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Access Atlanta > American Idol Buzz > Archives > 2005 > February
February 2005
Constantine on “Elimidate”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
EARLY ‘DATE’ WITH ‘IDOL’ New York Post
‘AMERICAN Idol” rocker Constantine Maroulis has a past â€â€? a past that includes an appearance on the dating showing “Elimidate.”
The makers of the show â€â€? where one person dates four people at once, sending three home during the show â€â€? are hauling Constantine’s episode out of the vaults and airing it Wednesday night. (It’s on at 1 a.m. Thursday morning on WATL Channel 36 WB)
In the episode, Constantine dances shirtless, tells the girl he is a singer, that his voice is his “secret weapon” and brags “I know what I’ve got.”
There was no word on when the show was first recorded.
Constantine, a New Yorker, tried out for “Idol” to promote his band, Pray for the Soul of Betty, he told reporters. â€â€? Post staff writer
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Online betting odds for “Idol” victor: Carrie, Mario favs to win, Janay at bottom
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bookies give Janay Castine 50-1 odds to win ‘Idol’
Knight Ridder Newspapers Published on: 02/25/2005 You’ve watched in rapture as the field of thousands has been narrowed down to the final 20. Now, BetWWTS.com has become the first sports book in the world to offer odds on who will become the next “American Idol.”
The online gambling Web site has opened betting on the latest edition of the series with country crooner Carrie Underwood as the early favorite at 11-4 odds to capture America’s vote and win a major recording contract.
Smooth-singing New Yorker Mario Vazquez has scored the second best odds to become the next pop superstar at 7-2, followed by Anwar Robinson and Vonzell Solomon � both at 6-1 odds.
But fans of Miami bartender Nadia Turner need not despair: She’s close behind the top contenders at 10-1, along with longhaired rocker Bo Bice, who wowed the crowd with a heartfelt version of Dobie Gray’s “Drift Away.”
Next up are David Brown (12-1), Constantine Maroulis (15-1), Aloha Mischeaux (15-1), Amanda Avila (15-1) and Anthony Federov (18-1).
Jessica Sierra, Nikko Smith, Travis Tucker, Mikalah Gordon, Scott Savol and Lindsey Cardinale are hanging in there at 25-1 odds, while Celena Rae is 35-1.
With two girls and two guys being eliminated each week on “Idol,” BetWWTS.com feels it’s only a matter of time before Joseph Murena and Janay Castine are eliminated â€â€? the long shots come in at 50-1 odds.
Each week, BetWWTS.com will update the odds to win the Fox reality series as more participants are eliminated.
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Was “Idol” too harsh in its dismissals Wednesday?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
HOW CAN ‘IDOL’ BE SO MEAN?
By MICHAEL STARR The New York Post
RYAN Seacrest’s abrupt dismissal of contes tants on Wednesday’s live episode of “American Idol” has raised some eyebrows.
Especially jolting was the way in which Melinda Lira, the first contestant booted off the show, nearly went into a state of shock when she got her abrupt marching orders from Seacrest.
“Melinda, you’re out,” Seacrest barked at the 19-year-old from Hanford, Calif. â€â€? who covered her face as the audience sat in stunned and uncomfortable silence.
“I’m shocked,” said Lira, who appeared that she might not be able to speak.
“I mean, I didn’t get a lot of exposure â€â€? I thought in the beginning I should have [gotten exposure],” she said. “People early in the competition, they gain favorites. I just felt it was kind of against me.”
Seacrest was equally abrupt with Sarah Mather, the second woman booted off the show.
“Sarah, you are out,” he said. Then seemed to apologize for his tone.
“The journey ends for you tonight, darling. Sorry to put you through this,” he said.
Passionate “Idol” fans weighed in on the show’s message board yesterday â€â€? with some expressing anger over the way in which the contestants were axed.
“I felt it was extremely mean, and while I’m sure they were going for the dramatic effect, these are young people with hopes and dreams,” wrote one fan.
“To crush them like that was abominable.”
