It a night of less-than-thrilling ‹Idol filler
Deciding that the nine hours devoted to the seven audition cities just wasnt enough, Fox presented a special best-of edition of …American Idol on Wednesday night. …Idol is guaranteed to put up huge numbers every time it airs, while the other networks have nothing but whatever they can come up with that doesnt require the striking Writers Guild. It was an easy call for Fox to make.
While some time was devoted to singers who were good enough to make the cut but not quite telegenic enough to get on the air with the rest of the people from their audition city, for the most part it was the Simon Cowell show. Apparently the editors saved his best barbs for the bonus footage.
”American Idol”: Old Dog, New Tricks
Let me start this column with a warning: It’s quite possible that I’ve gone a bit mad tonight. Writing about eight consecutive American Idol audition episodes ‘ and trying to find an interesting and unique angle for each one ‘ can do that to a person.
But even if my mind is as addled as Tiffany McCambell’s rendition of ”Hallelujah, ” I still think I’m onto something when I say that Simon Cowell is to Idol what Mary Richards was to The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
American Idol: “Best of the Rest” Auditions
“The Best of the Rest, ” or as I like to call it “The Filler Episode.” Even Idol knows that we’re ready for Hollywood week because they open the episode by telling us Hollywood is next week. It’s their little way of saying, “Look, we get it. You’re done with this crap. You’re ready for the next round. But that’s too bad because here’s more first round auditions. Deal with it!”
‘American Idol’ best-of-the-rest auditions
t’s a truth universally acknowledged that it’s almost impossible to win on American Idol if you aren’t featured in some prominent way in the heavily watched American Idol audition episodes. That’s why Wednesday (Feb. 6) night’s Best of the Rest clip show was so important.
Basically, for more than a few members of this season’s already selected Top 24, singers who watched their respective audition cities with increased disappointment and desperation, Wednesday’s hour was the last chance to get exposure before next week’s quickie Hollywood round and the start of live voting the week after.
No pressure or anything.
Goths invade ‘Idol’
As the “Idol” audition tour wound itself up in Atlanta on Super Tuesday night, we pored over the last returns in “American Idol’s” own primary season and had some thoughts on a looming, potentially huge demographic battle shaping up — one that could spell R-E-A-L-I-G-N-M-E-N-T for seasons to come and bring millions of disenfranchised voters into the “Idol” system.
Long considered by many the sleeping giant of “Idol” voting blocs, this may be the year when the goth vote at last awakens. For six seasons, America’s vampires and ghouls were relegated to the margins of the electoral process, merely allowed into the public stage as oddities to fill out the audition episodes. Last season, however, the goth bloc made a tentative step into the arena when partial goth Gina Glocksen made it as far as the Top 10. This year, goth nation may be fielding a standard-bearer with the resources and potential broad appeal to be a serious player in the race. Amanda, the nurse/biker chick, showed in her audition that she has the vocal power to potentially be a true factor in this race.
Randy Jackson to help produce Paula Abdul’s new album
Hot on the heels of Paula Abdul’s lip-synch-tastic Super Bowl performance, her American Idol costar Randy Jackson has confirmed that he will have a hand in producing her forthcoming full-length album. “We’ve been talking about it, ” Jackson told EW.com during a taping of his latest side-project, MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew, which premieres Thursday night. “We gotta keep things rolling, you know?” No release date or label has been announced yet, but last week Paula Abdul’s official website posted a message saying to expect an album in Summer 2008.
Randy Jackson brings new show ‘America’s Best Dance Crew’ to MTV
LOS ANGELES – So what does Randy Jackson know about dance?
“Quite a bit, ” the “American Idol” judge says. Jackson is executive producer of the new competitive dance series, “America’s Best Dance Crew, ” which premieres Thursday on MTV in the United States and Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on MTV Canada.
“Listen, I’ve been doing music my whole life and every up-tempo song I’ve ever made, you often wonder how people are going to dance to it, ” the 46-year-old musician told The Associated Press.
“You go to clubs, you try and find out how they’re moving to it. Is the beat fast enough? Dance is like the right hand of music. There couldn’t be any dance without music, right? And vice versa, ” he said at a studio off Sunset Boulevard where the show was taping recent auditions.
Grammys: Miley Cyrus in, Amy Winehouse — we’ll see…
Jack Sussman, CBS executive vice president of specials, music, and live events, will neither confirm nor deny the possibility of a Michael Jackson appearance for a special Thriller tribute (fingers crossed!) at this year’s Grammys, but he assures us he doesn’t need the Gloved One to make the 50th Annual Grammy Awards telecast special.
Oprah to appear on ‘Dr. Phil’
For the first time in the show’s history, Oprah Winfrey will be a guest on “Dr. Phil.”
