The Unofficial Danny Gokey FanSite |  |
- Happy Birthday, Matt Giraud!
- Happy Birthday, Matt Giraud!
- We Are The Fallen’s Debut Album is Available Now
- We Are The Fallen’s Debut Album is Available Now
- Ann Powers: Who needs movies when you have real life?
- ‘Idol’s’ Final 4 on duets, mentors, Casey’s cougar brigade, and more!
- ‘Idol’s’ Final 4 on duets, mentors, Casey’s cougar brigade, and more!
- VIDEO: Idol Confessions with Brooke White
- VIDEO: Idol Confessions with Brooke White
- Lee DeWyze’s hometown fans rally
- Lee DeWyze’s hometown fans rally
- Ann Powers: Who needs movies when you have real life?
| Posted: 12 May 2010 06:28 AM PDT Season 8s jazz crooner, Matt Giraud, celebrates his 25th birthday today. Matt will always be remembered as the first person to be saved by the judges on American Idol. The four judges thought his performance of Bryan Adams Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman? was worthy of using the save on him, and he returned the next week to sing the applicable disco hit, Stayin Alive. Matt made it all the way to fifth place, when he was eliminated during Rat Pack Week, despite receiving solid reviews from Simon Cowell. After touring the nation with his fellow Season 8 finalists on the American Idols LIVE! Summer 2009 tour, Matt returned to Kalamazoo where he worked on his music and performed his first solo show. Hes also gotten involved with the Oreo Cakesters jingle challenge, along with Season 8 finalist Anoop Desai. Matt returned to the American Idol stage during Season 9s Top 16 results show to perform Tell Her About It with fellow Season 8 pal Scott MacIntyre. After their performance, Matt shared that his duet with Anna Wilson called You Dont Know Me was recently #1 on the iTunes Jazz charts. After announcing that on the live Idol show, the single instantly jumped back to #1 on the chart! View photos of Matt performing on the results show. Happy Birthday, Matt! Matt recently opened up to AmericanIdol.com … read more
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| Posted: 12 May 2010 06:28 AM PDT Season 8s jazz crooner, Matt Giraud, celebrates his 25th birthday today. Matt will always be remembered as the first person to be saved by the judges on American Idol. The four judges thought his performance of Bryan Adams Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman? was worthy of using the save on him, and he returned the next week to sing the applicable disco hit, Stayin Alive. Matt made it all the way to fifth place, when he was eliminated during Rat Pack Week, despite receiving solid reviews from Simon Cowell. After touring the nation with his fellow Season 8 finalists on the American Idols LIVE! Summer 2009 tour, Matt returned to Kalamazoo where he worked on his music and performed his first solo show. Hes also gotten involved with the Oreo Cakesters jingle challenge, along with Season 8 finalist Anoop Desai. Matt returned to the American Idol stage during Season 9s Top 16 results show to perform Tell Her About It with fellow Season 8 pal Scott MacIntyre. After their performance, Matt shared that his duet with Anna Wilson called You Dont Know Me was recently #1 on the iTunes Jazz charts. After announcing that on the live Idol show, the single instantly jumped back to #1 on the chart! View photos of Matt performing on the results show. Happy Birthday, Matt! Matt recently opened up to AmericanIdol.com … read more
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| We Are The Fallen’s Debut Album is Available Now Posted: 12 May 2010 06:28 AM PDT We Are The Fallen, featuring lead vocalist Carly Smithson from American Idols seventh season, released their debut album today. Named Tear The World Down, the album was released via Universal Republic Records and includes their single Bury Me Alive. Carly is joined by Evanescence members Ben Moody (guitar), John LeCompt (guitar), and Rocky Gray (drums), and Distubed and Static-X bassist Mary O’Brien. The tracks on the album include:
The band is currently touring around the U.S. Check out the AI-Insiders Weekly Scoop to see if theyll be in your area this week. We caught up with We Are The Fallen after they formed their band to talk about the group and listen to them perform. Watch it now!
