Today Idol headlines after the jump ¦
Stayin’ ‘Idol’ from tour
Uh, no. I am telling you: I’m not going. Just like I didn’t last year. And the one before.
This time around, though, as the “American Idol” clique dances, skips or, in Sanjaya Malakar’s case, shakingly shimmies into Motown to The Palace of Auburn Hills on Aug. 12, my reasoning is more rightly-justified. Even though my eyes were super-glued to the TV twice a week. And, again and again for good measure to YouTube.
But consider this: Thousands of screaming pre-pubescent girls, flailing their arms around like a drunken guy at a Pistons’ game and screeching every time “Idol” runner-up Blake Lewis unleashes his beat-boxing. And the hokey encore of winner Jordin Spark’s mashed-potato-mushy, celebratory “Idol” tune, “This is My Now.” And Sanjaya the fruity ‘do-dude who alarmingly grabbed girly-girls by the ears with his often-off chops, and then made them cry.
Yep, I’ve just painted an axed scene from some shelved horror movie. Or was that whore? I guess if we throw Haley Scarnato into the warbler mix, then it’d be the latter. Which brings me to the last reason I’m avoiding this “Idol” circus: I’m tired of Haley’s long limbs. And there’s no way I’ll pay to see an encore of those………
Names
Boys to ‘Manband’
Hyde Park homey Louie Bello was in the house for the New York premiere of “Mission: Manband.” The VH1 show features former boy-band members — LFO’s Rich Cronin, 98 Degrees’ Jeff Timmons, Color Me Badd’s Bryan Abrams, and ‘N Sync’s Chris Kirkpatrick — who’ve formed a new group called Sureshot. (Sureshot plays at Saint on the 27th.) Bello scored the invite because he and Cronin, who hails from Kingston, are writing songs for “American Idol” also-ran Blake Lewis. Other guests included Gene Simmons, Lance Bass , and movie producer Jeff Killagheri.
Iowans shoot for ‘Idol’ fame at Omaha
….”All these people, they have their dreams, ” said Patrick Lynn, a senior producer for “American Idol.” “People see themselves on the show. They show up, and they give it a shot. A lot of people show up just for the experience.”
One of the dozens of reporters covering the event asked Lynn about how the producers look for the bad singers. (Think of the hilarious moments provided by aspiring Idols such as William Hung or Sanjaya.)
Lynn smiled.
“If you’re looking to call them bad singers, you can call them bad singers, ” he said. “I prefer to call them good entertainment.”….
Marlene Scotten drove seven hours to Omaha on Tuesday, “American Idol” aspirations fueling her way.
She waited at the Qwest Center Omaha for seven hours Wednesday to register, then stood in line for five hours before this morning’s auditions.
When she got to the tryout table, she launched into “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys.
In less than 10 seconds, she was done.
“They just cut me off. They told me ‘No, thank you’ and sent me out of the place, ” an angry Scotten said.
Scotten’s story was common today among the 8, 000 people who showed up before dawn for their shot at an appearance on the seventh season of the mega-popular Fox Network show….
‘Idol’ hopefuls find Omaha offers more than shot at fame
…Recent auditions in San Diego and Dallas each brought crowds of 12, 000 to 14, 000, but a show producer said he was not disappointed with the lower turnout in Omaha _ the smallest city and the only Midwestern city to host an “Idol” audition so far.
“We didn’t know what we were going to get, ” said senior producer Patrick Lynn. “We’ve never really been to the center of the country before.”
Omaha popped up on the radar as an audition site in part because of Dan Mirvish, director of the 1995 film “Omaha the Movie.” Lynn said he knows Mirvish and had heard good things about the city from him.
“I think we’re going to find good talent in Omaha, ” Lynn said. “We have a really good feeling.”…
Two York teens tryout for American Idol
Idol hopefuls in good voice
They’ve returned. York’s American Idol hopefuls have returned. They are registered, and have the bracelets to prove it. Wearing paper bracelets that are the “in.” Bracelets that allowed Jason Dunn and Kathey Stewart to return for auditions for one of the most popular television shows in history, Fox’s American Idol………
Two Siouxlanders get call-back for ‘American Idol’
Yessss!!
At least two Siouxlanders were handed a ticket to stardom — or at least a step closer to it — at Friday’s auditions for the hit FOX show “American Idol.”
Siouxland Idol winner Katie Admire, 17, and 23-year-old operating room technician Drew Emanuel were seen being handed a coveted “golden ticket” after their auditions — a yellow sheet of paper that producers said signifies each earned a call-back audition for the show…….
Idol Chatter: Seen and heard at auditions
Mayor Mike Fahey was a stubborn interview for the TV Guide Channel early Friday.
Brandon Rogers, last season’s 12th place “American Idol” finisher, was conducting the interview for the channel’s “Close-Up” program. He asked Fahey to either sing a song for the camera or do his best impersonation of “Idol” judge Simon Cowell.
Fahey wouldn’t do either, especially mimic Cowell’s British accent.
“I’m Irish, ” Fahey said.
Omaha native Scott R. Tomasso serves as producer of the “Close-Up” segment. Tomasso, who changed his last name from Thomas after moving from Omaha, now lives and works in Los Angeles. The auditions were a good excuse to visit home.
Patrick Lynn is the “Idol” producer who cues the crowd on when to wave and cheer. But he got loudly booed Friday morning.
