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“This thread is the most fun on FR and this season is almost over.....makes me sad. :-( ”
the next Idol is only seven months away… we can meet again in January…:)
“Great! That’s what I wanted to hear.”
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This thread is dedicated to the one person who would have enjoyed it most
Tammy Gammon
We miss you, Tammy
You were a real Texas flower
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“Texasflower helped make the AI threads so much fun. She always made me smile. FR will not be the same without her.” ~ Retrokitten
“I simply adored her ability to butt heads and loved reading her posts. She was always there with the perfect hug or hatpin, whichever she felt was most deserved.” ~ Doodlelady
“The sweetest, funniest, kindest poster on the AI threads where I had the honor of ‘meeting’ her.” ~ Jrabbit
“Texasflower was an integral part of our ‘American Idol’ gang. She was always sweet and upbeat and kind to all.” ~ Palladin
“In the beginning of November I was thinking about her because the town I work in was having their elections and it reminded me about her Dad going to vote in the ambulance … I loved her and miss her.” ~ No More Apples
“She was unfailingly polite, and more than that. Kind, thoughtful, patriotic, encouraging. A blessing. She was one of my most favorite FReepers, and I do not say that very often. She was exceptional.”
“We never truly know how deeply our lives touch others. I certainly never communicated fully to Tammy how much her posts lifted me up, and I regret that. I assumed she would continue to be there and I would be able to keep responding to her appreciatively.
“We will know in heaven the effect of our lives, when everyone gathers around the Lamb's throne and all our hearts are open and all our secrets known, and we have till forever to tell one another how God blessed us through each other …” ~ GretchenM
Texasflower
Prayers & Condolences
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“She'll be a light here forever” ~ Doodlelady
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To: silent_jonny
GOODBYE BUCKY. IT WAS A PLEASURE HAVING YOU ON THE SHOW.
I'LL SEE YOU ON TOUR.
NOW... LOOKING FORWARD TO GREAT AMERICAN STANDARDS NIGHT....
THIS IS PROBABLY THE BEST THEME NIGHT OF THE SEASON WHERE CONTESTANTS GET TO SHOWCASE THEIR STRENGTHS.
According to the official Idol Boards ....
MANY MANY songs will be available to the Idols for "American Standards" week.
PLEASE NOTE that they are NOT restricted to doing only those songs on Rod Stewart's "American Songbook" CDs, the whole repetoire is open to them (provided AI has copyright clearance, of course).
For Taylor Hicks fans who have been waiting for the gray haired guy to use the bullet named GEORGIA, this is the time to use it. It is an old song and *IS* an American Standard.
Oh Yeah, Taylor did say he's been raring to sing it too...
To: silent_jonny
SOURCE : http://www.gambling911.com/041306Fnews.html
American Idol: Taylor Hicks, Kellie Pickler still offer terrific value
If you love American Idol and love even more betting on American Idol, chances are you think that Chris Daughtry will win. He's listed with odds of 7 to 5 at PlayersOnly.com (See Web Site Here). This means that for every $5 bet, you would receive a payout of $7 if Daughtry were to win.
But there are a few dark horses in this competition that seem to be garnering a tremendous number of votes each week if we are to believe those sites the likes of Dial Idol that measure busy signals for each contender.
Taylor Hicks reportedly had the most votes this past week, and aside from being entertaining, he wasn't necessarily a standout. Hicks however has that certain "It" factor that has translated into a significant and loyal fan based. Hicks pays a respectable $5 for every $2 wagered.
Kellie Pickler, whose voice does compensate for her noted dimwittedness, is still listed with payout odds of 5 to 1 going into next week at PlayersOnly.com (See Web Site Here). That's $5 for every $1 or $500 for every $100 bet.
Eliminated from the "Idol" quest this week was Bucky Covington, 28, of Rockingham, N.C., who received the fewest call-in votes from viewers following Tuesday night's performance show.
On that broadcast, during which the singers all performed songs by the legendary British rock band Queen, Hicks sang the band's hit "Crazy Little Thing Called Love."
The song selection was a change in plans for the Alabama singer, who had planned to perform Queen's rock anthem "We Are the Champions" on the show this week.
But give Kellie Pickler some credit. She took on not just one of Queen's most powerful songs, but one of the most powerful songs ever written, "Bohemian Rhapsody". It wasn't the best version of this song we ever heard, but this little country girl did manage to pull it off nonetheless.
Kellie Pickler haters have created a web site demanding she be thrown off the show.
Votefortheworst.com is currently endorsing Pickler as the worst competitor on the show. And anti-Kellie Pickler sites such as kickpickler.com and ihatekelliepickler.com are vocalizing their displeasure with the 19 year-old singer.
It is not known how large of an anti-Pickler following there is, but she is yet to appear among the bottom three.
Both Pickler and Hicks hail from the Southeast United States, traditionally an American Idol stronghold. But then again, so does Chris Daughtry.
To: silent_jonny
GET A LOAD OF THIS SITE :
http://my.opera.com/Truth%20%20Is/blog/show.dml/219586
In view of the fact that there are seven competitors left, I started to review who was left.
Chris Daughtry- In my opinion Chris will not win Idol Title, just because he will not step up his game or song nor will he take any risks. We have from the beginning gotten the same performances from Chris a lot of noise and very limited talent in my opinion. Chris can sing, but as many fans acknowledge there is nothing special about his talent and his performances. Chris provedthat when American Idol had the Queen theme. Rock is Chris's thing, the very music that he refuses to compromise, according the judges he stays true to himself! The Queen Theme night, was Chris’s night to shine and he blew it according to Simon Cowell and many others! In my opinion it was not so much that he blew it, it just told me that Chris is limited in his talent and singing ability. Queen Theme night should have transferred Chris to a contender for Idol Title; it did the opposite, it left people thinking, “What was that all about”? moreover, scratching their head. The fact is that the viewers expected more from Chris and did not get it.
Ace Young- Ace has great talent, but for some reason he holds himself back and he to limits himself to a certain type of music. A pet peeve of mine is when any competitor takes a certain category of music and tries to entwine it in a new category. Frankly, there is no way that anyone can take a Queen Classic hit and turn it into a pop song! It just doesn’t’ work. This did not work for Ace anymore then it worked when Chris took a Stevie Wonder song and tried to rock it out! Simply Ace may have the looks, and the talent, but he is not top vocal over others in the competition.
Kellie Pickler- this little lass is fast becoming very annoying to many Americans. (The net is not the only source to get the consensus of American Idol voters). I think at the beginning people felt sorry for Kellie (which is what she wanted). One minute she is asking us to feel empathy and sorry for her. The next moment she is asking us to see how cute she is and isn’t she just adorable, the next moment she is acting like a gal that has been around the block more then we originally thought. Vocally her talent is minimal. Seriously if you mention Kellie many respond with “Oh her” or “that thing”. There is no question that Kellie is an attractive girl, however “beauty is only skin deep”. Carrie Underwood is a beautiful young women.However, Carrie was humble and graceful, Kellie is not and that makes a big difference in the eyes of the voters.
Katherine McPhee- Katherine in my opinion has the ability to cause an upset of who will win Idol title. Katherine can blow, however she stumbles here and there! Obviously, Katherine is beautiful looking women this coupled with her powerful singing pipes can cause an upset on who will win. What Katherine needs to do is continue taking risks, but going with her natural talent in singing and not try to mimic the original artist. Then she will make it her own based on her natural vocals! Katherine is also humble. She can take America by storm if she sets out to do it!
Paris Bennett- There is no question, no doubt, that Paris
has a powerful voice and talent as well as she is an attractive young lady! Paris can blow people away. However, Paris has not always chosen the right song that is suitable for her. I often think that Paris experiments with different song choices and there not always the correct choice. Paris has the star quality and can also cause an upset on who will win idol title. Her performances coupled with her chameleon character of always looking different and unique, could very well land her idol title.
Elliott Yemin- Elliott has grown on many people; he sort of snuck in the backdoor and has become popular with many people. The popularity is due to the fact we all have witnessed Elliott growing and improving as each week goes by. Elliott has a very rick, powerful, convincing vocal. Even though he has been in the bottom three twice, he has in my opinion been almost perfect in his song selection and vocals. He has made some errors here and there but nothing to send him home at this point. I think that Elliott will be in the final three and he can also cause an upset in who wins idol title.
Taylor Hicks- I saved the best for last. In my opinion Taylor Hicks has from the beginning, been the best talent, in terms of singing and performances. Here is the big difference in the Taylor’s performances and why he is above the rest. When Taylor sings, he has a soothing, rich voice. Most importantly when Taylor sings he is convincing. For example, if he should sing “A change is going to come” he convinces people that a change will come. I like to refer to Taylor as the Soul Man; there is soul in every fibre and cell of his body. Simon can try and insult Taylor all he wants. The fact is I think Taylor will win this competition! If you mention Taylor Hicks, more people then not, will all say “I love to see this guy perform”. Many people look forward to hearing him perform. While others may like other competitors, the biggest consensus is that Taylor should win this competition. He is not afraid to take risks and he is not afraid to change back to what the fans love about him best in his peformances.
