Miami Sound Machine?

I'm surprised that only 17 Hollywood tickets were handed out in Miami tonight, compared with last evening's 19 from the nation's midsection (Omaha)....I mean, everyone looked fabulous! The weather was great! Beaches were beautiful! Guess it's a stereotype thing I'm working on...and Simon calling Paula's dress "slutty" before the hour even got underway just didn't help ...but I was just glad to see she was lucid and back to work! Yeah!

The meat-market-working belcher just got me going.....I have to hand it to her, cause if that was MY parent's business, and I was 18 years old, I'd have to take a pass...kudos to her for helping Mom and Dad out, and you could tell they loved her...that's what it's all about, right? Liked the sparkle black beanie and hot pink wristguard....girl's got some flair.

Move, over, Constantine! Here comes Robbie :) I really liked your black beanie-wearing self, with poppers and silly string to celebrate. I like that your entire family was there to cheer for you, and your 3rd grade class, too. I think you are Bo Bice and Ace Young rolled into one and can't wait to see what comes next for you!

Similarly, the Corlisse and Britney duo were just adorable and despite not having stellar pipes, showed the power of personality....the lovefest they showed the judges (and were shown them) was fun to see (Simon's prescription of Happy Juice has not yet run out!)

Why did they let that Venezuelan loverguy give Paula hugs and kisses (and let him through??) I'm surprised Corey Clark didn't pretty much stop all that....

Single mom Suzanne Toon makes it through (is that a coincidence?) as does Ramiele, AKA Jasmine Trias 2.0. Simon thought she was a hotel singer, but Paula liked her a lot, and so did we in this house...we liked Syeshe, too, and thought her rendition of "Think"reminded us of Nadia Turner...Nataysha (?) and Ilsy (?) followed rapidly...(sorry for the spelling if you are reading!) and the show ended with some VERY BAD SINGERS.

Now, this is going to sound itchy, BUT the star search chick? That was pretty gratifying that she was turned away. Does the word ENTITLED mean anything to you? I am going to call her Precocious Pricilla....I do think she had a reasonable voice, MAYBE, but we couldn't get to it under all of that make up, posturing, and attitude. I thought to myself, had this girl walked in, fresh-faced without any pretense, and just sang a simple song....she might have made it through and actually turned into something.....good news is that she is only 16 and has her entire life and career ahead of her....she needs to completely recover from her brush with fame, though, if she wants to have any sort of career forward...the 12 year old we saw on film bore NO resemblance to what we got in the audition, no?

Okay....I might be tiring of auditions.....eek! Did I say that out loud?

A Kernel of Talent in Omaha...

Sorry, I don't really mean that...:) I thought there were some mighty good singers in Omaha....but before I get to waxing philosophical, I've been asked several times already about my favorites thus far in the auditions. I must, in all honesty, say I don't have any favorites. As I've learned watching this show, you can't count on anything at this point. We've seen people who have really impressed during auditions, only to see them totally tank in Hollywood. On the contrary, those we've not yet been introduced to (via the almighty 'backstory') can surprise in Hollywood...there is too much unknown at this point. (And yes, I've resisted reading the Top 24 Spoilers...)

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, I found tonight fairly entertaining.....with 19 Hollywood passes given out among 10,000 auditioners (am I the only one who found this number surprisingly high?) that does seem a low audition-to-Golden-Ticket ratio....not that there's anything wrong with that...

I loved the opening number with the cornfield shout out....I was thinking, Mel! Signs!

Chris's "life alternating change" of auditioning for Idol pretty much drug on, with the cheesy gifts and ear-splitting Kelly Clarkson rendition...but I do think it's way cool that he might be reporting from Omaha for the finale! I do think Simon is on Happy Drugs! Then poor Jason who Forgot the Lyrics...he is sooooo lucky they stuck around for the finale on that one.....I liked him but hope he doesn't flake out in Hollywood. And "You Forgot the Lyrics" was pretty creative.

(Speaking of which, SHOUT OUT for Constantine....I read today that he'll be on a celebrity edition of Fox's Don't Forget the Lyrics....How cool! Stay tuned for details....)

