Sanjaya Malakar: A Jew With Tattoos?

The St. Petersburg Times interviewed that most curious of characters, Sanjaya Malakar. Although he never says too much, what he does say can (but is not always) be amusing or intriguing, including that he'd like to get a tattoo for his 18th birthday and that he once practiced Judaism:

For all the energy he exuded on the "American Idol" stage, Sanjaya Malakar sure sounded sleepy during our early-morning phone conversation. ... During our chat with the media-jaded Malakar, we tried to cover new ground. But we couldn't resist throwing in one question about those lionized locks.

What are you tired of talking about?
I'm kind of tired of talking about my hair, but I figure it's inevitable. It's gonna happen, so it doesn't really bother me. But it's just kind of an old subject.

I'll ask you the one obligatory hair question, and then we can move on. What's the one hair-care product that you can't live without?
Water.

Really?
I use hair products if I'm going somewhere nice or something, but for the most part I kind of wet it and let it air-dry. My hair's really low-maintenance. I'm lucky like that.

You're turning 18 on Sept. 10. How will you celebrate?
I kind of want to get a tattoo, but I don't want to get it while I'm on the road because I want to get it from somewhere that's clean, and I want to be sure that it's clean, 'cause I'm not about to have some nasty rash on my body.

What would you get it of, and where would you get it?
I was thinking of on my arm, and my Chinese astrology (sign) is a snake and I love snakes, so I'd get a snake and somehow incorporate a treble clef or some kind of musical symbol and possibly somehow incorporate a Virgo, but I don't know. I haven't really thought about it enough to get it yet.

What was the strangest thing that a fan has sent you?
I think the strangeness comes with what they say in their letters, 'cause there's a lot of people that don't necessarily censor themselves in their letters, and it's kind of interesting to read.

Can you give me an example?
Someone said that when I sing, it's like hot chocolate with a lot of mini marshmallows.

What do you think that means? Is that a compliment that you are a warm beverage?
(Laughs) I don't know. Hot chocolate's yummy, and little mini marshmallows never hurt.

So is the tattoo an effort to get rid of the mini marshmallow image and move to something a little more mature?
No, I think it's, I wouldn't get it somewhere that's really obvious. I'd get it somewhere that I can hide it very easily. It would be more for myself.

If you were a superhero, what would you want your superpower to be?
Psychic abilities.

Why's that?
I think that everyone's psychic, but they just don't listen, and I've kind of gotten to a point where sometimes I can listen to my instinct and be right, and so I like to call myself psychic. … I think it's a cool concept, and so I think it would be really cool to genuinely, actually be psychic.

If someone wrote a biography of you, what would the title be?
"Back When I Was Rich and Jewish."

Are you Jewish?
I was once. My mom was married to a Jewish man, and we celebrated all the holidays and all that. And he was rich.

Did you have a bar mitzvah?
No. They broke up before I turned 13.

A PEEK AT FUTURE IDOLS?

Today travelled up to Massachusetts to take a look at the first day of Idol camp, which featured classes and performances with former finalists Jon Peter Lewis, Carmen Rasmusen and Ace Young, as well as professionals from Idol and the business world. This weekend the kids get a visit from singer Macy Gray. Any future stars there? Could be. Listen to the kid singing with Ace at the end. Watch out Taylor.

Watch video of Day 1 at Idol Camp.

FORGET PARIS

Just how important was Paris Bennett to the Idols Return tour? Apparently not as important as she thinks she is.

The Columbian reports that Bennett announced in June she was leaving the group, which includes former "American Idol" finalists Justin Guarini, Kimberly Caldwell and Anthony Fedorov to pursue a solo career. Because the group was booked at the Clark County Fair in August, Clark County Fair officials offered refunds to anyone who had purchased a ticket for the Aug. 4 show.

"I don't know of anyone who requested a refund," fair director Tom Musser said. "Hey, this is just a fun show and I think people just want to come out and see former Idol contestants. Perhaps if we had lost Justin, things may have been a little different."

*Ahem* Paris.

KIMBERLY CALDWELL BACK TO HER ROOTS?

And speaking of Kimberly Caldwell, Top40-charts.com reports that the Season 2 Idol finalist, who has spent the majority of her post-Idol career on-camera in Hollywood on reality TV shows and as the entertainment correspondent and host for the TV Guide Channel, is in contract negotiations with Nashville Records, Inc.

Pre-Idol, Caldwell was a featured vocalist at the Country Tonite Theater in Branson from 1994 to 1996. She also performed on Ed McMahon's "Star Search" and still holds the record for most wins by a junior vocalist.

The Company's early plans are to have her produced by independent producers Teddy Gentry & Michael Curtis and released this fall or early winter. Larry Pareigis, the man responsible for breaking such acts as Gretchen Wilson, Montgomery Gentry, the Dixie Chicks, and Tracy Lawrence, is anxious to make Kimberly Caldwell another household name.

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Watch video of Blake Lewis goofing around in the studio with Ryan Tedder from One Republic and Steph Jones.



