David Cook And David Archuleta Adjust To Fame While Working On Their Post-‘American Idol’ Plans
For months, “American Idol” viewers knew it was coming: the showdown of the Davids ‘ Cook vs. Archuleta. It was so obvious that even the show’s producers caught on, dressing the two finalists up in boxing robes and having Michael Buffer (he of “Let’s get ready to rrruuummble!” fame) introduce them on the season’s final performance night.
So to say that Cook and Archuleta have become intrinsically linked to each other is an understatement on par with Amanda Overmyer’s dye job. And for the foreseeable future ‘ or until the next season of “American Idol” kicks off ‘ they’re probably going to stay that way. That’s probably why both of them stopped by “TRL” on Tuesday (May 27), to chat about their past, their present and their (very bright) future.
David Cook Is A Rock-And-Roll Red State, Is Bigger Than The Sound
I am going out on a limb here. I am going to predict that there is precisely a 50 percent chance that “American Idol” winner David Cook will be very successful. I am relatively sure about this. Sort of.
Of course, I am also going to predict that he will not amount to much of anything. I am also relatively sure about this, though only about as sure as I am that he might be very successful. Do you follow? Yeah, me neither.
This ambivalence has less to do with my feelings about Cook the person or Cook the performer as it does with my lack of feelings about either. This is probably because I have no idea what is going on in the majority of this country, though it could also be attributed to the fact that A) I am a music journalist living in New York, B) I never listen to rock radio, C) I am sort of an elitist jerk, or D) all of the above.
Having Survived Idol, Jim Can Now Finally Reveal the Truth: David Archuleta is Not Who You Think!
So Im back home in NY and finally on a normal sleep cycle. Hallelujah! And even though I had a three-day weekend to detox from …Idol, I still cant shake one thing I witnessed at last week Grand Finale ¦
Nope, not Fantasia awesome hair. Nope, not the fact that Ruben Studdard was really 9 feet tall in person. Actually, it didnt even happen on the red carpet. It occurred backstage in the press room, and I call it the David Personality Shift.
Movies: Hollywood, Archuleta learn lesson: Taking risks can pay off
Every January at the Sundance Film Festival and every June at the Sundance Institute’s Filmmakers Labs, people stress the importance of following your own muse.
Tell your own story, the folks at Sundance like to say, and tell it your way. Hollywood has formulas that it believes will lead to sure-fire success – but what those formulas produce is never as interesting as what an artist can achieve by going his or her own way.
When it happens – and it always does happen, from “Pulp Fiction” to “Juno” – Hollywood is shocked that the public likes to discover something a bit different from the tried-and-true.
This week, we learned that staying true to one’s art even pays off in one of the country’s most visible venues: the top-rated TV show “American Idol.”
Rockwall To Welcome ‘Idol’ Jason Castro
The city of Rockwall on Thursday will officially welcome back its own hometown hero, Jason Castro, who made it to the top four on this season’s “American Idol.” A parade and concert are among the featured events.
The parade honoring the dreadlocked “Idol” finalist, who amassed a fan base of so-called “Dread Heads, ” will feature Castro, his family and fans.
It is slated to begin at 5:30 p.m. at the corner of Ridge Road and Summer Lee.
‘American Idol’ contestant Jason Castro to sing following Rockwall parade
The city of Rockwall will welcome American Idol contestant Jason Castro home Thursday with a parade featuring him and his family. Fans will also get to enjoy a brief concert by the American Idol finalist.
The parade, which starts at 5:30 p.m., will roll along Summer Lee Drive from Ridge Road to The Harbor, Rockwall’s retail and restaurant development on the shore of Lake Ray Hubbard.
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At 6:30 p.m., Jason will perform three songs at The Harbor outdoor amphitheater overlooking the lake. Jason is expected to bring his ukulele and sing Somewhere Over the Rainbow.
‘American Idol’ Finalists Visit ‘Access Hollywood’
The final eight ‘American Idol’ season seven contestants visited the ‘Access Hollywood’ stage and dished on all the behind-the-scenes secrets with Shaun Robinson. They talked about Simon Cowell’s harshest criticism, fans sending them gifts during the competition, Brooke White being considered the nicest, Michael Johns being the class clown and best dancer, Chikezie being the messiest, Carly Smithson spending the most time in hair and makeup, and Jason Castro having the best hair. Watch the segment below the fold.