It's late and I'm tired and there's a blizzard in Chicago at this writing meaning I'll have to get up extra early to clean off my car, so I'm going to keep this short...Rachel the Arm Wrestler was beautiful and had a lovely voice but agree with Randy that the yodeling needs to be kept at a minimum....the Nora Jones cover girl Sara was amazing, but I hope she can sing other kinds of artists...Elizabeth from Springfield (AKA Pit Stain Pattie ) was intriguing, but she's on the wrong show because she is actually America's Next Top Model....LOL....

Angelica and her Dad will hopefully reconcile after her absolutely heartfelt and (I thought) totally genuine audition....drop Celine and find yourself, baby! And rocker David Cook might have gotten his inspiration from Chris Daughtry, but he borrowed Blake's outfit ;)

Finally, Leo was great. Touchdown! (I think Paula is practicing for her Super Bowl appearance). BTW, Paula was delayed in more ways than one tonight....a first for this season....I was kinda hoping we were past that, but oh, well.....

I'll have to look at beach footage again tomorrow night from Miami... oh, the pain.....

Charleston auditions

This week's second hour of audition footage -- from the lovely city of Charleston, South Carolina -- offered some interesting contestants. I'll start by moving backward. Oliver, the new dad who's wife went into labor while he was in line to audition...should have been put through. And not because the baby was totally adorable, nor because Mom looked absolutely fantabulous despite delivering her first baby not 24 hours before (a week before? Whatever!...honestly!) But because despite the judge's comments about his vocal affectations, I thought he was actually pretty good, and I wanted to see more of him....but, 'tis not to be. Best of luck with all those diapers and sleepless nights and college funds and preschool applications, Oliver...

Moving backward, I'll skip past Aretha (who bore only a slight resemblance to her namesake, and it's not necessarily a good one)..and past Lindsay Goodman, the USAF pilot who I really, really (in a Phil kinda way) wanted to be good....but alas, the judges took a pass. Hats off to you, my dear, in more ways than one.

I'll blitz past London, whom despite losing a father tragically to cancer at a young age, was quite poised and confident. Will reserve judgment here. I don't believe that Randy gave her a thumbs up on vocals alone, tho....yeah, right, dawg! Haven't had a chance to Google her, but I'm thinking she's already out there somewhere for something...Meanwhile, Amy the chaste Catholic schoolgirl didn't impress Simon (again, he found her to be not as good as she thinks she is), and again, I say that 16 year olds don't (typically) hold out very well in Hollywood (aren't they holding auditions for HSM3 somewhere?) but I am looking forward to seeing her again! And like my idol Micheal Slezak says at EW, heck, she might even go all the way! LOLOLOLOL

On to the Lampkins, who as a duo seemed a VERY unlikely bundle for Hollywood, but surprise! They both made it. Can't wait to see if brother takes his assignment from Simon seriously to work with sis, she needs it.

We (almost) opened with the all-u-can-eat waitress from Ablemarle, NC...honestly, Simon's comment after she finished singing that she sounded angry because of "all those Sunday people who eat all that lunch" followed by his announcement that should he eat there, he would only "eat one portion" just cracked me up. To Kelly Pickler's relief, there is still only one notable Idol from her hometown.

Finally, ending with the opening, the "Black Clay Aiken", while totally adorable, should not quit his day job...loved the pick, tho.

Are you tired of auditions yet? More importantly, have we met our new American Idol in these first 2 weeks?

San Diego Brings It On

I don't know about you, but those opening shots of sunny beaches, surfing, shorts and sandals had me California Dreamin' here in Chicago (where it's a balmy 13 degrees at the time of this writing).

Even though we learned that 31 people made it through to Hollywood, we only met 6 (by my count) of them tonight, meaning they must have some great singers to introduce us to during Hollywood week. It goes without saying that the 1-2-3 punch right from the start was an interesting opening. Tatiana didn't impress Simon for some reason, getting that biting comment that has to sting ("You're not as good as you think you are") but I thought she had a pretty voice. We'll have to see if Simon predicted correctly.

