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Access Atlanta > American Idol Buzz > Archives > 2008 > April > 07
Monday, April 7, 2008
4/7: Idol Gives Back spoilers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Part of Idol Gives Back was taped Sunday night at the Kodak Theatre and will be melded into the live show Wednesday.
Kristin Sample from TVSquad saw the show and gives her skinny on it.. If you want to be surprised, don’t read the rest of this entry.
Among the celebs who show up on stage: Snoop Dogg, Reese Witherspoon, Brad Pitt, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Miley Cyrus (right), Carrie Underwood, Annie Lennox, Fergie, Heart.
I also spoke with Jason Igram, a friend of Michael Johns, who sat in the first balcony of the Kodak Theatre last night. He said he enjoyed the Robin Williams bit with Randy, Simon and Paula. He apparently plays a Russian “Idol” contestant. Billy and Miley tease each other about not knowing who each person is. Ryan hosted. The contestants got to do a couple of group sings, the opener featuring some “So You Think You Can Dance” dancers. He said Jimmy Kimmel was hilarious cutting down Simon.
The taping itself lasted 3 to 3.5 hours with no commercial breaks.
The New York Times noted that “Idol” has not released a full accounting of how the $76 million raised last year was spent. But after reading the story, it sounds like “Idol” has been prudent in how it spend and distributed the money.
A spokesman for the Charity Projects Entertainment Fund, the organization that oversaw the fund-raising and distribution, said its financial statements were being audited and would be released by the federal financial reporting deadline for charities in May.
That does little, however, to help individuals and corporations that, while considering further contributions, might wonder what happened to the money they gave last year. But interviews with officials involved in the charities that received money as well as people associated with the fund-raising effort show that most of what was raised last year has been given or pledged to organizations fighting poverty in the United States and Africa. Some $5 million of last year’s proceeds and interest remains undistributed.
I’ve got interviews set up for Josh Gracin Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. and Friday with Clay Aiken at 2:40 p.m. Any questions I should ask either? Email me at rho@ajc.com.
