Cowell Denies His Home Burgled

The British paper Daily Express, under the headline "MR NASTY SUFFERS A BREAK-IN," reports that Simon Cowell’s London home was ransacked while the Idol judge was away in America, claiming that Cowell had handed the keys to his £6million ($11.7 million) Holland Park house to a team of builders who had instruc­­tions to refurbish the property while he was away for a month in the United States. They claim he returned to find that the place had been ransacked, and that the thieves had made off with jewelery, silver and electrical equipment, humorously noting, "Thankfully, the burglars did not feel moved to help themselves to some of Mr Cowell;s vertiginous trousers or any of his collection of hundreds of black polo-neck jumpers."

The paper said that local police who investigated the crime said, "It was an unwise decision to say the least. You wouldn't believe some of the things Mr Cowell had accumulated over the years that the thieves took a fancy to."

A source told the newspaper, "What has happened in similar cases is that someone copied the main key. I’m sure the builders would have been very careful about who had access, but it's not always easy when a number of sub-contractors are coming in and out of the place."

However, Simon Cowell laughed off The Daily Express reports, according to Starpulse.com,
insisting that his home is perfectly secure and all his belongings remain intact. "I've spent hundreds of thousands of pounds of the very best security and I can assure you my homes are as safe as the Bank of England," Cowell said.

Meanwhile, in his monologue, Conan O'Brien said that while police said the burglary was the work of professional thieves, Cowell described them as "amateurish and uninspired."

COWELL KEEPS GETTING RICHER

A Reuters story in the London Mirror says that Cowell is the pop world's star riser in the latest Sunday Times Rich List, which is subtitled "5000 of the Wealthiest People in the United Kingdom and Ireland" and which estimates the minimum wealth of Britain's richest people or families. Cowell, who once told a contestant "You remind me of a pet poodle", has an estimated wealth of 100 million pounds -- up from 60 million last year. He has moved from the 944th position on the list last year to 700 this year, overtaking singer Robbie Williams.

CLAY AID

According to Peace Journalism magazine , UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Clay Aiken recently concluded a trip to Afghanistan (watch video, second video) and heralds the progress being made in children's education.
"As a former teacher I recognize that spark of hope and excitement all children possess when given the opportunity to learn," said Aiken, who spent five days visiting schools in Kabul and Bamyan in the central region of Afghanistan. "Rebuilding schools, training teachers, providing essential supplies and teaching materials are just some of the advances UNICEF and its partners have made to keep that hope flourishing."

Traveling with Aiken were UNICEF country representative for Afghanistan Catherine Mbengue and his high school teacher Mary Props. "The people here are very strong and they are very proud of their country," Aiken told reporters in Kabul, praising the "strength and conviction of the Afghan people and their ability to make sure that this country returns to its glory after such a long darkness."

While in the capital city of Kabul, Aiken, who was appointed a UNICEF Ambassador in 2004, visited schools that have implemented programs meant to ensure all children regardless of gender receive an education. While in Bamyan, Aiken visited a health clinic and women's literacy center where many women learn how to read and write and experience formal education for the first time. The literacy program is one of UNICEF's priority projects for the empowerment of women in Afghanistan.

Aiken also visited water and sanitation programs as well as a program that reintegrates former child soldiers into mainstream society. You can read more about his trip and an interview with him in his hometown paper.

FROPATROL HOMECOMING TOUR

Season 6 finalist Chris Sligh and his band, Half Past Forever, are doing a mini tour.



Tour Schedule:
Apr 28 2007 Wild Wings Spartanburg Spartanburg, S.C.
Apr 30 2007 The Handlebar Greenville, S.C. Ticket info
May 2 2007 Seacoast Greenville Greenville, S.C.
May 4 2007 Seacoast Church Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
May 5 2007 Seacoast Church Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
May 6 2007 Seacoast Church Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
May 11 2007 Timmons Arena Greenville, S.C. Ticket info
May 27 2007 Freedom Weekend Aloft Simpsonville, S.C.
May 28 2007 Freedom Weekend Aloft Simpsonville, S.C.

Hard-core Sligh fans can download the event poster here.

