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- Idol Rewind – The Final Countdown Begins
- Taylor Hanson offers encouragement to Siobhan Magnus — and a guest spot at NYC show!
- Elliott Yamin on ‘Idol’ and diabetes
- Adam Lambert among ‘World’s Most Beautiful’ people — officially!
- Constantine Maroulis returns to ‘Rock’ in L.A.
- Spring fever fails to catch on as ‘Idol’ slides to worst numbers since ‘03
- Yo, Yo, Check It Out: Jimmy Kimmel pokes fun at Randy Jackson
- Ann Powers: Siobhan should have let us ‘know her crazy’
- Guest blogger Michael Sarver throws his weight behind Big Mike, posits a potential post-Shania shocker
- Kellie Pickler to Tour with Rascal Flatts
- Who Will Perform on Wednesday’s Show?
| Idol Rewind – The Final Countdown Begins Posted: 30 Apr 2010 03:22 PM PDT As the nation prepares to crown the newest American Idol, tune in to AMERICAN IDOL REWIND to relive what has been called one of the most thrilling races of the competition, when Chris Daughtry, Elliott Yamin, Katharine McPhee, and Taylor Hicks were all in the running to take home the big prize on the fifth season of Idol. Every Saturday this May, AMERICAN IDOL REWIND will premiere an all-new episode featuring exclusive interviews with the Season 5 top four, as well as never-before-seen footage from one of the most extraordinary years in Idol history. Relive the rise of a rock star, the beginning of the Soul Patrol and the birth of McPheever! On Saturday, May 1st, 2010: an unimaginable elimination defined season five like no other with Chris Daughtry’s shocking exit from the competition, and three were left standing Elliott Yamin, Katharine McPhee, and Taylor Hicks. On Saturday, May 8th, 2010: AMERICAN IDOL REWIND unveils a one-hour Chris Daughtry special focusing on his electrifying rise from one of thousands of Idol auditioners in Denver to international rock superstar. On Saturday, May 15th, 2010: There are three contestants left in the competition, and only two spots in the season five finale it came down to just a few votes, but unfortunately Elliott Yamin is sent … read more
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| Taylor Hanson offers encouragement to Siobhan Magnus — and a guest spot at NYC show! Posted: 30 Apr 2010 03:22 PM PDT It's barely been 12 hours since her elimination, but Siobhan Magnus is already getting offers from her own idols! Taylor Hanson, one-third of the band Hanson (above), whom Siobhan cites as one of her all-time favorites — she has a lyric from Hanson's "The Great Divide" tattooed on her left wrist — says he and his brothers Zac and Isaac would gladly welcome Siobhan to their stage. Like, tomorrow. "We have two more nights of shows in New York," he tells Siobhan via Idol Tracker. "It may be Like many of us Siobhan supporters, Taylor says he was "really bummed for her" when he heard about the elimination Wednesday night, but wanted to offer his words of encouragement to the girl who said that she saw Hanson at the Cape Cod Melody Tent at age 14 and that it was "one of the best experiences" of her life. "First of all, she has already reached so many people — me, for instance – Taylor says that even Hanson, which sold more than 10 million albums in its 15-year career, was "turned down by every record label in the business before we And proving that passion and persistence can pay off, the band is enjoying a renaissance of sorts as their latest video, "Thinking 'Bout Somethin'," an homage to "The Blues Brothers" featuring a cameo by Weird Al Yankovic, has racked up nearly a million views. Check it out below and we'll keep you updated on any potential collaborations (hint, hint, "Idol" finale booker). – Shirley Halperin Follow @IdolTracker on Twitter. Top photo: From left, Zac, Taylor and Isaac Hanson. Credit: Jiro Schneider Bottom photo: Siobhan Magnus sings on the "Idol" stage for the last time. Credit: Michael Becker / PictureGroup/Fox
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| Elliott Yamin on ‘Idol’ and diabetes Posted: 30 Apr 2010 03:22 PM PDT
As Crystal Bowersox enters the top 5 — and in all likelihood, Season 9's finale — she faces a challenge not shared by her fellow finalists: life as a diabetic, which requires regular injection of insulin and constant monitoring of one's blood sugar levels. In fact, it was just after the start of the top 24 that Crystal was hospitalized for reasons related to what she calls her "'beetus," forcing the show to switch its guy-girl lineup at the last minute. Of course, it's not the first time "American Idol" has had to accommodate a contestant with the condition. Elliott Yamin set the precedent in Season 5, so it's no wonder the two hit it off at the "Idol Gives Back" party last week (see photo above), after which Crystal wrote, "Oh so many ideas about starting an organization to give diabetes diagnostic tools to people and places that don't have them! People die before they ever know why! Thanks for a good chat, Elliott!" A few weeks back, we asked Elliott about his experience as a diabetic on "Idol" and how the stress of the competition can possibly exacerbate an already weakened state. "It's really easy to skip a meal and have your blood sugar get low," said