American Idol 8 News and Information

[Moonshot]

`American Idol' adds DioGuardi as fourth judge




NEW YORK (AP) — Scoot over, Simon Cowell. "American Idol" is adding a fourth critic to its panel of judges.

Grammy-nominated songwriter Kara DioGuardi will sit alongside Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson when the eighth season of "American Idol" premieres in January, the Fox network said Monday.

"For the past seven seasons, Paula has had to endure the experience of being the only woman at the judges' table," said Mike Darnell, president, alternative programming of Fox, in a statement.

"With Kara by her side, Paula has some backup and now there is going to be a lot more `girl power' on the show," Darnell said.

DioGuardio's songs have been recorded by Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Celine Dion, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood and Pink, among others.

"We are turning the heat up on `Idol' this year and are thrilled to welcome Kara to the judges' table," said creator and executive producer Simon Fuller in a statement. "She is a smart, sassy lady, and one of America's most successful songwriters. We know she will bring a new level of energy and excitement to the show."

Executive producer Cecile Frot-Coutaz said a fourth judge isn't a new idea.

"We had originally intended for `American Idol' to have four judges," she said. "We've seen from our international series that having a fourth judge creates a dynamic that benefits both the contestants and the viewers."

Fox is a unit of News Corp.

[Moonshot]

December 12, 2008
'Idol' format changes planned

Fox is readying to announce some "American Idol" format changes.

The tweaks have been rumored online this week thanks to a memo leaked to a fan site. The network will officially reveal the plans Monday and hold a news conference with executive producer Ken Warwick.

The changes include:

-- Fewer audition episodes and more Hollywood-round episodes. The shift increases the show's emphasis on talented performers and shies further away from the crash-and-burn spectacle of less-talented attention seekers. The memo noted the aim was to feature "fewer bad singers and more 'aspirational' singers."

-- To further emphasize the focus on the most talented singers, the semifinalist rounds will feature the top 36 contestants instead of the usual top 24.

-- Adding some unpredictability, the "wild card" round will return (which gives eliminated contestants a chance to come back into the competition for one of the top finalist spots).

-- The network will not air an "Idol Gives Back" charity telecast next year, but does plan to hold the event in the show’s ninth season. Moving forward, "Gives Back" will become a bi-annual event.

Earlier this year Fox announced the addition of a fourth judge (Kara DioGuardi) and the departure of an executive producer (Nigel Lythgoe). The network hopes the changes will stem the show's ratings downtrend. The six-year-old series has withstood broadcast TV's overall ratings erosion better than most, yet nonetheless has seen audience erosion over the last couple seasons.

The new format changes may be less dramatic than what some fans imagined when Fox executives suggested they were going to shake up the eighth season, but the plans reflect what Mark Burnett says whenever somebody asks him about making major changes on "Survivor." He says there are endless minor ways to add variation to his show, but the veteran hit's essential format was lightning in a bottle and should be left undisturbed. "Idol" is the same way. One can/should tweak the format regularly to keep things fresh, but it's wise to only change the ornaments, not the tree.

More to come Monday ...

THRFEED.COM

[Moonshot]

Idol scandal - does Joanna Pacitti really belong on this talent search of a show?
January 26, 10:31 AM
by Shauna Moroney, American Idol Examiner




I always thought that the point of American Idol was to find previously undiscovered talent and bring it to the forefront of American pop culture.  To me, Idol is a chance for someone who might not know how to go about getting involved in the higher ranks of the music industry to get their name out there.  Not everyone is blessed with living in a cultural center where opportunities are available (eg: New York, LA, etc), and not everyone has the courage to move to a city like this to get their shot at stardom.  That’s one of my favorite things about Idol.  Would we have been likely to have heard of the likes of Kelly Clarkson or Clay Aiken (my personal favorite Idol, even though he was the runner-up) were it not for this show?  Probably not.

So last Wednesday, when Joanna Pacitti walked into the judges’ room and Kara DioGuardi knew who she was, I was immediately turned off.  I don’t even like it when backup singers make it on this show (although I was kind of rooting for Melinda Doolittle a bit in season 6.  That girl could sing her butt off.  Where the heck is she these days?) because they are already making a living from singing.  Granted, singing backup for Britney Spears is a far cry from BEING Britney Spears, but it’s a step further in the right direction than most people with dreams of being pop stars ever get.

Joanna, though, was never a backup singer.  Joanna had a record deal all her own.  At the age of sixteen, she was signed to A&M Records.  For the beginning of her career, Pacitti mostly appeared on soundtracks, including Legally Blonde in 2001, Cadet Kelly in 2002, First Daughter in 2004, Nancy Drew in 2007, and Bratz: Motion Picture Soundtrack in 2007.  In August of 2006, she released her own album, entitled This Crazy Life, on Geffen Records.  A Taiwanese girl group called S.H.E. covered Pacitti’s song “Watch Me Shine” in 2002, and most recently, Britney, the Princess of Pop herself, covered the song “Out From Under” on her December 2008 release, Circus.

So what the heck is a girl who should be very successful (especially with Britney covering one of her songs!) doing auditioning for American Idol?

The truth is that Pacitti’s career wasn’t very rewarding.  Her album was recognized as the lowest selling album in Geffen’s history, selling just 2,500 copies by the end of 2007 and 4,000 copies by the end of 2008.  She was dropped from her label in September of 2007.

Does this heart break mean that we, the Idol audience, should turn a blind eye to the fact that Pacitti has already had her shot at fame?