SANJAYA'S GANJAYA MOM

The National Enquirer and TMZ.com gleefully report that Sanjaya Malakar 's American-born mother, Jillian Blyth, was busted in Pierce County, Wash., in February 2005 after neighbors reported smelling marijuana and noticed a large vent on the garage roof, according to court records.

When sheriff 's deputies arrived to investigate, they discovered 310 marijuana plants and growing lights in the gargage, along with Sanjaya's then 17-year-old sister Shyamali. Power company records also showed the garage was gobbling electricity. Shyamali, who was arrested for possession, told officers that her mom was at another location in nearby Federal Way -- and when the cops got there, they found a second dope-growing operation, where they arrested Blith and her husband, Charles Quist (Sanjaya's stepdad).

Momjaya could have gone to jail for up to five years after pleading guilty to one felony count of unlawful manufacturing of a controlled substance, but got off with a relatively mellow 30-day sentence.

HATE TO SEE YOU GO, NOT

Speaking on Sanjaya, whose father hails from India, according to The Associated Press, Indians were relieved to see him go (was it something his mother said -- or did?). While his goofy hairstyles and lackluster singing might have captivated millions of Americans, his quirky appeal never resonated among Indians. And though the end of his run was front-page news in India, his exit was not mourned. Here are some sample headlines:

"Sanjaya is voted off American Idol - he's the only one weeping" –The Indian Express

"Finally, Sanjaya sings his way out of Idol" - Times of India

Indians never connected with Malakar, said Poonam Saxena, television critic for The Hindustan Times. "He'll be forgotten I'm sure, unless he does something else big. Why would anyone remember him?" she said, dismissing the 17 year-old as "a spunky kid."

e-mail Idol Addict
© 2007

The Sanjaya Bowl

Sanjaya Malakar has received a finger-lickin' good offer from the Colonel at Kentucky Fried Chicken (or at least from Gregg Dedrick, president of KFC). An open letter (and the attached photo) was sent to Sanjaya (and the press) on April 2, 2007:

"Congratulations on catching America’s ears … and eyes.

Over the past month, you’ve wowed the world with your original performances. And, your ever-changing hairdos have made you almost as famous as KFC® Original Recipe® Chicken and Colonel Sanders himself.

On behalf of Kentucky Fried Chicken®, I want to serve up to you a tasty offer. If you don a bowl hairdo during one of your next nationally televised performances, KFC will grant you a free lifetime supply of KFC Famous Bowls®. We’re sure America will be as ‘bowled-over’ by your take on this classic look as they are by our KFC Famous Bowls.

From wavy to Mohawk to now the classic bowl – who knows, your bowl cut could start a trend as big as KFC Famous Bowls, which consumers ranked as THE most memorable new product of 2006.

In addition to free KFC Famous Bowls for life – if you sport a bowl cut, KFC will cut a check in your name to Colonel’s Scholars, a charity providing young people with much needed college scholarships. We’re confident that helping students afford college is something that even the toughest of judges would stand and applaud.

Your Fan,
Gregg Dedrick
President of KFC"

Gee, if KFC cared so much about the education of young people, why does Sanjaya have to shave his head (and KFC have to send their offer to every member of the press) for them to donate money to it? Guess nobody does Sanjaya like KFC.

And perhaps Sanjaya can give some of his lifetime supply of KFC Famous Bowls to the woman who was holding a hunger strike until he was eliminated from the series. According to TMZ.com, the hunger strike is over. The MySpacer who had gone 16 days without food in protest of Sanjaya's presence on "American Idol" finally relented -- under doctor's orders. "J," the one-letter moniker by which she is known to millions, says that she will continue to fight the good fight the old-fashioned way: by voting for anyone other than Sanjaya. She also implored anyone else staging a hunger strike to stop, and to stay tuned for a "voting strategy" for the coming weeks. Now she can be like everyone else, and lose her lunch while listening to Sanjaya.

SLIGH'S SECOND CHANCE?