AI7 Report Card: The season that was
We scoured the earth (and the archives at various record companies for failed projects that showed vocal promise) to create the greatest assemblage of singing talent American Idol has ever seen! So what happened? After last year’s virtual snooze-fest, how did a season that truly did give us perhaps the greatest depth of talent we’ve ever seen (an argument could be made for Season Five) give us such lackluster shows?
After Sanjaya-gate last year, the biggest controversy to come out this year was that finalist David Hernandez used to be a stripper and David Archuleta’s dad might be a Mr. Meany-Pants. And we got to be pissed that Kristy Lee Cook outlasted the likes of Michael Johns. Not until we got to the finale of Davids did things get really intense.
American Idol’s Sanjaya to be featured in Nationwide ad campaign
Former American Idol contestant Sanjaya Malakar has signed with Nationwide to star in the latest installment of the insurer popular “Life Comes At You Fast” campaign.
The 18-year old Indian-American, known for his lack of singing talent and wild hairstyles, follows in the footsteps of other entertainer-turned-punchlines who have made fun of themselves in the Nationwide spots. In a spot that debuted during last year Super Bowl, for example, Britney Spears’ ex-husband, Kevin Federline, played a onetime rapper reduced to flipping burgers at a fast food joint.
Jennifer Hudson: She’s a purse girl
Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, 26, injects some color and youth into Sex and the City, playing Carrie Bradshaw’s assistant, Louise, from St. Louis. Like her movie boss, Hudson loves her accessories ‘ and learned from writer/director Michael Patrick King how to be hell in heels.
Q: Did you feel like the new kid on the block on the set?
A: It’s a family that already lived together, and they added me. They’re fierce, and I get to be fierce and fabulous with them.
Q: Are you into shoes or bags?
A: I’m a purse girl. I remember, I had a scene where you didn’t see my feet. So I took my shoes. Michael Patrick’s like, ‘Put those heels back on. You’re not fully in character unless you’re in heels.’ He’s serious. I had to put my heels back on. It’s hard. The heels are mandatory.
Ne-Yo Says Lindsay Lohan Track Will ‘Surprise’
Just out is the Ne-Yo-penned “Spotlight, ” the first single from ex-“American Idol” contestant and “Dreamgirls” Academy Award-winner Jennifer Hudson’s self-titled debut, due in September. Ne-Yo says “they’re still putting the (album) together right now” but that he’s “really, really proud” that his song was chose to be its calling card.
“They were really trying to figure out where to take her, ” he explains. “The main issue with Jennifer Hudson is her voice is so huge, so how do you take that and radio-ize it, make it radio-friendly. She can’t do (‘And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going’) every song ’cause you’ll eventually be tired of it. So (‘Spotlight’) is kind of a classy midtempo, and I hope and pray it does well ’cause Jennifer is an amazing talent.”
The Resurrection of Renaldo Lapuz
PHILADELPHIA, USA – The name ‹Renaldo Lapuz is an ordinary one in the U.S. He could be a typical American of Mexican origin or someone from Venezuela, Argentina, even Cuba. He could in fact be a Latino living in Los Angeles.
But for us, Renaldo Lapuz is the silver-caped, singing Filipino from Reno, Nevada who once again catapulted himself on the American Idol show.
Filipinos and Fil-Ams know by now who Renaldo Lapuz is ‘ a Filipino who migrated to the U.S. not too long ago and worked as a Wal-Mart janitor. He used to be a tricycle driver in Sikatuna Village near the University of the Philippines in Quezon City. As a UP graduate, I could have easily ridden his tricycle in the past.
MTV features Christian Siriano for red carpet coverage
Presenters for this year show include Sarah Jessica Parker, Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller, Liv Tyler, Edward Norton, Dwayne Johnson, Katharine McPhee, Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Jack Black, Lindsay Lohan, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Wahlberg, Seth Rogen, Megan Fox, Jennifer Hudson, Anne Hathaway, James Franco, Rumer Willis, Brendan Fraser and Danny McBride.