Wrote another fan of the way in which Judd Harris, the New York singer also booted off Wednesday’s show, was told: ” ‘Judd, you’re out’ â€â€? you might as well hit that kid with a 2x4. It would have been less painful.”
The show’s producers declined to answer questions yesterday about the show’s suddenly cruel turn.
While “Idol” has always been know for hard knocks and bad news for losing competitors, Wednesday night’s harshness seemed to stand out.
Harris yesterday said he didn’t think Seacrest was out of bounds.
“I don’t know if there would have been a good way to do it,” Harris told The Post yesterday. “Whatever it is, it’s bad news.
NEW YORK POST is a registered trademark of NYP Holdings, Inc. NYPOST.COM, NYPOSTONLINE.COM, and NEWYORKPOST.COM are trademarks of NYP Holdings, Inc. Copyright 2005 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
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So how good were my guesses?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Given my past mediocre track record in predicting who gets voted off “Idol,” I can’t say I did all that great tonight either.
Among the women, my 7th and 9th lowest picks got voted off. I am not surprised by Sarah. I just happened to like her performance more than most. It was a poor song pick but I thought she’d get by. As for Melinda, I’m more surprised. Maybe it was the unflattering comparison to the superior (for now) Kelly Clarkson and her fairly awkward posing in front of the mike. She also blamed lack of camera time during the early rounds, which certainly was a factor. Oh, well. I also thought Janay and Celine would be voted off. Wrong… and wrong.
As for the guys, I got ONE right! Woohoo! Jared Yates was at the bottom for me and the bottom vote getter as well. Nobody had seen him before and he picked a song nobody knew. Bad combo.
The other one was a shocker. I thought Judd, on charm alone, would slide by this week. And the setup was unusually cruel. They had it so everyone thought Joe was a goner, which wouldn’t have shocked me at all. Then blam, Ryan pointed to Judd, who had the impression he was safe. Those manipulative Idol producers! :)
I had Judd at No. 7, just like Melinda. My bottom two picks were Judd and Nikko.
So I was one for four. Nothing to write home about there…
The ladies’ turn
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The women were about as good, if not quite as good, as the guys. I’d say there were really only two standouts but the worst of the crew would have been an easy top 10 candidate from “Idol 1.”
Here’s my take
The Best:
Carrie Underwood: This Okie can sing! She did a better job with that Tiffany song “Could’ve Been” than Tiffany. She’s a lock for one of the six female slots.
Nadia Turner: She’s got the hair a la Justin but somehow, it’s not cheesy. It fits her. And she just blew the roof off. Another keeper who will go far in this competition.
In the middle:
Vonzelle Solomon: Some of her facial expressions were odd and her voice was a bit all over the place. But she has poise and potential. Great way to start the show with something upbeat like “Heatwave.” She’s in no danger of being in the bottom this week.
Aloha Mischeaux: We haven’t seen much of her before. She has some presence, if not quite the grace of a Beyonce. Jasmine called—she wants her flower back!
Mikalah Gordon: She’s all about sass and personality but geez, what’s up with her pronunciation of words? She clearly is outdoing Barbra Streisand or is that Fran Drescher? As Simon said, she will be one of those folks love or hate, but not much in between. Despite her voice, she’s fun and likes being on stage.
Melinda Lira: No doubt, she’s cute like Kelly Clarkson. And she’s got some pipes. Like many of the women, she was clearly nervous and made odd gestures. Still, a tough song and she did okay.
Lindsey Carnivale: Great voice, horribly boring song. But I think she’ll sneak by this week.
Jessica Sierra: She did a respectable job with this Phil Collins nugget. What’s up with that strand of blond hair down the middle of her face? Very distracting.
In trouble:
Sarah Mather: A lot of folks hated this performance. She was awkward at times and the song “Get Ready” really isn’t a great solo song, as Paula noted. Still, it wasn’t a horrible first effort.
