Kelly Clarkson Apologizes to Clive Davis

Even though her CD has dropped out of the Top 10, Kelly Clarkson is staying in the news because of the apology she proffered to Clive Davis on her Web site (a step that Simon Cowell recently advised her to take in the press):

In a posting of her Web site, Clarkson writes, "A lot has been made in the press about my relationship with Clive. Much of this has been blown way out of proportion and taken out of context.

"Contrary to recent characterizations in the press, I'm well aware that Clive is one of the great record men of all time. He has been a key advisor and has been an important force in my success to date. He has also given me respect by releasing my new album when he was not obligated to do so.

"I really regret how this has turned out and I apologize to those whom I have done disservice. I would never intentionally hurt anyone."

KELLIE PICKLER LOVES SPEED

... As in driving fast, or so she told Newsweek in an interview they recently conducted with her. Kellie Pickler also told the 'zine that she'd love to fill the empty host chair on "The View." Read on:

You sound like you're outside.
I'm doing a show in Wisconsin, opening up for Reba [McEntire], so, yay! I'm lying on the bunk of my tour bus right now.

Do you ever drive the bus?
They won't let me for some reason. I don't know why.

Well, do you have a license?
Yeah! I'm a good driver. I wanted to be a NASCAR driver. I love driving fast.

What's the fastest you've ever driven?
I once got pulled over going 95 in a 35. Let me tell you, I cried my way out of that ticket. But it was real dangerous, I shouldn't have done that. It was early in the morning and I was driving to school. We had this weird tardy thing. If you're tardy three days to class, you'd get suspension.

You were great as a guest host on "The View." I think they should offer you one of the open seats.
Omigod. I'd so do it. I've got an opinion about everything. They film two shows in the same day. So I'd tour during the weekends.

Maybe Barbara Walters will be reading this.
I know! I've been waiting for them to call. Every time I've done the show, everyone tries to create all this animosity, and there's really none. They've all been really nice to me.

Except for Elisabeth Hasselbeck.
Actually, she's the nicest. Some people tend to forget it's called "The View," so everyone's got to have their own point of view. It's not called "The Facts."

Are you and Carrie Underwood friends?
We went to the "Idol" concert together. It was nice to have a girls' night out.

How was Sanjaya?
It was kind of weird. The music, the mix, was so loud I could hardly understand what anybody was singing. I think they were having some technical problems. Everybody sounded great, but Carrie and I both had a hard time listening.

Have you seen "Hey, Paula?"
What's that?

Paula Abdul's reality show.
She has a reality show?! I don't watch TV ever. If I do watch TV, it's either Animal Planet or the Discovery Channel. Have you seen "Planet Earth"? It's amazing. It's up close and personal with different things on the earth, like animals, plants and trees. Stuff we don't know that's out there.
Sounds like school.
It does. But it's not.

Do you know Kelly Clarkson?
No. I haven't met her. She was at CMA's because she sang a duet with Reba, but I didn't get to meet her there. Everybody was rushing all over the place. I hope to meet her soon. Every time we're at the same place, it's like we're dodging each other. I was at the NASCAR race a few months ago, and she was performing the day after. Each time, we're in the same area but we never meet.

Have you heard the new album?
I haven't heard it, no.

You should get it.
Yeah. I will if I ever get to the store. I live on the bus.

Don't you have iTunes?
Yeah, but I'm so stupid I don't know how to do it. I'm an electronic illiterate.

So you don't have an iPod?
I do. But there are no songs on it anymore. My friend downloaded one of my CDs, "Dolly Parton's Greatest Hits," but I accidentally deleted them all. I bought one of those new iPhones, but I don't know how to work it.

How did you meet your boyfriend?
Jordin? I'm, like, which one?

Ooh. You have more than one?
Jordin [Tootoo, a NHL player for the Nashville Predators] and I are actually neighbors. It's really funny. I didn't know anything about hockey. He's never even heard of "American Idol." This lady that works at the complex I live in says there's a guy named Jordin who wants to meet you. I'm like, "Ok, I guess." He leaves her two tickets for a game to give me. I'm like, "Lisa, you're going with me." I don't know what the guy looks like. I've never been to a hockey game. All I know is that his name is Jordin Tootoo. So I go to the game, every time a new player comes on ice, I'm looking for player 22. All of a sudden, this guy comes out on the ice, rips his clothes off, throws the guy on the ice, punches the crap out of the guy. I'm like, this hockey game is turning into a boxing match! Lisa is like, "That's Jordin." I'm like, I have to go out with this monster? Afterward, we went to dinner. There were knots on his forehead, his knuckles were all bloody. Great first impression. But he kicked the dude's butt. So at least I feel protected. One thing led to another and now we're a little item, I guess you could say.

How long have you been dating?
Since January. But we've never had an official boyfriend-girlfriend day. It just kind of blossomed. I don't know what day we committed to each other.

KELLY CLARKSON, NIGHT WRITER

According to Star Pulse, Kelly Clarkson struggles with insomnia - because her songs keep her awake at night. The singer admits many of her lyrics and hits come to her as she's trying to get to sleep and has to write them down or record them on the spot.

She says, "The moment a song comes to me, I have to get it out. That's why I have a hard time sleeping, because a lot of those times are at night."

KATHARINE McPHEE RAW

Watch video of Katharine McPhee's photo shoot for Vegas magazine at Raw Vegas. The Season 5 "Idol" runner-up dishes on how she fell in love with her "Vegas" show-stopper, showgirl cover look, and offers viewers a tasty treat -- a few bars of one of her favorite tracks.

PETER NOONE: PREFERS MAGGOTS TO IDOL

Well, it's a sure bet that Peter Noone won't be invited back to mentor on "American Idol." According to Contact Music, the lead singer of the '60s group Herman's Hermits, who mentored the guys during British Invasion week during Season 6, now admits he hates the idea of hopefuls appearing on such a big show before they've made it. Noone says, "If I were a young performer today, I'd take the bowl of maggots if people said, 'Do you want to be a contestant on American Idol or eat a bowl of maggots?' I'd say give me the bowl because I can get through that quick. I think it's probably much better to play in bars and then play the next-best bar than start on such a huge stage. If people are going to hate you, they may as well hate you in a small room."

PRODUCER NIGEL LYTHGOE: WE MADE MISTAKES

EW reports that at the Television Critics Association summer press tour,
"American Idol" producer Nigel Lythgoe said that last season "Idol" suffered by focusing more on famous mentors than on contestants -- and says the show can learn from "So You Think You Can Dance."

Lythgoe, the executive producer of both shows who also serves as a sharp-tongued judge on "Dance," said we should all expect some changes on "Idol" next season. "We realized we made mistakes on Idol last season," he said. "We were so engrossed with the mentors and didn't really focus on the Melinda Doolittles of the show. We didn't know them as much as the Kellie Picklers of last season."