Elliott, who finished in third place. "That happened to me a couple times, and could be what sent [Crystal] to the hospital. You get caught up in the moment, you're young and kind of flying by the seat of your pants, but you have to watch it and be very disciplined. Whether you wear a pump or not, it's a routine that's very easy to lose when you're going through the "Idol" experience, which is like no other! But in the beginning, I let everybody know what could happen, and the show was really accommodating as far as that was concerned." Although low blood sugar is something everybody experiences at one point or another (Elliott describes it as "that feeling when you get real hungry and start getting kind of shaky"), for a diabetic, "it can lead to seizures or you can pass out," he explained. On the flip side, having blood sugar that's extremely high can trigger a frightening chain of events. Said Elliott: "When your blood sugar level is in the 200 or above range, it can be dangerous. What that means is you're not getting enough insulin, which breaks down the food that you eat into energy. So your joints start to hurt, you feel dehydrated — like you've been walking through a desert without the heat — and you can become very tired and lethargic, possibly fall asleep and slip into a coma. Or you can give yourself too much insulin, like an overdose, and end up convulsing, passing out or having a seizure. I've done that about eight times; I've learned the hard way." Scary stuff, indeed. But when asked after several performance shows, Crystal insisted she's feeling fine. And judging by the tattoo she got last week, she seems to be taking her condition seriously. "I'm diabetic for life, insulin dependent," she said pointing to her newly inked wrist. "Now being in the position that I'm in, I have a responsibility to take good care of myself. There's lots of little kids out there with juvenile diabetes who need a good role model. … Someone in the limelight to make it possible." – Shirley Halperin Follow @IdolTracker on Twitter Photo: Crystal Bowersox and Elliott Yamin attend the "Idol Gives Back 2010" after-party at the Mondrian Hotel's Sky Bar. Credit: Frank Micelotta / PictureGroup / Fox
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| Adam Lambert among ‘World’s Most Beautiful’ people — officially! Posted: 30 Apr 2010 03:22 PM PDT
In a video posted on its website, People gives Adam's fans a taste of what his photo shoot for the issue was like. He strikes a series of poses in jet-black feathers and leather, in a thorny sort of crown and leopard-skin-print shirt, and wearing white angel wings, golden epaulettes … with two live parrots perched on his shoulder and hands. Adam can be heard in voice-over describing his look in 10 words or less: "Glam, theatrical, expressive … how many words is that?" And describing his favorite feature: "If I had to pick a favorite feature on myself, it would probably be my eyes. That's why I like to put so much eye makeup on them, because I just like to make them pop out. Or my hair." Check out the video. – Amy Reiter Photo: Adam Lambert Credit: Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times
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| Constantine Maroulis returns to ‘Rock’ in L.A. Posted: 30 Apr 2010 03:22 PM PDT Constantine received a Tony nomination for his role as Drew, the Sunset Strip busboy hoping to make it big in the big-haired '80s. The show, which features the music of Whitesnake, Journey and Bon Jovi, was also up for best musical. The national tour kicks off in Chicago on Sept. 21 and will also hit the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa from March 1 to 6 (check out the show's official site for a full list of dates). Idol Tracker readers may recall that Constantine was lobbying for the lead role in the feature film as well, which Adam Shankman is directing. Since "Rock of Ages" originally started at Hollywood's King King club, where it was a singing-acting workshop, are you excited about its L.A. return? Or just to see Constantine back on the stage? We want to know… – Shirley Halperin Follow @IdolTracker on Twitter Photo: Backstage at the Key Club on the Sunset Strip, Constantine Maroulis poses with L.A. legend Rodney Bingenheimer shortly after his "Idol" elimination in 2005. Credit: Shirley Halperin
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| Spring fever fails to catch on as ‘Idol’ slides to worst numbers since ‘03 Posted: 30 Apr 2010 03:22 PM PDT Fans of geek diva Siobhan Magnus are probably too shattered by her surprise departure on Wednesday's show to think much about this week's "Idol" ratings. But a few points are worth noting as the show winds down to the Top 5 finalists and the home stretch for Season 9. Tuesday's edition, devoted to the music of Shania Twain, drew a total of 19.4 million total viewers, the smallest audience for a performance show since March 2003, according to the Nielsen Co. Some of that relatively lackluster performance could be due to the fact that Twain is a country performer — or at least that's how she was marketed — who hasn't released an album of new material in almost eight years. So, is she as "relevant," to use a