Idol Me Blog

The tryouts at the Gillette Stadium was the largest Fox network has held so far. The East cost is showing up in big numbers for a chance to be the next American Idol. Below you can see the turn out for the three tryouts to date. Memphis is still coming up and there has been a lot of buzz about idol wannabes heading to the tryouts.

San Francisco 4,000
Austin 5,300
Boston 6,200+++
Memphis ??????
Denver ??????
Chicago ??????

The audition process is getting wild. American Idol wannabes slept outside the stadium on the concrete, camped out in the parking lot, and woke up in the early morning hours to get a wristband that allowed them to show their stuff in front of the show’s producers.

Most of the wannabes hoping to get their big break didn’t even get through the first verse.

“I sang three lines before they told me to move on,” said Amy Schumacher, 27, a music teacher in Franklin Lakes, N.J. Schumacher had camped out in the back of a friends truck for several days just to get 15 seconds with the judges.

Celena Rae has been hired on by the Dallas Stars (NHL) to provide entertainment during the 2005/2006 hockey season. Geoff Moore, Vice President of the Dallas Stars announced today that Rae will sing anthem songs at the home games as well as help with the team’s promotions. “We’re proud to have Celena in our organization, and we know the fans are going to really love her,” explained Moore. “We’re doing everything we can to make the fan experience at American Airlines Center fun and memorable and Celena will be a big part of that.”

Most people remember Celena Rae as one of the final 10 girls from American Idol Season 4 but her first big break came at 23, when she was cast on Dick Clark’s version of Star Search, “Your Big Break.” Celena Rae was crowned the grand prize winner after her performance as Martina McBride singing A Broken Wing.

“I’m a huge hockey fan and am very excited to be working with my hometown team — the Dallas Stars,” said Rae. “It’s been a pleasure working with everyone in the organization and I am looking forward to the most electrifying Dallas Stars season ever.” Celena Rae continues to work on her music career with her band in Dallas. Rae recently signed a recording deal and is planning to release her debut album in 2006.

If you are planning on attending the American Idol Season 5 tryouts at the Gillette Stadium you are up by now. It’s 5:00 AM on Tuesday, August 30th and in one hour contestants are allowed to start lining up. The actual tryouts do not begin until around 8:00 AM on August 31. Every city it’s the same thousands of idol wannabes will be trying to hear those famous words “your going to Hollywood.”

Milissa Garside, 26, of Quincy, will sing Mariah Carey’s “Love Takes Time,'’ which she has been practicing for days. “I’m a little sick of it,'’ she said.

“The whole process should be interesting,'’ said Garside, who is blind. “I hope that people see that just because a person has a disability doesn’t mean they can’t do things like everyone else.'’

For those that attend there are stick rules that must be followed. If one doesn’t know the rules they may be sent home.

*Lines for wristbands and tickets will form at the West Gate at 6 a.m.

*Contestants must be legal citizens or permanent residents eligible to work full time in the United States and between the ages of 16 and 28 as of Aug. 15.

*You must have your picture I.D. (picture and birth certificate, or driver’s license or passport, something that proves how old you are and who you are) with you at all times

*Anyone under 18 must bring a parent or legal guardian. Applicants must have two picture IDs with their date of birth. After contestants get their wristbands and seat assignments, they can sleep over at Gillette or go home, but they need to be back at the stadium at 5 a.m. tomorrow.

*If you lose your ticket or wristband, you will go to the end of the line

*There’s no guarantee that everyone in line will be able to audition. If time runs short, producers may pick folks out of line based on looks, style, performing ability and other factors.

Former American Idol contestant Frenchie Davis will play President Bill Clinton’s secretary Betty Currie in “Monica! the Musical.” The show premieres at the New York Music Festival on September 21.

