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- Idol Gives Back and Major League Baseball
- Didi Benami’s Road to the Top 10
- Top 9 Finalist Interviews
- The latest on Adam Lambert: ‘Idol’ rumors, remix EP, more …
- Kara DioGuardi looks forward to ‘an intimate night’ with singing debut
- Original ‘Pop Idol’ Will Young spells out post-show success, offers advice to Adam Lambert
- David Archuleta talks about his ‘Idol’ return, offers sympathy to Aaron ‘Little Archie’ Kelly
- And in the end … fewer ‘Idol’ viewers come together to watch Lennon-McCartney week
- Open mic night at the ‘Dream’ studio with Alex Lambert
| Idol Gives Back and Major League Baseball Posted: 09 Apr 2010 11:10 PM PDT As you know, the big Idol Gives Back show on April 21st is less than two weeks away! If youre watching Major League Baseball this weekend, youll hear some of your favorite broadcasters announce that Idol Gives Back is rapidly approaching and theyll encourage you to join your local team. Its not too late to join! Search for a team to join or create your own team or personal fundraising page, here. In addition to registering, you may participate in the first-ever Idol Gives Back Online Auction. If you hear the Idol Gives Back call-out during the baseball game, let us know in the comments section below. Until then, Play Ball!
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| Didi Benami’s Road to the Top 10 Posted: 09 Apr 2010 11:10 PM PDT Didi Benami put her stamp on Season 9 with her unique voice and came on to the Idol scene strong with a performance of Kara DioGuardis Terrified during Hollywood week. Shortly after she was eliminated from the competition, she opened up about her life before Idol, being emotional, and going on tour with her fellow Top 10 finalists. Didi grew up in Knoxville and then moved to Los Angeles when she was 19. She struggled to find her way in the big city while pursuing her music. There were points where I didnt even have a place to live, and I was living out of my car, Didi shared. I was waiting tables and its never predictable. I switched jobs many times. Its never really been a stable environment for me. However, Didi did what she needed to survive and carry on the memory of her late friend Rebecca through music. I taught myself how to play guitar and write out everything that was bothering me or anything that I had on my mind and couldnt say in reality to somebody because I wanted to be niceI worked really, really hard to get where I am, so I am just really grateful that I had the opportunity to be on American Idol in the first place because its a great platform for me to be able to get my music out there and to continue my song writing and my love and my passion and what I was put here to do. Throughout the competition, Didi shed many tears. Its been an amazing ride, and of course, its been emotional because this … read more
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| Posted: 09 Apr 2010 11:10 PM PDT We have exclusive interviews with each of the Top 9 finalists. They candidly revealed what theyre most looking forward to about the tour, and what it feels like to perform for about 25 million viewers. Click on the contestants names below to watch their interviews: Aaron Kelly You can grab the contestant widget and add it to your social networking sites to show your support for your favorite finalist. Grab and share.
