‘Idol’ devotion brings hopefuls to Foxboro

By Lauren Beckham Falcone

Say what you will about “American Idol” - it’s unfair, it’s cruel, its ratings are dipping.

But say this, too: It brings out the devotion in people.

There’s no other way to explain the swath of sopping-wet moral support systems standing outside Gillette Stadium in Foxboro yesterday who held umbrellas and hands with the thousands of rain-soaked idealists vying for the most coveted prize in pop culture.

The Fox mega-hit show kicked off its ninth season at the home of the Patriots [team stats], and while host Ryan Seacrest braved the downpour to welcome the throngs, the real star of yesterday’s show was dedication - to family, friends and giving stardom a shot.

Who knew a talent competition could be a testament to the human spirit?

Mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, boyfriends, girlfriends and best friends stood together for hours. And though the forecast was rain, the attitude was the complete opposite.

“It’s an opportunity,” said a smiling but soaked Katie Stevens, 16, of Middlebury, Conn. “You have to take it. No matter what happens, it was worth it.”

Her mother, Clara, skipped a Dunkin’ Donuts run to ensure a spot in line by 5 a.m.

“I could have used it,” she said. “But we’re here!”

Of course, you have to wonder about some people - the girl wearing a belt as a headband; the guy sashaying his way down the line asking people to marry him; the mother of four who thought it was perfectly OK to make her 6-year-old stand in line since 3 a.m. “She tired and bored,” the mother said. “But I brought snacks.”

Yet, for the most part, it was an optimistic event - the crowd sang and cheered. Friends went for coffee runs or held contestants’ places in line while they ran to their cars for a change of clothes.

“You have to support people,” said Sheena Seymour, 18, of Worcester, who cheered on pal Kaiti Figueroa, 20, of Somerville. “It’s her dream. I mean, I can’t feel my feet because they’re cold and wet, but I’m here.”

And so were the singers, who might not have the chops to make it past the first round. But what led them to that long line at One Patriot Place is as compelling as any good vocal performance.

“I had Hodgkin’s lymphoma when I was 13 to 15. Simon’s not as scary as cancer,” said Gina Naomi Baez, 21, of Long Island, N.Y.

“I was always afraid, but I was in a talent show this year and people said I was good,” said Alison Sullivan, 21, Tyngsboro.

“My friend Dave Wilkinson always encouraged me,” said Sarah Gay, 21, of Danvers. “He and I made a pact to do this together, but he shipped out to Iraq today. So I’m here and this is for him. And me.”

“I’m a junior in college and if I don’t do it now, I never will and I’ll always regret it,‘ said a waterlogged Megan Podsiedlik, 21, of Tully, N.Y. “That’s the great thing about ‘Idol.’ Everyone gets a shot. That’s why we’re all here.”

Source: Boston Herald.

Terri Seymour gets restraining order

By Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Court records show Terri Seymour has received a temporary restraining order against a woman accused of choking her outside the "American Idol" finale.

Seymour, who is the ex-girlfriend of "Idol" judge Simon Cowell and a correspondent for "Extra," requested the protection on Tuesday.

Police arrested Janice Thibodeaux (TI'-bo-doh) last week after officers say they saw her try to choke Seymour outside the Nokia Theater where "Idol" is produced.

Seymour says she remains scared of Thibodeaux because she has been released from jail.

In an interview with RadarOnline.com Thibodeaux says she didn't regret her actions and explains that they were in retaliation for Cowell playfully choking fellow "Idol" judge Paula Abdul on the show.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.google.com

Woman Who Choked Cowell’s Ex Was Getting Revenge For Abdul

By RollingStone - May 21, 2009

As Rock Daily reported yesterday, American Idol judge Simon Cowell’s ex-girlfriend Terri Seymour was assaulted following Tuesday night’s performance show. Now the 33-year-old woman who choked Seymour is speaking to Radar Online from jail — and reveals the motive behind her attack was revenge for Paula Abdul.

Janice Thibodeaux tells Radar Online, “I wasn’t cool with Simon Cowell choking Paula Abdul on the show last week and with her crying-out ‘help’ as he did so,” referring to Cowell mock-attacking Abdul during judging. ”Nobody said anything about that so I wanted to confront him about it because that is not appropriate behavior, is it?” Thibodeaux also claimed she was a former security guard at AI and bought a ticket to attend the Tuesday showdown between Adam Lambert and Kris Allen. When she saw Seymour in the crowd, Thibodeaux decided to confront her instead of Cowell.