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© 2007

Judging the Judges - Finale

One last time, formal Idol finalists Kimberley Locke (Season 2), Ace Young (Season 5), Anthony Fedorov (Season 4) and Amy Adams (Season 3) rate how the judges did this year for EW.




RANDY JACKSON: Blake got a 10 out of 10 on his ''You Give Love a Bad Name'' beat-boxing from Randy, but only an ''a'ight'' on the singing.



Kimberley: Across the board his singing was off — I thought Randy was being nice. [Blake's beat-boxing] is great, because that within itself is a talent. Not going to discredit him there, but I don't think that's what this competition is about. When I watched Blake last night it was almost like he was singing one or two notes the whole time.

Ace: It's like Taylor playing the harmonica -- It's something that's another craft on top of singing that he taught himself how to do. Whatever you put out on that stage, they can judge.

Anthony: Well, I wouldn't agree 101 percent. He did a really good job. When singing, he did a little bit better than just okay. But I definitely give him 10 out of 10 on the beat-boxing.


Amy: I think he was kind of right, but if you look at the overall performance of it, yeah, [Blake] gave a show. And sometimes you compromise sound for, you know, visuals.

According to Randy, Jordin is the most talented 17-year-old singer ever, and her ''A Broken Wing'' is better than the Martina McBride original.

Kimberley: When he said that [about the song], I kind of raised my eyebrow, but I have to say she was pretty spot-on. So I can't say that I disagree with him on that, unfortunately. When you find somebody that is that young and so in tune with their skill and their craft, you realize what a gift it is. Also it makes a difference in this industry, because look how much longer she has to work. She has a long career ahead of her.

Ace: Christina [Aguilera] came out pretty early and showed that she had a lot of vocal flexibility.... To have the courage to want to be in front of everybody where they can critique you, that's hard to find at a young age.

Anthony: The original was pretty good. There's a lot of talented 17-year-olds out there. Take Diana DeGarmo, for example — she was, I think 16 or 17 when she did the show, and she was pretty up there too. I think [Jordin's] definitely one of the most talented 17-year-olds we have ever seen.

Amy: I don't think it was better than the original — I think it's different than the original. But she is one of the most talented 17-year-olds I've ever seen as well.

Overall, for season 6, how would you rate the Dawg?

Kimberley: I think Randy has been a little tougher this season. Normally he's really nice and really, you know, calculated. He always prefaces his negative comments with, you know, ''Hey, how are you doing? Did you have fun?'' I think this year he kind of just really got to the point: ''I didn't like it.'' Grade: A-

Ace: Overall, I miss the dawg pound. He hasn't called on his dawg pound since our season. And I don't know if he lost his bark, or he's sticking to bite, but I miss the dawg pound. Grade: A

Anthony: As far as the clothes, I mean, Randy has always been dressing well. Since my season he has made more of an effort to be more constructively supportive. Grade: B+

Amy: The clothes he was wearing [all season], they were a little bit theatrical — [on the finale] especially. But overall I think he did a great job this year. He has gotten a little bit sharper tongue; he is more free to say what he's feeling. He didn't say ''dawg'' as much — or maybe we're just getting used to it. Grade: A-

PAULA ABDUL: Paula believed this was one of the best finales in Idol history, and Jordin and Blake's opening songs proved it.




Kimberley: Are you joking? I think it was probably one of the most uneventful finales that we've ever had. You've got a guy who has got a lot of style and is, you know, beat-boxing, competing against a singer. It would have been a much better finale had it been with Melinda Doolittle and Jordin Sparks. It would have been like watching a professional boxing match. Instead it was like watching a rottweiler fight a kitten.

Ace: I think it gets better every year, primarily because more and more acts that were closed off to Idol are open to it now. Maroon 5 wouldn't have done this show last year, and now they're all over it. Gwen Stefani. There's a lot of people that might have had a different opinion about it, and now we're looking at Bette Midler and some major people on stage that have been doing it their whole life. So it's totally crazy.

Anthony: I don't think it's the best final at all. I think we have had some better finalists as far as the finals are concerned. You take Clay Aiken-Ruben Studdard— that was a really close final. Carrie Underwood and Bo Bice, I thought that was an incredibly close final. So my favorite two finals would be Clay and Ruben and Carrie and Bo.

Amy: I am going to agree, yeah, but it was just a different energy all around. What I noticed is that the [finalists] were more hip to pop culture than revising old, you know, '60s-through-'80s songs. They had a tendency to go more toward what was popular today. That was the difference in the show.

Paula told both finalists that they were ''in great voice.'' Accounting for her recent injury, what did she mean?

Kimberley: I don't know what the hell she meant by that, because Blake was off. He sang flat notes and everything. Maybe what she's talking about is normally at this stage in the game, the contestants have no voice.

Ace: It just means they're tired from all the interviews. Like vocally, their voice is tired. If you're in great voice that means that you're actually doing well. If you're not in great voice, that means your voice is raspy or getting tired or beat up.

Anthony: Well, she just meant that they're in good vocal shape. They sound good.

