This Is What American Idol Calls Country?
You don’t expect nine amateurs to be able to pull off Dolly Parton songs. But you do at least expect Dolly Parton to.
That’s why I was, in the words of Simon Cowell, utterly appalled at Tuesday and Wednesday night’s episodes of American Idol. Their so-called country week.
Teri Hatcher will sing on ‹Idol Gives Back
…Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher is gearing up for a visit to …American Idol.
The primetime star will be stepping on to the …Idol Gives Back stage, lending her star power and her voice, to a worthy cause, Rush & Molloy of the New York Daily News reported.
The actress will do back-up duties for The Band From TV, which features Teri …Desperate Housewives co-star James Denton, …House Hugh Laurie, …Heroesƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ Greg Grunberg and …Cashmere Mafia Bonnie Somerville.
American Idol’: Ramiele Malubay says good-bye
…I made it onto the tour, so Im really excited, said a surprisingly upbeat Ramiele Malubay in a conference call with the media this morning. No matter how much reporters encouraged her to whine, the recently eliminated songstress had nothing but good things to say about her time on “Idol.” Ramiele was also quick to disagree when one reporter suggested that Simon never warmed up to her. …Oh, Simon likes me, I know he does, Ramiele replied, adding, …Backstage, when I left the show, he came, and he like ‹Cry on my shoulder and I’m like, ‹OK.ƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬
‘Today’ On Ramiele Malubay’s ‘American Idol’ Exit
Today’ co-host Meredith Vieira reported on Wednesday night’s ouster of ‘American Idol’ finalist Ramiele Malubay, talking with Entertainment Weekly’s Dave Karger, who suggested she could have a post ‘Idol’ career in different parts of the world. Caryn Ganz also discussed the difficulty past ‘Idol’ stars have had releasing music not having the top rated show to give them the twice weekly publicity boost. Watch the report below the fold.
American Idol’s David Cook ‘ “He’s My Hero”
When David Cook rocks out on American Idol, hordes of screaming young women reach out to him from the show’s live audience in Los Angeles. But no one has a closer connection to him than a courageous young girl 2, 200 miles away in Florida ‘ and the symbol of their bond is on David’s wrist, for the show’s millions of viewers to see!
The orange plastic band David, 25, has been wearing since mid-March is a message of friendship and support for a special fan: Tampa native Lindsey Rose Belcher, a brave 7-year-old who was diagnosed with leukemia last Christmas.
“I met David when I was in L.A. covering the show the first week of March and told him he was my daughter’s favorite Idol, ” Lindsey’s dad, Charley Belcher, a feature reporter for Fox WTVT Channel 13 in Tampa, tells Star. “I also told him about my daughter’s condition ‘ and David said, ‘Let’s call her and make her day!'”
Murray kids really high on David
At Murray High, there is no shortage of indicators that this is indeed where David Archuleta goes to school.
There are posters with his name on them hanging in the halls. There’s a banner strung across the State Street overpass (“Don’t Forget to Vote!”). Outside the school entrance the electric marquee flashes the time, temperature and “MHS is Proud of David Archuleta.” The principal even has news clippings taped to the front office windows.
Access Extended: Booted ‘Idol’ Chikezie Performs
Chikezie comes to Access Hollywood and performs “If Only For One Night.”
Fox Idols Beat CBS Dramas
The return of CBS dramas gave that network a boost in the ratings on Wednesday, but Fox dominated the night over all, thanks to the weekly results episode of …American Idol, which led the night with 24.3 million viewers at 9, Nielsen reported.
Simon Cowell saved my life
A contestant on X Factor who says Simon Cowell saved her life is planning to audition on the show again ‘ so she can thank him.
Jacqui Gray was advised to see a doctor by the judge on the TV series after he heard her ‘strange’ voice.
It turned out she was suffering from an incurable, and potentially deadly, lung infection called bronchiectasis.
TV 101: Seven reasons Simon Cowell should be our next president
It’s with this in mind that I’d like to start a movement to draft the one man who I think can turn this country around. The one man who has the credibility and the credentials to unite a society fractured by war and recession. The one man who connects with young and old; gay and straight; really, really gay and butchy gay. That’s right, I’d like to nominate Simon Cowell for president.
Because I’m (kinda) writing about politics in this column, I’d like to make a few things clear before we continue:
Simon Says He’d Like a Change — of Roles!
Simon Cowell is telling “Extra” how he’d like to shake up the competition on “American Idol.” Check out what he wants to do next!
‘Idol’ gal anything but idle
It was Kimberly Caldwell’s dream of being a singer that drove her to compete on “American Idol: Season 2.” But after the show ended, her musical aspirations took a temporary back seat to life in the working world.
She currently is an entertainment correspondent for TV Guide Network. She hosts two weekly talk shows, “Reality Chat” and “Idol Wrap” as well as “Idol Tonight, ” a pre-show to “American Idol” that airs on Wednesday nights. She’s chatted it up with television hosts from CNN’s Glen Beck to Oprah Winfrey to Tyra Banks and Sharon Osbourne.