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| We Are The Fallen’s Debut Album is Available Now Posted: 12 May 2010 06:28 AM PDT We Are The Fallen, featuring lead vocalist Carly Smithson from American Idols seventh season, released their debut album today. Named Tear The World Down, the album was released via Universal Republic Records and includes their single Bury Me Alive. Carly is joined by Evanescence members Ben Moody (guitar), John LeCompt (guitar), and Rocky Gray (drums), and Distubed and Static-X bassist Mary O’Brien. The tracks on the album include:
The band is currently touring around the U.S. Check out the AI-Insiders Weekly Scoop to see if theyll be in your area this week. We caught up with We Are The Fallen after they formed their band to talk about the group and listen to them perform. Watch it now!
 |
| Ann Powers: Who needs movies when you have real life? Posted: 12 May 2010 06:28 AM PDT
Katharine McPhee showed she understood this when she claimed "Over the Rainbow" in Season 5. So did Kris Allen, giving an appropriately delicate reading to the Swell Season's "Falling Slowly" last season, which suggested he'd seen the calm Irish romance from which it was taken, "Once," and grasped how it gently advances the plot. 2010's Final Four, however, seemed to be aiming beyond — or let's say below – the confines of this crucial week's theme. Their song choices were haphazard, idiosyncratic, even selfish. Two pop songs from films that many love to hate (I know, "Caddyshack" is a cult classic), one favorite that nonetheless seemed like a desperate ploy, and one song so effectively parodied by Jack Black in 2007 that it should be eternally retired from the show: It was definitely a night to yell at the screen and Tweet, on repeat, "WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?" That's this frustrated viewer's take; a cry of pain from an "Idol" die-hard who wants each week to have drama, or at least an identifiable shape. Yet there is another way to assess what's going on with Crystal, Mike, Casey and Lee. Let's take a hint from judge Ellen, who really deserves credit for noticing things her fellow table-sitters either overlook or willfully ignore. After Mike Lynche, the guy who went for the song from "Free Willy," said his dream was to make it to next week so he'd earn a hometown parade, Ellen opened her baby blues real wide and said that his actual goal should be to win. But maybe these finalists don't really care about the finish line. Maybe winning is just something nice that might happen at the end of a pretty rough season. At this point, everyone seems ready to walk off the racetrack and onto his or her own path. Take Crystal Bowersox, who's been a front-runner since wowing the judges with Aretha Franklin's "Natural Woman" during Hollywood Week. She's something sort of new for "Idol," filtering the raw power of the gospel-trained little Patti LaBelles that previous seasons rewarded through a hippie-chick sensibility that speaks of bars and outdoor festivals, not church. She's had that going for her from the beginning, and she's never really succeeded in going somewhere new. So it's no surprise that, this week, she vamped her way through the Kenny Loggins jam "I'm Alright" as if the Black Crowes' Chris Robinson, not Foxx, had been her mentor. Then there's her chief rival, Lee DeWyze. Last week the little paint salesman who could did swing outside of his box, inspired by his instant big brother Harry Connick Jr. to tread more lightly on a tune, and hit its notes more accurately, than he's ever managed before. This week, however, the grunge holler was back as DeWyze gave Seal's "Kiss From a Rose" (the song Black now owns) a major mauling, missing numerous notes but still making his fans purr and yowl with that big, fuzzy tone of his. This guy knows where to look for his next paycheck: in the Nickelback ballpark. Lee and Crystal are both sweet personalities who have obviously already decided where they want "Idol" to take them. Together, they also managed to excise all the subtlety from "Falling Slowly," turning what should be a whispering courtship into a loud campfire singalong. Oh well. Who cares? America digs these two, and though neither seems very engaged in seeking the legendary Idol Moment, either will make a likable champion.