Amy: I was challenged by that comment, because I am a singer, and I think I hope to be in great voice. But what it means to me is that you were very aware of your voice and you were very aware of how to use it.

Overall, for Season 6, how would you rate Ms. Abdul?

Kimberley: At the beginning of the season I thought that she was pulling it together, but then she got lost again in the middle, and she just said things that make absolutely no sense whatsoever. She can't make up her mind. She's always trying to straddle the fence. She wants to be very politically correct and very fair, and I get that. But you know, the kids really need to hear the truth. [The finale] was a perfect example — she was afraid to just even speak her mind. Grade: D

Ace: She's had to overcome some different things this season. Instead of everybody asking about if she and I are going on a date, people are asking if she's okay with missing her dog and breaking her nose. Grade: A

Anthony: She's always been supportive, so that's something that hasn't changed. She's always looked great. I think she tried to be a little bit more technical this season — I'd give her A for effort. Grade: B

Amy: She had her ups and downs throughout the year. In the past seasons she would just say something nice regardless, like, you know, ''You look beautiful,'' and this season I noticed that she would say, ''You had a bit of a challenge here,'' and then she would taper off. She wouldn't necessarily finish it with a positive, which I appreciated. Grade: B+

SIMON COWELL: For round one, Simon rated Blake's entertainment factor stronger than Jordin's vocal prowess, which he found shrieky.




Kimberley: You know what, I would have to say I kind of agree, because I don't think it was about Blake's vocal talent. It was about his presentation. It was a little uncomfortable watching her sing Christina Aguilera's ''Fighter,'' because I couldn't understand the words. The song has a great energy, and I understand why she would do something like that to show a different side of her, but it wasn't her best performance.

Ace: I thought it was split in round 1. I really liked what Jordin brought in the first performance and I really enjoyed what Blake brought to his song. So I disagree with Simon.

Anthony: Maybe she was nervous, but her voice sounded shaky.

Amy: I think Jordin could have done more visually with [her song], instead of hugging the microphone.

Simon thought Blake's decision to sing ''She Will Be Loved'' was way too low-key for the final.

Kimberley: Because there's probably two notes in that song. That's why he chose that song. It's like I said, Blake hasn't really done anything [vocally] to wow us, so if he was going to wow us, he needed to do it [on the finale].

Ace: I think Simon was looking for something new out of Blake. But I thought ''She Will Be Loved'' was perfect because it broke it down to singing and it actually made him use his falsetto. I thought it was very touching. I loved that performance.

Anthony: I disagree. He chose a song that's good for his voice. There's only so much he can do because he doesn't have an unlimited range, so I thought that he made a really good choice.

Amy: I don't know if it was way too low-key. I mean, you have to look at this season. I don't think that overall this season has had the best talent to choose from. You didn't have star singers like Kelly Clarkson. You had Jordin, and then you had Melinda, but there's not those people that were like Jennifer Hudson — you know what I mean? Blake is not a singer like that. To expect something bigger from him vocally, I don't know.

Simon said Jordin ''wiped the floor with Blake'' on the final song. Was that a bit unfair, seeing as Simon had only just pointed out that the song was a terrible fit for Blake's style?

Kimberley: That's happened before. American Idol is about being versatile and about seeing how dynamic you are as an artist. So that's Blake's problem. It just shows once again that as an artist Blake is one-dimensional. It wouldn't be fair to ask LaKisha Jones and Melinda Doolittle to sing country music. That's not their style, but they killed it.

Ace: I thought Blake did a really good job; I liked how he was sitting up in the big TV, then he came out. Jordin hit that one part of her voice — it's called the ''ping'' — where you get those chills if you're paying attention. And the song didn't give Blake the opportunity to use the ping in his voice.

Anthony: That was a little unnecessary, but that's Simon. It's not [Blake's] song, and you know, you're stuck in the machine of the show, so you're never going to hear him belt out a song. It is what it is, so you make the best of it and you move on.

Amy: That was completely unfair. Those are overall statements at the end. That is what's going to grab your general public. ''Blake, that probably wasn't for you, it's not in your genre'' — maybe people will remember that, but overall they're going to remember, ''Yeah, she did wipe the floor with him.''

Overall, for season 6, how would you rate Simon?

Kimberley: Over the seasons Simon has become more apologetic, which I think is huge for him. Simon has become a little more — I'm going to say thoughtful, but not thoughtful in like ''Oh, I'm thinking of you,'' but more thoughtful toward the artist, trying to understand why they did things a certain way or why they chose that song. Instead of just jumping straight out there with his comments, I think he actually tries to understand. And we know most of the time he's right. Grade: A

Ace: Simon was actually nice this season. I remember him being a lot more negative than he has been this year. Grade: A


Anthony: Season 6, I would give him a B++. It's a new mark that I just invented. The reason I'm not giving him an A is because of [the finale] comment [about] Blake [being outsung by Jordin on the final song]. I would have given him an A otherwise, because all of it his comments were pretty much on point. But it was unnecessary for him to say that she wiped the floor with him, because [Simon] knew that wasn't his kind of song. Grade: B++

Amy: I think he was pretty consistent. Even [Tuesday] night when he was like, ''I know you're going to boo,'' he still stayed true to saying what he felt. Grade: A

JORDIN'S FINALE FASHION FLAIR

US magazine reports that at the finale, Jordin Sparks knew how to deliver the entire package, from voice to clothing.

