The Unofficial Danny Gokey FanSite |  |
- Norman Gentle’s ‘Brit Slap!’ premieres
- Finale Coverage and Content
- Hometown Visit Videos
- Casey James looks back on his time in ‘La-La Land’
- Casey James looks back on his time in ‘La-La Land’
- Eric Hutchinson: ‘I would love to co-write a song’ with Casey James
- Norman Gentle’s ‘Brit Slap!’ premieres
- Eric Hutchinson: ‘I would love to co-write a song’ with Casey James
- Kristy Lee Cook: singer and gunslinger
- Kristy Lee Cook: singer and gunslinger
- How did Lee DeWyze become the favorite to win?
- How did Lee DeWyze become the favorite to win?
- VIDEO: Backstage with Alex Lambert
- VIDEO: Backstage with Alex Lambert
- Fantasy ‘Idol’: Season 9 conspiracy theories
- Fantasy ‘Idol’: Season 9 conspiracy theories
| Norman Gentle’s ‘Brit Slap!’ premieres Posted: 22 May 2010 02:35 PM PDT Season 8's kookiest contender, Top 24 placer Nick Mitchell and his alter ego Norman Gentle, took to the streets of New York City to film the video for "Brit Slap!," Nick's/Norman's loving sendoff to Simon Cowell. He even managed to recruit "America's Next Top Model" judge Nigel Barker for a cameo — color us impressed! When we spoke to Nick about the shoot just a couple days ago, he told Idol Tracker that the clip would be ready in time for the Season 9 finale, but the finished product is now upon us — and it is, in a word, fabulous. Check out Norman in all his headband and fingerless glove glory below and let us know what you think of "Brit Slap!" – Shirley Halperin Follow @IdolTracker on Twitter  |
| Posted: 22 May 2010 02:35 PM PDT After several months of performances, 100,000 contestants, and 47 million votes last week, it has all come down to Crystal Bowersox and Lee DeWyze. The anticipation for Tuesdays performance show and Wednesdays grand finale is building, but well keep you busy on AmericanIdol.com. Check out the final site for exclusive content. Currently, you can view all of Crystals and Lees photos, videos, downloads, tweets, tributes to Simon Cowell, and more. The finale site will be hopping on Wednesday with performance videos, live red carpet photos, and well be live blogging the red carpet arrivals before the show starts. Then, on Thursday come to the site for exclusive interviews with the American Idol and runner-up, guest performers, judges and more.  |
| Posted: 22 May 2010 02:35 PM PDT Youre not the only one amped about seeing Crystal Bowersox and Lee DeWyze perform in the Season 9 finale. Thousands of fans flocked to support them in their hometowns this weekend. Be sure to check out their emotional visits to their homes in the Midwest. Click here to watch Crystals trip to Elliston, Ohio. She showed her humorous side and emotional side during her visit and was met with a parade, the Key to Toledo, her original song Holy Toledo, an emotional hometown visit, the announcement of Crystal Bowersox day, and then a concert affectionately called Bowerstock. Click here to watch Lees trip to Chicago, Illinois where he was met with thousands of fans. He threw out the first pitch at Cubs game, went to his elementary school, visited his old employer Mt. Prospect Paint (I bet business is booming there now!), and gave an emotional performance of The Boxer before calling this the Best day of his life. For all things Crystal and Lee, be sure to check out the finale portal.  |
| Casey James looks back on his time in ‘La-La Land’ Posted: 22 May 2010 02:35 PM PDT
But don't cry for Casey. The blue-eyed blues man has amassed a large and loyal following and is well on his way to a career in music, no matter which direction he ends up taking. As for his time spent in L.A.? It looks as if this small-town Texan has developed a new respect for us Hollywood types. As he so neatly writes in our "La-La Land" questionnaire, "It seems this is the place to make dreams come true." Read on for more good-natured inspiration from Season 9's resident charmer and heart-melter, including how he called his mom after Wednesday's elimination show to "make sure she was OK." Awww… – Shirley Halperin Photo credit: Michael Becker/Fox/PictureGroup
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| Casey James looks back on his time in ‘La-La Land’ Posted: 22 May 2010 02:35 PM PDT
But don't cry for Casey. The blue-eyed blues man has amassed a large and loyal following and is well on his way to a career in music, no matter which direction he ends up taking. As for his time spent in L.A.? It looks as if this small-town Texan has developed a new respect for us Hollywood types. As he so neatly writes in our "La-La Land" questionnaire, "It seems this is the place to make dreams come true." Read on for more good-natured inspiration from Season 9's resident charmer and heart-melter, including how he called his mom after Wednesday's elimination show to "make sure she was OK." Awww… – Shirley Halperin Photo credit: Michael Becker/Fox/PictureGroup
