Archive through April 23, 2003
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Archive through April 23, 2003
Snee | Friday, April 18, 2003 - 09:31 pm     do you think that simon saying that about carmen is meant to nudge her fans to vote for her more often? and all that meanness last week was to make her fans feel sorry for her and vote vote vote? *makes her way over to the conpiracy corner* |
Jbean | Saturday, April 19, 2003 - 12:19 pm     who knows, snee? last year after the third group of semifinalists performed, after rj helton's performance simon had told rj that it wasn't good enough, and that in the 2 previous weeks 2 losers had been voted through because of the sympathy vote, and that he was sick of it. (he was referring to (damn it) jim verarros and aj gil. i remember this because he (simon) and randy just about got into a fight over him calling people losers. i don't really think simon tries to get people sympathy votes, i just think he wants his opinions to be known. that being said, i really HOPE that carmen does go next. i am sure she is a sweet kid, i just don't like her voice. someone here has said that she sounds like a goat. and i have to say, i agree with that...a YODELING goat, at that. if she wins this show, i will never watch it again. i hope that didn't make anyone mad...jmho. |
Snee | Saturday, April 19, 2003 - 01:05 pm     you make an awfully good point, jbean, but now that i'm over here in the conspiracy corner, i quite like it. comfy couch, popcorn, tasty beverages. yup, i think i'll stay! hehe |
Sadiesmom | Saturday, April 19, 2003 - 08:37 pm     Anyone watching the American Idol show on MadTV. It is hysterical, especially when Ted Koppel asks Kelly how Nicky made it into the top 3, LOL Then there is the American Idol superstar show where Michael Jackson gets kicked off and Simon calls Cortney Love a crack w***e. I don;t kn ow if this is a repeat from last year or not. But the characters are real. |
Halfunit | Sunday, April 20, 2003 - 06:38 am     Sadiesmom - I watched it (I watch MadTV every week), and it was funny. I liked how Paula can laugh at herself, and Debra Wilson always plays such a good Whitney Houston, lol. |
Pagal | Sunday, April 20, 2003 - 06:41 am     Anyone interested in seeing the ad campaign that Vanessa did for PETA can go to www.furisdead.com. |
Hotlantan | Sunday, April 20, 2003 - 10:26 am     That MadTV was a repeat of this season's premiere. It first aired the Saturday night after the original AI finale. |
Brenda1966 | Monday, April 21, 2003 - 09:26 am     I saw the MadTV AI spoof too. Really funny. Glad to see Paula and Randy making fun of themselves. I may have to catch Mad TV more often. Also, I bought Kelly's album over the weekend. I think I'm really going to like it. It's not what I expected -- more soulful and not overprocessed pop junk. |
Grooch | Tuesday, April 22, 2003 - 12:23 pm     Inside scoop on 'American Idol' Contestants live in high style, judges put on airs ... SUZANNE SHOAF WARD Special to the Observer FOX Clay Aiken, second from left, and the remaining 'American Idol' contestants. Before the cool clothes and the celebrity status, Clay Aiken sat in my living room eating pizza and talking about "what if" he made it on the Fox TV show "American Idol." Who would have thought that North Carolina's own Aiken -- a Raleigh native and recent UNC Charlotte student -- would become an overnight pop sensation? Clay is my sister-in law Amanda's best friend from high school. Last week, we traveled to Hollywood to catch the live shows and cheer Clay on in person. Amanda has always said that Clay is one of the most good-hearted and fun-loving friends anyone could have. From getting to know Clay these past few months -- he sang at my wedding in February -- I couldn't agree more. Paying attention to every detail, I wanted to take it all in so I could offer you a glimpse of what it's like to be at an "American Idol" show and my opinions on what you might not see from your living rooms at home. • The mansion in which the contestants live is amazing. While no one outside the show is allowed in the multimillion dollar house, we drove Clay home from dinner after Tuesday's show, passing through the security gate and up the house's driveway. It's beautiful and must have one of the best views in all of Hollywood Hills. • There weren't many tears shed when Kimberly Caldwell was announced as the one who would be going home. When viewers at home were seeing the prepackaged video clips of Caldwell, she was standing alone on the stage looking very lost. She had to wave for the contestants to come over and "rally" around her. . • Despite the red Coca-Cola cups that are lined up on the judges' table each week, the judges sip on things other than Coke products. Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell both requested Perrier. Abdul has a straw in her cup so she won't smudge the lip gloss that's re-applied about five times a show by makeup artists. Randy Jackson "keeps it real" by just drinking regular bottled water. • You can tell a lot about how the judges' personalities by how they enter the studio just before Fox goes live. Five minutes before show time, host Ryan Seacrest came running out on stage, hollering to get the audience pumped. He began the judge introductions with Jackson, who strolled in the studio saying "What's up, dawg," at least 20 times before he reached the judges' table. Jackson made a point to take the "long road" and slapped as many fans' hands as possible. Abdul was introduced next, and she made the audience wait a full minute after her name was announced before she made her grand entrance. Last was Cowell, who walked in the studio with his Kool cigarettes and a smirk. He took the shortest route possible to the judges' table and had the least possible interaction with the audience. • Helping to dispel the rumor that Clay and fellow contestant Carmen Rasmusen are dating: Carmen's on-again, off-again boyfriend was in the audience while I was there. Clay's just her good friend. • Some observations of the contestants: I now understand why Caldwell always had black mascara running down her face after every results show. The girl wears more makeup than Tammy Faye Messner. I bumped into Joshua Gracin backstage, and let's just say it looks as though poor Josh's hectic "AI" schedule has made him miss a few too many daily Marine workouts. Trenyce walks with such Hollywood attitude, she looks like she's been doing this for years. Ruben Studdard's whole "205" shirt gimmick (saluting his hometown area code in Birmingham, Ala.) appears as though it's just for the show. Both nights, Ruben left the studio in regular street clothes. Carmen looks like a Barbie doll. Unfortunately, the gobs of makeup they put on are taking their toll on her adolescent skin. Kimberley Locke is even more beautiful in person. She is classy and seems the least affected by her newfound stardom. What's interesting about Clay is the diversity of ages in his fan base. He and Ruben probably had the most people waiting to meet them after the show, but unlike Ruben's mostly teen-to-twentysomething fans, those waiting to meet Clay were of all ages. Young kids, teenage girls, middle-aged men and women, even grandparents were all waiting to snag an autograph or to pose with Clay for pictures. After the show, Clay signed as many autographs as it took to make sure no one went home empty-handed. link |
Mak1 | Tuesday, April 22, 2003 - 01:30 pm     Thanks for posting this, Grooch. There's a lot of interesting stuff in this article. I saw Kim C on Caroline Rhea this morning. She and Corey were on Star Search (I think it was SS...She was on another talent show too, so maybe it was the other show.) together as kids. She holds the record for winning the most times as a kid on Star Search....5 times. She did beauty pageants in TX. Caroline asked her what titles she had won, and she said "Little Miss....everything". She said she hadn't wanted to leave AI yet, of course, but now she can move on with her career. |
Hobbs | Tuesday, April 22, 2003 - 01:36 pm     Sounds like the other contestants didn't have a big love affair with Kim C. Oh well. Good luck with that "career" Kim. |
Essence | Tuesday, April 22, 2003 - 02:27 pm     American Idol, The FORT Interview With Kimberly Caldwell This morning I had the pleasure of talking with Kim Caldwell, the most recent finalist to be voted off of American Idol. Her easy-going personality really came through in the interview, and it was a pleasure to talk to her. Here's what she had to say: What made you decide to try out for the show? Well, I had always wanted to be an entertainer and a singer, but I didn't really know the avenues to go down to get there. My best friend told me that there were auditions in Austin, and so my grandmother gave me money to fill up my gas tank to get there because I didn't have enough money to get there. So, I decided to go ahead and go down there, you know, to see