June 2007 News Archive (Page 2)

It's never too early for information about American Idol 7, is it?

As USA Today reports, local auditions for the next Idol are already scheduled. Here are further details:

Just a month after American Idol winner Jordin Sparks was showered with confetti on the Kodak Theatre stage in Los Angeles, the top-rated Fox series is gearing up for Season 7 auditions.

San Diego, a first-time audition site, will kick off the seven-city tour July 30. New audition cities Omaha, Charleston, S.C., and Philadelphia join Dallas, Atlanta and Miami on the tour, which last year attracted 100,000 hopefuls, according to Fox estimates.

"We do like to see America," executive producer Nigel Lythgoe says of the annual search for vocal talent. Smaller cities, such as Charleston or an earlier site, Greensboro, N.C., "produce some wonderful stuff."

The tryouts will start a week earlier than last season because producers also will be conducting auditions for a new Fox reality series, The Search for the Next Great American Band.

Atlanta, Charleston, Dallas and Miami may bolster Idol's typically strong Southern flavor. Last season's finale, when Arizona's Sparks bested Washington state's Blake Lewis, was the first without a singer from the South, which provides one of Idol's largest fan bases.

After battling the elements in some earlier seasons, Idol will hold most auditions indoors, save for Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego and Dallas' Texas Stadium, which has a partly covered roof.

As with past audition tours, Idol producers will narrow each city's field to 300 to 400 of the best and worst singers. Lythgoe and co-executive producer Ken Warwick will then cull to about 120 per city to sing to judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.

Producers want to find a way to make sure more good singers make it through the initial auditions and the Hollywood round and into the final 24.

"Too many slipped through the net," Lythgoe says, adding that no big changes are planned.

Rankin Inlet has been abuzz this week with sightings of a celebrity couple:  hometown hockey hero Jordin Tootoo and his girlfriend, American Idol finalist Kellie Pickler.

The NHL player has been dating the country singer since January, reports CBC News, and has brought her home to Nunavut to meet his family.

Pickler  says her time in the region has been a welcome break from her hectic schedule back home.

"[There's] no cellphone service here, so that's a big plus. No one probably knows what a cellphone is here, do they?" she joked in a CBC interview.

Pickler had never been to Canada before. She was earlier quoted as saying she was hoping to build an igloo on her visit - and our staff made fun of her for it. But even though that didn't pan out, the Tootoo family is making sure she goes home with her share of truly northern experiences, such as fishing and sampling local food.

"I've had different types of food that I never in my wildest dreams ever thought I'd try … raw caribou and whale blubber," she said on Wednesday. "You've got to salt everything."

Pickler said besides ketchup chips, which aren't available in the U.S., her favorite part of the trip has been the people.

"I've never felt so welcome anywhere like I have here. As soon as I got off the plane, everyone was waiting for me at the airport, just to welcome me to the community. Everyone's been so nice."

Sanjaya Malakar was known throughout American Idol for his upbeat attitude and smile. But things may have changed a bit since he was voted off.

"At a certain point all the judges just gave up," said Malakar in the June 20 issue of Steppin' Out, a weekly entertainment magazine published in the New York-New Jersey area. "[The judges] realized the fans are going to do whatever they're going to do, and they're always going to vote for whomever they want.

They didn't have the power to change the way the fans felt. In fact, if anything, the more [Idol judge Simon Cowell] was mean to me, the stronger the fan support got. That's why all the judges got frustrated and just gave up... I didn't take it personally because I was just thinking what I needed to do."

Malakar continued to voice his displeasure at some of the ways he was treated by the panel.

Of all the show's judges, the crazy-haired one said he thinks Cowell was the one who was "trying to get a certain reaction out of the fans" through his criticisms. However, Malakar added he actually has "respect" for the sharp-tongued Brit due to his "unbiased honesty."

"I actually kind of like Simon. He was really mean to me - but he's also really honest - and I was searching for that," Malakar said. "Not a lot of people are like that anymore. Especially in this business. He doesn't say things the way you might want to hear them. He says what he feels with every speck of sugar off of it. It's complete raw and brutal honesty. I really think that's important to hear. You need at least one person telling you that stuff so you can learn from it."

We agree.

Meanwhile, Malakar added he wishes radio shock-jock Howard Stern would stop taking credit for his popularity on Idol, and would instead like to recognize those who really did help him make it as far as he did in the competition.

"I have to give all the credit for my success to my fans," he said. "They are the people who brought me back to the show each week. They are the people who truly supported me wholeheartedly... They're really the important people who make a difference in an entertainer's career. They're the people who actually make you who you are. They're the people who buy records and vote for you on American Idol."

