American Idol Past Contestants: What Are They Up To Now?

[Rick Kitchen]

Oh. My. God.  Haley Reinhart sings "Black Hole Sun" with Postmodern Jukebox.

[SunFun]

Loved it! Looking sexy, too.

Also looking good, Justin Guarini at last weekend's Tony Awards. For backstage coverage for Tony's with him and other hosts: https://www.broadwayhd.com/index.php/special/tony_awards

Edited June 18, 2016 by SunFun
spacing

[DollEyes]

Adam Lambert & Queen did a powerful version of Queen's "Who Wants To Live Forever?" in tribute to all victims of hate in general and in the Orlando massacre in particular at the 2016 Isle Of Wight Festival: 

"Who Wants To Live Forever?"

Edited June 18, 2016 by DollEyes

[MarkHB]

8 hours ago, SunFun said:

Loved it! Looking sexy, too.

I don't think it's possible for Haley not to look sexy.  It's just in her DNA or something.

Here's her own single:

[Ohwell]

10 hours ago, SunFun said:

Loved it! Looking sexy, too.

Also looking good, Justin Guarini at last weekend's Tony Awards. For backstage coverage for Tony's with him and other hosts: https://www.broadwayhd.com/index.php/special/tony_awards

Admittedly, I'm not into Broadway, but it's so nice to see Justin doing so well.

[rereader2]

Jason Castro and his siblings (Michael and Jackie) are releasing their debut single tonight. (Well, technically tomorrow, but in reality tonight.) It's called "Diamond Dreams" and you can hear it now at Yahoo!Music.

This past week they opened a few shows for Delta Rae (and are doing a couple more this coming week), and last night they did a free show in NYC. I went, and I thought they sounded amazing--they have totally different styles of singing, but they blend together so well.

[SunFun]

Kelly Clarkson has left RCA Records for Atlantic Records. Announced this morning on Facebook.

Kelly in the middle, husband next to her.

Edited for Ohwell! ;)

Edited June 25, 2016 by SunFun
Add info.

[Ohwell]

Is that her in the middle?  I thought there already was an Atlantic Records--been around for decades.  I guess it folded?

[SunFun]

Fixed it, Ohwell! Here's one of the pre-announcement videos she made on Facebook. The guy in the background holds up announcements NOT going to be made. Funny. I didn't realize she gets so nervous talking.

[TheGreenKnight]

Hopefully a Bruno Mars duet will happen now they're on the same label.

[howmanywords]

On 5/29/2016 at 1:58 PM, TeeMo said:

According to a recent country radio appearance, Borchetta has decided to shelve Falling as Trent's first single and instead release a song Trent co-wrote in Nashville in the past month. Nice that Trent will have cowriting credit on his first post Idol single but the song is straight up radio country. Not country soul, no hint of R&B, none of the things I loved about Trent during Idol. He doesn't even sound particularly good on the acoustic version I heard. Curse you, Borchetta and your ugly leather jackets. Sigh. 

When I heard the acoustic version of his new song I hated it.  I was particularly annoyed because it was country and void of what I came to like about Trent's voice on AI. Then the other day I heard the studio version and I thought "hmm ok.  This isnt actually half bad". Now, 3 days later I still have the damn chorus in my head so I could only hope this will end up being a good thing for Trent because crap, I find it catchy! I saw this video a couple of weeks ago of Borchetta GUSHING over Trent and how talented he is so hopefully his album will have some songs that show off his killer voice because I do think Scott gets it.

[Rick Kitchen]

I haven't gotten the chance to hear it yet, but apparently JHud killed it at the BET Awards' tribute to Prince last night.

[Ohwell]

Normally, I don't even like J-Hud's singing, but yes, she did kill it singing Purple Rain. 

[rereader2]

CASTRO's (Jason Castro and siblings) first single ("Diamond Dreams") went on sale last Friday and got as high as #7 on iTunes Singer/Songwriter chart, which is pretty impressive considering they had next to no promotion. An acoustic video of the song just went up on YouTube:

[Rick Kitchen]

I finally got a chance to see the JHud performance, and Oh my God, she slayed.

 

Here it is.  Warning, it takes a while to load.

 

http://www.bet.com/video/betawards/2016/performances/stevie-wonder-tori-kelly-jennifer-hudson-prince-tribute.html

[truthaboutluv]

That performance is a perfect example of the issues I've always had with J-Hud's singing. Yes she's talented and most of the performance was great, until it devolved into a scream fest and then I just wanted it to stop. YMMV

[Ohwell]

10 minutes ago, truthaboutluv said:

That performance is a perfect example of the issues I've always had with J-Hud's singing. Yes she's talented and most of the performance was great, until it devolved into a scream fest and then I just wanted it to stop. YMMV

Yes, I thought she killed it--up to a point.  She didn't know when to turn the song loose, as my grandmother would say.