Amanda Avila: Maybe I’m just sick of this song but her performance really didn’t stick out to me. Her voice has that Vegas thang and I didn’t warm up to it at all.
Celine Rae: I barely remember her just 12 hours later. That’s not good. Very prosaic and she has not had much airtime up to this point. She looks suspiciously like Martina McBride. (I read somewhere she actually played McBride on that syndicated show “Your Big Break” where folks dress up like their heroes.)
Janay Castine: Our sorta local gal looked like nerves seized her. She appeared painfully scared and lacked stage presence. Unlike Diana DeGarmo, she told me she did not have much in the way of stage practice and it showed. She could be voted off tonight.
First round guys evaluation
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It was like the guys were trapped on Lite 94.9 Monday night. A lot of great voices picking boooring songs. Three Stevie Wonder songs, Richard Marx, Freddy Jackson, Michael Bolton!
Here was my take on the best and worst of the lot:
Best: Mario Vasquez. A charmer who took an okay Stevie Wonder song (“Do I Do”) and pumped life into it. He worked the stage and looked really comfortable. He is certain to make it far in this competition.
Anwar Robinson. Another guy who is guaranteed to make the final 6 men. He has the look and the voice. He took a song out of left field (“Moon River”???) and mesmerized the audience.
Bo Bice: Our kinda local rocker dude did just fine. He clearly took a song he knew well (“Drift Away”) and did a wonderful vocal job. He also got tons of bonus airtime (a 90-second Q&A with Ryan Seacrest for the “Coke” moment) and positioned himself just to the right of Ryan during the farewell. The more exposure the better at this stage.
Constantine Maroulis: The other rocker with more charisma than Bo. He was a bit out of tune at times with “Kiss From a Rose” and rolled his eyes during some of the critique. But I still liked his stage presence and he should make it to next week, no problem.
On the fence:
David Brown: An okay performance of “Never Can Say Goodbye.” I felt he could have done better with his skills. He should be safe.
Anthony Federev: I abhor this song (“Hold On To the Night”) and he played it way too safe. But he’s got that Clay Aiken thang going and there is no way he’ll come in at the bottom Wednesday.
Judd Harris: He’s got a deep love for being on stage and a certain appealing goofiness about him. He’ll be around awhile.
Scott Savol: The judges weren’t too keen on the song but I liked his performance of “You Are My Lady” and the song itself. He’s still a bit odd looking and I’m not sure if this will hurt him.
In trouble: Joseph Murena — He has potential but nobody has seen this guy before. And singing “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You” is not my idea of fun.
Travis Tucker — Great smile, great poise, so-so interpretation of “My Cherie Amour.” He has a good voice but he’s sort of generic sounding.
Nikko Smith — As Simon said, a solid, if forgettable performance of a forgettable song (“Part Time Lover”)
Jared Yates — Nobody has seen this guy before so he’s got that against him. Then he picks a song nobody has ever heard of. He looked like he was in serious pain while singing. He’s in trouble.
This is by far the best pool of guys “Idol” has ever seen and nobody totally bombed out Monday night. Still, some of the song choices were on the lame side.
What do y’all think?
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Early standouts (for better or worse)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
At least 1/3 of the 24 finalists have gotten virtually no airtime. Some already have gotten tons and come into this portion of the competition with a serious advantage. Go to http://www.idolonfox.com/contestants/ to see some details of each.
Here are the top 8 that stand out to me, for better or worse:
Anthony Fedorov: Two words: tracheotomy boy. Great back story. Two more words: Clay lookalike. Again, can’t hurt. And he actually CAN sing.
Anwar Robinson: He is an attractive older dude (relatively speaking) with a good back story as a music teacher. He has charm and a voice. This all bodes well for him.
Carrie Underwood: Two words: country girl. Not really “down with that.” Innocence about to be corrupted? We’ll see.
Constantine Maroulis: Three words: Steve Perry lookalike. Great voice, great charm, favored over the other rocker Bo Bice. I think he’ll go far and already has a fan base.