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| The latest on Adam Lambert: ‘Idol’ rumors, remix EP, more … Posted: 09 Apr 2010 11:10 PM PDT
At least that's what the latest rumors say. According to The Wrap, Adam and the season 9 crew may convene at the Aria Hotel on the Las Vegas strip, which happens to house Cirque du Soleil's new "Viva Elvis" show. (It should be noted that CKX, 19 Entertainment's parent company, has controlling interest in Elvis Presley Enterprises and owns the rights to the King's name, image and likeness.) Given both Elvis' and Adam's penchant for glitter, rhinestones, jet-black slicked-back hair and sometimes controversial stage moves, it would be a perfect fit, though you have to wonder what someone like Katie would do with such a theme. And speaking of showy outfits, Adam fans should check out this cool "Style 360" segment he did for Fashionair, Simon Fuller's style-centric Web entity, which promises "to fully combine original and inspirational high-quality editorial films with interactive shopping solutions and opportunities for viewers to personalize and manage their style." No lie, it's good stuff. Elsewhere on the Adam Lambert front, the season 8 runner-up on Friday releases a six-track EP containing dance remixes of "Whataya Want From Me" and "For Your Entertainment," along with the official debut of "Voodoo." It's available on Adam's website and, after April 13, at all other digital retailers. Watch this space for theme updates, but if this week's "Idol" does turn out to be all about the King, which songs would you nominate for the season 9 contestants? Will Adam go easy on the top 9, as he said in a radio interview on Thursday? "I think I need to work on being not so honest," Adam told Vancouver's Virgin 95.3. "I'll be nice and constructive, but I'll probably be very straightforward." And how do you think Lady Lambert herself, Siobhan Magnus, would do on Elvis night? Any and all suggestions are welcome … – Shirley Halperin Follow @IdolTracker on Twitter Photo: Adam Lambert performs "Whole Lotta Love" on season 8's Rock Week. Credit: Ray Mickshaw / Fox
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| Kara DioGuardi looks forward to ‘an intimate night’ with singing debut Posted: 09 Apr 2010 11:10 PM PDT We're guessing she won't wear a bikini, but Kara DioGuardi is set to take the stage in Atlantic City on Friday and Saturday night for a show that's being billed as her public singing debut. (If you're in the neighborhood, tickets for the show, at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa, still appear to be available.) The "American Idol" judge, who has written songs for Pink ("Sober"), Kelly Clarkson ("Walk Away," "I Do Not Hook Up"), Gwen Stefani ("Rich Girl"), Celine Dion ("Taking Chances"), Carrie Underwood ("Mama's Song"), Adam Lambert ("Strut") and Katharine McPhee ("Had It All"), just to name a few, will stay true to her oft-expressed view that it's important to have lived a song you're singing. "I think it's about singing songs that have become hits for other artists and telling the personal stories behind them, where they came from in my life and where they came from in the artist's life, [while] of course respecting their boundaries," she told pressofAtlanticCity.com. "It's a very intimate night. There's not going to be a wall between me and the audience. You will feel like you're in my living room." And if you can't make it to Atlantic City to see DioGuardi overcome what she calls her "severe stage fright" and sing, you can at least watch her help build a school and hand out mosquito netting in Angola, where she traveled in February with "Idol" alum Elliott Yamin for "Idol Gives Back." (See video below.) – Amy Reiter
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| Original ‘Pop Idol’ Will Young spells out post-show success, offers advice to Adam Lambert Posted: 09 Apr 2010 11:10 PM PDT
More on that, Will's advice to Adam on his mentoring duties next week, and why his hit single "Leave Right Now" is (contrary to our own semi-obnoxious post) a perfectly appropriate "American Idol" exit song, in our Q&A. Firstly, have you seen an episode of "American Idol" where "Leave Right Now" is the soundtrack to an elimination? I did! I think it was the first time they played it, when there were maybe 20 people Now, to be perfectly honest, we did take some issue with the show choosing the song because it came out in 2003 and it's a love song, right? It's a heartbreak song more than a love song. It's about not taking yourself to that place, even though your heart wants to take you there. And it's really refreshing for me to talk about this song, which I haven't talked about for a while, because it's reminded me of what a great lyric it is. … I don't know anyone who hasn't been in that situation when you think, "I just need to take myself out of there." Love is stronger than pride, that's kind of the mantra of this song. In the context of "American Idol," it works very differently, but that's the beauty of songs: They're to be interpreted like a script. Like, no actor plays one part the same, so I think you're entitled to your opinion even if it's obnoxious. You've had such massive success since your "Pop Idol" win in 2002. What did you do right? After