“She was taking some photographs with her camera and I knew she was his girlfriend so I went up to her to tell her how I felt. We started arguing and then I put my hands around her neck and started choking her just like Simon had done with Paula,” Thibodeaux explained. “Then I walked away and I was tackled by the police but I don’t regret what I did because of what Simon did to Paula, nobody seemed to care about that.” Thibodeaux is being held on $52,000 and has not yet consulted an attorney.

This isn’t the first time Idol has run into trouble with a viewer. In November 2008, an obsessed fan of Abdul’s named Paula Goodspeed died of a drug overdose in front of Abdul’s Los Angeles home. Goodspeed previously auditioned, and was rejected, from American Idol in 2006. Prior to the audition, Goodspeed had stalked and written to Abdul for 18 years, a fact overlooked by producers when they allowed Goodspeed to audition in front of her on idol.

Source: www.rollingstone.com

Kris Allen to win 'American Idol,' but Adam Lambert has best career?

Los Angeles Times - May 17, 2009

Virtually all of the alleged "American Idol" "experts" have consistently underestimated Kris Allen while ballyhooing Adam Lambert as the inevitable champ. What if Kris Allen surprises again?

Romantically speaking, Allen is more of a heartthrob type. He may have a much bigger, secret fan base among the gum-snapping girls who set off tsunamis of text and phone votes that decide winners each week. Furthermore, Lambert likes to jump off cliffs, creatively speaking. What if he goes splat during the final face-off?

When Gold Derby polled readers, asking who -- Lambert or Allen -- will end up winning the most showbiz awards during their future careers, regardless of who wins "American Idol," Lambert stomped. He scored 73% of the votes. But will that prove to be true?

Again, that view may just be a reflection of bossy assumptions pushed by the "Idol" judges and producers. Lambert's mysterious sexuality may be a turn-off among music-buyers, who may gobble up more CDs from the more macho Allen. That could give Allen a vastly larger fan base and a much bigger, longer career during which he could win lots more industry awards.

Allen, for example, seems to have a lot in common with Rob Thomas and John Mayer: clean, rugged good looks and solid singing chops. Thomas and Mayer have won gads of top kudos, including two of Grammy's highest honors. Thomas won record and song of the year with Santana for "Smooth" (1999) and Mayer won best song for "Daughters" (2004).

Source: http://goldderby.latimes.com

Jamie Foxx picks Adam to win ‘Idol’

‘That Kris dude, I guarantee you, he’s got something special,’ Foxx also said

Access Hollywood - May 15, 2009

As Kris Allen and Adam Lambert prepare for their head-to-head battle in the “American Idol” finale, Jamie Foxx said he already knows the name of the winner. 

“Kradam! That’s both of them,” Foxx joked with Access Hollywood’s Nancy O’Dell. “Adamis!” 

Joking aside, Foxx — who got a chance to work with each of the finalists as one of this season’s special guest mentors – said he thinks the title of “Idol” will go to the man who has been the frontrunner most of the season.

“Adam is gonna win, I believe,” Foxx admitted. 

However, the Oscar winner and platinum-selling artist said he sees nothing but big things ahead for Allen. 

“For me, this is my opinion, that Kris dude, I guarantee you, he’s got something special,” Foxx said. “And if you notice, most of the people that don’t win usually end up with crazy careers.” 

In fact, if Allen is looking for anyone to duet with, Foxx told the aspiring singer he’s ready. 

“I told him. I said, ‘I’ll do it right here with you,’” the actor recalled of his mentoring session with Allen. “Because the way his nuance is, he’s not trying to win the contest — he was just giving you the real thing.”

“He sang something and he looked in my eyes, I was like, ‘Oh man!’ you know. It was crazy. I said, ‘Dude, you got something.’” 

And while he was clearly impressed with Allen’s singing chops, he did offer some advice to the “Idol” hopeful. 

“I asked Kris what he wanted to do. He said, ‘I want to do pop music.’ And I told him there is no such thing as pop music,” Foxx continued. “You do the music from your soul and then you hope it becomes popular.”

The new “American Idol” will be crowned on May 20.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com

Gokey gone; Lambert looks like 'Idol' lock

Maureen Ryan - May 14, 2009

To no one's surprise, Adam Lambert wasn't eliminated during Wednesday's "American Idol" broadcast. Milwaukee's Danny Gokey was cut, leaving Lambert and Kris Allen in the Fox singing competition. 

Lambert, who is widely seen as the front-runner, and Allen will have their final sing-off Tuesday, followed by the "Idol" finale May 20. 

Wednesday's hourlong show, which featured an appearance by Alicia Keys and a performance by Katy Perry, was more anticlimactic than usual. Nobody expected Lambert to go home. He appears alone on the current issue of Entertainment Weekly; the magazine didn't bother with the pretense that someone else might win the eighth season of "Idol."

On Tuesday, judges and host Ryan Seacrest tried to play up the idea that Lambert wasn't a lock for the win, and on Wednesday, Seacrest said that the final two singers were only about a million votes apart.

Nice try, "Idol," but I doubt people will start to see Allen as a threat to the king of guyliner.

Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com

'American Idol': More judging, less singing!

By Michael Slezak - May 12, 2009

Remember the good old days of American Idol, when Top 3 Night featured nine individual performances? Tonight, though, "the three amigos" were limited to two songs apiece, which allowed the production to focus on the things that really count: Simon and Kara trying to top each other with petulant quips (and with the score at 0-0, it's a draw!); Simon and Paula continuing their grade-school-level flirtation/disgust pas de deux; the Dawg rambling on and on, as though anyone actually cared; and Ryan and Simon coughing up one more fetid homophobic nugget before things move to the Nokia. [West coaster: Beware of SPOILERS!] 

Despite the judges' best (worst?) efforts, though, the stars of the night were Adam, Kris, and Danny. Because, as Randy and Simon both reiterated tonight, American Idol is a singing competition, and as Paula would say, we're just here for the music. When it all shook out, nobody exactly tanked, but one puppy-eyed crooner covered Kanye West, and proved great risks can yield great rewards. (Yes, Kris, I surrender: I will buy your record the day it comes out.) One glam-rock belter served vocals so huge, they may cause potential tidal waves on remote Pacific islands over the next 24 hours. (Note that Simon begged his fan base not to get complacent; Mom, are you voting?) And one goofy Wisconsin dude tackled a song that former Idol champ Taylor Hicks covered during Top 3 week in season 5, and his reboot did not match up. I know the smart money is probably on an Adam-Danny finale, but my crazy/sentimental/optimistic bucks say it's gonna be Adam-Kris. How about you? 

Post your thoughts about tonight's show below, and as for me, well,I'll be back in the early a.m. with my full TV Watch recap. In the meantime, don't forget to make your pick in the EW.com Idol Prediction Challenge! Oh, and a word of warning: There won't be an On the Scene at Idol report on PopWatch tomorrow morning, but fret not: Adam B. Vary will be in the Idoldome for results night on Wednesday, and back with his usual brand of jaunty on Thursday morning.

Source: http://popwatch.ew.com

American Idol Finalists Return Home

The three play live for audiences at home…

MTV / 11 May, 2009

The finalists in American Idol 2009 have returned to their home towns to meet fans and sing live.

Adam Lambert, Kris Allen and Danny Gokey will compete to win the talent show as it reaches its climax on May 20. And to drum up support they’ve each hit different parts of the US with cameras in tow.
 
Danny Gokey was in Milwaukee on Friday where he performed at the gospel church where he is musical director. Between singing gospel he talked about the funeral of his wife last year which also took place at the church.
 
He said: "I couldn't even cry. ... I was so shocked… Me and my family, we didn't know how to say goodbye... It was the most tragic event I ever had to face in my life."
 
On the same day Adam Lambert was at his old high school in San Diego to sing two songs to adoring fans. He ran through his versions of Michael Jackson’s Black Or White and Tears For Fears’ hit Mad World.
 
Kris Allen played three free gigs near his hometown of Conway, Ark.- singing The Beatles classic Come Together and Aint No Sunshine.
 
At the biggest gig Allen played to 3,000 people at the Little Rock outdoor amphitheatre.

Source: http://www.mtv.co.uk

Adam Lambert Gets an Idol’s Welcome from His Hometown of San Diego

By Lisa Ingrassia / May 9, 2009

Before Adam Lambert hopped into the stretch limousine that would take him all over his hometown of San Diego, the American Idol contestant was asked if he was ready for what the day had in store.

“I don’t know if I am,” he replied with a look of trepidation. 