Nadia Turner: That hair! Justin’s cousin? For some reason, her hair is even BIGGER than Justin’s but it looks more natural on her. I don’t know enough about her voice yet but she seems to have a pleasant disposition.
Mario Vasquez: He’s a keeper. Great voice, great looks, great charisma. The camera loves this guy.
Scott Savol: His average, vaguely disconcerting looks hide a wonderful voice. He’s memorable to the nth degree.
Mikalah Gordon: Wow, what an A personality. I bet she has no need for caffeine!
A bit from Janay
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I got a few minutes with Janay. Here’s a few things I got from her:
Janay said the camera shot of her in the elevator, with her hands in her face, made it look like she had not gotten through. “I was actually praying,” she said.
She said the three judges tries to act nonchalant and downtrodden before giving her the good news that she had unanimously been moved to the next round.
Janay, who sang local singer Blu Cantrell’s “Hit’em Up Style” for her original audition, said she’s big on R&B, from Whitney Houston to Usher to Luther Vandross. “I love Michael Jackson — as a performer,” she added.
Unlike Diana, who sang at dozens of sporting events around metro Atlanta before “Idol,” Janay only sang at Peachtree Ridge High School in chorus and basketball games.
She said she literally withdrew from Peachtree Ridge two weeks ago to live in Los Angeles. She will finish her final months of high school on the West Coast, with hopes of a singing career once she graduates. Her mom April came with her while her dad and brothers stayed behind in Lawrenceville.
She said she was born in East Palo Alto but moved to Stone Mountain at age 8 before going to Lawrenceville during her teens.
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A bit on Bo Brice
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I spoke with Bo this afternoon. Nice guy with a lot of family here in Atlanta.
Although “American Idol” skipped Atlanta as an audition site this time around, at least two of the final 24 semi-finalists crowned Wednesday have Atlanta ties.
Janay Castine, a 17 year old from Lawrenceville and Bo Bice, a 29-year-old long-haired rocker who spent his early years in Atlanta, made the cut.
After five weeks of shows, neither has gotten extensive airtime. Castine, who was attending Peachtree Ridge High School in Suwanee, was shown in Wednesday’s episode celebrating with her mom April.
Bice hung out with the other so-called rocker Constantine Maroulis and laughed when he found out both of them got through to the semi-final rounds.
“I had no expectations coming in,” Bice told Buzz by phone before rehearsals Thursday. “I just want to stay true to my spirit. I’ve left it in God’s hands. If I go home next week, you won’t see my crying or flipping out.”
Bice, who grew up in Smyrna and Marietta from ages 3 to 12, moved to London during his teen years, then came back to the States to tour with a band for several years. He settled down three years ago in the Birmingham, Ala. area, where he played at local bars and worked at a guitar shop.
Bice auditioned in Orlando last year on a dare from his mom Nancy, who lives in Atlanta.
During his own shows, Bice loves to switch genres, moving from Tim McGraw to Sublime to Snoop Dogg. This versatility should serve him well on the show.
For the next three weeks, “Idol” will air the guys on Monday and gals on Tuesday and eliminate four people each Wednesday. Then the nitty gritty final 12 competition begins.
At least TWO more Atlantans in final 24 of ‘Idol’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
So what if Atlanta wasn’t an audition location for the first time? Folks from the area still got to other cities. And believe it or not, at least TWO metro Atlantans are in the final 24 after Wednesday’s episode.
Jennifer Brett in our Gwinnett bureau has been following Janay Castine. The www.idolonfox.com Web site says she lives in “East Palo Alto.” Apparently since she found out she made the final 24, she has moved out there and is no longer attending Peachtree Ridge High School.
The other one is Bo Bice, the rocker. With Constantine in the final 24, neither expected BOTH to make it. Despite a split decision (Simon was against him), Bo got in. Bo, 29, is listed as from Atlanta on the site as well. Q100 says he’s from Smyrna. We know nothing else about him beyond what’s on the site—he auditioned in Orlando. And I don’t know why it’d be surprising he’s into Metallica!
