OOH! A computer crash not only prevented me from liveblogging the start of AI tonite, but because I use my Media Center PC as my "TiVo", I missed at least the first performer. Sorry about that.
I'll be back in a few minutes with more from Dallas.
8:20 PM [real time]: My MCPC keeps track of the "air time" of the programs it records, so I'll be able to associate my posts with "air time", even though it will take me a few minutes to catch up to "real time".
So, I guess you could say I'll be "tape-delay-blogging" for a bit.
8:05 PM: Some woman named Jessica, presumably the first woman named Jessica on tonite's show, is very excited to get the Golden Ticket To Hollywood. I didn't get to see/hear her, so, well, there it is.
8:06 PM: Next up is Paul Stafford. He is singing "Wait For You" by...wait for it...Elliott Yamin.
He is singing it very badly.
But he likes roller coasters! So he gets my vote!
But not the judges' votes.
b-bye
Paul: Simon didn't go down on me like I thought he would, but that's good, 'cuz he goes down on just about everybody.
Uh...
8:14 PM: A commercial for the United States Marine Corps.
IM ON YUR IDOLZ, MISING MY RECRUTING TARGETZ!!1!1
Last year, AI was charging $750K for a 30-second spot.
Your tax dollars at work.
Just sayin'.
8:16 PM: Next up is Beth Maddocks. She is singing "Beautiful Disaster" by...wait for it...Kelly Clarkson.
I'm not feelin' it. And neither are the judges.
Randy makes the painfully obvious "beautiful disaster" joke.
b-bye
8:18 PM: We're treated to a medley of "disaster auditions"...Esteban Deanda...
Simon: It was atrocious
Victoria Metz...
Randy: [shakes head and smiles]
Drucilla Wideman...
Randy: [looks away as if he feels the pain of "irregularity"]
8:18 PM: Next up is Alaina Whitaker. Alaina is singing "Stronger" by Faith Hill. Regular readers of this blog [all three imaginary regular readers -- Ed.] will recall that this is one of my favorite Faith tracks from her best album, Cry.
Wow, that was as good as the rendition performed last year by Baylie Brown [what is it with Texas-and-Oklahoma parents and the way they spell their daughters' names??? -- Ed.]. Baylie was more Faith-esque, while Alaina was more Carrie-Underwood-inspired.
Not surprisingly, the judges wave her through easily.
8:26 PM: Another round of "whaaa???"...Gregory & Mia Tobias...
Judges: [silent]
8:28 PM: Next up is 19-year-old Bruce Dickson. Bruce has never been "intimate" with a woman -- he's never even kissed a woman "on purpose". Bruce even made a "promise" with his father -- complete with a "key" -- that he would remain pure until his wedding day, so his first "kiss" with a woman would be "special", and the "key" would represent the "key" to his heart.
AWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!
Bruce sings "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers.
It's a nice performance, but not good enough for Hollywood.
8:30 PM: Next up is Pia "Zpia" Easley. Pia is another "backup singer". She sings "My Imagination" by Gladys Knight & The Pips.
She nails it.
And she's through to Hollywood.
8:38 PM: Next up is Brandon Green, who says he wants to be a "role model", "not like Britney Spears or Paris Hilton or some of these people". Brandon sings "Rich Girl" by Hall & Oates.
Simon calls it forgettable. Paula loves him, because she loves everyone. So, once again, Randy gets the tie-break vote, and Brandon is through to Hollywood.
8:43 PM: Next up is Kayla Hatfield, who is singing "Piece Of My Heart" by Janis Joplin [actually, Big Brother & The Holding Company, but who are "they"??? -- Ed.]. Kayla has a mousy speaking voice...
...and a HUGE singing voice...
...but it's not good enough...
...or is it???
It's one of the rare instances where Simon says "yes" and Paula says "no", and Randy breaks the tie in her favor.
Wow, were the Dallas rounds really that bad???
