September 2006 News Archive

We're sure Ruben Studdard will hit the talk shows and major performing arenas soon, in order to publicize the release of his upcoming album, The Return.

Tonight, however, the American Idol winner will appear at the 17th annual Henry Street Heritage Festival, Roanoke, Virginia's celebration of African-American culture.

Studdard’s visit to Roanoke will be more appearance than performance, according to the people from Vibe 100 who brought him here.

“Ruben will go on right before the Bar-Kays,” said Walt Ford, programming director for Vibe 100, Roanoke-Lynchburg’s classic soul and rhythm and blues FM radio station.

Meanwhile, Justin Guarini, one of the most popular contestants in American Idol history despite not winning his season, makes his local debut tonight at the Commerce Bank Arts Center in New Jersey.

Guarini will be joined by The Business, a popular local band, as well as three actors: David Proval (Richie Aprile on The Sopranos), Johnny Williams (Johnny Roast Beef in Goodfellas) and Sal Mazzotta (Mafioso) of Glendora, whose Eagle Films is producing the concert.

She's young, she’s beautiful and she captured tens of millions of hearts as the runner-up on American Idol this spring. Indeed, there are many reasons why Katharine McPhee could be considered one of Us Weekly’s "Fresh 15."

She was recently profiled by the magazine and we're here to share some snippets from this adorable singer.

On her rise to fame:

"[A year ago] I didn't know how I was going to be able to pay for school or whatever. It's so incredible. Even if this whole thing doesn't work out, singing, at least I know I'll be comfortable for the rest of my life."

On her new album:

"I'm not even talking about that... I'd love to tell. I'm going for contemporary, for Top 40 stuff. That means a lot of things. A lot of people are expecting me to put out a Celine Dion-type album. I'd like to have aspects of that, but those albums don't sell very well."

On her first big purchase:

"I bought a car! I only got to drive it for one day. I bought a BMW 525 in gunmetal silver. It's something I'm very excited about and bought myself!"

On her famous high school pal:

"Rachel Bilson was a senior when I was a freshman. We were friends, but we didn't get to hang out. I was only 14 when she was probably 18. I was in the spring musical with her, [but] I was the only freshman in the musical. I sat next to her every night putting on my makeup. She would let me borrow her makeup, and [that] always made me feel so special. She was so sweet to me."

On her favorite American Idol contestant:

"I just watched Carrie Underwood's new single, 'Before He Cheats,' and she looks so good! She's coming into her own. She looks sexy! I'm really proud of her. I was a fan of her before, but she's really hot and sexy right now. She's topping the charts!"

Everything's just peachy for Katharine McPhee, who People Magazine shows grabbing lunch this week with her boyfriend, Nick Cokas. This pic was taken at West Hollywood's Urth Caffé on Wednesday, three days after Katharine wrapped her American Idols Live! tour in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

Our man Clay Aiken visited Larry King Live the other night and we located the full transcript on CNN.com.

Larry, who calls Clay one of his favorite people, talked with Aiken about his struggle with panic disorder, his move back to North Carolina, his time on American Idol, his terrific new album, A Thousand Different Ways, and the persistent rumors about his personal life. Let's take a look at the full transcript, below:

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KING: He's got a new CD. It's A Thousand Different Ways. Clay Aiken is our special guest. There you see the cover. And, Clay Aiken is back. Congratulations this CD is still in first place. It's also number two on the Billboard 200. Where you been? Where did you go? Did you leave us?

AIKEN: Well, I was working on this. It took us a while. It was kind of a process to get this thing together. It started out as an album that was going to be all original material and we kind of took a turn and decided to make a lot of -- do some remakes of some old love songs.

KING: But you stopped doing concerts, right? I mean didn't you kind of...

AIKEN: We went out for Christmas. We did a Christmas concert in 2004 on the back of a Christmas album and then did another one last year and did a lot of work with UNICEF and a lot of work with my foundation and so we kind of focused on that for a while.

KING: So you didn't go away, away?

AIKEN: Didn't go away, Larry.

KING: You moved out here.

AIKEN: Right.

KING: And then back in North Carolina.

AIKEN: I moved out here for a while and then headed back to North Carolina.

KING: Didn't like it here?

AIKEN: There are plenty of good things about it here, you know.

KING: But?