Review: Wooing ‘American Idol’ crowd creates bland Bon Jovi, Daughtry rock show in San Jose
Daughtry, the band, did a passable job revisiting the tunes on its eponymous debut CD, which was one of the top-selling discs of last year. Yet, there was still something very contrived and oh-so very ‘American Idol’ about the whole package, as if the band had been created by a team of scientists working in a Top 40 pop-rock lab. In all, Daughtry, the singer, didn’t give us any reason to believe that he won’t soon follow ‘American Idol’ pal Taylor Hicks onto the pages of yesterday’s news.
Daughtry’s living on a prayer that came true
Today, as front man in the rock band that bears his last name, Daughtry’s racked up a No. 1 album and a handful of hit singles and Grammy nominations.
Oh, yeah, and the opening slot on Bon Jovi’s world tour, which comes to Honda Center in Anaheim Friday and Saturday, and Staples Center in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
“It’s kind of weird how that all happened, ” Daughtry says. “You cover a band, and then you’re touring with them. If I’d known it was that easy, I’d have done it years ago, just playing in the bars.”
Neutrogena Girl Katharine McPhee
Now that she settled into the whole ‹married life phenomenon, Katharine McPhee is concentrating on expanding her franchise.
The American Idol alum recently accepted a contract to become the face of skincare giant Neutrogena, and with a clean, crisp complexion like hers, it no wonder she got the gig.
Urban legend
Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood saw their most recent CD releases debut at No. 1. Next week, the Grammy Award-winning country stars will make another debut ‘ at the John Paul Jones Arena.
Part of the …Love, Pain, and the whole crazy Carnival Ride Tour, ƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ the first Charlottesville appearance by Urban, a New Zealand native, and Underwood, the …American Idolƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ season-four champion, brings chart-topping country hits Thursday night.
Both stars grew up immersed in country music and dreaming of music careers, and the similarities dont stop there. Both ‘ particularly Underwood ‘ have become quite accomplished in a relatively short time. And fans count on both of them for compelling hit singles, which wont be in short supply at the Jack.
‘Idol’ winner Underwood anything but idle
“No more than 10 minutes” was the time for which this reporter would speak to American Idol-bred singer Carrie Underwood, an Oklahoman who has sold more than 7 million copies of her 2005 debut album, Some Hearts, and will soon be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.
The Jesus, Take the Wheel and Before He Cheats pop-country vocalist was indeed busy during the week I talked to her.
Coming attractions: Achin’ for some new Aiken? It’s on the way
“I would like to have signature songs, ” Clay Aiken says, “songs that are identifiable as mine as opposed to ‘Clay Aiken sings such-and-such.’ ” That’s why the American Idol Season 2 runner-up conducted an intensive search for songs he could connect with.
“I went through a bunch of songs and found On My Way Here by (OneRepublic’s) Ryan Tedder, and it hit me in the gut, ” he says. “It became the catalyst for the whole album to be lyrically connected ‘ most of the songs relate to lessons I’ve learned.”
Hawaii’s premiere artists to be showcased at Art On The Block
Open to the public, with entry free of charge, Art on the Block will also include a series of free concerts featuring performances from the diverse ethnicities that make up Hawaii, including Hawaiian, Japanese, Native American, Chinese, Thai, Brazilian, Greek, and many more. Among those taking the stage will be Hawaii’s very own American Idol Jasmine Trias and songstress Kristian Lei, Chum Sa rung Rainbow & Tuhoolim Korean Traditional Drumming, Gee Yung International Martial Arts Dragon
& Lion Dance and many more.
‘Idol’-related alerts: Phil Stacey, Josh Gracin
It’s kind of an American Idol country week in Jacksonville. Phil Stacey, who called Jacksonville home last year when he made the show’s finals, performs at the Clay County Agricultural Fair on Monday. Look for an update on his life in that day’s Times-Union.
Meanwhile, Josh Gracin plays a free concert tonight at The Jacksonville Landing. Gracin came in fourth in Idol’s second season (the Ruben Studdard/Clay Aiken year.) Stacey was in the Navy during his Idol days; Gracin was in the Marines. Gracin got out soon afterward, and his self-titled debut album went to No. 2 on the country charts. His second CD, We Weren’t Crazy, was released this week.
The concert starts at 8 p.m. Heidi Newfield, who used to be the lead singer in Trick Pony, opens.
On the Scene: ‘Idol’ Top 9 results night
Once the show was at its final ad break, Dolly was zipped out of there, and all that equipment disappeared almost as quickly. Brooke was still teary, and Carly looked near her wit’s end with all the backrubbing. (David Cook, meanwhile, complimented Jason Castro’s boots.) When we came back for the final results, all of the Idols back on the bench looked crazy tense; for a moment, David Cook even clasped his hands together and grimly closed his eyes. After Ramiele learned she was going home, she was near bum-rushed by the rest of the women as the guys watched her Idol journey package back at the benches. Carly pulled out the big guns and repeatedly wiped away Rami’s tears with massive wads of tissue like a woman possessed. As the segment wrapped to a close and the tiny ex-Idol began her swan song, the guys sauntered over to join the goodbye line ‘ except for D’Archie, who seemed trapped in a loop of “whoops, this spot’s taken, now this spot, now that spot, ” until KLC finally roped the kid in. Ramiele finished her song; the rest of the Idols formed a group cocoon around her in an apparent attempt to absorb her body into theirs; the 19 Entertainment end credit twinkle played over the speakers; and Ms. Malubay was immediately whisked off-stage. Annnnnnd scene! Phew!
