“http://www.starpulse.com/Television/American_Idol/”>American Idol frontrunner, gave fans a panic the 2nd week in the semi-final rounds, as she was rushed to the hospital due to diabetes complications. Needless to say, Bowersox bounced back quickly, showing fans that she`s in it to win it. And if her latest performances say anything, they`re telling us that she`s unquestionably the one to beat.
CKX, Inc. (NASDAQ: CKXE) is up for sale.This morn the company confirmed that it is so in discussions regarding a potential transaction involving the sale of the company.This is not your typical merger, not at all.CKX owns the rights to the IDOLS, which of course is the American Idol series and local Idols series which have aired in more than 100 countries.
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January 11th, 2010 Cowell says he’s leaving ‘American Idol’PASADENA, Calif. â#8364;#8221; Simon Cowell says that this will be his final season on “American Idol.” The cantankerous judge said that “The X Factor,” a record he created and is a hit in Britain, will join Fox’s schedule next year.
January 10th, 2010 LONDON – Simon Cowell has stated that he is convinced that American Idol will remain to expand with or without his presence.
Tags: american idol, Entertainment, ryan seacrest, simon cowell, Uncategorized
American Idol alum Tamyra Gray may have been robbed of her fortune to contend in the finals on the 1st season of the show, but she`s still got enough to celebrate. Gray announced this week she is significant and expecting her first child in July with music producer husband Sam Watters.
“I`m just trying to get charge of myself and love it,” says Gray. “This is way harder than Idol.
July 20th, 2009 Abdul’s return to ‘Idol’ reportedly doubtfulNEW YORK â#8364;#8221; Paula Abdul’s (ab-DOOL’) new manager says she may not be returning to “American Idol.” According to a Los Angeles Times report, David Sonenberg says he doesn’t have a proposal for a new contract for Abdul. He says it doesn’t appear she’ll be back.
July 20th, 2009 Report: Abdul’s return to ‘American Idol’ doubtful NEW YORK â#8364;
Tags: american idol, american idol finalist, media, television, UncategorizedThe finalists can’t improve the technical components of their singing now – it’s too deep for that – but they can make strategic song choices that can try to be still more significant than their vocal calisthenics. In other words, on Idol, connecting with the interview requires artistic song-selection chops. It’s easier said than done, but there are some battle-tested tactics that can prove invaluable when the pressure mounts.
Well-timed and creative song choices have been the storyline for the most successful contestants in the preceding few Idol seasons. Think David Cook doing a reworked “Hello” by Lionel Richie, Kris Allen doing an acoustic reading of Kayne West’s “Heartless,” and nearly every tune sung by last year’s runner-up Adam Lambert. These choices added surprise and turmoil to the performances and set the winning contestants apart from singers that, in some cases, were better than them.
The judges too have hopped on the song choice advocacy bandwagon, eschewing the catch-all criticism of “pitchy-ness” that dominated the 1st half dozen seasons. While the judges are quick to point out, “wrong song, dog!” they are easy to pass any counsel or specifics in choosing a proper tune.
So what’s a finalist to do?
1. Pick songs with Familiarity. The chosen song has to be something people are conversant with; a call they’ve heard before. Obscure chestnuts from a contestant’s pet artist aren’t going to convey the day. The proper vehicle doesn’t get to be a wildly popular number-one either (thought that can be OK). The air just has to be familiar. Songs recently featured in popular movies or TV shows are a safe home to look. The mash-up youth comedy Glee, has been mined for various songs this year. The Charlie Chaplin theme song “Smile,” Queens’ “Somebody to Love,” and the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Ever Get What you Need” have seed from this present which is, no coincidence, also on the Fox network.
2. Pick Songs with Strong Melodies. Surprisingly, many hits don’t have hummable melodies. These songs became hits because of a catchy arrangement, rhythmic content, or lyrical connection. Sometimes, a great performer doesn’t even take a good tune (witness Mick Jagger’s paean to himself, “The Singer Not the Song”). In a singing competition, the better way to show your ability is in the introduction of a memorable melody. If the air isn’t in the song, most singers can’t stand the impulse to over sing – a common mistake on Idol. The litmus test for this is as follows: can the song be played on a piano with one feel so that it is now recognizable? If it can, it’s a safe bet to be a winning choice.
3. Pick Songs NOT made illustrious by Divas and Icons.Contestants should never sing songs that have previously showcased a great, iconic, vocal performance. This is a consistent mistake and the judges always stop it out. No Aretha, no Whitney, no Mariah, not even Celine. Men too should avoid great vocal performances of highly nuanced singers. Stay away from Sam Cooke, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Freddy Mercury, and Bono. The act simply won’t be improved upon and singing one of their songs will surely only draw unfavorable comparisons. The exception to the convention is if you can drag it off like Michael Johns did with “Bohemian Rhapsody” and this year’s Siobhan Magnus did with Aretha’s “Think” – by all means go for it – but just once a season!