It's hard not to root for Perry, father to the most adorable pony tailed 3yo boy I've ever met, or for the Hottie (I mean Aussie) that could sing, too. Now, I've got to say for the record that I am personally ready for an American Idol winner that is a male, pop vocal singer....and this year might be the one! I thought Ace Young might have been the one during Hollywood week in Season 5, and I still think he's way cute, but maybe this year? Aussie has me wishin'....

Other Hollywood golden ticket winners were Samantha (and sister) both with "things" for Simon; David, the vocal-cord-paralysis-recoverer who I really liked (but 16-year-olds never seem to do well during Hollywood week, 'cepting if you are Lisa Tucker or Paris Bennett); and the Irish Carly, who had a lovely voice, only I kept singing Jordin Spark's hit single "Tattoo" under my breath for some strange reason I can't yet figure out.... hhmmm...

Simon was his usual self with helpful comments, telling one contestant that it was obvious that "three different people dressed you today" to his proclamation that he "loves this country" after getting the sister sandwich from Samantha and sidekick. Alberto and his spinning-Barbie-eagle-fan-fingernail thing was a little much for me, and while I cheer Blake (and his Mom!) for their Idol audition tenacity (10 cities???), it was a bit, well, sad.

Question: Why, if San Diego produced the best talent (according to news reports) did they give tonight's show just one hour, while giving Philly and talent-starved Dallas two hours each? Also, did you notice that there were no split votes shown this show? In Dallas, there seemed to be several auditioners who got through based on a split vote of 2-1. All six golden tickets tonight were unanimous. Just an observation...

"Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul" book signing

When the opportunity arose for the kids and I to head down to our local bookstore to meet a coupla former Idols, we were very excited, and headed out early to beat the crowd. We were big Gina Glocksen fans during Season 6, and even though the kids didn't know who Jim Verraros was, I did :)

Much to our surprise, there were only a few people there. We were greeted with warmth and enthusiasm by both Gina and Jim as well as author Debra and her friend Mackenzie and her mom. I guess the frigid weather kept folks at home, or that the store didn't do a very good job publicizing the event (I suspect the latter....this is Chicago, after all, we're used to cold weather!)

Kids and I proceeded to get our books signed, take pictures, and chat...after a while, I was feeling kind of guilty taking so much time (and other visitors were trickling in at this point) so we moved on to have the books signed by the author, Debra Poneman. She was so delightfully warm and friendly, and seemed genuinely interested in visiting with us. I asked her, what was the biggest surprise you had in doing this project? She didn't hesitate before responding that we might think that the Idols have one persona on stage, and then when they aren't in front of a camera, they act differently....she assured us that they are all exactly the same as they appear to be.

We also met Mackenzie Johnson, a 4 year old battling leukemia who has been befriended by Ace Young and his fans (Highrollers With Heart). Mack's mom Amy told us that Ace was one of the kindest persons she'd ever met, and that she is forever grateful to all he has done for her family.

It was a really, really cool encounter with each one of these people, far more than I had expected. I had dozens of questions I wish I could have asked...Gina and Jim were so warm and friendly to me and each one of the kids, and took as much time as we wanted to chat and sign books. Debra (little does she know) was a huge inspiration to me as a writer and as a working mom... and Mackenzie was an angel to behold. I wish each one of them many future successes, health and happiness.

Do check out the book! Stories from Idols and their fans, for everyone who believes in a dream!

Dear Kelly, Since U been gone....well...

Tonight's Idol auditions from Dallas, Texas were a bit of a snoozer for me. I mean, I'm easy and all....but I found myself a bit bored. First of all, too much screen time on the American Roller Coaster Enthusiast, the 19yo virgin and the coming of Saint Simon....although that last scene had me ROTFLMAO.

