David & David Top the Charts
If you've been on the americanidol.com forums recently, you've seen the intense yet friendly debate between The Archies and The Word Nerds over which David has the better single. The bottom line is that both have released songs that the public loves, and the Billboard charts reflect just that. The top two debuts of 2008 are "Crush" by David Archuleta at No. 2 and "The Time of My Life" by David Cook at No. 3.
Congratulations to both of them!
See how much David Cook and David Archuleta changed over the season in their Transformation Galleries:
David Cook Transformation Gallery
David Archuleta Transformation Gallery
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Josh, Bucky & Phil Sing Disney
Nashville, TN- Country music’s biggest stars including three Idol finalists have assembled for the upcoming Country Sings Disney project, in stores Tuesday, July 8. The fifteen song collection features classic and contemporary Disney tracks performed by today’s favorite country stars, including former Idols, Bucky Covington, Josh Gracin, and Phil Stacey.
Bucky Covington sings "You'll Be In My Heart" and Phil Stacey performs "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" while Josh Gracin sings "When I See An Elephant Fly."
Take another look at Bucky's Transformation Gallery!
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Idol Associate Music Director In Concert
SORRY TO REPORT THAT THIS SHOW HAS BEEN CANCELLED. WE WILL LET YOU KNOW IF AND WHEN IT IS RESCHEDULED.
With season 8 just around the corner, now is a great time to check out Dorian Holley, one of the brilliant musicians who work backstage with the contestants week after week. So, if you live in Southern California, you're in luck. Dorian Holley and The Challengers of the Unknown will be performing at Stage 52 at 4pm on November 2nd!
Stage 52 is located at 5299 West Washington Blvd , Los Angeles, CA 90019. Tickets are only $25. The stage is intimate, so it's first come, first served!
Check out Dorian in this American Idol Mentors video clip.
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Constantine Talks AI, the '80s, and Rock of Ages!
americanidol.com had the opportunity to chat with Constantine Maroulis regarding the Off-Broadway play Rock of Ages, and he was nothing if not enthusiastic about his role in the unique production. Constantine plays Drew, an ambitious young rocker who's chasing the dream of becoming a big rock star, a role he says he can relate to even more so than the perception that people seem to have of him. Constantine admits that he was a tad awkward growing up--not necessarily your stereotypical nerd, but he fell "somewhere right in the middle." But one thing he's always had is the drive to make it in the business. The best part about the play, according to Constantine, is that the stellar cast and crew get to perform songs from the '80s, as that is when the scene is set. Having grown up in that era, Constantine couldn’t be more thrilled to sing songs by the likes of Journey, Bon Jovi, Styx, and many more, calling the songs by these bands very "hooky!" He admits that he and his fellow actors pinch themselves daily, as they can't believe they get to perform such fun, amazing numbers.
While Constantine is definitely feeling fortunate to be a part of a production that he refers to as "quite a blast," he admits that life isn't exactly glamorous for the Off-Broadway actors. He joked with us that it can even be a bit humbling, as they all share a single dressing room! This is also the first time that Constantine has helped to create a role from the ground up as opposed to coming in as a replacement and, although it's extremely rewarding, the hours can be grueling. Toward the end of rehearsals, he was logging 14-hour days, as the play has close to 2,000 cues for the crew to learn! To boot, he is doing eight shows a week and, while it's not easy, he calls it "quite a ride!" He also says that his previous productions have prepared him well for the taxing schedule, and that he is "so blessed to have the most talented and coolest cast in New York" surrounding him.
Constantine says that the writer, producers, and crew alike have definitely "embraced the over-the-top nature of the '80s," and because that era is inherently kitschy, it's not surprising that the crowd has embraced it as well. Although Constantine says that the reaction to the play seems to differ from west coast to east coast, the common denominator is that people love to get involved. Although it wasn't a planned thing, audience members just started singing along with the production at some point, and now many of them even arm themselves with Rock of Ages lighters! When looking out at the audience, Constantine says "It's really quite moving!"
Although Constantine says he wants to put a heavy focus on his music career moving forward, he will never be one to stick to only one thing. He likes to have a hand in a lot of different arenas to keep things exciting. He learned a lot from releasing his first album under his own label, Sixth Place Records, and he says that he is glad that the music industry seems to favor the artist these days. However, he would love to take on more partners this time and receive help from "a lot of the young and aggressive people" in the industry. He also wants to focus on the songwriting aspects while coming up with big hooks to make it a commercial success.