Lythgoe is referring to the marked difference in the ways the two programs showcase their contestants: In recent seasons, "Idol" has tended to shun details about its singers to instead focus on the big-name stars who come to the show to perform and work with the contestants, especially in later episodes. "Dance," however, spends quite a bit of its airtime featuring the back-stories of its dancers and their struggles to get on the show.

"We're all attached to them a little more," Lythgoe said about Dance's focus on its contestants' lives. "I think that's affected us all a little bit more. There are little emotional hooks that come out." As for an "Idol" tune-up plan for season 7, Lythgoe revealed the production team is always looking to "tinker with the program," adding that ultimately he'd like to see the "Idol" contestants be as strong as his prized top 10 on "So You Think You Can Dance."

And what of Sanjaya? Of course, the faux-hawked menace snuck his way into the discussion. Speaking about the top 10 dancers seated behind him on stage, Lythgoe said: "There isn't a Sanjaya here, although I do think Sanjaya helped the last season of 'Idol.' I think there's enough talent with enough great stories to warrant the fact that we are basing it on their talent. No one needs to alter their hair on this program."

PERKS OF THE PRESS

A firsthand experience by a journalist for the Hanford Sentinel covering the Idols Live Tour:

FRESNO -- Ben's been a security guard at the Save Mart Center for several years. He first got the job to help pay his way through school, he told me.

Ben and I got to be quite good friends Friday evening. I was at the Save Mart Center "on assignment" to cover the American Idol Live! concert, camera bag and notepad in hand, just like the good old days. But I was over an hour early, so had some time to kill. And that's where Ben came in.

We talked about our taste in music, and he told me some wild stories about out-of-control teenage girls at the Chris Brown concert the week before. As the minutes ticked by, vendors and other security staff trickled in as Ben and I chatted. A couple of EMTs walked by pushing an empty gurney. Probably for a passed-out fan, I thought.

I was sitting on the cold, stone floor, listening to what I thought was piped music. It sounded pretty good, and my feet were soon tapping away. Suddenly, the music stopped and I heard laughter coming through the sound system. Then a voice started singing "Let's Get It Started" by the Black Eyed Peas and again I heard a voice say "That was good, that was good."

It was at that moment that I realized it was Them! They were going through sound checks ... and they were just a stone's throw from me.
Suddenly Ben's walkie-talkie crackled: "We are go for doors, we are go for doors!" Fans of every age, shape and size started pouring in. A girl and her brother each carried homemade signs. Hers said "Blake rocks my world." Her brother's said simply "Blake, you rock."

Then it was time. Along with four other members of the media, I was escorted down into the bowels of the Save Mart Center, a bit like walking through an underground maze at an airport. When we reached our destination, we were greeted by the Idol tour PR person, who explained the procedure for taking photos. We had about 10 minutes, she said. First, Blake will be on stage, and then Jordin will join him, coming up on a lift in the middle of the platform ...

The rest frankly was a blur. Within minutes we were standing next to the barricade in front of the stage where we would take pictures, and I made small talk with one of the Save Mart Center's staff as we waited for our cue.

I looked up. A blond-haired guy in a staff uniform walked to the middle of the stage as the announcer welcomed everyone to the concert. He looked kind of familiar, but I couldn't quite place him. Then he pulled off his cap -- and his blond wig -- to reveal spiky brown hair and an impish grin. It was Blake Lewis. Before I had time to hoist my purse and camera bag over my shoulder, the center of the stage opened up, and there was Jordin.

The next 9.8 minutes went by at light speed. I was snapping photos, trying not to fall over the cameramen who were filming for the overhead screens. Before I knew it, I was an arm's length from Chris Richardson, Sanjaya, Gina and Melinda. I wasn't sure if they'd all been dieting, or if TV really does add 15 pounds, but they looked great! Getting swept up in the moment, I suddenly realized how much I missed the reason I got into journalism in the first place.

The fans were going wild. They were screaming and reaching out across the barricade toward the stage. I watched their faces; this was awesome! I looked over at the Idol PR person and smiled. "Thank you," I mouthed.

After three songs, we were motioned away from the stage, and I had to relinquish my camera to the PR person, for "safe-keeping," I was told. I made my way to my seat just a few rows back from the stage. It was L18, but I don't think my rear ever touched the chair. Everyone in the floor area was on their feet, camera cell phones snapping photos and video footage.

Within minutes, my ears were ringing from the loud music and the women screaming wildly behind me. I got caught up in the emotion: "Wuhoo!" I yelled as Sanjaya, dressed in a white jacket, gray T-shirt and red jeans, sang and moonwalked to Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel." "Wuhoo!!"

In between songs, the guys joked and ribbed each other. They talked about their friendship, and about the first time they all met. Sanjaya and Chris Sligh remembered "the bald guy," Phil, who good-naturedly went along with the ribbing. They really seem like best friends, I thought to myself.

Then Blake took the stage again, seeming right at home behind the microphone. "Everyone take out your cell phones and wave them like this!" he said, moving his arm from side to side. I looked behind me and the auditorium was suddenly filled with hundreds of fireflies as cell phone screens danced in the dark. It was magic.

Blake took off his jacket, revealing an untucked blue shirt over gray pants. He wrapped one hand around the mic, and the sound of techno filled the air, his beat box rhythm mesmerizing us all with its intensity. The crowd went wild. Did it get any better than this?

The Idols' performances were a whirlwind, one after the other. They ran across the stage, shaking hands with fans, and then back to the middle, hugging each other and acting like they were having such a good time. As each one sang, the stage backdrop showed footage from their initial auditions. These fresh-faced hopefuls had been turned into polished performers, and I secretly wondered if that was a good thing.

After an hour and 15 minutes, it was time for an intermission. I finally sat down. L18, a red plush chair, was comfortable. I had come down from the euphoric adrenaline rush, and I was exhausted. My camera battery had long since died, and my phone's memory was full from the photos I had taken. I didn't relish the thought of battling the traffic when the concert was over, so I decided to go home.

Driving back to Hanford, my ears still ringing, I felt good. I wished I'd gotten to say good-bye to Ben, the security guard, but I was sure he was off somewhere doing the job he said "paid the bills."

What had I enjoyed most about the evening? Sanjaya strutting across the stage, LaKisha, Haley and Gina as dance-hall girls singing "Lady Marmalade," or Jordin singing her heart out in a duet with Chris Robinson? No, I thought to myself. It was being a journalist.

e-mail Idol Addict
© 2007

Taylor Hicks' New Honey?

On May 25th, TMZ.com reported that Taylor Hicks was cavorting on the beach in Hawaii with a mystery blonde. Yesterday, the Web site revealed that it had solved the mystery.

So who was that blonde in the Hawaiian sand with the Season 5 "Idol" winner? If you live in Milwaukee, you know spritely Caroline Lyders from WISN-TV.

According to OnMilwaukee.com, Lyders, the co-anchor of the weekday edition of WISN "12 News This Morning," has been romantically linked to singer Taylor Hicks. The entertainment blogosphere was abuzz after what appeared to be photos of Lyders and Hicks lounging and canoodling on a beach in Hawaii showed up on various Web sites. And it didn't take long for Hicks' fans to identify the bikini-clad woman in the photos as Lyders.