Here part of his Q&A on the site:
When did you first start to sing? Since I could talk.
Do you have any formal singing training? I have been performing since 9 years old. Formal training in high school choir.
What other talents do you have? I play piano, guitar, bass, sax, harmonica and write songs. And I have a recording studio at home.
If you don’t make it on AMERICAN IDOL, what will you do? Find a job in music somewhere.
What are your personal goals in life? To own a guitar store.
What album would your friends be surprised you own? Metallica.
Who is your AMERICAN IDOL? My mom.
Do you have any rituals or things you do each time before you perform? Pray.
Favorite male pop artist? Matchbox Twenty.
Favorite female pop artist? Sheryl Crow.
Most embarrassing moment? Fell off stage during a show.
What has been your proudest moment in life so far? Making the top 24 on A.I.
If you couldn’t sing, which talent would you most like to have? Photography.
What is your definition of an AMERICAN IDOL? Talented, good spirit who is dedicated to their craft.
Who is your favorite judge and why? All of them.
What would people be surprised to learn about you? I love to cook.
How has this changed your life? Changed for the better.
Do you have any lucky charms? Cross I wear from my mom, and a shield I keep in my pocket from England.
Who are your heroes in life? My parents.
What’s been your toughest obstacle in life? Life is good. No obstacle is too large to overcome.
Do you think the audition process was fair? Yes.
If you win, who will you thank first? God, my family, and the crew of A.I.
If you know him, please email me at rho@ajc.com or call me at 404-526-5688.
Rodney
Local contestant’s fate now rests with viewers
By JENNIFER BRETT The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 02/17/05 The “American Idol” judges have decided to keep Janay Castine in the competition. Now it’s viewers’ turn.
Janay, 17, is now one of 24 finalists — 12 male and 12 female — who will begin appearing on the show next week, after which viewers will decide with their phone or text-message votes.
The guys sing Monday, the girls sing Tuesday, and the voters’ call will be revealed on Wednesday.
The show airs on Fox.
Janay is a senior at Peachtree Ridge High School in Suwanee who has always loved singing, her father said Wednesday.
“She was just blessed with a nice voice,” Edward Castine Jr. said. “She has a passion for it.”
The Castines knew their daughter had serious talent when she was just a tot.
“She would sing in the car. I guess she was always performing for us,” her dad said.
April Castine is with her daughter in California. The “Idol” cameras captured her jitters just before Janay faced the judges.
“She has to come downstairs and be smiling,” April Castine said. “She has to make it.”
She did, and mom and daughter rejoiced together. The hourlong show chronicled each of 44 finalists as they waited to learn their fate.
More than 100,000 auditioned for the fourth season of the show, and 193 were brought to Hollywood to continue on to the next round. The group has been pared down by the judges until now, when viewers take the reins.
Edward Castine says he enjoys watching his talented daughter and is keeping a scrapbook for her to chronicle her “Idol” experience.
She auditioned in New Orleans.
“She came to us and said, ‘Mom, Dad, I’d like to go,’ ” and the family supported her, Castine said.
Janay’s brother, Edward III, is a Peachtree Ridge sophomore. He’s getting lots of attention as schoolmates cheer on his sister.
“I like watching her,” he said.
Here’s her Q&A on the Fox Web site:
What’s your favorite type of music? R&B.
When did you first start to sing? At 3.
Do you have any formal singing training? School.
What other talents do you have? I can act.
If you don’t make it on AMERICAN IDOL, what will you do? Continue to pursue my music career.
What are your personal goals in life? To be an example to all the young girls in the world!
What album would your friends be surprised you own? They wouldn’t be surprised of any CD I own.
Who is your AMERICAN IDOL? Aaliyah.
Do you have any rituals or things you do each time before you perform? No! I just pray and go on stage.
Favorite male pop artist? Usher.
Favorite female pop artist? Janet Jackson.
Most embarrassing moment? I have none.
What has been your proudest moment in life so far? Getting this far in Idol.
