or aren’t they dating?” dancing duo Chad Ochocinco and Cheryl Burke are keeping the dating rumors alive … kind of.
Ochocinco made his “Dancing With the Stars” post-elimination appearance on “Live With Regis and Kelly” Friday (May 21), and of course the topic of conversation quickly turned their relationship status — which would seem to be in conflict with the NFL star’s upcoming dating show on VH1, “The Perfect Catch” (Ochocinco of course being the catch in question).
“Unfortunately [‘The Perfect Catch’] was already in place before I did ‘Dancing With the Stars, ‘ before I met Cheryl, ” responded Ochocinco. “But if I wasn’t doing that, she would have probably been the one.”
Samantha Harris & Carrie Ann Inaba Talk ‘DWTS’ Predictions
As Erin Andrews, Nicole Scherzinger and Evan Lysacek get ready for next week’s “Dancing with the Stars” big finale, our Samantha Harris and “Dancing” judge Carrie Ann Inaba are blogging only for ETonline.com about what it will take to win the mirrorball trophy!
Carrie Ann reveals what she’s looking for from the final ballroom battle between the stars, telling Samantha, “I want them to baffle my imagination, and I want them to go beyond anything that I could see in my mind and create new moves.”
‘Dancing with the Stars’ Finale: Jake & Vienna Give It a Whirl!
She watched from the sidelines all season and now Jake Pavelka’s fiancé Vienna Girardi gets her shot at the ‘Dancing with the Stars‘ dance floor.
Reps for the show confirmed that the couple will dance the Viennese Waltz on Tuesday night’s finale. Their song? Jeffrey Osborne’s ‘On the Wings of Love, ’ of course, as it was the subtitle of the season of ‘The Bachelor‘ that Jake and Vienna were on.
“I’m very nervous, ” Vienna told Fancast sister site, E! Online. “Jake’s been telling everyone that I’m a really good dancer, but I’m really not. The expectations are too high for me.”
Ryan Seacrest breaks it to ‘Glee’s’ Mark Salling, Kevin McHale that one of them won’t make glee club next season!
Gleeks, brace yourselves!
Someone’s not making it into New Directions this Fall.
“Glee’s” Mark Salling (Puck) and Kevin McHale (Artie) woke up early after their live performance in Los Angeles Thursday (May 20) night and spent 18 minutes on L.A.-based KIIS FM with Ryan Seacrest. Although they might be regretting their decision after learning that one of them isn’t going to make the Glee club cut in Season 2.
Jane Lynch talks Sue Sylvester inspiration, remaking ‘Vogue, ‘ her favorite ‘Glee’ character, and finale teases
In person, Glee star (and this week’s EW cover subject) Jane Lynch is exactly the opposite of Sue Sylvester: warm, funny, and friendly. And now she’s a bona fide star: During EW’s photo shoot in New York’s West Village, the actress was mobbed like a rock star by fans clamoring to take a photo with Lynch. Even Oscar-winner Philip Seymour Hoffman stopped to watch the action. The actress sat down with EW after her photo shoot to discuss her inspiration for Sue, remaking Madonna’s “Vogue” video, her favorite Glee character (hint: it ain’t Sue), and the epic June 8 season finale (spoiler alert!).
‘Glee: Live’ high and low notes: ‘Bad Romance, ‘ Brittany and barf bags
The forecast for the “Glee: Live” tour is sunny … for taking Los Angeles by storm.
The cast of “Glee” took to the stage at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City on Thursday, May 20 for the first of four performances in LA and was greeted warmly (and loudly) by fans. We scored a ticket to that sold-out first performance.
‘Glee’ Jane Lynch on acting: ‘I play straight people all the time’
When Katie Couric asked “Glee” star Jane Lynch what she thinks of Rush Limbaugh on her new Web show this week, Jane replied, “We could do without him, can’t we?”
Couric also asked the openly lesbian actress, who’s marrying her partner Dr. Lara Embry this month, about that controversial Newsweek article that argues gay actors cannot convincingly play straight.
Poppycock, she says.