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| Eric Hutchinson: ‘I would love to co-write a song’ with Casey James Posted: 22 May 2010 02:35 PM PDT
“Casey did a nice job with it,” Eric said. “It was definitely weird to watch someone else singing it up there on the ‘Idol’ stage — I’ve seen a taping of the show before and I don’t know how people handle the nerves! — but I was really flattered to have him sing it.” Eric said he was notified “a few days before” that they might use the song. “Then I spent the next few days trying not to jinx it,” he continued. “I’m in London, so I wasn’t in the right time zone to watch, but I woke up the next morning with 300 texts and e-mails. Like all of the best news, it always seems to happen while I was sleeping.” And unlike most artists who cringe at the thought of editing their carefully crafted tune to a minute and a half, the arrangement was, er, alright with him. “The song is only 2 1/2 minutes [long],” he said. “I was impressed they were able to trim more of it.” As for Simon’s comment that it was like dinner salad (in the sense of there’s something more substantial to come)? That stung a little. Said Eric: “My friends have been calling me ‘Musical Salad’ all week now! I tried not to take any of the judges’ comments too personally, but it sort of felt like my brother had knocked over a vase while I wasn’t in the room and I was the one who ended up getting yelled at.” But Hutchinson’s not one to hold a grudge, especially since he’s a fan of “Idol.” “To me, the show is singers performing the New American Songbook,” he said. “So as a songwriter, I was really excited to have my song included in there… I’ve been on the road and haven’t watched too much this year. My mom told me to boycott it after Adam Lambert didn’t win last year.” His wish for this year’s finale? “I would love to see Crystal and Lee win and have to do a duets album a la Streisand and Barry Gibbs!” As for a future album by Casey, Eric sees only good things on the horizon. “I think he’s got a cool style, and I would love to co-write a song with him.” For more on Eric Hutchinson, check out this excellent story by the L.A. Times’ own Randy Lewis and the official video for “OK, It’s Alright With Me” below. – Shirley Halperin Follow @IdolTracker on Twitter Photo: Eric Hutchinson. Credit: Autumn DeWilde  |
| Norman Gentle’s ‘Brit Slap!’ premieres Posted: 22 May 2010 02:35 PM PDT Season 8's kookiest contender, Top 24 placer Nick Mitchell and his alter ego Norman Gentle, took to the streets of New York City to film the video for "Brit Slap!," Nick's/Norman's loving sendoff to Simon Cowell. He even managed to recruit "America's Next Top Model" judge Nigel Barker for a cameo — color us impressed! When we spoke to Nick about the shoot just a couple days ago, he told Idol Tracker that the clip would be ready in time for the Season 9 finale, but the finished product is now upon us — and it is, in a word, fabulous. Check out Norman in all his headband and fingerless glove glory below and let us know what you think of "Brit Slap!" – Shirley Halperin Follow @IdolTracker on Twitter  |
| Eric Hutchinson: ‘I would love to co-write a song’ with Casey James Posted: 22 May 2010 02:35 PM PDT
“Casey did a nice job with it,” Eric said. “It was definitely weird to watch someone else singing it up there on the ‘Idol’ stage — I’ve seen a taping of the show before and I don’t know how people handle the nerves! — but I was really flattered to have him sing it.” Eric said he was notified “a few days before” that they might use the song. “Then I spent the next few days trying not to jinx it,” he continued. “I’m in London, so I wasn’t in the right time zone to watch, but I woke up the next morning with 300 texts and e-mails. Like all of the best news, it always seems to happen while I was sleeping.” And unlike most artists who cringe at the thought of editing their carefully crafted tune to a minute and a half, the arrangement was, er, alright with him. “The song is only 2 1/2 minutes [long],” he said. “I was impressed they were able to trim more of it.” As for Simon’s comment that it was like dinner salad (in the sense of there’s something more substantial to come)? That stung a little. Said Eric: “My friends have been calling me ‘Musical Salad’ all week now! I tried not to take