Up until the show’s finale episodes, Sparks and her fellow Idols were afforded a $400 weekly budget to shop with stylist Miles Siggins for performance duds, but when the spotlights went up Tuesday at Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre, Sparks and Blake Lewis pulled out all the stops and called in a few fashion favors.

Having dressed former Idols like Carrie Underwood, the design team of Mark Badgley and James Mischka, the masterminds behind the luxe line Badgley Mischka, were eager to dress America's newest sweetheart. Living every girl's dream when sifting through hundreds of designer duds, the 17-year-old selected their copper brocade cocktail dress for one of the evening's many performances.

"We are big fans of the show and have been watching it since the first season," Mischka said. "Jordin’s beautiful and we thought it would be great to dress her, bring glamour to American Idol and up the bar a bit."

And up the bar they did. Badgley said the star's style is young, fresh and fun. "It all came together last week. She was really spontaneous and fun [during the fitting]," he said, "She broke out in song and her voice is to die for! Jordin is so cute and talented, which makes it that much more fun!"

His design partner couldn't agree more. "Jordin's very statuesque and looks great in clothes! She's very confident even though she’s only 17," Mischka explains.

Although the dress, which is commercially available at Bloomingdale's, exceeded the normal wardrobe budget, Badgley Mischka stepped in to help the star shine.

"We really wanted to work with her on this project," Badgley says. "A lot of times when we work with celebrities, cost doesn't really become an issue. We wanted her to have the dress and it didn't fit in the show’s budget so we stepped in."

While the dress was not specifically commissioned for the performer, the designers have since gifted Sparks with the gown to commemorate her Idol experience.

"We definitely let her keep it," Badgley confirms with excitement. "It's a once in a lifetime thing and we want her to have that memory."

FOX APOLOGIZES FOR IDOL RUNOVER

Not that it'll make you feel any better if you recorded the "American Idol" finales on Tuesday and Wednesday to watch at another time, only to discover that you missed Daughtry on Tuesday, or the big announcement on Wednesday, but according to Broadcasting & Cable Fox has apologized for running over the allotted two-hour time slot on Wednesday's "American Idol" finale. [What about Tuesday?]

The show was scheduled to end at 10:00 PM, however, the winner was announced at 10:03 PM, and the show ended at 10:09 PM. As a result of the mistake, many viewers who recorded the show on their DVR’s missed the announcement of the winner.

"We're sorry that DVR users may have missed the conclusion of the 'American Idol' broadcast. It was always our intention to bring the show in on time, but just as with any live sports, variety, awards or entertainment event, there is no way to absolutely guarantee that the show will end exactly on the hour. Fox and the producers apologize to those viewers who were inconvenienced," said a spokesperson for the company. [Uh-huh]

The Los Angeles Times reported Friday that TiVo -- one of the more popular providers of DVR systems in the U.S. -- got complaints from "disgruntled subscribers" following the Idol 6 finale and issued a statement that basically warned viewers to learn from Fox's mistake.

"At TiVo we're huge 'American Idol' fans too [we bet you are], and some of us also missed the last few minutes," TiVo spokeswoman Katie Ho wrote in an e-mail, according to The Times. "Had we known the program would run over the allotted time, we definitely would have alerted our subscribers to pad a few extra minutes of recording time, as insurance [funny, we knew to do that without being told, so how come TiVo didn't?] ... Be it the Oscars, the Grammys, assorted sporting events, or 'American Idol,' some events run long [exactly, so what's your excuse?]."

During NBC's Thursday night broadcast of "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," show host Jay Leno revealed that he was one of the many TiVo subscribers that missed out on seeing Sparks' Idol crowning.

"You know what happened to a lot of people like me, I TiVo'd it but when I got home the show ran over so I didn't know who won," Leno told Jordin Sparks, who made a guest appearance on the show. "I had to go on the Internet because if you taped it stopped -- right, anyone else have this [happen to them] -- it stopped right at 10 o'clock and you missed it so you had to go on the Internet to find out!"

Although she obviously had no control over the overrun, Sparks attempted to apologize for Leno's inconvenience. "Oh, I'm sorry," she told Leno.

"That's OK, it's not your fault!," Leno responded.

This is not the first time Idol's live finale has overrun it's scheduled broadcast. Last year's fifth season Idol finale that saw Taylor Hicks take home the crown also ran over by four minutes and the show's fourth and third season finales also ran over slightly [our point exactly], according to The Times.

ABDUL DENIES TANTRUM CAUSED NOSE INJURY

Reuters reports that "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul has slammed reports that a furious fit of anger was to blame for her nose injury.

Abdul was left bruised and with a fractured toe and broken nose after she tripped over her Chihuahua, Tulip.