AIKEN: There are plenty but, you know, I just kind of like the small town local, quiet, know where everybody lives, know my way around town, no traffic. There's a lot of plusses to every place in the country. But, you know, home is, it's always better to be at home right?

KING: Are you back in the city you grew up in?

AIKEN: I am.

KING: It seems you've stepped back from the spotlight too didn't you? Is there any reason for that?

AIKEN: Well, I mean I think of that stuff happened so quickly, you know. You're on -- I was on Idol and the minute I came off the show I had no idea how big it was, you know. We were so sequestered on the show.

KING: You were the first...

AIKEN: The second season.

KING: Second season.

AIKEN: And it was the first season that it really blew up and we had no idea how big the show was. And, I come off the show and it's everywhere you turn people are staring at you, pointing, and taking a picture and it was such a whirlwind for two years. It was kind of nice to be able to sit back and collect yourself and relax and try to breathe for a minute, so I appreciated that.

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Of all the American Idol albums coming out this fall, one may have the biggest impact.

Granted, that may be due to the (lovable) girth of its crooner, Ruben Studdard, but there are other reasons why fans should be excited for The Return, Ruben's second R&B album that hits shelves across the nation on October 17.

"This album is all me," said Studdard, who followed up his platinum 2003 debut, Soulful, with a hit gospel album, I Need an Angel. "The first album was more of a souvenir project for fans of American Idol. On this one, people will get a lot more of who Ruben is."

And who is that?

According to MTV.com - and judging by songs like the LP's likely second single, the 1980s falsetto funk of the Scott Storch-produced "What Tha Business Is," - he's the kind of dude who spots a girl across the bar, compliments her "thick thighs," offers to share a shot of XO and tells her, "You might not know me/ but I wanna show you/ I can give you what you need."

Say hello to Raunchy Ruben, fans!

The album's first single, a slow dance ballad called "Change Me," bridges the gap between the classic soul of the Isley Brothers and the smooth-talk R&B perfected by Studdard's hero, R. Kelly. It's an example of the maturity Studdard said he wants to show off this time out.

"I was in the studio in L.A. working with the [song's producers] Underdogs and I [realized] I was apologizing for things we do as men," he explained. "But there's so many different aspects of relationships, so I told them, 'What if we talk about how it is when guys feel like the girl is always trying to change what they do?' And it came out hot."

The album also features two songs written by hot R&B star Ne-Yo ("Make Ya Feel Beautiful" and "Rather Just Not Know"), which Studdard said the pair banged out at a furious pace.

"I'm a fan of his work I was in love with song he [co-] wrote for [Mario Vazquez] and I asked my A&R guys to hook up a session - and we ended up with two smashes."

Aside from their bond as young R&B hitmakers, Studdard revealed an even deeper connection that most people don't know about.

If you do a search on the Web, you can find a nearly decade-old clip of an "It's Showtime at the Apollo" performance by a Boyz II Men-style vocal group from Las Vegas that features a flame-haired Ne-Yo and none other than disgraced ex-Idol contestant Corey Clark.

"I remember seeing them on that show!" said Studdard with a rumbling laugh.

Kind of like fellow alum, Kelly Clarkson, Studdard feels that his second album is a coming-out party for his personal style and an opportunity to show people that he's much more than a TV talent-show winner. But he's careful not to dismiss his roots.

"My motivation is not to break away from American Idol," he said. "We wouldn't be having this conversation if not for that show. My objective is to show people who I am through my music."

Ever wonder what happened to Justin Guarini? Vonzell Solomon? Brian Dunkleman? Contrary to popular belief, the American Idol rejects are all still around. In fact, they're all about to become huge stars, all over again.

Last night the victims of the wrath of Simon Cowell came out to celebrate the show that changed their lives forever and promote a new American Idol-based project at the exclusive Spyder Club in Hollywood.

Fremantle Media, the company behind American Idol, has just announced the creation of a new show called, American Idol Rewind which gives viewers a never-before-seen look into American Idol.

As the former cast-offs rolled in to the party, which featured a live performance from Guarini. The poofy haired singer serenaded the crowd with a few cuts from his soon-to-be-released CD, "Stranger Things Have Happened."

So if you're anything like us and crave these pop-culture flashbacks, check out American Idol Rewind, which airs in syndication starting September 30.

Leave it to Simon Cowell to mock a guy on anti-anxiety medication.