Lyders says she and Hicks are "friends," but won't say anymore. "Yes, Taylor and I are friends, and as a journalist I respect your asking. But beyond that, I'd rather not comment on my personal life."

"I do not comment on my client's personal life," said Liz Morentin of Hicks' J Records label via e-mail.

People.com, which contacted OnMilwaukee.com for more clarification about a story that ran Wednesday afternoon, quoted an unnamed "friend" of Hicks' as saying, "I don't know about any new girlfriend. But I'm not surprised. Taylor always had girls following him even before he ever became famous. ... He is a romantic when it comes to women, and he treats them with respect. So to be seen out in public with this girl makes me know that he likes her, because that's just how he is."

You can see more picture of Hicks and Lyders here.

PETER NOONE: IDOL NOT FOR MY DAUGHTER

Peter Noone played in Atlantic City last weekend. This season's American Idol mentor for the guys on British Invasion Week told the The Herald of New Jersey that although he was thrilled when he was asked to coach this season's contestants, he wouldn't want his daughter an aspiring singer, to go the Idol route.

Noone, the "Herman" in the 1960s English pop band Herman's Hermits, believes the show doesn't do fledgling performers any favors by catapulting them from anonymity to fame in a matter of months. "They're taking people who have mostly been singing karaoke in bars and then throwing them in front of millions of people," he says. The show is shortcutting the time-honored process of coming up through the ranks and learning how to be a performer.

The singer considers himself lucky he came up through the business the hard way. He believes the "American Idol" contestants are missing the kind of mentoring he received. "They're not learning how to work in front of a smaller audience," he says. "They're not learning simple things, like how to talk [to the audience] between songs. It may not sound important, but these are all important lessons they're missing."

Because "American Idol" requires contestants to cover songs popularized by other artists, Noone said the show doesn't encourage originality. For that reason alone, his daughter, Natalie Noone, 20, an aspiring singer, songwriter and musician, has no desire to audition for the show. "She's a country and rock singer, and she says she'd never go on that show if she couldn't perform her own music," Noone says as a touch of fatherly pride creeps into his voice.

Noone said he was glad he paid his dues more than 40 years ago and didn't need the show as a vehicle to launch his career. "If I had to sing in front of 38 million people when I was first coming up, I'd have quit the business and become a doctor," said Noone, adding "I would have never had the [guts] to do that," he adds. "I'd have rather eaten a can of worms or done a play with 30 pages of dialogue."

Noone, 59, is as outspoken during a chat from his Santa Barbara, Calif., home as he was on "American Idol," when he bluntly told acerbic judge Simon Cowell that the show was a voting competition and not a singing competition. That comment earned him a disgusted look from Cowell.

Things were different when Noone was a 16-year-old actor and singer trying to make it with a band in Manchester, England, in 1963. The group was playing small clubs with rowdy crowds that thought nothing about chuckling at Herman's Hermits when they began performing "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter" long before it became one of the group's biggest hits.

"They laughed in our faces," Noone remembers. "And we learned to deal with that. That's something ['American Idol' contestants] won't experience because every move they make is controlled."

Noone also remembers being mentored by John Lennon in the early days. The Beatles had already made their mark on America when Lennon saw Herman's Hermits performing in a small club. "I told John, 'I think we're gonna make it; look at all those screaming kids in the front row,' " Noone recalls. Lennon told him he was making a mistake singing to the band's fans.

"He told me never to sing to the people in the front row," he says. "He said I should sing to the people in the back, the ones who don't like you and don't really care. And that message stayed with me."

PLAY WITH SANJAYA? OZZY NYET, PERRY YUP

The New York Post reports that Ozzy Osbourne pulled out of an appearance on the "American Idol" finale. The Black Sabbath star was slated to duet with Sanjaya Malakar, but cancelled at the last minute. A source told the Post's Page Six column, "When he learned he would have to do a duet with Sanjaya, Ozzie said he didn't want to be onstage with that idiot." Osbourne is also reported to have called Malakar "a hairstyle-challenged idiot." Aerosmith star Joe Perry was called up as Osbourne's replacement.

Meanwhile, the Bangalore Times reports that Perry said he played The Kinks' "You Really Got Me" with Sanjaya "just for fun."

"They [the producers] asked me to play backup with Sanjaya and I agreed," Perry said. "Fans love the show. It's big, the second biggest in the U.S. after the Superbowl in terms of the number of viewers.

"I did it for fun — it was a tongue-in-cheek kind of thing. I also wanted to play with Kelly Clarkson [he accompanied her for "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"]. She's got a fantastic voice."

Of controversial Sanjaya, Perry said, "Sanjaya's so young. I don't think he's had time to develop as a singer. Sometimes that happens naturally — Michael Jackson was a natural at five — at other times it takes years. Sanjaya has a lot going for him — he's got rhythm and timing. It's a matter of putting in the hours. Even The Beatles spent years playing at clubs. You have to rehearse and rehearse, play and play. In his case it may be too much too soon. Now even the show's runners-up get record deals. You have to see whether or not he's got it in him to keep it going. Sanjaya's a really nice guy. He could have been all blown up with the fame he's got, but he knows his limitations. He listens — he went along with all the suggestions I gave him. I found the experience interesting. For me, it was a piece of cake."

BLAKE LEWIS APPEARANCE VIDEOS

Two recent appearances by Blake Lewis you might have missed, but can catch here!

Blake on "Live With Regis and Kelly" (Blake backs himself with beat-boxing while singing "She Will Be Loved", very cool):



Blake Lewis and Jordin Sparks on MTV's TRL (at the end Jordin sings to Blake's beat-boxing):



And, finally, America's Idol winner and America's favorite beat-boxer made separate visits to New York's Fox/5 studios to talk about "American Idol," and answer questions. Blake Lewis on "Good Day New York" and Jordin Sparks on "Good Day New York."

BLAKE LEWIS' CONFERENCE CALL TRANSCRIPT

You've read snippets for days here and other places, but here is the complete transcript of QNAs between Blake Lewis and the press during a conference call this past Friday. (Salutations and congratulations eliminated for the sake of brevity):

TVGuide.com: Looking back on it now is there anything – do you have any sort of regrets, or is there anything you would have done differently?

Oh, never. I never have regrets. I had so much fun on this experience. The journey’s been amazing, and each week was a different experience, and it - ended it with a bang with Doug E. Fresh.

TVGuide.com: Were you nervous at all about that?

Oh, no, not at all. The most calm I’ve been on this whole entire season was playing the Kodak Theater both nights, so.

TVGuide.com: What can we expect from you after the tour? Is anything falling into place? Are you getting any ideas about an album or who you might work?

Definitely an album will be in the works, not exactly sure who yet, but little talk about it when I - I’ll be going to New York here and be talking to the right people to get that underway.

