American Idols Live News

American Idol’s top 10 finalists hit the road July 1. Below, the singers comment on life on the road:

David Cook: “So far so good. We’re getting our feet wet a little bit and the crowds have been amazing!”

David Archuleta: “It’s been great at every city [so far] and so much fun … to watch other people perform and see how [the audiences] react to them.”

Michael Johns (pictured), who is also married, sees his wife as much as possible: “She’s coming tonight and she went to Phoenix. She’s going to go to New York and Miami and Dallas,” he says. “The touch of a woman is never too far away.”

Brooke White: “When we’re on the bus, we’re asleep or eating a bowl of Lucky Charms."

According to an article in USA Today, at the halfway point of the 2007 American Idols Live tour, ticket turnstiles are, to an alarming extent, standing idle.

Reports of attendance and gross receipts for the first 30 of the 57 shows scheduled for the tour, as recorded by Billboard Boxscore, show this year's crop of 10 Idol finalists is falling short of last year's concert performance.

• No sellouts were reported for the first 30 shows, and only one topped the 93% of capacity mark. (That was the show in Glendale, Ariz., Idol winner Jordin Sparks' home turf.) Of the 2006 tour's first 30 shows, 17 were sellouts and another 10 exceeded 93% of capacity.

• Nearly half (14) of the shows were below 60% of capacity. (Lowest was 38.9% in Birmingham, Ala., hometown of 2006 winner Taylor Hicks and 2003 champ Ruben Studdard.) In 2006, the lowest-capacity figure in the first 30 shows was 89.3%.

• The 2006 tour was the most successful to date, but 2005's was a lot healthier than the current version. Of the first 29 dates of 2005, 11 were sellouts and four more topped 93%.

So why is interest declining? Representatives from tour promoter AEG Live declined to comment, but Gary Bongiovanni, editor of touring trade publication and website Pollstar, said:

"There are always intangibles that motivate people to see something live, and maybe there was something about last year's tour that people wanted to see vs. the acts this year."

That may be an understatement. According to former Variety music editor Don Waller, who served as a USA Today American Idol commentator over the past two seasons, this year's lineup is "not a compelling group of acts. There was no must-see live performer and not a lot of diversity."

He says last season's top four — Hicks, Katharine McPhee, Elliott Yamin and Chris Daughtry — were much more of an attraction than the leading finalists this year. He also believes there was less of a buzz this year.

"I don't think people were that enthused. It was, 'Oh, here's the Idol tour again.' It was bad casting."

Another possible culprit, cited by both Waller and Bongiovanni: rising ticket prices. Idol 2006 tour prices averaged $53.27; they rose 13% to an average of $60.45 for the current tour. In 2005, the average price was $44.47.

"Percentage-wise, that is a pretty healthy jump in the average ticket price," Bongiovanni says. "In the first six months of the year, the average price for the top 100 touring acts had only gone up 50 cents. Maybe the ticket price was creeping up a little too high for that audience."

Jordin Sparks was the definitive winner of this year's American Idol competition, but her group of competitors might be losers overall.

The American Idols Live tour that lands at Xcel Energy Center in Minnesota on Saturday appears to be limping into town, despite the high-as-ever ratings for the TV show last spring. Ticketmaster's website shows good seats still available in the lower level of the St. Paul arena, including floor seats in the first 20 rows.

On eBay and other online outlets, tickets have been selling for rock-bottom prices for weeks (well before Thursday's bridge collapse in Minneapolis). A pair of seventh-row floor seats sold for $5.25 on eBay (face value: $70 per ticket), and many other pairs are selling for under $10.

Blake Lewis and Jordin Sparks please the crowd with a duet.

The American Idol tour makes it a bittersweet week for ticket brokers, who were in the clear to profit on the show after ticket scalping became legal Wednesday in Minnesota.

"This has been the weakest seller so far" of all the Idol tours, said Ticket King co-owner Brian Oberst. "It comes down to who the Idols are, and this year nobody seems to care about them."