I think this is a hard call to make.  The truth is that I know what it’s like to feel disillusioned with your career of choice, and a show like American Idol can seem like an instant fix to your previously experienced problems.  Of course, when asked once if she was bothered by the overnight success brought on by shows like American Idol, Pacitti is quoted as having said, “It’s handed to people way too easily.  I’d rather have my experience than overnight success.”  Has she changed her mind, or does she simply feel like by now, she’s had enough experience and is ready for the success that Idol’s exposure can bring?

Idol has been known to do this to us before.  Last year alone, they hosted Carly Smithson, Michael Johns, and Kristy Lee Cook, all who formerly had recording contracts.  However, they did a better job at hiding this information for longer, as opposed to bludgeoning us over the head with it right away, as they did with Pacitti this year.

By now, though, the public is getting a bit tired of this act.  We want new, fresh faced talent, not record label rejects who are a bit jaded with the industry.

Right?

Pacitti is far from the best contestant so far, and I’m not sure how far her star will rise, even in the Hollywood weeks.  The question is, is it really fair for a girl who’s already had her shot and has plenty of ins in the industry to take up the spots of less connected (and possibly more talented) contestants?  Will this controversy ultimately mean a change to the Idol rules?

Do America’s viewers even really care enough to get upset about this?  Let me know.

And check out this article on Joanna Pacitti, complete with her music videos.

(Do we really want someone on this show who’s already made professional music videos?  Really?)

examiner.com

[Pepe]

MICHELLE, how funny you posted this article about Joanna.  When I saw her and knew she had already had a recording contract I told my husband, I don't like that and it shouldn't be allowed.  She would be more comfortable performing than all the others cause she has already had a record contract.  I don't think this should be allowed.  I remember a few before that had tons of experience and yet they didn't win.  Most of the idols that have won had no experience though other than the guy with the grey hair that won who liked to dance around a lot but I don't think he has done very well at all.   

[Moonshot]

For some, 'American Idol' a second chance at fame

By DERRIK J. LANG
AP Entertainment Writer
Posted: Today at 5:00 p.m.

LOS ANGELES — It has the makings of an all-star ensemble: an Osmond family member, a Rosie O'Donnell protege, the sister of a Grammy-winning blues singer, an actor from "Wicked," a former Miss New York USA, an actress who's been on "The Sopranos" and a recording artist who was covered by Britney Spears.

But this is not the new cast of "Dancing with the Stars." It's a cross-section of the not-so-green wannabes who made it through to Hollywood Week on "American Idol."

For the reality competition whose tagline was once "The Search for the Next Superstar," it seems there are several crooners who've already had a shot - or several - at making it in the music industry.

"The series creates this problem for itself by frequently playing up the dream-making aspect of the show, but it isn't really an amateur competition," said Andy Dehnart, who blogs about reality TV at realityblurred.com.

Joanna Pacitti, who auditioned in Kentucky, has attracted the most attention for her showbiz background. She was signed to A&M Records, as judge Kara DioGuardi pointed out on the show, and Geffen Records released an album by her in 2006. Britney Spears' tune "Out From Under," from her latest album, was first sung by Pacitti on the "Bratz" soundtrack.

Pacitti isn't the only contestant who brought a bit of her own spotlight to the "Idol" stage. Danielle Roundtree was Miss New York USA in 2008. Adam Lambert was a cast member in the Los Angeles production of "Wicked." Von Smith sang on "The View" after Rosie O'Donnell spotted him wailing on YouTube. Jackie Tohn is a professional actress who has several film and TV credits to her name, including "The Sopranos."

Other crooners have fame in their bloodline: David Osmond is the 29-year-old son of Alan Osmond, the eldest of the singing Osmond brothers; Jesse Langseth is the younger sister of Grammy Award-winning blues singer Johnny Lang; and Michael Castro is the younger brother of Jason Castro, the dreadlocked seventh season contestant who placed fourth.

"I think the producers are just lazy," said Dave Della Terza, founder of VoteForTheWorst.com, which encourages "Idol" viewers to vote for bad - but entertaining - singers. "Clearly, there's something wrong with the audition process if they have to continue to have these plants on the show."

The only stipulation in the "Idol" rulebook is that contestants cannot be under a record or management contract when they audition. Nothing restricts those who once had a record deal from trying out. In fact, the past seven seasons of the Fox show have been littered with contestants with prior history in the biz.

Still, people talk.

Last season, finalist Carly Smithson caused a stir online when it was revealed she recorded an album for MCA Records. Other experienced seventh season singers included Kristy Lee Cook, who once had a deal with Arista Nashville; Robbie Carrico, who was in the pop group Boyz N Girlz United; and runner-up David Archuleta, who won "Star Search" in 2003.

"Don't forget Kelly Clarkson had schlepped around Los Angeles having no success before she went back to Texas and started working in a bar before we found her," executive producer Ken Warwick said during a conference call with reporters at the beginning of the current season. "I don't think anyone would say she didn't deserve to be there."

A few of the current hopefuls have already appeared on reality TV singing competitions. Allison Iraheta won the Telmundo contest "Quinceanera" in 2006. Brent Keith Smith was a contestant on the second season of "Nashville Star" in 2004. Jackie Mendez competed in 2006 on ABC's "Idol" knockoff "The One," which featured DioGuardi as a judge pre-"Idol."

There are also a few contestants who already made it through to the Hollywood round in past seasons, including Mishavonna Henson (seasons six and seven) and Junot Joyner (season seven). Along with being previously signed to a record label, there's nothing in the rules that excludes contestants dismissed from prior seasons from returning to compete.