Although American Idol finalist Chris Sligh was sent packing last week after singing The Police's "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," he may still have a chance at a recording deal. Sligh's former band, Half Past Forever, which he plans to rejoin after his Idol obligation concludes, recently submitted a music video starring the curly-haired crooner to the online video music competition at Music Nation, where artists compete for a recording contract with Epic Records and are judged by celebrities including Nelly, Joel and Benji Madden of Good Charlotte, The Game, and producerJ.R. Rotem. (The Half Past Forever music video, "Know," which was written by and features Sligh) can be viewed at the Music Nation Web site.

Now Votefortheworst.com has decided to help out Sligh, who gave them an on-air shoutout on Idol a couple of weeks ago, with the competition. In a post on the site they direct voters to cast ballots for their favorite Season 6 finalist since Sanajaya. Now the video -- which was unranked only two weeks ago -- is in first place in the rock category... meaning that although Idol rejected him, it is looking likely that Sligh still might have a second chance at a recording contract. Who said VFTW can't work for the good of humanity! Vote! Vote! Vote! for Chris and Half Past Forever!

And speaking of Half Past Forever, they released their first album in mid-March. After Sligh was eliminated from Idol last week, the CD climbed as high as No. 22 (and actually surpassed Gwen Stefani's -- Sligh's Idol mentor -- new release) on amazon.com. A pretty amazing feat for a relatively unknown indie band.

NOTES FROM SLIGH'S BLOG

Chris Sligh has reopened his personal blog. Here are excerpts:

"To the conspiracy theorists who think that I got voted off the show because of a certain shout-out a coupla weeks ago (btw, please don't ask me about this: I have chosen not to talk about it at this point)...sorry people, I hate to tell you this, but it just isn't possible. Nigel [Lythgoe] and Ken [Warwick] (the executive producers) are very nice men, and I feel honored to have worked and learned from them. Plus what you guys do not see is that there are 5-6 people from Standards and Practices (an outside organization) who watch every aspect of the show to make sure it is fair. These people are also the ones who make sure that the vote counting is fair. ..I was voted off because I didn't get enough votes. I had a bad performance and received even worse comments, plus I was very early in the show...it all added up. There was no funny stuff going on."

"I've gotten to know these contestants day in and day out and love them all. I can't wait to be on tour with them. Obviously, I have said in several interviews, that I am very close with Gina (she and I are planning on vacationing together with our respective mates after all of this is over). I have also mentioned I am very close with Phil, Richardson and Blake. So, even though I have been voted off the show, I will be watching the show every Tuesday and Wednesday and will be cheering on my favorites as you do. At my heart, I'm just a fan boy."

"A lot of people have taken comments like 'Haley was on the rise in her hotpants' as being degrading to other contestants. This is the dumbest thing ever, but let me explain. Haley dressed nicely but pretty conservatively. If you ask the other male contestants I was one of the few fellow contestants during the semi-finals to really think Haley was great, but Simon kept telling her that she was forgettable. Suddenly, in the finals, she remembered she had a great body, and decided to use it on the show... it is no different a hook or schtick than me being funny or Sanjaya's hair or Blake's beatboxing. Her singing - in the judges minds - wasn't memorable, so she brought attention to something else - it's show business. I always thought Haley's voice was great, but when she brought sexy into it and America responded."

WOW! IDOLS ACTUALLY EAT!

Web site TMZ.com can't go a day without trying to find an American Idol angle, even if it's just this lame video of finalists Haley Scarnato, Gina Glocksen, Blake Lewis and Jordin Sparks scarfing down a few burgers at a Johnny Rocket at The Grove in Los Angeles. They say, "The hopefuls were getting their burgers on in the crowded mall, where California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger just happened to be strolling." If you really have a need to see them ingesting food, check it out here.

DID YOU KNOW ...

We didn't, that "Dave," the founder of VotefortheWorst.com is actually Dave Della Terza, a community college teacher near Chicago, according to the New York Times (we knew there was a reason that we shouldn't only read the tabloids!). Let's see, does Sanjaya Malakar vote-rallier Della Terza teach subversion ... or perhaps music unappreciation?

But Della Terza told the NYT that he did not want to destroy "Idol." "We're not out to take the show down. We like the show. We want to keep around the guy we think is funny and corny." His aim, he said, was simply to spice up the show by toying with the results, keeping what he calls the "cheesiest" contestants on for as long as possible.