We'll start with the show starter, the Meth Mom Jessica...I thought she was sweet, and could sing pretty well, but clearly her backstory made a Dallas-sized impression. I think she will be eaten alive in Hollywood, but I do wish her the best. Other strong auditions tonight were from Alaina (AKA Carrie 2.0), Pia the model and singer from Chicago, and Kady from Houston (Simon pronounced her "the best we'd heard all season so far"). As far as guys/men were concerned, Colton the Cowboy was pretty cute and I can see the whole Randy Travis thing, but I think he slipped through....he'd better impress come Hollywood. Also slipping through on a split vote was Drew the Cowboy...again, his winning personality and boyish charm got him through cuz Hollywood won't be so nice....can't believe they gave the the bag o' fingernails (ick) the Golden Ticket (he did kind of remind me a wee bit of Elliot, tho!) and are sending Kaila, who has recovered from a devastating car accident. Lots of energy (and a cool Survivor buff!) but again, Hollywood will eat her up....but she'll get to go, and that's loverly. Lots of good will tonight. More good will, less talent. Has Simon (and crew)'s hearts grown three sizes bigger, after all?

Have, Have, Have to mention tonight's song montage....Since U Been Gone I HOPE brings a smile to Kelly's face when she watches. As we say in this house, who would have thunk...what a tremendous honor to have people botch your song! At least it means they are listening!

Other funny highlights were Ryan's response to Key-To-My-Heart's Dad who suggested that Ryan would watch out for him if he got to Hollywood: "You don't want that. " Also the elevator music that accompanied chick with no emotion or facial expression whatsoever ..and "No to the Speedo!"

And another episode from Fox's First Dysfunctional Family concludes...tune in next week!

Season 7 Opener: City of Idol Love

Season 7 opened tonight with auditions in Philadelphia, PA, and I was inexplicably, yet thoroughly entertained. How can this be, you ask, even though it's the 7th time? I don't know myself...other than to say, people are so amusing. We even saw some originality, which I thought was impossible at this point....and saw lots of raw talent, which suggests to me that Idol is still a relevant means to discovering a new pop star.

Where to begin? With the highlights: Randy's new look! Loved it. Opening guy who lost 204 pounds! Congrats, and he could sing, too! (Too bad Simon was so rude in suggesting that he "looked hungry" as he left the audition room.....hhmmmph.....) Liked Melanie, the Fantasia-esque backup singer for Taylor Hicks...hope she doesn't go the way of Brandon Rogers....LOVED the "I Love Rock and Roll" montage...truly amazing and hilarious. Also want to follow Chicago's Angela Martin's Hollywood "de-weddingization" and follow the farm girl from Salem, OR (remind you of Carrie, too?) (Seacrest will be following her, too, from the looks he was giving her...)

Temptress was one of the more memorable Idol hopefuls from tonight's show, and what struck me most was the contrast between the picture of the too-young girl caring for her ill mother, taking on so much responsibility (and looking older than 16) versus the child with the huge tears who cried uncontrollably at being told she was not through to Hollywood...the judges going out into the hallway with her to greet her family was a cool moment.

I only counted two Christmas songs (an unusual and good thing given this was filmed in July??) and am still trying to figure out why Philly garnered the largest-ever audition crowd...my husband summed tonight up well (as that guy's chest hairs were being waxed off) that "you just don't know what's going to happen next!"

Memorable lines from Simon: "Keep your batteries in your calculator" to the financial services planner who couldn't sing; in response to the song, how do I get you alone? : "You wouldn't." To the tone deaf Star Wars fan as she left the audition: "Give my love to the wookiee"....and finally, in response to the challenge that Simon couldn't take the squeaky-clean final auditioner to the Dark Side, "Give me a week, Brooke."

Meanwhile, Paula fended off a couple of serious suitors, referring to one's "centerpiece of hair" and enduring the serenade of another promising to "caulk her" if she were a tub, among other things. Okay, he was scary. That is what security is for!

And we're off, folks!

Letter to Top 24 (from Chris Sligh)

An Open Letter To this Year's Top 24

In January of last year, I flew out to L.A. to the dreaded Long Walk down the Wooded Floor to the judges. I was so nervous. But as soon as I saw Phil come out and making it through, I was okay. I went up the elevator, walked down the walkway and as I sat down, said, "You're probably wondering why I called this meeting" which immediately roused laughs from the judges that they never really recovered from. They tried to keep a straight face, but the smiles they had told me that my comment just solidified in their minds why they had chosen me in the first place.I was in the top 24! One of the best days of my life. I knew that I would have a chance in front of America. But then my thoughts were, what now?So, this is my open letter to this year's top 24.