Constantine would love to return to the Idol stage to perform at some point, and he admits that perhaps the biggest regret he has about his AI experience is that the judges didn't see him as a recording artist as much as they thought he was an entertainer. He also wishes he was perhaps a bit less timid in his song choices when on the show. When all is said and done, however, he said he's glad things went the way that they did that year, and he almost wishes he could go through it again because it was so much fun! When asked what season he thinks has yielded the most talent, he admits that it might sound biased, but he is most impressed with season four, as he calls it a "pioneering" year. He goes on to call it the "most significant" because it was the first year that they allowed older contestants, and it was also the beginning of the digital age. With the live band and the show getting a little bit more experimental while still maintaining its recipe for success, he thinks that season four opened up more opportunities for the following seasons.
We sat down with Constantine just before the release of his first album--watch the video now!
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Happy Birthday Mandisa!
From the moment Mandisa elicited an apology from ornery judge Simon Cowell, she not only won his heart, but the hearts of AI viewers everywhere. With her booming voice and mega-watt smile, performances like Chaka Khan's "I'm Every Woman" propelled Mandisa to the final rounds of season five. But it's her post-Idol career that has really helped her to make her mark on the music industry.
Mandisa's first album, True Beauty, debuted at #1 on the Top Christian Albums charts, making it the first time a new female artist has debuted at #1 in the charts 27 year history. It also debuted at an impressive #43 on the Billboard 200, which is quite atypical for a Christian artist. She also received a Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album nomination for the album in December of the same year. For Mandisa, however, the message she conveyed with her debut album was just as important as how well it did on the charts. With the entertainment industry being so focused on weight and external beauty, Mandisa wanted to reach her fans with the message that it's internal beauty that should matter the most. As she states on her web site, “They give us this unattainable standard of beauty that doesn’t really exist. It’s amazing how the self-esteem of young girls is so low right now because of what society is feeding them, and I really do hope that America is waking up to the importance of that issue. If we really understood that our value is not based on how we look, but in who we are as people—I really think we would be much more free.”
Mandisa also wrote a book called "IdolEyes", which also gave her a chance to convey the message of inner beauty versus the more superficial things in life. Because her songs and her message of spirituality have become so important to her fans, Mandisa has joined the "Women of Faith" tour, which began September 19th and wraps up on November 11th. You can check Mandisa's MySpace page to see if the tour is coming to a city near you.
American Idol has certainly helped to put Mandisa in touch with some impressive people in the music industry. She recently joined musical legend Gladys Knight and performers such as Lalah Hathaway, Shirley Murdock and The Boys Choir of Harlem on stage at Harlem’s historic Apollo Theater at the First Annual Benefit Gala “Back to Harlem,” sponsored by the Ashley Stewart Stores Community Foundation. The event raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for three charities: the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Dress for Success and The Boys Choir of Harlem.
Fans of Mandisa will also be thrilled to hear that her Christmas album, entitled It's Christmas, will be released in just less than two weeks, on October 14th. It includes many of the holiday classics, including: Feliz Navidad/ Joy to the World, What Christmas Means to Me, Christmas Makes Me Cry, Christmas Bell Medley, Silent Night, Angels We Have Heard on High, Little Drummer Boy, Christmas Day, O Holy Night, Mary's Little Boy Child, and Children Go When I Send Thee. Mandisa's second album, Freedom, is set to drop April 7, 2009.
On top of her stellar vocals, Mandisa became known on season five for her daring and dramatic outfits. Check out her Transformation Gallery!
Happy Birthday Mandisa!
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Idol Garners Emmy Nominations!
Congratulations are in order. American Idol has received multiple Emmy nominations this year. The Emmy nominations are:
* Outstanding Reality-competition Program
* Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program:
Ryan Seacrest
* Outstanding Picture Editing Of Clip Packages For Talk, Performance, Award Or Reality Competition Program:
American Idol • Episode 733 (David Cook Goes Home)
* Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Variety Or Music Series Or Special:
American Idol Finale
* Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special :
American Idol Gives Back
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