Author Topic: AIKEN NEWS NETWORK MAY 26 (Read 1236 times)
clayMaine-iac
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AIKEN NEWS NETWORK MAY 26
« on: May 26, 2004, 04:46:57 AM »
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GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE!!!
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Heather Headley returned to Broadway on May 24. Alas, it was only for one night! The Tony-winning, Grammy-nominated diva came Home to the Broadway stage (and Amsterdam Theatre) to perform a benefit concert for the Children & Family Initiative of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Did we mention that Headley, former star of Aida and The Lion King, welcomed American Idol vet Clay Aiken onstage to sing "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" Did we mention that we definitely felt the love? Photos by Bruce Glikas for Broadway.com
BROADWAY.COM
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clayMaine-iac
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AIKEN NEWS NETWORK MAY 26
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2004, 04:54:00 AM »
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'American Idol' losers win big
Some of the show's past rejects go on to sell more albums than the competition winners.
May 25, 2004: 12:17 PM EDT
By Joseph Lee, CNN/Money staff writer
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Message to "American Idol" finalists Diana DeGarmo and Fantasia Barrino: Even if you lose Wednesday night, you can still walk away a winner.
As the third season of Fox's hugely popular talent search gears up for its finale, millions of fans wonder who will emerge as the next "American Idol" and receive a recording contract.
But winning isn't everything. Some of the show's past contestants have signed record deals and released chart-topping albums without winning the competition.
The final two 'American Idol' contestants, Diana DeGarmo (left) and Fantasia Barrino (right), will face off Tuesday. Fox will air the result show Wednesday.
"The 'American Idol' brand has gotten so big, you don't really have to win it to win big," said Goumba Johnny, a radio personality at New York's WKTU.
The popularity of "American Idol" has shown a steady climb in its three seasons. The current season, excluding the huge numbers expected for its two-night finale this week, has averaged a 14.4 percent household rating, according to Nielsen. That's above the 7.4 rating of the first season and the 12.6 rating of the second season.
The massive exposure for the contestants, such as last season's runner-up Clay Aiken and this year's early reject William Hung, has helped them build careers comparable to the winners, Johnny said.
Aiken, who finished a controversial second to Ruben Studdard last season, has sold more than 2.5 million copies of his debut album, "Measure of a Man," according to Nielsen SoundScan.
In its first week, "Man" debuted at No.1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, selling more than 600,000 copies, 200,000 copies more than Studdard's debut album sold in the first week and double the first-week sales of Season 1 winner Kelly Clarkson, Nielsen SoundScan said.
Studdard's album went on to sell about 1.7 million copies and Clarkson's sold about 2 million, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Same promotions, different results
RCA Records, Aiken's label and the co-creator of "American Idol," launched similar publicity campaigns for both Aiken and Studdard. They both appeared separately on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine and appeared on major network programs, such as ABC's "Primetime Live," NBC"s "The Today Show" and "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."
But Johnny said talent alone isn't enough for the post-'Idol' artist.
"You've got to have the right talent to be on the show, but then you want the right type of management [to remain on top]. That's show business," said Johnny. "After your time expires on the show, the true reality of show business will set in."
Clay Aiken, who came in second to Ruben Studdard in the second season, appeared on the cover of 'Rolling Stone' magazine.
Record companies might also have an easier time marketing Aiken's album, said Jennifer Armstrong, staff reporter for Entertainment Weekly. "Clay has all of those catchy ballads, it really catches on with the right audience," she added.(snip)
"Whatever happens, either of them has a shot," Armstrong added.
Among other "American Idol" rejects who are now working in the music industry as up and coming hopefuls:
* Tamyra Gray, the first season's runaway favorite, expects to release her debut album "The Dream" on May 25;
* Kimberly Locke, who was last season's second runner-up, recently released an album called "One Love" on Curb Records;
* R.J. Helton, one of the top five finalists from the first season, released a Christian-oriented record called "Real Life" on B Rite/Zomba last month.
But not all could be smiling with similar success stories like Aiken and Hung.
"It really goes beyond just talent [after the show]," said Johnny. "The bottom line is: Are you going to have any sustaining power?"
Both Aiken and Clarkson are artisits under RCA Records label, while Studdard's album was released on J Records, home of R&B stars Alicia Keys and Luther Vandross.
RCA and J Records are both owned by German media giant Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG). Both labels declined an opportunity to comment on their artists' contracts, and Hung's Koch Entertainment did not return calls made by CNN/Money.
Fox is owned by Fox Entertainment (FOX: Research, Estimates), a subsidiary of News Corp. (NWS: Research, Estimates).
