October 2005--over 8,500 hopefuls swarmed into Greensboro, NC
eager for a chance to become the next American Idol
"Whooh! Whooh!" Halicia Thompson screamed as she jumped out the door of the audition room.She stomped her feet and threw her arms in the air.
Thompson, 27, of Eden [NC], had made it through the second round of "American Idol" auditions Tuesday at the Greensboro Marriott.
"Look what I got for you! Thank you, Jesus. I've been on my knees," she screamed as she held up the bright yellow paper that was her ticket to the final audition. news-record.com
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When we last saw Carrie Underwood and Bo Bice they were awash in hugs, kisses, flashing lights and falling confetti. There was one winner, but both had survived the crucible of American Idol—admirably so. Now their careers were before them and the real competition was about to begin: surviving in the post-Idol world.
Building on the success of her first single, “Inside Your Heaven”, which would eventually be named Billboard’s Top-Selling Country Single of the Year and Top-Selling Hot 100 Song of the Year, Carrie was inundated with song submissions and professional advice. But the choice of what would be included on her debut album, she says, was hers alone.
“There were so many wonderful songs from wonderful, wonderful songwriters here in Nashville -- and everywhere else -- that were sending us great songs. It was really just a matter of several of us sitting down and picking ones that would definitely work for me and definitely work for everything. I've never done this before, obviously, so I don't know what the best songs are. It's ultimately my decision about everything, so I definitely had people around helping me figure things out. I could have never done that alone. People would send me songs here and there, and we'd weed them out.” cmt.com"I love the new country sound that pop listeners would like, too. I also love Gretchen Wilson and that old country sound … I can't see myself in one direction. I just want to listen and if I like the songs, those are the ones that are going to be on [the album]. kzla.com
Carrie’s record is a record breaker
The result is Some Hearts and, judging by the album’s sales, Carrie has a good eye (and ear) for material. Released on November 15, 2005, Some Hearts has already been certified double-platinum for sales exceeding two million copies, making it the fastest selling debut album in Country Music history, according to Nielsen Soundscan, the company that tracks record sales. The first release from the album, “Jesus, Take The Wheel” is currently #1 on Billboard’s Hot Country chart.
"I feel like the luckiest person in the world the way everything worked out … I feel like Jesus was taking the wheel and leading me through everything that was going on." netmusiccountdown.com
Along with fame, fortune and a best-selling album, there are some added perks that come with winning on America’s #1 show. In December, Carrie was invited to sing before the president in TNT’s Christmas In Washington, along with Rascal Flatts, CeCe Winans and others.
Carrie Underwood and her mom, Carole, with President and Mrs. Bush.
Click here and here for more photos from Christmas In Washington
There have been endorsement deals with Skechers and Hershey’s …
“Sometimes you feel like a nut”
“Sometimes you don’t”
And most recently she was named “Oklahoman of The Year” by Oklahoma Today magazine.
“There's a fine tradition of country music stars winning the Okie of the Year prize, which has also gone to Garth Brooks and Toby Keith.” zap2it.com“Carrie Underwood has the whole package,” according to Louisa McCune, editor in chief of Oklahoma Today.
“When we’re assessing candidates, we look for someone who has accomplished something phenomenal in the past year. The next thing we ask ourselves is, does this person encompass all that makes this state great?
“Carrie obviously had what it took,” McCune said.muskogeephoenix.com
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But things haven’t been quite as nice for Bo Bice.
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Bo Bice’s health crisis
In the pivotal moment of his budding career, American Idol’s Bo Bice has been forced to put his career on ice. The reality-show runner-up should be celebrating the release of his debut CD, The Real Thing (with impressive first-week sales of 227,000, it placed fourth in Billboard’s Top 200) …
"I'm grateful for 'Idol,' but so many of the first albums are taken as souvenirs," he adds. "I think that everything to do with my album -- the look of it, the feel, the songs-are about me. They didn't come in and go, 'Bo, change this, all of the kids are wearing mascara ...' F*** that. This is about the music. We got a rock'n'roll album, not a souvenir from a television show." billboard.com
But the Alabama native is back in his new hometown of Nashville after a sudden illness last month in Las Vegas forced him to cancel appearances on The 2005 Radio Music Awards and Jimmy Kimmel Live. Bice is undergoing tests to discover why he’s still suffering stomach problems despite surgery last August to repair what he describes as “a kink” in his intestines.“He was having trouble eating,” says In the Moment [CMT] exec producer George Moll, whose crew followed Bice from the Idol’s tour began last summer until early December. “When we looked at the daily rushes, you could see that he was really struggling. And very, very thin.”
