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Access Atlanta > American Idol Buzz > Archives > 2006 > December > 08
Friday, December 8, 2006
12/9: Mandisa signs with EMI Nashville
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mandisa, an “Idol 5” finalist who is clearly going the gospel route, has signed with EMI Nashville, according to her Myspace page.
According to the site, “She is currently meeting with producers in order to determine who will be a good fit to produce the songs for the album. The album is slated to be released in the spring, and a more definite date will be announced soon.”
Though Mandisa has lived in Nashville for awhile, she was able to get onto “Idol” thanks to Star 94 and she has a brother who lives in town.
12/8: Paris signs with indie label (UPDATED)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Idol Chatter blog at USA Today a couple days ago noted that Fayetteville’s Paris Bennett had signed a record deal with an indie label but didn’t identify which one. Well, she’s kept it in the family. Paul Jones, her uncle, is heading the label in question, 306 Entertainment, which is based out of the Twin Cities, where Paris grew up. He noted that the site has not been updated with Paris’ name yet but there are three other artists on the label: J. Isaac, Jamecia (her mom) and Knowledge MC. (The 306, Jones said, stands for the room number of the hotel in Memphis where Martin Luther King Jr. was shot in 1968.)
Jones said Paris is still working on her first album, due out in March and not surprisingly, it will be R&B pop. “It will be something all her ‘American Idol’ fans will love,” he promises. “She loves ‘American Idol’ everything. She loves what they’ve done for her. She’s appreciative.”
I was sent a couple of her songs, including a mid-tempo dance tune “B-Bye” and a Mary J. Blige-style R&B tune “Dreamin’ ” which has a hook that reminds me a bit of Blu Cantrell’s “Hit ‘Em Up Style.” Jones said “Dreamin’ ” is going to be made available in January on iTunes. Among the producers she’s working with are Jon Jon Traxx, who has worked with Beyonce; Darren Lighty (who wrote the hit “Too Close” by Next) and Rodney Jerkins, who has produced for Mary J. Blige, Beyonce and Mariah Carey, to name a few.
She’s working on her her album primarily in Minneapolis but still considers Fayetteville her home base and hopes to eventually find a place in Atlanta for herself at some point, Jones said.
Paris’ publicist in New York, Double XXposure, is setting up an interview for me by phone for next Thursday so if you have any questions for Paris, email me at rho@ajc.com. And I’m supposed to be talking with Kellie Pickler by phone Monday prior to her Arbor Place Toys for Tots appearance Tuesday Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. so if you have any questions her, pass them along, too.
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