My favourites are Taylor, Elliott, Paris and Katherine! However, from the beginning of this season, I have enjoyed Taylor’s performances the most. At this point in the competition, I have to say that my full support is going with Taylor Hicks! He has the vocals, he is powerful, he is entertaining, and he is an excellent performer. He gets you involved, Taylor has people dancing, smiling, clapping their hands and stomping their feet. Taylor Hicks is my absolute favourite to win Idol title! He has been the most consistent in his performances.
To: silent_jonny
How would Simon judge these stars had they came before him as unknowns ?
USE YOUR IMAGINATION AND FEEL FREE TO ADD TO IT.
SIMON: Are you drunk?
ELVIS: Why, no sir.
SIMON: Well it was an utter mess. I know talent when I see it, and you DEFINITELY have NO talent. You shouldn't even BE in this competition! It was weird. It was ridiculous. I hated it.
ELVIS: Uh, yes sir. Thank you veruh much. (And a star is NOT born).
Simon judging Bob Dylan...
I didn't understand a single word you said. It was an utter and complete mess. You sounded like your mouth was wired shut and you were drunk while singing karaoke on a cruise ship in Japan.
Simon judging Prince:
Prince enters room wearing a purple velvet suit, ruffled shirt, shoes with four inch heels, hair curled and gelled and proceeds to sing, alternating husky with falsetto:
Simon: That was absolutely the most horrendous thing I have EVER heard. Nails on a chalkboard sound more appealing! And you look like a flamboyant hair dresser who has escaped from a Mike Meyers movie. NEXT!!!
Tina Turner comes in at sits at the piano.
SIMON: That is the WORST outfit I've ever seen on this show...it looks like you've borrowed your clothes from the hooker hanging around the corner outside the studio. And, I'm sorry, this competition is about the SINGING...why do you insist on hopping around all over the place. The next American Idol is about the complete package...and I think you should just go home.
(Another star is not born)
Freddie Mercury walks in shirtless with a cape wearing tight pants. plays a little piano, sings
Simon: That was atrocious. Look, Freddie, I know you can sing 5 octaves but THAT sounded like my neighbors cat when I backed out of my driveway this morning and ran the poor little puss over. Do you honestly think you can sell records with that? Look, I thought you were something unique but that was just pop-school. Really all you did was sing the same bar over and over. No one's going to buy that!
Simon judging Gene Simmons of KISS as they walk in in makeup and platforms
Simon: Well, if the makeup and horrendous shoes weren't bad enough, you had to go and screech like a dying dog.
Another star is NOT born...
Simon judges a contestent named Clay Aiken.
'I prefer you with my eyes closed.'
'Horrible.'
'You were ugly in the beginning...'
Three years, one triple platimum CD, Christmas CD which sold 1 million in six weeks, five successful tours, a TV special, best selling book later, he's one of the most beloved contestents ever to come from AI.
Simon judges Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Simon: I'm sorry, I just don't like your lips, they really bother me. You look like a starved junkyard dog and it really is hideous the way you jump about the stage.
And so another one bites the dust!!!!
To: silent_jonny
Friends and Music fans alike,
The Official Idol Boards sometimes get to deteriorate to broing, insubstantial messages that sound like --- OH HE's SO HAWWWT, NO SHE SUX and all that crap.
But occassionally, you get to watch posts that are really substantial and make you appreciate the struggles that those artists in the music industry have to go through.
A poster named BOY BLUE posted this and I think it gives us INSIGHT into the lives of striggling artists like Taylor Hicks and/or Chris Daughtry....
(note: I emailed him and asked permission to post it here and he graciously gave me his OK. He even asked me how to register in the FR site (note I don't know if he's a conservative or lib ).
http://myidol.idolonfox.com/Boards/topic.aspx?tid=208241&p=1#post641692 Those of you who appreciate the talent of Taylor Hicks and who are red blooded Americans who believe that Merit should be rewarded, know that Taylor is in it because he loves the music.
However, you also know that NOTHING motivates a person more that to see his efforts appreciated and financially rewarded.
Taylor knows that his talent is appreciated by millions of Soul Patrolers, but how about financial rewards ? Is it a bad thing ?
Is he going to continue to be a "BROKE PERFORMER" as he said in his interview ? Is he eventually going to end up in real estate because he has to put food on the table, pay for his medical (in case ), mortgage and all that ?
Are we going to lose his talent eventually because he has to give up his career to be more "practical" ?
So, here is a question to ask yourselves :
HOW MUCH DID TAYLOR MAKE IN HIS MOST AMBITIOUS ENDEAVOR YET --- UNDER THE RADAR ?
Now, assuming that, as a Taylor fan, you’d like to see him do as well as possible financially so that he can keep recording great music - which one of you contributed the most to Taylor's bottom line?
Since you’re reading this I’ll assume that you’re relatively comfortable with digital technology so lets start with iTunes, the massively popular online music store. Apple has currently has about 80% of a $1.1 billion dollar market (SHHH, don't tell the taxman)-- even longtime holdouts “The Beatles” are planning on finally releasing their music online. Therefore, we all know what online music has done to our lives and how easy it is to "pirate" someone's music.
So how much does Taylor make when you download his song?
HOW MUCH OF THE 99 CENT DOWNLOAD DOES TAYLOR GET TO KEEP ?
Let's look at major labels like APPLE for instance.
They collect 34 cents, the label keeps 55 cents and Taylor (assuming he is on iTunes) keeps a dime.
YEP, for every download from iTunes, an artist like Taylor who signs with a major label, gets 10%.
Independent Artists like Taylor might do better but not by much.
If Taylor's song was not self-composed, then his dime gets shared with the composer and he gets less than the dime ( depending on the agreement he signs ).
What about offline sales in traditional markets ?
I hear that if Taylor's UTR were to be sold by a major label like Arista for instance, he gets about $1.14 to $1.17 per CD sold. So, if his CD contains say 10 songs (the average), he gets about 10 cents a song. In otehr words, the artist Taylor probably gets something like between 80 cents to $1.20 per retail sale of his CD. And note this --- Taylor will get this money ONLY AFTER they’ve recouped the costs of making the album which, in many cases, never happens at all.
So, it is estimated that Carrie Underwood has sold 3 million CDs from her SOME HEART album. Assuming that we have a third of that being downloaded via iTunes, I estimate that thus far, she has not even made a million dollars yet from her endeavor. DO THE MATH.
So you do the math to see how much it would take for Taylor to be a millionaire. Guys like Simon profit more from his CD sales than Taylor himself IMHO. That's just the way the game is played.
And oh yeah, you have to consider one more thing --- those sales of burned copies of Taylor's UTR CDs on eBay ? Forget about Taylor making anything from the $300/CD sales. The money goes to the guy doing his home-based business.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT AS YOU CONSIDER THE CAREERS OF A PASSIONATE SINGER/SONGWRITER/PERFORMER ( no wonder his dad wants him to go into real estate ).
MORE OBSERVATIONS FOR YOU GUYS TO PONDER ...
From some quick calculations based on the above financial figures, the relevant question for Taylor to ask would be ---
SHOULD I FOCUS MY CREATIVE EFFORTS ON MAKING HIGH SELLING SINGLES RATHER THAN A FULL BLOWN ALBUM ?
Any thoughts ??
Again, I am basing the above figures on major label artists who have great distribution and marketing deals.
Taylor is an independent artist however ( at this point in time ). He must, aside from having to perform 5 days a week, also deal with having to continue to promote and distribute his work. He has done that and I think the pinnacle of what he did was having his work featrued by radio stations like WBMH and even National Public Radio ( that was pre-Idol). HARD WORK !!
If anyone has paid his dues to the industry, Taylor has every right to say it.
I got the following figures from a distribution company called CD BABY
THEY WRITE :
How the MONEY works
* You set your selling price at whatever you want.
* We keep $4 per CD sold.
* For Digital Distribution and Live Sales, we only keep a flat 9% cut. You get 91% of all income.
* There is a one-time-ever $35 charge to set up a new CD in our store, with everything we described above. (Here’s why.)
* That $35 lasts forever (or until you don’t want to sell that CD anymore.) So we will never tell you that it isn’t selling enough, or you’re not important. Even if you only sell 1 CD every 20 years, we’ll be glad to warehouse it and take orders for it here.
* We pay every Monday night by bank-transfer, paper check, or PayPal. You can set your “pay point” - to be paid whenever you want! (Imagine that!)
It’s pretty clear that, for an artist like Taylor, he makes the most money per unit on an independent label controlling his own distribution methods.
Taylor went this route folks, and look what happened, HIS FATHER, EVER CONCERNED FOR THE WELFARE OF HIS SON, SERIOUSLY ASKED HIM TO CONSIDER ANOTHER CAREER (Selling houses and property ).
Why am I writing this ?? WELL, BECAUSE I WANT TO SEE TALENTS LIKE TAYLOR HICKS TO SUCCEED. There are NUMEROUS Talents like Taylor folks. Bo Bice is just another one, but I can tell you there are still many of them in this great country of ours.