"When I made it to Hollywood, my first thought was, 'Wow. Here we go again,'" Joyner said in a video posted on AmericanIdol.com. "Last season, I actually made it, and, of course, it didn't turn out as I would have liked, but you put the past behind you."

---

Fox is a unit of News Corp.

WRAL.COM

[Moonshot]

Joanna Pacitti Disqualified From 'American Idol'; Felicia Barton In
'It has been determined that Joanna Pacitti is ineligible to continue in the competition,' 'Idol' site announces.

By Gil Kaufman

The process of weeding "American Idol" contestants down to the top 36 is already fraught with tons of drama, which was heightened this season by the decision to have some of the contestants vying for a coveted spot on the show compete in sing-offs to determine their fate in the semifinals.

But as pressure-packed as Wednesday night's pare-down was, the real fireworks came shortly after the show aired, when Fox announced that former "Annie" Broadway star and one-time professional major label singer Joanna Pacitti, who appeared to make the cut in the pre-taped show, had been disqualified from the competition.

"It has been determined that Joanna Pacitti is ineligible to continue in the competition," read a note on the official "Idol" site, which did not explain why Pacitti was disqualified. "Felicia Barton has replaced Ms. Pacitti as part of the top 36."

Unlike past seasons, producers were up-front from the beginning this year about Pacitti's professional past, and when the judges put her through to the top 36 on Wednesday night's show, they frequently alluded to her up-and-down career tribulations, causing the singer to weep openly. When the judges finally ended the tension and told Pacitti she was through, the singer burst into tears and promised that after forgetting her lyrics several times in the Hollywood rounds, she would make them proud.

According to the Los Angeles Times, an unnamed source close to the show said Pacitti was bounced to "avoid the appearance of impropriety." It has been reported that Pacitti had some close personal relationships to some of the executives at 19 Management, one of he companies that helps produce the show and manages some of the winners.

Though last year's finalists included a number of singers with music-industry ties, several of whom had released albums, Pacitti, 24, drew fire early on this year, thanks to her former deal with Geffen/A&M, which released her debut album, This Crazy Life, in 2006. Several of her songs have appeared on soundtracks, including "Legally Blonde," "First Daughter" and "Bratz," which included her song, "Out From Under," a tune that Britney Spears covered on her Circus album.

At press time, spokespeople for "Idol" were not available to provide further details of Pacitti's disqualification, or to answer questions about whether her ineligibility was determined before Wednesday's show aired.

There were, of course, other emotional high points and some head-scratching decisions on the show, including the semifinal berth for comedian/multiple , who seemed genuinely humbled to be on the show and promised to continue mixing his comedy with singing, as well as the passing through of emotionally unpredictable Tatiana Del Toro.

With Pacitti gone, the top 36 semifinalists looks as follows:

Female: Alexis Grace, Allison Iraheta, Ann Marie Boskovich, Arianna Afsar, Casey Carlson, Felicia Barton, Jackie Tohn, Jasmine Murray, Jeanine Vailes, Jessie Langseth, Kendall Beard, Kristen McNamara, Lil Rounds, Megan Corkrey, Mishavonna Henson, Stevie Wright, Tatiana Nicole Del Toro and Taylor Vaifanua.

Male: Adam Lambert, Alexander Wagner-Trugman, Anoop Desai, Brent Keith, Danny Gokey, Jorge Nunez, Ju'Not Joyner, Kai Kalama, Kris Allen, Matt Breitzke, Matt Giraud, Michael Sarver, Nathaniel Marshall, Nick Mitchell, Ricky Braddy, Scott Macintyre, Stephen Fowler and Von Smith.

mtv.com

[Moonshot]

Idol gals: What you need to know, Part 1
February 11th, 2009 Posted in Uncategorized

UPDATE: Joanna Pacitti has been removed from the competition and replaced by Felicia Barton. We’ll add Felicia to this list of profiles as soon as time permits.

By MARK FRANKLIN

So, we survived the two-hour episode that was the walk to the chair.

And, if you’re reading this, you even survived the shock that Tatiana Del Torro and Nick Mitchell made the final 36.

Now it’s time to find out who you’ll be voting for in the coming weeks.

One has already won a televised singing competition.

Two sang their way into the top 10 in a national competition for teens.

At least a half-dozen have already put music to CD.

And that’s just among the gals.

Since Idol doesn’t always do a great job of filling us in on contestants’ backgrounds, brief profiles of the 18 female contestants follow. We’ll get to the guys at a later date, hopefully tomorrow.

Sorry to break this blog into three pieces, but the html coding starts getting cranky if I insert too many photos and too many videos into the same blog.

And there’s nothing that makes me crankier than html coding with a mind of its own … though Tatiana might give disobedient html coding a run for its money before this Idol season ends.

So, folks, meet Idol’s top gals for 2009. Videos appear at the end of each blog. And, please, if you know of other high-quality pre-Idol videos out there of these folks, let me know.

1. Alexis Grace

We met 21-year-old Alexis from Memphis, Tenn., when she was the subject of feature profile during the Louisville, Ky., auditions and won the judges over by displaying a big voice while singing Aretha Franklin’s “Dr. Feelgood.”

Idol identified her as a stay-at-home mom; she has a 2-year-old daughter named Ryan and is engaged to Ryan’s dad, who recently graduated from military school.

In her Idol video, Alexis reveals that she tried out for Idol twice previously and got turned down. On her MySpace page, she says she has “a soul, bluesy voice, the product of my roots. I am from “Midtown” Memphis, Tn., and have lived here my whole life. I have always been around music …”

The judges sent her off with instructions to dirty herself up a little and, courtesy of Kara, to make love to her fiance. Her reaction: “Is that going to be on TV?”