[SunFun]

On ‎6‎/‎28‎/‎2016 at 5:25 PM, Ohwell said:

Yes, I thought she killed it--up to a point.  She didn't know when to turn the song loose, as my grandmother would say.

Yep. JHud, is a mad talented singer, but for the screaming. I'm more of a nuance-lover, but no one can say the girl can't SANG. That Jason Castro is a cutie, and thought that vid was enjoyable.

-Clay Aiken will be on The View tomorrow, talking about the stupid N.C. bathroom law. He's basically out of the entertainment biz at this point. More of a gay activist, and political commentator.

-Kat McPhee was on Lip Sync Battle, gorgeous and sexy.

-Justin Guarini will be Mama Mia in the Pierce Brosan role (from the movie). http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Justin-Guarini-Joins-MAMMA-MIA-at-The-Muny-Full-Cast-Announced-20160531

Also, currently in Sweden working on an album. New headshots.

Edited July 4, 2016 by SunFun
reduce size of pic, spacing

[Ohwell]

He looks even more handsome as he gets older. *sigh*

[holly4755]

Former American Idol John Stevens recovering from a serious accident

there is that Red. 

Quote

BUFFALO, NY - Former American Idol finalist John Stevens is recovering from a serious accident in the Boston area. Stevens announced on Facebook "I was hit by a van while out for a run and suffered a fractured skull and dislocated and broken arm. Among other injuries and disorders I'm dealing with, it appears I will have some, if not total deafness in my right ear."

[Ohwell]

Oh poor John.  I wish him well.  

[SunFun]

Terrible news.

Edited June 29, 2016 by SunFun
omit a comment

[Kromm]

Todrick Hall is a guy who didn't go very far on Idol, but has done well enough afterwards that it's a shame he's never really held up with other Idol successes. I mean the guy was on Broadway in The Color Purple, as well as having tons of viral video successes.

His latest project is damned impressive. An hour long visual album/original musical he released last week to YouTube. It was good enough that Playbill--the official "magazine" of Broadway--had an article on it. 

Oh also a few guest stars. Okay more like "a lot". Nicole Scherzinger, Joseph Gorden-Levitt, Amber Riley, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Shanice Williams, Perez Hilton, Jordin Sparks, Vonzell Solomon, Wayne Brady, Pentatonix, Grace Helbig, and a few more tucked in there as well. Well maybe Perez Hilton was a bad idea... but otherwise, a nice list.

Edited June 30, 2016 by Kromm

[Rick Kitchen]

Todrick was friends with three of the people from Pentatonix before either he or they did their reality TV, and they remain good friends and collaborate a lot with each other.

[Kromm]

38 minutes ago, Rick Kitchen said:

Todrick was friends with three of the people from Pentatonix before either he or they did their reality TV, and they remain good friends and collaborate a lot with each other.

Heh. He also had his own MTV show for like 5 minutes (okay I think about 8 episodes).  He also apparently was up for the part of the Scarecrow in NBC's The Wiz Live, but lost it to Elijah Kelley. 

I will say this. His inclusion of Pentatonix in this Straight Outta Oz turned out to be a HUGE mistake IMO. He's basically in the middle of a big song with a dance crew on a bright set, then just cuts to a dark, low-fi bit of footage of Pentatonix singing a line from the song which they clearly took while on tour or something like that. It was just jarring and kind of ruined the rest of that number.

Also, while the songs, camera-work, dancing and other production is damn impressive on everything but that Pentatonix bit, I noticed as I went along that the connective tissue between the songs, the transitions, needed MUCH better writing. It wasn't always clear why these songs are supposed to be connected, other than the obvious (that most of them have Wizard of Oz references in them somewhere). And the portion with Nicole Scherzinger, while pretty hilarious, didn't even have that Wizard of Oz link and I found myself wondering how (and if) it was supposed to tie into anything else.

Still, for something he did on his own dime, and at that length and with those guests?  Impressive. 

Edited June 30, 2016 by Kromm

[SunFun]

Todrick Hall is multi-talented and creative. Probably makes a lot of money on YouTube videos. He clearly has regular and celebrity followers and fans. Doing what you love and having fun with it, can often be as good and/or better than being mainstream rubber-stamped. Sometimes all that "noise" gets in the way. My humble opinion.

[Kromm]

1 minute ago, SunFun said:

Todrick Hall is multi-talented and creative. Probably makes a lot of money on YouTube videos. He clearly has regular and celebrity followers and fans. Doing what you love and having fun with it, can often be as good and/or better than being mainstream rubber-stamped. Sometimes all that "noise" gets in the way. My humble opinion.

