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Access Atlanta > American Idol Buzz > Archives > 2008 > December > 05 > Entry
12/5: Catching up with Diana DeGarmo, Chikezie before Athens concert
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I won’t be able to catch the Athens concerts tonight and tomorrow (if anybody goes, please email me your pics/roundup at rho@ajc.com!). You have to wonder how they are going to fill the 2,100-seat Classic Center. I do plan to catch up with Justin Guarini at the free Salvation Army concert at 6 p.m. Sunday.
And I did talk briefly with Diana DeGarmo and Chikezie. I didn’t have a huge amount to ask Chikezie. Given his R&B skills, I’m sure he’ll be able to get gigs in the near future. A big star? That’s a high order.
Chikezie noted that this tour was put together by Michael Orland, one of the “Idol” vocal coaches.
“I’ll be having fun,” he said. “I hope the audience does.” Before the tour, he said he was writing and making contacts, plus he got himself an agent. His favorite event since the “Idol’ ended was a high school charity basketball game where he sang with a rapper, where they did a semi-improved version of “Santeria” by Sublime.
He noted that it’s great to work with David Hernandez again. They were apparently in the same early round cattle call audition in San Diego together. Hernandez, he said, was playing “A Change is Gonna Come.” Chikezie offered up a different version on his MP3 player but Hernandez said no way. He remembers telling Hernandez he could make the top 12 — and he was right.
Chikezie was a big fan of the show from day one and was excited to sing alongside vets such as Diana DeGarmo and Kimberlely Locke. “They get the job done every night with no problem,” he said.
Diana DeGarmo, now a Nashville resident but formerly of Snellville, is still working on her country album. And since her Broadway gig fell through a few months ago, she had time to do this tour. The Shiloh High School choral group will be there to sing the final song with them, a pure coincidence, she said. “They won the competition,” she said. “It had nothing to do with me but it makes going back home that much sweeter.”
She’s going to sing one of her original country songs at the concert called “Thank You,” which is about her experience overseas during a USO tour. She is going to sell an acoustic EP of some of her self-penned songs at the Athens concert to give fans a taste of what she’s doing. She said the songs will be up on iTunes next week as well.
She said she had never worked with Kimberley before. “We’ve had a good time,” she said. “Everyone has put their best foot forward. The boys are learning. We’re the ‘old school’ alums. We love trading war stories about the show.”
Here she is on YouTube dueting with Kimberley in El Paso on Monday:
Diana’s jealous how the newer “Idols” got ear monitors instead of monitors on the grates of the floor. They also got live bands and an extra vocal coach. She also recalls voting for Chikezie one week. (Chikezie remembers voting for Kimberley Locke season two).
The only downside to working this month, she said, is she’s had no time to decorate her own pad with Christmas. But she will be home in Atlanta for Christmas.
Diana’s doing auditions for another Broadway gig. She also has been focused on writing songs not just for herself but for others. She’d love for a major artist to pick up one of her songs. She’s even dabbling in songs for guys. She also lamented how male-dominated the business is.
-Mediabase reports that David Archuleta’s next single will be “A Little Too Not Over You.”
-Jennifer Hudson released a statement after getting four Grammy nominations, according to People.com:
“It’s been a childhood dream of mine to release an album,” she said in a statement, “so to receive four Grammy nominations is truly a blessing. I’m extremely honored and humbled by the nominations.”
-19 Entertainment has a hard time keeping its “Idols.” Jordin Sparks has split, according to her myspace page.
Comments
By harrietth
December 5, 2008 3:48 PM | Link to this
Thanks for the update, Rodney! I wish I lived closer. I’d go to the Athens concert.
By JTesla
December 5, 2008 3:49 PM | Link to this
Thanks for the interviews, it’s too bad that you can’t make one of the shows.
By linny ,,,=^..^=,,,
December 5, 2008 3:52 PM | Link to this
Rodney sorry to hear you won’t make it to Athens… i can’t afford to pay for tix to the concert, so i can’t represent you…sorry :-(
sounds like Diana’s doing well, and it’s good to see Chikezie doing ok also… Locke is no surprise, and Hernandez will land on his feet i think doing whatever he chooses, may be no super star but certainly adequate for the industry. better than a lot of them out there, imho.
have a great weekend, all….
By harrietth
December 5, 2008 3:52 PM | Link to this
JT, were you the one I was discussing Heroes with?
By Linda
December 5, 2008 4:00 PM | Link to this
FYI- David Archuleta’s new single “A Little Too Not Over You” was supposed to come out next Tuesday the 9th, but has now been changed to January 6th.
By Deirdre
December 5, 2008 4:01 PM | Link to this
Back from shopping!
Thanks for the brief interview, Rodney and I’m sorry to hear you won’t be going to Athens to see the show. I hope somebody who goes will come on tomorrow and review it for us.
I LOVED the song in the Diana/Kim video.
By JTesla
December 5, 2008 4:12 PM | Link to this
harrietth, yes on Heroes. I think the season is getting better as it goes along, but can I just point out that 1) solar eclipses don’t last that long 2) eclipses do not affect that vast of a geographic area 3) solar eclipses, being rather rare events, would generate far more interest then the total lack of interest shown on the part of everyone who wasn’t a hero. After suspending my disbelief, the last two shows really put the series back on track.
By harrietth
December 5, 2008 4:23 PM | Link to this
Great assessment, JT. You really have a grasp of what’s going on. We talked about how one-dimensional the characters were at the first of the season, but, like you, I have liked it better and better the more it goes on. The eclipse was a lame device, IMO, for reasons you pointed out. I really like the tension between Claire and her father again, too.
By harrietth
December 5, 2008 4:27 PM | Link to this
It is finally 4:30, or almost! This day has been busy, but has not gone fast at all—especially the afternoon. JT, I look forward to talking more about Heroes with you. Bye for now.
By Chris
December 5, 2008 6:21 PM | Link to this
Thanks for the interviews, Rodney. It’s too bad you can’t attend the Athens show.
Chikezie is a talented singer, but I’m not sure I see any appeal for him or his type of voice on radio. It’d be nice if he could have some kind of career post-Idol though.
I’m pretty interested in Diana’s country project. I found the USO song Thank You on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z95Q8F_A0G4 It’s very heartfelt and touching. I will be checking her music out on iTunes when it comes out.
By Deirdre
December 5, 2008 10:18 PM | Link to this
Chris, thanks for the video. Diana’s song was very good. She has a lovely voice.
By Julie
December 6, 2008 12:43 AM | Link to this
I was able to listen to the Athens show via cellcast at Rickey.org and it sounds like it was a great show. If the crowd was small they were a LOUD small crowd. All the performers were greeted warmly. Diana absolutely turned the place upside down with her original tune “Thank You.’ Kim Locke did the same with “Band of Gold.” Chikezie and David were both excellent as well. The show ended with the Shiloh choir joining them onstage and the highlight there was “Oh Come All Ye Faithful.” I hope those there in person had as much fun as I did listening over the computer. :)
By Deirdre
December 6, 2008 8:17 AM | Link to this
Thanks for the review, Julie.
Did anyone reading this blog see the show. Idol fans here would like to hear your impressions.
By liquid vitamins
December 7, 2008 12:10 AM | Link to this
All I know is that it will soon be time for American Idol to start.
liquid vitamins
By JTesla
December 7, 2008 11:57 PM | Link to this
Did anyone catch the finale of the Amazing Race? I usually don’t watch, but I had to see it since Portland was featured in it. The place with the Green Dinosaur is where my coffee shop is located. Yes, the world needs to know that ;)
By flbravesgirl
December 8, 2008 12:41 AM | Link to this
Hi y’all. My family & I were at Disney World this weekend & ran into David Cook in the lobby of the Boardwalk. He was there to tape a segment to be aired during Disney’s Christmas Parade. He graciously posed for a photo & chatted for a moment. Very nice & humble & thanked us warmly for our support. It was strange to see him waiting in line to get to the front desk like a regular person.
By Deirdre
December 8, 2008 7:40 AM | Link to this
Morning!
Thanks flbravesgirl! Lucky you!!!! David gives off a definite impression of humbleness(humble-tude?)
JT…now you’ll have stalkers where you get your coffee. Watch your back! :-)
By Lara
December 8, 2008 8:50 AM | Link to this
Good monday morning, blogsters! I watch Heroes, and have liked this season a little better than the last. But they still haven’t beat that first season…the writers have a lot to catch up to on that one.
I also watched The Amazing Race last night. I was so glad the Frat Boys did not win - how can someone “march” like that one guy? Was he serious? I wonder why the mom and son team was not there at the end. They had lost their passports in Russia, I wonder if they were stuck!?
FLBravesgrl - how cool that you ran into Mr. Cook! He seems like a cool guy. Now I can’t wait to see the Disney Christmas parade. Were you able to be at the Magic Kingdom for the taping? I freakin’ love WDW and need to get back there soon!
Ok, gotta go get some work done.
By linny ,,,=^..^=,,,
December 8, 2008 9:28 AM | Link to this
morning blogsters…
JT! Lara! so who DID win, lol, i forgot to watch! (AR)
Thanks for the info re the AI concert in Athens — i wondered how it went…
Last Thursday’s CSI was an AI-takeoff … there was a guy with a “stage father”, a girl who’s grandmother used to be a performer … both aspects played into the plot, there was even a guy with “crazy hair” with a name suspiciously like sanjaya’s, LOL!!! the producer was the one with the “attitude a’la’Simon” … but of course there were more subplots, and it was an interesting show, actually. No “actual competition” footage, however. i’d forgotten to mention it friday, was a crazeeee day.
hope you all are doing well, had great weekends (sorry about the Falcons) and i’ll catchya later!
By JTesla
December 8, 2008 9:45 AM | Link to this
Linny, it was the brother and sister. Which is good, after watching only one show, I know why the seperated couple were listed as that.
By linny ,,,=^..^=,,,
December 8, 2008 10:53 AM | Link to this
I sort of figured they might win; they were ahead most of the time, from the bits and pieces i saw (i usually watch “Cold Case” which comes on after AR … usually because of football, it’s running late, so i’d see the end of Race first. I cannot figure out why CBS can’t just move their sunday night line up by 1/2 hour (that’s what it usually runs over)…makes for pains on DVRing anything, since the recording is based on the listing time !!
just a few weeks to AI, now! and Lost! woohoo!! and 24!!!! eeeHA!!!!