2. Allison Irehta

Allison is just 16, but she’s no stranger to televised singing competitions. In November 2006, she was named winner of the “Quinceanera” competiton on Telemundo, a Spanish-language U.S. TV station.

Quincenera is like a Sweet 16 coming out party for Latina girls except, as the name indicates, it occurs a year earlier. Allison sang “Total Eclipse of the Heart” in the finals (clip below).

In a press release about the event, the vocal and stage performance training team of John Michael Ferrari and Pepper Jay said they “radically improved and cultivated her voice,” noting that her performance moved one judge to tears. For her efforts, Allison walked away with $50,000, a recording contract and won “the hearts of Latin music fans everywhere,” the press release says.

During her Idol video, Allison says she been anxiously waiting to turn 16 so she could try out for the show. Allison says she prefers singing soul; she auditioned in San Francisco.

3. Ann-Marie Boskovich

Ann-Marie is 22 and hails from Nashville, Tenn., so it’s no surprise you can find a couple of videos of her singing country … as long as you check under the name Ann Marie and drop the Boskovich. She’s the gal who auditioned in Jacksonville, Fla., sang wonderfully, but was sent away
to look more like a star. She came back with less clothing, more makeup and slightly tossled hair and got her golden ticket.

She’s hardly a novice at this singing business. On her MySpace page she says she first sang for an audience when she was 5 at her grandmother’s funeral, won her first grand prize singing when her dad snuck her into a Salinas Valley bar on karoke night. At age 13, she sang “Part of Your World” over the closing credits of the direct-to-video movie “The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea.” She also sang at the 2003 NBA All-Star Game.

She moved to Nashville in 2004, shortly after graduating from high school and has been pursuing a career there as a singer/songwriter, according to her MySpace profile. Idol identified her as a waitress/nanny during her audition.

4. Arianna Afsar

Another 16-year-old, Arianna is the gal who was profiled during the Phoenix, Ariz., auditions where she talked extensively about the Adopt a Grandfriend program she founded at her high school.

That accomplishment was also noted back in 2003, when she placed second in the first-ever Miss America’s Outstanding Teen competition at age 13. A resident of San Diego, Arianna was named Miss California’s Outstanding Teen that year and went on to win the preliminary talent portion of the national pageant “with a powerful vocal rendition of ‘Don’t Rain on My Parade,’” according to a pageant press release.

The release says she had already won 50 talent competitions for her singing and received a $500 scholarship for her win in the talent competition. In her Idol video, Arianna says she likes to sing jazz and R&B.

5. Casey Carlson

I sorta feel sorry for Casey Carlson, Idol’s remaining bikini girl. The 20-year-old from Minneapolis proved she could sing during the Kansas City auditions. But she also happened to pose for a bikini calendar for Campus Girls USA and, since she’s far prettier than Idol’s Bikini Girl #1, those photos are now all over the Web and YouTube.

Casey the singer? There’s not a sign of her. Though in her interview video for Campus Girls, she assures viewers that “music is the part in my life that makes me tick. If I didn’t have music in my day, I’d go crazy, I’d go nuts.” And she says her dream job would be to sing and dance on Broadway, even though her major at the University of Minnesota is in advertising and public relations.

In her Idol video, she says she prefers singing pop and alternative music. And, hey, she showed up at the Idol audition clothed. Kudos to her for that.

6. Jackie Tohn

If appearing in a few movies, on a few TV shows (including “The Sopranos” and “The Closers”) and singing and playing guitars in clubs in Los Angeles and New York for 10 years hasn’t made you a household name, why not try American Idol?

That seems to be the rationale of this 28-year-old, who we saw audition in New York. In her Idol video, she says: “I think American Idol is more than, you know, just singers and people who wake up in the morning and think, ‘I’m a really good singer, I can go do this.’ It’s kinda also for those of us who have been stomping the pavement for so long.”

Judging from her Facebook page, Jackie released a 12-track CD named Beguiling in 2008. Judging from her resume on imdb.com, she also released an EP called “The Golden Girl.” She describes her music as that “quirk acoustic solo thing.” She acts pretty quirky, too.

Videos here York Dispatch

[Moonshot]

7. Jasmine Murray

And here we have another alum of the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen pageant. Jasmine, 16, was Miss Mississippi’s Outstanding Teen back in 2007, went on to finish in the top 10 in the national competition and earned the honor of singing the national anthem prior to the Miss America Pageant in January 2008.

The Daily Leader newspaper identifies her as a junior at the Mississippi School of Arts, and Idol viewers got to meet her during the Jacksonville auditions. She’s the youngest in a family of five children and, in her Idol interview, says she likes singing country and pop-rock.

She’s a bit of a miracle, too, judging from pre-audition comments from her mother, who said she had extreme toxemia while pregnant with Jasmine and that doctors didn’t expect either of them to make it.

8. Jeanine Vailes

Jeanine, 28, of Sherman Oaks, Calif., is a mystery gal in this competition. Have we seen her yet?

She auditioned in San Francisco, but Idol spent that episode featuring freaks and no-talents instead of singers with real Hollywood potential. In her Idol interview, she credits her sister for convincing her to audition, and it sounds like she might have tried out for Idol in the past.

“I was totally excited and shocked at the same time,” she says of her reaction to receiving a golden ticket. “I just didn’t think it could happen for me again because I thought I was out of chances.” She says she’s been singing since she was 4 and started out in her church choir.