I suspect Casey's just waiting for the show to be over so he can move to Nashville and give Keith Urban a run for his money. Mike, on the other hand, seems confused: Should he try to stave off the MamaWyze juggernaut, or simply accept his role as the greatest wedding singer since Adam Sandler? He's a fighter, we know that. But his performances have sadly grown less subtle as his confidence has slipped. His attempt to elevate the crowd with Michael Jackson's whale-worthy "Will You Be There" was one long fist pump. Every one of this year's top quartet has a chance at a viable pop career, staying in the same groove he or she has been in since we first met them. If none bears the scent of a superstar, that's OK. With the recording industry imploding, this isn't such a hot time to wish for world domination. Realizing modest dreams is what pop is mostly about right now. But it's not what "American Idol" has offered. Illusion or no — and the numbers vary, from Carrie Underwood to Taylor Hicks — "Idol" paints itself in the ice-cream colors of a fairy tale, and a particular kind at that. "American Idol" has always followed the arc of a bildungsroman, a journey of personal development that rewards its hero with the keys to a kingdom that's both worldly — the record contract, the tour — and internal — the joy of artistic self-discovery. We know by now that this year's "Idol" batch came to us, for the most part, self-aware. That shouldn't be a disappointment, but somehow it is. It's the kind of story that would never work on the movie screen. – Ann Powers Photos: Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox after their performance on "American Idol," and Casey James during his mandolin-strumming set. Credit: Fox
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| ‘Idol’s’ Final 4 on duets, mentors, Casey’s cougar brigade, and more! Posted: 12 May 2010 06:28 AM PDT There may be fewer contestants to contend with at this juncture in the competition, but back in the Top 4's chill room, which houses not much more than a couple comfy couches, a Coke machine and makeup chairs, it's as if a tornado came through. Piles upon piles of individual 8×10 photos litter the floor waiting for autographs, along with hastily opened boxes and clothes strewn about. You'd think there were 12 hopefuls in this horse race, but alas, there are only four left. Truth be told, it was a stormy night onstage as well. Emotional, soaring duets aside — and both were stellar (thank the producers, in part, for the pairings) — none of the Final 4 quite hit that "Idol" sweet spot. Add a song list that was lacking, to say the least, and it wasn't exactly the best showcase of Season 9's commercial appeal. Plus, the judges weren't going easy on them, either. Nevertheless, Crystal Bowersox, Michael Lynche, Casey James and Lee DeWyze were upbeat at the end of the night, as they were met by the ever-expanding bubble of press. Read on for a post-show Q&A with the Final 4… Crystal, you said that Lee was your musical crush; care to elaborate? Crystal: [Laughs] My bass player from home is also another musical As far as your real-life crush, Tony, he was dancing in the audience night, how did that make you feel? Crystal: He can't dance very well, but that's OK. He's my world. He's number 2 in my world, actually; He's cool with that. He had amazing
Lee: We pick our songs, and when we do that, it's very difficult Why didn't you pick "Ghostbusters," it was on the list? Lee: [Laughs] I thought about it. But it would've been too serious for such a fun night, that's all. Michael, were you surprised at Simon being so hung up on what "Free Willy" was? Mike: Yeah, he was not paying attention to what's really the point, and Casey, in picking "Mrs. Robinson," which is almost like an anthem for Casey: I picked the song because I've always loved the song, it's the Mike: We've met people of all ages and races and stations in life that are like, "You're my favorite." Crystal: I don't typically run from screaming young girls, so I'm not Casey: I think everybody's got something that's talked about more often How do you decide if you're gonna have you hair pulled up or keep it down? Casey: It's how I'm feeling. They ask me when I go into hair if I want How were the duets decided? Crystal: The song choices was all us. Lee suggested one and "Once" is my favorite movie, and I made him watch it two weeks ago… Lee: She downloaded it on my computer, I watched it and really liked it. It was almost like the song is so new to me that it didn't register to Crystal: It's a great story and the whole soundtrack to that film is great. Was there any hesitation since Kris Allen did it last year? Lee: No, it drove me to do it more. To not do something because Simon said tonight that the duets were better than the solos, would you agree? Lee: Different ballgame… Crystal and Lee, you were singing so close to each other, did Jaime Foxx help steer you towards that? Crystal: What did he suggest to us, Diana Ross? He was, like, go Google this duet… "Endless Love?" Crystal: Yeah. Lee: That was kind of an on-the-spot producer thing. We couldn't be 50
Casey and Mike: How did you guys decide on your song? Casey: We had it narrowed down to a few choices, and Mike was Mike: It was fun. It was good getting to know each other on that side. We were just chilling, working things out, in his apartment, making out… Casey: We originally planned that Mike was gonna hold me in his arms for the song… Mike: And then he would play my guitar. No, I instantly saw a vision for that song, with both of us there. The only How was Jamie Foxx as a mentor and do you have a favorite so far? Mike: Miley Cyrus, I love Miley. Lee: Harry Connick was my favorite. Mike: But he set, like, an unreal bar… Lee: Yeah, there's no way you could touched that. He was just so involved in every part of it.