Saturday's ticket sales have a long way to go to match the sellout crowd of 16,685 at last year's American Idol show at the X, featuring Taylor Hicks and Chris Daughtry. The 2004 year with Fantasia was a poor seller, but all other years have drawn over 12,000. Arena reps remained hopeful this one would do the same.

"We fully anticipate this show being as successful as the previous ones," said arena spokesman Peter Johns.

Having already spoke with Jordin Sparks and Melinda Doolittle about the current American Idols Live Tour, TV Guide next sat down with Phil Stacey...

TV Guide: How's the tour going?
Phil Stacey: I'm holding up. Actually, I'm having the time of my life. I just miss my family.

TV Guide: Have your wife and baby been out to visit?
Phil: They were on the road with me until Nashville. Now I haven't seen them for a few weeks. Then we'll meet up with them again in San Diego.

TV Guide: Has your wife sent you photos so you don't miss anything with the baby?
Phil: Yeah. McKayla started crawling while I was here. And when I saw her in Florida, my wife started feeding her solid food and I was like, "What are you doing?" She was like, "It's time, honey. We can do that now."

TV Guide: What are you doing to stay in touch on the road?
Phil: Other than talking on the phone, there's really not a whole lot I can do. I'm about to buy them an Apple computer so we can do iChat and actually see each other when we're not together. But hopefully they'll be with me for most of it from here on out.

TV Guide: What are you enjoying most about being on tour?
Phil: I enjoy being with my friends, Blake, Chris Richardson, Chris Sligh, Sanjaya.... We're all on the bus together and we're having some good times. I really enjoy meeting the people who got us here and saying thank you to some of the more hardcore supporters who not only voted for you, but recruited all of their coworkers and friends to vote for you.

TV Guide: Any funny stories about fans you've met?
Phil: Well, I took Chris Sligh to my house in Jacksonville, Florida, when we were there. On our way to the auditorium — our wives were in the backseat — this car kept catching up with us. We looked over and it was this couple, and the wife was taking pictures of us while we were driving. It was funny.

TV Guide: Have you been playing a lot of Xbox on the tour bus?
Phil: Well, you know, we can't hook the Xbox up to the TV. [Laughs] So we all got our little individual personal PlayStation Portables. But usually, we just sit around and talk and hang out.

TV Guide: What are you snacking on backstage?
Phil: What am I not eating backstage. I've gained like 20 pounds since I've been here and we've only been on the road for two weeks! When we showed up in Arizona, for lunch they had jambalaya. Sometimes it will be Italian food or whatever. Then, of course, there are unhealthy chips that we obliterate before the show even starts. There's lots of bottled water to keep our voices healthy, and lots of Throat Coat.

TV Guide: All Melinda talked about were Pop-Tarts backstage.
Phil: Yeah. We actually went through a couple of shows without having any Pop-Tarts backstage. I was like, "Where's the Pop-Tarts? I need the Pop-Tarts!" I love them. The strawberry ones with frosting and sprinkles? I can't get enough of those. I'm kind of glad when people forget to bring the Pop-Tarts into our room because I will eat them. [Laughs] I'm also eating Snickers and the Reese's cups, and they don't even sponsor us. I just can't stop eating.

TV Guide: Any memorable moments onstage?
Phil: Yeah. I was singing "Into Your Love" with Gina Glocksen. We had just been backstage reading an article in the paper about Haley Scarnato's legs. After the song is over, I was like, "Ladies and gentlemen, Gina Glocksen!" That's when she usually says, "Phil Stacey!" but this time she said, "See, America? I have good legs, too!" and she just walked off the stage. That really made me laugh. Then, the night before last, we were in San Antonio and at the end of our duet, she just stopped singing and started laughing out loud into the microphone.

TV Guide: You've been to so many cities. Have you had a chance to do any sightseeing?
Phil: Not really. I think we've actually been out one time, in Houston. The guys and I basically spent the entire day at Guitar Center, each of us spending a small fortune on gear that we dragged along with us and are going to end up having to send home anyway because we don't have space for it on the bus.