Some media outlets and fans have questioned Abdul's unusual explanation for her injuries, with some sources claiming she injured herself while throwing a tantrum.

A source said, "Paula did not break her nose. She had pitched a fit, threw something into a mirror or glass object, and a shard of glass struck her in the face, which explains why Paula's nose didn't seem swollen."

However, the former pop star's spokesperson says the report is "absolutely, categorically untrue."

WHO'S THE SEXIEST?

People magazine was on the red carpet on Wednesday night to capture the glamour and to get the scoop from stars like Simon Cowell, Paris Bennett, Peter Noone and Cat Deely. Plus, celebs answered the burning question: Which Idol star is the sexiest?

You can watch the People magazine video here.

e-mail Idol Addict
© 2007

Tamyra Gray Bound for Broadway

Not all Idol finalists have great success in the pop music field, but a surprising number of them have done well on the Great White Way. Previous and current Idol finalists on Broadway and Off-Broadway include Diana DeGarmo, Constantine Maroulis, Fantasia Barrino, Anthony Fedorov, Frenchie Davis and Josh Strickland. The latest to try to make it in Manhattan's theater district, according to Broadway World, is first-season finalist Tamyra Gray who joins the cast of "Rent" in the role of Mimi Marquez (through November 25) on May 29. (This is Gray's second foray on Broadway. In 2004, she was cast for a 12-week limited engagement in the role of Priya in Broadway's struggling "Bombay Dreams," but due to continued poor grosses, the show closed early on Jan. 1, 2005).

After "American Idol," Gray landed a recurring role on the TV series "Boston Public," as well as guest spots on shows such as "What I Like About You," "Half and Half," "Tru Calling" and "All of Us." She penned the songs "I Believe" the Idol coronation song for Season 2 winner Fantasia Barrino and "You Thought Wrong" for first season champion Kelly Clarkson. Gray also appeared in the film "The Gospel."

Rent plays at the Nederlander Theatre, 208 West 41 Street, between Seventh and Eighth avenues, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2pm & 8pm, and Sunday at 2pm & 7pm. Tickets, priced $45-$100, can be purchased by calling TicketMaster at 212-307-4100. A limited number of $20 tickets are available day of performance at the box office.

KELLY/CLIVE CD FEUD?

Late last week Internet rumors were furiously flying that Sony-BMG Clive Davis so disliked Kelly Clarkson's new CD that he ordered it scrapped, with the British tabloid the Daily Star saying, "A source at the record company tells the paper, 'It was an extraordinary presentation [the SBMG International meetings in Las Vegas]. Clive was absolutely merciless in his criticism of Kelly. She's one of the biggest priorities on the label and her new songs were savaged.' "

The American Idol winner had been working on the follow up to her best-selling album Breakaway for 18 months.

Clarkson's reps refused to address the issue on Friday, but according to the Star-Telegram, her reps issued a rebuttal on Saturday, reading:

"Despite rumor-mongering from the U.K. Daily Star and other online sources, there is no dispute between Kelly Clarkson and the RCA Music Group. These rumors began after the SBMG International meetings in Las Vegas a couple of weeks back and were based on an inaccurate report about Clive Davis' presentation of Kelly's new LP at the confab. Sources who were there insist the chatter is not true. In fact, Davis specifically stated that Kelly is 'one of the top four artists at Sony BMG' and wanted to ensure that she is treated as such. There are absolutely no plans to scrap the LP. Meanwhile, Richard Palmese's promo team is working round the clock to deliver Kelly's first single, 'Never Again,' to trigger the release of what all are convinced is a chart-topping album."

FORMER FOURTH-PLACE FINISHERS

Season 1: Tamyra Gray

Well, a look at the top item tells you that Tamyra is still working in the business, making a second go on Broadway, this time in "Rent," beginning on May 29. Like Season 5 fourth-place finisher Chris Daughtry, many thought Gray was robbed when Nikki McKibbin survived and she was eliminated.

In 2006, Gray was on an episode of "The Tyra Banks Show" with other previous Idol finalists. She also guest starred as a waitress on an episode of NBC's "Las Vegas," ending the show singing "Respect." She contributed to "If You Were Mine" (and sang back up) and "The Lover in Me" on Jessica Simpson's CD "A Public Affair."

On September 2, 2006, Gray married singer Sam Watters (Color Me Badd) in Italy. She is currently recording a new album that she calls more club-friendly than her debut CD.

Season 2: Josh Gracin

After Idol, the ex-Marine signed with Lyric Street Records, releasing his debut CD in 2004. It sold 645,000 copies and was certified gold. Gracin has had three country singles in the Top 5, including "Nothin' to Lose," which went to No. 1 on the country chart.

In 2005, Gracin sang "Working for the Weekend" on the "Herbie: Fully Loaded" soundtrack, and "When I See an Elephant Fly" on the Jim Brickman album "The Disney Songbook." He released the single "Favorite State of Mind" in March 2006. Also in 2006, he guest starred on "The Young and the Restless," sang "God Bless America" during the 7th inning of Game 2 of the World Series and sang the national anthem before the start of the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals game on ESPN Monday Night Football.