9. Jessica Langseth

Ever hear of a Grammy-winning blues guitarist named Jonny Lang? Well he was born Jon Langseth Jr., and Jessica is his sister.

I guess figuring what worked for her brother might work for her, Jessica shortened her last name and formed the Jesse Lang Band. The band was playing in the Minnesota area when it was featured in a January 2005 review in Blues on Stage. Asked to classify her music, Jessica told Blues on Stage: “It ain’t country. It’s good old rock, but it’s also me and what I do.”

She’s also included in the band profiles on the Bogart’s Nightclub (Apple Valley, Minn.) Web site, which says Jesse Lang … or Jessica Langseth … sang with a well-known Minnesota band T.C. Jammers around 2002 before deciding to put together her own band. In her Idol interview, Jessica, 25, says she’ll sing almost anything, but really loves “old Motown stuff.”

10. Joanna Pacitti - has since been cut and replaced by Felicia Barton


11. Kendall Beard

As a teen, this 24-year-old Texas gal apparently traveled around her home state performing at places like the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, then put her music career on hold while attendng the University of Texas, where she got a bachelor’s degree in communication studies.

In the summer of 2007, she moved to California to attend the university’s Los Angeles program and wound up interning for Sony BMG in the artist publicity department. “I thought I could settle for working in the business side of music, but once I was there, it became apparent to me that this was not where I was meant to be. My love for the creative side of music was too strong to deny.”
That quote comes from the product description for a self-titled CD she released under the Weberworks Entertainment label after meeting Grammy award winning producer Jeffrey Weber. Amazon.com lists four tracks on the CD, which is no longer available. Kendall described it this way: “This album is just like my personality, it has a touch of everything, a little rock, a bit of pop and a touch of country and blues.”

Meanwhile, the Lufkin Daily News has been tracking Kendall’s progress on Idol and reports that she had returned to Lufkin last year to play at the St. Cyprian’s Episcoplal School’s annual fundraiser, the Bayou Bash, and credited the school’s staff for helping her overcome dyslexia when she was a student there. The newspaper also reported that her father is friends with Britney Spears’ father, Jamie, an old college buddy.

Lufkin Daily News story

12. Kristen McNamara

Kristen, 23, from Napa Valley, Calif., was a contestant on season four of the Idol-like country music competition Nashville Star, placing sixth back in 2006. At the time, she toted around a squirrel skin as a good luck charm, according to her video blogs for the show.

According to her MySpace profile, her “first paying gig” was singing at a funeral and, before heading to Nashville, she sang for the San Francisco Giants and 49ers.

At some point she also recorded a series of songs with movie stuntman and director John Stewart (he directed 14 episodes of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers), including the first two below, both of which are more pop than country. “Now That I Found You” is particularly good; most of the video you’ll see is from her Nashville Star blogs, where she dislayed her wacky side, singing while sitting in a hillbilly hot tub and interviewing a lobster she was in the process of eating.

In her Idol video interview, she says she now prefers singing “adult contemporary pop,” that friends talked her into auditioning for the show but that American Idol is “something that’s really good to have in your back pocket in the music business these days.”

Videos of all at: York Dispatch

[Moonshot]

13. Lil Rounds

Lil, 23, was the subject of a feature segment during the Kansas City audition. The segment told how she, her husband and their three children were forced to live out of a motel after a tornado destroyed their home at the Briar Club Apartments near Memphis, Tenn.

The Memphis Commercial Appeal tracked down Briar Club general manager Cynthia Johnson who recalled that Rounds and her husband were “good, quiet, humble people. Nobody knew she was as talented as she turned out to be.”

Indeed, Rounds has received praise from the judges every time she has sung. In her Idol interview, she says she’s been singing since age 2. “That’s when I was successfully able to sing the Happy Birthday song.”

Lil says she prefers singing R&B and a little jazz. According to a fan club Web site, she has sung at a Memphis Club called Fire & Ice.

Memphis Commercial Appeal story

14. Megan Corkrey

Megan was also featured during an audition episode, Salt Lake in this case. We learned that she’s the mother of a 2-year-old son named Ryder, that she decided to divorce his father because “I just knew the life that I had planned for us, that I had pictured, wasn’t going to happen.”

She wound up auditioning on her 23rd birthday, sang “Can’t Help Loving that Man of Mine” and drew rave reviews from all four judges. She was identified as a font designer on the blue ID bar that pops up on Idol when an auditioner begins singing.

In her Idol video, Megan says she usually sings jazz and bluesish and R&B type music. Here’s what she said about her decision to audition: “I was at a crossroads in my life and anything was possible and anything’s still possible, and why not chase a dream.” She shows the potential to be one of this year’s most likeable contestants.

15. Mishavonna Henson

Mishavonna — pronounced Mish-a-vonna — is just 18 but has enough TV and movie credits to merit a page on imdb.com as Misha Henson and has a five-track EP under her belt as simply Mishavonna.

She sings country on the CD, released in April 2007, though a rapper interrupts the title track, “Edge of the World,” at a couple of points. I kid you not. You can check it out yourself. Free downloads of all five tracks are available at the Redrum Productions Web site; the EP is also available through iTunes for $4.95.

But be forewarned. Mishovanna sounds like what she is, a very young singer. One song, “Her Next Plan,” is very good. I’d love to hear Ann-Marie, Kristen and Kendall sing it for comparative purposes.

As for her TV credits, they includes appearances on an episode of “Frasier” and the Nickelodeon show “Unfabulous.” Mishavonna made it to Hollywood last year, but got cut on the second day. Here’s what she says about that experience in her Idol video: “I was heartbroken when I got cut. It made me realize how much I really want this.”

