'American Idol' flexes music cred


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NEW YORK -- When "American Idol" made its debut five years ago, it was decried by some as another vapid reality show attempting to create another vapid pop star -- and at first glance, the critics seemed to be right.

There were geeky contestants warbling cheesy ballads, dramatic divas oversinging their way through a song, and the show's panel for judging talent included Paula Abdul.

Enough said.

"Season One, you couldn't take the show seriously," says Jessica Shaw, an Entertainment Weekly senior writer who wrote this month's cover story on the show. "Someone like (runner-up) Justin Guarini, you knew this was never going to be someone who was destined for music superstardom."

But as America's most popular show prepares to kick off its sixth season Tuesday, it's getting harder and harder for music snobs to deny its cultural import. "American Idol" has consistently churned out multiplatinum stars, Grammy-nominated artists and engaging celebrities (and, just maybe, an Oscar nominee in "Dreamgirls" star and "Idol" alum Jennifer Hudson).

"There were a lot of naysayers," says Randy Jackson, who along with Abdul and Simon Cowell are the judging trifecta of "Idol." "(But) it validates itself every season because somebody great comes out of it every season and does really well."

"At a certain point, whether it's respectable or not it just becomes undeniable," says music journalist Alan Light, who has written for publications including The New York Times. "For a few years, there was a sense of novelty, but after a while, there's more of a sense of institution."

Last year certainly seemed to put the exclamation point on how venerable "Idol" has become -- not only as a television phenomenon, but a music industry beacon. Its fifth season was its most popular, as established stars such as Shakira and Rod Stewart vied for the attention of "Idol" fans with guest appearances and saw their album sales boom; even highly respected stars such as Mary J. Blige and Prince made an appearance on the show's finale.

And while that season's contestants were battling to become the next "Idol," the show's veterans were showing why the title was so coveted. Kelly Clarkson won two Grammy Awards for her breakthrough, multiplatinum second disc, "Breakaway," while Grammy-nominated Carrie Underwood became one of country music's biggest stars with her debut album, which has sold more than 4 million copies; she even beat out established veterans for awards (much to Faith Hill's apparent televised dismay).

Fantasia, another multiplatinum former winner, had her own TV biopic and released another critically acclaimed disc in the fall. Season five "Idol" finalist Chris Daughtry put together the band Daughtry and released a smash album, and Kellie Pickler had success with her country debut.

And Hudson, a season three contestant, is now nominated for a slew of awards -- including a Golden Globe for best supporting actress -- for her dazzling turn in the film "Dreamgirls."

"The show has proven it has a valid way to pick talent and a proven way to sell records," says Harvey Mason of the production team The Underdogs, which has worked with Clarkson, Guarini, Fantasia, Ruben Studdard and other "Idol" alumni.

"There are still some people who feel it's not the exact road to a long career, but some people have already realized that this is a very important way to market artists and I think the artists who have come off the show have proven that they are long-standing artists."

The turning point for "Idol's" credibility may have been the success of Clarkson's sophomore album, released in 2004. While her first album, released soon after her win on "Idol," was a platinum success, it generated only two hit singles and her success seemed tied into her newfound fame. But her hard-rocking second disc, which contained smashes like "Since U Been Gone" and the ballad "Because of You," garnered her critical acclaim and made her a bona fide success apart from "Idol."

"At that point, the show was not just finding a one-hit wonder. It wasn't just finding someone who could win a TV reality show and have a huge No. 1 single," says Shaw. "It was finding someone who would have a career with longevity."

In "Idol's" early days -- and to some extent, even now -- the show was criticized for looking for a generic-kind of talent that would be palatable to mass audiences, sacrificing individuality or uniqueness.

But as "Idols" like Clarkson, Underwood and Fantasia continue to carve out their own niche in the music world, those arguments may be fading.

"(Clarkson's success) was a time when one of the winners was able to establish a persona away from the show ... and stand on her own two feet, and got recognition from the Grammys and from critics, and there was a sense that this was somebody who had been cultivated to be a pop star outside of what she was within the 'Idol' boundaries," Light says.

When legendary mogul Clive Davis, who oversees the albums of the winners and many contestants, first reached out to Mason to produce records for the show's contestants, Mason was skeptical.

"Everyone thought it was just a TV show, another reality show, but I remember specifically meeting with Clive Davis ... and him telling us that this TV show was going to change the way the industry works," Mason recalls.

"This is just the evolution of how we find our talent, that's just a fact. Before you used to have to go into somebody's office and sing to a guy playing piano to get a record deal. Now you can go on a TV show," Mason adds. "It's the same exact thing."

And that talent continues to captivate American audiences -- even more so than established pop acts.

"What it really is is the kids getting exposure on TV and the public falling in love with them, during weeks and months ... so by the time they put the record out, the public knows who they are," says Jackson. "The public might know better who these kids are than they might know the artist from any record company."

Last year's Grammy Awards, which went head-to-head with an episode of "American Idol" and got crushed in the ratings, might be the best example of that.