any of the judges’ comments too personally, but it sort of felt like my brother had knocked over a vase while I wasn’t in the room and I was the one who ended up getting yelled at.” But Hutchinson’s not one to hold a grudge, especially since he’s a fan of “Idol.” “To me, the show is singers performing the New American Songbook,” he said. “So as a songwriter, I was really excited to have my song included in there… I’ve been on the road and haven’t watched too much this year. My mom told me to boycott it after Adam Lambert didn’t win last year.” His wish for this year’s finale? “I would love to see Crystal and Lee win and have to do a duets album a la Streisand and Barry Gibbs!” As for a future album by Casey, Eric sees only good things on the horizon. “I think he’s got a cool style, and I would love to co-write a song with him.” For more on Eric Hutchinson, check out this excellent story by the L.A. Times’ own Randy Lewis and the official video for “OK, It’s Alright With Me” below. – Shirley Halperin Follow @IdolTracker on Twitter Photo: Eric Hutchinson. Credit: Autumn DeWilde  |
| Kristy Lee Cook: singer and gunslinger Posted: 22 May 2010 02:35 PM PDT
Kristy, who made it to seventh place on "American Idol," will host "Goin' Country," a show that promises to "combine Cook's passion for singing with her passion for hunting." Look no further than the intense stare of this here picture for proof that the Oregon native means business. Indeed, each half-hour episode will trail the avid hunter as she travels to places like Wisconsin, Missouri and Tennessee, while also chronicling the "challenges of her music career." To that end, Kristy's song "15 Minutes of Shame," off her debut "Why Wait," will be used prominently on the show and the plan is to have bonfire sing-alongs with some of her celebrity guests. Among them: Season 6 runner-up Blake Lewis and country artists Jake Owen and Aaron Tippin. The show will also document the making of her second album (Kristy is currently working on new songs with Lonestar's Dean Sams). A special preview of "Goin' Country" airs on Saturday morning at 8:30 EDT and follows Cook and her husband as they travel to Fredericksburg, Texas, on a whitetail deer and What do you think of Kristy Lee Cook's unexpected return to television? – Shirley Halperin Follow @IdolTracker on Twitter Photo: Kristy Lee Cook in "Goin' Country." Credit: Orion Multimedia  |
| Kristy Lee Cook: singer and gunslinger Posted: 22 May 2010 02:35 PM PDT
Kristy, who made it to seventh place on "American Idol," will host "Goin' Country," a show that promises to "combine Cook's passion for singing with her passion for hunting." Look no further than the intense stare of this here picture for proof that the Oregon native means business. Indeed, each half-hour episode will trail the avid hunter as she travels to places like Wisconsin, Missouri and Tennessee, while also chronicling the "challenges of her music career." To that end, Kristy's song "15 Minutes of Shame," off her debut "Why Wait," will be used prominently on the show and the plan is to have bonfire sing-alongs with some of her celebrity guests. Among them: Season 6 runner-up Blake Lewis and country artists Jake Owen and Aaron Tippin. The show will also document the making of her second album (Kristy is currently working on new songs with Lonestar's Dean Sams). A special preview of "Goin' Country" airs on Saturday morning at 8:30 EDT and follows Cook and her husband as they travel to Fredericksburg, Texas, on a whitetail deer and What do you think of Kristy Lee Cook's unexpected return to television? – Shirley Halperin Follow @IdolTracker on Twitter Photo: Kristy Lee Cook in "Goin' Country." Credit: Orion Multimedia  |
| How did Lee DeWyze become the favorite to win? Posted: 22 May 2010 02:35 PM PDT It probably won't come as a complete surprise to anyone who "For the last few weeks, Lee DeWyze has been slowly How did Lee overtake Crystal to become the favorite to win? "I don't think he consciously planned out every last He explains: "This is not an easy balance for 'Idol' Kaufman credits Lee with showing consistent growth, as well, We'll have to wait and see if "Idol" voters punish – Amy Reiter  |
| How did Lee DeWyze become the favorite to win? Posted: 22 May 2010 02:35 PM PDT It probably won't come as a complete surprise to anyone who "For the last few weeks, Lee DeWyze has been slowly How did Lee overtake Crystal to become the favorite to win? "I don't think he consciously planned out every last He explains: "This is not an easy balance for 'Idol' Kaufman credits Lee with showing consistent growth, as well, We'll have to wait and see if "Idol" voters punish – Amy Reiter  |