what happens. I would always wonder what would have happened if I didn't go. Did you watch the show last season? I watched some of it last season. Did you have a favorite, or did you even watch it enough to have a favorite? I really loved Tamyra. I thought she was just incredible...she has the total package. I actually got to meet her, and her words of wisdom were definitely taken as motivation. What did she tell you? You know...well, one of the things she told me was that if you believe it can happen, then it will happen. Don't tell yourself that maybe it will happen; just know that it will happen. Just get your confidence up, your mind set, and stay focused. Now, going back to the Hollywood auditions, do you think the whole thing between you and Julia was portrayed accurately on TV? Um...it wasn't portrayed accurately. But, you know, it's TV and...and...editing has a lot to do with that. But, we overcame that very easily, and now we're really good friends. We're very close. If you could sing a duet with anyone you wanted, who would you choose? You know, I don't really know...I'd be open to singing with anybody who is out there living their dream and doing their thing. I mean, I think if I was given an opportunity to sing with anyone who is in the entertainment business right now, I'd grab onto that. If you could pick the show's theme one week, what would you like to see done? Do you know what you'd sing for that theme? Oh, gosh...I think it'd be funny if we all did rap. I can imagine it'd be hysterical, and I'd definitely get out there and sing Eminem's "Lose Yourself". All the contestants were talking about it. We said, "Yeah, it'd be hysterical if we all got out there and started rapping." A lot has been made this season of the whole "talent vs. image" debate. How important do you think each one should be? I think that both of them are equally important. At the same time, I don't think that "image" has to mean the stereotypical beauty that some people think. I think that if you're comfortable in your own skin and you have confidence that it doesn't matter what you look like as long as you're happy with you. How would you describe your singing style? Is there anyone you would compare yourself to? Um...no, I think I kinda have my own style. I mean, you know, people have compared me with everyone from Faith Hill to Pink to Jewel. I'd like to stretch my musical reach to country and even to hip-hop. Now, you were a 5-time winner on Star Search, right? Yes. And you were also on Popstars 2, correct? Yes. And on Star Search I hold the record for the most wins ever by a Junior Vocalist. Wow, I didn't know that. Congratulations. So, how did those experiences help you prepare for American Idol? I think it was definitely an advantage for me. I mean, I tried to put all my childhood experiences into my adult experiences, and I think it definitely helped, you know? I think it was definitely an advantage that I had over some of the other contestants who have just gotten into the music industry. Do you remember where you were or what you were doing when you found out you'd be going back for the Wildcard Show? Yes, I do, actually, and it's a hysterical story. It was on my 21st birthday, and I was on my way to go celebrate with all my friends and we had about 5 or 6 of us packed into a car. We were headed downtown, and one of the producers called and said, "Hey, Kim, by the way...you're going to be on the Wildcard Show." So, of course, I turned the car around and didn't go out that night. I went home and packed, and the next morning I was out in L.A. Wow...what a great birthday present. It was the greatest birthday present I could have had. So, Kim, what's going on with you and J.D. Adams? Is anything going on between you two? Yes, we are together and we're wonderful. He is in L.A. right now, and I'll be going back to Houston. But, we still talk every day, and I have every intention of moving out to L.A. as soon as possible. What was it like living in the house? Very hectic and crazy, but it was wonderful at the same time. We all became like brothers and sisters and, you know, we had each other's backs. You know, we didn't spend as much time there as we probably would have liked, because our schedules were so hectic. Now, since y'all were all living together but also competing against one another, did that make things tougher? Um, I don't really think so. I think that, you know, we made ourselves...we made ourselves more into the American Idol