And rocking the stage will be Coldplay and The Pussycat Dolls debuting new music and sizzling live performances. Hosted by Mike Myers, the …2008 MTV Movie Awards will be broadcast LIVE from the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City, CA on Sunday, June 1st at 8pm/7c.
No “Dancing” for Abdul
Paula Abdul’s dancing dreams have been shattered by the producer of American Idol because he doesn’t want the judge appearing on rival show Dancing with the Stars.
Abdul, a former choreographer, has made no secret of her desire to compete on Dancing with the Stars, revealing in a recent interview, “I’d be honored. I want to wear the pretty dresses!”
But Idol executive producer Nigel says he hates the idea of Abdul waltzing away to another show on a rival network.
He tells In Touch magazine, “As far as I’m concerned, Paula is American Idol and our judge. It’s like asking Simon (Cowell) to sing. Why would I want that?”
Carrie Underwood’s stress reliever
LAS VEGAS — Carrie Underwood says as she’s gotten older she’s become something her mother never would have thought, a clean freak. Underwood says “I was the messiest child in the world.” But she says once she gets off the road and back home she hits the cleaning products.
Underwood says, “When I get home there’s a thick layer of dust over everything.” Plus, it’s a stress reliever. She says, “I blow off some steam by cleaning.”
Underwood needs stress relievers because she takes her job so seriously. That’s right, she treats songwriting like a job. She says she has to block time off to do it.
Clay Aiken Says He Isn’t a Musician
“I don’t really consider myself a musician so much as I consider myself just an entertainer, ” says the man who finished second on ‘American Idol, ‘ sold millions of records and now stars in the hit Broadway musical ‘Spamalot, ‘ when he stopped by the AOL Studios for his Sessions taping. Clay Aiken knows his place in the entertainment pantheon and he’s just fine with it, thank you very much.
Fantasia Barrino Thanks Her Mentor Oprah
Fantasia Barrino has a big “thanks” for Oprah Winfrey.
Last year, the talk show queen cast her as lead in the Broadway musical, The Color Purple. Now, she set to star in the new film version that Winfrey plans to produce.
The former American Idol winner got the good news two months ago.
“I was just coming out of surgery that day. I was drugged. As soon as I came out my manager came over to me and [said] ‘Guess what? Good news. You got the part.’ And I smiled. I couldnt talk. I smiled and I cried. That’s the best news I ever got, ” said the 23-year old singer, who was in Washington on Sunday to perform at the D.C. Black Pride Unity party at the Avenue Nightclub.
‘So You Think You Can Dance’ has moves and a mission
ON AN UNSEASONABLY hot day recently, the sidewalk outside the Orpheum Theatre is filled with an unusual sight for this stretch of unreclaimed downtown — several scores of young dancers clad in tights, sweats, tutus and belly dancing outfits sprawl across the shaded ground under the marquee. But being dancers, they don’t sprawl quietly; instead the mass of them constantly undulates and seethes like some many-tentacled sea creature.
The theater’s front door flies open and a young man races out to the sidewalk, where he does a series of cartwheels, back flips and winged summersaults, all the while clutching in his hand a magical sheet of paper — a ticket past the auditions to the next round of TV’s freewheeling dance competition, “So You Think You Can Dance, ” which kicked off its fourth season on Fox last week (8 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays).
‘So You Think You Can Dance’ Premiere Had The Good, Bad, Ugly & Astounding
Former fashion model Cat Deeley was all smiles on Thursday, May 22, in the two-hour premiere of everyone’s favorite reality dancing show, and she positively beamed through the camera when announcing: “Welcome to … So You Think You Can Dance!”
And season four has officially begun! Like its predecessors, it began with a series of clips during the audition period. The audience watched the good, the bad, the ugly, and the astounding while the judges sorted through thousands of hopeful dancers. After the audition, the dancer had three possibilities. The judges either decided that they leave, stay for the choreography later in the day, or go straight to Las Vegas for the more serious auditions.