"Everyone tries to say we're crushing dreams with what we're doing, but we're trying to help Sanjaya's dreams," he said. "He wants to be the American Idol too."

Interestingly, Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson was the first contestant to be recommended for support on votefortheworst.com, something that is not lost on Mr. Della Terza. "We picked her the first week because of her crazy outfits and over-the-top singing," he recalled. But she improved, and the site switched its recommendation to another contestant. Last year the site also picked Taylor Hicks, the eventual winner, as the worst performer when five competitors were left. "If we had not recommended him, maybe he wouldn't have won," Mr. Della Terza said.

Della Terza also said that the site will stay with Malakar for the duration, even though he thinks there is no chance he will win. "Even if by some miracle we get him to the final two, I think the rest of America will be so outraged by the possibility of him winning that they will vote against him."

Here's a video clip of Della Terza last year, talking about Season 5 finalist Kellie Pickler.

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© 2007

Sligh Wanted to Quit American Idol

In his exit interview with the media yesterday, Chris Sligh admitted some surprising things, but probably the biggest surprise of all was that he had wanted to quit the "American Idol" competition.

Here are some quotes from that interview:

On his losing momentum since the beginning of the show: You know, I never came into this wanting to win it. I come from an indie, alternative-rock background, and I think winning "American Idol" would hurt what I was really going for. And I think what kind of solidified it in my mind was when I was universally trashed for my arrangement of [Diana Ross'] "Endless Love." I kind of thought, "This isn't really the competition for me." I actually almost dropped out that week. I went to the guy from 19 [Productions, the company behind "Idol"], and I was like, "If I drop out when I get to the top 10, can I still be on tour?" They were like, "No, you have to get voted out."

On whether he ever wanted to win: I mean, there is that competitive side of me that kind of kicks in. After that top 12 performance, I kind of took some time to decompress and talk to some people that I trusted, and then I came out and I was like, "I want to do it on my own terms, and if that means that I get cut early, then that means I get cut early." With "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," it definitely was a riskier choice, but I feel like one of the things that was a little frustrating was that if you look through the six songs I did on the show, all six songs were risks in one way or another. I felt like that was ignored, and really the judges never commented on my voice and that was frustrating for me.

On whether it is possible to compete on Idol and joke about it at the same time: I kind of wonder that myself. ... It's funny because I love the show but at the same time there are some cheesy aspects that I poked fun at. And there are people that love the show so much that anything that is bad said about the show or especially if you say something bad about Simon [Cowell] ... there are people that will literally write you hate mail. People telling me they'd hope I would die because I told Simon I didn't sound like Teletubbies. So it kind of freaked me out, because I was like, "Wow, people take 'American Idol' very, very seriously." I would hope people would realize that me joking around about the show is very tongue-in-cheek because I can't be too upset with "American Idol" if they are making me famous.

On Sanjaya: I think that people underestimate Sanjaya [Malakar]. I think Sanjaya is actually a very good vocalist. I mean, if you go to AmericanIdol.com and you download his songs or even just listen to a preview, he has a good voice. I think he is just 17 years old. I mean, when I was 17 years old, I didn't know how to sing in a live situation. I think that he is a very, very sweet kid and I have a lot of respect for him and I do not envy his position at all.

On struggling with his final song, The Police's "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic": When I sang with Gwen [Stefani], that was on Saturday, and I just picked that song out on Friday afternoon and had changed my song. I originally was going to do "Give a Little Bit" by Supertramp, and the Goo Goo Dolls redid it recently. But I really wanted to challenge myself a little bit more than "Give a Little Bit." I had never really looked at the music [for "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic"] and had never really actually even listened to the song, so I never realized that it was going to be quite that much of a challenge. Then by the time I got to rehearsals on Monday, I had started to get the rhythm down a little bit, and actually I went back and listened to my performance from Tuesday probably about 10 or 15 times, and it wasn't a great performance, but honestly it wasn't as bad as the judges made it seem.