If you couldn’t sing, which talent would you most like to have? Act.
What is your definition of an AMERICAN IDOL? A person that everyone can look up to… young and old.
Who is your favorite judge and why? Don’t know yet!
What would people be surprised to learn about you? I can sing opera.
How has this changed your life? It’s made me realize that I have chosen the right craft to pursue.
Do you have any lucky charms? No!
Who are your heroes in life? Parents.
What’s been your toughest obstacle in life? Finding real friends.
Do you think the audition process was fair? Yes!
If you win, who will you thank first? God.
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‘American Idol’ magazine coming out; ‘Idol’ keeps chugging along in the ratings
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Diana DeGarmo is on the premiere cover. I’m not sure where it will be disributed or how widely but I’m sure it’ll be at your local Kroger or Publix checkout line area soon…
‘IDOL THE MAGAZINE’ HITS STANDS
‘AMERICAN Idol’ fans are chewing their gum a little faster today.
The first issue of “American Idol: The Magazine” hits newsstands this week â€â€? a bimonthly built around the idea that fans want to follow their favorites from tryouts to finals and record their votes from week to week.
“You watch the show, follow your favorites, vote every week and let us know your preference for the next ‘American Idol,’ ” writes “American Idol” creator, Simon Fuller, in a welcome letter fronting the magazine.
Inside, the magazine contains at least six pull-out “official” scorecards for viewers to use to play along with the show at home.
Among its features are mini-profiles on the top 75 contestants who made it to Hollywood, a lengthy story on host Ryan Seacrest and a column by last season’s runner-up, Diana DeGarmo. â€â€? Don Kaplan
Home
NEW YORK POST is a registered trademark of NYP Holdings, Inc. NYPOST.COM, NYPOSTONLINE.COM, and NEWYORKPOST.COM are trademarks of NYP Holdings, Inc. Copyright 2005 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
Okay, so nobody is actually posting responses on this blog but folks are still watching the show:
ABC News Fox’s ‘Idol’ crushes network rivals Tuesday
Reuters Feb 16, 2005 â€â€? By Cynthia Littleton LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - “American Idol” beat everything in its path again on Tuesday, topping the combined ratings of its broadcast competition in the 8 p.m. hour.
Fox’s “Idol” brought in 26.9 million viewers and an 11.5 rating/30 share in the adults 18-49 demographic, according to preliminary estimates from Nielsen Media Research. Last week, it scored 28.8 million and a 12.0/30.
The latest episode’s haul was lofty enough to beat the combined demo averages of CBS’ “NCIS” (13.4 million, 2.9/7), ABC’s combo of “My Wife & Kids” (6.5 million, 2.1/6) and “George Lopez” (6.4 million, 2.2/5), NBC’s “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” repeat (4.3 million, 1.4/4), WB’s “Gilmore Girls” (5.3 million, 2.2/6) and UPN’s “All of Us” (2.2 million, 0.9/2) and “Eve” (2.2 million, 0.9/2).
At 9 p.m., Fox’s numbers came back down to earth with its medical drama “House” (14.4 million, 5.7/14) losing nearly half of its lead-in audience. Still, the show did a slightly better job of holding its audience throughout the hour than it did last week. CBS was No. 2 in the hour in viewers with its “Dr. Phil: Romance Rescued” special (11 million, 3.5/8) while ABC nosed past CBS in adults 18-49 with “According to Jim” (9.7 million, 3.8/9) and “Rodney” (8.9 million, 3.5/8). NBC’s “Scrubs” (6.7 million, 3.1/8) improved on its lead-in and ran No. 2 to “House” in adults 18-34 but the network flagged at 9:30 p.m. with midseason sitcom “Committed” (5.9 million, 2.7/6). NBC’s fortunes improved dramatically at 10 p.m. with “Law & Order: SVU” (13.8 million, 5.6/15) pulling far ahead of the competition from CBS’ “Judging Amy” (10.8 million, 2.9/8) and third-to-last episode of ABC’s “NYPD Blue,” which is set for its series finale after 12 seasons on March 1. Fox towered over the night with an average of 20.6 million viewers and 8.6/22 in adults 18-49. CBS was its closest competitor in total viewers (11.7 million) while NBC was a distant No. 2 in the key demo (3.3/8).