Dear contestants,Since I was 10th place last year, it's doubtful I'll be a featured guest on Idol this year. So, hopefully, this will get syndicated to several Idol websites, so that you can read it, since I know, like I did last year, you're all reading all the websites, just waiting with great anticipation for the first mentions of your names! So, here we go...In a week or so, the show will start and one by one, your auditions will be shown and people will start fan clubs for you and everyone in America will have a vague recognition of who you are. People will begin to ask you to sign autographs in your hometown; when you fly out to L.A. again and again, in airports, people will stop and stare and whisper and ask you for autographs; people will screech to a halt on La Cienega, get out of their cars and ask for your autograph; you will have people buy you free meals Soak it in, enjoy it, and make sure to journal so that you never forget all the things that happened.

These will be, for many of you, the highlight of your lives and careers.However on the other side, don't let it go to your head. Unwittingly, I allowed myself to buy into the hype. I don't think I was the typical butthole, I still cared about people and wanted to do right by people back home and my band...but I bought into the hype and my head grew and that is my greatest regret, especially since I have a large cranium to begin with. Don't leave this experience with any regret, certainly not that one. Be confident, be in control of your career and your life, but do NOT allow yourself to think of yourself as anyone or anything other than what you were before this experience...you were a wanna-be and still are. Even if you win, you are still a wanna-be.

Two of the most humble people I've ever met are Carrie and Kelly...for all their success, for their winning, still act as the people they were when they started. That's the attitude America will fall in love with long-term. It's the attitude you should try to cultivate in yourself.

On the realistic side, 14 of you will not make the tour. 4 of you will be gone the first week America votes for you. And, the way the competition works, only one of you will win. Please read the next few lines and take them to heart:The position you go out on is not indicative of your talent; it is not indicative of your like-ability...all that it means is how well you and your character worked on a tv show. The most talented person doesn't win every year, and neither does the best singer. If you go home the first week, treasure the experience and continue to plug away. I promise life will be more meaningful that way. Do not by any means second guess and become bitter. American Idol is an experience that only 168 people (plus your 24) thus far have been able to enjoy at the level you're at now. Take that and put it in your hat...of the nearly 600,000 people who have auditioned, you are part of less that 200!

Song choice is key. Do not make the mistake I made. I specifically chose songs that no one knew because I wanted to be the anti-Idol. Be yourself, but pick some freaking songs that people can sing along with. I've realized that's why people watch the show in the first place...they want to hear someone who isn't polished sing a song they like and can sing along with. Oh, and they watch to hear Randy say dawg alot, to see Paula act loopy and to hear Simon's crap. But they like to sing along, too.Make these people your best friends in the world. Sure, they are competition, but they are also people. People always come before everything else.

Make sure you act in a way that, even if you are the winner, allows you to remain friends with people who you beat out. My season's cast were all close to each other because all of us had the mentality of people coming first. We helped each other with song choice (Blake helped me feel comfortable with picking Typical, I helped him pick Somewhere Only We Know, I originally had picked the Jamiroquai song, but gave it to Blake because I thought he would do it better, I helped Phil pick out some of his songs, Phil helped Blake country week, Melinda helped Jordin) we all looked out for each other, and as the production crew will tell you, it was the most fun a cast had had. Have the same year we had! Have fun, enjoy each other. People before competition. Always.

Love your vocal coaches. Byrd and Dorian are the best. And Michael O. and Matt are incredible accompanist. Make sure you show your love to them...they will make you better. I promise. Nigel and Ken are on your sides. It may not seem like it at times, but they are trying to look out for you. Sometimes they will do stuff that will be maddening for you, but look at it like parents...they are simply trying to help you make good decisions. And let them know how much you appreciate them allowing you to be part of the show.Oh, and Seacrest...seriously, the coolest guy in showbiz. You are lucky to be working with him. When it comes to the judges, remember they are trying to get people to watch the show. However, as the judges said on Oprah last year, they watch dress rehearsal because they can't hear in the performance. So, now that you know that, make sure your dress rehearsal kicks butt! Normally, Randy is pretty on. Paula is so sweet that it's hard to get made at what she says. And Simon...well, Simon goes for the ratings, but he's usually somewhat on...so block him out when he goes overboard.

