Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest Take a Vaca in St. Barts

Though they won't appear live on the show for weeks, Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest decided to hop a plane to St. Barts in the Caribbean and blow off some steam before the show premieres this Tuesday.

Here are some more photos. We don't know who Ryan's lady friend is in the last photo, but looking at the photos closely, Ryan better stop busting on Simon about his nippleage, as Ryan is displaying a good deal of chest himself. Click on the photos to enlarge.





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© 2009

Kara DioGuardi Favors Guysin American Idol Season 8

Here is the transcript of the conference call that American Idol's newest judge, KARA DIOGUARDI, held with the press this past Thursday:

TV Guide online: You said the other day about the guys this year having the edge and I’m wondering why you said that and if there are any specific auditions that blew you away?

K. DioGuardi: There are. I’m not sure I can get into which contestant or their names at this point, but looking at all the contestants as a whole I felt that the males were the strongest. That being said, there are one or two females that I’m excited about as well and I’m really just waiting for the show to roll out and for the next phase to kind of see who is going to end up on top.

TV Guide online: Are there any difference overall from what you’ve seen of last year’s contestants that you can speak to?

K. DioGuardi: I would say that there is a uniqueness to some of the male contestants that’s different in terms of their voices and their songs they were picking and the general direction of what their record would be.

TV Guide online: Got it. Are there any specifics that you can share?

K. DioGuardi: I don’t know if I can share specifics yet. I think you guys have to tune in and see what happens. What I feel very confident about is that the men in the competition, there are about five to ten that I think, at least five that are great.

TV America: Yes, I wanted to follow up on that for a second, because you’re talking about the uniqueness of the kind of records they put out. Because you’ve been following the show from the beginning, remember it used to be most people were in a fairly standard pop range and it seems like in recent years the show has expanded to get more room for strong rockers on one side and for country on the other side. Talk a little bit about that, about the kind of expanding range of the contestants on the show.

K. DioGuardi: Well, we definitely saw that this year. I mean there were people who were doing country, there were people who were doing rock. There was a lot of soul influence, especially with some of these male contestants where there was a soulfulness in their voice. And it’s not even that I’m talking R&B, more on like the way Maroon 5 is soulful. So that was different I thought.

TV America: Okay. And one other thing I was going to ask you. The oddity of having the two-to-two ties and Simon gets the tie breaker. That’s a different kind of British take on democracy.

K. DioGuardi: Is that really democracy?

TV America: Did that happen very often and what was your impression of that whole two-to-two thing?

K. DioGuardi: Well, for me the thing that would happen is that the two of them would say yes at times; let’s say a few times this would happen where they would say yes and then it would come down to me because I knew he would say no probably so I had to make that critical decision there whether I was going to give them another shot or not.

And that was tough because you’re dealing with people that you’ve met for a few seconds of hearing them sing and you’re not sure if they had a bad audition or if you want to give them another shot. So, you know, I was put in that position a bunch of times.


EOnline: So what do you bring to the judge’s table that American Idol did not have before?

K. DioGuardi: Well, I think what’s really unique about me is that I’ve worked with a lot of these singers that are out there that are great, from Christina to Pink to Celine Dion. I’ve been in the studio with them when they’ve actually recorded songs that we’ve co-written. And I’ve worked very closely with them in both listening to how they interpret the songs we’ve written and giving them guidance and support and I think that distinguishes me.

EOnline: Definitely. So, going back to the whole Simon gets to be the tie breaker, have there been a lot of disagreements at the table? Do you think with your addition to the table, does it heighten it a little bit more?

K. DioGuardi: Yes, because it comes down to that. It’s that at times I can, any of us can put through that contestant if we know kind of where he’s going to go. Sometimes we think we know and we know that if we say no that this kid may not get through. And in the beginning, you want to make sure that you’re putting enough people through so you have enough contestants. You know, you can’t just say no to everybody.

So you have to kind of think, all right, maybe this guy had a bad audition or maybe this girl, you know, there’s something interesting about her and give her one more shot or give him one more shot.

EOnline: Just to follow up on that, do you think that maybe the standard is set a little bit lower this year because, you know, you guys were letting through a lot more people in the beginning?

K. DioGuardi: No, no, no. I think you misunderstood me. It’s that if we were just listening for the one, you know the Idol, just the Idol we wouldn’t let anyone through because if we only had one person through that would be nothing.

So, what I’m saying is that at times you want to make sure that you’re putting through enough people through the competition. It’s not about lowering; we weren’t lowering the standards. It’s that when you’re on the fence sometimes you go, all right, I’ll give that person another chance, which at times I did. When I would say, you know what, I’m not sure about you, there’s something there, I’m not 100%. I’ll give you one more shot at times. But you really have to see the different shows. It’s hard to really comment on unless you’re looking from city to city.

MTV News: I was just wondering, you know last year was the first year for instruments for contestants and I was wondering if that really made people stand out, being able to play an instrument?

K. DioGuardi: I love when people play instruments. It just adds another component to their artistry and it kind of shows another side of them as a performer. So, I really encourage that. And there are a lot of people that really fall apart, too, when you take their instrument away from them, so I love it. I love when someone can come on that show and just jam out.

MTV News: I was also wondering if you’re still working with other artists even though Idol is keeping you pretty busy. I was wondering what else you’re up to?

K. DioGuardi: Yes, actually I haven’t slept today. I just flew in; I was working with Colby Clay in Hawaii so I’ve been up almost 48 hours now. So, I’m still trying to keep it going.

MTV News: Is Colby’s song going to be about the same as on her debut?

K. DioGuardi: No, there’s some other stuff on there. I mean she’s just great. I love her voice, I mean to listen to her sing is such a pleasure and she has just such a great quality, tonal quality and such emotion in her voice so I think it’s going to be great. I’m excited about it.

People magazine: I wanted to ask you about the judges’ dynamic. I mean, obviously, this is your first year there, but as far as you can tell, how has your being part of the mix changed that dynamic that you’re aware of? Or, how have they told you it’s changed things?

K. DioGuardi: Well, I think there are times that definitely Paula and I have kind of, well I guess everyone has seen that bikini promo I’m assuming, you know, where we kind of side against the guys, they’re maybe looking at the girls or whatever and they want to put someone through and we’re just like, forget it. So there’s a little girl power going on.

And also it’s just a change so with any kind of change it brings out a different dynamic on the panel. You know, in the beginning it was a little unnerving. I didn’t know where I was going to sit. I didn’t know when I was going to speak. So these kinds of shifts in something that’s been so, just the way it’s been for so many years has really added a new dynamic I think.

People magazine: And to follow up on that, too, I mean, obviously, you knew Paula before. But you didn’t really know Simon and Randy, right?

K. DioGuardi: Well, I knew Randy from in the studio. I’d see him in the studio and we’d kind of high five in the hallways. But I didn’t know him the way I know him now.

People magazine: Well, that’s what I was going to say. How would you describe, if you don’t mind, just a few words about each of the other judges? I mean, how would you describe them having spent so much time together now?