4. Be measured with Rearrangements. This year, Andrew Garcia floored the judges with an acoustic take on Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up.” Since then, for Garcia and everyone else it’s been, “we take more arrangement like Straight Up!” Good fortune with that. Rearrangements are a tricky business and viewers are fortunate if we get more that one memorable re-swizzle per season. Interestingly, many of the late years’ buzz rearrangements, like Jason Castro’s “Hallelujah,” David Cook’s ‘Billie Jean,” and Adam Lambert’s “Mad Word” were re-arrangements that had been previously recorded by early artists. These contestants then made modest (if any) changes to the re-arrangements and when they presented them to a larger audience they looked like geniuses. If not wholly original, using established re-arrangements is hurt because re-arrangements can backfire if they don’t supply a new alternative to the original. Kris Allen’s “She Works Hard for the Money” succeeded because it was an advance on the original – a guy telling a Donna Summer classic? Strangely satisfying. In a way, re-arrangements are same the three point line in basketball – hard to refuse taking the shot – even though the odds are against scoring. But if you must, find an organization that’s been through before but hasn’t found a big audience.
5. Let the Song do the Heavy Lifting. There are hundreds of GREAT songs out there. A large song is one that has a memorable melody, familiar song structure, and a lyric that connects the interview to the singer. A smart contestant will only sings songs that match those criteria and are undeniably great. A heavy song by definition will remove the the singer and listener places through the virtues of the call itself – that’s just what makes them great songs. Plus, if you whistle a bad song poorly, you’re stuck singing a bad song poorly. On the other hand hand, if you talk a heavy song that hasn’t been heard for awhile, and do it poorly, people just might think your song choice as being brilliant allowing you to remain another week. The movie “Young at Heart” features an octogenarian singing Coldplay’s “Fix You” to great emotional effect. The hearer is taken on a travel that connects the singer to the hearing in a novel and unforgettable way. The call itself made that possible.
So you’ve go to filling a call by tomorrow night or go home crying? The one best part of advice I can make is this: find a familiar song with a great melody, make certain it has a strong structure and the memorable lyrics were originally sung by a not-so-great singer. Do this and the judges will pass over themselves about what a heavy song choice you made.
Sound tough? Not really. There are hundreds of songs that fit that bill, and the better position to search is from singer/songwriters who don’t give the greatest voices. It’s also not a bad idea to mine the one-hit wonders where it was the song, not the singer, that carried the day. There are literally dozens upon scores of candidates.
In the end, what’s truly needed is a rich knowledge of the American Songbook, and I dare say, some artistry. Too often to ask from a 16 years old? Perhaps. It may likewise be too often to ask of the judges. Maybe that’s why they’re so easy to go up winning songs to sing.
Those needing a bit of help, here is a name I previously presented of songs that match most of these criteria.
Tags: american idol, audience, calisthenics, creative song, david cook, song choices, song selection, technical components, Uncategorized, vocal capabilitiesThe finalists can’t improve the technical components of their singing now – it’s too deep for that – but they can make strategic song choices that can try to be still more significant than their vocal calisthenics. In other words, on Idol, connecting with the interview requires artistic song-selection chops. It’s easier said than done, but there are some battle-tested tactics that can prove invaluable when the pressure mounts.
Well-timed and creative song choices have been the storyline for the most successful contestants in the preceding few Idol seasons. Think David Cook doing a reworked “Hello” by Lionel Richie, Kris Allen doing an acoustic reading of Kayne West’s “Heartless,” and nearly every tune sung by last year’s runner-up Adam Lambert. These choices added surprise and turmoil to the performances and set the winning contestants apart from singers that, in some cases, were better than them.
The judges too have hopped on the song choice advocacy bandwagon, eschewing the catch-all criticism of “pitchy-ness” that dominated the 1st half dozen seasons. While the judges are quick to point out, “wrong song, dog!” they are easy to pass any counsel or specifics in choosing a proper tune.
So what’s a finalist to do?
1. Pick songs with Familiarity. The chosen song has to be something people are conversant with; a call they’ve heard before. Obscure chestnuts from a contestant’s pet artist aren’t going to convey the day. The proper vehicle doesn’t get to be a wildly popular number-one either (thought that can be OK). The air just has to be familiar. Songs recently featured in popular movies or TV shows are a safe home to look. The mash-up youth comedy Glee, has been mined for various songs this year. The Charlie Chaplin theme song “Smile,” Queens’ “Somebody to Love,” and the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Ever Get What you Need” have seed from this present which is, no coincidence, also on the Fox network.
2. Pick Songs with Strong Melodies. Surprisingly, many hits don’t have hummable melodies. These songs became hits because of a catchy arrangement, rhythmic content, or lyrical connection. Sometimes, a great performer doesn’t even take a good tune (witness Mick Jagger’s paean to himself, “The Singer Not the Song”). In a singing competition, the better way to show your ability is in the introduction of a memorable melody. If the air isn’t in the song, most singers can’t stand the impulse to over sing – a common mistake on Idol. The litmus test for this is as follows: can the song be played on a piano with one feel so that it is now recognizable? If it can, it’s a safe bet to be a winning choice.