I finished "Idol" and won the show, I kind of bravely made the decision with Simon Fuller to take a year out and make my second album, which was really my first proper album, and "Leave Right Now" was the first single off that. It was kind of make-or-break time for me, because the honeymoon period of coming off of "Idol" was over — you know, months and months of free advertising – and fortunately, it kind of blew up for me. In the pop world, it's always "quick quick quick," "more more more." People want to make a fast buck. And I didn't want to make a fast buck, I wanted to be doing what I'm doing now which is still performing 8.5 years later." Do you have a favorite American Idol? Kelly Clarkson is brilliant. Her second album was It seems like Adam Lambert is trying to accomplish in the UK what you're embarking on here … The crossover is funny. I was going to meet up with him when he was here in the UK a As someone who mentored a later season of "Idol," do you have any words of advice for Adam? I'm Does having gone through the "Idol" process give him a unique perspective? I think the uniqueness will come in You've collaborated with all sorts of people, from Elton John to Burt Bacharach to Queen. What's been your most memorable duet? James Brown. We sang together a couple of times — three, actually — and we became friends. He was brilliant and gave me great advice. The first time I performed with him, we didn't really get a rehearsal, so I was politely nervous about it, and he was incredible. We performed in front of Buckingham Palace and he grabbed my hand — this man 50 years older than me! — and we jumped offstage and ran into the road … because there were loads of audience on both sides of the stage and he didn't want the audience on the other side to miss out. He was such a generous performer. And then the next time I saw him, he told me off. Like a headmaster calling you into his study, he said, "I'm cross with you because you're not dressed as smartly as last time." His great advice was: You've always gotta have an outfit and never stay at a party till the end. And then Queen, I got to perform with them in the grounds at Buckingham Palace. Buckingham Palace is like your garage where you jam with music superstars! This is the problem. I feel like I am actually royal family. Where's my knighthood? That's what I want. [Laughs.] Me and Queenie. Last thing, you won Rear of the Year. Why don't we have awards like that? I don't know, but it's one of my greatest achievements. What I should've done is a fitness video on the back of it and sold millions. Now I'm hitting my 30s and it's drooping. Is there anyone male or female that you would nominate as your successor? Kylie Minogue is the famous one in our country because of the gold hot pants. She probably slightly beats my Rear of the Year because I don't think I'd look as good in gold hot pants. – Shirley Halperin Follow @IdolTracker on Twitter. Photo credit: 19 Entertainment
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| David Archuleta talks about his ‘Idol’ return, offers sympathy to Aaron ‘Little Archie’ Kelly Posted: 09 Apr 2010 11:10 PM PDT
As mentioned earlier in our minute-by-minute results show recap, we ran into David Archuleta on our way out of the "Idol"-dome, where he was ever the dimpled charmer, taking pictures with fans and embracing each and every "Idol" crew member within hugging distance. David's thoughts on season 9's Lennon-McCartney showdown? "They did great," he said. "Everyone did really well [Tuesday] night. It was nice that they had that boost, and I think their effort really showed it, where you could see their emotion and passion… It also showed the magic of the Beatles' songwriting. Nobody will ever do it like they did." But even David was thrown by Michael Lynche's near-exit. "That freaked me out," he said. "I was like, 'No! He better not go!' He was really good, and I think everyone knew that he should stay." As for his personal standout, Archie's getting behind 17-year-old Katie Stevens, perhaps partly out of age empathy. "Katie is one of the people who I felt like really connected to the song she was singing," David opined. "It was just really nice to say, 'Man, she really improved.' It was exciting to see that improvement." David also offered his sympathy to Aaron Kelly, who's now earned the nickname "Little Archuleta." Said David: "I feel bad for him, because I'm a pretty weird person to be compared to. And he wants to be Aaron Kelly, he doesn't want to be David Archuleta!" But taking note that Aaron sang "Long and Winding Road," a song David had also chosen during season 7's Beatles theme, he added, "It is kind of funny that he sang it, but I hope that people will distinguish him, and identify him as Aaron Kelly, because he's really talented." So what's the latest on Archie? He's still knee-deep in writing for his second album and is headed to New York next week for another round of sessions with S*A*M & Sluggo. But he's also close to choosing a single, David added, which may be one of the songs co-written by Eman Kiriakou. No update on when the album may be released. "It's just a matter of what songs do we want and what are we missing?" David explained. "We just want to make sure we have everything right."
