British TV mogul Simon Fuller is the real winner of American Idol
“We’re still a goliath,” Mr Fuller told The Times, referring to the status of the show — a spin-off from Britain’s Pop Idol — as the most-watched show in the US. “We’re still bigger than anything else, and now David Cook is going to sell millions of records for us.”
At the party on Wednesday Mr Fuller promised radical changes for next season, with rumours suggesting that a fourth judge would be hired to join Mr Cowell, Ms Abdul and Randy Jackson.
“There’s going to be a big shake-up,” confirmed Mr Cowell, who spent most of Wednesday evening with the $12.5 million-a-year host of Idol, Ryan Seacrest. “You’ll see.
Among the changes being discussed, according to people involved in the show’s production, who spoke on condition of anonymity because decisions have not yet been made, are lowering the minimum age for contestants, which is now 16. (Mr. Cowell predicted in a recent television interview that it would soon be lowered to 14.)
In addition, the programmers are exploring whether to modify the several weeks of episodes that open the season in January. Traditionally those episodes are given over to taped segments of the previous summer’s stadium-size auditions. One idea under consideration is to start the season with an extended version of Hollywood Week, narrowing the field to 24 contestants from about 200, and interweaving those more intimate auditions with tapes of the first-round tryouts, which attract as many delusional fans eager to grab the spotlight as they do serious contenders.
The biggest change they need to make is to limit the number of votes to 5 from each line. Dead horse, I know. They want to brag about how many votes came in.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.. It's about learning to dance in the rain."
Lower the age to to 14? Not a good idea (if its true) cause I mean you see the stunned 16 year olds that are told they suck... imagine a 14 year old being told they cant sing.
/\__/\ (>' '< ) (,,)(,,) Bob for world domination!
Auditions are coming to Jacksonville this summer!!! Simon will be in my home town. Should I go try out?! LOLOLOL
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Favorite quote from 2007: Some people are like a Slinky ... not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs.
LOL...Dang...16-28...I don't make the cut. And my step-daughter wont be in town that day...guess I can't do it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Favorite quote from 2007: Some people are like a Slinky ... not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs.
LOL...ok, give me a good character to play or costume to wear.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Favorite quote from 2007: Some people are like a Slinky ... not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs.
Here we go again … already? Fox has announced the eight audition cities for the upcoming eighth season of “American Idol.” Hopefuls can start lining up for their shot at instant fame, with auditions hitting San Francisco, Phoenix and the first-ever location outside the contiguous 48 states — San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Perhaps owing to the success of Jordin Sparks and Brooke White, American Idol will hold auditions on July 25 at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale. This is the first time the show has held Valley tryouts.
Doors will open at 6 a.m., though additional details have yet to be released. Audition information, including forms and requirements, were not available on AmericanIdol.com as of Thursday morning
After a two-year absence, the television juggernaut known as “American Idol” will return to the Bay Area next month.
Auditions for the 2009 season of TV’s most-watched series will be held July 17 at the Cow Palace in Daly City. The last Bay Area tryouts for the show were held there in 2005.
On July 21, people from across the region will stand in line for what could be a 10-second shot at stardom. Potential contestants are tuning up, and business leaders are singing a happy tune.
“It’s the only thing I can find meaning in,” said hopeful Bobby Wilson, who plans to give back to music what it’s given to him
It’s summer, which means it’s almost time for another round of “American Idol” auditions, and this year, the show will make another stop (its first since the season six auditions two years ago) at the Meadowlands.
‘American Idol’ auditions are coming to Kansas City
The producers of “American Idol” are rewarding the city that produced David Cook, this season’s winner.
The show announced Thursday the eight audition sites for season eight, and Kansas City is one of them. Auditions will be held Aug. 8 at Sprint Center. Salt Lake City, home of runner-up David Archuleta, is also on the list
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — 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 - including Kansas City at the Sprint Center
Contestants from the Top 50 of Season 7 who did not make the cut for that Season’s Top 24 are eligible to try out again for Season 8. That is, if they haven’t aged out (Shaun Barrows) or gotten signed (Josiah Leming). In the past, contestants who made the Top 32/40/44/50 were not eligible to audition for Idol again.
Giant props to Idol Maniac for finding the following tidbit from the American Idol 2009 Audition Rules:
You are ineligible to participate if you progressed in any previous season of American Idol® to any of the following levels: — Season 1 – top 30 contestants — Season 2 – top 32 contestants — Season 3 – top 36 contestants — Season 4 – top 44 contestants — Season 5 – top 44 contestants — Season 6 – top 40 contestants — Season 7 – top 24 contestants
Notice that the rules for previous seasons have NOT been changed. Seems to me that TPTB felt a few good ones got away last season, don’t you think?
So, expect peeps like Drew Poppelreiter, Kyle Ensley, Neyshia Go, Samantha Sidley, Colton Swon, Brandon Green and Cardin McKinney at the auditions again this year.
And expect at least a few of them to make Season 8’s Top 24…I wonder who TPTB have their eye on?
John Mayer // Elton John // Idols 08 // Daughtry // Jonas Brothers // Rascal Flatts
“That felt like a healthy thing to do in terms of the setup of the show, getting through all the audition phases that people still love,” he explained. “But now, everyone knows the format… They say, ‘let’s get to the legitimate competition.’ I think you will see some fine tuning.”
quote:
Also, as previously reported, Idol will go “to more half-hour results shows,” Reilly confirmed
quote:
And with the success of last season’s introduction of instruments into the Idol mix, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe says it’s a recipe he’s happy with. “We are going to keep the idea of being able to play instruments,” he said. “I really like that. I’d like to see a really good singer/instrumentalist.”
John Mayer // Elton John // Idols 08 // Daughtry // Jonas Brothers // Rascal Flatts
American Idol Season 8 Auditions Kick Off in San Francisco
It seems like just yesterday that David Cook was crowned the latest American Idol, but millions of potential stars are gearing up for their chance to become America’s next singing sensation.
Auditions for the eighth season of “American Idol” begin Thursday at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, and will continue through the end of August in seven other cities.
To be eligible for the show, contestants must be between 16-28 years old as of July 15, 2008, and eligible to work in the United States.
Long waits, different looks as 7,000 give ‘Idol’ a shot
Neither an endless line, pitiless fog nor the curious scent of sweet Mexican churros and portable toilets was enough to keep more than 7,000 American Idol hopefuls from the first Season 8 audition.
“This is an awesome experience,” says Tyler Aguirre, 27, of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., bundled under a blanket next to his tryout-forged friend, Erin Shelton, 16, outside Cow Palace. “This is a way to say I was a small part of TV history.”
Thousands flock to Cow Palace for ‘American Idol’ shot
Several thousand “American Idol” hopefuls braved the chilly morning temperatures outside San Francisco’s Cow Palace today for their shot at stardom.
The crowd began lining up about 5 a.m. and snaked in a long line through the stadium’s parking lot by the time doors opened four hours later. The 7,000-strong crowd filled half the seats at Cow Palace for a full day of auditions. Danielle Najmeh, 25, of San Jose, who hoped her version of Oleta Adams’ “Get Here” would secure her a spot on the show that has launched the careers of the likes of Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and most recently David Cook. “Anything it touches turns to gold,” she said about the show. “Since the days of ‘Star Search’ we haven’t seen anything like this.”
Dreams of reaching super stardom through the hit reality television show via the help of “American Idol” viewers ended for hundreds of hopefuls yesterday who waited for their chance to shine at an at the Cow Palace audition, but were ultimately turned away.
On Thursday, the first round of “American Idol” auditions were held at the Cow Palace but only a fraction of those auditioning moved closer to their dream. Participants were divided into sections and given wristbands that permitted them to enter the stadium at registration earlier this week. By about 8 a.m., when the auditions were scheduled to begin, the line of “American Idol” hopefuls stretched to the far corners of the Cow Palace parking lot.
Reality Check: ‘American Idol’ Kicks Off Season 8 Auditions
The Season 7 tour’s still on the move, we’ve just begun to forget that David Cook guy and record-label ejections have yet to begin, but a new season of “American Idol” is already under way.
For those of us looking to feed our post-”Idol” hangover, Season 8 auditions begin Thursday. First stop is San Francisco’s Cow Palace — an appropriate location, considering the process of driving potential pop stars to fame is reminiscent of driving a herd of cattle to the butcher.
Only this herd sings … all the time … everywhere. For anyone auditioning, there’s a plethora of places to find “Idol” “do’s” and “don’ts” on how to get past the judges. Here’s my little tip on how to get past the weekend: ear plugs. You’ll thank me.
On Monday, wannabe pop stars will swarm Freedom Hall to trill, croon and belt out songs for “American Idol” producers, in hopes of being chosen to move on to the second round of judging in September.
But a lot of what they’ll be doing today and tomorrow is waiting in line to be registered to audition, and as songwriter Tom Petty sang a generation ago, “The waiting is the hardest part.”
There is no super-secret formula for pleasing the preliminary judges, but “American Idol” senior producer Patrick Lynn offered some tips:
“American Idol” may not eat its children, but it certainly seems to move on past them pretty quick. No sooner had the goliath put David Cook and the stars of Season Seven on the bus and sent them off to road school then, without a moment’s ado, the search has begun for the next American Idol.