When commenting on Clay Aiken's admittance that he takes the anti-depressant Paxil to deal with the fame he won on American Idol, the surly one definitely didn't hold back in a recent interview.

"Oh give me a break. Let me have a choice, I'm going to work in a coal mine for 14 hours a day or I'm going to be a runner-up on American Idol. Give me a break, idiot."

While judge Paula Abdul and celebrity guest judge Olivia Newton-John both stuck up for the season two runner-up, Cowell kept the insults rolling.

"They're not working for a living, they're becoming famous... no one's put a gun to their head... Clay, whatever he may have said, would not swap what he's got now for what he had three years ago."

Way to be sympathetic. Simon's attitude clearly provides Idol with a certain spark, but it would be nice if he would show a little sensitivity off-screen. Clay will surely take the high road on this because that's the kind of person he is, but it's still sad he has to put up with it. He is going through enough right now, and has a great new CD out. People should focus on that and let him live his life.

Our man Clay Aiken may have had a tough week in the media, but his fans will never desert him. Thousands attended a taping of Jimmy Kimmel Live in which the singer performed... and the host proved to be a ClayMate, if only for a day. See below:

Nice shirt and sign, Jimmy!

He's known for giving love to his "dawgs," but American Idol judge, Randy Jackson, is largely involved with the Million Cat Rescue, 9Lives' campaign. It helps felines find homes.

Jackson recently sat down with TV Guide to talk about such charitable work ... along with a certain FOX TV show.

TV Guide: What's up with the Dawg and cats? Are you a feline fancier?
Randy Jackson: [Laughs] I have three dogs and now I have two cats, and they get along fabulously. I'm an animal lover in general. The Dawg is helping cats out, that's how I look at it. The Dawg is so large and in charge, he's helping cats out.

TV Guide: And you've already made a dent in the Million Cat rescue, haven't you?
Jackson: Yeah, I adopted one, "Mr. Dawg." [Chuckles] He's a cute little kitten.

TV Guide: Is it true that more people than ever have tried out for Idol this season?
Jackson: Yeah, it's amazing. Last season was one of our biggest ever, and this year eclipses that. Droves of people are turning out, which we're happy about. We're in the middle of auditions right now.

TV Guide: Are the singers getting slicker, more talented? Less tone-deaf?
Jackson: No, not really. You would hope that people would get slicker, would know what to expect, but I don't know what show they're watching! They say they watch the show all the time, and then they come in, sing a bad song and they sing it terribly. I want to say, "What show are you watching? Was the volume up when you were watching?” [Laughs] Wonders never cease.

TV Guide: There are those who just come in for a goof obviously, for a second of fame, but do some of these truly awful applicants really think they can sing?
Jackson: Some of them actually are just delusional.

TV Guide: Idol comes back in January. Will there be any changes?
Jackson: There are a couple of new little wrinkles, but we're trying to keep it all under wraps.

TV Guide: Why do you think Celebrity Duets didn't really catch on?
Jackson: [Laughs] It was a good idea, but I'm not so sure that there's much to be invested in.

TV Guide: Do you think that actors doing it for fun and charity can't compare to watching real people striving to establish careers?
Jackson: Maybe that's it. [Duets' celebrities are] already making it in some way.

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Jon Peter Lewis, also known as JPL to his fans, is gearing up to release his eagerly anticipated debut album on November 7.

The record, Stories From Hollywood, has been in the works for over a year and features all original songs.

From the moment Jon Peter Lewis took the American Idol stage, he made his presence felt. A performance of "A Little Less Conversation" captured the hearts of millions and made him a finalist in Season 3, which was eventually won by Fantasia Barrino.

Despite his success on American Idol, Lewis defied conventional wisdom by turning away offers from producers wanting to create an image he wasn't comfortable with. Instead, Jon decided to step aside and take the time to develop his own music and unique style.

"Looking back, it would have been a lot easier to jump into one of the offers handed to me, but it would have been a mistake to try and be somebody I wasn't. My heart just wasn't into being a ballad singer or creating a teeny-bopper image," he said.

"I've always felt more comfortable with a rock edge to my music and I wanted to develop that sound. It's been a long and challenging road over the last two years, but well worth the wait."

The mix of rock and soulful pop on the new album is proving to be the perfect style for Jon's superb vocal range. We're certainly looking forward to hearing his efforts.