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July 2007
Corey Clark behind bars … again
Remember Corey Clark?
Sure you do. He’s the former “American Idol” contestant who claims he had a fling with Paula Abdul.
Yeah, him.
Well, it seems Corey’s in a little bit of trouble. Again.
The Associated Press reports he was arrested by Arkansas authorities early Monday, and charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Then there’s that outstanding warrant from Arizona, where he reportedly failed to make a court appearance …
Anyone know a good lawyer?
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‘Idol’ auditions begin
It’s that time again.
“American Idol” auditions kicked off today in San Diego, and an estimated 12,000 wannabes showed up at Qualcomm Stadium hoping to get their hands on a precious golden ticket to Hollywood.
Next stop: Dallas.
If you’re hoping to land a spot on Season 7 of “Idol,” USA Today has some commonsense tips from this year’s finalists:
Jordin Sparks: “Sing something nobody else is doing, because by the 10th time they’ve heard it, they’re going to cut you off early, and you need all the time they give you.”
Blake Lewis: “You’ve got to be yourself and be confident.”
Melinda Doolittle: “Sing a song you believe in, one that you can really sell. Capture their attention.”
Phil Stacey: “You’ve got to be real.”
Gina Glocksen: “Make yourself be noticed without overdoing it.”
Chris Sligh: “Be comfortable. Have fun with it, and show some personality.”
Haley Scarnato: “Focus on the song and get caught up in that moment so you won’t let everything else overwhelm you.”
Making the trip to Texas Stadium next week? We’d love to hear from you.
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Ryan Seacrest wants to be a daddy
Single and ready to mingle?
If so, Ryan Seacrest wants to meet you.
In an interview out this week, he claims he’s itching to have kids. Lots and lots of kids.
“I think it would be tough, but I definitely look forward to a little girl and a little boy,” he told In Touch Weekly. “I want more than five but less than 10.”
Gag.
Idol chatter …
- The drama keeps coming for Paula Abdul.
Now it appears she’s been dropped from the upcoming “Bratz” movie.
What happened? That depends who’s talking.
Abdul claims on “Hey Paula,” her new reality show, that she was dumped — without explanation — via e-mail.
The studio and stars of the movie, due out next month, tell a different tale, citing scheduling conflicts.
Will we ever know the truth? Do we really care?
No and no.
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Taylor tells (almost) all
Just got off the phone with Season 5 “American Idol” winner Taylor Hicks, and we’ve got some (admittedly minor) scoopage to pass along.
As any loyal member of the Soul Patrol knows by now, Taylor will be in San Marcos Friday night at 7 signing copies of “Heart Full of Soul,” his new book, at Hastings Books, Music & Video, 917 Texas 80. Once he’s done, Taylor tells us he plans to stick around for the weekend. Nothing specific, but we’re pretty sure he’ll pop into a live music venue or two.
Other tasty tidbits:
We tried, but Taylor wouldn’t divulge details on his love life.
A new album should materialize next year.
Look for a new DVD soon featuring Taylor live in concert.
His musical tastes run the spectrum, from Michael McDonald to Elliott Yamin.
Taylor’s apparently a big sports fan. Who knew? He loves the NFL, and also follows Alabama and Auburn universities. (He is from Alabama, after all.)
And, yes, he thinks America made the right choice by picking Jordin Sparks this season.
There you have it, folks. Hear the whole 11-minute interview here.
Time to kiss and make up
Kelly Clarkson has apologized to Clive Davis.
Yeah, we didn’t see that coming. Especially now that her new album appears to be a bomb in terms of sales and airplay on radio stations around the country.
After a well-reported clash earlier this year over the recently released “My December,” Kelly insulted the record industry’s most powerful exec in just about every way possible. Rare was it to read a magazine interview where she didn’t have something snarky to say.
But, apparently, all that’s in the past. Smart gal.
“There has been quite a bit of controversy surrounding the release of ‘My December,’ much of which has focused on a supposed feud with my record label, in particular, Clive Davis,” Kelly said in a statement posted today on her Web site. I want to set the record straight on this by saying that I want my band, my advisors, those close to me and my record label to be one big, tightly knit family. Like any family we will disagree and argue sometimes but, in the end, it’s respect and admiration that will keep us together. A lot has been made in the press about my relationship with Clive. Much of this has been blown way out of proportion and taken out of context. Contrary to recent characterizations in the press, I’m well aware that Clive is one of the great record men of all time. He has been a key advisor and has been an important force in my success to date. He has also given me respect by releasing my new album when he was not obligated to do so. I really regret how this has turned out and I apologize to those whom I have done disservice. I would never intentionally hurt anyone. I love music, and I love the people I am blessed to work with. I am happy that my team is behind me and I look forward to the future.”
