American Idol 2006--Live Thread (Part II)

FOX ^ | 3-25-06

[TonyWpi]

I think there's a good chance that Paris' votes swing toward Elliott.

I thought the way he acted when the two were standing together at the end holding hands and his reaction when she was "voted off" was very classy. I think those who voted for Paris to "vote for the underdog" will swing to Elliott with ease.

Some of her votes will go to Katharine (the "girl power" vote), but Elliott seems poised to be the prime benefactor.

Elvis week should be a boost for Taylor. After getting gypped on several songs during past weeks (Last minute changes and stuff), that will be a much needed change.

But don't count out Mr. Tumnus! He may even come from behind and surprise us all!

[kevkrom]

Elvis week should be a boost for Taylor.

I'll say the same thing I said for the "country" contestants on country night -- because this is right in Taylor's "wheelhouse", he has to win the night. He cannot afford to let any other contestant out-do him on either performance.

[SirLinksalot]

this is right in Taylor's "wheelhouse", he has to win the night. He cannot afford to let any other contestant out-do him on either performance.

IF it is Elvis night next week, Taylor can shine. But once again, he has to show off his vocals AND performing ability to make the TOTAL PACKAGE. Make it a concert for the fans. He did great this week by doing a balance of PERFORMING (PTFMWB) and VOCALS ( Something).

Here is a complete list of songs Elvis recorded through the years :

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/samples/B00000JYA6/ref=dp_tracks_all_1/103-1301391-2726221?%5Fencoding=UTF8#disc_1

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I am not going to suggest any the fast, performance songs except to say that I suggest he keep away from the songs that John Peter Lewis of season 3 did ( A LITTLE LESS CONVERSATION and JAILHOUSE ROCK — which was JPL’s last song before he got voted off ).

Of the 4 remaining singers, Taylor pretty much is unchallenged when it comes to the fast Elvis songs so I trust his instincts here.

For the slow songs, I strongly suggest he stays out of the cliched songs that Elvis sang. Among those he should AVOID — LOVE ME TENDER, CAN’T HELP FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOU, ARE YOU LONESOME TONIGHT.

One great slow song would be — CRYING IN THE CHAPEL ( and if he wants a Bluesy, Soulful version of it, I suggest he listen to Don Mclean’s version ). Don Mclean recorded this song A CAPPELA with 4 part harmony as back-up. You can listen to a portion of it here :

http://www.mp3.com/don-mclean/artists/4172/songs.html

You can find the CD where Don Mclean recorded the song here :

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/samples/B00000DRDN/ref=dp_tracks_all_1/103-1301391-2726221?%5Fencoding=UTF8#disc_1

Background music tends to be too loud and overshadow you. If Taylor can do this song WITHOUT background instruments and only a barber shop quartet as backup and do justice to it… HE HAS THE CROWN IN THE BAG.

This song showcases POWER and RANGE and ABILITY TO HARMONIZE and will silence those who keep saying that Taylor is covering his vocal inadequacies with dancing and entertaining. It will be a Bo Bice "IN A DREAM" moment when he sang A Capella last season. Let the other contestants have the band. Taylor must do something different

——————————————–

Having said that, LET ME ADD A WORD IN ANTICIPATION OF ELVIS NIGHT. I CAN ALMOST GUARANTEE THIS.

Taylor is in a no win situation for this theme.

I am sure that the Soul Patrol is tired of Simon describing Taylor as a cheesy wedding singer or drunk into every comment that he makes the past few weeks.

I don’t know if he is trying very hard to railroad the voters into believing that Taylor is NOT the one to be the finalist and winner of this Idol competition or he is applying reverse psychology to prod Taylor’s fans to vote for him en masse.

Interestingly, Barry Manilow said Taylor is a whiskey tenor voice and that Rod Stewart loved the way he moves and said a real performer has to perform. Rod in effect tells Taylor not to listen to Simon.

So lets face it, EVEN IF IT IS ELVIS NIGHT, Simon will chastise him if he “ROCKS” and tell him he’s playing it safe and boring if he doesn’t.

For those who are Taykor fans, just be prepared for it. As for Taylor, just say to yourself -- s__w Simon, I'm doing it for the fans.

[over3Owithabrain]

Shep once again proving himself to be a Grade-A-hole.

Too bad AI has to engage in so much manipulation this season, but that's the problem when you pimp someone so underqualified (Kat) and someone so one-dimensional (Chris).

[over3Owithabrain]

As you've mentioned previously, I think Taylor is done with trying to please Simon or fit the AI mold. He made that clear last week - he will go down his way or win the thing by appealing directly to the fans. Either way he walks off a winner.

Good shout-out for Don McLean, a truly great singer/writer who I think is underrated in the pantheon of pop artists.

[RobFromGa]

Taylor has nothing to worry about till the Final 2. The support is there.

[Netizen]

I agree with the majority of your post, particularly the songs to avoid. I like Crying in the Chapel and One Night is another song that is bluesy by nature.

I think he will do one fast one slow and I'm thinking he might do All Shook Up.

And yeah, he better ignore Simon and he better not mess up.

The worst of it is that there are things that are beyond his control and you mentioned one, the band that plays too loud! He could also be the recipient of not being able to hear himself, like DeGarmo.

[SirLinksalot]

American Idol Odds Posted 5/5/06

Odds on American Idol Final Four From PinnacleSports.com; Chris Daughtry Remains Favorite to Be the Next American Idol

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao, May 4 /PRNewswire/ -- The original field of thousands of hopefuls has been narrowed down to just four remaining contestants, as the fifth series of American Idol hits the home stretch. The first company to open betting on American Idol, PinnacleSports.com has seen unprecedented interest in this edition of the hit reality show, with betting already being 20 times bigger than on the Oscars and expected to rival this year's NBA Finals. With the series nearing its grand finale, PinnacleSports.com today announced updated odds on which performer will win America's vote and become the next American Idol.

The largest sports betting site on the Internet, PinnacleSports.com originally opened wagering on the latest edition of American Idol in February, when 24 contestants remained. Early in the competition, bettors began backing Chris Daughtry to win the major recording deal and instant stardom, vaulting the 26-year-old rocker into the favorite position. Heading into next week's performance of the music of Elvis Presley, Daughtry continues to be the Idol favorite at 5/6 odds (i.e., win $5 for every $6 bet). Bettors are divided on Katharine McPhee and Taylor Hicks, who are both listed with the second-best odds to win the reality series at 3/1 odds. PinnacleSports.com has seen very little support for Elliott Yamin, who's a 19/1 long shot to become the fifth American Idol.

"Our bettors have proven to be extremely accurate forecasters of entertainment events, correctly predicting winners of multiple Oscar categories as well as recent reality shows, including the last American Idol," said Simon Noble of PinnacleSports.com. "Chris hit a high note with bettors early on and has garnered constant support throughout the competition with his consistent performances. Katharine and Taylor appear to have divided voters thus far in the competition, but with the music of Elvis Presley as the theme next week, it will surely benefit Taylor the most."

PinnacleSports.com will be offering betting options on American Idol throughout the remainder of the series until the series finale. For a complete list of American Idol odds, please visit http://www.pinnaclesports.com/idol .

Current Odds: *All odds subject to change*

Odds To Win American Idol

Chris Daughtry 5/6

Katharine McPhee 3/1

Taylor Hicks 3/1

Elliott Yamin 19/1

About PinnacleSports.com

PinnacleSports.com ( http://www.pinnaclesports.com ) is the Internet's largest sports betting site, serving customers in more than 80 countries worldwide. Founded in 1998, PinnacleSports.com was the first sports book to introduce reduced margin wagering, using a -105 pricing model that gives bettors up to 50% better value on wagers than traditional bookmakers. With low minimum bet requirements and the highest maximum limits on the Web, PinnacleSports.com has earned an industry leading reputation for providing consistent value to the player, professional customer service and the quickest payouts online. Fully licensed and regulated in Curacao, the company offers a secure environment for sports betting, racing and casino gaming.

[SirLinksalot]

http://mediafiends.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=7507&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

WHERE ARE THE PREVIOUS TOP 4 FINISHERS NOW ?

Whoever gets voted off this coming week is in some pretty good company! Here’s what’s been going on with the previous 4th place finishers since their American Idol experience:

By LindaK


Season 1: Tamyra Gray
People are still talking about how Tamyra was ‘robbed’ when Nikki moved on while she was eliminated. Although her first cd didn’t do that well, Tamyra has remained in the public eye, and in my mind, has not done too badly at all!

Tamyra played the character of Aisha Clemens on Boston Public. She was in 7 episodes in 2003 and got to sing on the show. She also guest starred on episodes of Half and Half, Tru Calling, What I Like About You and All Of Us. Tamyra had a duet on Kelly Clarkson's debut album Thankful, called "You Thought Wrong".

Tamyra returned to American Idol in season 3 and sang "Raindrops Will Fall" and "Star". She co-wrote these songs for her debut album. She also sang the National Anthem to open the final results show of the season. In addition, Tamyra co-wrote the American Idol season three single "I Believe", sung by Idol finalists Fantasia Barrino and Diana DeGarmo, and released by Fantasia as her American Idol single.

She was dropped by J Records in 2003. Her album was called The Dreamer and was released on May 25, 2004 by 19 Records, a division of 19 Management. Sales of only 122,000 were disappointing. Tamyra was dropped by 19.

In Nov. 2004 Tamyra took over the role of Priya for 12 weeks in Bombay Dreams on Broadway. However, the show closed early due to continued poor grosses.

In 2005 Tamyra was in the independent film The Gospel. Tamyra sang "Now Behold The Lamb", featured on the movie's soundtrack . Also in 2005, Tamyra was in a short film for H&M's new line of denim jeans, working with Mary J. Blige. Tamyra also sang 'And I'm Telling You (I'm Not Going)' in Dreamgirls.

In 2006 Tamyra was on an episode of The Tyra Banks Show with other previous American Idol finalists. She was also on the March 17th episode of Las Vegas (TV series) on NBC where she played a clutsy waitress . She ended the show singing the classic hit ‘Respect’.

Currently, Tamyra has recorded a second cd, which she says is more club friendly and hip-hop than her first one. She is shopping the cd to labels. She has also met with a publishing company and is considering writing songs for other artists, as she did for Kelly Clarkson and Fantasia.

Season 2: Josh Gracin
After Trenyce was eliminated, there was outrage that it should have been Josh instead. Josh was a Lance Corporal in the US Marine Corps during his time on Idol. He was known to excel when singing country music, but sometimes had difficulty with other genres. Josh was also known to answer Simon on occasion. He was excused from the Idol summer tour to fulfill his Marine duties.

Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts became a fan after Josh performed their "I'm Movin' On" on the show. After Idol, Josh signed with Lyric Street Records. His cd Josh Gracin was released on June 15th, 2004. There have been 3 top-five country singles, including the number one hit "Nothin' to Lose" and the cd has sold over 645,000 copies. One website claims that as of 2005, Josh has had the most successful post-Idol career of anyone who did not finish in the show's top two.

Josh is known for his wild concert performances which usually include going into the stands to sing. He is also known for signing autographs for anybody who wants one.

In 2005, Josh sang "Working for the Weekend" on the Herbie: Fully Loaded soundtrack, and he also sang "When I See an Elephant Fly" on the Jim Brickman album The Disney Songbook.

Josh released a new single called "Favorite State Of Mind" in March, 2006. This is the first single off his release set for June of this year.

Josh and his wife Ann Marie live in Franklin, Tennessee, and have a daughter, Briana Brenda, born on March 30, 2002, and a son, Landon Joshua, born on August 4, 2005.

Season 3: LaToya London
LaToya was considered a favorite going into the competition, and like Tamyra, there was some outrage when she was outlasted by Jasmine.