IF YOU LOVE GOOD MUSIC, BE SURE TO SUPPORT YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS BY PURCHASING THEIR CDs INSTEAD OF GOING THE CHEAP/DIRTY ROUTE.
This will help ensure that people like Taylor will "GET HIS VOICE HEARD".
To: silent_jonny
SINGER/ACTRESS MANDY MOORE IS A FAN OF TAYLOR HICKS
See here :
----------------------------------
http://movies.about.com/od/americandreamz/a/dreamzmm041206.htm
EXCERPT FROM THE ARTICLE ABOUT THE MOVIE, AMERICAN DREAMZ :
In American Dreamz Mandy Moore is one of the finalists, but in real life Moore says she doubts she’d make it that far. “I’ve never really entered a real contest before and I think I would have auditioned for American Idol, but I don’t think I would have made it too far,” laughed Moore. “I don’t want to say I don’t know if I have what it takes but I think I would crumble under the pressure. Like watching every week I marvel at how these people who really have no experience performing, get up on stage and just own it and do their thing. I mean it’s shocking to me and that’s I think what keeps people tuning in each week.”
Moore’s an avid fan of the series. “I’m pulling for Taylor Hicks. He has my vote big time. I love him. I love that he’s original. I love his song choices and his style. He’s really soulful. He seems very unlike any other Idol contestant in the past.”
To: silent_jonny
If this competition gets down to about 5 or 4 contestants, I am quite certain Taylor Hicks and Chris Daughtry will both be in the top 5 or 4.
Then the votes become interesting. It will then begin to look like a generational battle -- OLDIES vs The Young Un's.
Chris will DEFINITELY win the UNDER 20 and believe me, they are the ones who tend to super dial. Taylor will win the older Gen Xers and Boomers votes because of his throwback style ( I suspect most of the Soul Patrolers are older Gen Xers or Baby Boomers ).
WHO WILL WIN ? Hard to tell.
Me, being a tail-end boomer myself will certaintly support Taylor. But I'm just one man. My teenage daughter will be voting Chris and so will lots of her friends.
In a sense this looks like AARP vs High School and College kids -- This in a sense, mirrors the Social Security battle we have in this country :)
To: silent_jonny
What an amazing departure for Chris Daughtry !! Just as you thought he couldn't be flexible, that he has only one side -- ROCK, here he is just showing his smooth and sensitive side !
Chris has just shown that he isn't jsut about yelling and screaming.
I am PLEASANTLY SURPRISED ! We're off to a great start !
To: silent_jonny
A good night overall. Quality songs and I'm guessing they got more help than they've gotten since Manilow.
Ranking them:
Katharine--Mesmerizing. The first time since the very beginning of AI that I'm thinking she's good enough to win. I don't think she's aloof. Not anymore. She's gone from looking like she didn't want to be up there a few weeks ago to looking like she enjoys being there now. Good song for her because it kept her worst tendencies in check.
Paris--In her element. Don't know where it comes from but she has a better feel for this type of music than she does for current music.
Taylor--Great performance, managed to put the Taylor stamp on a classic. Not as soulful as Sam Cooke, but then again who is?
Elliott--Another fine vocal performance. Disagree with Simon about the personality not coming through. Elliott was sparkling for once, especially noticeable as the song began.
Chris--Thought he did very well on a night that could have been really rough for him.
Big drop to the next two.
Kellie--Didn't dislike her performance as much as most people seem to. Thought this was the first song that gave her room to breathe, so she didn't seem as labored. No swallowing of the ends of phrases tonight. Not a big fan of her voice; it has an odd timbre that I think can make her sound pitchier than she really is sometimes. And then there was the timing difficulty.
Ace--What can I say. I just don't like his usual manner of singing. Pinched, squeezed, nasally...however you want to describe it. Actually, it was a decent Ace performance if you like Ace to begin with.
To: silent_jonny
Herewith, is a RECAP/DIGEST of all the comments I agree with plus my own words of (un)wisdom as a music lover.
Hello Mr and Mrs International and all the ships at sea. Welcome to what for me, is probably one of the best Idol shows in its 5 seasons of existence. For those anticipating it on delayed telecast, DON'T MISS THIS. IT's GOOD.
And I'd like to welcome my sister in law from South Africa who asked to be added to the mailing list. YES FOLKS, the show is being shown there as well ( wonder if Nelson Mandela is watching.... ).
ON TO THE SHOW....
Ryan welcomes us, saying, “The pressure is on… as the family unit shrinks yet again.” Last week, we said goodbye to Bucky, and in response to the boos, Ryan says not to complain if you don’t vote. As for tonight’s music, Ryan says, “Don’t let the fact that Simon is underdressed fool you.” (undress ? HE HE HE, he's always dressed like that ! With his millions, all he does is spend them on the same black or white T-shirt). The contestants will be performing from the great American songbook with “rock legend” Rod Stewart.
Rod Stewart began his career as a rock star, but since then, he’s switched to classic standards ( yep, he's in his 60's now and you can't be running around doing the same schtick forever. Gotta slow down ). But man, he clearly isn't slowing down.... look at his new fiance and their kid ?? How man times has the man been married ??
Old rockers never die, they just keep marrying younger women and having more babies.
Rod says we wouldn’t have had rock and roll without these songs. American music started with blues, then jazz – like these songs- then swing, then rock. “It’s all connected,” Rod explains. He says he’s always loved these songs. His Great American Songbook series has sold over 16 million copies. Rod meets the Idols with his cute baby and his bride to be. Rod says he couldn’t have done this at their age. He jokes he’s going to go back to singing rock songs. Ryan tells us that Rod will perform live for this week’s results show.
Actually the song catalog is LIMITED to Rod's best selling 4 CD set --- GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK VOLUMES 1 to 4.
The Great American Songbook is an informal term referring to a period of American popular music songwriting that took place between the 1930s and 1950s. It is considered by many to be the peak of the popular songwriting craft.
Characteristically these songs feature strong melodies, thoughtful lyrics incorporating sophisticated rhymes, and a skillful thematic connection between music and words.
Over the years a number of singers have explicitly recorded or performed large parts of the Great American Songbook, beginning with Ella Fitzgerald's popular and influential Sings the ... Songbook series on Verve in the 1950s and 60's, Tony Bennett at different times in his career, and continuing in more recent years with Linda Ronstadt, Michael Buble, Michael Feinstein, Queen Latifah, Joni Mitchell, John Pizzarelli, Boz Scaggs, Carly Simon, John Stevens (singer Idol contestant). Barbra Streisand has also chosen a huge part of her repertoire from the Songbook, and lately Bette Midler and Rod Stewart.
SO, WHO IS GOING TO START FIRST ???
CHRIS DAUGHTRY starts us off looking like a clean cut version of Vin Diesel.
Chris Daughtry thinks we’ll be surprised by him this week. He is going to sing “What a Wonderful World,” and no, it’s not a rock band’s cover version of the song. Chris says this will be different for him, but the values in it mean a lot to him. He admits it’s harder for him to sing a song like this. Rod says Chris did a wonderful job and that this is a breakout for him. Ozzie Osbourne is a rocker like Chris, and Rod says Ozzie couldn’t sing this song.
Remember who absolutely owned this song last season ? Yes, that's right ANWAR ROBINSON with his over the top bombastic ending. But Chris has for some reason, decided to go mellow !
For the last few weeks I’ve been saying “Wow me or else” about Chris. Well…consider me wowed! He did a great job just singing the song rather than screaming it. He was in tune, showed vulnerability, and, near the end, also seemed to exhibit some control over his vibrato. Job well done. Who says this guy can't be flexible ? Who says he’s only into the yelling and screaming ? He can show his sensitive side if he wants to.
Thanks to him, I am no longer sick of ‘What a Wonderful World.’ Imagine, from this rocker, line! Dynamics! Phrasing! Beautifully shaded vocal coloring! I actually got a little misty listening to him. Chris should take elements of this performance and apply them to everything he does, even the darkest, most growly alt-rock. Chris proved tonight that he is not one dimensional but is versatile. KUDOS.
Predictably, Simon takes some credit for the performance- he’s said for a while that Chris needs to change his style, and by listening to Simon, Chris has proven himself. It was a great performance.
We're off to a good start !
Paris Bennett is up next, and she chats with Ryan about her weekend, which included an Easter basket, dancing, and roller skating- least we should forget how young she is. She’s comfortable with the theme, and she liked the song choices- Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, and Ella Fitzgerald. Ryan says she looks classy. Rod says Paris has a jazz background and slipped into “Foolish Things” nicely. He thinks she has a touch of Billie Holiday in her. Her mom is in the room and is crying. She’s proud Paris has made it so far. Rod says Paris has great emotion, especially for her age
I am just all over the board with her. One week I think she’s an overly-affected poseur, the next week I’m her biggest fan. Tonight? She gave me chills. Seriously. She is incredibly gifted, especially for a teenager. Plus, she looked great tonight – very sleek and sophisticated. Wow.
The Paris I fell in love with, the girl with the glorious voice who gave one of the best pre-audition performances in Idol History with her Billie Holiday, she’s back in all her glory !