“Does every joke here start with, ‘So a guy walks into a cornfield . . .’?” he said over a megaphone. Jeers ensued………
For would-be ‘Idols’, what to wear is as crucial as what to sing
…Girls stepped out in knockout pink-and-green, snake-printed designer heels. Guys dressed in cow and cupid costumes. (Cupid, by the way, advanced to the next round.)
A pig-tailed contestant, pompoms in tow, wore a red-and-white cheerleader outfit.
Picking the right outfit was almost as important as picking the right song. First impressions were important ‘ contestants had only 30 seconds or so to sing on Friday. The best ‘ and sometimes the worst ‘ advanced to the next round, when the show’s three judges come to Omaha in the fall.
“You’ve got to have a look to make the bar, ” said 24-year-old Marcus McConnell of Kansas City, Kan. “You dress to impress and hope for the best.”
Lines started to form at about 3:30 a.m. for the 8 a.m. auditions. McConnell ran late for his tryout…
Friday’s few hundred survivors include some Omaha singers
Since she was a toddler, Omaha teen Brittany McCreary has loved to sing.
Brittany, now 18, will keep singing in the nation’s most famous talent competition. She was among the few hundred aspiring singers who emerged from the exit for winners at “American Idol” auditions Friday at the Qwest Center Omaha…..
Constantine coming to ATL
Season five finalist and …Bold and the Beautiful actor Constantine Maroulis will be in Atlanta Tuesday for the auditions at the Dome. There going to be a stage set up for him to sing and Im sure hell be selling his new CD, which came out this past Tuesday.
Constantine Maroulis – Constantine
Ugh. Need we say more?
Constantine Maroulis made a name for himself on American Idol. He was the first contestant to have a rock and roll background rather than a pop background, and that fact alone meant he was destined to go far in the competition…….
Summer hits elude ailing music industry
Clarkson’s troubled CD below sales expectations; 50 Cent’s album delayed
…Clarkson, coming off a blockbuster, hits-laden CD in 2004’s Breakaway and a couple of Grammy Awards, had this summer’s most troubled CD. She fought with label head Clive Davis over songwriting control, parted with her management, her tour crumbled and her single Never Again nearly tanked.
Still, Clarkson’s CD sold well its first week but was topped by Miley Cyrus’ Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus. Coming in behind a star as dubious as Cyrus wasn’t how things were supposed to go.
And 50 Cent, who had the second-best-selling CD of 2005 with The Massacre, released two singles this spring, Amusement Park and Straight to the Bank. Both flopped, as did his performance on the BET Awards.
His Curtis CD was moved to Sept. 4 from June 26, then to Sept. 11. The official spin has something to do with synchronizing his worldwide release, but who’s buying that?
Now, the industry finds itself looking for other summer CD champions, another Daughtry, another Carrie Underwood, another High School Musical (the latter two are on the way). Hits and misses are popping up in unexpected places…
Rochester, Mantorville contestants among regional ‘American Idol’ finalists
Sixteen top finishers have been announced for regional “American Idol” competitions recently organized by Fox 47 in Rochester, Winona, and Mason City, Iowa.
The singers will compete at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Rochester Civic Theatre to win a guaranteed audition with an “American Idol” producer during the show’s auditions in Philadelphia later this month…….
‹American Idol contestant headlines Belpre Homecoming
The musical entertainment attracted several thousand people to the Belpre Homecoming Friday evening.
Former …American Idol contestant Bucky Covington headlined the event. He arrived on stage to chants of …Bucky, Bucky and screaming fans.
…Bucky is fantastic, said Erica Bennekamper, public relations director for the Belpre Chamber of Commerce, one of the organizations arranging the fair.
…I love coming to Ohio, Covington said. …The phrase ‹Ohio rocks definitely fits.
He said he had a performance in Chillicothe canceled Thursday because of the rain……
‘Real Michiana Idol’ Finalist #5
Karen Hoover is a teacher in Goshen and just recently won the Karaoke Idol contest at the St. Joseph County Fair.
She is a self-described free spirit who loves to explore the world. Not only can she sing but she has a pretty good sense of humor as well.
“I like to be funny, I like to make people laugh. I love to hug people, I always tell people if I wasn’t able to perform my favorite job would probably be just like giving out free hugs, ” Hoover said.
“I think god put it in me for a reason and a purpose. It not only makes me totally happy, where I almost feel like I’m in a whole other world when I’m performing or singing, ” Hoover added.
Karen has been a fan of “American Idol” and actually knows someone who made it to the finals.
“I knew Melinda Doolittle from last season, we went to college together and were just acquaintances. I was so excited to see that she was there and pursuing a dream that she had in her heart.” …….
5 things to know about Paris Bennett
When Taylor Hicks won “American Idol, ” one of his runners-up was a tiny girl with a big voice, Paris Bennett. She came in fifth in 2006 and has since surprised no one by embarking on a recording career of her own. Her tour brings her to Linn Park Sunday. It’s part of the Coca-Cola Sundays in the Park Series, which had been held at Vulcan Park. Here are some things you might want to know about Bennett:
Family business
“Idol” fans know that 18-year-old Bennett is following in her mother’s footsteps. Her mom sang with the Sounds of Blackness and her grandmother is the former lead singer of the Sounds of Blackness……..
The stars come out at Crocker
Brown brings a little ‘Idol’ to city
“American Idol” contestant Ayla Brown’s path to success started in Hollywood and is now continuing in Fitchburg.
“I love doing charity work, and performing wherever I can, ” said Brown in an exclusive interview with the Fitchburg Pride on Tuesday…..
