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Access Atlanta > American Idol Buzz > Archives > 2008 > April > 11
Friday, April 11, 2008
4/12: Michael Johns exit interview, friends reaction
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m going to speak to Michael Johns one on one Monday but for now, here are the highlights from the mass press conference interview call this afternoon:
He actually thanked me for my coverage when I got on line. What a classy guy!
Anyway, I asked him why his off-stage goofy persona was so different from his serious. earnest on-stage persona.
“When I perform, I get into it. Even when I’m in dress rehearsal. I go up another notch. I don’t know what comes out sometimes. Off stage, it’s a whole different persona. I’m just Michael. I like to have fun and cut up. But onstage, we go to work.”
And what song would he have sung next week for Mariah Carey week? (My standard question).
“A really cool soul blues version of Vision of Love. It was hot, too. I’m a little bummed I can’t do it.”
His reaction again to being dropped so early? “I would be lying if I say I wasn’t shocked. I hadn’t been in the bottom three. I thought my last two, three weeks were my strongest. But you know in this competition, stuff happens. And it did.”
Some reporter asked him if his choice of ascot might have hurt him? “The ascot that killed America?” Johns mused. “It was a fun outfit. It was time for me to step it up stylistically.”
Did he enjoy the medleys? “I tried to bring as much light to it. If you take it too seriously, you look like an idiot. I tried to have fun and just laugh. I actually really enjoyed Wednesdays.”
On this season’s crop of singers: “Of any season, to be part of this one is special. There were no laughing stocks, no jokers. [He was clearly referencing the likes of Chicken Little and Sanjaya.] We had a lot of respect in the public eye. That’s something I can be very proud of.”
He was honored when he heard Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, fellow Aussies, were fans of his. And he spoke with Dolly Parton on “Fox & Friends” this morning and she raved about him, too.
On Simon “He wanted me to sing more blues soul. Not every theme week fit that. Through the competition, I wanted to show a representation of the kind of artist I’m going to be. I’m going to do rock soul. I’m proud I stayed true to that.”
As for the reacton to his departure “Nothiing’s sunk in yet but it means a lot. It means I struck a nerve somewhere.”
Will he ever go back to Australia as a resident? “I’ve been here [in the United States] 10 years. I love it here. I’ve been here my whole adult life. I’m going to be living here the rest of my life.”
On wearing that Dolly Parton T-shirt last week “We were backstage putting on outfits. One of the stylists hung it up there, this vintage Dolly Parton T-shirt as a gag… So I went went on stage and wore it, try to lighten things up. He gave me a look—are you crazy? It was well worth it.”
On Ryan cruelly teasing him about possibly staying alive another week “I get the television aspect of this competition. It was tough… When he said that, I thought maybe I’m going through, they’re just having a good laugh… then reality set in… I don’t hold it against Ryan.”
I didn’t pay much attention last night to his last performance but he did sing “Dream On” with more heart and soul than he did on Tuesday. “I wasn’t thinking. I was just feeling,” he said. “I’m glad that came across.”
I spoke to a few of Michael Johns’ closest friends from Atlanta and here are their reactions to his departure:
Blaine Terry, 27, Buckhead. Johns would sack out at Blaine’s pad when he visits Atlanta: “A bottle of scotch later, I’m okay. I figured he might be in the bottom three since he hasn’t before. But I didn’t expect him to go.” He said his phone blew up at 9:01 p.m. Thursday and he spoke with 30 to 40 people that night until 1 a.m. and received 200-plus text messages from outraged friends, family and acquaintances.
Marc Thomes, 28, attorney, Atlanta. He tried to look on the bright side: “I think it might be a good thing for his career long term. He’ll be able to move on and make the record he always wanted without as much of that Idol stigma if he had stayed on longer.” He was able to talk to him briefly Thurday night. “He was in good spirits. He was shocked but he’ll move on.” He said he and Blaine were at Marc’s pad and were stunned into silence when the news broke.
Cary Franklin, 30, Atlanta, owner of entertainment site www.sneakysunday.com. A former pro tennis player, Cary met Michael Johns through Collective Soul’s Dean Roland and he and Mike have spent time on the courts. He was in San Francisco on business last night when people began texting him with the news. “My mom called all panicked,” he said. “I was really shocked. I felt like he was going to have his work cut out for him once he made the top five. But I really thought he’d be safe a few more weeks. I thought he was picking up momentum.” He did wonder why Michael never used the guitar, a staple for Brooke and Jason. “He’s a very accomplished guitar player,” he said.
Jason Ingram, 34, Atlanta production graphics specialist: “The way the news was delivered was weird.” He said he went through the multiple stages of grief relatively rapidly, anger, sadness, then reality set in. “When I talked to him a year about doing this show, Michael wanted to just get out there and get some exposure and allow people to see he’s a worthy artist. That was accomplished. He’s in the game. Sure, he wanted to win. I’d have less of a problem if he had made the top 4 or 5. I think the show loses a bit of an element he brought.” He said the one bad thing is Michael won’t get a chance to work with future mentor Andrew Lloyd Weber. “I know he was really looking forward to that. He could have taught him something about hths voice and expanded him in a new genre.”
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4/11: Theories why Michael Johns is gone
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For those of you wondering when my Josh Gracin interview will ever be posted, well, I’m going to have to make you wait yet again because it’s all about Michael Johns today!
I’m going to post his post interview comments from the press conference later today and I’m going to try to get a one on one with him by phone (though that may not happen until Monday.) But first: every theory I can think of postulating why he didn’t get the support this week in classic Monday morning quarterbacking form:
1- He never fully defined himself. The judges themselves complimented him more when he went the bluesy rocker route rather than arena rock. And that’s when he best connected with the audience. But he opted for a more traditional rock song with “Dream On” by Aerosmith. And though it was good, he’s no Steven Tyler.
2- Even as a rocker, he lacked that rocker edge. He’s a nice guy. All his friends said so. He emanated niceness all around. Even when he tried to emote “serious rock dude,” he couldn’t quite pull it off. Ironically, despite being a nice guy, he always came across as too serious on stage and never seemed totally relaxed.
3- He’s an Australian native. Sure, he’s married to an American and all that, but some bloggers here (War Eagle, for one) didn’t think he should be the “American” Idol. That might have cost him some votes.
4- He went first. Viewership is about 20 percent lower at the start of the show vs. the end of the show. That doesn’t help matters. That’s why the pimp spot is so important and that helped keep Brooke out of the bottom three despite lukewarm feedback.
5- His fans got complacent. Michael on Tuesday was good, but not particularly bad or inspirationally great. David Cook had arguably his worst performance to date and that in and of itself could have landed him in the bottom three. But his fans knew he wasn’t working from a position of strength and voted hot and heavy. Michael’s fans didn’t step up.
6- Rocker fans preferred David Cook. Men who like rock didn’t generally like Michael. Women certainly did. And they vote more than guys. But Cook certainly diverted potential fans for Michael.
For comparison, here are the other folks who were eliminated at this point in past years:
season one: A.J. Gil. Yah, I know. Who?
season two: Rickey Smith. Hercules, hercules, hercules! Nope, he was okay but more Chikezie level than Ruben level.
season three: Jon Peter Lewis. Goofy dancer, so-so singer.
season four: Nadia Turner. Sniff. I still like her. Her fire. Her passion. But strange song choices did her in.
season five: Bucky Covington. Decent country singer and the most successful eighth place finisher to date. (I will be posting an interview I did with him Monday in advance of the CMT Awards.)
season six: Haley Scarnato. She’s got legs… and not much else going for her.