favorite Simon Cowell term, as, say, Usher, another Season 9 mentor who just happened to drop a new R&B disc? No, probably not. But as the finale approaches, the typical late-season "Idol" bounce has yet to kick in. And unless something dramatic happens, it may not. The Tuesday shows have overall averaged 25.3 million viewers, a bar that now seems impossibly high for most of the remaining shows to hit. And that season average is down 5% compared with last year. The message seems to be that viewers have already decided how they feel about the contestants and the show this season. And they're not exactly blown away. The ray of sunshine for Fox is that Wednesday's results show — where poor Siobhan was shown the door — was up 3% compared with last week's show, to 19.4 million. And thanks to a program crammed with musical performances by Shakira, Rascal Flatts and others, the show was up 10% among viewers ages 18 to 49, to a 6.5 rating/17 share. But that's a good number, not an unbelievable one. And "Idol" used to achieve the unbelievable. It's true that "Idol" is, as Fox reality guru Mike Darnell says, still the biggest show on TV. But it looks like the show's once-invincible power, along with Siobhan's "Idol" dream, has slipped away. – Scott Collins
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| Yo, Yo, Check It Out: Jimmy Kimmel pokes fun at Randy Jackson Posted: 30 Apr 2010 03:22 PM PDT Jimmy Kimmel did a pretty funny bit about "American Idol" on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Wednesday night. "Despite the fact that the talent this season is weak and we all have a pretty good idea of who the winner's going to be, 'American Idol' is still a very popular show," Kimmel said, during his monologue. "After 'Dancing With the Stars,' it's the most popular show on television. And when it's done for the season, that creates a huge hole in the Fox lineup. "Sometimes they run it three times a week, and it's really difficult for any network to replace," he continued. "But Simon Cowell has a new show coming to Fox called 'The X Factor,' and it looks like they're spinning something off with Randy Jackson, too." What followed was a rousing compilation of Randy's judging commentary lead-ins. (See the video below.) "Randy Jackson's Yo, Yo, Check It Out, Baby!" — not sure I'd watch it, but I could get into a dance remix. – Amy Reiter
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| Ann Powers: Siobhan should have let us ‘know her crazy’ Posted: 30 Apr 2010 03:22 PM PDT
Accepting another's serious quirks, Christina says, is called "knowing their crazy." The mask-dropping moment allows for real emotion and trust. Something similar is true for our favorite musicians. The first single or live performance might stimulate a big crush, but loyalty forms only over time, as fans are able to trace the prominent themes and repetitions in an artist's work. The stars who stick are the ones who know their own crazy – Pan-like sexiness for Mick Jagger, the stoner stupor of family man Snoop Dogg; Mariah Carey's butterfly-obsessed girliness — and can communicate it in ways that evolve, entertaining and moving us. On a show like "Idol," where the process of stardom is accelerated by the heat of explicit competition, the contestants who make the biggest impression locate their crazy somewhere mid-season and play it up to avoid the "karaoke" label Simon Cowell loves to throw around. Adam Lambert was the king of knowing and sharing his crazy: His androgynous swagger, so antithetical to what we thought "Idol" could offer, ran through everything he did, including his costumes, his song choices and the shriek he deployed like a targeted missile. But others have done it too. Clay Aiken played up his super-nerdiness; Fantasia made being something of a loose cannon inspirational. Chris Daughtry stubbornly clung to his sullen rocker ways. Taylor Hicks, who will probably go down in history as the show's unlikeliest champion, won hearts with a good ol' boy enthusiasm that verged on self-parody. If only Siobhan Magnus could have followed these examples. The sartorially explosive 20-year-old apprentice glassblower won many hearts early on this season for unhesitatingly presenting herself as a gaudy bohemian with a penchant for mismatched separates and a philosophical way of responding to the judges. What really didn't match for Siobhan, however, was the music, starting about halfway into the season's real competition. At first, Siobhan seemed poised to introduce "Idol" to a new kind of feminine power — one in line with style that began with New Wave stars like Deborah Harry, Kate Bush and Cyndi Lauper, which now manifests in the work of indie artists like Florence and the Machine and St. Vincent, and, in other ways, in the performances of Lady Gaga and even Rihanna. This pop version of what history dubbed "The New Woman" thrives on spectacle and artistic dares. She's not the kind of performer who sings only from the heart; she has a big brain, and she knows how to use it. Maybe she can hit those big notes, and do the diva thing, but she doesn't stay in that safe zone. Surprise is her light saber. Early Siobhan star turns indicated that she was aware of this