On his bet with Phil Stacey: I just had this feeling in my heart that I was going home. Pretty much no one gets away from being trashed like I was on Tuesday night unscathed. I told Phil that I was going home and he was like, "There is no way you are going home before me." And I said, "Dude, I bet you 50 bucks I'm going home." And he took me up on it, and I won.

On whether he will rejoin his band, Half Past Forever: Yeah, when I get back to South Carolina. They put out a CD before I tried out, and we were getting record-label interest before "American Idol," so doors should open up for us.

Some other bits and pieces from the interview:

"I made the Top Ten. That was my goal."

"I wanted to make the tour. I wanted to be able to make music for my living, so I don't have to work at the marketing company that I was working at."

He talked about being kicked out of Christian fundamentalist college Bob Jones University for attending a contemporary Christian concert featuring the group For Him. He enrolled at another Christian school, North Greenville University, and is three credits shy of a music degree. Leaving Bob Jones "was actually good, because I had been trying to figure out how to leave," he said.

Sligh is scheduled to appear on the show's May 24 finale, but for now he plans to return home to his wife and his church, where hundreds of people gather each week to hear him play his electric guitar and sing as part of services. "I definitely am looking forward to getting back home and kind of having a normal life for a few weeks," he said.

Malakar's pony-hawk hair-do this week was killer, "I could never pull that off. I give Sanjaya props for pulling that off."

Sligh said since he wasn't able to hold or play his guitar, his rhythm - a frequent criticism of the judges - was thrown off. He also said that since he wasn't allowed to perform his own music, he felt forced to take "pop songs that sound great at four minutes and stuff it into a minute and a half."

He implicitly acknowledged that his "Hi Dave!" shout-out on last week's show was aimed at the founder of VoteForTheWorst.com ("I don't know if I should answer that question," he told a reporter while chuckling), but was quick to say he regretted the move. "It was a poor choice because certain people took it as disrespect for the show," Sligh said. "Sometimes with a snarky sense of humor, it can come across as that, but I sincerely didn't mean that ... it was stupid."

PICKLER PICKED

Season 5 finalist Kellie Pickler will be doing double duty for CMT. First, she will host "The 2007 CMT Music Awards Video of the Year Special" on April 9. The show will give fans a closer look at the eight videos nominated for Video of the Year the 2007 CMT Music Awards.

Pickler, a CMT Music Awards nominee, also will be a presenter at the show, which airs live on April 16 from Nashville's Curb Event Center at Belmont University. Jeff Foxworthy hosts. Other presenters include Barbara Mandrell, Jason Aldean, Josh Turner, LeAnn Rimes, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Taylor Swift. Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood will perform, as will Dierks Bentley, Keith Urban from Australia, Kenny Chesney, Martina McBride, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, Toby Keith and Bon Jovi.

PAULA DOES POLITICS

The Washington Post reports that Paula Abdul was one of the attendees at a fundraiser for New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's run for the White House. About 700 invitees paid $2,300 each to dine with Clinton at the Beverly Hills estate of supermarket magnate Ron Burkle. About 250 of those guests coughed up an additional $2,300 per person to attend a pre-dinner VIP reception where the senator from New York posed with donors for photographs. Other attendees included Barbra Streisand and her husband, James Brolin, Ted Danson, Motown founder Berry Gordy and a host of media industry executives. The event raised a whopping $2.6 million for the Democratic presidential wannabe.

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© 2007

Half Past*Forever

While Chris Sligh looks to be the next Idol, his former band looks to win an online video music competition. After surviving last night's elimination, Sligh has officially cracked the top 10 of this season of "American Idol." While he is looking to follow in the footsteps of former Idol winners Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson, his former band Half Past*Forever is looking to capitalize on Chris' sudden fame by looking to win a record deal of their own through Music Nation, an online video music competition that is awarding three contracts with Epic Records. While Chris is on leave from the band, he can be seen singing lead vocals on the band's single "Know".

Whereas on Idol, Chris has to deal with Randy Jackson, Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul , on Music Nation, Half Past*Forever is being judged in the rock genre by Joel and Benji Madden from Good Charlotte and Grammy-nominated producer Howard Benson.