K. DioGuardi: I would say that Paula has a lot of heart. I would say that Simon pretty much tells it like it is. Sometimes he can be pretty harsh, but he’s usually right. And Randy is just, he’s the diplomat.

People magazine: And how about yourself?

K. DioGuardi: I think I’m a combination of all of them. I do like to say it like I see it. I don’t really mince words, but I do feel I have a heart and when you’re dealing with creative people that have some talent you want to make sure that you encourage them, but also if they don’t have any talent you want to discourage them because you don’t want them to waste their time.

So, I may say things that are negative, but I always try to do it with some heart and some understanding of what it’s like to be on the other side of the table.

AP Radio: What kind of faux pas did you make because you’re the newbie and maybe didn’t know how things worked?

K. DioGuardi: You know, I think I would talk over people a lot because I didn’t really know when to talk. When do I speak? Who is speaking now? Who is going now? So, that kind of stuff. I think that was my biggest faux pas to be honest. And some of my looks in the beginning. I didn’t get them all right.

AP Radio: Some of your looks?

K. DioGuardi: The make-up and the hair; it took me a minute.

AP Radio: And did the other judges make you go through any kind of initiation?

K. DioGuardi: Not really, no. ... They may, though, still. Who knows?

Extra: I wanted to ask you to the extent that the audience defines the judges Randy is, you just described Randy as the Dog, Paula is the Sweetheart; Simon sort of has been called the Meanie. How do you think you’ll be seen or described by the audience after they get to know you?

K. DioGuardi: I think they’re going to see somebody who is pretty feisty and opinionated, but is also coming from a good place, trying to help these contestants and impart my own experience to them so that at the end of the day whether they win or they lose they’ve learned something.

Extra: Do you think you’ll have a signature line? Anything that we can count on you to say repeatedly?

K. DioGuardi: You know what, I’m working on it. I’m not sure I have the line yet, but give me some time. It won’t be within a month.

Atlanta Journal Constitution: I wanted to know who, just after the sampling of seven audition cities and Hollywood who do you tend to agree with the most among the other three judges and who do you tend to disagree with most?

K. DioGuardi: You know, there have been times that I’ve agreed and disagreed with all of them. It’s hard to really say. You have to take situation by situation and city by city, but I definitely can sometimes see where Simon is coming from. I may not have said it quite the way he said it, but I also do believe in second chances early on and I know that if I hadn’t had a second chance a lot of times I wouldn’t be where I am today. I definitely grew as an artist and as a songwriter and sometimes you see potential in people and you have to think past some of the maybe mistakes they made because they were nervous or whatever, so I do believe in second chances.

But third chances, that’s another story. Can I just say one thing? Someone said what’s my line? I would say right now my line that I would tell these kids is be you. Don’t try to be anybody but you.

Atlanta Journal Constitution: And my follow-up, what aspect of the live shows are you looking forward to most, since all these, obviously, have been taped?

K. DioGuardi: Well, just what’s going to happen, I mean, just being in the moment and there’s absolutely no way to edit it or do anything but watch it and react. It’s going to be that thing where, ooops, or I said something great. We’ll see.

US Weekly: I actually spoke to Jordin Sparks last night and I realize that you’ve actually worked with lots of the former Idols and Idol contestants. That must be really exciting to just work with these people and now you’re part of the show. But I just wanted to talk to you a little bit about Carrie Underwood. What was the experience like working with Carrie?

K. DioGuardi: Well, she recorded a song that I co-wrote called "Sometimes You Leave," which was released I think through Wal-Mart on one of these cards, but I never was in the studio with her. I co-produced "Walk Away" so I worked closely with Kelly, so maybe that’s what it is.

US Weekly: Oh, okay, so you never really worked with Carrie.

K. DioGuardi: At times you’re giving songs to artists and you may not be in the studio producing it. Other times you are producing it. With “Walk Away” I had a very close relationship with Kelly. I wrote six songs, co-wrote six songs on “Breakaway” and co-produced “Walk Away”.

US Weekly: Oh, okay, perfect. And another question I had is more related to the show. Simon had commented that you and Paula were ganging up on him at auditions. What do you have to say about that?

K. DioGuardi: You know, when he deserves it we give it to him. And believe me, he deserves it sometimes.

TV Squad: So you were just talking about the former Idols that you’ve worked with or at least written songs for. Are there any former Idol contestants that you would like to work with or write a song for that you haven’t gotten the opportunity to yet?

K. DioGuardi: Yes, I really like Daughtry. I would love to co-write with him. At one point it looked like he was going to do a duet on a song that I had written, but it never happened. So, if he’s out there and he wants to do a co-write, please call me.

TV Squad: All right, well, we’ll make sure he gets the message then. Just also to follow up on another thing that you were talking about earlier, which was your relationship with the judges, what about Seacrest because I know just from watching the previous audition episodes that he’s there. Do you get much of a chance to interact with him?

K. DioGuardi: I do and you know he’s just been a doll and very supportive and very encouraging. So I have nothing but great things to say about everybody. They’ve just been great to me in terms of behind the scenes and being supportive.

United Nations Radio: What do you hope you get out of it, I guess for your own career and your own work? Is this something to raise your profile for a reason? I don’t want to be as crass as to say, you know, is there an agenda here, but what can you see as the end result being for you as a songwriter and producer?

K. DioGuardi: You know, I never in a million years imagined that I would be a judge on American Idol. So, when I got that call it was really an honor and in some ways I felt like I hit the lottery and I didn’t even really think about what is this going to mean? I just said yeah, I’ll do this, of course. I mean I’ve been involved in so many of these kids’ careers and this is what I do every day. I look out for talent. I help them in the studio. I produce them. That’s my life. I live for that and it just felt like a natural extension. That’s it on television and the biggest TV show with so many viewers, wow. I don’t know what to say about that. It was an honor to be called and I’m looking forward to making this year as great as it can be and finding the best talent out there and giving my spin on why I think they’re great or why they’re not.

United Nations Radio: Has there ever been a part of the whole Idol run maybe in the early days, because you’re somebody who came up really in a very rock and roll way, kind of slugging it out, doing your own thing, where you looked at it and said, oh my God, this is hokey and what is this? Or did you always kind of get it?

K. DioGuardi: In the beginning when I heard about it I didn’t really understand what it was and I wasn’t sure; it sounded kind of like Star Search. I didn’t quite understand it. But once I saw the show I thought it was incredible. I mean I think that if you have to slug it out or you get lucky, it doesn’t matter. If you’ve got talent and you’re going to be somebody who is going to make their mark and have great music out there, you know, kudos to you no matter how you break in.

So I don’t begrudge anyone because they didn’t have to go through seven or eight years of slugging it out and this show gives kids that would never have an opportunity to be in front of professionals that opportunity and I think for that it’s incredible. And it’s about dreams and helping people realize them.