8:51 PM: Time for another "these people really suck" segment...Erick Mauldin...
Charles Markham...
Tristan Clements...who is channeling everything about Clay Aiken except his vocal abilities...
8:52 PM: Now comes the last audition of the first day. Kady Malloy specializes in doing celebrity "singing impressions". Her Britney is scary-on.
Finally, she sings "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers.
Simon calls it "the best so far" of all the contestants the judges have seen.
She is easily through to Hollywood.
8:55 PM: Ryan tells us that 12 people made it through on Dallas Day 1.
[times approximate from here on out -- Ed.]
9:01 PM: Next up is Douglas Davidson. Douglas idolizes Xtina Aguilera. Anyways, he sings "Livin' On A Prayer" by Billy Joel Bon Jovi.
It's terrible. But the judges give him another chance.
I have no idea what this, and I don't care.
He's terrible -- he's sweating, and talking to himself, he's drinking water.
Then he breaks into "Livin' On A Prayer" again.
Simon: no one in a million years is going to pay to hear you sing.
Please go away.
9:05 PM: Next up is Angela Reilly. Angela is accompanied by her husband Chad. These two are the "Heidi & Spencer" of AI.
Angela sings "Baby Love" by The Supremes. She's spirited but horrible.
The judges give her another chance. She sings "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" by Pat Benatar. She kills that too.
b-bye
9:09 PM: Next up is Kyle Ensley. Kyle is a politician who wants us to "vote for [him]" to be the next American Idol. Kyle sings "Somebody To Love" by Queen, and it's quite good.
Simon loves it, Paula loves him, and Randy calls it "glee club". Paula wants to know if he wants this more than being President. Simon wants to know if he'll turn into Clay Aiken. I guess that means Simon thinks Kyle is gay.
Kyle says things that are maybe close to what Simon and Paula want to her, but Dallas has clearly been hell to them, so he's through to Hollywood.
9:13 PM: Next up is Tammy Tuzinski. Tammy tells the judges she will be singing "The Power Of Love" by Celine Dion, to which their response is "big song". Maybe that scared her, or maybe she's stupid -- nah, she's just stupid -- because Tammy actually sings "If You Asked Me To".
She's terrible.
The judges stop her, and she asks if she can start again. The judges point out that she's singing a different song. They ask her which song she wants to sing, and she says "If You Asked Me To". It's a very awkward moment.
She starts over, and again, it's very painful.
Even Randy calls it "awful".
9:17 PM: Next up is Colton Swon. He sings "Boondocks" by Little Big Town. Wow, are they the go-to "country" artist this season?
He's alright, with a lot of heart and effort.
All of the judges are borderline, but, clearly Dallas has been rough for them, so they let him through.
9:21 PM: Funny or cruel? Ryan introduces a "Texas -- where men are men" segment that highlights several transvestites and effeminate men. None are identified by name.
9:23 PM: Next up is Drew Poppelreiter. Drew sings "Check Yes Or No" by George Strait, and he's practically a voice-ringer for George Strait.
Very right-down-the-middle-but-smooth country crooning.
It's not Simon's thing, but Randy digs it, and Paula's on the verge of agreeing with SIMON, until Simon calls her out, and Drew calls her "ma'am", and she changes her mind. So Drew's through.
[hour 2 is very heavy on the back stories. Dallas musta been REALLY BAD -- Ed.]
9:27 PM: Next up is Kyle Reinneck, who is a camp counselor for K-2 kids. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But he still has creepy eyes.
Kyle sings "Never Again" by...wait for it...KELLY CLARKSON...which means there's no way in hell Clive's letting him get anywhere NEAR the finals.
Kyle strikes me as being Clay-esque, except more intense, and creepier.
Also, he can't sing.
Simon: it was a very disturbing, demonic audition.