He is currently on tour.

Season 3: LaToya London

After Idol, London guest hosted on "Access Hollywood," and performed the national anthem for numerous National Football League games. She has shared the stage with such stars as Elton John, Whoopi Goldberg, Barry Manilow, Gladys Knight, Nancy Wilson, Chaka Khan, Rachelle Ferrell, Goapele, and Burt Bacharach.

In November, 2004, she signed with an imprint of Concord Records. Her first single, "Appreciate," was released in July, and she also made a video. Her debut CD, "Love and Life," was released on Sept. 20, 2005.

In February 2006, London landed a lead role in the touring company of "Issues: We All Have 'Em," also starring Angie Stone, Dave Hollister, and Kim Fields. She also sang "Hark! Hear the Bells" on the VH1 Soul Train Christmas special, and sang the same song on a special edition of the 40th Anniversary "A Charlie Brown Christmas" CD.

In 2006, she made her professional stage debut with a starring role in the retro musical "Beehive" in North Hollywood. The cast was nominated for Best Ensemble Performance by the 2006 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards.

London is currently writing songs for her second CD and shopping for a new recording label. She is also appearing as Nettie in the Chicago company of the musical "The Color Purple."

Season 4: Anthony Fedorov

After Idol, Fedorov kept busy making appearances locally and nationally. He graduated college and remains very good friends with Carrie Underwood.

In June 2006, he came in second place as a contestant on NBC's "Fear Factor" along with American Idol season 2 finalist Carmen Rasmusen. He was also in four episodes of MTV’s "Little Talent Show -- Triple Threat."

After his brother's death in September 2006, Fedorov was named the national spokesperson for the Sarcoma Foundation of America. He will perform at SFA’s Annual Gala on May 21st, 2007 in at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Manhattan.

He is working on his first CD, performed for U.S. Air Force troops in Europe in April and recently began starring as "Matt" in the Off-Broadway production of "The Fantasticks."

Season 5: Chris Daughtry

The most successful nonwinner of "Idol," Daughtry has far surpassed Taylor Hicks, Katharine McPhee and Elliott Yamin -- who placed first, second and third -- in fame and record sales.

Since Idol, Daughtry signed with 19 Entertainment and RCA Records. He debut CD, with his band Daughtry, was released on November 21, 2006. Today, it is still in the Top 5 of the Billboard charts and sold over a million copirs after only 5 weeks, becoming the fastest selling debut rock CD in Soundscan history. Daughtry's first single "It's Not Over," hit No. 1 on the Billboard Charts after nine weeks.

The single "Home" is used as the elimination song for the Season 6 contestants, replacing Daniel Powter's "Bad Day" from last year. Daughtry is currently on tour.

JUDGING THE JUDGES

Once again, Entertainment Weekly had former three former Idol finalists Ace Young (Season 5), Anthony Fedorov (Season 4) and Amy Adams (Season 3) rate the opinions of Idol's judges for Bon Jovi week. Here's what they had to say.

Randy gave Blake [Lewis] the award for the most original version of a song ever on Idol. So does original equal good?

Ace Young: Original equals good and original equals gutsy. When you change up the song too much, you have to totally sell that song to everyone as a brand new song. When you already know something as one way, it’s hard to hear it another. He played the whole song like a techno, pop-R&B beatbox vibe. It was totally different.

Anthony Fedorov: Equals 'great'. I was blown away by Blake’s performance. This kid’s got something special. He’s very unique, and that will go a long way. It’ll just be interesting to see how he takes his uniqueness, and whoever he ends up [working] with, how they’re going to use it [in an album], because if you do it right, I think he has a chance of being very, very successful.

Amy Adams: I think in this case, yes. When Bon Jovi was talking about him not singing for 30 seconds at least of a song, I was frightened at first. And then as it happened, I was like, “That was totally bitchin’.” I think he’s going to fare well in the industry. Hopefully he’ll be able to have a bit more creative freedom. Some artists just don’t feel those [creative instincts]; they 'want' to be forced or contrived. He’ll be really successful, but he does need to stay original.

Randy judged Chris' [Richardson] "R&B twists and turns" -- i.e. his vocal runs -- the right recipe for Bon Jovi.

Ace: I think [Chris] definitely pulled it off. It was a big song for him. The vocal runs actually make it original. It doesn’t have to be R&B—there are runs in pop music. I’m sure that he could’ve moved quite a bit more but he sang it pretty straight. So I think he made it his own, [but] the funny thing is, he actually sounded a lot like Bon Jovi.

Anthony: Chris has got a specific kind of voice, and rock is not his thing. I heard that in his voice. I felt like the song didn’t really suit him.

Amy: He actually sounded really good this week. I was happier for him that he went out being able to sing a song like this rather than something that was not so good for him. It’s not about being the worst singing, it’s just about it being your time to go.

Paula proclaimed Phil's "Blaze of Glory" the best opening performance they've had all season.