If Lambert, 27, wasn’t ready for the utter fan-demonium that lay ahead Friday, he handled it like a pro, from his 7 a.m. impromptu attempt to read San Diego’s Fox 5 News viewers their weather and traffic reports on a green screen, to holding up his limo’s departure from the Marine Corps Air Station in Miramar, to comfort a crying little girl who wanted to meet Lambert.

“I feel so much support and love,” he told PEOPLE at the end of the day. From the 7,000 screaming fans who turned up at Mount Carmel High School to the fans who pounded on the windows at the studio of his local radio station, 94.1, where he was interviewed by the station’s popular Jeff and Jer, Lambert got plenty of support — even from those who didn’t receive it (even literally) from him earlier in his life.

Alison Bretches, now the artistic director at the Metropolitan Educational Theater Network in Poway, Calif., recalled performing with Lambert when they were both kids. “I remember (doing) The Wiz. He was the scarecrow, and I remember him dropping me on my head,” she laughed. “We were doing a partnering cartwheel and he dropped me on my head!”

Bygones are bygones, and San Diego’s community was so thrilled to have Lambert return to his hometown that the city’s mayor declared May 8 Adam Lambert Day. (Frenzied crowds also greeted Idol finalists Kris Allen in his hometown of Little Rock, Ark., and Danny Gokey in Milwaukee.)

Lambert’s reaction? “I didn’t expect all this,” he explains. “We live in this little TV studio. I didn’t realize it was so far-reaching. I guess one of the things I didn’t realize is how people were so excited about me being who I am.”

While Lambert says he got choked up many times throughout the day, his mother Leila wasn’t able to hold back tears once they arrived at his high school. “I’m happy for him,” she said. “Everything he’s done. All the times I’ve been proud of him have built up to this. I’m so proud of him.”

Source: http://tvwatch.people.com

Paula Abdul Kicks Painkillers in Time for New Single

By Jennifer Cady / May 5, 2009

Paula Abdul has seemed kind of out of it for a while now and it's always been rather amusing, but the American Idol judge tells the June issue of Ladies' Home Journal that we were the only ones having fun.This past Thanksgiving she checked into the La Costa Resort and Spa, in Carlsbad, Calif., to finally kick her painkiller addiction.

"I could have killed myself," she said. "Withdrawal—it’s the worst thing. I was freezing cold, then sweating hot, then chattering and in so much pain, it was excruciating. But at my very core, I did not like existing the way I had been.”

Paula says she got to that point after years of keeping "everything hush-hush" while she suffered from chronic debilitating pain.Too much working and dancing led to her being diagnosed with reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome in 2005, which meant more pain, teeth chattering and shingles-like lesions.

To deal with all this she had regular shots of lidocaine, wore a patch that administered pain medication 80 times stronger than morphine, took nerve medication and would pop a muscle relaxer when needed. All that combined with sleepless nights would cause her to "get weird" (her words) and act all crazy high (our words) on TV.But she says she's kicked the habit, so enough of the bad stuff and on to the dance party.

She's back with a new single, which she premiered this morning on Ryan Seacrest's KIIS-FM show. "Here for the Music" sounds a lot like her other single "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow" but with more bass—and this time it's about when her dancing like there's no tomorrow accidentally turns on some guy in the club. It's the perfect sequel.

The new track is below, and Paula told Ryan she'll be performing the song tomorrow night on American Idol—her first performance on the show ever. Hopefully, they'll keep the camera on Simon's reactions in a little corner of the screen.

Source: http://www.eonline.com

David Cook's Older Brother Adam Dies

'American Idol' singer speaks about his brother's battle with brain cancer at a fundraiser Sunday.

By Gil Kaufman / May 04, 2009

David Cook often paid tribute to his older brother while on "American Idol." On Sunday morning, just one day after Adam Cook, 37, died following a decade-long battle with brain cancer, the season-seven winner honored his brother again, serving as grand marshal at the 12th annual Race for Hope 5K run in Washington, D.C. 

"I actually lost my brother yesterday to a brain tumor, and I couldn't imagine being anywhere else right now," Cook, 26, told the crowd at the benefit for brain-cancer research while choking up a bit, according to People magazine. "I lost one today, but I gained 9,000, and I will be here every year that they will have me." Adam Cook, a married father and lawyer from Terre Haute, Indiana, died on Saturday while undergoing another round of chemotherapy to treat the deadly disease, which had reportedly spread to his spine. 