| VIDEO: Backstage with Alex Lambert Posted: 22 May 2010 02:35 PM PDT Alex Lambert continues to work toward his dream of making it as a singer. The Top 24 castoff, who was invited to join Simon Fuller's Web reality show "If I Can Dream" shortly after his "American Idol" elimination, had his first real gig on Wednesday night at The Mint. Sharing the bill with "Dream" housemate Justin Gaston, Alex's short set included a soulful rendition of his original song, "Butterflies," as well as a few covers, among them: Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody," which he played to a packed house. Afterwords, we sat down with the North Richland Hills, Texas, native for a quick chat about the performance, his musical plans for the future and who's going to win "Idol." Plus, Alex clarifies a comment he made about Crystal at the May 13 Young Hollywood Awards. – Shirley Halperin Follow @IdolTracker on Twitter  |
| VIDEO: Backstage with Alex Lambert Posted: 22 May 2010 02:35 PM PDT Alex Lambert continues to work toward his dream of making it as a singer. The Top 24 castoff, who was invited to join Simon Fuller's Web reality show "If I Can Dream" shortly after his "American Idol" elimination, had his first real gig on Wednesday night at The Mint. Sharing the bill with "Dream" housemate Justin Gaston, Alex's short set included a soulful rendition of his original song, "Butterflies," as well as a few covers, among them: Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody," which he played to a packed house. Afterwords, we sat down with the North Richland Hills, Texas, native for a quick chat about the performance, his musical plans for the future and who's going to win "Idol." Plus, Alex clarifies a comment he made about Crystal at the May 13 Young Hollywood Awards. – Shirley Halperin Follow @IdolTracker on Twitter  |
| Fantasy ‘Idol’: Season 9 conspiracy theories Posted: 22 May 2010 02:35 PM PDT
It's certainly been an oddball season. What the judges first described as "quirky" turned "sleepy" then "lazy" as the weeks rolled on, and here we are, six days away from the finale, with several favorites now gone (Siobhan Magnus, Michael Lynche), one shoo-in still standing (Crystal Bowersox) and a dark horse seemingly taking the lead (Lee DeWyze). But a victory is still very much up in the air, and as the Top 3 proved, even the predictable doesn't always turn out the way you expected. Now, I'm not one for conspiracy theories. I've never seen a minute of "Loose Change," and when people ask me if "American Idol" is rigged (which they do… a lot), I'm the first to staunchly defend it as an institution of the people. But through the Idol Tracker chats and your comments, it's clear there are a few lingering Season 9 wonders — whether imagined or otherwise — worth exploring. Here's my take on five of them… 1) Simon Cowell chose Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" for Lee DeWyze to cash in on the copyright, which Cowell owns. While this makes for a titillating headline, it is not, in fact, true. According to Cowell's publicist, he is, indeed, a big fan of the Leonard Cohen song, but his company SyCo does not own the rights to the song. Sony/ATV Publishing does. Now, Cowell's SyCo is a subsidiary of Sony, so what's good for the parent company is good for all, but Cowell doesn't personally gain from its use on television, at least not directly. Unless, somehow, Lee's version spurs sales of "X Factor" winner Alexandra Burke's version, which SyCo released in 2008. Got all that? 2) Casey James had to make a last-minute song switch and was really planning on doing a Stevie Ray Vaughan song. I feel partly responsible for this mini-rumor having not provided enough detail in my description of Casey's Monday rehearsal. So here it is now: Casey rehearsed the same two songs he performed on Tuesday's show, John Mayer's "Daughters" and Eric Hutchinson's "OK It's Alright With Me." To my knowledge, the latter was his choice from the get-go, but at one point, the band did have to refer to the original version, not because Casey had switched his song, but because they weren't that familiar with one specific part. Separate from these two songs, Casey also tinkered around with his guitar and a single amp, trying out different leads and bluesy riffs, none of which I recognized as having come from the Stevie Ray Vaughan library. And that's that, but please continue on to No. 3. 