‘American Idol’ In 60 Seconds
Ramiele Wears Out Her Welcome
Dolly Parton week ends with the pint-size singer going home.
Idol in Iraq: Welcome Back, David Archuleta; Also, We’re Not Haters
Hey, so whatd you think of the soldiers last entry? Wow, we havent seen such spirited …discussion in a while. First we have to make one thing very clear: Our soldier-reviewers DO NOT hate David Archuleta. In fact, as Nathan pointed out, …He has been a front-runner in our minds for a while. What they didnt like was Archuleta song choice last week, a song none of them had even heard of, …Youre the Voice by John Farnham.
…The song did not allow him to show off his great vocals, Nathan wrote. But Archuleta redeemed himself this time around in the Dolly Parton hour, and it seems that all is forgiven. …This week was a lot better and he moved back in to the top three in my mind, said Joshua.
But even with all the good feeling toward the young …Idol contender, there was one note of caution from Cory: …I think he will make it big even if he does not win ‹American Idol. I am just not sure what audience he would appeal to, but right now I can see him selling millions of records to kids 10 to 17 (years old).
Placement is biggest key to success on TV’s ‘Idol’ by Carmen Rasmusen
The contestants benefit from the promotion of “American Idol” in many different ways. What they may not know is that their “placement, ” or, in other words, “face time, ” is hugely important in determining their success.
Take, for example, the order the contestants sing on Tuesday nights. Consistently, every contestant who has gone first on Tuesday has been in the bottom three, with the exception of last week.
Coincidence? I think not.
The person who goes first runs a huge risk of being forgotten. It’s hard to be memorable when you have eight others performing after you, learning from the mistakes you may have just made and wanting to show you up. You either have to set the bar extremely high or hope you have a fan base big enough to keep you on the show, even if you do end up in the bottom three.
American Idol and the Fall of Western Civilization
Year after year, the show keeps cranking out these manufactured pop stars who somehow seem to have an album in the can the day after theyve won the title. Some, like Carrie Underwood, Clay Aiken and Kelly Clarkson, go on to have bona fide Successful Careers. Others, like Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks, dont even make it to the second album before theyre dropped from their record labels like a crack pipe when the cops walk in.
The Clark Brothers Shine Their Light, Nearly Blind Brooke White
Last night’s American Idol saw the long-awaited exit of Ramiele Malubay, but it was also notable for many other reasons’ Bucky Covington telling the country that you didn’t really need to win the show in order to have success (perhaps a ploy to make David Cook feel better about his inevitable loss to the overhyped teen dream David Archuleta), Dolly Parton awkwardly telling Simon that he was welcome back at Dollywood anytime, the Ford commercial forcing the top nine Idols to rap “It’s Tricky, ” the Ramiele sandwich at show’s end. But I was most excited about the return of The Clark Brothers, the pinup-ready bluegrass trio who won 19 Entertainment’s little-watched The Next Great American Band and who I was convinced were going to be nothing more than glorified hand models within the Idol universe this season.
Idol Final Nine Desecrate Hip Hop in the Most Inglorious Fashion Imaginable
As Nas famously proclaimed, hip hop is dead. And last night, we found the murder weapon. Behold the Ford commercial from Wednesday’s American Idol. It features your final nine American Idol hopefuls rapping. Not singing, mind you, but rapping.
Gaze in open-mawed horror as Run-DMC’s “It’s Tricky” gets utterly butchered. Feel your skin crawl as Jason Castro shows off his mad dribbling skillz. Mourn for your departed soul as Kristy Lee Cook swats the ball away from a charging black man.
Reality Check: Adorable Can Only Take You So Far on ‘Idol’
It had to happen at some point, because she really didn’t have the voice to make it to the very end. But that didn’t make Ramiele Malubay’s “Idol” elimination any easier to take.
Ramiele was something else. I mean, even with David Archuleta in the room, precious little Ramie put the “c” in cute.
It wasn’t just her size ‘ which was minuscule enough to make Paula Abdul and Ryan Seacrest seem like basketball players. It wasn’t just that she always managed to pout with just the right combination of attitude and flirtatiousness so that we never found her too precious. And it wasn’t just those tears that never stopped flowing when someone she truly believed was her best friend was eliminated.
American Idol: Malubay-bye
On this week results show, we get the lovely Dolly singing her little heart out, a group rendition of …9 to 5 (I knew there was a reason no one sang it last night), some band from another reality universe, more inane questions from viewers at home and other stuff that I have now repressed.
(I seem to be doing a lot of repressing these days. My therapist is already less than thrilled with the fact that the only tidbits I can share with him are about …Idol or …Rock of Love.)
So, let get down to the elimination:
