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Access Atlanta > American Idol Buzz > Archives > 2008 > December > 14 > Entry
12/14: Michael Johns interview at Gwinnett Arena for Infinite Energy Tennis Slam
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Michael Johns says hey to his old bud Murphy Jensen, a former pro doubles tennis player.
We are converting to Wordpress soon, a more popular blog software. The good news there is you will be able to see your posts much much faster. I will try to do the conversion this week, time permitting.
Anyway, I stopped by Gwinnett Arena for the Infinite Energy Atlanta Tennis Slam, a charitable tennis exhibition Saturday night featuring Michael Johns as musical entertainment. I had to do Christmas shopping afterwards so my girlfriend and I only came for a pre-party to talk to Michael. He was feeling much better than he did at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in October, when he was visibly ill from food poisoning.
This time, he was with his Atlanta friend Cary Franklin, a former tennis partner. They actually got an hour of tennis in Friday and Cary thought Michael didn’t do half bad. I did a video interview with Michael. I don’t have editing software so it’s completely raw and my inexperience at doing video interviews certainly shows. (My girlfriend Helen Kim shot the video and inserts a question herself in the mix.)
Michael said he’s finished with his album, which will be more rock soul than rock rock. It’s due out in March, he said, with a single out in February. He’s doing a charity event with Nigel Lythgoe tonight. And he was vague about his Christmas plans, joking he’ll be working on his “Wii bowling.” He also mentioned how he got to Georgia, via a tennis scholarship, that he was a top 10 player in Australia in his age group as a teen. But he realized he wasn’t good enough to go pro.
He also said he’d love to move to Atlanta and misses it deeply. He hates to leave, he said. But for career purposes, L.A. is his home for now.
Anyway, here’s the video, for better or worse, with the bad lighting and awful background. Have mercy on me! (The videographer, of course, was brilliant!)
Comments
By flats
December 14, 2008 11:15 AM | Link to this
FIRST WOOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!HEY YALL!
By JTesla
December 14, 2008 11:54 AM | Link to this
Great interview. Michael Johns has gotten a lot better with interviews, half a years experience has allowed him to hone his skills. Not that he was bad before, but he says the right things and lets his humor come through. I like the comments from the camera person, and aside from a few parts very steady camera work too.
By Pamela Johnson
December 14, 2008 2:45 PM | Link to this
What a fantastic interview! So much new information, and Michael looks just fabulous.
Great job, Rodney, and thank you so much for doing this! And Helen did a terrific job, as well.
By sarah
December 14, 2008 3:19 PM | Link to this
Great interview - a lot of fun. Of course MJ is a lot of fun - can’t wait for Feb
By JTesla
December 14, 2008 3:23 PM | Link to this
Oh and I’m very happy to hear about the blog conversion! Great news.
By astrogal
December 14, 2008 3:59 PM | Link to this
Thanks for the incredible interview. It was very informative. The videographer was awesome, as were you.
By Deirdre
December 14, 2008 7:03 PM | Link to this
Great stuff Rodney…And thanks to Helen too! Girlfriend??? I thought you were going to run that kinda stuff by me first. :-)
You look good on camera, kiddo!
Re Michael Johns…lots of good info given out. I am glad to see him so busy. He needs to keep his face(and voice) in the news and he’s doing a good job of it. (especially in Atlanta with your help)
Re the new format…if you recall, I said I’d be happy to call you and get you up early this morning to get it done……did you forget???? :-)
By hannah
December 14, 2008 9:57 PM | Link to this
Awesome interview. Nice and relaxed, but you got some great info. Thanks.
By Deirdre
December 15, 2008 8:45 AM | Link to this
Morning!
My company leaves later today. I’ll be writing Christmas cards for the rest of the day.
Good news about the new format!!!!!!
By kelly&carriefan
December 15, 2008 9:17 AM | Link to this
Hi y’all!
youtube is blocked at the office, so i can’t comment. ButWordpress?! dancing That will be awesome!
By linny ,,,=^..^=,,,
December 15, 2008 9:26 AM | Link to this
morning blogsters. wordpress will be soooooo awesome Rodney! I will have to catch the interview later, can’t do that at work. and with both younger kids (21 & 23 — younger?!?) at home for the holidays… well let’s just say i won’t get hands-on time with the computer much for a couple of weeks!!
looks good from what i can tell, and i’m looking forward to it! Michael Johns IS interesting news!!!