InTouch Weekly: Well, I actually did have a question regarding Idol. Did you have a problem getting a balance as far as what you felt you could say to contestants? Did you feel like you went a bit too far in the beginning and kind of pulled back? How did you work that?

K. DioGuardi: Well, in the beginning, at times, which was kind of what I was trying to say before, when we would get into a situation where I knew Simon was probably going to say no and if I said no the kid would go home, you know I do believe in second chances, but I would always tell them, look, you’re on thin ice here. If you don’t get it together it’s not going to work out for you.

And perhaps I would put them through or not put them through, but I would always tell them the truth and then have a heart and not just dash their dreams because you never know with people. And that was what I was saying before. I was told I wasn’t a good songwriter; I wasn’t a good singer, for years. And it was my dream and I kept going and going and going.

So, if you’ve got some talent nobody can tell you that you can’t develop that into something if you work hard enough. And I don’t want some kids to have at least something going on to feel crushed and not follow their dream if they have some ability.

Hearst Newspapers: Given that the show is about giving a deserving talented singer a big break that they need, I wanted to know if there was a pivotal person in your life who most inspired you or influenced you or motivated you or helped you or changed you or redirected the course of your career in a remarkable way? Who comes to mind when I ask that?

K. DioGuardi: You know, I had a lot of, I like to call them my angels out there, that sort of guided me and gave me the encouragement I needed in the beginning, which is what I’ve been speaking about a bit, which is when you have talent it’s very difficult in the beginning to be recognized.

You’re developing your skills, you’re learning the industry and when you find people who champion that; I have two people that come to mind, Larry Flick who worked at Billboard and listened to my first demo tape and set me up with a guy named Clive Lieberman, who was a publisher at the time at BMG who then set me up with a bunch of co-writes that eventually led me to be on some big records and those people would take the phone calls with me where I’d be on the other going oh, I don’t know if I can do this; it’s so hard.

And they would encourage me and keep me going. And that’s a big part of why I’m here today is that they were on the other end of the line saying you can do it, keep going when I had those few moments of doubting because we all do and we’re human, but at the end of the day I knew where I wanted to go and I was going to get there.

Hearst Newspapers: And if you didn’t have them and if you didn’t have that opportunity would you still be, I mean, would you be happy playing music for five people?

K. DioGuardi: I wouldn’t be happy being broke, personally. I like to eat so I’m not sure, you know? I would probably want to have a job where I could support myself so playing to five people, I’m not so sure that would be the job.

Zaptoit.com: My question for you today is earlier you were talking about the past Idols that you’ve worked with and was there any particular one that really stuck out as just a gem to work with?

K. DioGuardi: Well, I love Kelly because I could just sing anything or tell her to sing anything and she could sing it. So she was feisty, she put her personality into the songs and for the style of writing that I was doing at the time, that rock/pop angsty stuff, she was just perfect. And she was great to co-write with and I had an incredible experience with her.

People magazine: I wanted to ask, kind of some personal stuff about you guys and everyone who is working together; do you guys hang out after the cameras stop rolling or does everyone kind of split up and go their separate ways or have you kind of developed a camaraderie and a friendship with everyone?

K. DioGuardi: You know, there were a few nights that Randy, I think one night in particular, Randy, Ryan, Paula and I had dinner and I do see Paula probably more than the other guys. But, yeah, we definitely hang out during lunch, we talk. It’s very pleasant. There was never any weirdness. Again, they were very accepting of me.

Of course, in the beginning there were those moments when I was explaining, okay, when does she speak, where does she sit, what is she wearing? Those kinds of things, but they banded in about two, three cities.

People magazine: Another question; you kind of mentioned this earlier that at the beginning you weren’t really quite sure if you were getting the hair and make-up right. How have you adjusted to things like all the hair and make-up? Have you hired a stylist? How are you kind of getting into that whole in front of the camera?

K. DioGuardi: I do have a stylist. I can’t tell you how many times I looked in the news and saw that one picture of the four of us and just wanted to shoot myself because I feel like I looked like Peg Bundy. So, yeah, I’m definitely, that first city I had never worked with the hair guy or the make-up; it wasn’t so much the make-up, the hair, so it was pretty big hair. I think those days are done. I’m going to keep the hair not so big.

Soap Opera Weekly: Did Paula or Randy give you any helpful advice about working with Simon and what was it?

K. DioGuardi: Just they said, be me. I mean at one point Paula was like you need to be yourself because in the beginning, the first city, you know, I didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes in the beginning, which is really not my personality. I usually just from the get go say what I feel and do what I want, not in an abusive way, but that’s just sort of the way I am. I’m opinionated.

In the beginning I was just a little bit like, oh my God, there are all these cameras, all these people, what’s going on here? And Paula turned to me and said, “Um, are you going to be you?” Kind of like that and I got the message. It was back to my old ways.

Soap Opera Weekly: Great. And have you been personally trying to fit into the show while also working to shake it up and enhance it? Can you speak about that balance a little bit?

K. DioGuardi: It’s something that took a minute to, again, be yourself and also find a place within the show where you weren’t at all detracting from the people around you or inhibiting them in any way and it’s something that I’m still working on, but I think I’m there. I hope you guys think so, too.

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© 2009

The Philly Freak Show

Ah, it must be winter. How can you tell? The freak show has come to town ... well at least on TV. And when it comes to freak shows, who does it better than the "American Idol" auditions?

Oh, yes, there are a scant few actual singers we are shown on the audition shows, but Nigel Lythgoe, Ken Warwick et al, have made the auditions more about the memorable weirdos than about the singers we're going to spend the better part of the next five months with, both on TV and in every other form of media on earth.

On the season premiere -- the Philadelphia auditions -- the freaks ruled. There were so many freaks -- scary freaks, sad freaks, funny freaks, out-of-touch-with-reality freaks -- that you'd have to have freak-off to determine the King of Freaks in Philly. By far, the scariest freak of all was the Stalker Freak, Paul Marturano, who
wrote a love song for Paula Abdul whose lyrics rhymed with stalk, and included breaking into her house and putting on her underwear. He was big, scary looking, loud and as the song got worse and worse he kept getting closer to the judges' table. Simon Cowell tried to stop him several times and finally had security escort him out of the room, saying, "I think you should leave. That was really creepy."

Watch video of Paula stalker Paul Marturano :


Then their was the hairy freak (well for a time, anyway) Ben Haar, who entered the room in a black cloak because he wanted his "costume" to be a surprise. (Simon: That isn't your costume?") Sadly, he uncloaked to reveal his hairy overweight body clad in, well, very little. Paula couldn't get past the hairy chest accentuated by his breastplate. When Ben offered to get a wax job and come back, Paula accepted, much to the digust of Simon, and we got to see him getting plucked. Yuck! He returned later to sing "Don'tcha," by The Pussycat Dolls. Thankfully, Simon allowed him to emit only four words note before shutting him up.

Watch video of hairy then hairless Ben Haar :
Hairy Ben


Hairless Ben


Saddest (and funniest) Philly freak was tour guide James Lewis, who said his "unique" voice -- he compared it to Paul Robeson's or Eddie Vedder's -- would bring something different to the show. It's low, get it? How low could he go? Low enough to keep us laughing throughout his segment. When he sang "Go Down Moses," yes you read right, each time he got to the refrain "let my people go" his enunciation of people cracked us up. But not before it cracked up Paula, who started laughing on the first note. Randy Jackson was just a few seconds behind her and had to cover his face with his notes. Admirably, Simon kept a straight face until nearly the end of the performance. What was sad? Like most of Idol's losers, Lewis didn't get what they were laughing at and offered to sing another song. Yikes!

Watch video of James Lewis singing with his "low" voice:


Most tiring freak was Zhengzhong Yu, who put us, and the judges to sleep, with his lullaby.

Watch video of sleep-inducing Zhengzhong Yu:


There was the freak who "bugged" us the most, Mark Hayes, who makes cricket chirps to amuse his friends, when someone makes a joke and it's not funny. Hmmm. Guess what happened after his frightful rendition of "White Christmas"?

Watch video of cricket boy Mark Hayes:


Most full-of-himself freak was Udgeet "Udi" Sampat , who "dances" through business meetings and who says people tell him he sounds like Sinatra or Manilow. Perhaps he meant Chuck Sinatra and Johnny Manilow? After his "performance," Simon inquired, "Did you honestly think, Udi, and I'm gonna ask you this question seriously, that you had any chance of getting through and winning?" Udi: "Yes I did." Simon: "Then you're nuts."

Watch video of dancing man Udgeet "Udi" Sampat:


Most sparkling and obscene freak was 23-year-old Alexis Cohen , who wears glitter makeup because she likes things that shine ("I'm a pirate") and lives in a one-room apartment with mom, dog and cats (the dog smartly was hiding under furniture when the "Idol" cameras arrived). Her command of the English language left something to be desired, with remarks such as "Judges, I plan to knock you on your feet" and "I'm going for actressing." She compared herself to Janis Joplin, Grace Slick and Pat Benatar, and, truth be told, we thought she did a pretty good job with Slick's "Somebody to Love." But as she might say, she was too f---ing freaky and the judges took a pass. Up to that point she was just strange, but after they rebuffed her, she went on a cursing tirade outside the audition room, especially against Simon, and gave him the (well, two) finger/s. She even demonstrated (with her pants on) how she wanted to moon him.

Watch video of glitter girl Alexis Cohen and her finger popping:


There was petite shreiky freak Alyse Wojciechowski, who first demonstrated her Elaine Benes dance moves outside the audition room, then, after telling the judges her main musical influence was Eva Cassidy shreiked her way through "Feeling Good," inspiring Simon to comment that her performance was "identical to a nightmare I had last week."

Watch video of shrieker Alyse Wojciechowski:


There was overage, balding celibate freak Milo Turk, wearing a leopard-print vest who told Ryan he needed to get his message out to the American public, and especially Simon, through his self-composed ditty "No Sex Allowed"

Watch video of chaste Milo Turk:


And, finally, there was "Star Wars" freak Christina Tolisano dressed as Princess Leia, right down to her fake ear-muff looking buns (that kept coming off). She tells us her children will have "Star Wars"-inspired names. She wants out of her Connecticut hometown because there's nothing there for her unless she becomes a corrections officer, which is a possibilty (may the force be with the prisoners). After she left the room, rejected for her Roger Daltry version of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me," Simon said "Give my love to the Wookie." She too, bitched outside about how American Idol only wants cookie-cutter pop stars.

Watch video of the power not with Christina Tolissano:


And what would an audition show be without a video medley of the lame-os all trying to sing the same song. In this case Joan Jett's "I Love Rock 'n' Roll."

Watch video of the chorus of weird destroy a great song:


Now, of course, there were the poignant moments in the show -- you need some normalcy to balance all the crazy. The ill-named Temptress Brown , a 16-yer-old with a mother with a chronic illness appeared both for herself and her mother. Temptress is built to be the middle linebacker she is and struggled terribly with "And I am Telling You I'm Not Going," the song that both Jennifer Hudson and LaKisha Jones do a grand slam on. Of course, after seeing her supportive, wheelchair-bound mom there to support her "little" girl, we were compelled to feel bad when the inevitable happened -- she failed. Her crying brought Paula and Randy to their feet for a group hug. Simon joined them to walk Temptress out to her parents when she said she couldn't face them.

Watch video of dutiful daughter Temptress Brown:

There was also Alaa "most people call me Yuka" Youakeem, an Egyptian who came to the United States a few years ago. He loves America, he loves American girls, he loves American music. He loves the Bees Gees, especially Mr. Bee Gees. Uh, OK. He sings "How Deep Is Your Love?" Answer -- sorry, not that deep. We love you too, Yuka, we just didn't love your singing. Watching Paula try to tactfully tell Yuka his voice sucked took 5 minutes before she meekly said singing wasn't the field he should be pursuing.

Watch video of Bee Gees backer Alaa "Yuka" Youakeem:


There's always a sad story where the contestant makes it through. Philly's belonged to Angela Martin, whose daughter has Rett Syndrome, similar to cerebral palsy. We were shown footage of her daughter to be made keenly aware of the struggle her young mother is going through. Martin said, "It's not about fame for me. It's about getting her the best care, the best therapists. Because the doctors told me my baby was never gonna walk or talk, and I'm gonna get that for her."

A singer in a wedding band, Angela is also attractive and Simon tells her so. While she didn't wow us with her rendition of "Signed Sealed Delivered," she didn't embarrass herself either. Simon advises her to "de-wedding-ize" her performances.

Watch video of Angela Martin do Stevie Wonder:


And then there was Joey Catalano, who is less than half the man he used to be. But that's a good thing. It's because he has lost over 200 pounds. Fortunately, he didn't lose his voice as well. He sang "Sunday Morning," and we actually liked him better than Elliott Yamin. Paula and Randy were thumbs up. Simon agreed on his voice but wondered if Catalano could actually be an Idol. He doesn't exactly fit the mold, but then, neither did Clay Aiken. But Joey with the great backstory got through on Randy and Paula's votes alone.

Watch video of The Thin Man Joey Catalano:


Also getting through -- barely was Melanie Nyema -- who didn't have the sense to hide the fact that she's been touring as a backup singer for Taylor Hicks. In case you need any proof that there's no love lost between the producers and Hicks, check out the show's new opening. Hicks has been virtually removed -- if you do a frame by frame, you can catch his chin -- and Jordin added (of course, they could both easily be included). And the backdrops at the auditions? Taylor has been moved so far off to the side, it is almost guaranteed his face won't get on camera. Check out the picture at the top of this post. His face is literally behind the potted plant. Melanie's version of "Unwritten" was unimpressive, but she squeaked through because of Randy and Paula.

Watch video of Hicks chick Melanie Nyema:


Others who made it through in Philly were Jose Candelaria , who sang "Unbreak My Heart" in Spanish and sounded pretty decent.