16. Stevie Wright

We met 17-year-old Stevie in this year’s very first audition episode from Phoenix where she told the world that her parents named her after a far more famous singer, Stevie Nicks.

According to the Daily Press of Victorville, Calif., Stevie is a student at Serrano High School where she participates in the choral program. “I decided to audition because it’s been my dream snce I was 9 years old … and I was always saying, ‘Mom, when I turn 16, I want to do that.”

She says she prefers singing pop music and that she had a simple strategy for winning over the judges. “My game plan is to just be really bubbly and to show my personality and then just sing my heart out.”

17. Tatiana Del Torro

Remember Mikalah Gordon from season four of Idol. She’s my winner of the award for most annoying Idol contestant ever. Well, if Tatiana makes it to the final 12, she just might wrestle the annoying crown right off Mikalah’s head.

On top of the irritating laugh, displayed so prominently during her audition, Tatiana almost outdid Bikini Girl as the most self-obsessed drama queen on group night last week.

OK, down to facts. Tatiana is 24 and was born and raised in Puerto Rico. She bills herself as a singer/songwriter of all sorts of music and as a sometimes actress. She has performed at some of California hottest nightspots, Whiskey a Go Go, The Viper Room and The Cat Club, apparently as Tatiana Nicole.

Asked it she writes her own music in a 2006 interview, her response was: “Every note. I write, arrange, produce and perform it.” At the point in her Idol video interview where most contestants talk about the style of music they prefer, Tatiana says: “My favorite type of music is my own music. I love being a songwriter.”

At some point, she was also apparently a student at the New York Film Academy. Someone posted a congratulations to Tatiana on the site last week. One comment was posted under it. The person posting the comment closed with: “Please, try not to laugh so much.”

18. Taylor Vaifanua

Add Taylor to the list of Idol wannabes with at least an independent CD release in their past. The 16-year-old released 10-track CD named “Timeless” in 2006. It’s no longer available through CD Universe, but you can still hear short clips of each of the songs there.

The Deseret News of Salt Lake profiled Taylor at the time of her CD release. Taylor’s mom, Angie, explained how Taylor gained an appreciation for music during the five years the family lived in Samoa where “there wasn’t a lot of stuff to do.”

The family now lives in Hurricane, Utah; Taylor told Idol they moved to the United States so she could be discovered.

As for the CD, Taylor told the Deseret News the songs she recorded were mostly written by Christian writers, although they’re not necessarily religious songs. She described them as “kind of inspirational, but hip-hop and pop at the same time.” Idol made much of the fact that the teen stands 5-foot-11. No wonder the newspaper story mentions that she’s also a standout basketball player.

Deseret News story


videos at story here: York Dispatch

[Moonshot]

'Idol' to change time slot with 'Lie to Me'
    February 18, 2009

Fox is shaking up Wednesday night by switching "American Idol" with the first-year drama "Lie to Me," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Once "Idol" moves into the finals March 11, Fox will shift the competition to 9 p.m., to run against ABC's "Lost" for the rest of season. "Lie to Me" will shift to 8 p.m.

Although "Idol" and "Lost" tend to have different audiences, last week Fox aired a two-hour show that stretched into the 9 p.m. hour and seemed to take a little steam out of the ABC series, whose ratings have declined with each episode this season. (Fox also airs a two-hour "Idol" the week before the time-period switch, which will likewise encroach on 9 p.m.).

newsday.com

[Moonshot]

'IDOL' ON iTUNES.

All season eight "American Idol" performances will again be available exclusively on the iTunes Store the day following the performance, Fox announced yesterday.

Fans can purchase the music performances for 99 cents per song starting today. Starting March 11, the video of Top 12 finalist performances will also be available for purchase. Fans can also pre-order performances of their favorite contestants during the show from the iTunes Store, which will be downloaded automatically the day after the show airs.

newsday.com

[Moonshot]

Image counts for 'AI' singers; a widower's burden
AP - Thursday, February 19, 2009 6:29:11 PM
By LYNN ELBER
AP

Image counts on "American Idol," and the first three finalists know it.

Michael Sarver, 27, an oil-rig worker from Jasper, Texas, said that being a "hardworking American" is part of his appeal, "especially in the economy and the day that we live."

"It's a chance to see someone rise from the ashes. Not that my life is bad, but things are tough," said Sarver, citing oil industry layoffs and hiring freezes.

Sarver joined Danny Gokey and Alexis Grace, selected by viewers this week for the show's ultimate top 12, in a teleconference Thursday.

Gokey, 28, who lost his wife, Sophia, to a congenital heart defect, said he worriesthat the audience might grow weary of hearing about his tragedy.

"It's only been seven months since she passed," Gokey said. "It's not that I throw it in people's faces but I get asked about it all the time. ... I apologize to everybody if it feels like it's shoved down their face, but it's so fresh in my mind."

He doesn't carry a reminder of her onstage, he said, "because she's so deeply ingrained in my heart and mind that she's part of who I am." His "spunky" wife would be happy for him, said Gokey, a church music director from Milwaukee.

For Grace, 21, a single mom from Memphis, Tenn., her image literally was the issue: The petite, sweet-faced blonde was advised during her first audition to "dirty up" her look, and she responded with a sexier wardrobe and hair.

"I kind of like the whole '60s soul, cocktail-dress kind of vibe thing," said Grace, who admitted reluctantly ("Most girls wouldn't like this question") to being just under 5-foot-tall and weighing shy of 100 pounds.