"If that many more people want to watch an episode of 'American Idol' than the biggest awards show in the music business, I think it tells you what kind of power they have," Light says.
About American Idol The Show:
In the show, hosted by Ryan Seacrest, hopeful contestants are screened by preliminary panels to be selected for singing talent or humorous potential and human interest. Those which pass the prelims are potentially aired on the show. They then audition before the three main judges - Simon Cowell (one of the judges from Pop Idol), Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson - in cities across the United States. Sometimes a celebrity fourth judge is added. These are generally held at large convention centers where thousands of people wait in line for auditions. Past audition cities have included; New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Atlanta, New Orleans, Chicago, Philadelphia, Greensboro, Washington, DC, Houston, Honolulu, Denver, Detroit, St. Louis, Boston, Las Vegas, Orlando, Nashville, Memphis, Dallas, Cleveland and Austin. In order to be eligible, the contestants are not permitted to have any current recording or talent management agreements (but may have had one at some point in the past). Based on turnout and availability, producers select a certain number from the crowd to audition before the three judges (this usually takes 2-4 rounds). Contestants are required to sing a cappella. Those who impress the majority of the judges move on to the second round auditions which take place in Hollywood (typically only several dozen out of the thousands in each city move on). The contestants selected despite lack of singing talent for appearance before the panel provide a major attraction to the viewing audience as they simultaneously proclaim their talent while turning out gut-wrenching performances which are ridiculed by the judges.

In the finals, which last eleven weeks, each finalist performs a song live in primetime from a weekly theme (two songs in later rounds) at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California in front of a live studio audience. Themes have included Motown, disco, big band music, and Billboard #1 hits. Some themes are based on music recorded by a particular artist, and the finalists have a chance to work with that artist in preparing their performances. Artists around whom themes have been based include Billy Joel, Neil Sedaka, The Bee Gees, Barry Manilow, Gloria Estefan, Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Queen.

When there are three finalists remaining, themes are no longer used. Instead, each contestant sings three songs: one of their own choice, one chosen by the judges, and one chosen by record executive Clive Davis. However in Season Two, in the final three, one song was chosen randomly from a bowl, with one chosen by the performer and one by the judges.

In any case, each week on the following night's live "results" episode, the contestant with the fewest votes is sent home. The bottom three vote-getters are separated from the remaining contestants. Over the course of the episode, two are revealed as being "safe" for the week, and the loser is sent home after performing one final song to end the episode. This process is repeated each week until the one remaining contestant is declared the winner.

AMERICAN IDOL NEWS

Josh, Bucky and Phil’s 4th of July Performances

Second Season’s Josh Gracin will spend July 4^th in McKinney, Texas for a show at Craig Ranch before returning home to spend the remainder of the long weekend with family in Tennessee.

Season 5’s Bucky Covington will play the Red, White and Boom Festival in Lexington, Kentucky on July 4. (One can only imagine that if Bucky were at home in Nashville over the holiday, he’d be waterskiing or motorbiking around.)

Finally, Season 6’s Phil Stacey will play the Wild West Fest in Hays, Kansas on July 4 before vacationing with family in Oklahoma.

Check out Josh's profile, Bucky's transformation gallery and Phil's latest interview with us.

Jordin, Kat and Taylor Perform for 4th of July

This year’s Macy’s 4^th of July Fireworks Spectacular will feature the singing talent of two American Idols: AI Season 6 winner, Jordin Sparks and AI Season 5 Runner-up Katharine McPhee! Jordin will be performing her latest single, “One Step at a Time” and Katharine, who is working on her second album, will perform “Save The Last Dance For Me.”

Meanwhile, from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, AI Season winner Taylor Hicks will perform at the 2008 Fourth of July Concert in Washington, D.C.

Check out the transformation galleries for Jordin, Kat and Taylor. See how they changed over their season on Idol!

Paris Bennett Is Mom To Be

Season 5’s Paris Bennett is pregnant with her first, according to The Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Paris, who will be 20 years old when the baby arrives in October, is maintaining her privacy with details including the identity of the father.

According to the Star-Tribune, some high profile celebrities have said they will be attending the August baby shower with the intention of spoiling the baby mercilessly, with or without Paris' permission. Queen Latifah reportedly told Paris, “You’re the Princess, I’m the Queen!”

Since finishing fifth place on American Idol, “Princess P” as Ryan Seacrest liked to call her, released a debut album, “Princess P” on May 8, 2007.

Check out our Season 5 transformation photo gallery for the new mom!

Who Will Be The Next Singing Superstar? Auditions for the eighth season of American Idol begin Thursday, July 17, at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, CA, and will continue in seven other cities. Once again, auditioners will have an extraordinary opportunity to perform before millions of TV viewers and become household names, with one winning the coveted American Idol title and a major recording contract. The official docs for the auditions are as follows: FAQs Rules Release Form Guardian Release Form Auditions will be held as follows: Thursday, July 17 San Francisco, CA The Cow Palace Monday, July 21 Louisville, KY Freedom Hall Friday, July 25 Phoenix, AZ Jobing.com Arena Tuesday, July 29 Salt Lake City, UT EnergySolutions Arena Saturday, August 2 San Juan, Puerto Rico Coliseo de Puerto Rico Friday, August 8 Kansas City, MO TBD Wednesday, August 13 Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena Tuesday, August 19 East Rutherford, NJ IZOD Center at the Meadowlands Specific information for the San Francisco auditions is below. More details for the additional audition cities will be announced shortly. San Francisco American Idol Auditions WHO: Men and women 16-28 years old as of July 15, 2008, who are eligible to work in the U.S. Some restrictions apply – please visit americanidol.com for specific information. WHERE: The Cow Palace 2600 Geneva Ave. Daly City, CA 94014 WHEN: Thursday, July 17 HOW: Wristbands will be distributed from 7:00 AM on Tuesday, July 15 until 8:00 AM on Thursday, July 17. Auditioners will not be permitted to camp out; therefore, once they obtain their wristbands, they will be asked to return to the Cow Palace on Thursday, July 17. Take a look at some of our favorite photos from Season 7's Auditions!

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