3) Casey threw the competition on purpose so as not to win. Of course, no one can answer this claim but Casey himself. However, it's been pointed out more than once that Casey's approach to the competition was, at times, unapologetically indifferent (not that there's anything wrong with that, as Ann Powers explores in her column this week). It didn't help that he'd never watched the show before auditioning, or that he admitted he should have gone home after Sinatra night. So were his last two performances lazy on purpose? Did Casey reason that it would be better for his career as a legitimate artist and respected player to go out in third place? We may have to pose this to the man himself next time we speak to him. 4) Tenacious Lee; Crystal's duet with Melissa Etheridge; Siobhan's jam with Hanson and other finale pairings that aren't happening. In theory, the "American Idol" finale should be a chance for the season's contestants to perform with their own idols, so why isn't Melissa Etheridge, who basically inspired Crystal Bowersox to pick up a guitar and sing, trading verses to "I'm the Only One" with her at the Nokia Theater next week? Two small-town girls who made it onto a very big stage, you couldn't write a better Hollywood ending. "Dancing With the Stars," that's why. When it comes to ratings juggernauts like these two shows, the networks frown upon artists performing on both — it's either one or the other. In fact, they pretty much forbid it, and since Melissa sang on the April 27 episode of "Dancing," she's now — sadly — unable to take the "Idol" stage. "It's standard operating procedure for shows in such heavy competition to say 'no' to an artist performing on both," explains Scott Igoe, the music booker for ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live." "But a month is a little drastic." Reps for both shows were not available for comment on this specific booking. As for my other dream pairing of Siobhan Magnus and her FBE (favorite band ever), Hanson? That doesn't appear to be happening, either, despite my very blatant attempts at online hinting. Which leaves my final fantasy: Tenacious Lee (or should it be Tenacious DeWyze?) — Jack Black and Kyle Gass, of Tenacious D fame, performing the song "Lee," a favorite of D fans and DeWyze loyalists, too! Alas, Jack Black is in Vancouver shooting, according to his rep. 5) The judges/producers were angling for a Lee-Crystal showdown from the get-go. Let's start with a big "duh!" Not because the competition is supposedly fixed (see paragraph 2), but because they truly are the best contenders out of the Season 9 bunch. Both Lee and Crystal have all-American tug-at-your-heartstrings back-stories — they even auditioned in the same city sitting right next to each other! — each has a distinct voice that's not perfect, but rock 'n' roll rarely is, and they've both refused to compromise themselves or their musical identity in the biggest pop contest in the world. Now here's where the fantasy comes in: rather than forcing them to sing some corny coronation song, let them duke it out with an original and let's see whose is better! Do you have your own "Idol" conspiracy theory? Let's hear it! – Shirley Halperin Follow @IdolTracker on Twitter Photo: "American Idol" finalists Lee DeWyze and Crystal  |
| Fantasy ‘Idol’: Season 9 conspiracy theories Posted: 22 May 2010 02:35 PM PDT
It's certainly been an oddball season. What the judges first described as "quirky" turned "sleepy" then "lazy" as the weeks rolled on, and here we are, six days away from the finale, with several favorites now gone (Siobhan Magnus, Michael Lynche), one shoo-in still standing (Crystal Bowersox) and a dark horse seemingly taking the lead (Lee DeWyze). But a victory is still very much up in the air, and as the Top 3 proved, even the predictable doesn't always turn out the way you expected. Now, I'm not one for conspiracy theories. I've never seen a minute of "Loose Change," and when people ask me if "American Idol" is rigged (which they do… a lot), I'm the first to staunchly defend it as an institution of the people. But through the Idol Tracker chats and your comments, it's clear there are a few lingering Season 9 wonders — whether imagined or otherwise — worth exploring. Here's my take on five of them… 1) Simon Cowell chose Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" for Lee DeWyze to cash in on the copyright, which Cowell owns. While this makes for a titillating headline, it is not, in fact, true. According to Cowell's publicist, he is, indeed, a big fan of the Leonard Cohen song, but his company SyCo does not own the rights to the song. Sony/ATV Publishing does. Now, Cowell's SyCo is a subsidiary of Sony, so what's good for the parent