The search began at San Francisco’s historic Cow Palace, which now inhabits an area that, to hear locals describe it, is in a league with pre-surge Sadr City for mayhem and destruction. To a bellman, every San Franciscan who heard I was going to the Cow Palace urged me to stay off the local streets at all costs.
If the scene outside the Cow Palace in San Francisco Thursday morning was any indication, Season 8 of American Idol should offer a wealth of talent. We arrived at midnight for a shift that would last 12 hours… and include 38 live shots for Fox affiliates across the country.
By the time it was over, I could barely stand…but during the shift, I had a lot of fun interviewing some of the 7,000 would-be crooners who showed up to audition. Many were young teenagers, driven to the audition by their parents. Many contestants were more than happy to sing for me on camera, including 27-year old woman who said this was her 4th season of trying out to be on the show. Some told me they had quit their jobs to take a shot at stardom. We found contestants who’d traveled from as far away as Alaska, Connecticut, and Florida, knowing if they didn’t make it through this first cattle call, they could try out again. Seven other cities are holding auditions in the next few weeks.
Several thousand “American Idol” hopefuls braved the chilly morning temperatures outside Cow Palace on Thursday for their shots at stardom.
The crowd began lining up about 5 a.m. and snaked in a long line through the stadium’s parking lot by the time doors opened four hours later. The 7,000-strong crowd filled half the seats at Cow Palace for a full day of auditions.
Danielle Najmeh, 25, of San Jose, who hoped her version of Oleta Adams’ “Get Here” would secure her a spot on the show that has launched the careers of the likes of Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and most recently David Cook.
“Anything it touches turns to gold,” she said about the show. “Since the days of ‘Star Search’ we haven’t seen anything like this.”
Every year, “American Idol” snags some of the biggest names in the music business to mentor and help judge the contestants.
On these guest-mentor nights, the competitors usually select a song from the guest’s catalog. In some cases, their options widen to include songs that inspired their mentors.
To prepare, the finalists and the already-idols work in one-on-one sessions to perfect the performance. The mentors are usually pleased with their students’ stab at their hits.
But on rare occasions, they’re horrified. During season six, Stefani seemed disturbed by Sanjaya Malakar’s incompetent version of “Bathwater.”
American Idol may be on vacation, but the show hasn’t gone away. This week, the show’s producers set up shop at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale to look for the next potential Brooke White or Jordin Sparks. This marks the first time that the show has come to the Valley searching for talent. To help prepare any budding stars in the making, our American Idol experts, Randy Cordova and Suzanne Condie Lambert, have provided some tips. Suzanne looks at what to do if you want to appear on TV; Randy examines what to do if you want to stayon TV beyond the first episode.
There was no need to ask Allie Hesh how her “American Idol” audition turned out yesterday. Advertisement
Her tears told the story.
Allie, 17, stood behind Freedom Hall just outside what the “American Idol” crew called the “non-winners door,” which was 50 feet and a few shattered dreams away from the “winners door.”
Her mascara was a mess.
“I thought I did my best, and that’s all you can ask for,” said Allie, of Campbellsville, Ky., her cheeks wet. “I’ll probably try again.”
Bob Evans, 23, who came all the way from Grand Rapids, Mich., to audition today at Freedom Hall, believes bringing back arguably the most awkward contestant ever would rock the ratings. Advertisement
“I want to sing a ‘She Bangs’ duet with William Hung,” he said Saturday, while waiting in line to register.
Evans also was confident that simply casting himself and his friend, 28-year-old Mike Maslowski of Nashville, Tenn., would solve the ratings dilemma.
They came to Louisville to be the next American Idol. Some made it and others did not, but they stood in a long line all to get a chance to sing their hearts out.
Nearly 10,000 people waited for their chance to audition for American Idol Monday at Freedom Hall.
American Idol hopefuls had to register for the audition and pick up their wristbands on Saturday and Sunday. Auditions began Monday morning
Belters and crooners alike converged on Louisville this week, trying to make their voices heard the loudest over the other American Idol hopefuls.
Thousands showed up for the auditions at Freedom Hall yesterday for a round that will determine who gets to see Simon, Paula, and Randy in September. While there, we caught up with a few area residents who gave us a taste of what they hope to bring to the show.
It’s 3:30 a.m., but the city of Louisville isn’t exactly asleep. Even among the masses, there’s a few familiar faces.
“Being a vocalist, it’s always been a dream of mine and what better time than the present?” says Bowling Green Idol winner Shera Lawrence.