It's been a good week for American Idol album sales, as reported by USA Today.

They were up 10%, while most Idols enjoyed increased figures. Once again no Idols made the Billboard top 10, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Daughtry led the pack at No. 13, down from No. 12. But he sold 56,000, up 4%, for a total of 2.78 million.

Similarly, Carrie Underwood dropped 16-22 on the chart but registered a 2% sales increase, to 41,000, to bring her total to 5.66 million.

The rest of the charting and non-charting Idols:

• After the big two, we slide down to No. 57 on the chart, occupied by Bucky Covington, who was No. 63 last week. His sales jumped 24% to 14,000, and his total is 177,000.

• Elliott Yamin slides 62-70, but is also up in sales, 5% to 12,000, and has reached 274,000 in total.

• Fantasia Barrino is the only charting Idol to drop in sales: She's off 7% to 7,100 and falls 97-116 on the chart. Her sales total is 413,000, making it likely that she'll eventually hit gold, though.

• Kellie Pickler climbs 128-122 on the chart, with a 12% gain to 6,700 and a total of 559,000. She could end up outselling Taylor Hicks and wind up as the season's No. 2 seller.

• Off the charts, Kelly Clarkson's Breakaway sold 7,300, up from 7,000, for a total of 5.8 million.

• Katharine McPhee picked up 2,300 new customers, down from 2,500, for a 339,000 total.

• Taylor sold 1,700, up from 1,400, to move up to 688,000 in total.

• Paris Bennett sold 800, down from 1,100, and has sold 16,000 total. Ruben racked up 700 more copies (same as last week) for a total of 229,000.

• Kimberley Locke sold 600 (down from 700); total is 12,000.

• Clay Aiken sold 400 (same as last week) for a total of 513,000.

• Mandisa has the No. 1 single in the country with Only the World; it sold 1,900 copies, down from 2,000.

Kelly Clarkson once suffered from bulimia.

The American Idol winner came out with the eating disorder in an interview with CosmoGirl. Clarkson said it developed in high school after she missed out on a role in a musical.

"I thought if I came back and I was cuter and thinner - then I'll get the role."

Kelly joins another past contestant, Katharine McPhee, as someone who has struggled with bulimia, during which you binge on a meal and then vomit it up afterwards. Clarkson's condition lasted for for six months until friends discovered her secret and begged her to get help.

"One of my guy friends caught on to it, and I just felt so ashamed and embarrassed. I literally went cold turkey and snapped out of it," Clarkson said.

Since beating the eating disorder, the singer vowed to be more positive about her body and promote healthy eating to her fans.

"I've got a butt, I'm Greek - I can't help that. And I think it's good for people to see normal. I love food far too much!"

Amen, Kelly. We love you just the way you are.

Clay Aiken fans are nothing if not dedicated.

Just check out this report from Buddy TV, which says “Idol: The Musical” is moving to an off-Broadway engagement on Manhattan's 45th street this July. The play, about a group of teens who idolize former contestant Clay Aiken will begin a test run at the 45th Street Theatre on July 5th.

The press notes for the musical describe it as follows:

Idol: The Musical is "a satirical musical comedy that focuses on the outrageous and delusional fan base of the hit television show. The musical takes place in Steubenville, Ohio where a group of dork-like students are preparing for their high school graduation after which they are determined to drag themselves out of the dregs of the middle-of-nowhere. There are eight of them; all belonging to the same cult-like club that meets daily in a barn that doubles as a shrine to Clay Aiken.

They are actively ridiculed by the rest of Steubenville; a humiliating situation that doesn't deter their quest for all things Clay. They are victims of A.D.D., Ritalin, their misguided obsessions and their innocent longing for their elusive '15 minutes.'”

If you ever wanted any proof at how unfathomably big American Idol is in our culture, the existence of a musical based on the worship of a former contestant (who really isn't all that famous, really) is enough to gage its magnitude.

Super Bowl XLII will be held in Glendale, Arizona next year.

Jordin Sparks is from Glendale, Arizona.

It doesn't take an American Idol expert to do that math. Rumors are already swirling that this season's champion might sing the national anthem at the world's most televised sporting event. Helping the cause?

The game will be broadcast on FOX.

"You could almost rule it out if it was CBS or some other network, but I'd say there is a good chance," said Ellman Cos. and Westgate City Center spokesman Jeff Hecht told The Arizona Republic about Sparks singing the anthem.

The game often attracts local talent. At Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston, Houston-native Beyonce Knowles sang the national anthem. Detroit-raised Aretha Franklin sang when Super Bowl XL was played in the Motor City in 2006.