Asked how she came out of her shell so quickly, she said, "I think I might have a little alter ego on stage, maybe."

The best thing about "Idol," she said, is how it helps form a singer as an artist. Those in the show's music department, including music director Rickey Minor, have worked with Aretha Franklin and other music greats, Grace said.

"You'd be silly not to listen to them and take advice from them," she said.

Grace's young daughter is getting a kick out of watching her on TV and might be close to figuring out why mom is there, she said. Sarver's 3-year-old already has.

"She says she wants to go on 'American Idol.' So maybe we've got another one in the future," he said.

Next week, 12 more semifinalists will vie for three spots in the competition's top 12, but the dismissed semifinalists may have another chance. After the first nine finalists are selected by viewer votes, the judges will pick the last three finalists following a wild card round March 5.

news.yahoo.com

[Moonshot]

SAFE BET: ADAM ODDS-ON TO WIN 'IDOL'
By DAVID K. LI
Last updated: 2:55 am April 6, 2009
Posted: 1:31 am April 6, 2009

IT'S official: Adam Lambert is the odds-on favorite to be the next "American Idol."

Oddsmakers from Latin American to London for the first time this week have made the show-stopping crooner such a prohibitive favorite to win this year's "Idol" that a $1 bet on him will pay only 80 cents.

The talent show has seen some heavy favorites in the past but nothing quite like Lambert -- who is running away from the field with seven other performers still in the running.

Lambert has been out of the top spot only once so far in competition -- when he stumbled during country music week -- and briefly gave the betting lead to Danny Gokey.

Gokey this week is holding steady as the second pick, with most bookmakers listing him at 5-to-2.



Kris Allen is moving up among "Idol" bettors and is now the show's No. 3 pick at around 7-to-1.

Allison Iraheta had been the third pick for several weeks, but -- after a lackluster performance last week -- fell to the middle of the pack.

Her wild hair and shouted version of "Don't Speak" put her in last week's bottom three for the first time.

Message board chatter over the weekend seems to indicate that Allison has not really connected with fans of the show -- nor started to pick up votes as other contestants are knocked out.

But she did pick up one big endorsement: late last week, fellow 16-year-old Miley Cyrus said she was rooting for Allison. The two have even began texting each other last week.

NYPOST.COM

[Pepe]

MICHELLE thanks for the interesting info.  I'm a little disappointed in Allison and hoped she would move up more.  She is going to have to be careful with what songs she sings now, I think she really is a great talent though and I love her.

[claydevotee]

Thanks, MICHELLE for bringing over this article.  I'm very happy to see that Kris Allen has taken over the #3 spot.  He is so easy to listen to....I guess he would be considered to be "radio friendly"?   I love to hear what kind of CD he would put out.

I also love Danny and Adam, so for me it's a win-win situation!

[Moonshot]

Paula Abdul Talks About ‘Possibly Moving On’ From Idol
April 21, 2009

Is Paula Abdul leaving American Idol?

In a new interview with Nightline host Cynthia McFadden set to air Thursday (11:35 p.m. ET, on ABC), the Idol judge explains, “This is my last season under contract,” but plays it cagey when asked directly if she will sign on for another season.

“I love the show, I do,” Abdul says. “I love what I do on the show and I’m loving it more this season than ever. It’s taken me a while to get comfortable in my own skin with the show.”

Some have speculated that new judge Kara DioGuardi was hired to be Abdul’s replacement. But according to Abdul, that’s not the case.

“I don’t think anyone [can replace me],” she says. “First of all, Kara says ‘I could never replace you.’ And I said whenever there is change it’s not about replacing anybody; it’s about possibly moving on.”

Plus, the two women on the judges’ panel are friends.

“I actually think that Simon [Cowell] got mad that we are friends and that I actually knew her and that her humble beginning began sleeping in my guest bedroom and I just believed in her,” Abdul says in the interview.

Known to butt heads with Cowell over the years, Abdul reveals that his harsh criticism of the contestants has impacted her role on the show. “The first day I went to work on season 1, I quit seven times,” she says, adding, “I couldn’t believe that that someone was actually getting away with crushing fragile kids.”

“I couldn’t take the pain that I saw,” she says. “And I think being an artist who has had success, it’s very vulnerable when you are the talent. And when someone attacks you with criticism that isn’t constructive, sometimes it’s hard to take.” – Brian Orloff

tvwatch.people.com

[Moonshot]

Simon Cowell: 'American Idol' departure talk not a negotiating ploy
By Christopher Rocchio, 04/21/2009

Simon Cowell claims his comments about possibly leaving American Idol once his current contract expires after the next year's ninth season isn't just a negotiating ploy for his next contract.

"It's not negotiating," Cowell told The New York Times in an interview published Monday.  "I have as good a relationship with the people from Fox as you possibly can have. They've become friends. I don't bull them... I don't want to get bored, and I don't want the audience to get bored."

Earlier this month, Cowell openly speculated he might leave his Idol judging role after the November 2005  five-season agreement he signed with Fox expires due to his other obligations to his The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent U.K. reality competitions.

"Most people do one show a year and I do three. It just so happens that one is in America and two are in England and they do involve a lot of traveling.  One may have to go. I don't know how to decide which one. That is the problem, I like all of them," he had told the U.K.'s The Daily Mirror newspaper.

"I can't imagine not doing Britain's Got Talent and I can't imagine not doing X Factor. But I guess America is more likely to go because I have got one year under contract. Maybe that will be the end."