So will it be Chris Sligh or his former band Half Past*Forever walking away with a recording contract and the chance of a lifetime? Chris appears to be hedging his bets as according to the American Idol official site he says he'll "travel with his band" if he doesn't make it on Idol. Currently in its seventh week, the Music Nation competition is halfway through to the finals.

You can watch the group's video entry below. It's awesome!

Vote Now at MusicNation.com

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PAULA FOR PEACE

Yes, she does seems like a flake at times (OK, often), but when Paula Abdul does have her head screwed on straight, she works for some good causes, including The Peace Alliance, a citizen lobbying effort to create a U.S. Department of Peace. There is currently a bill before the U.S. House of Representatives (HR 808) that will provide practical, nonviolent solutions to the problems of domestic and international conflict.

Domestically, the Department of Peace will develop policies and allocate resources to effectively reduce the levels of domestic and gang violence, child abuse, and various other forms of societal discord. Internationally, the Department will advise the President and Congress on the most sophisticated ideas and techniques regarding peace-creation among nations. Abdul has taped a message for the group (as have Willie Nelson, Walter Cronkite, Joaquin Phoenix, Frances Fisher, Tyne Daly and Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers. To hear Abdul's (or the other) message/s, click here.

KATHARINE'S PICK

In New York City, last year’s “Idol” runner-up Katharine McPhee told “Extra’s” A.J. Calloway that she has her own favorite this year. “I like Blake [Lewis],” she dished. “You know, he’s just cool.” The show caught up with McPhee at the Self magazine party for her new hot body cover issue, where the “Idol” alum revealed she’s pulling for a battle of the sex’s showdown. “I don’t know if Blake will take it, but I always think a guy-girl finale is best, they’re the most exciting,” McPhee gushed.

MARKETING MAROULIS

Yahoo! Buzz is expanding its coverage of "American Idol" this season by hiring Constantine Maroulis as Buzz spokesman. Each week he will reveal the inside track on "American Idol" according to Yahoo! Buzz. This week's content includes information such as "American Idol has more searches this week on Yahoo! than Britney Spears and Beyonce", "Simon Cowell receives four times the searches than Ryan Seacrest" and "Sanjaya Malakar is the top searched contestant on Yahoo! with searches for his hair even sparking major searches this week."

In his new role, Constantine will be representing the Yahoo! Buzz brand in media appearances and providing audiences with exclusive data on top American Idol Yahoo! searches. As a former American Idol contestant, Constantine will speak first hand about the Idol experience and provide insight as to why certain topics are popular on Yahoo!

"This is an amazing opportunity to align with a leading global internet brand that is really in tune with what is going on out there" said Maroulis. "Yahoo! Buzz not only gives the scoop to American Idol fans, but keeps them involved, and as an artist I'm thrilled to be a part of it."
Constantine's solo album drops late spring or early summer on Sixth Place Productions/Sony RED.

CALLING ALL CANADIANS

Well, at least that is what VotefortheWorst.com is trying to do in their effort to keep Sanjaya Malakar on the show. The site says that Canadians can vote on "American Idol" by downloading some software:

"Canadians, don't think you can vote? You're wrong! Go to gizmoproject.com and download the Gizmo software. It's a free to use program that acts as a phone through your computer. You can use it because Gizmo calls are sent out through the United States, so it thinks that you're voting from the US. So all of you Canadians who want to help, get Gizmo and vote your butts off for Sanjaya too!"

OK, so now that we've given VFTW its free plug, we're encouraging all our Canadian friends who don't favor Sanjaya to vote for the other contestants as well. Let the best (or most popular) singer win.

And speaking of VFTW, check out this opinion of it on LiveJournal. We especially can't argue with Myth #3, because we feel the same way:

"Myth #3 - VFTW is "ruining the lives"/"shattering the dreams" of the (oh so) talented contestants by MANIPULATING Am. Idol. Sorry... but AI beat us to the punch on this one. American Idol is so heavily manipulated from the get-go that it would be much much more accurate to say that it is AMERICAN IDOL ITSELF that is "ruining the lives" and "shattering the dreams" of talented singers ... as in, the actually talented singers that don't make it to see the judges, or don't make it to Hollywood, or once there, are not chosen for the top 24. Tell me something ... if it was so unjust, so endangering to the dreams of the likes of Phil Stacy, Haley Zzzzcarnato, Beat Box Blake for us to vote for Antonella, Sundance, or now Sanjaya ...