Lee: He wants you to do better. He'd literally stop us [mid-song] and say, "Sing it this way, you'll do it great." Mike: Jamie was super cool, especially with it being movie week. His
Lee: Honestly, I don't think he would want to, I think he's so involved Crystal: I could see him doing the mentor thing again. As a judge, I Is there one particular artist that you feel you're like? Lee: I have a lot of influences. I don't really Mike: But I think artists wants to be themselves. Me, I Crystal: I have a lot of musicians that I really respect and – Shirley Halperin Follow @IdolTracker on Twitter Top photo: Casey James, Lee DeWyze, Middle photo: Lee DeWyze is seen backstage at the Top 4 performance show on May 11. Credit: Michael Becker/Fox/PictureGroup Bottom photo: Crystal Bowersox gets a touch-up before taking the stage on the May
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| ‘Idol’s’ Final 4 on duets, mentors, Casey’s cougar brigade, and more! Posted: 12 May 2010 06:28 AM PDT There may be fewer contestants to contend with at this juncture in the competition, but back in the Top 4's chill room, which houses not much more than a couple comfy couches, a Coke machine and makeup chairs, it's as if a tornado came through. Piles upon piles of individual 8×10 photos litter the floor waiting for autographs, along with hastily opened boxes and clothes strewn about. You'd think there were 12 hopefuls in this horse race, but alas, there are only four left. Truth be told, it was a stormy night onstage as well. Emotional, soaring duets aside — and both were stellar (thank the producers, in part, for the pairings) — none of the Final 4 quite hit that "Idol" sweet spot. Add a song list that was lacking, to say the least, and it wasn't exactly the best showcase of Season 9's commercial appeal. Plus, the judges weren't going easy on them, either. Nevertheless, Crystal Bowersox, Michael Lynche, Casey James and Lee DeWyze were upbeat at the end of the night, as they were met by the ever-expanding bubble of press. Read on for a post-show Q&A with the Final 4… Crystal, you said that Lee was your musical crush; care to elaborate? Crystal: [Laughs] My bass player from home is also another musical As far as your real-life crush, Tony, he was dancing in the audience night, how did that make you feel? Crystal: He can't dance very well, but that's OK. He's my world. He's number 2 in my world, actually; He's cool with that. He had amazing
Lee: We pick our songs, and when we do that, it's very difficult Why didn't you pick "Ghostbusters," it was on the list? Lee: [Laughs] I thought about it. But it would've been too serious for such a fun night, that's all. Michael, were you surprised at Simon being so hung up on what "Free Willy" was? Mike: Yeah, he was not paying attention to what's really the point, and Casey, in picking "Mrs. Robinson," which is almost like an anthem for Casey: I picked the song because I've always loved the song, it's the Mike: We've met people of all ages and races and stations in life that are like, "You're my favorite." Crystal: I don't typically run from screaming young girls, so I'm not Casey: I think everybody's got something that's talked about more often How do you decide if you're gonna have you hair pulled up or keep it down? Casey: It's how I'm feeling. They ask me when I go into hair if I want How were the duets decided? Crystal: The song choices was all us. Lee suggested one and "Once" is my favorite movie, and I made him watch it two weeks ago… Lee: She downloaded it on my computer, I watched it and really liked it. It was almost like the song is so new to me that it didn't register to Crystal: It's a great story and the whole soundtrack to that film is great. Was there any hesitation since Kris Allen did it last year? Lee: No, it drove me to do it more. To not do something because Simon said tonight that the duets were better than the solos, would you agree? Lee: Different ballgame… Crystal and Lee, you were singing so close to each other, did Jaime Foxx help steer you towards that? Crystal: What did he suggest to us, Diana Ross? He was, like, go Google this duet… "Endless Love?" Crystal: Yeah. Lee: That was kind of an on-the-spot producer thing. We couldn't be 50
Casey and Mike: How did you guys decide on your song? Casey: We had it narrowed down to a few choices, and Mike was Mike: It was fun. It was good getting to know each other on that side. We were just chilling, working things out, in his apartment, making out… Casey: We originally planned that Mike was gonna hold me in his arms for the song… Mike: And then he would play my guitar. No, I instantly saw a vision for that song, with both of us there. The only How was Jamie Foxx as a mentor and do you have a favorite so far? Mike: Miley Cyrus, I love Miley. Lee: Harry Connick was my favorite. Mike: But he set, like, an unreal bar… Lee: Yeah, there's no way you could touched that. He was just so involved in every part of it.