Watch video of Jose Candelaria and his Spanish serenade:


Junot Joyner, who did a surprisingly nice job with Elton John's "The Blues."








Watch video of Junot Joyner:


Even though she didn't impress Simon, we enjoyed Beth Stalker's styling of "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered." Fortunately Paula and Randy agreed.


Watch video of the bewitching Beth Stalker:


Simon seemed to be entranced by Brooke White, Philly's last auditioner. Brooke is a nanny who has never seen an R-rated movie. She doesn't drink, she doesn't smoke. She is so sweet and innocent she makes sugar seem sour. She sang Corinne Bailey Rae's "Like a Star," but we don't think she'll ever be one. She was just a bit too sweetsy to be palatable. Makes Carrie Underwood look like a tramp. Simon said they'll have to bring her over to the dark side a bit and she answered, "I dare you." He said, "Just give me a week, Brooke."

Watch video of sweet young thang Brooke White:


Here are our two favorite contestants from Philly:

Chris Watson just seems custom-made for the Idol mold. Young, black, good looking, nice voice (and didn't sing R&B). He did a fine job with "Follow Me" by Uncle Kracker. According to Simon, he looks like a star (we agree) and told Chris the chicks will like him. Randy wasn't especially impressed. He made it through and we think you'll see more of him.

Watch video of Chris Watson:


Best voice of the night award goes to pretty blonde Kristy Lee Cook, who lives in a log cabin with her family in Oregon. She rides and trains horses, does martial arts, is a cage fighter and kickboxer. Her voice control and modulation on "Amazing Grace" were great. She is personable yet humble. Another blonde who the Idol folks probably would love to mold.

Watch video of country cutie Kristy Lee Cook:


Next it's on to Dallas ...

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© 2008

Phillippi Sparks: A Proud Father Speaks

On Thursday, the day after Jordin Sparks, won the Season 6 "American Idol" championship, Newsday spoke former New York Giants player Phillippi Sparks, about his daughter's win the night before:

"Whoo!" Phillippi Sparks said. "Whoo!"

This was at noon Pacific Time yesterday, and he was speaking by phone from Los Angeles. "I haven't woken up yet," he said. "Actually, I didn't go to sleep."

Later, Sparks admitted to a two-hour nap, but all the dreaming he needed unfolded in real life.

Wednesday night, his daughter, Jordin, was crowned "American Idol" of 2007 upon winning a televised singing competition you might have heard about.

It was the culmination of a whirlwind that left the 17-year-old vastly more famous than her father ever was as a borderline star cornerback for the mostly dreary Giants of the mid-1990s.

Sparks, 38, was happy to be a supporting actor in the drama.

"You know what's cool about it?" he said. "The cool thing is that I'm her dad. That's all that matters. I was a little bit famous, but this? I'm just speechless right now, man."

In the early rounds of Idol, Sparks watched Jordin sporadically, spending time at home in Arizona with his 15-year-old son, P.J., whom he called "a very smart, intelligent young man who loves sports and who will be famous, too."

Once the field was whittled to 12, Sparks and his wife, Jodi, were regulars in the studio audience and on TV. Fox does not allow contestants' relatives to do one-on-one interviews for fear of providing an edge in the voting, but yesterday he was free to talk - and to bask in the moment.

"I'm just so blessed and honored to be a part of my daughter's life," he said. "It's overwhelming. She just hugged me and wouldn't let me go and was like, 'Dad, hold me, hold me, hold me.' You can imagine how I felt. I couldn't hold it back, bro. Some tears came out. Unbelievable."

Jordin's parents met while Sparks played at Arizona State. The Giants drafted him in the second round in 1992. He played for them through 1999, then spent a season with the Cowboys before retiring.

The Giants made the playoffs only twice in his time, including the notorious first-round collapse against the Vikings in 1997 during which Sparks had a heated confrontation with a teammate on the field. He said in advising Jordin before the last two rounds that he used football analogies.

"I told her the final three was like the playoffs," he said. "The final two, babe, is something I couldn't get to but you can: the Super Bowl."

(The Giants got there the season after Sparks left.)

Sparks has been coaching defensive backs at Glendale Community College, where he played, as well as his son's youth team.

And? "And that's about it," he said, adding he hopes to play on the celebrity golf tour.

Handicap? "I'm not letting that out," he said. "I'm not great, but I am good enough to beat most of the guys on that tour."

Sparks said even after seven years, the transition to retirement from the NFL is not easy. "I still want to play, every day," he said. "You have to let it go. But everybody lets it go in their own time."

Despite her age and Idol's presumed mission to discover unknown talent, Jordin is a seasoned performer with a long resume, and she has been home schooled since last year. Her father said she is levelheaded and he is not concerned fame and fortune will spoil her.

"No, if you see her, and I'm sure you have, she's incredible, a normal teenager," he said. "She's just a young lady who happens to have a beautiful voice. She's blessed.

"Like she said, 'Why me, Lord?' "

LISTEN TO JORDIN'S FIRST RELEASE
FULL VERSION OF 'THIS IS MY NOW'

The player below has streaming audio of the full version of Jordin Sparks first release, "This Is My Now." See if you like. It can be purchased at iTunes or at AmericanIdol.com.



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© 2007

And the Winner Is ...

JORDIN SPARKS -- Your new American Idol!

Complete recap with videos in the morning ...

e-mail Idol Addict
© 2007

Why Sligh?

(Results show story in earlier posting below) ...

It is obvious that we were disappointed to see Chris Sligh eliminated from the competition, but he just never seemed to live up to his potential on "Idol," especially for those of us who have seen what kind of great music "chubby" can produce. Not to beat a dead contestant, er, horse, but here's one last pitch for our readers who haven't before looked to check out the first video for the band Chris leads and is the main songwriter for, Half Past Forever. You can listen to more album clips here. We especially love "In a Moment" and "Know." And we love them for the music as much as for the vocals. They're a good band with great potential.

By this week, Chris seemed almost ready for defeat. He faced the judges like a beaten dog and only weakly defended himself. Maybe he wanted to go home at this point. We did think that he left with dignity, especially going over and hugging his fellow contesants as he sang his way out last night. Although we did wonder why Phil Stacey said to him, "I owe you 50 bucks" as they embraced. Sounds as if they had a wager on who was and wasn't leaving (probably Phil thought he was and he did come damn close for the second time).

OTHER NOTES ON LAST NIGHT'S SHOW

... Why the hell was Akon there to "accompany" Gwen Stefani if he wasn't allowed to do his rap? He stood around looking like window dressing, contributing less to the song than the backup singers. Are the producers that scared to introduce any hip-hop or rap to Idol? Scared of alienating Mr. & Mrs. Middle America? What a waste. There's been tons of that type of music on "So You Think You Can Dance" and it has only attracted larger audiences. Not that "Idol" is in any danger yet (as Nigel Lythgoe has said, they could lose half their audience and still be in the Top 3), but the show has been losing ratings all season -- this week's performance show had 12 percent less viewers than last week's two-hour performance show -- and eventually the producers will have to try something new to keep their old viewers, or attract new ones. Trying to threaten "Dancing With the Stars" by running over into the time period for its results show had little, if any, effect. "Dancing" garnered the biggest ratings for any of its results show ever this past Tuesday. So is this the first chink in "Idol's" mighty armor?