THEN WHAT ARE THEY DOING IN THE VOTING POOL TO BEGIN WITH?

I'm sorry, but if you review the unbelievably boring "chair episode" - and drink a case of red bull to stay awake through it - you'll notice two very telltale events at the end. Both Sundance and Antonella are advanced over considerably more talented singers who didn't fit what the producers/judges were "looking for". I guess this means the judges were looking for "easy cannon fodder" and "hot-looking easy cannon fodder", in this case. Just like when they "picked Pickler" and Chicken Little last year, and the red-headed crooner, or Scott Savol, etc. etc. Hilarious? Yes. Do I love it? Yes. Did I vote for them? HELL YES! But was it the fault of VFTW that these contestants could even *be* voted for? We hear constantly that Sanjaya, Sundance, Antonella, Chicken Little, etc. were "not talented enough" and "didn't deserve" to be kept on over other contestants. So, I ask again: what are they doing in the voting rounds?

If they (AI producers/judges) are going to open that door, then they have to live with the consequences. Simon reminds us week after week that it's a singing competition. If this were actually true, we'd have 24 actually talented singers in the top 24, instead of a few contestants they feel are worth pimping, a couple they think will add drama, and a whole slew of second and third tier shills who are not (supposed to be) a threat to their faves.

Don't believe it? Think about season three (I think) where Lisa Leuschner was up for a chance to compete for an additional slot in the top contestants. Randy Jackson actually formed a complete sentence without "yo" "dawg" or "good lookin' out" to say to her: "Well, you may be the most talented singer we have this year, but no, you won't be performing". Instead, Jon Peter Lewis got the chance and went on into the finals where he looked like a runaway from an emo band having a seizure while perfoming Elvis, bringing in more tweeny OMGZCUTEE ratings, and posing no threat to Fantasia or the other "serious contenders". There are so many examples of this, it's not funny: Jasmine Trias, Ace Young, spring instantly to mind, but every year it's the same thing. AMERICAN IDOL DELIBERATELY PUTS LESS TALENTED CONTESTANTS THROUGH TO MANIPULATE THE OUTCOME. Our manipulation pales in comparison, and any displeasure they feel at our voting tactics is due to their policies."

Now, you may not want to believe what writer cry_me_ariver is saying, but even Paula Abdul just about admitted the truth of it on Letterman last week on Letterman last week when Dave asked her: "Do you select some people who have no business being selected, just for the fun of it?"

As the audience burst out in knowing laughter, Abdul thought with a smile on her face and after a couple of seconds answered, "Er, no, I think that comes from the producers, who invite the talent there for us to see. We get to see that." And then backpedaling added, "But, no, are you kidding? These kids are real good singers. What happens is, through the process, there are ones that end up being much greater." Uh-huh. Say goodnight Gracie.

e-mail Idol Addict
© 2007

Hey! That Funny Guy Can Really Sing

According to the Baptist Press, Chris Sligh, 28, that Jack Osbourne look-alike who broke us up at his Birmingham Idol audition, is a songwriter, lead singer and guitarist for the Greenville-based band Half Past*Forever, who frequently perform in the Handlebar in Greenville. Cheryl Greene, Sligh’s voice professor while he attended North Greenville University in Tigerville, S.C., said, “Chris was an incredible voice student, but I can’t take credit for his contemporary style. ... It will be exciting to see what happens.” Sligh has lived in Greenville for about 10 years and also attended Bob Jones University. Make sure to catch the leaked clip of him singing "Know" with Half Past*Forever here from their forthcoming release "Take a Chance on Something Beautiful" (I'm ready to buy it) and listen to more of their music on the band's MySpace.com site. Sligh actually has an excellent voice, and sounds even better than he did singing "Kiss From a Rose" during his Idol audition. Can't wait to see what happens to him in Hollywood.