team than we did competitors. We just tried to forget about the competition, because if you think about the competition too much, it's going to be a miserable experience. So, we just tried to help each other out as much as possible and then let America decide. OK, Kim. Look into your crystal ball and tell me who you see as the final 2 and the ultimate winner. Um, I think that Clay and Ruben will probably be the final 2, and I think that Ruben will probably wind up pulling through in the end. You know, he has a massive fan base and whenever he's on stage, it's just...I mean, he has undeniable talent. Do you think it helps or hurts to talk back to the judges? Oh, I think it definitely hurts. That's why I always kept my comments to myself. I think most things are better left unsaid. How do you feel about inviting people back for the Wildcard Show that didn't originally make the Top 32? Well, you know, I just felt that it was great that they were given that opportunity and that they were able to experience what the Top 32 had experienced. There was no resentment against them or anything by any means. Which do you think is tougher--performing for just the judges and the camera or performing in front of a live audience? Oh my gosh, it's definitely performing in front of the camera with just the judges. I mean, you almost feel naked in a way. You know, being in front of the audience is a big part of your performance. Feeling their vibe makes you have, like, ten times more fun. While you were in the house, did you all have access to the Internet? Could you go to some of the websites and see what fans were thinking and saying about the show? Yeah, um, well some of the people went to message boards, but I was one to never go to the message boards. I just didn't think it was necessary. I mean, there was a lot of negativity that none of us needed. But, my mom would e-mail me all of the fansites that people had set up for me, and they were absolutely amazing. They were outrageous. I couldn't believe that somebody had actually taken time out of their lives to support me in that way. So, to the people out there who have set up the fansites, thank you very much. It's definitely a confidence booster. Well, you've got a lot of fans at our site, so hopefully you'll be able to stop by sometime. Thank you. I'd love to. I'll definitely check it out when I get home. OK, of all the finalists, who would you say was the most competitive? Let's see...you know, I don't think anybody was really competitive. Everybody was really focused. Some of us were more focused than others, but everyone handled the situation at hand in a different way. What was your favorite part of the whole American Idol experience? Oh, gosh...I think the entire experience was absolutely incredible, of course, but at the same time, I think the most shocking and surreal part was actually walking down a red carpet and having all the camera guys scream my name. What would be something that people would be surprised to find out about you? Um, that I'm a total goofball (*laughter*) and that I wear crazy socks all the time. It kinda symbolic of, like, what's on the outside...I mean, I may have on some pretty nice boots or something, but then I may have some crazy socks on underneath. So, like, on the inside I'm a goofball, but on the outside, you might not think so. If you had the opportunity, is there anything you'd go back and change about your time on the show? Um, I don't think that I'd change anything except for maybe wearing waterproof mascara the night Julia was voted off (*laughter*). Was that tough? Yeah, it was really tough. We had become really close and knowing that she wasn't going to be there for the remaining time that I was going to be there really hit me at that moment. Have you talked to her since? Oh, yeah. I talk to her almost every day. I'm actually in New York right now, and I think she's going to come stay with me. Now, if you were asked to sit at the judges' table and review your own performances, which would you say was probably your best and your worst? Um, I think my best was probably Travis Tritt's "Anymore" and my worst was probably "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)". I don't think any of our performances, including mine, could ever really be defined as bad, but there's definitely fine-tuning that needs to be done. Did you have a favorite or a least favorite theme? Disco Night was probably my most favorite experience. Seeing Rickey in that big