Ace: I thought Phil was really, really comfortable. He was a lot more comfortable than I expected, being the very first one out of the box, so yeah, I think he did a great job.

Anthony: I would agree with that. He just came out firing, blazing all guns, you know. The problem with Phil is, unfortunately, he started to come into his own a little bit too late, which is kinda the same thing I did when I was on the show.

Amy: Um, yeah, I guess. I don’t really quite remember [the other opening performances], so I’ll say yeah too! It was a good rendition on his own right, but stylistically he’ll still be maturing. He’ll still need to find himself in order to give himself a style. I think that’s what he needs and I think that’s what America thinks that’s what he needs.

Paula told Kiki (LaKisha Jones) that her low, bottom tones are "money in your pocket." Wuzzah?

Ace: That means the lower voice, the lower timbre, is what she really enjoys. Everybody has a rich part of their voice, and LaKisha has that bottom tone, and Jordin has that ping. If she records [an album], she would definitely be recognized as LaKisha instead of, Oh, you sound like somebody else.

Anthony: The meat of LaKisha’s voice is in the bottom portion of her register. She’s got beautiful high notes, but she just has this solid middle. Take Cher, for example. She’s had a successful career with a bottom voice. I’m not comparing LaKisha to Cher; [they’re] different singers. Most singers just have a strong top, but LaKisha has a good range from bottom to top.

Amy: [Chuckles] I guess it could be, if people like low singing and want to give dollars. But I think every singer should have that part of their voice that melts people, whether it’s their passion or their low tones. I think she knew she sounded good, and that always makes for a better performance.

Simon hated Jordin's "Livin' on a Prayer" -- the look, the vocals, everything. His only caveat: She was at a disadvantage singing male rocker music. Should that matter?

Ace: Not at all, I thought she did a really good job for singing a rock song. As far as the hair and everything, she pulled out the Tina Turner hair and rocked it out. What Simon said as far as it being a harder song to sing, I think Jordin's already conquered some harder songs as far as vocal range this season. I think she could've taken "Livin' on a Prayer" and made it even higher.

Anthony: Not necessarily. Jordin didn't do the best performance she could do. She hasn't really performed very well over the past couple of weeks. We forget that she's only 17; maybe the pressure of the show is getting to her. Maybe she's trying too hard.

Amy: No, it shouldn’t. It’s about pulling it off, whether it’s a man or a woman [singing]. [Bon Jovi] has a million songs, and if that one didn’t fit as well, choose another one! I like her, but she was not so good.

By contrast, Simon adored Melinda's Tina Turner-like growly, "Have a Nice Day"; vocally, he thinks she's in a different league. Should we just call it for Melinda now?

Ace: Normally Jordin's very good at stepping up her game every week. But I think this week it was "eh." She wasn't great, but she's beautiful. She is talented, and thank God that we know that, because we wouldn't want to base it off of this performance only.

Anthony: Like I've said, if she doesn't win, it ain't fair. She will do a great job, I believe that. It's up to America to make sure that they get it right.

Amy: We should if the judges were calling the competition, but the hype of American Idol is she should win and she probably won't or just might not. Melinda — and Blake, really — are on their own, really, and they can be on their own and be successful on their own.

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Leader of the Band

The Washington Post did a profile of Idol musical director Rickey Minor, who also was in charge of the music at this year's Grammy Awards, produced the pregame music for the last seven Super Bowls and is slated to oversee the tunes at this year's Emmy Awards.

"I have a clear respect for all genres of music," says Minor, a Louisiana native, who has served as the show's musical director for the last three seasons. "I'm fortunate in that my background is very diverse. I came up at a time where you had to learn how to read music and write and arrange."

Minor played bass on the road with Gladys Knight & the Pips when he was 19. By 22, he was working with an 18-year-old Whitney Houston, and by 1989 he was her musical director. He left that post to pursue television in 1999 and turned down the initial offer to be "Idol's" first music director -- they couldn't afford him.

"They decided, with it still being a new show, they didn't want the cost of having me do the show," Minor says of his first meeting with show creator Simon Fuller and the other "Idol" executive producers. "They didn't think the kids deserved to have A-class music." But by the time "Idol's" 2004 Christmas special rolled around, the show had become a major success -- and he was hired for Season 4. After his first episode, Minor decided to change the prerecorded "karaoke-like" nature of the music on the show and bring in a live band.

"I told the producers, 'Live music is gonna help foster a whole new type of contestant that does rock or country or any of those things. This is what they'll be faced with if they make it. This gives them an edge,"' he recalls. After a day of negotiations, the producers relented. Now, as Minor says, "Basically, I have full autonomy to run the music department the way I see it needs to run."

Working with 22 musicians and 15 arrangers, Minor oversees the rehearsals, arrangements and performances for each of the contestants. He calls it a "tedious and time-consuming process," but he still finds time to have a one-on-one conversation with each contestant after the day's rehearsals. Whether it's making sure they get their "vocal rest," keeping their egos in check or keeping their audience in mind, Minor tries to instill "life lessons" from his nearly 30 years in the business.