Lee: He wants you to do better. He'd literally stop us [mid-song] and say, "Sing it this way, you'll do it great." Mike: Jamie was super cool, especially with it being movie week. His
Lee: Honestly, I don't think he would want to, I think he's so involved Crystal: I could see him doing the mentor thing again. As a judge, I Is there one particular artist that you feel you're like? Lee: I have a lot of influences. I don't really Mike: But I think artists wants to be themselves. Me, I Crystal: I have a lot of musicians that I really respect and – Shirley Halperin Follow @IdolTracker on Twitter Top photo: Casey James, Lee DeWyze, Middle photo: Lee DeWyze is seen backstage at the Top 4 performance show on May 11. Credit: Michael Becker/Fox/PictureGroup Bottom photo: Crystal Bowersox gets a touch-up before taking the stage on the May
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| VIDEO: Idol Confessions with Brooke White Posted: 12 May 2010 06:28 AM PDT By sheer coincidence, season 7's Brooke White stopped by the L.A. Times video studio on the two-year anniversary of her own "American Idol" elimination! But this eternally bubbly Arizona native, who currently calls the San Fernando Valley home, isn't crying over spilled milk. To the contrary, in White World, there's a plus side to everything: false starts, weird dance moves, coming in fifth to the very deserving David Cook. Hear all about Brooke's most memorable "Idol" moments below, and check out a special performance of her own "California Song" after the jump. As always, you can find Idol Tracker's video archive here.
Brooke White sings "California Song"
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| VIDEO: Idol Confessions with Brooke White Posted: 12 May 2010 06:28 AM PDT By sheer coincidence, season 7's Brooke White stopped by the L.A. Times video studio on the two-year anniversary of her own "American Idol" elimination! But this eternally bubbly Arizona native, who currently calls the San Fernando Valley home, isn't crying over spilled milk. To the contrary, in White World, there's a plus side to everything: false starts, weird dance moves, coming in fifth to the very deserving David Cook. Hear all about Brooke's most memorable "Idol" moments below, and check out a special performance of her own "California Song" after the jump. As always, you can find Idol Tracker's video archive here.
Brooke White sings "California Song"
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| Lee DeWyze’s hometown fans rally Posted: 12 May 2010 06:28 AM PDT Chicago is getting excited about the prospect of a Lee Lee's one-day hometown return would take place on Friday and is set to include a visit to a Fox studio in Chicago, a few local Oh, and Lee and his family will also travel "There has been such an outpouring of community support Bill Lagattolla, Lee's boss at his Of course, with all that support, it would be sad if Lee Current Crystal Bowersox -154 Lee DeWyze +150 Casey James +1,200 Michael Lynche +1,500 Oh, and also, just for fun, here's – Amy Reiter
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| Lee DeWyze’s hometown fans rally Posted: 12 May 2010 06:28 AM PDT Chicago is getting excited about the prospect of a Lee Lee's one-day hometown return would take place on Friday and is set to include a visit to a Fox studio in Chicago, a few local Oh, and Lee and his family will also travel "There has been such an outpouring of community support Bill Lagattolla, Lee's boss at his Of course, with all that support, it would be sad if Lee Current Crystal Bowersox -154 Lee DeWyze +150 Casey James +1,200 Michael Lynche +1,500 Oh, and also, just for fun, here's – Amy Reiter
 |
| Ann Powers: Who needs movies when you have real life? Posted: 12 May 2010 06:28 AM PDT
Katharine McPhee showed she understood this when she claimed "Over the Rainbow" in Season 5. So did Kris Allen, giving an appropriately delicate reading to the Swell Season's "Falling Slowly" last season, which suggested he'd seen the calm Irish romance from which it was taken, "Once," and grasped how it gently advances the plot. 2010's Final Four, however, seemed to be aiming beyond — or let's say below – the confines of this crucial week's theme. Their song choices were haphazard, idiosyncratic, even selfish. Two pop songs from films that many love to hate (I know, "Caddyshack" is a cult classic), one favorite that nonetheless seemed like a desperate ploy, and one song so effectively parodied by Jack