Us Weekly Online: So you’ve made it this far, and I know Jordin has her “This is My Now” song to kind of describe her Idol experience. What would yours be?

Well, the most work I have put into any song was definitely the Bon Jovi, “You Give Love a Bad Name.” That one best – not necessarily vocally, but like for performance, that represents me and “Keep Me Hanging On, and “This is Where I Came In,” the Bee Gees. Those are the three songs that I arranged, pretty much, the most, and I put a lot of work into them.

Us Weekly Online: I’m very familiar with your charitable efforts with Seattle Children’s and your whole initiative as far as that is concerned. Have you given any thought to how you’re going to expand upon that now that your notoriety is very much out there?

Not yet. I haven’t had a lot of time to think until I get all this press done and everything. So I’ll be talking with my best friend, Kristi, head of the Blaker Girls, and we’ll come up with something unique, to give back.

Wireless Flash News: Going back to the performance with Doug E. Fresh, how exactly did you feel doing that? Like, did you ever think you’d get to the point where you’d be on stage with him?

You know, I met him a month and a half before when he came out with – he came out to support Akon and Gwen Stefani, so he was behind the stage at that. And I went up to him, and I just asked if he wanted to cipher after the show or something, so we went back in the hallway, and we did some question and answering back and forth with the beatbox. And it was a real magical moment, and I asked him if there was any chance that he could come on the show, and we can perform, even after American Idol in the…term. Let’s do it. He was all for it. And then flash forward to the finale, and I get to rock the show his ’86 classic beatbox song that inspired me, and it was just a real magical moment. So I was more excited than anything to end the finale and end my run as an American Idol with Doug E. Fresh, one of my main inspirations as a beatboxer.
Wireless Flash News: Do you think American Idol will be more hip, more contemporary because of what you brought to it, singing real current songs and beatboxing and all that?

Yes. I can only hope that it keeps a contemporary edge, getting more contemporary acts on the show, with the shows that they do have that people come and play or as a mentorship. There’s definitely a lot of classic stuff going on this year. I don’t know. I think if the show wants to have a continued success, I think they need to play more in favor to what’s out there, what’s current.

Soap Opera Weekly: During the finale on Tuesday, how did you feel about the judges discussing who won each round and calling you “The Desperate Farmer”?

Oh, man, since the beginning of the competition, I honestly - it’s hard to hear them in the first place, and I just bite my tongue, and I say thank you. It’s just three people’s opinion in that I really don’t like the criticism right after you sing a song. In any other circumstance…and being on stage, that would never happen, so I took it for what it is. I always just say, “Thank you,” and I go to the next song and sing my song, do the same thing over and over again. So it doesn’t really ever get to me. It’s nice when they say positive things, and when they say negative things, I just…my shoulders off.

Soap Opera Weekly: What was your smartest song choice and why?

Smartest song choice - it really depends on the week. I was scared for country week, and I was lucky to sing, “When the Stars go Blue.” I think Bon Jovi, from the response, was probably the most successful song choice. I really loved the fact that I got to sing, “Keep Me Hanging On,” and remix that. Honestly, it really depends on the week. I think I had a smart song choice every week, but I do think coming out the gate singing, “Somewhere Only We Know,” and everyone thought I was just a beatboxer was a smart move on my part. That was the only part where I was like, I guess, strategical, using my strategery as good George Bush would say.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution: How come we haven’t seen the return of your character, Jimmy Walker Blue?

There hasn’t been a lot of opportunities for Jimmy Walker Blue. It was – that’s just another part of me that I dove in, in more character acting, character, I think, spots. If I ever get to play Saturday Night Live, man, I do a lot of character work and a lot of voiceovers. I’m very into improv comedy and just comedy on the whole. So if there’s any part where I could go, like David Alan Grier has his improv show. I’d love to go on that. Anytime that I could do something like that and just – I feed off the live – that’s why I think I love performing, and that’s why I’ve had such a blast on this show is because I can – since it’s live, I can really feed off that energy. Back home, I had a character, Charles Siegfried. I was the host of a burlesque show and very British egocentric character where he loves the ladies, and he thinks the world loves him, and then Jimmy Walker Blue is just like a hip-hop hick, someone that would listen to Kid Rock 24 hours a day, so just weird, wacky characters. I grew up on a lot of Robin Williams, Mork & Mindy, a lot of Jim Carey movies.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution: Do you do any celebrity impersonations?

Not really. I was more into impressions when I was, like, in junior high and high school, and then I, that’s when I also started becoming more of the musician. And so just recently, probably in the last two years, I got more into the characters working with my friends. There’s an amazing improv. My friend’s duo called Cupcake, up in Seattle, that I get to feed off them and ride their coattails and get to do neat little character stuff that’s all YouTube. So if you go to moistcupcake.com, there’s probably like six videos that I’m on in different characters.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution: Moistcupcake.com - I’ll remember that.

B. Lewis Mostcupcake.com. It’s an improv that my friend, Ethan and Justin – their duo show. They do an hour and half of improv, and I get to be the Flava Flave, if you will, the hot guy in different characters and stuff. So I’m honored to work with those – my friends, and have real opportunities where I can be a goof.

The Houston Chronicle: What would you say is probably the best thing about actually not winning the title, if there indeed is one for you.

Oh, man, you know, I never thought I’d get to this moment ever. So that’s a tough question to answer because I picked Jordin to be the winner in the top 24, like as soon as I met her, I picked her to be the winner. I’m so completely satisfied coming second on this show. I would have been completely satisfied coming in fourth or fifth or fifth or sixth. I always felt that my art wasn’t as mainstream as most people, so just me coming out of Seattle, kind of being more of an eclectic artist and into definitely more independent and underground music, so just coming on this show, I just gave it my all, and I wound up at two. And that’s huge. I really wanted to just get into the top ten, so I could go on tour and actually show people what I do on tour, and hopefully, they like that. So – I’m terrible at answering questions.

The Houston Chronicle: Tell me a little bit about what it was like to have the constant daily support from Elizabeth Hasselbeck and Rosie O’Donnell.

Well, that’s amazing. I don’t watch a lot of TV, and I’m lucky that I have amazing friends that keep me sane, and they let me know what’s going on because I never have time for anything, especially with the show. We were doing like 16 hour days. So my good friend, Kristi, she’s the head of the Blaker Girls; she’s my best friend. She keeps me informed of everything. So she told me about that, and I actually watched The View one day, and they were wearing like a Blaker Girl shirt. I’d love to go on that show. I love Rosie O’Donnell. I love – she just says whatever she wants. And that’s usually how I am. I’m kind of like Simon’s sense where I just – I’m pretty honest and blunt, and sometimes a little tactless. ….

People Magazine: Do you wish you could possibly have had a song that suited you better rather than “This is My Now,” and did it possibly kind of do you in, in the end?