A noticeably gaunt Bo on the CBS Early Show in December
According to his rep, RCA’s Roger Widynowski, Bice is taking at least three weeks off before shooting a new video (a new tour to promote his album is also in the works). But the people around the 30-year-old are worried. “As a musician, you’ve got to strike it when it’s hot,” says pastor Donny Acton, a close friend and leader of Birmingham’s New Hope Cumberland Presbyterian Church. “But he’s not superhuman. He’s got to get some rest.”In the best of circumstances, Idol’s rocket launch to stardom requires extraordinary stamina. And Bice has needed to deal with other significant events. He married his longtime sweetheart, Caroline Fisher, on June 15, shortly after the show’s finale. He broke his foot on stage in New Hampshire on July 31, then had major intestinal surgery on August 18. He and his wife welcomed their first child, Aidan, on September 24.
Bo and his wife Caroline
Moll, a veteran record industry observer who created VH1’s Behind the Music, believes the stress that triggered Bice’s current health crisis didn’t start until the singer realized he could no longer control his career. The job requires him to be constantly on the road, separated from his family and his longtime band, and recording songs that (with a few exceptions) are not his own.From all accounts, Bice has taken the hardships in stride. But even he admitted in an interview in October that he’s had trouble rolling with all the changes. “If I’ve learned anything in the past year, it’s to let go of a lot of things,” he said. “I’m kind of a control freak when it comes to my business. But you can’t control everything all the time.” TV Guide
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The High Notes & Flat Notes
in the Careers of Past Idol Contestants
Season Two
Season Three
Season Four
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American Idol judge Randy Jackson greets the original Idol, Kelly Clarkson, backstage at the People’s Choice Awards (January 10, 2006)
Jackson accepted the award on behalf of American Idol, which was named “Favorite Reality Show, Competition”.
“All your award show belong to me!”
And Kelly won the award for “Favorite Female Performer”, one in a string of awards and honors that she has received recently.
After the first season ... many critics wondered if American Idol would truly help to discover artists capable of maintaining long-term careers in the music industry. Kelly Clarkson has proven that the answer is definitely “yes.”"Breakaway" finished 2005 as the No. 3 best-selling album of the year ...
[The album] debuted in the top 20 over a year ago, and has been in the top 20 for its entire chart life. It is the only album in the last five years to achieve such an amazing chart feat. "Breakaway" includes four No. 1 singles: the title track, "Since U Been Gone", "Behind These Hazel Eyes", and "Because of You." [The just released fifth single, "Walk Away" is also climbing quickly up the charts.][This] caps a year in which she was nominated for two Grammys for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance "Since U Been Gone", Best Pop Vocal Album "Breakaway" and won two American Music Awards, for Favorite Adult Contemporary Female Artist and the T-Mobile Text-In fan award. She won two MTV VMA Awards as well, for Best Pop Video and Best Female Video. realitytvmagazine.com
In spite of her star power, Clarkson is known for remaining grounded and loyal to her fan base ... "She is very conscientious of her audience and takes care of her people and of her show" [said Jay Cantu, program director for KHKZ-FM 106.3 in Weslaco, Texas] "We’re excited to bring her down here because of that."Because she began her career with a TV audience, Clarkson also enjoys something many artists don’t; a widespread demographic of fans.
"(Clarkson) has crossed over to different generations," said Alex Duran, program director for KVLY-FM 107.9. "Moms know it from driving in the car or flipping on FOX and watching American Idol. She’s clean; she’s a clean artist who has a good name and a good reputation, and she’s doing things the right way." (12-02-05) themonitor.com
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Meet The Judges
(and Seacrest)
Bios provided by sirlinksalot.com
Paula Abdul was born June 19, 1962 in San Fernando, California. She began taking dancing classes at the age of eight and was the head of her cheerleader squad and class president her senior year at Van Nuys High School. After starting college she dropped out to join the LA Lakers cheerleaders where she became the head cheerleader and choreographer. She was recruited by The Jacksons to choreograph their 1984 "Torture" video, which lead to a long line of other video choreography jobs. In 1988 she released her first album "Forever Your Girl" with the single "Straight Up" that launched her into stardom.