Cowell quickly clarified his remarks after they gained quite a bit of media attention, telling The Los Angeles Times that "the only certainty is that I'm still on Idol, still love doing it and still have a year under contract. So, while I'm looking at all options for the future, I haven't made any decisions."

Cowell reiterated that stance and said he has yet to make a decision.

"When I signed the latest extension on Idol through next season, it felt like that was going to be the right amount of time," he told The New York Times.  "It still feels right."

Also included in the 2005 extension Cowell inked with Fox was an agreement that he wouldn't sell the rights to an American adaptation of The X Factor, which effectively replaced Pop Idol, the British series American Idol was based on, when Cowell left Pop Idol to start The X Factor after Pop Idol's second season.

The X Factor's U.K. launch later sparked a lawsuit in which Idol creator Simon Fuller and his 19 Entertainment company sued Cowell and Fremantle Media -- 19's Idol production partner who was also co-produces The X Factor with Cowell's own production company -- over the show's similiarities to the Idol concept.

The lawsuit's settlement -- which featured Fuller and 19 receiving a minority interest in The X-Factor -- was reportedly also part of the conditions of Cowell's 2005 Idol extension agreement.

However Cowell told The New York Times that once his Fox contract expires he would be free to sell the rights to The X Factor stateside and even appear on-screen for the series -- which is something he currently can't do with any of his other American projects, including NBC's America's Got Talent, due to his Fox contract. (Unlike in America, Cowell serves as a judge on both The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent, which both air on the ITV network).

While he's still unsure about whether or not he'll continue on Idol, Cowell reiterated he thinks it could continue without him.

"I think the show could go on for another 5 or 10 years," he told The New York Times.  "It would just be a different type show."

realitytvworld.com

[Moonshot]

American Idol's Matt Giraud Never Wanted to Be the Winner

Thu., Apr. 30, 2009 12:36 PM PDT by Carrie Borzillo-Vrenna
American Idol, Matt Giraud Ray Mickshaw / FOX

Don't cry for Matt Giraud's loss last night on American Idol. Why? Well, for one, he didn't set out to be the American Idol anyway. And for another reason: He might just be the only contestant from this season to end up as a trivia question.

We'll let Matt explain: "I never came in wanting to be the American Idol. My dream was to play that piano on that stage. My dream was to sing jazz on that stage. My dream was to meet the mentors. That was like dreams come true for me."

Find out what else Matt had to say in his closing remarks interview this morning...

When asked how it feels to make Idol history by being the first contestant the judges used the new judges' save rule on, Matt said, "I can't wait to see my name on a trivia card. I feel blessed [and] honored. It was a really cool feeling, probably one of the coolest moments of my life. It made me feel real special, and I hope people think it was worth it. I really didn't know people felt that passionately about me. One of security guards told me he never heard the room get so loud."

The Kalamazoo, Mich.-bred singer-musician says he plans to make a soulful rock record, but he wouldn't mind paying his dues a bit first. "I would love to get on the road and maybe open up for a band after the [American Idol summer tour]—maybe like the Fray or Gavin DeGraw and just pay my dues in the music industry," he says. "And I'd like to get more into some soulful rock with a twist of blues on it. I'd love to see myself as a lead man with a piano and a band around me."

One thing he doesn't see were the comparisons to Justin Timberlake, which he got a lot of this season. Of the comparison, Matt says that it was "a little bit annoying, but I respect him a lot. But I think I'm a lot different. I love his type of music. I can pull it off, I think. But it's not really where I want to go musically. I'd rather be rocking out with some kind of piano band."

Do you think it was Matt's time to go? Can you see him going the way of Gavin DeGraw or the Fray? Sound off below.

eonline.com

[Moonshot]

American Idol's Matt Giraud Never Wanted to Be the Winner

Interesting since I didn't want him to be the winner either. 

[Moonshot]

Could Adam Lambert become the first gay or bisexual 'American Idol'?

BY Eloise Parker
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Friday, May 1st 2009, 2:06 PM
Adam Lambert has said, "I have nothing to hide. I am who I am," in regards to his sexuality.

With just a handful of finalists left on this year's "American Idol", could flamboyant favorite Adam Lambert become the first gay or bisexual winner of the hit talent show?

"Some people are saying, wouldn't it be amazing that in the same year that the first African-American president took office in the U.S., we also elected the first gay and/or bisexual 'American Idol'," Robert Thompson, professor of popular culture at Syracuse University in New York told Reuters.
"I don't think that's comparable. Rather than being surprised, I am thinking 'Wow, have we really got this far without having one yet?,'" he said.

The talented 27-year-old has never openly discussed his sexual orientation, though he declared "I have nothing to hide. I am who I am," after pictures of him dressed in drag and kissing other men circulated on the internet last month.

Whether his sexuality matters or not to voters, one thing that's undisputed is Lambert's extraordinary talent, having already won a rare standing ovation from Mr. Nasty himself, Simon Cowell, after his cover of "Mad World" by Tears for Fears last month.

Commenting on the new format of the show, watched by an average of 26.3 million viewers every week, Lambert said, "I think it gives America the chance to pull who they really want."

Lambert's daring performances, described as "confusing, shocking, over the top, theatrical" by judge Kara DioGuardi, coupled with his refusal to deny his sexuality have already made him a less ambiguous figure to fans than 2003 runner-up Clay Aiken, who didn't talk publicly about being gay until 2008.

Already renowned for his phenomenal vocal range and audacious performances if hits including "Believe" by Cher, Lambert says if he wins, "I hope to be a role model for maybe that kid who…doesn't fit the mold."

Read more: "Could Adam Lambert become the first gay or bisexual 'American Idol'?"