"We're here to help them grow," Minor says. "It's bigger than the competition, and I tell them, 'The fact that you made it this far means that you're on the road to your own destiny. In doing so, know that there will be bumps on the road.' "

SANJAYA AND THE SOUR PATCH KIDS

A new video starring Idol's very own King of Weird Sanjaya Malakar, who seems to be regressing instead of maturing. Take a peek:



Can't get enough Sanjaya? Here's a pre-Idol video of him singing "Swing Low Sweet Chariot." He apparently did his impersonation of the swinging chariot with his body. Watch it long enough and you may get seasick, as we did.

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH FEDOROV

The U.S. Air Force reports that Season 4 Finalist Anthony Fedorov will tour U.S. Air Forces bases in Europe this month to kickoff of the annual USAFE Services Extreme Summer program. Fedorov will also judge and perform at both the USAFE Youth and Teen Talent Contest April 13 and at the USAFE Idol Contest on April 14, both at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

Fedorov will visit the following USAFE bases during his tour:
April 12 -14 Kaiserslautern Military Community, Germany
April 15 Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany
April 16 Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England
April 17 RAF Fairford, England
April 19 Lajes Field, Azores
April 21 Moron AB, Spain

For more information, visit the Extreme Summer 07 Web site.

ELLIOTT YAMIN RIDING HIGH

Donna Reynolds' ChartWatch reports that Elliott Yamin's new CD has made an impressive debut on the Billboard charts. Yamin entered the Billboard album charts at No. 3, selling about 96,000 copies. The CD entered at No. 1 on the Independent Album chart, making it the highest new artist debut on an independent label in SoundScan history. Not only that, Yamin's CD debuted at No. 11 on the R&B Chart and No. 3 on both the Internet Album Sales and Digital charts!

Daughtry, in its 18th week, continues its impressive run. The album remained at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, and was No. 7 on the Internet Album Sales chart, No. 6 on the Digital chart, and No. 2 on the Rock chart.

Carrie Underwood's Some Hearts dropped five spots to No. 15 on the Billboard 200, and was No. 2 on the Country chart. Kellie Pickler's Small Town Girl was No. 131 on the Billboard 200 and No. 19 on the Country listing.

Dreamgirls, featuring Jennifer Hudson, has been certified platinum. The album was No. 60 on the Billboard 200, No. 3 on the Soundtracks chart, and No. 22 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

Katharine McPhee was No. 74 on the Billboard 200

Fantasia was No. 139 on the Billboard 200 and No. 26 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart.

Ruben Studdard's The Return was No. 85 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart.

This Week’s Idols' Singles' Charts:

Elliott Yamin's "Wait for You" moved up 36 points on the Pop 100 to No. 56 and debuted on the Hot 100 at No. 67. It showed up Hot Digital Tracks (45) and Hot Digital Songs (51).

Fantasia's "When I See You" was No. 27 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles chart, No. 27 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Airplay chart, and No. 16 on the R&B Adult airplay list.

Chris Daughtry's "Home" remained at No. 48 on the Hot 100, and was No. 41 on the Pop 100, No. 50 on Pop 100 Airplay, No. 29 on the Hot Digital Tracks chart, and No. 28 on the Hot Digital Songs chart; "It's Not Over" was No. 7 on the Hot 100, No. 8 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart, No. 8 on the Pop 100, No. 3 on the Pop 100 Airplay chart, No. 11 on Hot Digital Tracks, No. 11 on Hot Digital Sales, No. 1 on the Adult Top 40 listing, and No. 20 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Ruben Studdard's "Make Ya Feel Beautiful," was No. 46 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles and No. 12 on the R&B Adult airplay list; "Change Me" wasNo. 44 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles, No. 43 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart, and No. 8 on the R&B Adult airplay list.

Taylor Hicks' "Just to Feel That Way" moved up to No. 20 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats" was No. 30 on the Hot 100, No. 30 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart, No. 24 on the Pop 100, No. 26 on the Pop 100 Airplay chart, No. 22 on Hot Digital Tracks, No. 24 on Hot Digital Songs, and No. 18 on the Adult Top 40; "Wasted," was No. 41 on the Hot 100, No. 34 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart, No. 58 on the Pop 100, No. 41 on Hot Digital Tracks, No. 47 on Hot Digital Sales, and No. 3 on the Country chart.

Katharine McPhee's "Over It" remained at No. 49 on the Hot 100, No. 21 on the Pop 100, No. 27 on the Pop 100 Airplay chart , No. 37 on the Adult Top 40, No. 18 on the Hot Digital Tracks chart, and No. 18 on the Hot Digital Songs list.

Kellie Pickler's "I Wonder" was No. 30 on the Country chart.

Bucky Covington's "A Different World" was No. 28 on the Country chart.

Kimberley Locke's "Change" was No. 13 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Jennifer Hudson's "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" was No. 19 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles chart, No. 19 on the R&B Airplay chart, and No. 3 on the R&B Adult airplay list.

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© 2007