... Is it just us, or is anybody else getting tired of the endless amount of commercials -- wrapped as programming -- inside the Idol results shows? We read that nearly 15 minutes of the results shows are devoted to advertising if you include the appeals to buy the MP3s on the "American Idol" site, the lame weekly viewer multiple-choice call-in contest and the pleas to corporate America to get behind "Idol Gives Back." And that doesn't even include the weekly celebrity performance which is shameless promotional payback to hawk the mentors' new CDs or tours. Each results show has approximatey 5-7 minutes of actually programming, and yesterday Fox announced that a number of future results shows -- on April 11, April 18 and May 2 -- will be increased to an hour in length. We can't, ahem, wait.

CHRIS RICHARDSON'S SHOWMANCE?

TMZ.com reports that "American Idol" semi-finalist Alaina Alexander and finalist Chris Richardson may have sparked more than just a friendship on the show. An inside source revealed that the pair "hit it off instantly," and even after Alexander was voted off A.I. island, their relationship is afloat. TMZ said that what they share is "beyond just friends." It seems not to be a coincidence that the wannabeen Miss Alexander has a really sweet picture of the two on her MySpace page. Also adding fuel to the romance rumors ... last week when they panned the audience to show Richardson's adoring friends and family, Alaina just happened to be in the crew. "A.I." reps had "no comment."

IF IT WORKED FOR ANTONELLA ...

TMZ.com had another recent story about Alaina, only it involved the somewhat revealing photos of her on her MySpace.com site:

"American Idol" castoff Alaina Alexander is showing off her other assets on her new MySpace music page. Her alleged music page features four songs she's laughably categorized as her "Greatest Hits," and like any good 'ol American idled wannabeen, she's added some racy pics over which her teen admirers may care to drool.



"Perhaps this little songbird should've flaunted that taut bod a little earlier in the singing contest. Like Haley Scarnato, whose singing puts one in the mind of performing televised tracheotomies, showing off her physical prowess might have kept her on the show until the inevitable vote-off."

So is Alaina upset about the TMZ.com story? Nah. The girl knows good publicity when she sees it. A posting on her MySpace.com blog even provides a link to the TMZ story and reads:

"Tuesday, March 27, 2007

TMZ!!!! what can I say........

Hello to all my peeps!!
First off wanna thank you for all the love and support. You make me soooo happy!!

Ok now lets get started on a little website called TMZ.For those of you who dont know about it, it gives the scoop on the juiciest celebrity gossip.I must admit, even I'm a sucker for the occasional celebrity scandal.

A little bird told me there was a recent article on me. "Wow me?".
So I checked it out. It talks a little about my myspace, my music.........then of course my pictures.Now people , is it really that bad to have some flirty but classy photos?.
I mean, I'm young, free spirited and just trying to have a little fun.
Can I get an Amen?
So check out the article and let me know what you think!
Once again thank you, all of you, for your love and support.
a.a

Click HERE to read it on TMZ!"

BEEP! BEEP!

And lest we spare you from any TMZ.com muck, the site also had a field day ridiculing Sanjaya Malakar's ponyhawk on Tuesday's show (but who's laughing now? Not Chris Sligh), by saying he looked like the Road Runner from Looney Toons:

"From Diana Ross to Halle Berry, you never know whose weave will inspire "American Idol" wannabe Sanjaya Malakar. This week, his hairspiration was none other than Looney Tunes character, Road Runner. Acme Hair Spray, anyone? *beep beep*

Sanjaya's mindboggling pony-hawk was enough to almost distract from his butchering of No Doubt's "Bathwater." Almost. Unfortunately, a more appropriate song choice for Sanjaya would have been the power pop band's 90s hit, "Don't Speak," which Timberlake-alike Chris Richardson ravaged. *beep beep*

If Sanjaya survives another week, he's going to have a busy day in the studio -- the hair studio that is!

That's all folks!"

ANOTHER VIEW OF VFTW

In a posting called "American Anti-Idol," Michael Bloxham writes on MediaPost's TV Board:

"This week is about viewer involvement in programming and the rich potential for subversion that exists. Having been weaned at the tender age of seven on the earliest episodes of “Monty Python” in the U.K. in 1969, I have to confess a deep-seated love of the subversive and that which pokes fun at the conventional wisdoms and practices of everyday life.

So, naturally, I find myself irresistibly drawn to VotefortheWorst.com (VFTW) — a Web site entirely based on the notion that if enough people vote for the crappiest singer, then “American Idol” can be way more fun. Interestingly, it’s a site that has developed something of a following — especially since Howard Stern got behind it and encouraged people to join in the subversion of the core format of the show.

First established in 2004, the site’s owners are claiming some degree of success and make a habit of targeting campaigns of tactical voting aimed at blocking the progress of those they think the producers want to win, by elevating those who appear to be there for pure (and excruciating) entertainment value.

Of course, whatever the motivation to vote, every vote cast still generates revenue for the program’s stakeholders, and it all goes to increasing the program’s social currency (though you may define it as counter-currency in this case).

It also suggests that maybe there’s a market among these sorts of talent / reality shows for the versions that bring together the worst rather than the best of previous contestants (less “American Idol All-Stars” and more “American Idol No-Hopers”) — probably not sustainable over a full series. But let’s face it, seeing the least talented people in the nation is a major reason for tuning into the audition rounds of the show.

If nothing else, VFTW is a great example of how a program can be extended by an audience in ways that the producers didn’t dream of, while still building an actively engaged community that quite probably wouldn’t be as engaged otherwise, thereby increasing the overall equity of the show.

Anyway, take a look at the site, have some fun and see if you can think of sites of a similar nature that other shows are crying out for but don’t yet have."

e-mail Idol Addict
© 2007

No Drama at All

Earlier in the day, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe, when interviewed on TVWeek.com, hinted of some drama on tonight's results show when he said, "There's always surprises on 'American Idol' and none more so than tonight." Huh? We were sure that meant someone such as Blake Lewis was leaving, someone totally unexpected. But surprise! There was no surprise.

The bottom three:
Brandon Rogers
Phil Stacey
Sanjaya Malakar

The only thing that would have surprised -- and pleased us -- would have been for Sanjaya to go, but of course, he didn't. Neither did Phil Stacey, who was released back to his seat first.

So backup singer Brandon Rogers proved that he just couldn't cut it as the front man.

More in the morning ...

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© 2007

The Results Show

Ronnie Gill in Newsday writes:

And then there were 16. Another four “American Idol” semi-finalists fell by the wayside last night in the second thinning of the herd. One last cut next Thursday will determine the sixth season’s 12 finalists.