You may remember Davis she was kicked off by Fox after they found out she posed topless on “Daddy’s Little Girls,” a web site where “the girls have all grown up… and the boys have come to play.” Davis was considered to be in the top six of the American Idol 2 season. Entertainment Weekly described Kimberley Locke (American Idol 2 contestant) and Davis, “From the second these two bodacious beauties strutted their stuff on stage, all those navel-baring lightweights should have headed home.”

“Monica! the Musical” is about the Clinton White House scandal involving Monica Lewinsky. The musical was created by Daniel J. Blau, Tracie Potochnik and Adam Blau. Odds are Lewinsky’s mom and dad will not approve of everything in “Monica! The Musical,” based on the intern’s sexual encounters with President Clinton but the audience will have a good laugh.

Contestants everywhere are lining up and auditioning for their chance to try out for American Idol. Several small towns hold auditions and then send their hopefuls to the larger competition in hopes of making it all the way to the bid stage in Los Angeles. Fairbanks, Arkansas is no different.

On Saturday, 15 finalists will compete at Hering Auditorium. The winner of the local competition, sponsored by KFXF Fox Channel 7, will receive a ticket to Chicago and a guaranteed audition before “American Idol” producers there on Sept. 16.

On Friday, during the semifinals, 46 people competed singing a variety of music from country, gospel, rock, and rhythm and blues.

“With the possible exception of yodeling,” emcee Jerry Evans said, “We had a little bit of everything.”

Each contestant was given 60 seconds to sing a cappella which means without any musical accompaniment. This is done because that is what they will do when arriving in Chicago for the next leg of the competition.

Chantal Gonzales, who was a runner-up in last year’s contest, will be back again this year as one of the finalist along with Aisha Printup, Brittany Huntziker, Chris Malen, Chantarai McDougald, Donielle Carrol, Dorothy Fremman-Witig, Ebony Davis, Emilee Coblentz, Jenny Gilhuly, Latisha Noecker, Quyana Mountainflower, Samantha Kinchole, Shane Keesler and Whitney Wood.

This year’s judges for the finals are Sue Wallace, Therisa Ramsey, Dermot Cole, Matt Want, Beth Austin and Sam Oxman.

The judging goes on all over American for each town to send their best, this year American Idol will have hopefuls from over the country and one of them will be the next American Idol. The television series begins in January and we can all witness the best of what American has to offer.

Bo Bice, an American Idol finalist is now out of the hospital and will be recovering for the next six weeks. Bo has had his share of trouble throughout the American Idol tour that last being emergency intestinal surgery. The surgery was performed on Friday at Desert Springs Hospital Medical Center in Las Vegas to repair a kink in his intestine.

“He’s in an undisclosed place for more R&R,” said Donny Acton, pastor of New Hope Cumberland Presbyterian Church. “It’s pretty serious stuff, and you can still get an infection.”

But, not everything has been bad luck for Bo Bice since he became the runner up in the American Idol to Carrie Underwood. On June 15, he married his longtime girlfriend Caroline Fisher in their hometown of Helena, Alabama.

The ceremony was intimate at the New Hope Presbyterian Church with only immediate family present, said Roger Widynowski, publicist for Bice’s label, RCA Records. At least he didn’t run off and and get one of those Las Vegas Weddings.

And as with all people in the lime light rumors begin, and the bride’s mother, Wanda Sue Fisher, is denying a March report in Star Magazine that her daughter is pregnant.

Bo and Caroline met two years ago when Bo was a clerk at guitar store and Caroline worked as a waitress, where Bo visited quite often.

Bo and Caroline already share a two-bedroom home with a veritable menagerie of pets, including three dogs, three cats and two turtles.

The news of Bo’s wedding hit the media one day after his first single, “Inside Your Heaven”/”Vehicle,” opened at number one on the singles charts. Bo’s rendition of this song, knocked Carrie Underwood’s version to the number two slot.

Reports are that Clay Aiken is selling his home that is in the Los Angeles area and moving back to his hometown in North Carolina.

Clay Aiken stated to The News and Observer of Raleigh “whether this ride lasts for one year or ten years, I want to have a home base.”