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TV Guide recently sat down with third-place finisher, Melinda Doolittle. Here are highlights from the interview...

TV Guide: How's the tour going?
Melinda Doolittle: It is so much fun! We're having a blast.

TV Guide: Is it everything you hoped it would be?
Melinda: It is, and a lot more. I thought that maybe I knew what to expect because I had toured before, but it's like night and day for me. They pay such attention to detail.

TV Guide: What kind of details do they pay attention to?
Melinda: They take good care of us. They make sure that we're taken care of as far as food goes, of course. There's even a massage therapist out here!

TV Guide: No way. You have to tell me about that.
Melinda: Oh! It's like heaven on earth. They have one in every city. They lay you down on a table and they're like, "What area hurts?"

TV Guide: Wow.
Melinda: I know! I'm like, "This is great because I'm almost 30." Depending on what kind of time we have and what the day looks like, we may have 15 minutes or something like that, but it's totally worth it. But I've only gotten one and a half so far.

TV Guide: What's a "half" of a massage?
Melinda: Well, I had to run in and then I ended up having to go somewhere really quickly so we didn't really get started. I ended up having to go do some interviews, but it was totally fine because I at least got a good three minutes in. It was very good.

TV Guide: Are you getting any other fun perks on the tour? Green M&Ms or anything crazy on your bus?
Melinda: I don't think anything quite that specific, but if we want something like hot tea, they make sure that's available. We're kind of a low-maintenance group so we're just like, "Tea's good. Got any juice? We're good!"

TV Guide: I saw everyone drinking Jamba Juice at rehearsals. Are you still drinking that?
Melinda: Oh, during rehearsal times they went to Starbucks and Jamba Juice to start our day. We don't have that on tour, but we have all of the Pop-Tarts we can eat! [Pop-Tarts is a tour sponsor.]

TV Guide: That sounds good. Is that your favorite thing?
Melinda: It's maybe not my favorite, but some people love it.

TV Guide: Like who?
Melinda: Jordin Sparks loves Pop-Tarts, so she's kind of schooling me on that whole thing. I just got to taste the brown sugar [variety] and I'm loving that. We have an unlimited supply in case you want some.

TV Guide: Are there any favorite foods among the singers?
Melinda: I love apple juice, that's my favorite thing. I can kind of OD on apple juice! I know that one of the girls loves salami, so sometimes there's a salami craving.

TV Guide: Seriously? I have to know who that is.
Melinda: I'm not telling you who it is. [Laughs] We have some interesting cravings every once in a while, just because we're chicks. The guys are pretty low-maintenance as far as that goes. "Is there food?" That's the main deal for the guys.

TV Guide: Do you have any pre- or post-show rituals?
Melinda: There are people who kind of wait around over by where our buses normally are, so after a show, we try to run out and say hi and take pictures and hug people and sign things if they want us to. That has been the most fun. We kind of hang out by the buses afterwards, and maybe even throw a football around. I learned how to throw a football last night. I'm very excited about that.

Follow our link to read what else Melinda had to say..

As she leads the American Idols Live tour, Jordin Sparks is the subject of a recent article in her home state Arizona Republic. Here it is...

For years, Olivia Nunley simply walked upstairs to a home nursery to watch close family friend Jordin Sparks sing and play guitar for her three young daughters.

To get the same show this time around, Nunley followed slightly different protocol: she stood in line and bought tickets.

"It's so foreign . . . its like our Jordin isn't our Jordin anymore," the Peoria resident said.

On Wednesday night, thousands of concertgoers embraced Sparks as their own when they saw the hometown girl sing as part of the 2007 American Idols Live concert tour when it stopped at Glendale's Jobing.com Arena.

An estimated 14,000 fans filled the arena. Several in attendance said they came solely because of Sparks.