Hey, Kelly, your nose is brown.
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‘Idol’ snags an Emmy nod
Sure, “American Idol” is a ratings juggernaut, but that doesn’t mean squat to Emmy voters.
Just look at the show’s track record so far: four nominations, zero wins.
Perhaps this will be the year things turn around. “Idol” has once again recieved a nod in the Reality-Competition Program category. Others nominees include four-time winner “The Amazing Race,” as well as “Dancing With the Stars,” “Project Runway” and “Top Chef.”
“Idol” also snagged nominations in lots of less sexy categories, such as directing, editing, lighting and technical editing. Yawn.
See who wins Sept. 16 on Fox.
Idol chatter …
- Is Paula Abdul about to get the boot?
Rumors are floating around yet again. This time the alleged replacement is Sharon Osbourne.
Sorry, but we’re just not buying it.
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Talkin’ to Taylor Hicks
Guess what … we’ve got a phone date with Taylor Hicks.
Try not to be too jealous.
Yep, we’ll be chatting with Mr. Soul Patrol a week from today. But what should we ask?
That’s where you come in. Think up some really great questions and share them with us using the comment box below. We’ll ask as many as we can during our conversation.
And, if your question doesn’t get answered? Well, you could always ask Taylor in person when he stops at the San Marcos Hastings store July 27.
Idol chatter …
- Kelly Clarkson’s running her mouth again.
Shock! Shock!
This time she tells USA Weekend about her trip to Amsterdam.
Yeah, you know where this is going: Kelly admits she took a walk on the wild side and ate a marijuana cookie.
“It is legal there, and it is not legal here,” she said. “I don’t ever do anything illegal here.”
But, wait … there’s more.
“I have never smoked anything in my life. I’ve never tried any drugs. I wouldn’t do anything that would cause holes in your brain or your nasal cavity. Call me Texan, but I don’t think of marijuana like that.”
Well, we guess that’s one way to boost sagging album sales.
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‘Psych’ takes on ‘American Idol’
Psyched about tonight’s episode of ‘Psych’?
Well, maybe you should be.
The hit USA Network show kicks off a new season with an “American Idol” parody that promises to keep viewers — new and old — in stitches.
The “requisite cruel British judge” on an “Idol” knockoff is targeted by a would-be murderer and enlists the help of psychic detective Shawn Spencer. Along the way, we’re introduced to a “barely articulate, drugged-up” Paula Abdul clone.
“Psych” airs at 9 p.m., with plenty of reruns sprinkled throughout the coming days and weeks.
Idol chatter …
- Kelly Clarkson continues her self-destructive ways in two eye-opening interviews out this week.
She takes ample potshots at her record label — and especially influential exec Clive Davis — in both Blender and Reader’s Digest.
On her new album, which was nearly nixed: “I just want people to hear it, instead of 100-year-old executives making decisions on what’s good for pop radio. It’s people my age who listen to it. My gut hasn’t been wrong yet, so why wouldn’t I continue to follow it?”
Note to Kelly: Shut up already. Your career’s on the line here.
- Look for Katharine McPhee starring alongside Anna Faris (who?) and Adam Sandler in an upcoming big-screen comedy.
According to the folks over at “American Idol” Worship, “the movie stars Faris as a Playboy bunny who gets evicted from the House of Hef and then stumbles into the job of den mother to the lamest sorority on a nearby college campus.”
Sounds, um, terrible. Just like every other flick Sandler’s made.
‘Idols Live’ tickets still available
The “Idols Live” tour rolls into San Antonio’s AT&T Center Monday night, and — shock, shock! — tickets are still available.
A quick search this morning for the “best available” seat on Ticketmaster’s Web site yielded a spot on the floor just nine rows back from the stage. The cost? A smidge over $80 when you tack on all those annoying fees.
So what are you in for if you make that quick drive south on Interstate 35? The Palm Beach Post was in Sunrise, Fla., last week to catch the very first performance on this year’s tour. Read the two-part review here and here.
Blogger Leslie Gray Streeter also had the chance to sit down with seven of the 10 performers — including Sanjaya Malakar. Check out what they had to say here.
Idol chatter …
- Will Kelly Clarkson go country?