Almost done...but do yourself a favor: when the producers tell you to stay off the boards, I promise you they're telling you the truth. The forums and blogs were a great way, I thought, to keep up with the pulse of what people thought. Instead it just made me attempt to please everyone I could and I ended up alienating many. Don't make the mistake I did. Do this and you will enjoy the experience so much more (It's what I did the last 2 weeks I was there): have a friend who you trust and love be the person who goes through a looks at the forums and blogs. Have that person email you either snippets of things for you to read, or links. And make a promise to yourself to only look at what your friend sends you. If you listen to anything I say here, listen to this! You will not be disappointed by the crap you missed while you were on the show.

Finally, be in control of your careers. American Idol was made to create careers in music. And not just for the winners. Being in the top 10 can be a launchpad for anyone. Look at our season and season 5...you can be successful. But, remember, this is YOUR career. Research, research, research. Find out what is going to be the best decision for your career. You don't need a major label to make a career. But you might want a major label. It all depends. Just be in control and do not believe everything 19 tells you. Remember that 19 is a business and they are looking out for number one...but if you make the top 10, they are also going to take great care of you. Walk the fine line of loving them and being wary of them.To end, simply enjoy this...it will be the best experience of your lives!Peace and love,Chris Sligh
(snipped from Chris's blog)

The good, the bad, and the absurd?

It's been a wild week leading up to the season 7 opener...I can hardly keep up with all of the Idol news flying around! We'll start with the GOOD news....LaKisha's on Broadway! Yeah! Girl got out from behind the bank teller counter and will play the Church Soloist in Broadway's third season of The Color Purple starting this month (well, actually started in December but now it's official). KiKi actually opens the show with the "rousing" gospel number "Mysterious Ways" at all evening performances, and will play Sofia at all matinee performances. Now, that is a show I would like to see...so proud of you, girl...Fantasia said Broadway was pretty grueling, so hoping it's good to you and that you can enjoy yourself! Instead of counting other people's money, maybe you can start counting some of your own! :)

Other good news! Phil has a single! My other bald-headed man has finally emerged with a pretty hoppin' country tune called "If You Didn't Love Me" (as if) and way cool, it was produced by Wayne Kirkpatrick (Little Big Town) (who also slept in my bed once a few years ago, but that is another story) and written by Wendell Mobley, Jason Sellers, and Rascal Flatts' Gary LeVox. It's pretty catchy, and I hope to see it go up the charts and pay Phil some love. Google it!

I'm also pretty juiced that Simon's Idol contract is good for at least another 2 years...we'll get sick of him eventually (he's right) but for now, I'm not. Especially after suffering through Simon wannabees on SYTYCD and TNGAB (from Austraila but annoying just the same).... there is nothing like the original thing.

Other good news! I'm waitlisted for tickets to an Idol taping! Stay tuned...not much hope there, but stranger things have happened... if I go, it will be quick.

Now for the BAD....or maybe it's actually good? Idols are dropping like flies from recording contracts. Taylor Hicks, Katharine McPhee and Reuben have all parted ways with various elements/fractions of 19 Entertainment, Sony/BMG, etc....I'm sorry, but that's no surprise. Getting the votes on Idol does not correspond directly with folks voting with wallets at WalMart...ya gotta put out da goods....and what they put out was bad. I do wish them success. Somewhere.

And Jessica Sierra? C'mon....I actually kinda liked her ...I still play her pretty good version of "Total Eclipse of the Heart" which was better than others in the top 6 did in seasons 5 and 6....she really took a nosedive there post-Idol....poor thing. I do wish her health, happiness, and a reduced jail sentence for 2008.

I also have to comment on Simon's comment that last season of Idol was "lackluster" and had "no real star power"....I don't know what he's talking about. Melinda, Melinda, Melinda....you wait and see....maybe the winner and runner upper haven't broken any records, but I thought it was a very talented group, takes the pants off Season 2 ('cepting Clay of course)...