lineage and planned to make her play for a place within it. Her sultry, slightly ominous read of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" and her teeth-baring rendition of the traditional "House of the Rising Sun" turned heads and focused her. But then she gave the performance that many thought was one of her best; indeed, she reprised it as her exit song this week. But it steered her all wrong. Nailing an Aretha Franklin song is like doing a perfect compulsory routine in gymnastics. "Think" is a primary text for female singers, and Siobhan executed it with aplomb and one of those ear-challenging high notes that became her signature. But winning on "Think" seemed to turn Siobhan toward the kind of athletic, predictably melodramatic approach that simply screams "old-fashioned." Her quirkiness may still have been on display, but after that, it was rarely audible. She did occasionally seem to regain control of her trajectory. Her contemplative reading of "Across the Universe" and the Dusty Springfield-style sultriness she brought to "Suspicious Minds" showed that Siobhan could still be thoughtful, as well as emotional and plain loud. But she may have cemented her fate giving a standard-issue reading of the Mariah Carey-Whitney Houston duet "When You Believe" during "inspirational" week. Where was Siobhan in there? Her personality receded with every giant note. Trying to recover some verve with Shania Twain's "Any Man of Mine," Siobhan came off as completely scatterbrained. It was a particularly sad week for her to blow it, because Twain herself was the one who introduced New Woman attitude to country music in the 1990s. Beyond the disappointment that came from watching Siobhan lose her musical way, witnessing her "Idol" journey hurt from another perspective. As my former colleague and current Daily Beast Idol chronicler Richard Rushfield has often noted, tween girls are the most passionate remaining "American Idol" viewers. These kids vote their crushes; but girls fall in love with one another too at that age, both in real life and fandom. (Obvious example: Taylor Swift.) Siobhan emerged as a winning role model for these highly attentive audience members. To watch her crumble was to witness an opportunity lost. I don't blame Siobhan. She seems quite willing to engage in self-examination and to be on a brave path of self-discovery. It was "Idol" that did her wrong. She was hindered by bad advice from the judges, theme weeks that left her with limiting song selections, and what has to have been slack guidance from the vocal coaches and other advisors "Idol" provides. Siobhan never seemed weird to me. So many young women find themselves, as she does, in the art worlds where freethinkers and happy theatrical types thrive. Some pundits, staying on the surface, compared Siobhan to a woodland nymph; I think she was more like one of those fairy-tale heroines who fights back wolves and arrives home a warrior. In fairy tales, a heroine's eccentricity often becomes her strength. Unfortunately for all of us, Siobhan lost faith in hers, and never got out of the woods. – Ann Powers Photo: Siobhan's final performance. Credit: Michael Becker/Fox.
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| Posted: 29 Apr 2010 08:21 AM PDT Tuesday was a very good show. It was a country theme and I'm a big Shania Twain fan, so of course I would enjoy it, but I also think her music is a good fit for "Idol" because it crosses so many barriers. She's a country singer, all right; but if anybody To be honest, I thought the Top 6 were pretty incredible. There were a couple of rough Lee DeWyze: Because Lee leans on the rock side, you always wonder how someone like that is going to blend pop and country, and I thought he did a good job. I was actually impressed with how he handled the song, and the coolest part about it was his smile, which I thought did break through. Country music is about telling a story, and as a performer, you need to show that you understand what you're singing about. In that sense, he embraced the song well. Michael Lynche: Big Mike just about made me cry, and I have to be honest, I think he won the night. Mike killed it at 150% and left Shania in tears. There's not a whole lot you can add to that performance. It seems like he found a song that meant something to him and he embraced it, and not only did he embrace it, but he made the song real. In some ways, there's a lot to be said for keeping a song's integrity intact. But Mike showed that it's OK to change and give it some of his own personality. As for Simon calling it wet, I think he said that because it's how it made his heart feel. Crystal Bowersox: She always knows how to change it up, and I love how Crystal comes out with something unique every week. Like on Tuesday, she had a band around her, which is the way country music is, a very close-knit type of music, and she embraced that with her set. But again, I have to admit, I think she was another one that did struggle a bit Tuesday night. Like the judges said, it wasn't her best performance, by a mile. Unfortunately based on Tuesday, she definitely didn't win the night. Aaron Kelly: Wow. Aaron shocked the crap out of me. Whether