At last we get to hear what this girl really SOUNDS like! What a beautiful instrument she has! And her interpretation was just perfect, incredibly mature for a 17 year old (with less than 24 hours’ prep time!). And her stage prescence, even standing there looking elegant and not moving around a whole lot, is still formidable. This is the way she needs to sing ALL the time, and if I hear any more of that oversinging crap I will now scream bloody murder, because I now know she is capable of this. She is truly deserving of a long and fabulous career. Brava.
(PS, I’m hearing a little rasp creeping into her speaking voice. More reason she needs to be very careful and NOT OVERSING! )
HEY, WHAT's HAPPENING TO SIMON --- He's been positive with both performers thus far !!
Ryan accuses Simon of “sipping the happy fuel.” Simon is, after all, a lot more positive than he’s been in weeks. But to be fair, the contestants are sounding a lot better.
Ryan says Taylor is about to bust a move. Over the weekend, Saturday Night Live did a parody of Taylor. He says he “fell out on the floor” laughing. It doesn’t hurt his feelings- he’s flattered. He’s excited about tonight and loves the music. Taylor says he was thrilled to meet Rod Stewart. He’s going to sing “You Send Me” by Sam Cooke. He can tell Rod loves Sam Cooke. Rod says Taylor does a great version of the and encourages him to throw himself around, no matter what Simon says. Rod says that to him, it’s not just about singing, but also about performing. This is the way to grab the audience by the balls, Rod says. He then laughs, wondering if he can say balls. The answer is that on American Idol, it’ll get you bleeped. But I'll give Rod the ballsy award here for defending Taylor.
Rod, the performer finds in Taylor, a kindred spirit because he knows you have to connect with people and it's also about showmanship.
Taylor had an impossible task: to perform Sam Cooke's "You Send Me" without sounding like he was playing at someone's Sweet 16 party. Since Taylor has always been more of an entertainer than a vocalist, it was hard for him to make the performance original – until he saved it in the second half of the song by flashing things up a bit and breaking out the trademarked dance moves. Unlike Daughtry, Hicks has found his style and is sticking to it – he'll win or lose this competition on personality, performing and moxie.
I said a few days ago that this is an incredibly smart man, and he proved it tonight. I thought his understated performance was slick and sexy and, when he let loose at the end, very exciting. I loved the way he worked the camera and the audience and used that great face (especially those magnificent brows) to such great effect. I still think this wasn’t the ideal vocal showpiece for him, but his voice sounded excellent, and he managed to transform the song into something ‘magic’, as Simon put it, as the performance progressed. Wowie. I’m with Simon. The first verse was very reserved and I thought that it was going to be a safe, boring performance, but then…magic. This is what Taylor does best, and he knocked it outta the park tonight. I loved it.
Taylor likes to end his songs with his well known bluesy, soulful, spazzy bend your body style and then end with a flourish and panache. He outdid Sam Cooke’s version ( which I believe was his influence ).
Lookie here, we have Latoya London, one of the greatest Idol singers ( who should have won instead of Fantasia IMHO) in the audience giving Taylor a standing O ! This must count for something !
Next comes... ELLIOTT, My smooth, jazzy favorite. I'd listen to him all day if his CD were in my car.
Elliott is honored to be around Rod. He’s singing “It Had to Be You,” and Rod says it was a great choice for Elliott. Elliott says it’s the kind of music he grew up with and likes to listen to. Rod thinks he has a great blue-eyed soul voice. Rod then realizes that the year Elliott was born, he had a hit song with “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” and suddenly feels old.
I think that Simon was right. Standards should have been in Elliott’s wheelhouse, and it was a very solid vocal. Still, there is something about Elliott that has me solidly in his corner. I don’t know what it is – maybe the underdog thing? – but I have never rooted for a contestant as much as I’m rooting for E. In fact, I am voting for him tonight after five seasons of watching Idol, I can’t think of anyone I am rooting for like I root for him. Unlike his good friend, Taylor who has gobs of fans, Elliott is vulnerable and I’m doing my best to keep him in. I like him that much. But man, Elliott’s IT HAD TO BE YOU surpassed Harry Connick Jr. and I am not one to exagerrate.
I really like Elliott’s quality and think this is where he belongs, musically. This night was made for Mr E. and he SUNG it as the guys in Motown would say.
I can absolutely see him having a career as a crooner - maybe if he doesn’t win this he should cross over to Simon’s “America’s Got Talent” show and try to win a Vegas contract. I thought he was a little sharp, like he was off his breath support, for a lot of the song, again attributable to nerves. I absolutely disagree with Simon’s comment about personality, to the point that I wonder if Simon was deliberately playing the reverse-psychology card in order to mobilize Elliott’s voting corps: “Well here I am, Mr. Meanie, and Iiiiiii’m worrrrried about Elliott. Better get off your duffs and vote for him, America!” Elliott smiled, acted, worked the camera, even started off leaning on the mike stand (ok I wasn’t so enamored of that, as nobody in real life would ever lean casually on a mike stand. LOL.) He is so close to being Vegas-ready though. Maybe after the show is over (or he is eliminated, whichever comes first) Paula would consider working with him a bit (she should work with Taylor as well, though I was really impressed with what he did tonight).
The vocals were very good, and he tried very hard, BUT ( you know this word was coming ) his performing skills just aren't equal to the rest of the competition when everyone's at their best. He did well, but he made up no ground on the leaders, a dangerous situation for someone who's been in the bottom three two weeks in a row.
Next comes the girl who I'd rather hear TALK than SING.
Yes folks, everytime she's on, my first question is NOT what's she going to SING but WHAT's SHE GOING TO SAY ?
My favorite hickster, the Pickler herself --- Kellie.
Rod thinks that Kellie Pickler is a firecracker. Then it’s time for a typical Kellie moment. She says she needs to have the words close by just in case, and Rod jokes that she should get the lyrics, too. Kellie says, “Huh?” and he has to explain that it was a joke.
Classic line : "Kellie, words and lyrics mean the same thing !!" ( I think that was spontaneous too ).
All right, already. Kellie is going to do “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered.” Rod thinks it’s a good choice for her. He encourages her to pause between the words. He was impressed by her. She says he took a load off her chest, which makes him laugh.
FRIENDS AND FANS OF Kellie, you are going to tar and feather me for saying this.... but do you want me to be honest ? or do you want me to color coat the whole deal ?
HONESTLY ....
She started out quite well, actually, but….whoa there were some flat notes in there when she went to the middle. She knew it, too. I hate to say it, but I was actually rooting for her at the beginning of the song because I love her song choice, but…yes, Kellie. You did butcher it. However, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I thought that she was classy (wha??) and composed during the judges’ comments. Still, she’s a brainless twit ( or acting like one ) whom I want off my TV yesterday. She looked lovely tonight, though ( see ? I'm being positive ). Kellie has shown that she is the sort of singer who needs a lot of technical help from studio whizzes to make her sound perfect. She can’t do Tony Bennet’s unplugged that’s for sure. The worst of the bunch tonight ( sorry Kellie fans).
OK, I have finally really heard La Piccola Pickle’s voice, and I have a modest proposal for her. She needs to get herself to a speech coach, pronto, lose the twang, and dump country. I’m serious. The twang, the nasality, is ruining her really beautiful sound, and she isn’t serving herself by continuing to sing this way. When she went for those high notes and shoved the sound into her nose I yelled, “NOOOOO!” I really wanted her to raise her soft palate, open her mouth and let what should have been a gorgeous money note for her sail out there. She was obviously a bit out of sorts with this song since she got ahead of the band and generally stood there like an uncomfy-looking statue. But the girl has a voice and is quick on her feet. She will have to lose the accent anyway if, as Paula suggests, she is to have an acting career. OR if she must sing country, you know not all country singers have to twang.
I'll say this of Kellie ---- It wasn't lack of talent so much as her usual lack of interest in anything much outside her chosen field of country music.
On a night of great performances, this really stuck out like a sore thumb. She did look beautiful, and at the beginning, it sounded great, but she totally fell apart. Her pitch was terrible, and it’s just not the kind of thing we should hear at this point in the competition. However, I think that Kellie’s humility and willingness to admit that it was a rough performance will gain her a lot of sympathy. THAT's WHAT SHE's GOOD AT AND SHE's BEEN DOING THAT SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL, TO GREAT EFFECT I MIGHT ADD !
Kellie boos herself and agrees that the nerves bothered her and she got ahead of the music. She promises not to put us through the torture of doing it again. Yeah right, I think we'll go through this again next week. Her fans will keep hwe SAFE I guarantee that.
NEXT, COMES THE HEART THROB --- Ace Young and lookie here -- DID HE CUT HIS HAIR ? Ace looks so different with his hair back and in a suit.
Ace Young says he’s singing “That’s All,” a fun, playful song. He was worried at the beginning at how Rod Stewart would react to him and kept looking to him for approval. He was amazed when Rod said he was “absolutely brilliant.” Ace is thrilled.