Black in 2007 that it should be eternally retired from the show: It was definitely a night to yell at the screen and Tweet, on repeat, "WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?" That's this frustrated viewer's take; a cry of pain from an "Idol" die-hard who wants each week to have drama, or at least an identifiable shape. Yet there is another way to assess what's going on with Crystal, Mike, Casey and Lee. Let's take a hint from judge Ellen, who really deserves credit for noticing things her fellow table-sitters either overlook or willfully ignore. After Mike Lynche, the guy who went for the song from "Free Willy," said his dream was to make it to next week so he'd earn a hometown parade, Ellen opened her baby blues real wide and said that his actual goal should be to win. But maybe these finalists don't really care about the finish line. Maybe winning is just something nice that might happen at the end of a pretty rough season. At this point, everyone seems ready to walk off the racetrack and onto his or her own path. Take Crystal Bowersox, who's been a front-runner since wowing the judges with Aretha Franklin's "Natural Woman" during Hollywood Week. She's something sort of new for "Idol," filtering the raw power of the gospel-trained little Patti LaBelles that previous seasons rewarded through a hippie-chick sensibility that speaks of bars and outdoor festivals, not church. She's had that going for her from the beginning, and she's never really succeeded in going somewhere new. So it's no surprise that, this week, she vamped her way through the Kenny Loggins jam "I'm Alright" as if the Black Crowes' Chris Robinson, not Foxx, had been her mentor. Then there's her chief rival, Lee DeWyze. Last week the little paint salesman who could did swing outside of his box, inspired by his instant big brother Harry Connick Jr. to tread more lightly on a tune, and hit its notes more accurately, than he's ever managed before. This week, however, the grunge holler was back as DeWyze gave Seal's "Kiss From a Rose" (the song Black now owns) a major mauling, missing numerous notes but still making his fans purr and yowl with that big, fuzzy tone of his. This guy knows where to look for his next paycheck: in the Nickelback ballpark. Lee and Crystal are both sweet personalities who have obviously already decided where they want "Idol" to take them. Together, they also managed to excise all the subtlety from "Falling Slowly," turning what should be a whispering courtship into a loud campfire singalong. Oh well. Who cares? America digs these two, and though neither seems very engaged in seeking the legendary Idol Moment, either will make a likable champion.
I suspect Casey's just waiting for the show to be over so he can move to Nashville and give Keith Urban a run for his money. Mike, on the other hand, seems confused: Should he try to stave off the MamaWyze juggernaut, or simply accept his role as the greatest wedding singer since Adam Sandler? He's a fighter, we know that. But his performances have sadly grown less subtle as his confidence has slipped. His attempt to elevate the crowd with Michael Jackson's whale-worthy "Will You Be There" was one long fist pump. Every one of this year's top quartet has a chance at a viable pop career, staying in the same groove he or she has been in since we first met them. If none bears the scent of a superstar, that's OK. With the recording industry imploding, this isn't such a hot time to wish for world domination. Realizing modest dreams is what pop is mostly about right now. But it's not what "American Idol" has offered. Illusion or no — and the numbers vary, from Carrie Underwood to Taylor Hicks — "Idol" paints itself in the ice-cream colors of a fairy tale, and a particular kind at that. "American Idol" has always followed the arc of a bildungsroman, a journey of personal development that rewards its hero with the keys to a kingdom that's both worldly — the record contract, the tour — and internal — the joy of artistic self-discovery. We know by now that this year's "Idol" batch came to us, for the most part, self-aware. That shouldn't be a disappointment, but somehow it is. It's the kind of story that would never work on the movie screen. – Ann Powers Photos: Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox after their performance on "American Idol," and Casey James during his mandolin-strumming set. Credit: Fox
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