Winfrey will appear to celebrate the 1, 000th episode of Dr. Phil McGraw’s show.
The two-part episode will air on Monday, Feb. 11 and Tuesday, Feb. 12.
The show is currently in it’s sixth season after launching in 2002. McGraw earned his series after appearing as a popular guest on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”
“Tonight Show” host Jay Leno and “American Idol” winner Jordin Sparks are also booked to appear on the special.
Entertaining Our Heros
Today I am leaving for Kuwait and Afghanistan with American Idol Star Bo Bice. Yes, I have a long list of autographs for him to sign from my female friends. He has one guitar player (Thomas) and a sound engineer (John) with him and I make the fourth man on the tour. J I have never met him but have talked with him on the phone. The fact that he and his guys volunteered to go over and thank our troops is all I need to know about his personality.
Sanjaya Hosts Idol TV Guide Special
In case you ever wondered where your favorite Idols of years past have ended up, here’s your chance to find out. One of them, the infamous Sanjaya Malakar, is actually hosting the TV Guide Network special Idol Stars: Where Are They Now? The show will premiere on Sunday, Feb. 24, at 8 pm/ET and will highlight some of American Idol’s most memorable and lovable contestants.
Your Country 102.7-FM WXBM announces ‘CountryFest 2008’
Down about SpringFest being cancelled again? Here’s something to lift you back up.
On May 3, Your Country 102.7-FM WXBM will present “CountryFest 2008, ” a full day of country music at Five Flags Speedway.
The daylong festival is headlined by a bonafide country legend, Randy Travis (“Forever and Ever, Amen, ” “I Told You So”). Other performers include Joe Nichols (“Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off”), Lady Antebellum (“Love Don’t Live Here”) and “American Idol” contestant Phil Stacey. Local favorites the Sawmill Band will kick off the fun.
CLARK SISTERS’ BEST ON WORD RECORDS’ COMPILATION: ‘Encore: The Best of the Word Record Years’ is released on Dexterity/Rhino Entertainment.
The Clark Sisters’ legendary out-of-print Word Records hits return on, “Encore: The Best of the Word Record Years, ” to be released February 12 on Dexterity/Rhino Entertainment. The new CD arrives in stores two days after the group makes a triumphant appearance on this year’s Grammy Awards telecast.
The 2007 American Idol contestant Melinda Doolittle contributes a new rendition of the of the group’s groundbreaking crossover hit, “You Brought the Sunshine.” The disk also includes commentary on The Clark Sisters’ Word Records’ tenure by Jacky Clark-Chisholm and Karen Clark Sheard.
Music Producer to Write Book about Industry
Music executive and producer Anastasia Brown has signed a book deal with Thomas Nelson Publishers for the upcoming book Make Me a Star, which will be published in April.
The book, co-written with writer and reporter Brian Mansfield, gives advice on how to make it in the music industry and tells stories of what worked and what didn’t work for superstars including Reba McEntire and Keith Urban and American Idol contestants Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Bo Bice.
American Idol Finalist Elliott Yamin to Embark on 10-Day USO Tour to Germany, Belgium and the UK in Support of Troops
ARLINGTON, Va., Feb. 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Singer/songwriter
Elliott Yamin will journey to Germany, Belgium and the United Kingdom to
entertain service members as part of a USO/Armed Forces Entertainment tour Feb. 12-21. During his 10-day tour, the former “American Idol” finalist will dazzle troops with his powerful vocals and chart-topping hits. Yamin will also sign autographs, extend America’s gratitude and share his experience of life on the road.
Devoted to supporting those serving in the U.S. armed forces, Yamin
visited San Diego’s North Island Naval Base in June of 2007, where he
welcomed home sailors returning from an extended deployment in Iraq. While visiting the installation, he also toured the USS Boxer, ate lunch with service members, listened to stories and expressed his heartfelt thanks to Navy personnel for their dedicated service.
‘Idol’ hopeful from Mulberry advances
Mulberry’s Amanda Overmyer is going to Hollywood.
The nation got to see the 23-year-old contestant on American Idol make it to the next level as Overmyer was heavily featured during Tuesday night’s episode on FOX, which showed the auditions from Atlanta. Overmyer got the approval of all three judges: Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, even Simon Cowell.
She caught the attention of the judges with a smoky rendition of Janis Joplin’s “Turtle Blues” and then won them over with a strong “Travelin’ Band” by Creedence Clearwater Revival after Cowell asked to hear another song.
Abdul and Jackson’s first words to Overmyer after the songs were “I love you.”