BO KNOWS COUNTRY

According to Bona Fide Bice, Bo Bice has been spotted in the audience of "Nashville Star" for the past two weeks wearing a hat fans sent to him. With his contract with RCA in question, and neither side willing to speak about it, does this mean that Bo is looking for a change in labels -- or musical style?

Some bulletin boards and Web sites speculate that Bo might be at the "Nashville Star" shows in support of brother and sister contestants Zac and Angela Hacker, who both have amazing voices and who could wind up duking it out for the title. Bice and the Hackers have a mutual friend -- Universal recording artist Gary Nichols.

AMERICAN IDOL MEETS AMERICA'S MOST WANTED

Now here's a news item that Fox can feature on its two abovementioned shows. The Tennessean reports that 60-year-old Californian Daniel Robert Young is being held on $500,000 bond pending his extradition to Tampa, Fla., for stalking “American Idol” Season 4 finalist Jessica Sierra. Young was arrested in January 2006 for repeatedly calling Sierra and showing up at her grandmother’s home.

He was arrested again in Nashville on Feb. 2 after Sierra’s agency, Verge Management, filed a harassment complaint with Metro police after Young contacted the singer’s agent the day before. Young said he had recently moved to Nashville.

AN IDOL COMEBACK?

According to a story in Canada's National Post, Ottawa native Jory Steinberg, the 25-year-old transplanted Canadian who won her Golden Ticket to Hollywood at the New York auditions, was actually a child star in her native country and was once touted to be the next Alanis Morissette.

In 1991, Jory, who moved to Santa Monica, Calif. 10 years ago, played Young Coussette in the Ottawa production of "Les Miserables" at age 10, and reprised the role in Toronto in 1993. She also frequently performed the Canadian national anthem at sports and political events in Canada, and even sang for the Queen of England once (aha, that's how she met her!).

In 1998, the then 15-year-old signed a seven-album deal with record label 143, owned at the time by Canadian-born producer David Foster. The same year she sang "Try to Say Goodbye" on the soundtrack of the Jennifer Love Hewitt movie "I Know What You Did Last Summer." The single was played on Canadian radio, as well as overseas. "I think it went double platinum in Australia or Japan," said Steinberg. But due to management reshuffling at the label, Steinberg's first album was never released.

Fox officials say "Idol" has no problem with her competing, since she does not have a current recording contract. She was able to enter the competition because she is a resident of the U.S. and holds a green card.

SPOILER: The New York Post said Jory's hometown paper reported that the singer had made it to the semi-finalist round of 24 as the competition progressed behind closed doors in Hollywood. A spokeswoman for the show declined to confirm the report. Through a Google search we discovered that there had been a story in the Ottawa Sun on Jan 24, 2007, with the lead, "Last night, former Ottawan Jory Steinberg, 25, made the tough cut in American Idol, and will successfully go on to the next round." However the link to the story has since been taken down.

PICK PICKLER

If you're up for a roadtrip you can see Kellie Pickler on Thursday. The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports that the Season 5 finalist will perform and hold a Q&A session from noon to 1 p.m.on Thursday Feb. 8 in the center court of The Mall at Greece Ridge in Greece, N.Y. The event is free.

THEIR 15 MINUTES ARE STILL TICKING

If you can't get enough of New York Idol reject Ian Benardo, who said, "I love being a national joke," catch this short clip on him in Hollywood (yes, he got to Hollywood anyway) on the Extra Web site.

And don't miss this YouTube.com clip of Jonathan Jayne and Kenneth Briggs (does anyone know whether his name is really Briggs or Swale -- we've seen it both ways?) reporting from the Bob Hope Classic (or as Kenneth calls it, the Bob Barkley Golf Tournament) for "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" The duo even persuaded a number of celebs to sing "God Bless America" with them, including Ray Romano, Taylor Hicks, Marcus Allen, Jerome Bettis, Scott Hamilton, Huey Lewis and Chris Tucker. It's a hoot.

Christine Brennan of USA Today wasn't nearly as charitable in her description of how she felt Kimmel's show used Jayne and Briggs to also invade the Super Bowl's media day at Dolphin Stadium. They interrupted other reporters and repeated whatever the show's handler's told them to through their earpieces. You can read her story here.

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