David says it's been at least a year since he sang the song, and he's only performed it "maybe three times in the last two years," but he did get to practice a bit, even with only a few days' notice. Still, the biggest relief involving his return to the "Idol" stage? Not being judged, for a change. "It was, like, 'Ahhhh,' " he said with a demonstrative sigh. "You still feel like they are going to judge you, and like they are judging you in their minds. But it was nice getting to talk to all of the judges afterwards. They're just really cool people." – Shirley Halperin Follow @IdolTracker on Twitter Photos: (top) Credit: Jason Imber; (bottom) David Archuleta has a laugh with host Ryan Seacrest after his performance of "Imagine." Credit: Michael Becker / PhotoGroup
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| And in the end … fewer ‘Idol’ viewers come together to watch Lennon-McCartney week Posted: 09 Apr 2010 11:10 PM PDT Katie Stevens won plaudits on "Idol" this week for her version of "Let It Be." And evidently that's what quite a few fans decided to do with this week's Lennon-McCartney show. The ratings were lackluster, given that many critics considered Tuesday's performance show, with such surprises as the bagpiper on Lee DeWyze's "Hey Jude" and the didgeridoo on Crystal Bowersox's "Come Together," among the season's best. The Tuesday show logged 20.8 million total viewers, according to the Nielsen Co. That's down 6% compared with last week's R&B-themed episode and way below the season average of 25.7 million. Among viewers ages 18 to 49, the two-hour show notched a 7.3 rating/20 share — again, nothing to weep over, but sobering when one considers that the Tuesday "Idol" has been averaging a 9.6 rating this season and in 2006 hit an all-time high of 13.3. The Wednesday results show, which saw Michael Lynche nearly voted off in an upset, only to be saved by the judges at the last minute, scored 20.2 million, also modest by "Idol" standards. This was also the second week in a row that the Monday "Dancing With the Stars" telecast (21.2 million) outperformed "Idol" among total viewers. Sure, "Idol" still mopped up the competition on the nights it was on, but the trends are unmistakable at this point. So what's up? Well, it's true that all of "Idol's" broadcast rivals were airing original episodes Tuesday night, including the "DWTS" results show (12.4 million) and "NCIS" (16.4 million). But it's also possible that — in addition to the inevitable fatigue occasioned by any show in its ninth season — viewers aren't quite as excited by another go-round with Lennon-McCartney as producers might have thought. "Idol" had already done the Beatles to great fanfare during season 7, and the contestants this year repeated many of the same songs: "Come Together," "Eleanor Rigby," "The Long and Winding Road." It didn't help that the most obvious choice to mentor the contestants — Sir Paul McCartney — appeared only in a brief taped statement encouraging the singers. And yes, there's also the inescapable fact that all of the songs performed predate the oldest of the "Idol" contestants. Maybe it's just hard to stay "relevant" — to use Simon Cowell's favorite term — with songs that are nearly half a century old. – Scott Collins
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| Open mic night at the ‘Dream’ studio with Alex Lambert Posted: 09 Apr 2010 11:10 PM PDT You could say it was open mic night at the "If I Can Dream" studio Thursday as "American Idol" castoff Alex Lambert and his "Dream" housemate Justin Gaston performed a mini-set of acoustic covers for an online audience. The two joined vocal forces for "Let It Be," and Alex also took on "Heartbreak Hotel," "Lean On Me" and Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds." Check out Alex's version of the reggae classic below… Follow @IdolTracker on Twitter
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Here's something to read right now: Original "Pop Idol" winner Will Young is looking to make a transatlantic career move and bring his top-selling tunes to the United States, much like Season 8's Adam Lambert is planning when he heads to Britain this month. "The crossover is funny," says Will, speaking to Idol Tracker on Thursday from his Notting Hill flat. And serendipitous: The two were supposed to hang out just two weeks ago, but the London meeting never materialized.
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