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American Idol: Where are they now?

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 1:02 pm
by fantine33
If you're Jordin Sparks, well, we all know where she was yesterday.

If you're Jessica Sierra, you're in Celebrity Rehab (I'm now addicted to Dr. Drew, so this show is counterproductive. Ha!)

However, if you're Justin Guarini, Saturday night you were singing the National Anthem at the Nuggets game.

I didn't start watching American Idol until the Season of the Daughtry, so I've never really seen him before. Of course, I've seen Kelly Clarkson so, finish first, you have platinum records, Grammys, tours, etc. Finish second and you're singing the anthem at a midseason basketball game in Denver, Colorado. It wasn't even a marquee matchup (although it was a sellout), they were playing Charlotte.

He really had a decent voice, I was almost impressed. Until he got to the end and didn't even attempt a sustain or a big note or anything on "free" or "brave". And you are judged on your performance by what you do with free. Not even making an attempt is worse than blowing it, I think.

He wasn't even the best musical performance of the night. It was Supermascot Rocky's birthday game, so they had mascots from around the league doing things. You haven't lived until you've seen four mascots do a perfect rendition of the OK GO treadmill video at halftime.

That might have been the highlight, my three favourite players weren't even playing. But the Nuggets came from behind in the fourth, Sam Vincent got ejected and I scored a sweet AI All Star tee, so it was a good night.

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 1:13 pm
by slam
I only follow American Idol superficially, but it seems that actually winning it isn't the most important thing. Both Jennifer Hudson (Oscar for Supporting Actress) and Chris Daughtry (impossible to avoid on the radio these days) finished far from 1st place (7th and 4th respectively). Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson did win and have both been doing just fine. I actually remember (though did not see) a horrible movie called "From Justin to Kelly". After that, Kelly's career took off and Justin's, well, didn't.

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 1:34 pm
by MarleysGh0st
And if you're Clay Aiken, you're appearing on Broadway as Sir Robin in Spamalot!

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 2:14 pm
by NellyLunatic1980
I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that William Hung never quit his day job of bagboy at the local Pathmark or wherever. :P

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 2:24 pm
by Bob Juch
NellyLunatic1980 wrote:I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that William Hung never quit his day job of bagboy at the local Pathmark or wherever. :P
When he was on "Idol", he was an Engineering student at Cal, so no, I don't think he's a bagboy.

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 2:51 pm
by PlacentiaSoccerMom
NellyLunatic1980 wrote:I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that William Hung never quit his day job of bagboy at the local Pathmark or wherever. :P
I read someplace that he got a record deal.

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 2:55 pm
by NellyLunatic1980
PlacentiaSoccerMom wrote:
NellyLunatic1980 wrote:I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that William Hung never quit his day job of bagboy at the local Pathmark or wherever. :P
I read someplace that he got a record deal.
I don't know who the hell would give him a record deal. Next thing you know, they're gonna elect a failed oil company executive the President of the United States.

Oh, wait...

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 3:14 pm
by Bob Juch
PlacentiaSoccerMom wrote:
NellyLunatic1980 wrote:I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that William Hung never quit his day job of bagboy at the local Pathmark or wherever. :P
I read someplace that he got a record deal.
Yes, he was paid $25,000.

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 3:22 pm
by Ritterskoop
Diana DeGarmo is on Broadway in Hairspray (not the lead but her friend Penny).

Fantasia had a well-received run as the lead in The Color Purple (not sure if she's still playing ).

Tamyra Gray has done very well on TV and Broadway (Bombay Dreams).

Kimberley Locke has had some very good albums and was/is a spokesperson for Lane Bryant.

I saw Frenchie Davis last year in Rent, as the primary non-lead singer.

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 3:24 pm
by earendel
Nobody's mentioned Ruben yet.

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 3:27 pm
by ladysoleil
I know Constantine Maroulis hangs out on MySpace an awful lot.

You'd think I'd remember some of the things he's put in all the trillions of bulletins he puts out.

Re: American Idol: Where are they now?

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 4:18 pm
by jarnon
Matthew Metzger played Duke Buchanan on One Life to Live.

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 5:31 pm
by Sir_Galahad
I heard somewhere that Taylor Hicks' record label cancelled his contract. Not a good sign if true.

I haven't followed their repective careers but I would be curious to know what Katherine McPhee and Melinda Doolittle are doing these days.

It seems that Carrie Underwood has made the most of her Idol boost; even surpassing Kelly Clarkson's success. I think Chris Daughtry has done the best out of the non-winners.

I heard that Jordin Sparks was actually lip-syncing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl and muffed the sync a couple of times. I didn't see it so I don't know if that's true.

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 5:50 pm
by KillerTomato
Sir_Galahad wrote: I haven't followed their repective careers but I would be curious to know what Katherine McPhee and Melinda Doolittle are doing these days.