The show was the American Idol winner's first Arizona concert since she taped the show's hometown visit episode in May at Westgate City Center. The tour includes the top 10 competitors of last season's Idol, including Sanjaya Malakar, who sang backup on several songs.

Before the concert, Sparks answered questions while sporting a jersey that read "Glendale's got game," a present given to her by Glendale Mayor Elaine Scruggs during her Westgate performance.

In an interview with The Republic before the concert, Sparks said she has not been asked to sing the national anthem at the 2008 Super Bowl hosted by Glendale, but that regardless she would try and get tickets to the game.

"I'm a football freak, I would love to sing at the game if I can," she said.

Shortly after the interview, several familiar faces gathered outside at the arena's will-call box.

Many were regulars from the Tuesday night viewing parties held at Westgate while Sparks was on American Idol.  Just like at the parties, hundreds of fans toted glittery Jordin posters and wore Jordin T-shirts in the Westgate courtyard.

Sandra Witt and her daughter, Danielle, wore hot pink and white "team Jordin" shirts. The pair drove from Tucson to support the Arizona headliner.  Sandra said she is proud that Sparks is a local, but also because she is the show's first biracial winner.

"She's been very inspiring to my daughter and very positive. We can relate to her very well because we come from a mixed family," she said.

Sparks and the other traveling Idols had little time to take in Valley attractions. The group left soon after the concert for San Diego.

"It's so weird to be home, but not actually be home," Sparks said before the show.

The concert did offer a little time to spend with family and friends. A handful of Sparks' former high school classmates and young cousins visited with her backstage.

To welcome the other contestants to her hometown, Sparks' uncle made gift baskets that included T-shirts and John Deere hats. The group also went to Sparks' house for a home-cooked turkey dinner.

"Her entire family has just been so welcoming," said Haley Scarnato.

The following is taken from a newspaper in San Antonio, written prior to Sunday night's show...

When "American Idols Live!" is in town who's got time to plan a wedding?

Hometown sweetheart Haley Scarnato, who is tying the knot soon, will be among the performers tonight at AT&T Center. She and a few of her American Idol cohorts - winner Jordin Sparks, Sanjaya Malakar, Chris Sligh, Melinda Doolittle, Phil Stacey - were on hand at the venue on Monday afternoon for some quickie media interviews.

All of the finalists looked relaxed and casual.

Scarnato was bubbly and cute as always. While she revealed that she has fall colors picked out for upcoming wedding, she admitted those plans aren't exactly at the forefront of her mind at the moment.

"My focus toward the wedding has kind of, uh, gone away," she said with a chuckle. "But when I get back home I'll start thinking about the wedding more. It's too hard to plan on the road."

Onstage tonight, she'll sing Martina McBride's "When God-Fearin' Women," among others. A stylist is responsible for her look onstage, Scarnato said a bit coyly.

Her future plans, include recording in Nashville. Will she remain in San Antonio? "I would love to stay here," Scarnato said.

"Now, I'm just kind of living the dream. I'm on tour now," she said. "It's like a family."

Stacey is talking to labels in Nashville and hopes to have a country music album out by the end of the year. "For me, that's where I belong," Stacey said. "I'm a country artist that has roots in gospel."

Stacey said he is most grateful for the new friendships and for meeting stars like Bono and Gwen Stefani.

"There were times that I was so nervous meeting those people," he noted, saying that he was literally shaking when he was trying to sing for McBride. All of them were almost too nice.

He's very much aware that people are looking at him for inspiration. "It's funny. I guess people are just desperate for role models these days and people that they can look up to," he said. "I would put anyone that's here in that role. That's one of the cool things about the show. It's very wholesome, family-oriented show."

Sparks is ready for her solo guitar spotlight on Jewel's "You Were Meant for Me." "It's one of the first songs I taught myself on guitar," she said. "I still feel very vulnerable when I'm out there. There's an Em and a C, D and D-sustain."

She won't reveal anything about the one track that she has recorded for her debut album, except to say that it's "a radio song" and "kind of Beyonce-ish."

