American Idol Finale

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 24 May 2007 2:53 am

I am not a big fan of this show, but I am glad that at least there is a show of this magnitude that has a live band playing where the public can actually see and hear real/live professional musicians and be influenced by how important their contribution is. With all the canned/sampled stuff on the air these days that is devoid of live players, the public is more and more forced to hear music that is done on computers little or no contribution by musicians. That is about the only thing I really enjoyed about this show, the arrangements and the sound of the band/orchestra.

With millions of young people watching this show, hopefully some made the connection with live musicians and will be influenced or at least aware of them.

Bill Terry · Post by **Bill Terry** » 24 May 2007 6:08 am

Yeah, I enjoy seeing/hearing the 'working guys' back in the shadows.. real pros. That's the same reason I watched Rockstar INXS and Supernova, the 'house' band was way better than either INXS or Supernova.

Alvin Blaine · Post by **Alvin Blaine** » 24 May 2007 6:10 am

Did ya see the big five minute add about how their going to do an "American Idol" for bands? They had an address where to send applications.

The said ANY genre, any instruments, and any age musician. They also showed someone playing pedal steel while they said any age, for some reason I thought that was funny.

I may actually watch an "American Idol band contest", well at least once.

Jim Eaton · Post by **Jim Eaton** » 24 May 2007 7:44 am

I think that "steel shot" in the band promo was Jay Leach and his Sierra from "country week".
JE:-)>

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 24 May 2007 12:31 pm

Let caution precede you in this endeavor. I was a double finalist (and lost) in the "American Song Festival" in 1974, and realized as the 'contest' unfolded that it was more about the promoters making money, than it was about 'advancing the art of songwriting' or anything like that. "American Idol" is basically the same wolf in sheep's clothing, only 21st century style ....

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 24 May 2007 2:01 pm

I'm a fan of Idol!
It's great to see live young artist singing all types of music and musicians backing them! My favorite didn't win, but my next favorite did!:)

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 26 May 2007 12:25 am

As long as some good'uns get exposed in the final groupings,
who cares who the final winner is.

The 'losers' are still winners
whatwith the exposure
and training they get.

Many will be seen in great acts,
as their careers unfold.

Bill Miller · Post by **Bill Miller** » 26 May 2007 4:02 am

I was sorry that Melinda Doolittle didn't win but it probably won't hurt her any since she's had the benefit of performing for a worldwide audience for weeks. Her career is sure to take off despite finishing third. She's the superior singer by far but Jordin Sparks won the popularity contest.

Bo Borland · Post by **Bo Borland** » 26 May 2007 5:11 am

As a former contestant (my band with a great chick singer)of the Nashville Networks "You Can Be A Star" show hosted by Jim Ed Brown during the second season somewhere around 1980 or so, I can say, with a measure of certainty, that all these types of shows are rigged.
Of course this is only my opinion and stated with no "sour grapes" that we did not win. We actually did win the daily, but lost the weekly show.

The premise was to find and develop new country talent.
I watched the entire first season on tape and saw the first winner selected. His name was Blaine something. At our first run thru rehearsal, Jim Ed asked the cue card guy to hold the cards a bit higher, that cue card guy was Blaine. He was married to Linda Davis (Reba's back up singer). They already had all the winners-to-be working for them and just wanted a vehicle to promote them.

That being said, while I have watched a few episodes of Nashville Star, and only a few minutes of Idol over the entire history of the show...I am not a fan of the format but can see why it is appealing to the mass audience. The format is not new, it started way back with Major BOwes and Ted Macks "Original Amateur Hour"

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 26 May 2007 3:31 pm

Barry Blackwood wrote:Let caution precede you in this endeavor. I was a double finalist (and lost) in the "American Song Festival" in 1974, and realized as the 'contest' unfolded that it was more about the promoters making money, than it was about 'advancing the art of songwriting' or anything like that. "American Idol" is basically the same wolf in sheep's clothing, only 21st century style ....

Very insightful (and true), Barry. The plain truth is that if they simply gave the winner about 5% of what the show earned in a single season, the singer would never have to do anything else in their entire lifetime! I suspect it could be explained like this...

"We'll make a few hundred million off all of your performances, and in return, we'll give a couple of you a chance to earn a million or two yourself."

Shucks, that sounds fair. (Or, does it?)

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 26 May 2007 11:18 pm

Ego. It's worth a million bucks to the one who can satisfy it.

Dayna Wills · Post by **Dayna Wills** » 27 May 2007 4:38 pm

The gals didn't do much for me this time. I liked 3 guys: Blake, Chris (the guy with the 'fro) and the bald military guy. I thought Blake had it until the original song, then Jorden kicked butt. Blake will land on his feet because he has what the young audience wants and he's a good ENTERTAINER.

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 28 May 2007 8:22 am

I don't like the show because of the expoitative Idol management. They took in a billion dollars last year....thats right, ONE BILLION. The kids got virtually beans. They are under iron clad contracts that take most of their money. My friend here in Atlanta is an entertainment lawyer the got Clay Aiken out of his Idol contract so I have it first hand how these kids will never have a career apart from the Idol mafia who will be taking the bulk of what they make the rest of their lives. I don't know if not having a career in music is worth the trade off of having a career where someone else takes more than you get for your work.

The most blatant coup the Idol producers pulled off this year was the Idol Gives Back rouse. They got YOU the viewer and a bunch of stars and sponsers to donate the vast majority of the money while THEY claimed the credits for it. The REAL reason they put that show on is that a lot of folks are getting wise to this Idol money making scam.

Anyone know where you can go on the net and see a financial disclosure statement for that company?

Bo Borland · Post by **Bo Borland** » 28 May 2007 5:49 pm

Bill, you are so right about the adversive contracts. When I did the Nashville Network show..I decided not to do any original material because the contract gave them all rights to anything performed on the show.

David L. Donald · Post by **David L. Donald** » 28 May 2007 8:53 pm

The history of the 'music business' is littered with contracts,
taking most writers to the cleaners.
Even worse for the sidemen. Gig or session pay,
and squat otherwise...

Only those few who hit SO BIG that they could
afford the litigation to break crap contracts
get a reasonable profit in the end.

People who succeded;
The band Boston. Tom took the lable to nearly a decade of litigation,
but most people don't sell 8 million 1st albums.

Ray Charles got out from under in general too.

Guys who never quite got the music business monkey
off their backs;

Left Frizzel comes to mind.
A great artist who's managment ran him into the weeds too many times.

Many of the legendary soul and blues artists waited DECADES
before getting a little better shake,
just enough to soften retirment for a week or 3...

But the lst is endless.

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 29 May 2007 2:56 am

"
Anyone know where you can go on the net and see a financial disclosure statement for that company?"

If it is a public company, then any site like Yahoo will have it. Although I doubt it is a public company. If it is a private company, you won't find financial statements published anywhere.