Chikezie, as an interview subject, was not terribly scintillating. Not surprising. He’s very mature, very clear thinking, but not quotable at all.
“I knew I was going home,” he said. “It was okay with me. I had followed my heart throughout the competition. Eventually, I’d have to go home at some point. I was fine that it was some point where I could go back and do the tour.”
I asked two questions— why did he drop his last name Ezie? He said it was because people kept mispronouncing it. It’s pronounced “Ezzie,” not “Easy.”
And what would have sung for Dolly Parton week next Tuesday? “9 to 5”! I would have been deeply amused by that. I’m also certain someone else will probably grab it. Come on, Kristy Lee Cook. Go for it!
He had no regrets doing a ballad Tuesday. And he liked to pick songs a little off the beaten path that he could mess around with, which is how he ended up with “She’s a Woman.”
He didn’t notice any tension backstage, including a reference to David Archuleta’s stage dad. He also didn’t catch any romantic linkages. His favorite future mentor would have been Andrew Lloyd Weber.
In other “Idol” news:
- MTV.com reports that Carly Smithson Tuesday used an Atlanta entrepreneur’s product Spanx!:
After refuting preshow rumors that she was pregnant, Carly Smithson, 24, dodged the elimination bullet, but admitted that one of the reasons she may have looked uncomfortable singing “Total Eclipse of the Heart” Tuesday night was because she was wearing slimming undergarments called “Spanx” in order to make herself look thinner onstage. “Apparently I’m pregnant,” she said. “But I’m not, no, I’m not.”
More guest stars for April 9’s “Idol Gives Back,” according to the press release: Robin Williams, Celine Dion, Forest Whitaker, Billy Crystal, Dane Cook, Kiefer Sutherland, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Jenniffer Connolly, Elliott Yamin, Fantasia and (wow, here’s a dropoff in fame) Amy Adams.
The Clark Brothers, the winners of the failed Fox fall show “The Next Great American Band,” will perform next Wednesday.
Simon Cowell, in an ew.com interview was glad to see David Cook step it up and make it less of an obvious coronation of David Archuleta:
I think the audience are much more savvy than I’ve seen them in previous years, and much less forgiving, which I’m happy about. I’ve got a feeling this year something strange could happen, particularly after what happened with David Cook last night. Because, I’ve got to tell you, watching it back, this performance he did on “Billie Jean,” in my opinion, was in a different league to anything we’ve heard on the season so far. It was so much better, [chuckles] he kind of made some of the other performances seem ridiculous. But I’m glad! He was smart — I know where he got the arrangement of the song from, but that doesn’t really matter. He was brilliant! And I was concerned three or four weeks ago that this was just going to be a coronation for David Archuleta and it’s just a question of who comes [in] second. I’m not so sure anymore. And, you know, with Jason Castro last night — there’s a guy who thinks he’s just sailing along, and I thought it was a bad performance. You give somebody like him a kick up the ass, let’s see what he can deliver now. But I thought it was, um, an interesting night last night.
He also hates that crowd inserted in front of him this season.
The sales, in order, on iTunes, probably reflecting voting patterns to some extent. (Courtesy of mj’s big blog.):
David Cook - Billie Jean
David Archuleta - You’re the Voice
Michael Johns - We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions
Brooke White - Every Breath You Take
Carly Smithson - Total Eclipse of the Heart
Jason Castro - Fragile
Kristy Lee Cook - God Bless the USA
Syesha Mercado - If I Was Your Woman
Ramiele Malubay - Alone
Chikezie - If Only for One Night (Selling less than 8 Days a Week. Yikes!)
Paula Abdul is speaking to Q100’s Bert Show every Thursday at 9:30 a.m. EST. She did so this morning and sounded coherent! She wasn’t surprised by Chikezie’s departure and was amused that Bert’s five-year-old son predicted Chikezie correctly (but called him “Cicheesie.”) She’s also going to be the first performer for NBC “Today Show’s” summer concert series April 25 at Rockefeller Center. I’m going to be in New York the weekend of May 30 and Donna Summer will be there. I’m going to have to check that out! (No “Idol” alums listed.)