In November, 2004, LaToya signed with an imprint of Concord Records. Her first single "Appreciate" was released in July, and she also made a video. Her first album, Love and Life, was released on Sept. 20,2005. The single reached #8 on the Billboard Singles Sales Chart and the album has sold just over 50,000 copies thus far.

LaToya had to pull out of the VH1 Soul Tour with Jaguar Wright and Kindred due to a "family emergency". While on American Idol, LaToya mentioned that she was married and had stepchildren. She later confirmed that she has since separated from her husband.

Latoya released two follow-up singles, "Every Part of You" and "State of My Heart". I couldn’t find exact sales figures, but they seem to have been moderate hits. In February 2006, LaToya landed a role in Laterras R. Whitfield’s touring dramatic comedy play, "Issues: We All Have 'Em," also starring Angie Stone, Dave Hollister, and Kim Fields. She will make her film debut in "Hollywood Chaos," an upcoming movie featuring many reality television stars.

LaToya lives in southern California and is studying music.

Season 4: Anthony Federov
I really had a hard time finding current information about Anthony. If you know of anything, please send it along!

Anthony’s back story was told over and over, and it really is amazing this boy could even talk, let alone sing. He endured comparisons to Clay Aiken for much of the season, but persevered and managed to find his own niche.

Anthony graduated college and no longer sings at Tatiana's in Brooklyn, NY on weekends. Rumors last year were that he was dating Carrie Underwood, and this year, rumors surfaced about him dating Heather Cox.

In November, 2005, Anthony sang the national anthem at a Knicks game, and on Feb. 24, 2006, was on the Tyra Banks show. He will be in the upcoming Celebrity Fear Factor this summer with Carmen Rasmussen. On one website, I found a small mention that Anthony is working on a cd, but I could not find confirmation of that anywhere else.

So there we have it. I am noticing as I write these ‘where are they now’ articles that until this week, there really hasn’t been much going on with past Idols. That is a little discouraging, but I still maintain that this year’s finalists will be different. Does anyone really think we have heard the end of Paris Bennett? Neither do I. For whoever finishes fourth this week, I feel the same way. I have a strong feeling that when I write this article next year, there will be an awful lot to say about this season’s 4th place finisher!

[SirLinksalot]

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1530205/0...?headlines=true

Paris Calls Katharine A Beauty Queen, Taylor Her Big Brother

05.04.2006 5:04 PM EDT

Teen 'Idol' eliminated Wednesday says she has no regrets.

Since her audition episode aired in January, 17-year-old prodigy Paris Bennett was considered a favorite to win, and throughout the season she continually impressed both the judges and the guest stars. However, in typical inexplicable "American Idol" fashion, the Fayetteville, Georgia, native continually found herself in the bottom two or three. And on Wednesday, after bravely tackling Prince's "Kiss" and Mary J. Blige's "Be Without You" the night before, she was eliminated (see " 'American Idol' Viewers Kiss Paris Bennett Goodbye").

Q: To those watching at home, it seemed like you were just happy to be there and it never phased you to be in the bottom three or even when you were eliminated.

A: I was very, very happy last night, whether it was a good decision or bad decision, whether I stayed or I was going home, I was happy with whatever. I'm in the top five, I can't really complain. Out of 150,000 people [who auditioned], look at where I made it. I'm just so grateful to have had the opportunity to share my gift and give my all and give 100 percent every night, time after time, to prove to you guys that I wasn't just doing it to have the title of "American Idol." It was to show you guys this is what I love and this is my passion. To myself I've already gotten the title of "American Idol" because I'm a role model, and to more than just little kids, but to adults and people my age. I've earned my title and it was my time to go. 'Idol' Season Five Performances

Q: Do you think it backfired that were you an early favorite?

A: Not at all. People made their judgments and they chose wisely. When it all comes down to it, in my mind, it was already planned. My journey was going to end somewhere. I never thought too much on it, just because I knew that chapter was going to close. In fact, I think it made me even more of a role model.

Q: Which performance were you most proud of?