Randy and Paula both agree that his "face" was wrong, what with the "guyliner" and the whatnot.
b-bye
9:32 PM: Hey! Does anyone remember Kelly Clarkson??? Wasn't she the one who got kicked off AI a few years ago for posing nude years earlier for a website or something? Anyway, we're back in her hometown, and we're treated to a montage of people who collectively butcher "Since You've Been Gone".
Simon: okay, I now officially hate that song!
9:35 PM: Next up is Nina Shaw. Nina is from Kelly's home town of Burleson, TX, and her appearance leads Randy and Paula to reminisce about how they knew that Kelly "had it" way back when, and how mean-ole poopy-headed Simon "didn't get her".
Nina also is abso-freakin'-lutely gorgeous, in a Rihanna-esque way. Which is to say, in an "abso-freakin'-lutely gorgeous" way.
Nina is singing "Run To You" by Whitney Houston.
Why??? Why do Idol contestants insist on taking on Whitney???
Simon calls it "old-fashioned". Paula calls it "pageant-like". The judges give her "two seconds" (Randy) for one more chance.
Nina goes retro-jazzy. Randy gets the first Amy Winehouse name-drop of the season. He likes it. Simon hates it. But Paula likes it, so she's through.
9:42 PM: The last contestant in Dallas is Ronaldo "Birdman" Lapuz. He's dressed up Liberace-style in a cape and furry hat. He sings a song that appears to be an original composition, "We're Brothers Forever".
The performance is a classic auditions-round trainwreck.
The song's lyrics are simple and repetitive, and Randy and Paula -- clearly happy to be entertained after a brutal Dallas stopover -- join Ronaldo on-stage while Simon just laughs.
Guess what the verdict was?
b-bye, but Thnks Fr Th Mmrs.
The segment seems to go on forever.
Prior to 10:00 PM-ish: Ryan tells us that 24 people made it through to Hollywood from the Dallas auditions.
Tune in tomorrow for the San Diego auditions!
xoxo
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
This Week In Tonight In American Idol [16 January 2008]
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
BREAKING: Ask American Celebremag Covers No Questions And They Will STILL Tell You Lies
RELATED: Offer me $10K and I'll photoshop MYSELF to your specifications...
Fact No. 1: faithful readee Gawker Media recently inaugurated a new blog. Jezebel is a blog devoted to snarking about the world of women's fashion and beauty. Think Cosmo with "These 7 seven tricks WILL NOT blow his mind!!! But the truth about Atoosa Rubinstein just might!!!" [Maybe a LITTLE too inside??? -- Ed.] Their motto -- "Celebrity, Sex, Fashion. Without Airbrushing."
Fact No. 2: Faith Hill is a beautiful woman. Two months away from her 40th birthday, this Mother 0f three lovely girls [and Wife of Tim McGraw] should have no shame over a few lines here and there.
Fact No. 3: EVERY magazine cover you see when you buy your cold medicine and band-aids or whatevs at the CVS is so photoshopped it bears no resemblance to anything you or I would relate to "reality".
[uh...insert "break" here perhaps when this gets fixed -- Ed.]
Fact No. 4: Jezebel famously offered a $10 thousand bounty for a major magazine cover pic "before" the requisite photoshop job. [sorry, we can't find the original offer now -- just trust us -- Ed.]
Fact No. 5: Nick Denton is cutting a check for 10-Large as I write this.
Yes, today, someone emailed Jezebel a "before" pic of Faith Hill on the cover of the July Redbook. And here's the before, along with the after [of course -- you can figure out which is which]:
[image courtesy Jossip via Jezebel]
This story blew up the celebribloggosphere on Monday. Take a look at the differences between these two photos. Among other things that are obviously different:
* the "eye bags"
* the "back fat"
* the right arm -- where is it in "the original" photo?
* the thinner left arm
* the freckles and moles on the left arm
* and, uh, why???
* no, seriously -- why???
Longtime-faithful readers know how much I hate gettin' all Jack Shafer and shit up in y'allz grillz and shit, but...
Assuming the "before" photo is real -- a big assumption -- Redbook -- and Faith Hill -- have lots of questions to answer -- the above questions, to be exact...
...But it also -- OMG totes coincidentally -- put [BRAND NEW!!! GAWKER MEDIA blog] Jezebel on the map...
...And we here at DHMBIB would never be so cynical as to suggest that a brand-new blog...
Two notes:
1) Okay, Jezebel, so you're OK! If you offered to pay me $10K for something bloggable, I might photoshop anything you wanted -- I might even "reverse-photoshop" Redbook's July cover, just for you and your $10K payday.
So, a little more disclosure would be a good thing...Just sayin'...
2) "On The Internet, Nobody Knows You're A Dog."
ciaobaby
Monday, May 21, 2007
Caption This! Faith Hill Hearts Shania Twain [22 May 2007]
[image courtesy PopSugar]
Okay, DHMBIB readers -- take your crack at captioning this photo of Faith Hill and Shania Twain at the recent Academy Of Country Music Awards [ACMA's]...
...my best was: "Man! I feel...SHANIA'S BOOBY! LOLZ!!!"
Yes, yes -- really lame. But I know you can do better. Leave your thoughts in the comments...
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
This Week In Tonight In American Idol [24 April 2007]
7:58 PM: tonite's performance show is taped, not live. this obviously has something to do with the two-nite "Idol Gives Back" thingy we're doing this week, but i still don't understand what that has to do with anything.
here's another internet rumor thingy: i read yesterday that Ellen DeGeneres will be a "Guest Host" of tomorrow nite's festivities. i'm not providing a link because i don't have much faith in the source -- and you shouldn't either -- and, i haven't heard about this elsewhere. but there it is.
8:00 PM: more "IGB"...Fox and other corporate sponsors will donate lots of money to have Ryan say their names over and over again.
8:01 PM: tonite's guest mentor is...wait for it...BON-FUCKING-O! that's pretty cool.
8:02 PM: Ryan and Simon show us more footage from their trip to Africa. Simon can't believe how bad it is..."hell on earth"...
8:05 PM: Our theme tonite is...wait for it..."Songs That Inspire"...Oh, man -- this is gonna suck big time.
8:05 PM: First up tonite is Chris Richardson. Chris is performing Eric Clapton's "Change The World".
Chris' performance is a little "meh" for me. Weak in the middle, and overdone at the end.
Randy: "...tonite, for the first time in a long time, you were in it to win it...that was great dude..."
Paula: "...you were wonderful..."
Simon: "...the competition starts tonite...that reminded me of when we first saw you, we knew you had potential...sexiness in your voice...confident...that was very good..."
I disagree. Chris was a little weak, but he did put "more" effort in than he usually does.
8:12 PM: Ryan thanks "MySpace" for their support in this whole "IGB" thingy.
Do I have to tell you who owns MySpace???
8:13 PM: Ryan gives us some footage from poor and underprivileged faces and places here in the U.S.
8:15 PM: Next up is Melinda Doolittle. Melinda is performing Faith Hill's "There Will Come A Day".
Although this song closed out Faith's 1999 smash album Breathe, it became famous when Faith performed it on the "9/11 Telethon" held a couple of weeks after that tragedy. If I'm feeling frisky, i'll try to get that live version up here later on.
UPDATED: okay -- after re-listening to this awesome song again, i've decided to upload both Faith's 1999 studio take and her 2001 live version for your pleasure. enjoy!
Faith Hill - There Will Come A Day [mp3, via YSI]
Faith Hill - There Will Come A Day [mp3, via zSHARE]
Faith Hill - There Will Come A Day [Live] [mp3, via YSI]
Faith Hill - There Will Come A Day [Live] [mp3, via zSHARE]
[a 5-months-pregnant Faith Hill performs "There Will Come A Day" on the "9/11 Telethon" -- Ed.]
Melinda's gray-or-green dress is very flattering to her figure.
WOW! is there any doubt who's in the driver's seat of this competition now that the distraction of Sanjaya is gone???
Randy: "...every performance is great...you have arrived...MELINDA IS HERE!..."
Paula: "...it must be hard to to give one outstanding performance after another, and never hear any criticism...you are amazing...there's no one like you..."
Simon: "...what i loved about that performance, it wasn't a copycat performance...you made that sound like you recorded it...the second half of that performance, that was a vocal masterclass..."
8:23 PM: we're back from the break. Has anyone else noticed who we have not seen tonite???
Ya know, the "mentor"? YA KNOW, BONO???
8:24 PM: next up tonite is Blake Lewis. Blake is performing John Lennon's "Imagine".
Blake's performance underwhelms me. it was too maudlin, too funereal. for me, the genius of this song was always that it was not depressing. Blake looks and sounds too much like he's singing at a funeral or something.
Randy: "...that performance didn't do it for me...just keepin' it real, dawg..."
Paula: "...that was beautiful...sensitive...sincere..."
Simon: "...hard to sing one of the true classics, because there will always be a comparison...for me, the biggest problem was that it was too flat, didn't go anywhere...but very sincere..."
8:32 PM: back from the break, Ryan tells us that tomorrow on the iTunes Music Store we will be able to buy the Ford "video" and a new video from Carrie Underwood. all for "IGB", of course. oh, here's more footage.
8:34 PM: next up is LaKisha Jones. LaKisha is not afraid of big challenges -- she's performing "I Believe", which was the AI3 coronation song.
Melinda looks gorgeous in her black strapless dress, BTW.
i think the performance is very good. it's also, perhaps unfortunately, very KiKi. right down the middle of her comfort zone. she's excellent at what she does, but she never gives us any any "feeling" or sense of "fun". or any real reason to vote for her.
Randy: "...a few pitch problems...not your best vocal, but very good...it's hard to take on Fantasia..."
Paula: "...we often tell contestants not to take on "the big songs"...i can't hear that song without thinking of Fantasia..."
Simon: "...i think i know what Paula is trying to say -- she liked Fantasia's version better...it was very good, but i still have some issues, such as the shouting..."
[audience starts to boo]
Simon-to-audience: "SHUT UP!"
8:44 PM: Next up is Phil Stacey. Phil gets the other Coke commerical fan question. Phil uses the question to remind the voting public that he has two cute babies.
Phis is performing Garth Brooks' "The Change".
Phil is not wearing a hat tonite.
Randy: "...you're back...another strong vocal...another great performance..."
Paula: "...you're best performance yet..."
Simon: "...i like you...i'm glad to see you've come back with confidence...i liked your vocal last week better, but this was very good...you could do well in this competition, because i think people like you..."
8:52 PM: back from the break, and Simon is at an LA-area food bank. we see a side of Simon we don't ever see, and it's nice.
8:54 PM: closing out tonite is Jordin Sparks. Jordin is performing "You'll Never Walk Alone" from the musical Carousel.
Randy: "...one of the best vocals by any contestant on this show, ever, EVER!...that was the best of the nite right there..."
Paula: "...i know i say this every week, but you are just so wonderful...that was just amazing..."
Simon: "...unlike Randy, i thought you were fantastic...that song is 60 years old, and you could have a hit with that now..."
honestly, dawg, i wasn't as "knocked out" by that as the judges were. i thought there were a couple of pitchy spots, and she was a little shouty toward the end. oh well -- what do I know.
*****
UPDATED AFTER THE SHOW: i have two things to say that i think are important because they go right to the heart of how the rest of this season is going to play out:
1) Jordin's performance was good, but it was not, as Randy said, "one of the best vocals by any contestant on this show, ever, EVER!"; and
2) LaKisha's performance was much better than the judges told her and us.
the three best singers in this competition are, alphabetically: Jordin, LaKisha, and Melinda. That has been true for about two months now. it's still true. one week, Melinda will be the best. the next, it might be Jordin. After that, it might be LaKisha. nothing has changed.