3. Pick Songs NOT made illustrious by Divas and Icons.Contestants should never sing songs that have previously showcased a great, iconic, vocal performance. This is a consistent mistake and the judges always stop it out. No Aretha, no Whitney, no Mariah, not even Celine. Men too should avoid great vocal performances of highly nuanced singers. Stay away from Sam Cooke, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Freddy Mercury, and Bono. The act simply won’t be improved upon and singing one of their songs will surely only draw unfavorable comparisons. The exception to the convention is if you can drag it off like Michael Johns did with “Bohemian Rhapsody” and this year’s Siobhan Magnus did with Aretha’s “Think” – by all means go for it – but just once a season!
4. Be measured with Rearrangements. This year, Andrew Garcia floored the judges with an acoustic take on Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up.” Since then, for Garcia and everyone else it’s been, “we take more arrangement like Straight Up!” Good fortune with that. Rearrangements are a tricky business and viewers are fortunate if we get more that one memorable re-swizzle per season. Interestingly, many of the late years’ buzz rearrangements, like Jason Castro’s “Hallelujah,” David Cook’s ‘Billie Jean,” and Adam Lambert’s “Mad Word” were re-arrangements that had been previously recorded by early artists. These contestants then made modest (if any) changes to the re-arrangements and when they presented them to a larger audience they looked like geniuses. If not wholly original, using established re-arrangements is hurt because re-arrangements can backfire if they don’t supply a new alternative to the original. Kris Allen’s “She Works Hard for the Money” succeeded because it was an advance on the original – a guy telling a Donna Summer classic? Strangely satisfying. In a way, re-arrangements are same the three point line in basketball – hard to refuse taking the shot – even though the odds are against scoring. But if you must, find an organization that’s been through before but hasn’t found a big audience.
5. Let the Song do the Heavy Lifting. There are hundreds of GREAT songs out there. A large song is one that has a memorable melody, familiar song structure, and a lyric that connects the interview to the singer. A smart contestant will only sings songs that match those criteria and are undeniably great. A heavy song by definition will remove the the singer and listener places through the virtues of the call itself – that’s just what makes them great songs. Plus, if you whistle a bad song poorly, you’re stuck singing a bad song poorly. On the other hand hand, if you talk a heavy song that hasn’t been heard for awhile, and do it poorly, people just might think your song choice as being brilliant allowing you to remain another week. The movie “Young at Heart” features an octogenarian singing Coldplay’s “Fix You” to great emotional effect. The hearer is taken on a travel that connects the singer to the hearing in a novel and unforgettable way. The call itself made that possible.
So you’ve go to filling a call by tomorrow night or go home crying? The one best part of advice I can make is this: find a familiar song with a great melody, make certain it has a strong structure and the memorable lyrics were originally sung by a not-so-great singer. Do this and the judges will pass over themselves about what a heavy song choice you made.
Sound tough? Not really. There are hundreds of songs that fit that bill, and the better position to search is from singer/songwriters who don’t give the greatest voices. It’s also not a bad idea to mine the one-hit wonders where it was the song, not the singer, that carried the day. There are literally dozens upon scores of candidates.
In the end, what’s truly needed is a rich knowledge of the American Songbook, and I dare say, some artistry. Too often to ask from a 16 years old? Perhaps. It may likewise be too often to ask of the judges. Maybe that’s why they’re so easy to go up winning songs to sing.
Those needing a bit of help, here is a name I previously presented of songs that match most of these criteria.
Tags: american idol, audience, calisthenics, creative song, david cook, song choices, song selection, technical components, Uncategorized, vocal capabilities
Image Credit: Albert L. Ortega/PR PhotosDuring a routine scrape, American Idol producers found Miley Cyrus at the seat of a barrel next to some Hannah Montana doll hair and distinct to hold her a guest mentor on tomorrow night`s show. Cyrus will impart unto the Top 11 contestants bits of wisdom such as “Wear boots” and “Profound like a chain smoker,” and then she`ll perform her hit “When I Feel At You” on Wednesday`s results show, according to a press release from Fox.
Yes, I am an American Idol fan!I have been known to pull up if one of my favorites is booted off or if an underdog wins it all. While watching the early night I came to a big realization.Knowing your authentic self is the slate on Idol, yes, but likewise in life.It is so true! Knowing who you are as an artist may win the record deal on American Idol but it may also help you win in life.
Yes, I am an American Idol fan!I have been known to pull up if one of my favorites is booted off or if an underdog wins it all. While watching the early night I came to a big realization.Knowing your authentic self is the slate on Idol, yes, but likewise in life.It is so true! Knowing who you are as an artist may win the record deal on American Idol but it may also help you win in life.