afro when he walked out...that was absolutely hysterical. So, no matter what the judges said that night, I know that all of us had an incredible time. If you could only use one or two words to describe each of the remaining finalists, what would you use for each one? Let's start with Ruben. Ruben? Big Daddy, because that's what we all called him. Clay? Goober. Carmen? Baby girl. Trenyce? Soul diva. Joshua? Family man. Kimberley Locke? Alarm clock. If she wasn't physically telling me to wake up, she was singing at the top of her lungs in the morning. Beautiful singing, I might add... When Gladys Knight was on the show, she made the comment that she could see you in the movies. Do you have any sort of acting aspirations, or do you want to concentrate on a music career? I definitely want to focus on my singing for right now, but as soon as American Idol is off the air, I want to pursue an acting career. Maybe sitcoms or whatever comes my way. If you could pick the Celebrity Judge one week, who would you like to see on the show? Oh, wow...who could I bring on the show as a judge? Let's see...I know...Eminem! (*laughter*) That would be hysterical...I would bring Eminem in on Rap Week. Of all the celebrities you've met, who really stands out? Definitely Olivia Newton-John, because I used to watch Grease every single day after school. Then, as soon as it was over and got to the credits, I'd stop it, rewind it, and watch it again. I literally watched it every day after school for I don't know how man years straight. What was the funniest things that happened while you were in the house? Oh, when they hid Josh's shoes from him. The boys hid Josh's shoes because he had put shaving cream in the boys' beds. So, they hid all of Josh's shoes, and we were getting ready to go to a photo shoot. All of the producers were in on it, too, and they were all yelling at Josh. He thought he had misplaced his shoes, but we had really hid them all in a closet. He took the joke in good spirits, I hope? Oh, yeah, of course. Can you tell us...is there anything going on between Clay and Carmen? No, there's not. What advice would you give to someone who wanted to try out for the show? I would definitely say be confident in who you are before you go in. Be comfortable in your own skin, of course. And, if you believe in yourself, then everybody else will, too. And, if you don't try, you'll never know. Is there any song you would have liked to perform that you weren't able to for whatever reason? Yes. I would have really liked to do "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You" by Michael Bolton. I was maybe going to do that on Billboard week instead of "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)", but for some reason, I didn't listen to my gut instinct. Now I wish I would have gotten the chance to do that. Then, this week, they're doing the music of Diane Warren, and I was really, really looking forward to doing Cher's "If I Could Turn Back Time", which Diane wrote. But, maybe I'll get another opportunity to sing those somewhere else. In terms of song selection, do you all get advice or suggestions from the vocal coach? It's pretty much left up to us. Um, they just help us with the arrangements and the key. Well, Kim, we're about out of time. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me. Oh, not a problem at all! And please tell everyone out there who is supporting me thank you very much, and let them know that it doesn't go unnoticed. They're the only reason that I am where I am today, so thank you. That's so nice of you to say. And, like I said earlier, you have lots of fans here at the FORT, so hopefully you'll be able to stop by sometime and say hello. Oh, definitely. I'll definitely do that as soon as I get home. Great! Well, thanks again, Kim, and congratulations. Thanks. Bye! Thanks to Kim for taking the time to talk to me, and to the people at FOX for granting me permission to interview this year's finalists. If you would like to contact the author of this interview, send e-mail to lobeck@fansofrealitytv.com. http://www.fansofrealitytv.com/forums/showthread.php?s=6718356f3098637951789245780b64f6&threadid=7927 |
Hermione69 | Tuesday, April 22, 2003 - 02:42 pm     Nice article! Thanks Essence. And Grooch for the earlier one. |
Brenda1966 | Wednesday, April 23, 2003 - 11:42 am     OK, someone posted a link to a site where you can hear Kelly sing in last year's competition. I forgot to bookmark it and now I can't find it.