An operative for DHMBIB Idolator sent in this report from the taping earlier today [here along with Idolator's comments]:Lakisha - The judges "slammed" her. Simon thinks she shout-sings. The judges preferred Fantasia's version from Season 3. (two separate accounts say that the audience loved her and that she sounded great).
* * *
What is wrong with Lakisha? Two Idol winners' songs two weeks in a row? That is called "setting yourself up for a hard, hard fall, which is an even worse idea when you're about to spill out of your dress."
it's been clear to me for several weeks that the judges and/or the producers have been trying to figure out a way to eliminate LaKisha to pave the way for a Jordin-Melinda final.
Another way to view LaKisha's...INTERESTING choice to sing Carrie Underwood / Fantasia back-to-back [and we're not even gonna get into LaKisha's showstopping performance of Jennifer Hudson a coupla months ago] is that she KNOWS her remaining time on the show is short -- it's written all over her face -- and she's trying to compare herself NOT to this season's inferior talents [Blake, Chris, Phil] but to previous seasons' winners and stars.
We say -- LaKisha is not likely to win this competition, but she's likely to have a solid career as a pro.
Anyway, here's DHMBIB's rank of the Top 6 performances on Tuesday: 1) Melinda; 2-3) Jordin, LaKisha; 4) Phil; 5) Chris; 6) Blake.
Now, we don't think that will be the way America votes. We think the Bottom 3 will be: Blake, Chris, LaKisha. And we think LaKisha is probably in the deepest trouble this week. Sigh...
*****
Because of "IGB", and the need to goose the number of total votes, the voting will last much longer tonite than on a typical Tuesday. So, the DialIdol numbers will not be "final" until well into Wednesday morning. Check back then for another update.
*****
WaPo columnist E.J. Dionne Jr., who usually writes about more political things, is an AI fan and used his column today to write that "IGB" is more than just a telethon -- it is a deliberate attempt by the Brits behind the show to introduce some of the social consciousness for which they are better known into the massive young fan base of AI. It's an interesting read -- I highly recommend it.
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
This Week Today In American Idol: 6 February 2007
* Breaking: Most Americans cannot sing like Idols:
Tuesday night was the final round of localized auditions. On Wednesday, Idol will run a "remainders" show with auditions from all of the locations.
I should probably point out here that this post contains a clearly-labeled SPOILER ALERT. AI fans will find out about this soon enough, but I'm just sayin'....
So, back in San Antonio, here are the names of the auditioners [with the songs they sang if I could identify them]:
Bryan Kyrish, "Rebel Yell"
Haley Scarnato, "I Can't Make You Love Me"
Jasmine Holland, "Nobody's Supposed To Be Here"
Baylie Brown, "Stronger"
William Green, "Amazing Grace"
Akron Watson, "A Change Is Gonna Come", "Let's Get It On"
LaRisa Curry
Deborah Tyler, "Vogue"
Sandie Chavez, "Black Velvet"
Ashlyn Carr, "Feelin' Good", "Inseparable"
Jacob Tutor
Jimmy McNeal, "Another Saturday Night" / "Cupid" [medley]
Eric over at deathbycamera got me thinking about stalking searching for the auditioners in cyberspace. And since he seems to have lost interest in doing it himself, I decided I would give it a crack.
Eric found many of the auditioners from the first three rounds in cyberspace. I don't know if the auditioners from the later rounds are cyber-unsavvy, or if it's just me [okay, it's probably me], but I have not had much luck finding these people. But here's what I found from San Antonio....
MADE IT TO L.A.:
* Haley Scarnato -- Haley sang Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't make You Love Me". Haley is a professional singer but strangely does not seem to have her own website or bandsite or MySpace or anything on line. However, I did find the website of another musician on whose record she appeared. Yes, I know that's weak.