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Lawrenceville’s Castine still in running on ‘Idol’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Idol” did a nice reformat last night by focusing on each room’s people one by one. It was fairly obvious though at the end which room had better talent. And Paula was a bit annoying in pouring on the faux emotional waterworks before offering the good news.
Janay was indeed MIA. I had to fish around to even see her. But Idol is trying at this point to focus on the most interesting stories in the minds of the editors. And Janay has not made the cut. Then again, Kelly Clarkson was virtually ignored in the early episodes as well. So you never know. I haven’t seen enough of Janay to even form a strong opinion of her.
And there might be some other Georgians floating around the final 45 but I don’t think they’ve featured everyone yet. We’ll find out tonight…
Rodney
Article By JENNIFER BRETT - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Viewers didn’t see much of Janay Castine on Tuesday’s “American Idol,” but they saw enough to know they’ll be seeing her again.
The 17-year-old from Lawrenceville is still in the running after judges whittled the group of hopefuls again.
Thousands auditioned at sites across the country, and just under 100 went on to Hollywood. The group was pared down to 75 before Tuesday’s show, during which judges separated the singers into four groups.
Castine was in one of the two groups who got the judges’ vote to stay in the competition. Look for her tonight; the show airs at 9 p.m. Judges will further cut the list of 44 by 20, resulting in 12 male and 12 female performers. After that, viewers will start voting.
By the way, an unscientific poll on the show’s Web site asks visitors to vote for their favorite former “Idol” participant.
As of about 9 p.m. Tuesday, former runner-up Clay Aiken was the front-runner with 59 percent of the vote, while Snellville’s Diana DeGarmo, last year’s runner-up, came in second with 28 percent.
Permalink | Comments (5) | Categories: Auditions
‘Idol’ Runner-Up Kimberley Locke Engaged
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
American Idol” runner-up Kimberley Locke is a winner when it comes to love. Locke, who competed in season two of the Fox television talent contest, said she is engaged to marry her high school sweetheart, Don Campbell. She made the announcement to TV entertainment magazine “Extra” in an interview scheduled to air Tuesday.
Locke, 27, and Campbell have dated off and on for 10 years. They plan to live in Los Angeles and have yet to set a wedding date.
“I’m going to take the time to order every wedding magazine and book ever published,” Locke told “Extra.”
She had a hit single, “8th World Wonder,” and is working on a new album, expected to be released by the end of the year.
Locke said the album “is going to be a bit more personal as I’m committed to co-writing half of it or more, which is both wonderful and nerve-racking.”
Permalink | | Categories: News
How many people actually try out in front of Simon & co.?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
From msnbc.com:
Q: On “American Idol,” how many people actually get to audition in front of Randy, Paula and Simon? - Bob, Texas
A: Andy says: The exact number who face Simon’s caustic wit, Paula’s frightening clapping, and Randy’s one-syllable comments varies in each city. But what we do know is that the judges certainly don’t see everyone who auditions, and their job doesn’t even begin until days after the announced audition day.
For “American Idol 4,” 21,000 people showed up to audition in Washington, D.C., and 15,000 auditioned in Cleveland, where the first auditions were held. In Cleveland, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe told the AP that 750 people moved on to day two. Thus, 14,250 people were cut after the first day, during which singers audition in groups. If they make it, contestants will eventually perform individually for the two executive producers.
During the process, before they meet the judges, contestants won’t just be singing: Brothers JP and Rich Molfetta told their hometown paper that, in New Orleans, “they had to endure two separate singing trials and a round of regular interviewing in which the producers learn everything they can about each contestants.”