MONEY.CNN
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clayMaine-iac
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AIKEN NEWS NETWORK MAY 26
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2004, 04:59:45 AM »
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American democracy meets American Idolatry
In reality shows today, it's all about the voting
Ray Mickshaw / Fox via AP
COMMENTARY
By Wendell Wittler
MSNBC contributor
Updated: 2:06 p.m. ET May 25, 2004
America is facing an electoral crisis.
It's not about punch cards and hanging chads, but touch-tone phones and cliffhanging divas. The candidates aren't raising and spending massive amounts of money, but the winner will likely earn more than the president of the United States. There are no exit polls, but there's this goofy guy who keeps saying "Out!" This crisis is happening not in American Politics, but "American Idol".(SNIP)
Phone woes
In year two, the success of "Idol" grew, and the final two were the competition's least typical pop stars: Clay Aiken, a skinny kid who got a major makeover that only lowered his Geek Rating from 11 to 8, and Ruben Studdard, a "teddy bear" who defied the conventional wisdom that a neutered Barry White couldn't be a hit. Idol fever peaked as the two unlikelies went head-to-head, and the show proudly proclaimed a victory for Ruben that was as thin as he wasn't: about half of one percent out of 24 million votes.
With uncompleted calls far outnumbering the completed, either of the finalists could have had twice as many attempted votes as the other, and the show would never know.
But the big vote and the close vote were dangerously related: the flood of calls overwhelmed Idol's phone system, and with both phone numbers running at capacity, a near-tie was inevitable. The winner seemed to have been decided by the relatively few voters who used AT&T's wireless text-messaging system, which never had capacity problems. Or a technical difficulty lasting less than a minute to Clay's number could have accounted for the half-percent margin.
Nobody outside the show knows for sure, and nobody inside the show is talking. Meanwhile, the two largest phone companies reported a surge in calls the day of the vote ten times the show's vote count. With uncompleted calls far outnumbering the completed, either of the finalists could have had twice as many attempted votes as the other, and the show would never know. And building in extra capacity for rare peaks in usage has never been a priority with the telephone system; just try calling your mom on Mother's Day.
MSNBC
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clayMaine-iac
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AIKEN NEWS NETWORK MAY 26
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2004, 05:06:23 AM »
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Idol' is TV, not reality
The "talent contest" is really a popularity contest, as viewers are discovering. Thus, it matters little who actually wins.
By ERIC DEGGANS, Times TV/Media Critic
Published May 25, 2004
It's tempting to think that this week's final vote in Fox's blockbuster talent show, American Idol, will not only pick the recipient of a $1-million record deal, but will also be a referendum on the future of the show itself.
That's because the often surprising vote results have led even longtime fans to question whether the most talented singers in the competition haven't already been eliminated.
It doesn't help that two of the show's biggest upsets - the ejections of Jennifer Hudson and La Toya London, both black women with serious R&B diva chops - helped encourage accusations of racism that have bubbled beneath the surface since the show's 2002 debut.(SNIP)
Not if you ask Barrino, who said Sunday it doesn't matter who wins this week.
"At this point, it doesn't really matter to me. . . . Out of 70,000 people (who auditioned), I've gotten to the top two (spots), . . . which is a blessing," said the North Carolina resident during a conference call with reporters, noting that Idol judge Simon Cowell has said in interviews that he expects DeGarmo to win. "It doesn't matter if she wins it or I win it. We're both winners."
Certainly, recent history backs up Barrino's words.
Despite his second place showing to winner Ruben Studdard, Idol runner-up Clay Aiken has sold nearly 1-million more albums than his 300-pound pal, co-headlining a nationwide tour with the champion from Idol's first edition, Kelly Clarkson.
"It's a popularity contest more than it is a talent contest," said Lynche, calling from his home in New York City. "I think it's clear that, between the two finalists, Fantasia's the better singer . . . and the bigger star. But you have to go into it recognizing the reality of the contest."
But isn't there something wrong with a talent contest that claims to pick America's biggest idol, only to find that its rejects have much more successful careers?
"What I think is American Idol's biggest problem is that people are getting wise to the fact that it doesn't matter who wins," said Robert Thompson, head of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University. "They're beginning to see that the real competition is to get into the top 12 (finalists). I don't think Kelly or Ruben or Justin or Clay were ever the best pop stars. . . . They were the people who were best at being on American Idol."
Andy Dehnart, creator of the reality TV Web site RealityBlurred.com and a journalism instructor at Stetson University in DeLand, said Idol winners may find their postshow work inhibited by the producers, who retain a tremendous amount of control over those who place highly in the contest.
"They're pigeonholed into being what the show or producers want them to be," said Dehnart. "They can't get the most artistic freedom. . . . And there's lots of pressure to succeed before the next Idol comes along and replaces you."