Here's the latest on McPhee (it ain't all that good, alas, but I didn't think she was any good anyway....):

http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2008/01/ ... mcphe.html

And on Melinda (slightly better news, IMHO, since she's not hamstrung into performing for the AI record company):

http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2007/12 ... olitt.html

Read the comments on that one...her album is due to come out in a couple of months.

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 6:07 pm
by PlacentiaSoccerMom
Sir_Galahad wrote:I heard that Jordin Sparks was actually lip-syncing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl and muffed the sync a couple of times. I didn't see it so I don't know if that's true.
She was lip-syncing. Maddie and I rewound Tivo to check.

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 6:33 pm
by T_Bone0806
Sir_Galahad wrote:I heard somewhere that Taylor Hicks' record label cancelled his contract. Not a good sign if true.
It was "by mutual agreement".

Apparently they could not agree on material for the next cd. Much like the situation on the first one.

His strength is in live performance. On record, he will probably be happier securing his own deal or going the indie route.

Re: American Idol: Where are they now?

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 7:04 pm
by Bob Juch
jarnon wrote:Matthew Metzger played Duke Buchanan on One Life to Live.
What did they play and who won?

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:07 pm
by TheGh0stOfJohnStevens
My, how fleeting fame is.

I BEAT OUT AN OSCAR WINNER!!!!!!

Oops, gotta run. The busboy just brought back another load of dirty dishes....

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:45 pm
by littlebeast13
NellyLunatic1980 wrote:
PlacentiaSoccerMom wrote:
NellyLunatic1980 wrote:I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that William Hung never quit his day job of bagboy at the local Pathmark or wherever. :P
I read someplace that he got a record deal.
I don't know who the hell would give him a record deal. Next thing you know, they're gonna elect a failed oil company executive the President of the United States.

Oh, wait...

He had a holiday CD in the bargain display at work a couple Christmases ago, "Hung for the Holidays".

I swear to God....

lb13

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:47 pm
by Sir_Galahad
T_Bone0806 wrote:
Sir_Galahad wrote:I heard somewhere that Taylor Hicks' record label cancelled his contract. Not a good sign if true.
It was "by mutual agreement".

Apparently they could not agree on material for the next cd. Much like the situation on the first one.

His strength is in live performance. On record, he will probably be happier securing his own deal or going the indie route.
Yeah. That's what they all say. ;)

I do agree, though, that if I closed by eyes and just listened to him sing, I would not be too impressed. He's not bad but he's definitely NOT Ray Charles. Watching him is a different story entirely.

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:39 pm
by Ritterskoop
Whitney Houston lip-synched at the 1991 SB, and there was a big flap about it. I believe the NFL or the TV people require it. It does not seem fake to me, like Milli Vanilli, because you have had to sing it well yourself. It is probably very hard to lip-synch in good time.

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:08 pm
by Appa23
Ritterskoop wrote:Whitney Houston lip-synched at the 1991 SB, and there was a big flap about it. I believe the NFL or the TV people require it. It does not seem fake to me, like Milli Vanilli, because you have had to sing it well yourself. It is probably very hard to lip-synch in good time.
The difference being that Whitney Houston did not require large amounts of mixing and "tinkering". It was clear from the first note that Jordin Sparks was lip-synching because she never sounded anywhere that good singing on Idol.

My wife sang the Anthem at Royals Stadium and Shea Stadium. The former required lip-synching, while the latter required it to be sound live, including the issue with the echo.

Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:14 pm
by fantine33
PlacentiaSoccerMom wrote:
Sir_Galahad wrote:I heard that Jordin Sparks was actually lip-syncing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl and muffed the sync a couple of times. I didn't see it so I don't know if that's true.
She was lip-syncing. Maddie and I rewound Tivo to check.
I wasn't paying attention to the television while she was singing, so I didn't see her mouth. But I thought 'wow, I didn't think she could sound that good without ProTools!'. So, I guess she can't, after all. Ha!

I'm pretty sure that Justin Guarini wasn't 'synching at the Can Saturday, so take that, Sparks!

Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 1:16 am
by Snaxx
I'm looking forward to Melinda Doolittle's first new recordings, with her voice I'm sure she'll get a contract somewhere.

The Arizona Republic did not mention Jordin Sparks lip-synching, I bet the media outlets knew but since she did not have a choice and lipsynching is hard for someone used to singing, it would not be fair to make a deal over it.

BTW, the third item in my signature is Jordin Sparks singing the national anthem at the first ever Cardinals game at the new stadium, I'm sure that wasn't a lipsync. I know the performance is on the internet somewhere. It was before Idol.

Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 4:54 am
by NellyLunatic1980
littlebeast13 wrote:He had a holiday CD in the bargain display at work a couple Christmases ago, "Hung for the Holidays".

I swear to God....
"Hung for the Holidays"? Shouldn't that be the title of a Christmas-themed porno film? :?