AS SOON AS I HEARD THE TITLE OF THE SONG I SAID TO MYSELF, COULD THE TITLE BE A PREDICTION AS WELL ??
Honestly, I love this song. The first time I heard it was Nat King Cole's version and I instantly loved it.
I imagine that the Ace fans will dig this performance, but I did just a little. It is one of my favorite songs and Ace chose well. The vocals were forced and nasal as usual, and Ace seems to have difficulty transitioning from the more robust notes to quieter ones.
Randy hit the nail on the head - Ace’s ‘money’ is his falsetto - and he did a very nice job of using it tonight. I have been making the Andy Gibb analogy for the past few days with my friends, but I really think it applies: people used to talk about the Bee Gees and brother Andy as if all they used was falsetto, but that is… well… false. They were simply very high, light tenors who sang in full voice but were able to seamlessly move into falsetto and back down into their full-voice placement. They also had a chest-voice connection and support in their sound that made them sound masculine. Ace hasn’t found this yet, but he is finding the rest, and I think he did some lovely singing tonight.
On a sartorial note, I love the suit — but the hair?
Ace was not bad, but the bridge to the middle showed some off pitches. I think he’s in most danger of leaving tomorrow, but he’ll leave with his head high. Simon even complimented him with "It wasn't bad" ( but is that him trying to keep Ace's fans complacent ?).
The sound itself was fine, though not enough to keep him from a nervous 24 hours before Wednesday's results show.
Folks, did you know that Katie Holmes just gave birth to Tom Cruise's baby ? The poor kid will be getting a Vegan diet.
Anyway, here comes someone who can pass off as Katie's little sister but who CAN SING !!
Katharine McPhee is trying to decide on her song. She sings a bit of “I Only Have Eyes For You,” followed by “The Way You Look Tonight.” Rod dances with one of the vocal coaches, then harmonizes with her. He thinks she was born to sing the standards. He rips up the last song she’s considering because he’s planning to sing it for the results show, which makes Katharine laugh. She ultimately chooses “Someone To Watch Over Me.” Rod thinks she’s fantastic.
REMEMBER WHO MADE THIS SONG HER OWN AND TOTALLY MEMORABLE ? Paula and Kat remember --- the young woman in the movie -- Mr Holland's Opus. Someone help me -- her name in the movie was Rowena but who was the actress who played her ?
Kat has spent a lifetime practicing the classics. Oh, wait. Her mom is a voice teacher. She has indeed spent a lifetime practicing songs like this one, and it showed. She was the most polished of the seven finalists, and she would be the clear favorite to win it all if the producers decided to make this about songs that last hit the charts when the singers' grandparents were young.
This song is one of my all-time favorites. I thought that she did a terrific job (her voice is absolutely suited to this genre), and Randy was right — she’s in her element. When you throw a fish to the water, the fish will swim and Katharine will sing if you throw her into this genre.
Of course, Simon’s comment about her making the others look like amateurs is OVER THE TOP.
But, *please* stop smiling! This is a plaintive song! Also, I know it’s over-stated at this point, but is she just the most stunning contestant ever on AI? Good lord, she’s beautiful. Move over Kate Holmes, you got a younger version of yourself who can sing.
Ya know folks, I pick on Kat, probably because I see her potential and how close she is to greatness. She has a really gorgeous sound and is beautiful to boot, which I thought for the first time she really showed off tonight. I think her stylistic sense in this music is ready for prime-time, and yet I can hear her singing many other genres. I am glad she got the pimp position (and the bigtime pimpage from the judges) - she deserved it.
Surely this girl can sing forte without resorting to nasality - or if she can’t, someone needs to TEACH her to. Trying to imitate what she does, I think she closes off her throat and forces the sound into her nose. If she were a man, this would cause her to sound like Kermit the Frog, but fortunately she isn’t. She can even belt if she wants to, but that raising the back of her tongue thing (that’s the opposite of what should be happening) has got to go. BUT… her style and phrasing were gorgeous, her voice (when she wasn’t belting) was beautiful, and she of course looked like a million bucks. She’s a true performer, and I think she made a case for winning this shootin’ match.
And I can understand why she is hated by a lot of women voters…. She’s too perfect ! Voice, talent and looks ! WHY CAN’T OTHERS HAVE THEM TOO ?
The contestants are hard to rank tonight, THE GAP IS QUITE SMALL, MOST WERE GOOD. but I’ll do my best.
1. Katharine
2. Elliott
3. Paris
4. Taylor
5. Chris
6. Ace
7. Kellie
WHO SHOULD GO : Kellie
WHO WILL GO : Ace ( PLEASE NOT ELLIOTT )
Terrific show tonight. Everyone brought their A-game. Guess it goes to show you what happens when the contestants get to sing songs that are classics for good reason, instead of the crap that passes for pop music today.
Rod Stewart was classy. What a great gentleman. A very good influence IMHO. He and Barry Manilow are thus far, the best guests on the show.
YES ! ONE OF THE BEST SHOWS IN AI HISTORY.
That’s the reason why they ARE standards ! They will be sang and re-sang for generations. TRY DOING THAT TO A BRITNEY SPEARS SONG.
HERE's A CHALLENGE -----> Try making songs like these you 21st century song writers ! Let's see if Britney or Christina's songs get to be standards 20 years from now....
To: silent_jonny
Here is one other way to gauge the popularity of a contestant and how advertisers perceive their
popularity based on their ANTICIPATION on how many viewers will be watching...
From what I remember spending time with media buyers and accounts people, they can ask (demand - depending on the advertising dollars) that their ads be placed in
certain or particular segments of a show.
Like for instance, an NBA finals - quite a number of advertisers can ask for a spot placement let’s say - at half time… or perhaps the last 2-minute call/marker on the 4th. Network people then can say.
I’ve seen media buyers try to elbow their way in during ‘primo’ spot or segment of a show.
With American idol, it’s easier to segmentize ad placements because of the contestants.
If let’s say, target market for a particular brand is geared towards a drinking market, then they will put their ad money on Chris’ segment.
With a show like AI due to its current strength in ratings, advertsiers can very well just pay the money to get their products in the show.
One undeniable thing though last night was Taylor’s segment had a commercial or two more than the average. If you don't believe me, you can try doing the count next week (assuming Taylor survives).
I counted the ads after Ryan announces ... Next up, we have X ( where X represents one of the 7 contestants) and there seems to be MORE ads BEFORE Taylor performed ( just after Ryan announced he was coming up next ).
If my theory holds true, this is another gauge on who is more likely to go deep into the finals.
To: silent_jonny
FOLKS,
DIAL IDOLS WAS SPOT ON ABOUT THE BOTTOM 3.
JUST GO TO THEIR WEBSITE, IT's STILL THERE !
UNCANNY !
To: silent_jonny
'Idol' Helps Established Stars Too
'American Idol' Gives Established Stars Big Boost When They Appear As Guests
By SANDY COHEN
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES - It turns unknowns into icons overnight but "American Idol" isn't just for aspiring singers. With its unparalleled exposure the weekly audience is usually somewhere north of 30 million viewers "Idol" is now launching record sales of the established artists who appear as guests.
As such, it has become a hot destination for music stars. Stevie Wonder and Shakira have appeared on recent programs, and veteran rocker Rod Stewart coached contestants on Tuesday's show and was set to sing on Wednesday's episode.
"It's a great opportunity for artists to be on the show in front of tens of millions of people," said Fletcher Foster, senior vice president of marketing for Capitol Records. "There's not a venue like that for music acts except when you come to the Grammy Awards and CMAs. But here's one program a week when you can be in front of that many eyeballs."
And those eyeballs are connected to wallets.
Barry Manilow's "Greatest Songs of the Fifties" soared from No. 24 to No. 4 on the pop charts a sales increase of 140 percent following his March appearance on the program. Shakira's most recent album, "Oral Fixation Vol. 2," which was reissued with a new single shortly before her hip-shaking "Idol" performance, jumped from No. 98 to No. 6 on the Billboard charts.
Artists have enjoyed sales boosts even when they didn't sing on the show, which began in June 2002, said Geoff Mayfield, senior analyst for Billboard magazine. Lionel Richie appeared as a guest judge during "Idol's" early days and saw sales of his greatest-hits collections shoot up, Mayfield said.
In fact, stars don't even have to appear on "Idol" to enjoy a sales spike. Sales of two Keith Urban singles increased more than 20 percent after contestants performed the songs on the show, Foster said.
"It's just those songs reaching a new audience," he said.
Music stars started appearing on "Idol" during its second edition. LL Cool J, Brandy, Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight, Gloria Estefan and record mogul Clive Davis are among the big names who've lent their star power to the show.
No other weekly program promises such a massive audience of music fans, Mayfield said.
"In this era, you don't really have a variety show in prime time," he said. "So even though it's a newfangled contraption, and more `Amateur Hour' than `Ed Sullivan,' `American Idol' is today's version of a variety show. It's a weekly vehicle, not a once-a-year shot like the Grammys."
An "Idol" appearance can create its own media frenzy. After Kenny Rogers sang on the show two weeks ago, People magazine published a story about the country star, and radio stations added his new single to their playlists, Foster said.