Finally, the ABSURD....Paula performing for the Super Bowl. I had to check my temp to see if I was suffering from fever-induced delusions when I first heard this. Apparently, it's true. Obviously whoever hired her for this gig didn't watch any episodes of "Hey Paula" on Bravo last year....all I gotta say is buyer beware....(maybe she wants to usurp Janet Jackson with.....aw, no, I'm not gonna go there...)

Three days and counting!

Who would you most like to see as a celebrity mentor on Season 7?

Nigel Lythgoe has admitted that there was too much celebrity on Season 6 of Idol, to the detriment of the actual Idol contestants themselves. I couldn't agree more. Look, you've already had your 15 minutes! The show is called American Idol, for Pete's sake....not "Let's Rake Another 15 Minutes for Ourselves" Idol! I will never forget (nor forgive) Mary J. Blige totally attempting to steal the stage from it's rightful owner Elliot Yamin during Season 5's finale....their joint rendition of U2's "One" could have been soooo much better without her hamming and upstaging him.....Hmmmph.

Anyhow, I was very glad to read that the show has already signed 2 celebrity guests. However, Nigel has promised not to go overboard with the mentors this year. While I do enjoy seeing the mentors and believe in the concept, I want to see the focus remain on the contestants themselves, continuing through the finale.


That being said, who would YOU most like to see as a celebrity mentor this season? MSNBC.com posed this question and out of 20 possible answers, the following celebrities garnered the most votes:


Dolly Parton (29% of votes). I'd have to agree here! With country music more popular than ever, and with former Idols Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler, and Bucky Covington making serious country yee haw in 2007, this makes awesome sense! Bring her on!

Chris Daughtry (9.7%). Yes, I think that would be weird to have a former contestant coaching Idol wannabees...but given how stone-faced he was during last year's show, maybe we might see some personality when the pressure is off? Also since he auditioned for Rock Star: INXS before Idol and was dropped, he does bring some serious music reality show experience to the table.


Gene Simmons (8.7%). I'm not sure what to make of this. I have one image in mind when I read his name, and it's not pretty. I mean, the man (the self-dubbed "alpha male" ) claims to have slept with over 4,800 women. I'm not sure primetime TV is ready for Gene! Course, his AARP membership might help widen Idol's demographics....


Micheal Jackson (6.1%). A great way for MJ to jumpstart his inevitable (IMO) comeback. Put him in front of millions of 18-32 year olds who either don't know who he is, or have forgotten him or written him off. His influence on pop music and dance cannot be ignored. I think he would be a surprising, gracious and influential celebrity mentor.


Robert Plant (5.4%). Ummmmm......this didn't occur to me, but what a great suggestion... according to Wikipedia, [Plant] is "often credited for his wide range of musical taste and his ability to perform an eclectic range of songs in a refined manner". A-Hem! Just what Idol needs :) (Note to Gene: see the word 'refined' reference here?)

So, who would YOU choose this season?

Hey Gina Glocksen fans!

I've just learned that Chicago's own Gina Glocksen is hitting the bookstores in support of the new book Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul: Stories from the Idols and their Fans that Open Your Heart and Make Your Soul Sing by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Debra Poneman. She will appear (along with Season One alum Jim Verraros) and sign books at Borders in Evanston and Naperville, Illinois later this month, so check events at your local bookstores, too. They will also sign books at 3pm on Saturday, January 19th at my local Barnes and Noble store at Webster Place on Clybourn ...look for me there in my t-shirt!

Happy New Year

Okay, so I took a month off from here to enjoy the holidays with my family, and - BAM! - Idol is now just mere days away! I can't believe it. I love the promo posters up around town as well as the TV previews....I'm guessing that Season 7 will be plenty entertaining. I caught an amusing interview by CNN's Anderson Cooper with Simon the other evening and caught Ryan Seacrest in that delicious playing-himself cameo in the hilarious Knocked Up....also enjoyed some American Idol Rewind, the perfect tide-me-over remedy.

Hands down my favorite holiday gift this season was this t-shirt from my sister.... if you see me about town in it, stop and say "hi"!