* Baylie Brown -- Of course, it has to be spelled "B-A-Y-L-I-E". Baylie also is a professional singer who has released her own CD. And she has her own website.
Baylie describes herself as a "traditional country" singer. Which made her choice of audition song a little odd, I suppose. I can't think of anyone who would describe Faith Hill's "Stronger" as "traditional country". But it is one of the best songs on her absolute best album, Cry, which cannot in any way, shape or form be described as "traditional country". But Baylie nailed it anyway, even if "traditional country" radio would never get near it:
Faith Hill - Stronger [mp3, via YSI]
Faith Hill - Stronger [mp3, via zShare]
Simon commented that Baylie was exactly what the record labels were looking for in new talent, by which I think he meant that she's a great singer, she's very attractive, and she has a nice personality. Baylie Brown will go far in this competition. Write that down. [*cough* Carrie Underwood *cough*]
* Akron Watson -- Akron first sang Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come". He sang it well, but the judges told him he was "lacking in personality", and they weren't inclined to send him through to L.A. So Akron gave it another shot with Al Green's "Let's Get It On". Again, he really nailed the song, but the judges were skeptical. Somewhat reluctantly, they let him through.
* Ashlyn Carr -- Ashlyn sang "Feelin' Good", "by Nina Simone, but the Michael Buble version". Like Akron, Ashlyn sang the song well, but the judges all picked up on mysterious and unspecified "bad habits" they said would derail her early in the competition. Simon also complained that she sang the "Michael Buble version" more like Nina Simone. They told her no, and she left the room crying. Then the judges thought they might have been a little hard on her, and they called her back in. They told her they would give her another chance. Simon suggested she try something by Gladys Knight. Ashlyn then sang "Inseparable", and nailed it as well. The judges warned her about her "bad habits" that she would need to break, but they decided to let her through.
I couldn't find Ashlyn online. I did find a few references to her performances at State Fairs and such, but no MySpace, YouTube, etc.
* Jimmy McNeal -- The last on-air auditioner of the night, Jimmy McNeal immediately connected with the judges with his bubbly personality. He sang a medley of Sam Cooke hits, "Another Saturday Night" and "Cupid". The judges all said he reminded them of AI2 winner Ruben Studdard. They easily passed him through.
I couldn't find Jimmy online either. Not a good night for my online stalking.
Recap -- Wait, was this the San Antonio show from 2.6 or the L.A. show from 1.31??? Let's go to the tape: Professional singers? Haley & Baylie -- check! Sam Cooke audition songs? Akron & Jimmy -- check! "Feelin' Good"? Ashlyn -- check!
Maybe next season's hoepefuls should take note of the last two audition shows???
DIDN'T MAKE IT:
I looked but couldn't find anything about any of the failed auditioners. Sue me.
* Breaking: SPOILER ALERT!!!
I didn't mention anything above about the results of my online searches for Akron Watson. He is online, but not in the way he would've hoped:
" Immediately following his greatest triumph, Akron received a phone call from one of the show’s producers. American Idol wanted to send a crew out to Akron’s [Dallas-Fort Worth] home to put together a feature about the young singer that could be used during the show. Akron was excited by the opportunity to share his background with the American Idol viewers, and tell everyone about the obstacles he had already overcome in his life.
" “We talked about everything,” says Akron. And that included his days of skipping school, chasing girls, drinking, and even pleading guilty to possession of marijuana after a police officer found no more than a doobie’s worth of pot in his car. It also included the personal wakeup call Akron got when his brother died, and his dedication to being a good Christian from that day forth.
" In the weeks after the crew came out to interview Akron, he received numerous e-mails from producers at American Idol with information regarding his trip to Hollywood for the next round of auditions. Naturally, Akron grew more and more excited by the opportunity to become the next American Idol as the Hollywood round neared. But then, less than a week before he was supposed to get on a plane headed for Los Angeles, Akron received a disturbing phone call from a representative of the show.