You know, that’s what a lot of people are asking, and I definitely say, yes. “This is My Now” is definitely not my style. It’s a song I would never sing if I didn’t have to, so it was definitely – it fit her, like, perfectly. And honestly, they should have had two songs, one that was tailored to both of us, but I’m so happy with being second place. I never thought I’d get here in the first place, so. But yes, it’s just definitely not my style. I would have rather had something like blues-oriented, jazzy. I think there could be like an uplifting song that’s not so linear. That one’s not very melodic, and I’m very all about melody, going around melodies and stuff, so.

People Magazine: You said you’re comfortable with second place or getting into the top ten. With giving up the coin toss, picking Jordin to win, I think even some of your friends said in The Seattle Times they prefer you didn’t win. Did you in a sense, thought it was better, maybe didn’t unconsciously want to win the competition?

Gee, I never looked at it as winning and losing. I just tried going out and performing really well each day. But in the sense that I’m kind of glad I didn’t win just for like contractual reasons. I think if you’re first, you might have to come back for like three years or something and do stuff, which is great, though, at the same time because American Idol is such an amazing show and an experience, so I honestly didn’t care one bit of winning or losing because I thought – I called myself a winner just by getting in the top ten.

The Detroit Free Press: Could you tell us a little bit about what you were like, what activities you were involved in and so on when you were in middle school and high school.

Okay. Well, middle school, I was in choir. I was pretty much in choir, like elementary, anything with performing, in junior high. And after junior high, that’s when I really got into performance art and singing and art and anything that had to do with creating. I love anything that has to do with creation, whether it’s building with your hands or doing pottery or photography.

But as far as on the music side of things, high school was really good because I got to take acting, do some acting, and I had a performance class and then choir. And then the one real neat thing that was really good about the live art form and my experiences is once a month we had like an open mic, and that was where I really – I first started beatboxing. My first time performing beatboxing in front of a crowd was at open mic during lunch at my high school. And I think that was a really good moment for me that I can always – I can always look back on that moment, and that’s where it all started for me as far as being a musician on a stage because it was the first – you could do anything in an open mic. You can read poetry. You could play the bongos. It didn’t really matter. The nice thing about that is because open mic, they can like it. They don’t have to like it. It’s just kind of one of those moments. And if these high schools had, I think, more open rights during lunch, like once a week, I think it would be really cool once a week, and I’m definitely in support of that because me going after high school I played this open mic all the time, all amazing musicians that I’ll always be playing with for the rest of my life.

I did this open mic at this bar for – I don’t know – like a year and a half, called The Jet Deck. I met so many amazing musicians that I’m still playing with today.

The Detroit Free Press: You have a hip personal style, and you mentioned that you used to make your own pants, and I know you like vintage clothes and stuff. Could you tell us, did you shop at vintage places, or did you work with a stylist for your Idol look?

Through the Idol experiences - they have stylists for us, but coming into the show, they told me they liked everything. They loved my style. So Miles Higgins was the stylist for the guys and stuff, and him and I hit it off really great because he already knew that I had my sense of style. He just – he’d come with me or not, and we’d – it only takes me like ten minutes to shop because I instantly know. I know who I am, so I can just go pick it out right away. Make sure – the thing for him is he knows whether it’s going to look good on camera, so it was really good to have that eye as well.

And then the last thing, the finale, the last couple shows, I met Ashton Michaels on one of our Ford video shoots, and he turned to me, and he’s like, “Wow, we have like the same style.” And I was like, “Wow, what are you wearing? That’s amazing.” He’s like, “I made it.” So we hit it off right away, and I went to his shop, his boutique, and he started making clothes for me.

It was out of context when I said I made my own pants. I said I started to try to make my own pants. I don’t have a complete pair that I have made yet. I’m still working on it. And now that I met Ashton, hopefully, he’s going to – we’re going to get the right pattern, and he’s going to show me how to make my own pants, so.

The Detroit Free Press: And you got an allowance each week, right? The contestants get an allowance to buy their outfits.

Yes, depending on the week.

The Seattle Times: You went from B-Shorty and Bothell, you know, like this - at Toast and Nectar and all these places, this authentic struggling artist, and now, you’re the crown prince of pop karaoke. A lot of people are going to say you sold out. Did you?

Definitely not. I represented myself and stayed true to myself through this whole entire process. So selling out is definitely not – I love the term though. I never had a huge fan base, so I don’t think you can sell out until you even have a fan base. I don’t think you can sell out until you start going off in directions that you wouldn’t normally do and sacrificing some of your integrity as an artist. As soon as you hear me start singing like more songs like “This is My Now,” then you can say I sold out.

The Seattle Times: Sir Mix-A lot who proclaimed you the kind of Sea-Town. When are you going to be back to visit all of us, come survey your kingdom?

Oh, man, hopefully, soon. I hope – it’s beginning of June I get to come back, I think, for a week maybe. I don’t know. On the schedule here with press and everything is really tight, not as busy as the show, but I’m still trying to get home for at least a couple days before I have to come right back here to start tour rehearsals.

Alloy.com: Which American Idol contestant’s career, winner or not, you wanted to emulate.

None of them. I want to set my own path. Yes, pretty much that.

Alloy.com: And what kind of music do you want to do?

I guess my music. I’ve been making – been doing it for seven years. I have an album that I’m hopefully going to try and get out here. And it’s very – electro-pop, good pop music in the sense of Duran Duran, Michael Jackson. I’m very a child of the ‘80s, so it’s definitely going to have more of a dance theme to it with a little bit of more melodic jazzy like Maroon 5, Jamiroquai, but definitely more on the hip-hop and electronic side of things.

In Touch Weekly: Are you planning on moving to L.A., or what would you – or do you plan on still saying in the Seattle area?

Well, I think I’m going to move to LA for awhile when I – so I can be around the label and all my management and just – and some good friends out here for a little bit. I’ve been meaning to move to LA for about five years. I’ve always wanted to come to California and move here. Sorry. Wanted to come here just for the new experience, the new environment change. But I’ll probably only live here for maybe like a year or two because Seattle’s my home, and I don’t think I can be away from all my friends and the musicians that I play with and my family.

In Touch Weekly: Because you were talking about the acting thing before, is that something that you want to do equally with music after you get your first album done?

I don’t think equally. If opportunities arise, and it allows me to do some character work or something, I think it would be fantastic. I would love to, but I want to put my heart and soul into my music and into my art form as a vocalist, a beatboxer. So that’s –

In Touch Weekly: Is there any sort of actor or comedian/singer that you sort of like the career?

B. Lewis Well, not actor/singer. I mean, Jim Carrey’s a huge inspiration to me. And he’s very – he’s just so much a performer as a comedian, and he’s – I think his serious acting is amazing. He can sing. He sang on like three or four of his movies. He’s just very talented, and I just hope my career as a musician and as a singer/songwriter can keep going strong for a very long time. If acting comes calling, and I get the right opportunity, the right script, or even just do voiceover work for maybe like a Pixar movie or a DreamWorks movie, I think that’d be a blast. I love being goofy and love doing different voices, and I’ve been doing it since I was a kid, so.