Cook stood in the rain on Sunday morning addressing the race's 9,000 participants and broke the news about his brother, whose initials the singer had prominently placed on his guitar during his run on last year's show. Adam was able to come out and see his brother perform Mariah Carey's "Always Be My Baby" on "Idol" last season, after residents from the brothers' hometown raised more than $45,000 to pay for Adam to travel on a private plane with a nurse to attend the show. Cook canceled a pair of concerts in March to go home and spend time with Adam. He also wrote a song, "A DailyAntheM," in honor of his brother for his debut album. 

"David is beyond the most courageous young person I have ever known," said Jeff Kolodin, co-chair of the charity race, which benefits the National Brain Tumor Society and Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure, according to People. Cook's team was the top fundraiser for the annual event, totaling more than $98,000 in pledges out of the race's total $2 million. 

"What he did this morning when he was dealing with the most raw emotion was incredible," Kolodin said. "He talked to 9,000 people in a pouring rainstorm today. No one knew his brother had died, but he publicly said to everyone at the race, 'I do have some bad news.' The crowd went pretty much silent and people were crying." Kolodin said Cook spent the rest of the day "hugging survivors, signing autographs for them, taking pictures." 

The race co-chair praised Cook for sharing a very private moment with a group of strangers. "He was willing to put his personal, raw emotion out there, knowing he was being filmed," he said. "He's a heck of a person." A post on Cook's Web site said an official announcement from the singer about Adam's death would likely be coming soon. 

"Idol" judge Paula Abdul told People that Adam Cook was part of the show's "extended family," saying he "supported his brother wholeheartedly, even through his own fight. My heart goes out not only to David, but his family as well." 

Fellow judge Simon Cowell also had kind words for the family, telling the magazine, "I was incredibly saddened to hear the news. I met Adam Cook a few times at 'American Idol.' He was an incredible guy, and right now my thoughts are with David and his family." Cook's followers also expressed their condolences on his official site. "May all of the love you have for Adam reflect back to you from heaven," Janet wrote. 

Another fan, xodcfobxo, shared a story about seeing Cook at Sunday's race: "I was at the race today, and the pain in David's eyes when he was telling us about Adam was so heartbreaking, all I could do was cry. I am just glad there were so many fans there for him in his time of need, and that there will continue to be fans and loved ones to help him through this incredibly difficult time. All my thoughts and prayers go out to David, his friends and family."

Source: http://www.mtv.com

Simon Cowell: Maybe his exit would be good for 'American Idol'?

By Michael Slezak / Apr 22, 2009

I recently put together an EW.com gallery looking at Simon Cowell's 12 meanest critiques from the first seven seasons of American Idol's semifinals/finals. But while I was recounting Simon's best zingers -- ones that conjured up images of sinking cruise ships and teenagers locked in their bedrooms and poodles in leather jackets -- a funny thing struck me: Somewhere between David Cook's confetti shower in May 2008 and the Rise and Fall of Bikini Girl earlier this year, the cranky British judge seems to have lost a lot of his mojo.

This isn't to say, of course, that Simon is approaching Randy Jackson levels of "for me for you" hackdom. But think about it: When was the last time Simon pulled out a sparkling one-liner durng a live critique -- one that went beyond the standard-operating "cruise ship"/"copycat"/"dreadful" template? And over the last couple seasons, hasn't he seemed more in lockstep with the producers' preordained favorites, and increasingly less willing to recognize great performances by the show's underdogs? Maybe the guy is not, as he keeps telling us (most recently in The New York Times), at the start of negotiations for even bigger bucks to keep him on Idol's slowly listing (but still totally dominant) warship? Maybe he's really and truly burnt out from juggling his stateside Idol work with his duties on Britain's Got Talent and X-Factor? And if that's the case, would it be such a bad thing if season 9 is Simon's last on the show?

I, for one, think Idol's heart would go on -- yes, it's a Celine Dion reference! -- without Mr. Cranky. To me, Idol has never been about the judges -- their disastrously annoying on-stage entrances this year have made that point abundantly clear -- but rather about the discovery of exciting new musical talent. I love seeing waitresses and pharmacy workers and single moms and chorus members from touring productions of Broadway shows get that seemingly impossible opportunity to make America fall in love with them. And I'm sure the show's producers can use the $36 million Simon reportedly makes on Idol annually to find another discerning, outspoken voice to keep the wheels churning, even if said vehicle only pulls in, say, 19 million viewers in future seasons, rather than the 25 or so million it draws now.

Source: http://popwatch.ew.com