" “I was supposed to leave that Monday, they called me on a Thursday,” explains Akron. “They said we’re not gonna let you go. And I asked ‘why?’ And he said ‘Well I’m not really sure’… and then he gave me some alternatives for what I should say to people if they asked why I was kicked off … He told me to tell people that I was now an alternate ... That would protect [me] and protect the show.”
. . .
" Yesterday, I spoke twice with American Idol PR representative Alex Gillespie to see if the show had any official explanation for why Akron was not allowed to tryout in Hollywood. When I first talked to Gillespie, she told me that she would find out exactly what happened for me. Then when I spoke with her later in the day, she apologized and told me that the show would not ever be giving a reason for Akron’s elimination from the competition.
" As the Fox network’s air-date for the American Idol San Antonio search nears, Akron Watson has no clue whether they will even show his audition on television. His dream has been taken from him. Worst of all, he still doesn’t know why and maybe never will. "
Alan Cohen, UPDATED: DFW native booted from American Idol days before Hollywood round
Cohen's article does note that other Idol wannabes have been allowed to continue in the competition even after "worse" things from their past have come to light. Does anyone have any idea what's going on here? Is there a stricter "something-like-zero tolerance" policy in place this year? Or is AI's out that this came to light before the L.A. round got underway, when there is still a pool of about 200 competitors in the field?
Akron Smith does now have a MySpace site, called "Bring Ak Back". As I write, he has 263 "friends". I definitely feel for the guy, but I think he may be overplaying his hand a bit when he lists "Simon, Randy, & Paula" in the "Who I'd like to meet" section of his profile.
Until tomorrow...
Friday, December 15, 2006
BREAKING: Country musicians decide they'd rather sell records, play concerts, live, than criticize President
And so comes the inevitable. Frankly, I'm surprised it's taken this long.
The National Enquirer [a highly-respected source of music-industry-insider news, of course] is reporting that the Dixie Chicks have decided to split after the Grammy Awards in February. This should be taken with a huge grain of salt, of course -- but is it telling that the Chicks have not updated their website or MySpace page with even a perfunctory denial?
I'm sure I don't need to rehash what happened to get the Chicks to this point -- but you know I will...HA!
The Chicks were the top country "group" with a substantial mainstream crossover audience and were on top of their game in 2003 when singer Natalie Maines told a London audience that she was "ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas." This occurred on the eve of the invasion of Iraq, when passions about the war were intense and President Bush still enjoyed substantial support, especially among the Red State voters that made up most of the Chicks fanbase. Country radio and country fans mostly boycotted the Chicks from then forward, and the Chicks all received many death threats. Three years and much career frustration later, the Chicks returned with their most critically-acclaimed CD to date and a documentary film about their harrowing ordeal, but the fans still stayed away.
According to the rumors, Chicks [and sisters] Emily Robison and Martie Maguire are tired of dealing with the controversy and the threats. Some fans have even more cynically suggested that this is all about money -- the lack of CD sales and concert revenues makes it more difficult to create and promote new music and still enjoy that "rockstar" lifestyle. Whatevs.
We all saw this endgame coming, but I'm still saddened by the rumors. I respected the Chicks for standing up for their beliefs in the face of harsh criticism. And I enjoyed their music.
I also see great irony in this outcome. If Natalie had made her statements last week, would the reaction have been so intense? Or is it more likely that the reaction would have been more like, "Speak the truth, sister!" After all, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw both slammed President Bush after Hurricane Katrina, and their 2006 tour grossed $89 million.
Timing, Natalie, it's all about timing.
* * * * *
On December 8, the Chicks found out that they were 5-time nominees for Grammy Awards. One of those nominations is for "Not Ready To Make Nice" in the "Song Of The Year" category. A defiant song about the Chicks' rough three-year rollercoaster, "Not Ready To Make Nice" is a natural for this award -- and is also a great song, BTW. How will this rumor affect the voting? Tune in February 11 to find out.