In Touch Weekly: You said earlier that there was an improv show that you’d love to be on, but I couldn’t hear what you said. Can you just tell me again what that was?

Oh, well, the David Alan Grier’s…show, and "Saturday Night Live" has been my favorite show since I was kid, since "In Living Color" came off the air.

Starry Constellation Magazine: You seem like quite the ladies’ man. Is that charm something you’ve always had, or did it grow onto you as an adult?

Definitely not the ladies’ man. I’ve been in some very serious relationships, and I think that’s pretty funny. No, I was definitely like a nerdy kind of a loner in high school, and I didn’t really have that many relationships. So I think – I’ve gotten more confident in my relationships or in my journey in finding the right woman.

Starry Constellation Magazine: Are there any song choices you wanted to sing, but you couldn’t get clearance for?

Oh, yes, this whole entire time on the show. I didn’t get to sing some of the inspirations that have made me the musician today. I wanted to sing some U2. I got Maroon 5 at the last minute because they hooked me up. They gave me a solid, so that was cool. Yes, no, I finally did at the end of the season, like I got to sing Thicke, Maroon 5, and Sting is a huge influence in my music, so The Police.

Moderator: Okay, thank you. Did you have any closing remarks then, Blake?

B. Lewis Oh, no, thanks. Yes, just I’m very overwhelmed by all this. So yes, just tell all my fans and all your magazines that I loved all the support and the energy that I’ve gotten from this whole entire experience and just thank you very much.

e-mail Idol Addict
© 2007

Idol Finalist Jessica Sierra Arrested

The St. Petersburg Times reports that Season 4 "American Idol" finalist Jessica Sierra was arrested yesterday on felony battery charges after she allegedly hit a man on the head with a heavy glass, police said.

Sierra, 21, the tenth-place finisher on the show in 2005, was booked in the Hillsborough County Jail on a charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

She was also charged with possession of cocaine and introduction of contraband into a correctional facility after booking officers found a “small amount of cocaine” while searching her, Tampa police spokeswoman Andrea Davis said in a statement.

Davis said the incident happened at a Tampa cafe about 1:52 a.m. Sunday. Police have not yet determined if Sierra knew the victim, Wisam Hadad, 28, of Tampa. Hadad declined medical transport for the cut over his eye.

When Sierra was arrested she was uncooperative with police, who threatened to shackle her legs because she was trying to kick out the window of the police cruiser, the spokesperson said.

After she was transported to the Orient Road Jail, police reportedly found a small bag of cocaine in her purse. She denied the cocaine was hers, according to her arrest report, but when asked, said that no one besides the police had possession of her purse that day.

Sierra, of Tampa, was freed on $11,500 bond Sunday afternoon. It was not immediately known if she had a lawyer. Her family referred comment to Sierra's manager, Nancy Eckert at Verge Management. As of Sunday night, Eckert had not issued any public comments on Sierra's behalf.

The Tampa native started singing in church when she was 3. After her mother died, Sierra was raised by her grandparents and father. She attended Robinson High School for a year before transferring to D.W. Waters Career Center, a public school that offers career training. She studied cosmetology there, graduating at 17.

Sierra had worked as a nanny and performed on "Star Search" before she was picked as an Idol contestant in Las Vegas when she was 19. The show turned her into a minor celebrity.

Last year, Sierra was in the news after she was the target of a persistent stalker. In 2006, Daniel Robert Young, 61, was accused of stalking Sierra. He reportedly had been making harassing phone calls to her, sending her gifts and following her to her grandparents' South Tampa home.

Mental health issues delayed Young's case, and it remains open in Hillsborough County Court. Sierra joined the Stalking Resource Center, a program of the National Center for Victims of Crime, to speak out against stalking.

Sierra recorded some songs in Nashville in 2006, but never released an album. She spent July 4 in Iraq, entertaining the troops.

In February of this year, WTVT-Ch. 13 reported that Sierra was working at Hooters as she waited for her singing career to take off. In the video, she signed autographs and sang for patrons.

To date, her only released recording was her rendition of "Total Eclipse of the Heart" included on the Season 4 "Idol" compilation CD.

HE'S INTO SOMETHING GOOD

We met Peter Noone after a concert this weekend and spoke to him about his Idol stint. He told us he really enjoyed mentoring the male finalists and that he thinks Simon Cowell's not only OK, but that he is right most of the time. He also said that he will be in the audience for the season finale. Check out his blog for his appraisals of Blake Lewis, Chris Richardson, Phil Stacey, Sanjaya Malakar and Chris Sligh.

Noone gives great show. Amazingly, at 59, he's lost neither his looks nor voice. His audience interaction goes above and beyond other performers and not only does he have a great sense of humor, his singing impressions are impressive. He does Tom Jones (the hip grinding is hilarious), Davy Jones and Mick Jagger, among others.

He also gave out some free CDs to the kids and threw some T-shirts into the audience. He generously met with a huge crowd after the show to shake hands and sign autographs. If he tours near you, it's a show worth getting out to see.

THINGS YOU DIDN'T SEE ON TV

According to People magazine online, here are some things that happened on last week's show that you never got to see:

Ellen DeGeneres came out to greet the crowd before the show and showed off some of her signature dance moves as she shook her hips and did some tricks for the roaring audience. The talk-show host got a standing ovation and the audience chanted her name – "Ellen, you rock!" screamed one fan.

As the Idol Top 6 walked to the center of the stage for the show's opening, Jordin Sparks scanned the crowd to find her family. Dad Philippi Sparks caught his daughter's eye and held up his hands in the shape of a heart. She smiled and winked at her proud papa.

An audience member had the opportunity to ask Simon Cowell how his trip to Africa affected him and he sincerely replied, "You don't feel sorry for yourself anymore." The audience responded with polite applause.

When a shiny black Ferrari – just like Simon's – pulled into a parking space outside Idol's studio before the show, all heads were turned. But it wasn't the judge – it was Seal, who was arriving for the show. A fan remarked that she thought it was cool that the singer drove himself instead of taking a limo.

After Josh Groban performed an emotional rendition of "You Raise Me Up" with the The African Children's Choir, they got a two-minute-long standing ovation from the crowd at the Disney Concert Hall. And over at the Idol studio, the Top 6 were equally emotional about the tender song: When the show went to commercial, Jordin Sparks buried her head into her hands and turned away from the audience as she tried to regain her composure while LaKisha Jones rubbed her back. Chris Richardson was also in tears and quickly left the stage to pull himself together. Upon his return, Melinda Doolittle embraced him and patted him on the back.

For a crowd who had been anticipating surprise duet, there was an audible letdown when it was Celine Dion and Elvis Presley (we'll explain how the technology works in tomorrow's blog), who made a "guest appearance" next to her in the form of a 1968 performance. There were grumblings and light boos from the audience, who talked amongst themselves during the performance. Much more well-received was Annie Lennox's showstopping closing performance of Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water." While Lennox sat down at her piano to prepare for her song, an excited Ellen DeGeneres came over to greet and hug the British singer.