Shakira's appearance was pegged to the release of a new single, said Lois Najarian, senior vice president of publicity for Epic Records: "It's an ideal place for a music star to be."
On the Net:
http://www.idolonfox.com/
To: silent_jonny
THE EMINENTLY QUOTABLE SIMON COWELL
FOR THOSE FANS OF AMERICAN IDOL, YOU KNOW THAT BRITISH RECORD EXECUTIVE, SIMON COWELL IS THE MOST HATED, YET MOST HONESTLY FRANK JUDGE.
CONTESTANTS DREAD HIS REMARK, YET WHEN THEY GET HIS APPROVAL:, THEY KNOW THEY'VE DONE A GOOD JOB.
HE IS CONSISTENTLY BOOed BY THE AUDIENCE YET, SEEMS TO REVEL IN THEIR HATE.
Someone sent me a compilation of his most interesting quotes and insults....
Here they are for all it is worth ( can't vouch for accuracy)...
If you would be singing like this two thousand years ago, people would have stoned you.
- Simon Cowell
***
If your lifeguard duties were as good as your singing, a lot of people would be drowning.
- Simon Cowell
***
Your singing is as empty as a hermit's address book.
- Simon Cowell
***
You're looking exceptionally ugly tonight; is it because we have company?
-- Simon Cowell
***
"There was one thing great about that performance, and that was when it ended"
-- Simon Cowell
***
[to David Letterman] "Who picks your clothes - Stevie Wonder ?"
- Simon Cowell
***
"Who was your vocal teacher ? You should demand a refund"
- Simon Cowell
***
"If you hear a scream from a hotel room in Las Vegas, that’s where Barry Manilow is watching this show."
--- To Bobby Bennett, after he sang Manilow's "Copacabana
***
"You have as much Latin Flair as a Polar Bear doing the Salsa"
-- To Anthony Federov after he sings a Latino song
***
"Your performance is like Barbie meets the Stepford Wives. It's just too old fashioned"
-- To Carrie Underwood (winner of American Idol, Season 4)
***
"That performance gives me the ulcers. Now even my ulcers have ulcers"
-- Simon Cowell
***
"You look like a hobbit with a great voice, I would vote you Idol of Middle Earth"
TO Kurt Neilsen, winner of Norwegian Idol
***
"Getting Paula Abdul to judge American Idol is like getting Christopher Reeves to judge a dance contest"
-- Simon Cowell
***
"When I hear you sing, I imagine myself in a cruise ship performance with the ship sinking."
-- Simon Cowell
***
"Hearing you sing is like watching a battle between two armies -- the good notes and the bad notes.
Unfortunately, the bad notes won."
-- Simon Cowell
***
"From now on when you sing this song, it should simply be entitled -- BEWILDERED"
-- To Kellie Picker after she sang BEWITCHED,BOTHERED and BEWILDERED
***
"You could single-handedly kill the video industry"
-- To Taylor Hicks ( Season 5 finalist) after his song and dance performance
***
"You remind me of a drunk dad who get's up to dance in a wedding. The difference is ... you can sing"
-- To Taylor Hicks ( Season 5 finalist) after another song and dance performance
***
"Now I know who you remind me of ... Stan Laurel"
-- To John Stevens ( Season 3 finalist )
***
"I'm curious, how do you water that flower in your hair ?"
-- To Jasmine Trias ( Season 3 finalist)
***
"If I said to most of the people who auditioned, 'Good job, awesome, well done,'
it would have made me actually look and feel ridiculous. It's quite obvious most of the
people who turned up for this audition were hopeless."
-- Simon Cowell
***
"I think you have to judge everything based on your personal taste. And if that
means being critical, so be it. I hate political correctness. I absolutely loathe it."
-- Simon Cowell
***
"All I'm doing is telling people who don't have a chance in hell that they don't
have a chance in hell."
-- Simon Cowell
***
"The music business is a melting pot, the people at the bottom get burned while all
the scum floats to the top."
-- Simon Cowell
***
"In Hollywood, they don't throw their garbage away - they make it into TV shows.
--- Simon Cowell
***
"I say, Never criticize American TV Producers. They have the best taste that money can buy.
-- Simon Cowell
***
"That hat you wear to this audition is a creation that will never go out of style. It will look
ridiculous year after year."
-- Simon Cowell
***
"You have a great singing voice, but you sound like Minnie Mouse when you speak."
--- To Paris Bennet, Season 5 finalist.
***
"You look beautiful, I bet your father is a plastic surgeon"
-- Simon Cowell
***
"She has a lovely figure, and she's added so much to it."
-- about a fat contestant
***
"You don't look well dressed at all, you look upholstered."
-- Simon Cowell
***
"You are so extravagantly dressed tonight, I feel sorry for the clothes."
--- Simon Cowell
***
"Most performers on this audition are like elephants to me: they're interesting to look at, but I wouldn't own one"
-- Simon Cowell
***
"You'd make a great leading man. Do you know that the best leading men on TV have been dogs and horses ?"
--- Simon Cowell
***
"Good Lord, You have Van Gogh's ear for music !"
-- Simon Cowell to Paula Abdul
***
"You know a lot about music, except how to enjoy it."
--- Simon Cowell to Paula Abdul
***
"You know so little about music and know it so fluently."
--- Simon Cowell to Paula Abdul
***
"He may sing like an idiot and dance like an idiot but don't let that fool you. He really is an idiot."
--- Simon Cowell
***
"You can't sing, you can't dance, what else do you want me to say ?"
--- To William Hung, Season 3 auditioner
***
"You have the sound of an opera singer, and I bet he was glad to get rid of it"
--- Simon Cowell
***
"If there's anything disgusting about the music business, it's the whoredom of my peers.
--- Simon Cowell
***
"I had someone send me his CD and I wrote back ...Thank you for sending me a copy of your CD - I'll
waste no time listening to it."
--- Simon Cowell
***
"Being attacked by him is like being savaged by a dead sheep."
--- Simon Cowell ( about a rejected auditioner)
***
"I wholeheartedly apologize for having to inflict you on the public"
--- To an auditioner who asked for an apology
***
"You have delusions of adequacy."
--- Simon Cowell
***
"You want to be my friend ? OK, if you want to stab me, stab me in the front"
-- Simon Cowell
***
"As a group singer, you're not only dull, You are the cause of dullness in others."
-- Simon Cowell
***
"In this business, I make enemies as naturally as soap makes suds."
-- Simon Cowell
***
"I'm really a nice man, I never bear a grudge against anyone I wronged."
-- Simon Cowell
***
"I know you're a happily married man, but is your wife happy ?"
--- To David Letterman
***
"This sound of yours is the greatest thing since they reinvented unsliced bread."
-- Simon Cowell
***
"OK, all of you who want to boo me, stand in line."
-- Simon Cowell ( after Ryan Seacrest's introduction)
***
"You have a nice voice. It just doesn't match the rest of you.
-- Simon Cowell
***
"That was as entertaining as watching a potato bake."
--- Simon Cowell
***
"Every time I look at you I get a fierce desire to be lonesome.
--- Simon Cowell
***
"What a day ! I guess, Everyone has his day and some days last longer than others."
-- Simon Cowell
***
"We could listen to you until the cows come home. On second thought I'd rather listen to the cows when they you come home"
--- Simon Cowell
***
"Yes I feel so miserable without that singer, it's almost like having him here."
--- Simon Cowell
***
"I've had a perfectly wonderful day listening to music. But this wasn't it."
-- Simon Cowell
***
"There's nothing wrong with your performance that reincarnation won't cure."
--- To someone doing a Buddhist chant in the auditions
***
"Paula and me have been through so much together, and most of it was her fault."
-- Simon Cowell
***
"What they wrote about me in the papers hurt me very much. I cried all the way to the bank."
--- Simon Cowell
***
"OK Stop, You have delighted us long enough."
--- Simon Cowell
***
"You're a parasite for sore eyes"
--- Simon Cowell
***
"If you've got a big mouth and you're controversial, you're going to get attention."
-- Simon Cowell
"Why shouldn't you honestly show what it's like to go through the audition process? It can be brutal.
If they have the talent, we'll help them. But if you don't like criticism, then don't even think about trying this business."
--- Simon Cowell
***
"I remember somebody saying to me once, a boss, 'You'll make a great promotions man but you'll never
be any good at signing talent' and I think that kind of stuck in my mind. That's why when I give
these kids criticism, always in the back of my mind is, 'If you're any good you're going to bounce back.'"
-- Simon Cowell
***
"As the show has progressed, I think they've understood that I'm very passionate about the right person
winning this competition."
--- Simon Cowell
***
"I'm trying to show what show business is really like - illogical. Sexist. No matter how big you are,
you're going to be criticized. Consider this a dress rehearsal to the real thing."
--- Simon Cowell
***
"I'm not going to lie to these people just to make them feel good because that's patronizing. And it's
patronizing to the people watching this show."
--- Simon Cowell
***
"My attitude is, if someone's going to criticize me, tell me to my face. I find Paula patronizing. It's as
simple as that. Paula is more damaging than I am to these contestants because a lot of people just shouldn't
be singing for a living."