That’s the question being asked today by Rolling Stone and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
It seems most radio stations are passing on “Sober,” Queen Kelly’s second single. But “Because of You,” her duet with Reba McEntire, is perched to land in the Billboard Top 10 very, very soon.
Our take? We’ll believe it when we see it.
- From the Rolling Our Eyes Department: Showrunners have inked a deal with Lyric Jeans to create a line of “American Idol”-inspired clothes.
“ ‘American Idol’ is the most powerful and iconic music brand in popular culture today and the perfect tie-in for our creative concept,” Lyric president Hanna Rochelle Schmieder said in a news release. “We couldn’t have dreamt of a better partner. Now music and fashion lovers everywhere can feel like a pop star and express themselves through our lyric-driven lifestyle brand.”
Yawn.
Clay + drama = free publicity
Clay Aiken got beat up by a girl!
Well, sort of.
Aiken, who performed Friday night with the Houston Symphony, was apparently the recipient of a “minor shove” after a disagreement over an armrest became rather heated on a Saturday morning flight to Tulsa, Okla.
The Associated Press reports the flight crew was able to calm things down by separating Aiken and the unnamed female passenger. FBI agents met the Continental Airlines jet when it landed, questioning everyone on board before allowing folks to get on with their lives.
Claymates everywhere will be happy to know no injuries were reported, and no charges were filed. And, yes, the show at Tulsa’s Brady Theater went on as scheduled, according to the local newspaper.
Katherine McPhee steams up Stuff
Want something light, breezy and slightly trashy to read this weekend?
Well, look no further than the current issue of Stuff magazine, featuring Katharine McPhee.
We don’t want to spoil the whole experience for you, but here are a few quick highlights:
On why she likes older men: “They’re just wiser, and they’re less about themselves and more about you.”
On settling down: “Oh yeah. I want to have, like, 15 babies. I’ve always wanted to be pregnant. One year for Halloween, I decided to be pregnant, so I got this nun costume, and I put a big belly under it. I showed my parents and said I want to go to school as a pregnant nun. My dad said, ‘Katharine, you can’t!’ ”
Enjoy!
Idol chatter …
- Kelly Clarkson’s “My December” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard charts, behind “Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus.”
Um, OK. Apparently 12-year-old girls — and their parents — are the only people out there who still patronize music stores.
In any event, it’s a remarkably good showing for an album that’s had an unusually high amount of negative buzz. Will sales continue to be as robust? Stay tuned …
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Blake, Jordin discuss upcoming albums
In between stops on the “Idols Live” tour, Blake Lewis and Jordin Sparks have been hard at work on their upcoming albums.
Judging by what we’ve read so far, it seems Blake’s will likely hit shelves first … though both are promising releases around Thanksgiving.
The beat-boxer tells TV Guide he’s already got a producer lined up, and that he first hit the studio almost a month ago. Doug E. Fresh may even show up on one of the tracks.
“I just recorded my first track last night,” Lewis said. “I’ve already written seven songs.”
Jordin, meanwhile, tells Billboard magazine she wants a “radio friendly” album that’s part Kelly Clarkson, part Beyonce.
Sounds like a recipe for success. Who needs originality, right?
Idol chatter …
- Apparently we were the only people out there in TV Land who actually liked “Hey Paula.”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports the show’s debut drew just 619,000 sets of eyeballs last week.
That’s roughly half the number of viewers snagged by “Being Bobby Brown” and “Top Chef: Miami.” Not good considering all the promotional power Bravo put into this project.
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Is Kelly’s rough ride over?
Kelly Clarkson has hired a new manager.
Or, as the Los Angeles Times so eloquently puts it, “the Kelly Clarkson rollercoaster ride has a new passenger.”
Narvel Blackstock, Reba McEntire’s manager — and hubby — will now be calling the shots for the Burleson native.
“Kelly is an incredible talent with an unlimited future,” Blackstock told the Times. “We are thrilled to be working with her.”
Idol chatter …
- Feel like making a fool of yourself?
Then keep an eye out for the Weinermobile, which is hitting America’s highways now through Sept. 25. There’s no set schedule so, sadly, we can’t tell you when — or if — there are any Central Texas stops. But you never know …
As part of the “Sing the Jingle, Be a Star” contest, Oscar Mayer is looking for three lucky souls to sing its infamous jingle in an upcoming ad campaign. The winners will score $5,000 cash and — get this! — a trip for two to the “American Idol” Season 7 finale.
Quite the prize, if you ask us. And totally worth the embarrassment.
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