Only a week after being ousted from Idol, Sanjaya Malakar returned to the Idol studio as an audience member. During a commercial break, Simon Cowell summoned Sanjaya to the judges' table, where the he was greeted warmly with hugs from him, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson. During another break, Sanjaya reunited with the Top 6 contestants on the stage. They all embraced him, especially an excited Phil Stacey, who picked Sanjaya up and swung him around before putting him back on his own two feet.

MCCARTNEY UNLIKELY IDOL MENTOR

During a recent conference call with the press, Idol executive producer Ken Warwick said that although he'd love to have former Beatle Paul McCartney be a guest mentor on the show, it was unlikely he would appear. Here are some excerpts from the inyerview session:

On doing a Beatles theme night: But we were in dialogue with them this year as part of one of the genres. The problem we found was that, the problem we had was obviously, we need a mentor that is up to the job. And we were after George Martin and his schedule, unfortunately, we tried every which way. We had permission from the record company, but we just couldn't get George. And without a mentor, it's meaningless.

On whether he'd like to have Paul McCartney as a mentor: I'd love to have Paul McCartney as a mentor, yes, absolutely. The problem is I think he early on, I think in the English show, and I don't know whether this is true or not. This is what I've heard, he kind of took exception to Simon's acid comments about the contestants. You know he's a nice guy and he didn't like Simon saying "You're horrible. You're the worst I've ever heard. You shouldn't be singing," or whatever he says. And so the chances of Paul coming on the show were pretty slim.

We were trying to get, as I said earlier, George Martin to mentor that show, and you do need a credible mentor, if you're doing The Beatles. And his schedule, although he was up for, we got a really nice letter saying, "I would love to do it. But unfortunately, I'm France this day. I'm in Switzerland the next day. There's no way I can actually be there on the date that you need me." And, of course, we can't change the day of the show, so it's a very specific date they have to adhere to. And if they can't do it, then they can't do it. And so it was that reason, and that reason only that we went to British Invasion week, which had good stuff in it, too, it was a good week.

On whether Melinda [Doolittle] is too mature for a show that emphasizes young talent: Well, she is more mature, mate, to be honest with you. But the fact of the matter is that it's not my decision, it's the public's. If they think that she's fine and great and they want to see here again and again, then they vote for her, then she's going to be there. It's as easy as that. It's not my — you know I long ago gave up worrying about what my personal favorites were.

Last year I loved Kat McPhee. I thought she was great. I thought she was gorgeous. I thought she had a great singing voice. I knew for a fact she could dance like there's no tomorrow. I knew she could act really well. She was just a really, really talented all-arounder. I would have loved her to have won last year, but it wasn't to be. There was somebody there that was a singer that was a bit quirky, people liked him and he was the winner, end of story. So what I think is immaterial, really. ... Melinda is fine. She's doing very well. The public do love Melinda, so the chances are, she'll be there for awhile to come, hopefully, but you never know.

On whether the judges are favoring Jordin [Sparks]: In truth I have to say where they can, they always pretty much tell the truth, because they've also been pretty supportive of Melinda every week. I don’t think it's any more than anybody else who's good. They call it the way the see it. I mean had they had any kind of agenda towards making Jordin one of the frontrunners, they would have started earlier. It's just that in the past few weeks, she has impressed them. And it was one of those — as always with these shows, you find generally, it’s the person that grows throughout the series that usually reaps the benefit at the end of it.

I think they're realizing that the one contestant that has consistently grown — Melinda has been good every week. LaKisha [Jones] has been pretty good every week, but Jordin has grown. So it gives them something to talk about, because it maybe even a bit, they’re probably getting fed up with saying Melinda is great every week. So Jordin is someone that they can hook into, and say, "You were much better than last week," or whatever. And it just gives them a bit more credibility, really.

On whether they'd consider doing a 50/50 split, like "Dancing With the Stars," where 50% of the vote comes from viewers and 50% from the judges: No, I'll never consider that. It's not a part of our format. As far as we're concerned it's the public at home who pick the idol. There has never been a case where they have been able to sufficiently put the vote one way or the other, skew the vote in any way. The voting numbers, I mean we had, I think, 38 million this week, 38 million votes.

Now with all due respect, even the biggest radio shows on earth are not going to have anything more than maybe 1,000 or 2,000 or even if it’s 10,000 people who actually listen to that radio station and think, "Oh, we're going to do that." Ten thousand is a drop in the ocean and would never influence the outcome, one way or the other.

On how he feels about Ryan [Seacrest] apparently supporting the contestants more than ever this year, as he takes on the judges: I love it. One of the attractions, if you like, people say to me, "Why is this show so popular? Why does it do this and why does it do that?" One of these points, very relevant points is the fact that there is quite curt banter, if you like, between the judges and Ryan. Ryan is always there to support the contestants, no matter what the situation. He's not there as a judge. He's there to champion their song and the way they sing it. So if he thinks that they're being bullied by Simon or any of the judges, it's part of his mandate. You step in there and you defend them if you think that's right, or ask the relevant questions.

On whether the contestants do commercial endorsements immediately after they are off the show, or do they have to wait: Generally I don’t think they — to be absolutely honest, I'm not sure if there's a time. I know with regards to taking up recording contracts or promoting themselves in the music business, that there is a very definite wait. They have to wait until the Idol has released their song. They can't contaminate that market for I think, three months, minimum. But to be absolutely honest, when it comes to things like that, because it's a totally different department that would handle …, I don't know if there'’s a time limit. I hope not to be truthful, because that wouldn't impact the show in any way. I kind of like to think the kids have gone on to do some other tangible way and they’re getting something back out of it.

... As far as I'm concerned, it's fine. But there's a whole legal department, both in Fox and with Fremantle International that handle that. If I got bogged down in the licensing and marketing issues, you could imagine what kind of a nightmare that would be on a show like this. So I tend to step back and I'm given, "This is what we've got to do this week in the show. This is what we're compelled to do." We do that, sometimes I argue that, because I think it's too much.

But generally speaking those things, especially if the contestants have gone, I leave up to the legal people to sort out. And as far as I'm concerned, bless them. They can do it. I would love Haley [Scarnato] to do it; I think she'd be great at it.

On whether this year's group of contestants have as much pizzazz as last year's group: The truth of the matter is that it is a fact that last year was an exceptional year, the kids were just great last year. It was as much in their diversity and personalities as in their voices. So it was a very good year, last year. Are you asking me is this year's contestants as diverse? No. Are they better? Some are; some aren't. And a lot of this is subjective anyway. So you can ask one person and they say, "Yes, I love these people much more than I did last year." And you can ask someone else that says, "I thought last year's were great." I thought last year's were great, personally, I thought they were great. But this year's are pretty good, too.

e-mail Idol Addict
© 2007

Don't Let the Show Catch You Crying

Or something along those lines, at least where Ashley Ferl is concerned. Who is Ashley Ferl? Well, you probably know her as the blond, blue-nailed Crying Girl, whose copious tears flowed continually during Tuesday night's show, gushing into a virtual waterfall when Sanjaya Malakar performed.