--- Simon Cowell
***
"I met someone the other night who's 28 years old, and he hasn't worked a day since he left college because
he's pursuing a dream he'll never, ever realize. He thinks he's a great singer. Actually, he's crap.
But nobody has said to him, 'Why have you been wasting your time for eight years?' I have to do him the favor
so that he'll be back on track."
--- Simon Cowell
***
"My general advice to kids would be if you want to pursue a career in the music business, don't."
--- Simon Cowell
***
"Did you really believe you could become the American Idol? Well, then, you're deaf."
-- Simon Cowell
***
"The object of this competition is not to be mean to the losers but to find a winner. The process makes
you mean because you get frustrated. Kids turn up unrehearsed, wearing the wrong clothes, singing out
of tune and you can either say, 'Good job,' and patronize them or tell them the truth, and sometimes the
truth is perceived as mean."
--- Simon Cowell
***
"It's ironic, when you work in this section of the music industry, before the show, people say, 'Oh,
anyone could be a pop star. You've got the machines in the studio, it doesn't take talent.' Yes it does.
And then when you show the reality of it, people say, 'Oh, you're mean.' Whatever you do, you can't win."
--- Simon Cowell
***
"I am poor, misunderstood Simon. I'm really the nice one, and no one gets it yet, but they will."
--- Simon Cowell
To: silent_jonny
http://mediafiends.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=7383&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0
IN DEFENSE OF KATHARINE MCPHEE
I’ve seen posts everywhere riding Katharine, saying she is so “full of herself” and thinks she’s it. Well I don’t know Katharine personally but what I see is a girl who is overwhelmed with the change in her life, not pompousness or conceit. You see, it’s not that she actually comes across that way; it’s that she looks like she should. Let me make my case.
By Idolhead Ed
People everywhere have strong opinions about all of the Idols this year and they are the most polarizing ever. You either hate them or love them. Not a whole lot of middle ground.
Before I get to Kat let me first say something about Kellie. If you really think she’s putting on an act or is a dumb hick blonde, it will be easy to find out. Don’t call the press. Just call anyone in Albemarle, North Carolina (Pop. 15,680). Go online and find the Albemarle phone book and call somebody. I’m sure someone in town knows her and I’m also sure not everyone loves her but they will tell you how genuine or not she is.
Unfortunately you can’t do this for Kat. Everyone in L.A. doesn’t know her. As a matter of fact she is such a small fish in such a big pond probably 99% still don’t know who she is. Not the stuff conceit springs from I wouldn’t think. L.A. is where humble pie is baked everyday especially for people who are trying to make in the industry. So instead of looking up someone in L.A., you’ll just have to see if my evidence will help you look at Kat more objectively and if not objectively, at least in a different light.
I just read a few posts on my latest article and figured it was time to take up arms. Although I would love to meet her, as I said earlier, I do not know Katharine, except for what I see on TV as do you posters and writers who think she is quite “Full of herself”. So I am making my assessments based solely on that and if you follow me you may just see things a bit differently. I personally don’t like to see anyone verbally bashed. Generally those doing the bashing have undealt with insecurities of their own.
Let’s start at the beginning:
When Katharine first auditioned she did not nod her head in agreement or approval when the judges showered her with unmitigated praise. What did she do? She began to cry. She cried because she really wasn’t confident that she would make it, much less get the kudos she got. Kellie and Paris also cried but not in front of the judges. This is an important detail because it was a genuine feeling of major accomplishment that instantly hit her. It didn’t matter to her what the judges thought about her emotions running away. She was overcome with joy & surprise, not expectation. Were she “full of herself” as I’ve seen posted, she would have nodded to the judges in her approval. Not the stuff of conceit I say.
When she sang her first song in the top 24, instead of crying she was as giddy as a child at the toy store admitting she was nervous contorting her body every which way to eliviate the nerves. Not the stuff of conceit I say.
When she got her first negative comments the next week from the judges (I might note the last ones she has had) instead of acting incensed (that’s what snotty people do in this situation) she admitted she felt her song choice probably wasn’t the best and said she wasn’t destroyed or anything. The part about being destroyed was Kat reassuring herself, not anyone else. This is a sign of someone who is still not quite sure if they are up to the level they need to be or not. Not the stuff of conceit I say.
When Kat joined the bottom 3, someone “full of herself” would have again looked incensed, not scared to death. And she did look scared to death. After all the praise heaped on her by the judges not only was this unexpected by her, it was by everyone else as well. Some people took her comment “This is a new place for me” as “well what in the world have you stupid Americans have done”. Not hardly. I think she was thinking out loud. And thinking that she would be going home, again had to reassure herself with the statement “whatever God has planned for me”. Not the stuff of conceit I say.
And Queen elimination Wednesday when Ryan asked Katharine if she was nervous, trying to keep from crying, she said “I’m always nervous” in a voice that could only be described as on the edge of freaking out. Not the standard “Oh whatever the voters decide……”gag me with a spoon line. Not the stuff of conceit I say.
And most recently when Simon told her that she made the other contestants look like good amateurs, just go back and look at her expression. It’s like “What?! I don’t think so” along with surprise. Definitely not the stuff of conceit I say.
A side note: While I know Simon’s comment made her mom, dad and fans feel great, it made her feel downright uncomfortable and just like telling Carrie last year in the top 11 she would win and sell more records blah, blah it shouldn’t have been said. He should have said, since he felt that way, she was the best of the night instead. This I think would have made everyone more comfortable and Paula wouldn't have tried shoving her hand down Simon's throat to shut him up. A side note to my side note: He was right about Carrie.
I would suspect most of the comments aimed toward Katharine are more of the envious type than anything else. The little girls I talk to from church love her. They want to be like her just like Carrie. My thinking is the girls who bash her are envious, and the guys who do, feel she’s representation of the girl that wouldn’t pay them any attention. The thoughts from the envious: “It’s bad enough that she can sing her butt off but does she have to be so beautiful too!? Wah! Wah! It’s unfair!” If Katharine looked like Lili Taylor, not Liv Tyler or Taylor Hicks, do you think she would have more support? As sad as it sounds, I think so. People have little control over their looks whether they are as homely as the Idolhead or as beautiful as Katharine. Just like everyone who ever comes on this show, Katharine’s looks have also taken a move up. If you’ll notice in the auditions she looked a little frumpy. I guess she should have gone for the frumpy look to keep down the envy level.
Well I love Kat the way she is and I don’t see any of this snottyness I read about. And until she gives me and her real fans reason to, to us she is simply the best. And get ready envy train; I expect she will again win the night again on Tuesday. What I don’t expect is for her to nod her head in approval and feel that she has won the competition when the judges give their glowing comments because......... “She is not the stuff of conceit I say”.
Is it Tuesday yet?
Idolhead Ed
To: silent_jonny
WHERE ARE THE PAST SEASON's 6th PLACE FINISHERS ?
http://mediafiends.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=7391&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0
The past 4 seasons have brought varying degrees of success for the 6th place finisher. Will this season surpass all others?
By LindaK
I’m starting to feel sad about this upcoming week of American Idol. We have 6 very talented people left (yes, even Kellie, in her own way), but someone has to leave. We might like some contestants more or less than others, but I don’t think anyone can deny the immense talent we have here. It comes down to this: Whoever exits AI5 this week should be very proud of him or herself. Not only have they made it this far, but with all the exposure from Idol, success can and should be in all their futures.
Let’s start at the beginning and season 1. Our 6th place finisher was Christina Christian. She has been on CSI, in an episode called “Lucky Strike” as Kenisha Jones. She was also on TRL on August 12, 2002, and is now a TV Guide correspondent for American Idol.
In season 2, our 6th place finisher was Carmen Rasmusen. In 2003, Carmen was in the movie Pride and Prejudice: A Latter-day Comedy as Charlotte. This was an extended cameo appearance and singing performance. Her single "Photograph" released in late 2004, won her the New Music Weekly Award in 2005 for New Country Artist of the Year. Carmen will also be in an episode of NBC's Fear Factor. This was supposed to have aired on March 7th, 2006 but was postponed until this summer, when the current season of American Idol is over. Carmen was married in December, 2005.
In season 3, we had John Stevens in 6th place. John’s debut cd was called Red , and was released on June 28, 2005. It debuted at number 5 (some sites say 6) on the Billboard jazz charts. John’s cd has sold 18,000 copies as of March 2006. He was dropped by Maverick Records and now attends Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.
On to season 4 and Constantine Maroulis. Before Idol, Constantine was the lead singer of the band Pray for the Soul of Betty. According to Wikipedia online, Maroulis recorded a studio version of the track for Killer Queen: A Tribute to Queen which was released on August 9, 2005 on Queen's label, Hollywood Records. On March 20, 2006, Constantine left his band due to creative and business differences. He is working on a cd. In terms of acting, “he was in negotiations to star in a television sitcom that is loosely based on his upbringing as the youngest of three in a large Greek-American family of New York. Disney's ABC network bought rights to the show, courtesy of Grammnet (of Paramount, owned by former Cheers and Frasier star Kelsey Grammar). On February 16, 2006, he announced in his blog an involvement with a film production contract.”