Host Ryan Seacrest said over 32 million votes were cast on Tuesday and Wednesday. Those not garnering enough to remain in the competition were: Nick Pedro, 25, from Taunton, Mass., who sang “Fever.” Judge Simon Cowell told him he has a good voice but lacked charisma; Alaina Alexander, 24, of West Hollywood, Calif., who received universally bad reviews from all three judges for her rendition of the Dixie Chicks’ “Not Ready to Make Nice,” with Randy Jackson noting, “It was a mess for me.”; AJ Tabaldo, 22, of Santa Maria, Calif., who won the judges’ hearts with “Feeling Good,” but apparently not those of the viewers; and Leslie Hunt, 24, from Chicago, who also sang “Feeling Good” to lukewarm praise.

Surprisingly, the two contestants many felt are the worst –- Antonella Barba, 20, from Point Pleasant, N.J. and Sanjaya Malakar, 17, from Federal Way, Wash. –- survived to sing another week. Also still in the running is Coram native Jared Cotter, 25.

Kellie Pickler, a finalist from last season, returned to sing “I Wonder,” from her debut gold album “Small Town Girl.” Dressed in a too-tight, very low-cut blue dress, hair coiffed short and wearing heavy makeup, Pickler looked more like a 40-year-old housewife than the fresh-faced 19-year-old who sang on the “Idol” stage last year.

More in the morning ...

e-mail Idol Addict
© 2007

Antonella Everywhere

To our loyal readers,

We apologize for no new posts the past few days. Idol Addict has been really sick and unable to get to the computer. We're on the mend and will attempt to again update at least once a day. Thanks to all of you who have stuck with us.

The Top 10 boys have sung and we'll let you know how we think they did in the morning, meanwhile ...

Love her or hate her, dressed or undressed, Antonella Barba continues to grab more attention than any other semi-finalist. In fact, Yahoo! Buzz reports that Antonella has again topped the list of "American Idol" contestant searches, stating, "Despite her brutal performance on Wednesday, Antonella leads the way. Why? Curious searchers are busy looking for naughty pics of the 20-year-old circulating on the Web."

And pics there are. Not 1, not 10, but dozens and dozens. More and more each day. It seems as if Barba spends the better part of her life in front of a camera. And there's one thing you can't deny looking at these photos -- she's got a rock-solid knockout body. But obscene? Er, no. We hate to ever agree with Barba's BFF Amanda Coluccio, but we've closely compared the more tame and revealing photos (which Amanda has indicated are Barba) with the clearly pornographic fellatio photos and do not think they are of the same girl. Which is not to say that the Barba photos are not a tad scandalous. After all, 19 Entertainment at this very moment is also trying to sell Idol Camp for 12 to 15 year olds, while wet T-shirt, thong, topless, bottomless, and rose petal-strewn pix of American Idol semi-finalist Antonella seem just a click away, everywhere you turn. For those of you who can't stand to miss the latest batch, here is where you can find the pictures being referred to elsewhere as "The Fountain Shots."

Personally, we were most entertained by a series of shots, ahem, mounted by VotefortheWorst.com. The site says: "We came up with the most SHOCKING pictures of all that will expose the REAL Antonella. After seeing these, there is NO way that Idol will want to kick her out." Hey, these guys really piss us off at times, but you can't deny they're funny. Check out their obviously photoshopped Antonella photos. Yes, it's a crude Photoshop job and they don't try to hide it, but it's also an object lesson in how digital technology has made it easy for even brute amateurs to Forrest Gump anything about anyone on the Internet ... or elsewhere. What you see is not always what you get.

RESULTS SHOW GUESTS

Season 5 finalist Kellie Pickler will appear on this Thursday’s results show to sing her new single "I Wonder" and Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood, whose other awards are becoming too numerous to list, will perform on the March 8 results show.

CLASSIC IDOL VIDEO

Fantasia Barrino's original performance of "Summertime"



And for those of you who might also have been ill (or out) and missed the Academy Awards, here are some Jennifer Hudson Oscar-night videos for you to enjoy ...

Barbara Walters interviews Jennifer Hudson on her pre-Oscar show



Jennifer Hudson accepts her Oscar for Best Supporting Actress from George Clooney



Jennifer Hudson and Beyonce sing a medley from "Dreamgirls"



e-mail Idol Addict
© 2007

Barba Bares All ... Well, Some

OK, this may be the first REAL Idol scandal of the season.
One of our favorite haunts, Vote for the Worst is loaded with photos of Point Pleasant Princess Antonella Barba, and some of them are not too, ahem, flattering. The photos include Barba giving the finger to the camera, baring her breasts, grinding up against another woman and sitting on the toilet, among other things. Interestingly, Antonella's BFF Amanda Coluccio is nowhere to be found in any of the photos, which feature a bunch of other girls. Hmmm, maybe it's time for Antonella to change that "Most Embarrassing Moments" question on her Idol profile.

As Vote for the Worst says, "Let the train wrecks begin!" After posting two pictures it found on Bastardly.com, Vote for the Worst uncovered a whole bunch more, noting "It seems Antonella Barba loves having pictures taken of her... a lot. And it seems her friends like to put them on the internet." We're including some thumbnail shots of the photos (cover the kiddies' eyes). If you want to check out the full-size photos, click on the Vote for the Worst or Bastardly.com links above.

Vote for the Worst also informs that Brit boy-band member Tom Lowe, one of our early favorites, is no innocent either. VFTW says "BillyMasters.com uncovered a picture of openly-gay Tom from what they allegedly say is when he 'dabbled in a bit of escorting' and took a bunch of nude shots."

CLASSIC IDOL VIDEOS

Starting this week, we will present videos of classic Idol performances from finalists or semi-finalists from Seasons 1 through 5. Kicking it off, is Season 3 finalist Jennifer Hudson, who many expect will be walking off with a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for "Dreamgirls" Sunday night, and who proves with this rendition of "Circle of Life" that she was eliminated far too early from the competition.



And Hudson talks about her pre-Idol days on Friday's "Tyra Banks Show," telling the host, "I tried to work at Burger King but that didn't work out too well. I worked there once for about 4 months and I either quit or got fired, I don't know, and then I went back and I got a little bit better, but I was not the best employee at all. I was at the cash register and I used to fuss at the customers and they would be like, 'You can't talk to the customers like that' and I would be like, 'I don't have to do this for the rest of my life. I can fuss at the customers if I want to.' So that didn't work out." Hmmm, another diva-in-training?

LET THE HANDICAPPING BEGIN

It's never too early for gamblers to start setting the odds, and so some prognostications have already been made on who will win this season's competition.

According to Yahoo! Buzz, which bases its popularity predictions on the percentage of Yahoo! users searching for that subject on a given day, multiplied by a constant, Antonella Barba has an early commanding lead in the pack (and if you've read the first item, we're gonna bet the house that it's going to skyrocket this week). They base their prediction of this three-pronged attack: The bikini cheesecake montage of Barba and BFF Amanda Coluccio aired during the New York auditions; the drama of her beating out her musically trained BFF for a Top 24 spot; and her and Amanda's destroying of 16-year-old San Antonio favorite Baylie Brown. And now they can add Internet photos to the list!