he's 16, 17, or 18 years old, it didn't matter – that boy can sing! He was my No. 2 pick of the night because he nailed every note, sang like a bird, and did a really good job of staying sensitive within the song. I also thought changing the lyrics was very classy. A lot of young folks sing songs that they ain't got no business singing because they don't know what they're singing about. He made the lyrics fit his real life, he made them right for who Aaron is, and like he said, he's singing for his momma. He was honest about that and it was very smart. As a mama's boy myself, I gotta love that. But all shenanigans aside, he sang great. Siobhan Magnus: I have been supporting Siobhan through the whole season because I really believe in that voice. I think she's amazing, but unfortunately — and I have to be honest, because I'm a shoot-straighter kind of guy — I don't think it was her best. Still, when you can hit notes like that, it's pretty undeniable, and even if you have a rough night, it's not fair for me or anyone to expect perfection out of her. Siobhan is not a country singer, but she still found a way to embrace the energy of that song. She had a great time with it; I loved the way she worked the crowd, Overall, I thought she did a really good job. So who's safe and who's in danger of going home? I really believe that Big Mike is safe. I don't think there's a chance in the world that he goes home, and if he does, it would be a big shock in "Idol" history, sort of like when Chris Daughtry went home. I think Aaron is safe, along with Lee, because he did a really good job of bringing something different to the stage. My bottom 3 would be Siobhan, Casey and Crystal. And as far as who goes home, that's really tough, but if I'm being realistic, there are more girl voters out there than guy voters. If that counts for anything on voting night, then I think a girl would go home, which would be between Siobhan and Crystal. Or I could be completely off my rocker. But I will say this: people get lazy and sometimes just assume that everybody's voting for Crystal, who is the front-runner. That can be a big mistake. The truth is, any one of them deserves to be in the finale. If you get to this point in "American Idol," you at least deserve a shot to be in the finale. So you can't base your vote on one night, and in that case, I think Siobhan might be in more danger. We've seen front-runners have a bad week, but this is the point where you have to show up every time. You don't wanna have a night off — you can't afford to. – Michael Sarver Follow @michaelsarver1 and @IdolTracker on Twitter
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| Kellie Pickler to Tour with Rascal Flatts Posted: 28 Apr 2010 01:21 AM PDT Season 5s country gal, Kellie Pickler, will be joining Rascal Flatts on tour this summer. The first leg of the new tour, JC Penney Presents Rascal Flatts Nothing Like This Tour, will being on June 25 in Raleigh, North Carolina and will continue with 26 shows through September 19th in Boston, Massachusetts. Kellie Picklers current self-titled sophomore album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country Album Chart, just like her first album, Small Town Girl.Hernewestsingle, “Makin’ Me Fall In Love Again,” is the follow-up to her Top 15 hit “Didn’t You Know How Much I Loved You.” Of her sophomore albums 10 songs, Kellie wrote five of them, including her first Top 10 single, Best Days Of Your Life, which has amassed over one million digital transactions to date.Kellie has shared the stage on tour with Taylor Swift, Brad Paisley, Sugarland, Rascal Flatts and Alan Jackson. Kellie will be hitting up the following venues on the first leg of the tour: 6-25 Raleigh NC Time Warner Cable Pavilion
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| Who Will Perform on Wednesday’s Show? Posted: 28 Apr 2010 01:21 AM PDT On Tuesday, the Top 6 finalists will take on songs by this weeks mentor, Shania Twain! On Wednesday, one person will go home, but the evening will be filled with exciting performances from some of todays biggest stars. Lady Antebellum, who brought home a few Academy of Country Music Awards last week, will perform their smash hit single, Need You Now. The single is the title track off their second studio album. Also, the Rascal Flatts will stop by the show to perform Unstoppable. They are the decades top-selling and most awarded group in country music, and this will be their third appearance on American Idol. The one and only Shakira will perform Gypsy, a single off her album She Wolf, but she wont be performing it alone. The Rascal Flatts will join her for this performance! Sons of Sylvia, who will release their debut album Revelation tomorrow, will perform their first single, Love Left To Lose. The track was co-written by Ashley and the bands cousin, hit maker Ryan Tedder. The band is made up of brothers Ashley, Austin, and Adam Clark, who won Foxs American Idol-inspired show, Next Great American Band. Sons of Sylvia sang with Carrie Underwood on her song What Can I Say from her album Play On. Currently on the road with Carrie for her Play On Tour, Sons of … read more
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