Not bad for 6th place finishers, even ones who got a lot of flack for making it that far. Our current contestants have a lot to look forward to, and should do at least as well as their predecessors, if not better!
To: silent_jonny
http://www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader/entertainment/14412188.htm
Is it the water? Birmingham home to three American Idol finalists
DESIREE HUNTER
Associated Press
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - A long, cool, gulp of this city's water reveals no particular flavor, no telltale tinge that would explain why three men from the area have done (and are doing) so well on "American Idol."
Maybe it's the city's size - big enough for musicians to make a splash, but small enough to keep them from drowning - or it could be the region's gospel influences. Perhaps it's the South's natural saturation of talent. Whatever "it" is, it's probably a combination of several factors, says David Johnson, executive director of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.
"There just seems to be an extreme amount of talent in Alabama in general," said Johnson, a former music producer. "I really don't have a good explanation for it, but it really is amazing the talent that's come out of Alabama in the last 100 years."
Birmingham's Idol relationship began when then 25-year-old Ruben Studdard beat out Clay Aiken in 2002 to become the country's second Idol. Next came Helena resident Bo Bice who finished second to American Idol winner Carrie Underwood last year.
Now Birmingham's silver-haired Taylor Hicks is in the top six, garnering both votes and loads of attention for his hair as much as his soulful blues singing.
That makes three Idol finalists from Birmingham in the past five seasons - four finalists if you count Diana Degarmo, who was born in Birmingham but moved to Snellville, Ga. at age 3. She finished second to season three winner Fantasia Barrino in 2004.
"I think there really must be something in the water," Buffalo Wild Wings manager Chris West said after a recent watch-party for Hicks at the Hoover restaurant. "We've had Ruben, Bo, everybody here is just really fired up about it. It shows there's a lot of talent here."
And, most are quick to point out, that talent has been in Birmingham, in Alabama, in the South, long before Idol judge Simon Cowell & Co. ever dreamed of the TV talent show.
Johnson said it's great that Alabama talent is being recognized on a national level and Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau spokeswoman Dilcy Hilley agreed.
"It does show what amazing musical roots we have in our area ...," Hilley said. "There's blues and rock-and-roll and especially jazz was such a part of this city and I think it's only natural that there's a great pool of talent here today as there has been for decades."
Entertainment greats from Nat "King" Cole and Nell Carter to Hank Williams and Emmy Lou Harris all called Alabama home and the state's contributions to soul and blues rank right up there with its Southern counterparts.
The region's relationship with religion has no doubt contributed to its musical inclinations, with children often singing in their church choirs, observers say.
Studdard and Bice both sang in choirs as children and that's where her son first got a taste of performing, Emily Studdard said.
"It was very important because it gave him an audience," she said. "It came from a place where he could build his confidence ... he could get constructive criticism and feel comfortable there. The church was very important."
Also, there's often an expectation among Southern families that children would partake in music, said Frank Adams, director of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.
"Back then, everybody in the family had to do something musical," he said during a recent tour at the hall, a clarinet clutched in his right hand. "(You had to) play an instrument, sing, something - else they'll talk about you. They'll say, 'What's wrong with her?'"
Before auditioning for Idol, Studdard was in the group Just a Few Cats and Bice was the lead singer for SugarMoney. Hicks has been touring for several years with the Taylor Hicks Band, his father, Brad Hicks, said.
"I think that Bo and Ruben and Taylor were all serious entertainers and really knew that they wanted to do this for the rest of their lives," the elder Hicks said. "I think all three of those guy are really hard workers and that's made a difference."
Emily Studdard and Bice's mother, Nancy Downes, both grew up singing in church and Downes was part of a gospel group called the Singing Jays.
She recalled how Bo (short for nickname Bogart - his real name's Harold) started singing at age three and would delight when people gave him change for his trouble.
"A quarter was just awesome," she said laughing. "He would just sing and sing and sing for a quarter."
Studdard has set up a foundation that awards college scholarships and recently announced the "The Music Alternative Project," a program aimed at keeping young people away from gangs by introducing them to behind-the-scenes aspects of the music industry.
Bice, who moved from Helena to Nashville after the show, let Hurricane Katrina evacuees stay in his Helena home as long as they needed to. He also recently donated the outfit his grandmother made for him to the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.
That Southern charm and hospitality has probably helped endear them to fans, Johnson said.
"They're more `people-people' - they're from the South," he said. "It's just the upbringing. You're raised in the South and we're friendly and we're nice and we like people. We like to show that appreciation back."
The die-hard Southern pride that makes Alabamians cry out "Roll Tide" and "War Eagle" has crossed over to the singing arena and bolstered Birmingham's hold in the competition, said Charnel Wright, a WBRC-FOX 6 NEWS reporter who's been organizing Idol watch parties since Studdard was on the show.
"When you have people who start talking about it like they do games at either Auburn or Alabama, then you know it's big," she said. "You get these people - even these hardcore sports buffs - saying 'Taylor did well this week, but I think Ace should be off,' and these are the same guys talking about Brodie Croyle and the NFL draft - people are treating it as if it were sports."
Having the solid backing of your home state helps on a show where the winner is chosen by the number of votes that are called in. While the excitement for Studdard and Hicks has been phenomenal, Helena's enthusiasm bordered on fanatical, Wright said.
"We started calling it Bolena," she joked.
Also working to their advantage is Birmingham's location and size, said Mark Harrelson and Courtney Hayden, both producers at Boutwell Studios in Homewood where Hicks cut a record about a year ago.
"Birmingham has given them that freedom to develop, I think," Hayden said. "If you were living in Philly and you were trying to break into New York, you want to be more like New York guys."
Brian Less and Zippy Dieterich, play keyboard and drums respectively in Hicks' band, which is performing as the Little Memphis Blues Orchestra while Hicks is in Los Angeles.
Both had been in bands in Nashville before moving to Birmingham to join up with Hicks.
What's one thing they couldn't do in Nashville that they can in Alabama?
"Make a living," they said in unison.
"What's happened there in Nashville is it's so saturated with talent," Less said. "Now you're seeing the talent in Birmingham. American Idol is helping put Birmingham on the map."
To: silent_jonny
one fact was established beyond doubt......Kathryn is not a boy!!
7,732 posted on
04/25/2006 5:09:58 PM PDT by
bert
(K.E. N.P. Slay Pinch)
To: silent_jonny
Elliot looks like the drunk uncle who somehow made it to a funeral.
7,800 posted on
04/25/2006 5:19:21 PM PDT by
bert
(K.E. N.P. Slay Pinch)
To: silent_jonny
QUICK IMPRESSIONS :
What happened ? It was a great night last week ? This week it was horrible !
Paula was right about Kat oversinging her song, but she's clearly the most well-trained vocalist in the competition, with the possible exception of Paris. Her impromptu duet with Andrea was awesome. Kat did not do badly. Clearly she's no Whitney, but then she did quite well. Beautiful as usual
Eliott was clearly the best tonight. His stock is growing, with or without looks.
I can't even put into words my admiration for Elliott. I just melted tonight. I think this will go down as his signature performane, even more so perphaps than Moody's Mood For Love.
Kellie Pickler just plain sucks. If this performance shows anything it is this -- if fans have any good taste they should stay away from voting for her in droves.
Taylor was just meh for me. I felt the charisma David Foster was talking about in the rehearsal tape, but the live performance was very hesitant. Not his best showing. BAD, BAD, BAD SONG CHOICE. What happened to all that spoiler about YOU'VE LOST THAT LOVING FEELING ? The songs make you or break you. Randy was right --- Bad song choice. The arrangement was horrible as well. His second worse night after COUNTRY ROADS. Soul Patrol will have to work overtime to save him.
I thought that Paris oversang her song as much as Kat. Plus, with all due respect, she's not The Voice, so I'm not sure why whe picked such an indelible song from the Streisand songbook. Barbra might be a dopey, raging liberal but no one compares to her in her interpretation of THE WAY WE WERE.
Chris, Chris, Chris. Could you be any more pimped, what with the guitar duet? I didn't think it was nearly as good as the judges thought. Decent, but not superb. Plus, if you have to be taught how to sing from the diaphragm, there is something wrong with your vocal basics.
FROM BEST TO WORST :
Elliott
(BIG GAP )
Kat
Chris
Paris
Taylor
Kellie
If Kellie still doesn't go home this show will now be a travesty.
Other random thoughts:
I'm so glad that David Foster taught those kids some basic musical technique. Any person who has been through elementary voice training is taught to support their voice using the diaphragm, and have had to sing scales lying down. Glad that they're actually learning something.
Did Simon look like he could have strangled Paula when she interrupted him after Taylor's performance? Like, she was preventing him from launching his carefully strategized comments designed to ensure the voting outcome he wanted?
Paula reached new levels of chemical dependence tonight, whereas Randy was surprisingly lucid. Huh.
Does David Foster remind anyone else of John Michael Higgins' character from Best in Show?
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