Sligh works the room with a perpetual smirk. He doesn't seem too swept up with the American Idol hype. He likes to remind anyone in earshot that he was a seasoned musician before he was ever on the show. "I came in as a fully formed musician. I knew what I wanted to do as an artist," Sligh said. He acknowledged butting heads with the judges was inevitable.

"The judges comments are more about the TV show, then they are about real life," he said. "They say it's a singing competition. But it's not really a singing competition. It's more about being able to turn into a star."

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As contestants from American Idol took the stage once more in Florida last night, The Palm Beach Post had a review of a few of the performers...

Melinda Doolittle: I was worried in the beginning that Mindy Doo was holding back too much, allowing herself to be overshadowed by other singers, especially LaKisha. But the second half of the show was a large improvement, and featured a "Natural Woman" that politely walks Kelly Clarkson's version to the woods and leaves it there without breadcrumbs. (I love Kelly. But you had to see it.) And she looked HOT.

Jordin Sparks: One of my fellow reporters noted that, late into the second half, winner Jordin seemed to be a footnote in her own victory. Everybody else seemed to have a lot more stage time. But that was before the last 20 minutes, which became the Jordin Show. She has such a stage presence when seen live. and delivered a solid, incredibly effortless "I Who Have Nothing," a pretty good "Broken Wing" and a version of snore-happy winning single "This Is My Now" that at least kept you awake.

The kid is pretty good at the guitar, too. I will say that the choice of that icky treacle as the single let me know how much the producers wanted her to win, because it wasn't anywhere near the style of fellow finalist Blake Lewis' strength. Yes, it's a conspiracy theory. Talk amongst yourselves.

Blake Lewis: Speaking of my beloved beat box, he kept proving how well he sings, and not just how well he can turn his body into a stripey-haired percussion instrument. His take on Jamiroquai's "Virtual Insanity?" Priceless. He took up a lot of stage time, by the way, seeming to be in on so many people's segments. His buddy...

Chris Richardson: also got a heck of a lot of spotlight shone on his little buzz-cut noggin. He was the lyrical oomph to Blake's beat-box on "Geek In The Pink," which was competent on TV but flowed nearly perfectly on stage. He avoided a lot of the nasalness that Simon Cowell was always after him for. Nasal is a style of singing, like Chris told Simon. Just not one that works as well as what he did on stage.

Sanjaya Malakar: As his mom told me later "He can sing!" I didn't care for some of his Michael Jackson-esque choreography on "The Way You Make Me Feel," but he sounded great, moving around in front of a screen showing some of his greatest hair hits. One thing - why no faux-hawk? And he plays a mean tambourine.

Chris Sligh: OK, I gotta tell you something. This guy is the one that most shocked the biscuits out of me, because while the show proved that he has a solid voice, nothing hinted at its richness on stage, its range, or how confident and even sexy he becomes when behind a guitar. His version of Mute Math's "Typical" was fascinating, because with him playing, his voice sounded more edgy and rock-like. Drat. We didn't see half of what he could do on the show. We wuz robbed.

LaKisha Jones: I don't know what she's been doing in her time off, but something tells me it involves stage craft lessons. This girl came off as a consummate professional, and the cockiness that seemed to inform her decision to blow off all the guest mentors and always do her own thing, even when it backfired, seems to have become confidence.

Her best moment came when she once again acknowledged that she was ignoring the popular edict to never attempt "I Will Always Love You" and just blew that thing all over the ceiling. I got chills. When she ran up to the big glory note, she just attacked it like "Yeah I nailed it. You had doubts?" I did. But I won't get fooled again. I still think it wouldn't have killed her to at least listen to Tony Bennett a little bit, though.

Haley Scarnato: Like Melinda, she got better as the show went on. I think sometimes she was unable to hear herself in the monitor, so she appeared to be shouting. But her re-do of "When God-Fearing Women Get The Blues" was much stronger than it was earlier in the evening. And she owned her part on "Life Is A Highway." Good for her.

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