Simon Cowell was born October 7, 1959 in Brighton, England. A movie producer, Simon first became famous as a judge on the Pop Idol show in the UK. Following the show to America he became equally well known in the US as a judge on the smash hit American Idol show. He executive produced the dating show Cupid on CBS in the US.
Randy Jackson was born June 23, 1956 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In addition to playing bass on Journey's "Raised On Radio" CD in 1986 he has been a producer and performer in the music industry for over 20 years. He was the Vice President of A&R at Columbia Records followed by four years as Senior Vice President of A&R at MCA Records.
Ryan Seacrest was born December 24, 1974 in Atlanta, Georgia. Ryan has hosted several kid shows including Gladiators 2000 and Wild Animal Games. He became a radio success in Los Angeles as host of his own show.
More "Dramatic" Than Before
"American Idol" has had its share of drama over the course of four seasons, but much of that was the result of surprises in the audience voting. In the forthcoming fifth season, host Ryan Seacrest says, the contestants themselves may supply the theatrics.… "In terms of competitive spirit between the contestants, I think we've seen more drama, if you will, and more individual and independent competitive spirit than ever before."
In the past, Seacrest says, there was a sense of "political correctness" and politeness that pervaded the contestant pool. But with the show having made top-selling pop stars out of all four of its winners, a number of folks in the current "Idol" crop are just looking out for No. 1.
"You're going to see some personalities who are really gunning for that spot," Seacrest says. "They know exactly what they need to do to win, and they're not going to let anyone get in their way." zap2it.com
This new round of Idol ... may finally cross over into a reality-TV staple that it has since quite admirably dodged: backstage backstabbing. As host Ryan Seacrest recently told reporters — and Randy Jackson now confirms — that this flock of songbirds is more like a committee of vultures.
"Every season, when we go out on the audition tour, we never know what we're going to get," Jackson reports. "I think the kids this time probably want this worse than ever, so there's quite a bit of interesting fighting and dialogue going on amongst them. People's egos are saying, 'We're friends and we're all in this together, but hey, I want to win this — and I don't want anybody to stand in my way.'"
Perhaps fueling this is the level of competition, which (you guessed it!) is being touted as the fiercest ever. "We say it every year, but this time it's 100,000 percent true: The talent is far better than any other season," proclaims Jackson. "There are great boys, great girls, and I think it's going to come down to the wire.
"Everybody is that good at the start," he adds. "This time, it will come down to who grows the most in front of the American public." zap2it.com
"You always try to find someone different each year," Simon says. "I was worried that we were going to get a lot of blonde girls trying to be Carrie Underwood. The second person we saw was like a clone of Carrie."
And Randy agrees, commenting, "We are trying to find someone unique. We are always trying to find someone different, but that has great, great talent."
"I feel bad when they are a little delusional and don't realize that they don't hear what we hear," Paula contributes. "So it is a little unnerving. I feel bad when they are good singers, but they are missing an element that they don't understand that they are missing. You either come in and wow the judges or you don't."
But keep in mind what Randy says, "It is the fifth season. Everyone has seen who America has voted for. Dude, if you don't come close to that, what are you doing?" etonline.com
Show Format and Schedule
The new season of American Idol will feature the same top twelve selection process as last year, FOX has confirmed.The process sees the final 24 singers - twelve men and twelve women - perform live every week for three weeks, with two of each gender going home until the top twelve is reached.
The season premieres Tuesday, January 17 with the customary auditions phase, playing out over nine hours spread across four weeks. The 'Hollywood' stage begins Wednesday, February 8 while the top 24 performances begin Tuesday, February 21. The finals get underway when the top 12 take to the stage for the first time on Tuesday, March 14. digitalspy.com
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And that’s all, folks—for now :) Tune in tomorrow night, January 17, at 8/7pm and join the fun on the live thread! Next ping will be at 7:30pm Eastern, just before show time.
Thank you to Doodlelady, GretchenM, Jrabbit, No More Apples, Palladin and Retrokitten for allowing me to use their quotes in Texasflower’s tribute.
And special thanks to Wolfstar for her invaluable help in assembling this thread (you helped me more than you know!)
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NOW ON WITH THE SHOW!
I gotta be on top some day
I wanna be a star
I can see my name in lights
Gonna be a rock 'n' roll singer
Gonna be a rock 'n' roll star~ It's a long way to the top
If you wanna rock 'n' roll
If you wanna be a star of stage and screen
Look out! It's rough and meanIt's a long way to the top
If you wanna rock 'n' roll
--------------------------AC/DC