"It would be absolutely perfect seeing that Phillippi (Jordin's dad) played football and because the game will be held at the new stadium," Sparks family friend Stephanie Rigby said. "I almost can't think of why she wouldn't."

Don't worry, Katharine McPhee, fans have your back.

Many supporters of this season five finalist believe she got snubbed during this year's American Idol season finale. How come? Because past contestants such as Taylor Hicks and Carrie Underwood performed... but Katharine was nowhere to be seen, despite voicing her hope for a role on the show weeks before it aired.

Now, her "McPhans" have undertaken Project KitKat in order to express their anger in a healthy, fattening way. American Idol and FOX network execs who dissed Katharine will be sent KitKat bars, along with a strongly-worded note expressing the fans' disappointment with the show, in the near future.

There's even a promotional video for the cause. And all we can say is this: it's a good thing McPhee's first name sounds like a candy bar. Only her and fans of Reese Witherspoon can really protest in such an effective manner as a result of this fortune.

Elliott Yamin had no formal training in singing prior to his participation in the fifth season of American Idol.

Nevertheless, he managed to make it all the way to the final three with Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee. The show then offered Yamin a recording contract - but he decided to sign a music publishing deal with Sony/ATV instead in December 2006.

When asked by the Arizona Daily Star if working independently of American Idol has been advantageous, Yamin didn't hesitate in his reply:

“Absolutely. I've been involved every step of the way with every facet of this project from co-writing songs to picking out the sequencing on the record to trying to help pick where I wanted to go on tour. Everything from top to bottom. I am a partner in my own deal. I have more vested in this. I don't have to go out and sell 2-3 million records to be successful.”

Despite stepping outside the mainstream, Yamin remains close with a few past contestants.

“I keep in touch with quite a few people,” Yamin said. “Bucky Covington and Taylor Hicks were my best friends on the show. I talked to Taylor…when we were in St. Louis and Bucky a couple of weeks ago. I talk to Ace Young all the time. Ace has probably become one of my better friends post-show. He lives in L.A., pretty close to where I live. We talk about more personal stuff than the business stuff. Everyone has been so busy, they just want some normalcy."

Elliott has also been a Type I diabetic since he was 16 years old and spends time working as a celebrity advocate for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

“I think it is very important,” Yamin said of his work with the organization. “A lot of people align my struggle with calling me a role model. I don't know if I necessarily want to be one, but I definitely want to be a voice.”

With a new book on the shelves, Mandisa recently sat down with Blogcritics Magazine. Here are highlights of the interview:

What is your passion in life?
My passion in life is to have a life on purpose, to make a difference. I’d like to be an example to those living with no reason.

What do you want the world to know most about you?
I serve a God who has saved me, redeemed me, and given my life purpose. I want to show people the joy that comes from living a life serving Jesus.

Your book, IDOLeyes, and your upcoming album, True Beauty, both send the world two messages. The first is that your struggle with weight has been the biggest struggle of your life. And the second — your faith as a Christian has taken you out of a comfort zone and put you into the ring of light. In what way do you wish to impact the world of overweight women?
My message is twofold: Our bodies are temples, and we have to take care of them. This is a day to day struggle for me, and I overcome it meal by meal. It took me 30 years to get to this point. My weight will not disappear overnight. Whenever I face temptation, and overcome it, this allows me to overcome further temptation.

Second, we will not allow society to dictate who is beautiful. My beauty comes from within, and I will not put my life on hold until I’m a size 5. I live my life full force every day.

As a Christian artist in the 21st century, what lions are you facing?
There have been many who have come before me that have represented the Lord and who have condemned others. I have a relationship with Jesus, I don’t judge or condemn. We’ll all face a judge at the end of life. His name will not be Mandisa. He has given me joy, and it’s been amazing. I want them to know what I know — God is good all the time.

How does your faith help you overcome your weight issues?
When I face temptation, I rely on strength not my own. I quote Scripture when driving by Krispy Kreme. God provides a way out when tempted, through His word and prayer. He gives me the ability to get through this struggle.

Do you have a trainer?
No, but I have an exercise room in my house.

What do you eat?
I’ve been on many diets; I know what to do, fruits and veggies, no white flour or sugar. During some situations I choose poorly. I’m an emotional eater — it absolutely is an addiction. My substance is food. For others it’s drugs or alcohol. My automatic propensity is to turn to food. Now, I turn to the Comforter instead.

Where do you wish to be in five years?
I love where I am right now. My life has purpose, I love my friends and family. In five years I’d like to be the picture of health. I’m thirty years old, I’d like this to be reflected on the outside as well.