Idol castoff from Philly gets life-changing deal
Remember Temptresse Browne from the Philly auditions show of …American Idol? Browne, 16, a junior at Paul Robeson High School for Human Services, told Ryan Seacrest and the …Idol judges she was a football middle linebacker. But after auditioning, she didn’t make it to Los Angeles.
…Entertainment Tonight, which sent her a bouquet of flowers the day after her 5-minute, 27-second segment aired, has an exclusive contract with Temptresse for …an indefinite ongoing series, in which she and her family will be offered …coaching to make changes in her life, said Art Rubalcava, local producer for …Entertainment Tonight. He’s heading …Entertainment Tonight’s Philly operations over the Browne story, which has started taping.
More with Kevin and Temptresse!
The world was introduced to TEMPTRESSE BROWNE when the 16-year-old auditioned for “American Idol.” Despite winning the hearts of the judges — as well as those of America — she didn’t make it to Hollywood. ET is following the story by sending KEVIN FRAZIER to Brownes’ South Philadelphia, PA, home for an exclusive interview series. Tonight, a rare family outing!
For her mother, DIANE, this is a special day. She’s normally trapped by her weight in her small south Philadelphia home and unable to walk — but we’ve brought in a special van to give her and her daughter a day on the town.
American Idol Tells its Atlanta Contestants to Take Their Broke Asses Home
Last night’s American Idol took place in Ryan Seacrest’s hometown of Atlanta, which prompted his parents to show up. I wonder if the producers made Mama and Papa Seacrest learn the words to Fergie’s “Glamorous, ” the richness-glorifying lyrics of which I guess were supposed to distract people from the recession talk lurking underneath every other network’s Super Tuesday coverage.
Yes, for some reason every auditioner was given “Glamorous” as their “we’re going to stitch these performances together and make it hilarious” song, perhaps because Fergie’s vocal prowess is equal to that of last year’s mentors Gwen Stefani and Jennifer Lopez. The montage was full of the usual gang of melody- and rhythm-challenged idiots, and it ended with an Asian girl who couldn’t quite pronounce the lyrics’ letter “l”s. I was just surprised that her botched singing wasn’t followed up by that completely offensive panda ad from the Super Bowl.
‘American Idol’: Super Tuesday wrap-up
As the “Idol” audition tour winds itself up in Atlanta, and as we pore over the last returns trickling late into the early hours in “American Idol” own primary season, some thoughts on a looming, but potentially huge demographic battle shaping up ‘ one that could spell R-E-A-L-I-G-N-M-E-N-T for seasons to come and bring millions of disenfranchised voters into the “Idol” system.
Long considered by many the sleeping giant of “Idol” voting blocs, this may be the year when the Goth vote at last awakens. For six seasons, America vampires and ghouls have been relegated to the margins of the electoral process, merely allowed into the public stage as oddities to fill out the audition episodes. Last season, however, the Goth bloc made a tentative step into the arena when partial Goth Gina Glocksen made it as far as the Top 10. This year, Goth nation may be fielding a standard bearer with the resources and potential broad appeal to be a serious player in the race. Amanda, the nurse/biker chick, showed in her audition that she has the vocal power to potentially be a true factor in this race.
‘American Idol’ Recap: Atlanta Auditions Draw Beauty Queen, Homeless Teen
On Tuesday night’s 900th seventh “American Idol” audition episode of the season, Ryan Seacrest brought the gang back to his hometown, Atlanta. There was talent, there were tears, there were Ryan’s parents. (If Dennis Kucinich became a televangelist, he’d look exactly like Papa Seacrest.) And of course, there were awards to be given. Giddy-up…
The Scooter Girl Prize for Proof That We Shouldn’t See More “Good” Singers in These Audition Episodes: Joshua Jones
For a couple of seasons, die-hard “Idol” fans (myself included) have been begging for less William Hung and more Paris Bennett in the audition episodes. But after seeing glass worker Josh Jones score a golden ticket, I think I speak for many when I say, “We were wrong.” Aside from the fact that the dude had to sing with his back to the judges so as not to distract them with his crazy “demonic” eyes, his Queen audition sounded a tiny bit too Tiny Tim for my taste. Watching mediocrity get rewarded made me frustrated for the talented people who made it on the show, and angry about the talented people who didn’t make it on the show.
Lukewarm-Lanta
In an episode where we saw one contestant ensure himself an endorsement with AutoZone and we learned that Paula Abdul simply …caint say no, we were treated to a number of interesting back stories attached to a number of uninteresting singers.
First there was Josh …Krayzee Eyze Killa with a Glass Fetish Jones. The judges couldnt even look at him when he performed, yet he was given a golden ticket. They must have REALLY wanted to keep his rugged good looks and glass cutting ability around in Hollywood. It was reminiscent of last week Jason …Fourth Time the Charm Rich. Hmmm ¦