The six bedroom home he purchased in the Los Angeles area for 2.3 million dollars never did see him at home much. This Mediterranean style home is 7800 square feet and sits on more than one acre of land.

He listed his home in Los Angeles in March for 2.5 million and is expecting to close escrow in September, 2005.

Clay may be leaving the house behind, but he plans on taking all the items that his mother decorated the home with and said “All the stuff, curtains, fabrics and whatever else is coming, too.”

This goes to show you, he may be an American Idol, but the hometown boy still resides inside.

A Television station in Iraq has decided to brighten the day of the population of Iraq by broadcasting their own version of Pop Idol.

As, many Iraqis already are obsessed with the American Idol series and watch it religiously, the Al-Sumeria TV started broadcasting their version called “Iraq Star”. The show has had more than 2,000 contestants since it was announced earlier in the year.

The Iraq Star may not have all the glitter and gold that American Idol has but they promise more glitzy touches for the finale which will be held in Beirut. At this time it is being produced in a drab studio without an audience.

Director of Iraq Star, Wadia Nader, was quoted as saying “We are trying to lighten the load and problems Iraqis are going through,” and “We had shows like this in the 1960s when people were discovered on television. But since then, with so many wars, Iraqis couldn’t see this kind of thing.”

Bo Bice underwent surgery on Friday night at Desert Springs Hospital in Las Vegas for a stomach ailment, as told by his grandmother, “Granny Madge” Schofield of Somerville.

Bo has had his run of bad luck but has at stated by his grandmother “Bo has had ulcers most of his life.” His run of bad luck all began when he broke his foot July 31st while performing in Manchester, New Hampshire which had him during the rest of the tour sitting on a stool to perform. Bo then, got food poisoning during a concert on August 13th in Grand Prairie, Texas, and was hospitalized overnight.

According to the information by Bo’s grandmother this surgery has nothing to do with the ulcers but “the large intestine basically absorbs the small intestine, “tying it in knots. I don’t know the diagnosis.”

Bo did come through the surgery well and Schofield’s church congregation of Valhermoso Springs Holiness Church began calling each other Friday night after word spread about Bice’s hospitalization. “They gathered at the church and prayed,” she said. “We’re asking that everyone pray for Bo.”

Bice’s mother, Nancy Downes, was suppose to leave Birmingham on Monday for Los Angeles to visit her other son, John Cohran, who was in an automobile accident on Wednesday night as he and his wife drove home after attending the concert in which Bo Bice performed at Staples Center. Cohran is a Marine stationed in California. “John did not have to have surgery. They placed his neck in a brace,” Schofield said. The hospital treated and released his wife, who is pregnant with the couple’s second child.

At this time, the Desert Springs Hospital in Las Vegas is not at liberty to release any information on Bo’s condition.

If you are headed to Austin, Texas for your chance to compete on “America Idol” then you should be prepared for some changes.

In the past, several contestants lined up very early or even camped out in front of the auditioning center to make sure they get their face seen by the judges. But, in Austin this coming week, this will not be a possibility. There will be no camping inside or outside of the building allowed this time.

You may however be there as early as 5am and the auditions will begin at 8 am on Thursday August 25th, at the Frank Erwin Center on the University of Texas campus. You can receive your wristbands and tickets for a seat all day on Tuesday August 23rd and Wednesday August 24th.

To register you need to go to the front of Gate B on the west side of the center, one level up from the street. This is where you will receive your wristband and ticket. If you are under 18, you must bring a parent or legal guardian. Adults may also bring a friend and they will also receive a wristband and ticket.

The age requirements for contestants are 16 to 25 years of age by August 15th, 2005. You must also bring two forms of identification with you on Thursday. During this part of the judging, Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson will not be present, but will be arriving next month after the competition is weeded through.

No times have been set as to when you can begin registering, but the organizers ensure that you will have plenty of time to register and there is no need to be first in line.