Of course, not just the good survive this process; as we saw for three weeks, both the freakish (a mime, a woman dressed like a cow) and the delusional get shuffled in front of the judges. Like it or not, those performances are what yield ratings that massacre the show’s competition.
Gael says: Also, we’ve heard that “Idol” is not above fooling with the editing when showing audition footage. At least one contestant has claimed he auditioned in front of nameless producers, only to later see his audition edited for television to make it look as if Simon, Paula and Randy were commenting to his face. (That is the guy from Atlanta who was the movie projectionist.)
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Lawrenceville ‘Idol’ hopeful in top 74
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A guy from Jonesboro was eliminated in Wednesday’s episode as Idol judges pared the 98 hopefuls down to 74 after the group efforts. But at least one metro Atlantan remains. The fact Atlanta even had two in the final 200 was impressive considering the auditions this time around didn’t even go to Atlanta.
Teenage ‘Idol’ hopeful advances
By JENNIFER BRETT The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 02/10/05 Gwinnett’s newest “American Idol” contender is still in the hunt.
Janay Castine, 17, of Lawrenceville appeared on Wednesday’s show performing with two other girls in a group competition.
She and another girl in the group remained in the competition, while a third was sent home.
Castine is enrolled in a Gwinnett school, but officials would not say which school she attends, citing privacy regulations.
Last year, Snellville’s Diana DeGarmo, a Shiloh High School student, finished second in the widely popular televised talent show.
Early in Wednesday’s show, Castine’s mother, identified as April, was shown watching her daughter rehearse.
For the competition, Castine wore a slinky black dress and a high-voltage necklace with coordinating earrings.
Simon Cowell, the reliably blunt “Idol” judge, saluted the “bling” but didn’t seem knocked out by the girls’ rendition of “Wait a Minute Mr. Postman.”
“I kind of think I don’t care,” Cowell said.
“I don’t see any sparkle other than around your neck,” he said.
Then he told Castine he’d see her again.
“American Idol” airs again at 8 p.m. Tuesday on Fox.
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‘Idol’ punk’d on Wed. episode. Comic/actor is “rappin’ nanny”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
FALSE ‘IDOL’
By DON KAPLAN
The New York Post
‘AMERICAN Idol,” you’ve been punk’d.
A comedian who’s appeared on “Trading Spaces” and Comedy Central fooled the series’ producers and host into believing he was a rapping nanny.
The episode was telecast Wednesday night.
When “Idol” held auditions in San Francisco last fall, comic Chris Wylde donned a geeky striped shirt and clunky black glasses and, using his real name, Christopher Noll, told everyone he was employed as a nanny for two little girls.
For his audition, Wylde free-style rapped about the show’s judges â€â€? including how Randy Jackson has lost a lot of weight.
Ultimately, they declined to pass him on to the show’s next round in Hollywood. But it was close.
Judge Paula Abdul noted that he was “the most original thing we’ve seen all day” and gave him the thumbs up â€â€? as did celebrity judge Brandy, the R&B singer.
But they were outvoted.
“The kids get to keep their nanny,” snarky judge Simon Cowell said dryly after the wacky performance as Wylde turned his back on the camera and seemed to be holding back laughter.
Wylde left the audition uttering a string of obscenities sure to get the attention of “Idol” producers and score him some time on national TV.
Wylde is really an actor who’s appeared in a variety of movies ranging from “Coyote Ugly” and “Joe Dirt” to “Evolution.”
He also had his own, short-lived show on Comedy Central in 2001, called “The Chris Wylde Show Starring Chris Wylde.”
Wylde was also featured recently on a “celebrity edition” of the popular cable home makeover show, “Trading Spaces,” when the series redecorated his Los Angeles apartment.
Yesterday he was said to be filming a commercial and was not available for comment. But he apparently knew his hoax would be quickly discovered.
He gave his management the heads up about his appearance on “Idol” and told them to brace themselves for the phone calls from curious members of the press.
Officials of “Idol” declined to comment, but they did not appear to know that Wylde was a comic â€â€? albeit, one who was not very well known.
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