And even though Idol producers have defended the integrity of their system, they have agreed to double the voting time for this week's finale, accepting call-in votes more than four hours after tonight's show (something they also did last year).
Dehnart encourages fans to see it as trying to call into the world's largest radio station, which millions of others are also trying to call, creating an expected bottleneck. Thompson said the vote controversies have probably helped Idol, building tremendous interest in the show even as war in Iraq and a pending presidential election grab the media's interest.
"The show is getting buzz again just when you thought American Idol was dying," he said. "In a way, it's all the upside of the (1950s) quiz show scandals with none of the downside: You get all of this hype and interest, but none of it is something illegal that will get you thrown off the air or in jail."
Experts expect Idol producers to make some changes in the wake of widespread complaints, perhaps curbing the age of contestants at 18 and allowing call-in voters to vote only once.
But regardless of Wednesday's outcome, two things seem clear: Idol's system is seriously flawed, and it probably doesn't matter if it is.
"There's an old saying: When a donkey flies, you don't expect it to stay up very long," said Thompson. "American Idol is what it is. It's a terrible way to do a talent contest. But it's a great way to get viewers."
SPTIMES
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clayMaine-iac
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AIKEN NEWS NETWORK MAY 26
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2004, 05:14:19 AM »
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Voters pick new “American Idol” tonight
By LARRY BONKO, The Virginian-Pilot
© May 25, 2004
TAKING A CUE from Simon Cowell, who can be crankier than Scrooge with gout, TV America sent 17-year-old Jasmine Trias back to Hawaii last week, setting up an “American Idol” showdown tonight on Fox between Diana DeGarmo and Fantasia Barrino.
As Trias last week finished a performance that Cowell called sweet but forgettable, he looked her in the eye and said, “It has to end for you tonight.”(SNIP)
In the first “Idol,” Cowell favored Tamyra Gray – who didn’t make the last round – over eventual winner Kelly Clarkson. In “Idol” No. 2, Cowell agreed with the viewers’ choice in Ruben Studdard. Earlier in this year’s competition, the three judges liked very much the singing of Jennifer Hudson and LaToya London. Host Seacrest raved about London. The viewers were not impressed, voting off London and Hudson amid charges of racism and that the voting is fixed. (SNIP)
The competition started with almost 80,000 young people who wanted to be the next Clay Aiken – last year’s runner-up – or Clarkson.
HAMPTONROADS
Pamela
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AIKEN NEWS NETWORK MAY 26
« Reply #8 on: May 26, 2004, 06:19:20 AM »
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CHERIE OPENS FOR CLAY
Pop singer ‘Cherie’ to open for Clay on his summer concert apperance
tour! The NY Daily News called her ‘the female Clay Aiken!’ Her
current radio single is called ‘I’m Ready.’ Cherie’s website can be
seen here
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Pamela
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AIKEN NEWS NETWORK MAY 26
« Reply #9 on: May 26, 2004, 06:22:12 AM »
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CUE THE FIREWORKS!
PBS’ A CAPITOL FOURTH 2004 KICKS OFF AMERICA’S PREMIER BIRTHDAY BASH WITH STAR-STUDDED MUSICAL SALUTE
- Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Robin Gibb, Clay Aiken and Other Guest Artists Join Host Barry Bostwick with Erich Kunzel and the National Symphony Orchestra In Live Televised Event from the Nation’s Capitol
Washington, D.C., May 13, 2004...Hosted by veteran actor Barry Bostwick, A Capitol Fourth will feature performances by some of the country’s best-known and award-winning musical artists. The concert will include Nashville superstars Vince Gill and Amy Grant, American Idol singer Clay Aiken, a jive-talkin’ tribute to the 1970’s disco era with member of the legendary Bee Gees Robin Gibb and a special 150th birthday salute to famed late American composer and conductor John Philip Sousa whose “Stars and Stripes Forever” March has become synonymous with Independence Day. Leading the internationally renowned National Symphony Orchestra is America’s premier pops conductor, Erich Kunzel. The event airs live on PBS from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol on Sunday, July 4, 2004 from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. ET (check local listings.)
A Capitol Fourth 2004 can also be heard live in stereo over National Public Radio and is broadcast to U.S. military personnel in more than 135 countries by the American Forces Radio and Television Network...
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Pamela
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AIKEN NEWS NETWORK MAY 26
« Reply #10 on: May 26, 2004, 06:28:14 AM »
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LYCOS GOLD!
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As for American Idol (#16), finalists Fantasia Barino and Diana DeGarmo do not generate nearly enough searches to put them on the list. Diana DeGarmo does receive more searches than Fantasia Barino. However Clay Aiken (#4) receives 65 times more searches than nearest idol Diana DeGarmo.
Clay is #4 this week!
LYCOS