A: I would definitely have to say I was most proud of my rock week. No one ever expected me to be able get through Queen. I was happy I made Queen happy and I was able to do a song that Freddie Mercury wrote just before he passed away ("The Show Must Go On"). That was the best week for me.

Q: Do you think your age worked against you? Do you wish you would have waited a few more years?

A: I don't regret anything that has happened so far. I don't think it did anything. When it all came down to it, it wasn't something people really thought about. Being 17 is the greatest thing. I thank God that America got to see me grow up and be an independent woman.

Q: Can you tell us your thoughts on the final four?

A: Elliott possesses something so deep within himself that for him to be able to do the things he does when he's on that stage, I honor him for that. He keeps it real. Taylor, that's my big brother. He has so much soul in him, and again, he keeps it real. With both of them, they both have a sense of home, you never feel like you're out of place. Katharine, very sweet, very classical. She's just Katharine. She's the beauty queen. Chris is definitely the rocker. He's so intense with what he does, and that's what makes him a great person.

Q: What style of music do you plan to pursue?

A: Since I've been on "American Idol," I've been called the unpredictable one, so when I'm gonna do an album it's going to be unpredictable. It will definitely have jazz, it will definitely have R&B, it will definitely have rock, since I stepped into a new era. I wanna give you guys a little bit of everything, because that is who I am.

Q: Any truth to the rumor that Beyoncé's dad approached you about working with him?

A: It can't really be confirmed, but I can say that Mathew Knowles is definitely a person I would love to work with. We're in the midst of things, and hopefully the next time you guys see me, after the tour and the album, he'll be a part of that.

Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

— Corey Moss

[StrictTime]

It can't really be confirmed, but I can say that Mathew Knowles is definitely a person I would love to work with. We're in the midst of things, and hopefully the next time you guys see me, after the tour and the album, he'll be a part of that.

Woah! Look out for the new and improved (?), sexy-vixen Paris coming soon to a Mike Myers movie near you! : )

[DCPatriot]

I believe the reason this talented girl was axed was the same reason the blonde went down for the count last week.

They are too young to see these songs with feeling and passion. They are reciting lyrics...not performing with feeling.

[MarMema]

That is a little discouraging, but I still maintain that this year’s finalists will be different. Does anyone really think we have heard the end of Paris Bennett? Neither do I. For whoever finishes fourth this week, I feel the same way. I have a strong feeling that when I write this article next year, there will be an awful lot to say about this season’s 4th place finisher!

Thanks for those hopeful words! I'd hate to have to move to Richmond and run around visiting karaoke bars.

[CajunConservative]

We are prepared and are even basically predicting just what Simon will say. This one's my favorite from the AI boards.

I'll save Simon the trouble:

"If I am being perfectly honest with you, that was like a barmy Las Vegas Elvis impersonator performing at a drunken Portuguese wedding on a low-budget cruise ship to nowhere ."

We are on to Simon's limited critiques. Some of us suggested sending Simon a thesaurus to help him out.

[kevkrom]

Simon's been "mailing it in" all season. It's as if he'd rather be anywhere but on AI.

[Wyatt's Torch]

I am sure that the Soul Patrol is tired of Simon describing Taylor as a cheesy wedding singer or drunk into every comment that he makes the past few weeks.

Taylor fans just want Taylor to be Taylor and ignore the hell out of Simon. They know what he is doing. Probably the worst thing for Taylor would be for Simon to praise him to the hilt.

[Wyatt's Torch]

As you've mentioned previously, I think Taylor is done with trying to please Simon or fit the AI mold. He made that clear last week - he will go down his way or win the thing by appealing directly to the fans. Either way he walks off a winner.

Exactly correct. Well said.

[CajunConservative]

He's too busy mentally counting his 36,000,000 per season to do anything else.

[Wyatt's Torch]

I would really like to know what this conversation was about (courtesy of GreyCharles.com)

[Wyatt's Torch]

Here's another from the same conversation. Maybe Taylor asked Simon when he could sing at his wedding?

;-)