We said yesterday that it smelled like a setup, and it was to an extent. Idol didn't intentionally bring in this little ringer. According to the L.A. Times, Ashley got tickets to a taping of "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" from a Web site. The deal also included seats for either the dress rehearsal of that show or the dress rehearsal of "Idol." She picked the dress rehearsal of "Idol," and according to the Times, that where the waterworks began.

"Her prowess was quickly brought to the attention of 'Idol' producers who summoned the clan to a ringside seat of honor at the final taping." Uh-huh. Never underestimate the publicity-seeking noses of those "Idol" producers. So, we're still calling this a setup, because the producers knew exactly what they had and manipulated the situation to reap maximum benefits from it.

In an appearance last night on "Inside Edition," the 13-year-old Riverside, Calif., resident said she began crying hysterically because she was overwhelmed at Tuesday night's taping (but she started crying during the dress rehearsal, sez us). "Just being able to be there and everything about it ... it was so unbelievable."

"I love his [Sanjaya] voice and his hair," added the middle-school student, who rocked a T-shirt with a picture of Sanjaya on "Inside Edition."

Ferl's mother, Stacey, said her daughter has not stopped crying since the show's taping(!), "She was actually crying this morning again ... she's just so excited about all the media attention and talking about what happened last night on the show." Mom also said her daughter is also an aspiring singer (perhaps she should switch to professional crier), has attended all three "Idol" concert tours and can't get enough.

"Extra's" Terri Seymour (Simon Cowell's girlfriend) also sat down with Ashley, and she told Seymour that she hopes Cowell will "be nicer to Sanjaya," though Ferl admitted that most of her friends are rooting for Melinda and Lakisha. About Sanjaya, Ferl declared, "He is so bad!" And when asked if Sanjaya has a good voice, she exclaimed, "Uh-huh, yes!"

Watching the show, Ashley said, was the "best night of her life." Ferl's mother said, "She cried on the way home and at the restaurant," adding that this is not the first time her daughter cried over "Idol." She also cried and cried during a recent "American Idol" concert tour, when Carrie Underwood performed, and at last season's Top Three show.

A couple of points: This child's behavior is not normal. This is not merely a case of Sanjayamania. Any child, even a 13-year-old one, who would cry continuously for more than 24 hours over the excitement of seeing a star is either emotionally unstable or developmentally challenged. We'd wager that any therapist would say this is not a normal affect -- not for that amount of time anyway.

But we're even more disturbed by mommy Stacey's behavior. Mommy dearest seems to be milking this incident for every piece of face time she can get for Ashley (and herself). Shouldn't she have been concerned by her child's (over)reactions? Don't you think she'd want to protect Ashley from any further media glare? If this woman isn't already a publicist she ought to become one immediately. Right after Child Protective Services removes her child from her custody. Sheesh!

YES, VFTW CHALLENGED SLIGH

A more thorough reading of Dave's Vote for the Worst posting after Chris Sligh's shoutout does indicate that the site had baited him to pay homage to them. In his roundup of Tuesday night's performances, speaking of Sligh, Dave said,

"Chris Sligh then does She’s Not There. I’m a little underwhelmed by the performance, but it’s fairly good. The judges comment, and then it happens. Chris yells out “Hi, Dave”, not once, but twice. On the VFTW message board, we’ve always told contestants to give me a shoutout as a joke to show that they actually read our site. Smarterthanpickler wrote this [on March 17]:

This is a reminder to Chris:

Tuesday is coming, and this will be your final chance to reclaim your manhood. Remember, two simple words:

"HI DAVE"

Say these two words and I swear I will never bash you or call you a pussy again and that I'll use whatever influence I have to get you votes. Don't say these two simple words, however, and I will endlessly bash and humilate you until you are voted off the show.

The ball's in your court, chubby.

And Chris did it! This man is my hero. He wants VFTW to love him. Was it just me or did the judges look pissed? I just have to tell Chris, since we know he’s reading this site now, you are the man. Dude, we so need to go get a few drinks after this is all over and laugh about the show. You complete me. We totally can’t switch to you this week after all the work we’ve put in for Sanjaya, but if you keep it up, you’re guaranteed some VFTW votes once Sanjaya is gone."

So there you have it. Documented and apparently true. VFTW rules, at least as far as Sligh is concerned.

And we couldn't help but post this Sanjaya doll photo that appeared since yesterday on VFTW's home page. Love the site or hate it, anyone who doesn't laugh isn't breathing. (BTW guys, manufacture them and we'll buy one.)

THE REST OF THE RESULTS SHOW

Away with the easy stuff first, the week's Ford commercial had the contestants singing Sam Cooke's "Another Saturday Night" at the Laundromat. It wasn't bad compared with most of the Ford spots, but it really is commercial filler that we tend to ignore.

When Ryan Seacrest was about to reveal, as it turned out, seated in the stands with the contestants was Brad Garrett, in a not-so-subtle reminder that his Fox series, " 'Til Death" now follows the results show, and in fact, has been garnering much better ratings since it was moved there. Of course, he was the first person that Ryan sent home.

And we need to emphasize again how great we thought this week's mentors -- Lulu and Peter Noone were. They listened and gave sound advice to the contestants, even if it was not always followed (not their faults). But we were especially impressed by their performances last night. It is clear that Lulu's range is not what it once was, but she updated "To Sir With Love" to suit her current voice, plus she is the consummate stage performer. We would love to see her in concert. BTW, some interesting facts about Lulu that we wrote about earlier, but you may have missed:
She was married to Maurice Gibb (of the Bee Gees) from 1969-1973, and Tina Turner's hit "I Don't Wanna Fight" was written by Lulu and her brother Billy Laurie.

And Peter Noone is just tried and true. His "There's a Kind of Hush" sounded little different than when he performed it with Herman's Hermits in the '60s. He still tours extensively in the U.S., so you might want to catch one of his shows if he plays near your hometown. To check his concert dates, click here.

Finally, as you already know, Stephanie Edwards was eliminated. We expected so much more of her that we're not saddened too much. She wasn't going to get much further anyway. Chris Richardson, who is near the bottom of our list as far as this season's talent goes, surprised us by getting the second least amount of votes. We're obviously not a supporter of his, but we thought he had heavy fan adoration. In any event, his near-death last night should bring out his hoardes next week, protecting him from elimination for at least 2 more weeks. It seemed to work for Phil and Sanjaya this week. They were both safe, even though they were in the Bottom 3 last week. And so it goes.

Next week, Gwen Stefani will mentor the contestants and will perform "The Sweet Escape" with Akon on Wednesday's results show. It will be a pop-themed week, as contestants pick their favorite songs from that genre.

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