Can anyone help? |
Essence | Wednesday, April 23, 2003 - 01:43 pm     FYI, I just read that Justin's debut CD will be released on June 10. It's titled TBD. |
Wcv63 | Wednesday, April 23, 2003 - 01:53 pm     Brenda you can go here or here or here. Good luck! |
Iscreamer1 | Wednesday, April 23, 2003 - 02:35 pm     Just heard that next weeks theme is Neil Sedaka and he will be a guest host. I think that is a good choice for "pop" songs. Corny as some of his songs might be he is certainly prolific |
Brenda1966 | Wednesday, April 23, 2003 - 03:12 pm     Thanks WCV! I am currently watching the videos at KRZE.com. Couldnt' get the audio to work.... In watching these, Kelly would win again this year. As much as I love Clay, Kelly was better and more versatile. So much for there being more talent this year -- I think not! |
Maris | Wednesday, April 23, 2003 - 03:40 pm     Didnt Neil Sedaka write songs for the Captain and Tenille? |
Tabbyking | Wednesday, April 23, 2003 - 03:46 pm     he wrote 'calendar girl'....remember, hermione wanted to be on clay's calendar? me too, but, with my luck, i'd get february--and not in a leap year! lol he may have written for captain and tenille. i know he wrote for himself. |
Wcv63 | Wednesday, April 23, 2003 - 04:09 pm     Brenda, I agree with you. I'm sure that surprises no one here! Would you believe that site is administered by a 14 year old boy? His site has raised enough money to buy 500 Kelly CDs which they are sending to the troops in the Gulf; "Operation Thankful". |
Maris | Wednesday, April 23, 2003 - 04:10 pm     While on a two year scholarship to Julliard School In New York, Sedaka sold his first song, "Stupid Cupid," a hit for Connie Francis in 1958, as was his "Where the Boys Are, (which Francis sang in the hit teen movie of the same name) in 1961. He also sold Sedaka-Greenfield songs to Jerry Wexler at Atlantic Records who placed them with R&B singers LaVern Baker and Clyde McPhatter. On the advice of Doc Pomus Sedaka signed with Don Kirshner's Aldon Records. Kirshner liked Sedaka's voice and got him a recording contract with RCA Records. In 1959 he had two hits "The Diary" (#14) and "I Go Ape" (#42). More hits followed. "Oh! Carol" (#9) in 1959; "Stairway To Heaven" (#9) in 1960; "Calendar Girl" (#4), "Little Devil (#11) and "Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen" (#6) in 1961; "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" (#1) and "Next Door to an Angel" (#5) in 1962. Sedaka's career slowed down in 1963. However, through the Sixties and early Seventies he and Greenfield continued to write songs for others including the Fifth Dimension's "Working on a Groovy Thing" and Davy Jone's "Rainy Jane". Sedaka split with Greenfield in 1963 after he had begun a performing comeback in England. Sedaka made three albums in England. Elton John helped him get back on the U.S. charts by reissuing songs from the British albums on one U.S. album "Sedaka's Back" and then having him record for his Rocket label. Sedaka's Back (#23 1972) and The Hungry Years (#16) 1975) both went gold. "Laughter in the Rain" was a #1 hit in 1974 and his "Love Will Keep Us Together (co-written with Greenfield) was a number #1 hit for the Captain and Tennille, winning a 1075 Grammy as the Record of the Year. Sedaka had a #1 record with "Bad Blood" in 1975, which featured John on backing vocals, a bluesy reworking of "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" (#8 1976) and "Love in the Shadows" (#16 1976). In 1980 Sedaka and his daughter Dara recorded "Should've Never Let You Go'" which reached #19 on the pop chart |
Hermione69 | Wednesday, April 23, 2003 - 04:16 pm     WCV, I am very surprised. I didn't think you liked Kelly one bit!
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Pagal | Wednesday, April 23, 2003 - 04:19 pm     Interesting tidbits: My husband is is Alabama on a business trip and got to see a local news cast which featured news about Ruben. Apparently several churches have set up "Vote Drives" and everyone goes to the church for the A.I. show and then starts calling in votes for Ruben afterwards. Everyone uses cell phones. One church group placed 5000 calls in 2 hours for Ruben! Also, Flava - the company that makes Ruben's "205" shirts - has had to rent out warehouse space because their sales have skyrocketed. They have also had to hire additional staff to meet the demand for the shirts. |
Hermione69 | Wednesday, April 23, 2003 - 04:28 pm     Thanks, Pagal! I'd love to read what other hometowns are doing for their Idols. I think things like that are really cool. On a side note, I remember reading somewhere that they should market that teddy bear wearing the mini 205 shirt they had that one week. They would make a killing on that! Did you guys hear that Vanessa Olivarez has been disinvited to come back and tour with the rest of the finalists? She doesn't know what she did. Maybe the PETA ads???? http://www.foxesonidol.com/cgi-bin/ae.pl is where the article is located. |
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