Others who scored high Yahoo! Buzz scores were Chris Sligh and Sundance Head. Last year we found that the Yahoo! Buzz score had very little to do with who advanced each week.

Chris Sligh is also widely favored on the Entertainment Weekly Power List, which not only places him in the No. 1 position, but attributes a whopping 26 percent of the total votes to him. Other list leaders include Melinda Doolittle (12 percent), LaKisha Jones (10 percent) and Sanjaya Malakar (9 percent). Of the 24 semi-finalists, these four contestants together account for 57 percent of the total votes.

Real oddsmakers also put Chris Sligh in the lead, including The Online Wire gambling newswire, BetCHRIS and the UK's Online Betting Guide.

A WEEK IN THE LIFE OF AN IDOL

The Washington Post examined the arduous preparations that take place behind-the-scenes as the coaches help American Idol contestants choose songs and polish performances before they take the stage in front of millions of viewers. The guys work with associate music director Michael Orland and vocal coach Matt Rohde, the gals with Dorian Holley and vocal coach and arranger Debra Byrd. Orland and Byrd revealed how a typical week spins by, along with the pressures and challenges faced by the contestants, some of whom have never sung in public or performed with live musicians.

Day 1: The day after the results show is the most important and is "the hardest day, absolutely, because it's their music-picking day," Orland said. Contestants learn the theme of the upcoming show and get a CD with snippets of 50 to 200 songs that fit in the category. The final choice of what to sing, Orland said, falls to the contestants. "We are technically not allowed to help in the song-picking," Orland said. "However, we can say, 'What did the judges say to you last week? What is it you want to show different?' "

Each contestant gets an hour to select a song and find a proper, comfortable key. The song then is edited to fit the 90-second performance slot. Music director-bandleader Rickey Minor and associate music director John Beasley are e-mailed MP3 files of the contestants performing their songs. After some fine-tuning they score each song and develop the orchestration themselves or delegate it via computer to one of 20 freelancers around the country.

Day 2: Coaches spend a half-hour with each contestant to "perfect their song," Orland said, including finding ways to keep on pitch from the first notes. Concurrently, the "Idol" band starts rehearsing to prepare for live filming. Before Minor arrived at the beginning of Season 4, contestants sang to prerecorded music. But that, Orland said, "left no wiggle room for tempo, holding a note longer or holding back for dramatic effect -- the things that happen in a live performance with live energy."

Days 3-4: The contestants' often-hectic weekends include filming commercials, shopping, sitting for photo shoots and choosing a wardrobe. Though the contestants are urged to rest their voices, the coaches are always available to work on the songs.

Day 5: Contestants rehearse with the band several times and learn the group number they will perform that week. The coaching teams help contestants shape their songs vocally and emotionally, and try to break some bad habits. "We constantly fight, constantly ask them to pull it back," Byrd said. "We'll work on it, but when they are under the gun, when the camera's rolling, when the audience is yelling, they'll fall back on that habit -- and whatever bad habits they have -- and just backslide." But Byrd knows trying to teach or improve technique at this stage probably would hurt or confuse the mostly untrained contestants.

Day 6: This is the most exhausting day of the week, full of drama and pressure. Contestants sing a song at least three times before showtime: once for sound check, once for camera blocking and lighting, and once for a dress rehearsal in front of an audience. (It's not the same audience that will be there that night, though clips from that performance will be used in the show.) The day ends with the all-important final performance -- the one that counts with millions of viewers.

Day 7: Results day -- always very emotional -- has a different energy than any other day as the hopefuls learn who is cut from the competition. But the remaining contestants have to get over it immediately and get back to work as the whole grueling process revs up again.

IDOL CHARTWATCH

From Foxes on Idol's weekly Chartwatch by Donna Reynolds.

This week’s album charts:
Carrie Underwood's "Some Hearts was #19 on the Billboard 200 and #2 on the Country chart.
Daughtry was #3 on the Billboard 200, #7 on the Internet Album sales chart, #7 on the Digital chart, and #2 on Top Rock Albums.
Katharine McPhee dropped to #11 on the Billboard 200, was #10 on the Internet Album sales chart and #12 on the Digital list.
"Dreamgirls," featuring Jennifer Hudson, was #14 on the Billboard 200, #15 on the Internet Album sales chart, #1 on the Soundtracks chart, and #3 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.
Taylor Hicks was #87 on the Billboard 200.
Fantasia was #110 on the Billboard 200 and #21 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart.
Kellie Pickler’s "Small Town Girl" was #84 on the Billboard 200 and #13 on the Country chart.
Ruben Studdard’s "The Return" was #62 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart.

This week’s singles charts:
Taylor Hicks’ “Just to Feel That Way” is #30 on the Adult Contemporary chart; “Do I Make You Proud”/“Takin’ It to the Streets” was #9 on the Single Sales chart.
Katharine McPhee’s “Over It” was #60 on the Hot 100, #39 on the Pop 100, #40 on the Pop 100 Airplay chart , #36 on the Hot Digital Tracks chart, and #45 on the Hot Digital Songs list; “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”/“My Destiny” was #4 on the Single Sales chart.
Kellie Pickler’s “I Wonder” was #49 on the Country chart. “Red High Heels” was #83 on the Hot 100 chart and #76 on the Pop 100 listing.
Chris Daughtry’s “It’s Not Over” was #6 on the Hot 100, #13 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart, #4 on the Pop 100, #6 on the Pop 100 Airplay chart, #6 on Hot Digital Tracks, #6 on Hot Digital Sales, and #3 on the Adult Top 40 listing.
Bucky Covington’s “A Different World” was #37 on the Country chart.
Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” was #36 on the Hot 100, #42 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart, #38 on the Pop 100, #43 on the Pop 100 Airplay chart, #27 on Hot Digital Tracks, #36 on Hot Digital Sales, and #27 on the Adult Top 40; “Wasted,” was #82 on the Hot 100, #57 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart, #11 on the Country chart.
Kimberley Locke’s “Change” was #18 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
Clay Aiken’s “A Thousand Days” was #29 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
Fantasia’s “Hood Boy” was #46 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles chart, #46 on the R&B Airplay chart, and #29 on the Adult R&B list.
Ruben Studdard’s “Make Ya Feel Beautiful” was #76 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles, #72 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart, and #22 on the R&B Adult airplay list; “Change Me” was #23 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles, #23 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart, and #3 on the R&B Adult airplay list and #73 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart.
Jennifer Hudson’s “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” was #81 on the Hot 100, #55 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart, # 16 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles chart, #16 on the R&B Airplay chart, and #7 on the R&B Adult airplay list.
Josh Gracin’s “I Keep Coming Back” was #29 on the Country chart.

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