company is good for all, but Cowell doesn't personally gain from its use on television, at least not directly. Unless, somehow, Lee's version spurs sales of "X Factor" winner Alexandra Burke's version, which SyCo released in 2008. Got all that? 2) Casey James had to make a last-minute song switch and was really planning on doing a Stevie Ray Vaughan song. I feel partly responsible for this mini-rumor having not provided enough detail in my description of Casey's Monday rehearsal. So here it is now: Casey rehearsed the same two songs he performed on Tuesday's show, John Mayer's "Daughters" and Eric Hutchinson's "OK It's Alright With Me." To my knowledge, the latter was his choice from the get-go, but at one point, the band did have to refer to the original version, not because Casey had switched his song, but because they weren't that familiar with one specific part. Separate from these two songs, Casey also tinkered around with his guitar and a single amp, trying out different leads and bluesy riffs, none of which I recognized as having come from the Stevie Ray Vaughan library. And that's that, but please continue on to No. 3. 3) Casey threw the competition on purpose so as not to win. Of course, no one can answer this claim but Casey himself. However, it's been pointed out more than once that Casey's approach to the competition was, at times, unapologetically indifferent (not that there's anything wrong with that, as Ann Powers explores in her column this week). It didn't help that he'd never watched the show before auditioning, or that he admitted he should have gone home after Sinatra night. So were his last two performances lazy on purpose? Did Casey reason that it would be better for his career as a legitimate artist and respected player to go out in third place? We may have to pose this to the man himself next time we speak to him. 4) Tenacious Lee; Crystal's duet with Melissa Etheridge; Siobhan's jam with Hanson and other finale pairings that aren't happening. In theory, the "American Idol" finale should be a chance for the season's contestants to perform with their own idols, so why isn't Melissa Etheridge, who basically inspired Crystal Bowersox to pick up a guitar and sing, trading verses to "I'm the Only One" with her at the Nokia Theater next week? Two small-town girls who made it onto a very big stage, you couldn't write a better Hollywood ending. "Dancing With the Stars," that's why. When it comes to ratings juggernauts like these two shows, the networks frown upon artists performing on both — it's either one or the other. In fact, they pretty much forbid it, and since Melissa sang on the April 27 episode of "Dancing," she's now — sadly — unable to take the "Idol" stage. "It's standard operating procedure for shows in such heavy competition to say 'no' to an artist performing on both," explains Scott Igoe, the music booker for ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live." "But a month is a little drastic." Reps for both shows were not available for comment on this specific booking. As for my other dream pairing of Siobhan Magnus and her FBE (favorite band ever), Hanson? That doesn't appear to be happening, either, despite my very blatant attempts at online hinting. Which leaves my final fantasy: Tenacious Lee (or should it be Tenacious DeWyze?) — Jack Black and Kyle Gass, of Tenacious D fame, performing the song "Lee," a favorite of D fans and DeWyze loyalists, too! Alas, Jack Black is in Vancouver shooting, according to his rep. 5) The judges/producers were angling for a Lee-Crystal showdown from the get-go. Let's start with a big "duh!" Not because the competition is supposedly fixed (see paragraph 2), but because they truly are the best contenders out of the Season 9 bunch. Both Lee and Crystal have all-American tug-at-your-heartstrings back-stories — they even auditioned in the same city sitting right next to each other! — each has a distinct voice that's not perfect, but rock 'n' roll rarely is, and they've both refused to compromise themselves or their musical identity in the biggest pop contest in the world. Now here's where the fantasy comes in: rather than forcing them to sing some corny coronation song, let them duke it out with an original and let's see whose is better! Do you have your own "Idol" conspiracy theory? Let's hear it! – Shirley Halperin Follow @IdolTracker on Twitter Photo: "American Idol" finalists Lee DeWyze and Crystal  |
Season 7's Kristy Lee Cook knows how to pack heat and she's putting it on full display in a new TV show that airs on the 
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