I definitely need to add his CD to my AI collection! Tho’ i may have to buy a second Daughtry, hubby has confiscated mine…
lots to do, little time to do it so i’ll be back later if i can!
peace and Happy Holidays [choose your particular brand] and from me — Merry Christmas!
By Lara
December 15, 2008 9:56 AM | Link to this
Good morning blogsters! Had my friends over for our “non-gift exchange” party last night - I am exhausted!
I can’t watch the interview here at work, but, RODNEY, I am sure you did a great job. I did notice the word “girlfriend” used a couple of times there…interesting!!!! I love it that the picture is with Murphy - he and Luke were always so much fun to watch play tennis! Great guys!!!
By Deirdre
December 15, 2008 12:47 PM | Link to this
Subject for today. What’s your favorite Christmas song?
I’ll start(you KNEW I would):-).
I love The Christmas Song(Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…)
When I feel melancholy, I love I’ll Be Home For Christmas.
My favorite carol is Joy to the World.
And my all time favorite is O Holy Night.
By Jane
December 15, 2008 12:47 PM | Link to this
thanks Rodney! Great interview with Michael and so much interesting news!! I love the video too..he is so natural and fun..it was a pleasure to watch! I hope you get to interview him again next time he has an event in Altanta!!
By kelly&carriefan
December 15, 2008 1:07 PM | Link to this
My All Time Fave is O Holy Night (sung by Kelly’s version…of course), Sleigh Ride, and Joy to the World.
OH, and All I Want For Christmas. It’s the only Mariah song I actually love. (The others…meh.)
By JTesla
December 15, 2008 1:31 PM | Link to this
Silent Night, O Holy Night, and several songs that I would consider classics (Chestnuts, Rudolph, White Christmas, even Sleigh Ride). I have never cared much for re-makes of classic songs done by current artists.
By linny ,,,=^..^=,,,
December 15, 2008 1:41 PM | Link to this
O Holy Night has to be my all-time fave, but the famous Hallelujah Chorus is right up there; I love all the classic Christmas songs, and I enjoy many of the more secular ones. But O Holy Night done right is by far and away my classic favorite. Most memorable, however would be Away in a Manger — I and my generation learned it with one melody, while my Mom’s recollection (and what she taught me) was a very different melody … and i preferred the older one, so most of my friends thought i could not sing it “correctly” LOL!
JT, I’m sort of with you on the modern remakes. Although, I guess “Jingle Bell Rock” and Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree” used to be considered modern, right? (well they WERE new songs when i was a kid!!!)
By harrietth
December 15, 2008 2:32 PM | Link to this
Linny, I know there is a new thread up, but I had to respond to your recollection about Away in a Manger. That is the way I learned it as a child, too. The melody and accents on the words were different. It went sort of like “A-way-in-ah-ah-manger, no crib for his bed.” And, for my money, there is nothing like Alabama’s modern classic (no oxymoron, really) “Christmas in Dixie.” When I lived away from home, that one used to choke me up.
By linny ,,,=^..^=,,,
December 15, 2008 2:44 PM | Link to this
Harrietth!!!! thank you thank you!!!! and you described it PERFECTLY, LOL!!!
By kbr
December 15, 2008 5:02 PM | Link to this
Thanks so much for the Michael Johns interview Rodney, even better that it’s on video! You definitely got some key info that Michael has been vague about in other interviews: single release, album release, number of songs recorded. So exciting!
By kbr
December 15, 2008 5:02 PM | Link to this
Thanks so much for the Michael Johns interview Rodney, even better that it’s on video! You definitely got some key info that Michael has been vague about in other interviews: single release month, album release month, number of songs recorded. So exciting!
By Linda
December 16, 2008 1:14 AM | Link to this
I don’t know if you post things about all of the idols, but David Archuleta’s video for his upcoming single “A Little Too Not Over You” came out today on Yahoo music.
Thanks for the Michael Johns interview.
By Terry
December 16, 2008 10:52 AM | Link to this
Thanks for the interview..Nothing better then seeing Michael Johns..that is one Big Sweetheart. Love Him!