Hey the Idol reject pile is filled with people like that. We shouldn't forget that Scott of Pentatonix apparently auditioned for Idol multiple times and didn't get even as far as Todrick did (Scott didn't even get on TV), and that Tori Kelly, a Grammy nominee and breakout artist, DID get on TV but panned by Simon and ditched at the Final 24 stage.

Meanwhile so many people who DID get into the Top 12 have done far less than some of these others.

[TheGreenKnight]

9 hours ago, Kromm said:

Meanwhile so many people who DID get into the Top 12 have done far less than some of these others.

That's because success in the music industry is often completely random. I mean, that girl from Lady Antebellum, for instance, definitely didn't have the chops to be on Idol. She's definitely group material.

[Rick Kitchen]

6 hours ago, Kromm said:

Hey the Idol reject pile is filled with people like that. We shouldn't forget that Scott of Pentatonix apparently auditioned for Idol multiple times and didn't get even as far as Todrick did (Scott didn't even get on TV), and that Tori Kelly, a Grammy nominee and breakout artist, DID get on TV but panned by Simon and ditched at the Final 24 stage.

Meanwhile so many people who DID get into the Top 12 have done far less than some of these others.

Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum auditioned twice for AI but never made even to the judges.

I just saw in our local paper that Todrick is bringing "Straight Out of Oz" to a local theater.

[discoprincess]

I saw Diana DeGarmo Young on NY1 (local cable news channel) this morning. I can't find the actual footage, but here is a link to her original tweet with a link to a picture. She's in an off-Broadway show.

Quote

Today on NY1, Frank Dilella (@fdilella ) catches up with The Marvelous Wonderettes in between shows at @oovinanyc! http://fb.me/3xYxxF1A9

Edited July 6, 2016 by discoprincess

[MrsTracyJordan]

Arianna Afsar (semi-finals season 8) is going to play Eliza in Chicago's "Hamilton." She was...not great in the semi-finals, but I assume she's had a while to train into her voice.

[MarkHB]

Jax has thyroid cancer.  This sucks. Hopefully she makes a full recovery.

[SunFun]

Todrick Hall

Todrick Hall Will Join Broadway’s Kinky Boots (November 2016 to March 2017) http://www.playbill.com/article/todrick-hall-will-join-broadways-kinky-boots-watch-video-of-his-lola-here

Also: Could Todrick Hall’s Straight Outta Oz Become a Broadway Musical? http://www.playbill.com/article/could-todrick-halls-straight-outta-oz-become-a-broadway-musical

 

Sorry to hear that about Jax.

[inandout]

Billboard 200 Chart Moves: 'American Idol' Reaches New Low for Winner's Debut Album

Nick Fradiani, Hurricane - No. 121 — Nick Fradiani, the winner of the 14th season of American Idol, arrives on the Billboard 200 with his first post-Idol album, Hurricane. The set blows at No. 121 with just over 5,000 units (of which 5,000 are pure album sales).

The first 14 winners of American Idol have now all reached the chart with their debut albums. The 15th (and final) season winner, Trent Harmon, is currently at work on his first effort. Harmon was crowned the winner of Idol’s farewell season on April 7.

Fradiani’s debut marks the lowest debut for an Idol winner’s first album, both in terms of position and sales. See list, below.

History of American Idol Winners' First Albums on Billboard 200 Chart:

Artist - Title - Debut Position - Debut Sales – Year

*Kelly Clarkson - Thankful - No. 1 - 297,000 - 2003
*Ruben Studdard - Soulful - No. 1 - 417,000 - 2003
*Fantasia - Free Yourself - No. 8 - 240,000 - 2004
*Carrie Underwood - Some Hearts - No. 2 - 315,000 - 2005
Taylor Hicks - Taylor Hicks - No. 2 - 298,000 - 2006
*Jordin Sparks - Jordin Sparks - No. 10 - 119,000 - 2007
*David Cook - David Cook - No. 3 - 280,000 - 2008
Kris Allen - Kris Allen - No. 11 - 80,000 - 2009
Lee DeWyze - Live It Up - No. 19 - 39,000 - 2010
*Scotty McCreery - Clear As Day - No. 1 - 197,000 - 2011
*Phillip Phillips - The World From the Side of the Moon - No. 4 - 169,000 - 2012
Candice Glover - Music Speaks - No. 14 - 19,000 – 2014
Caleb Johnson – Testify – No. 24 – 11,000 – 2014
Nick Fradiani – Hurricane – No. 121 – 5,000 - 2016

*Platinum Selling

http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7476971/american-idol-new-low-nick-fradiani-billboard-200-chart-moves
 

[Ohwell]

Nick will play at small venues or open for some bigger act.   I like him and if he ever comes around where I live, I'll go see him.  He won't be a megastar but I think he'll do fine and he's much better off for having won the thing.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

http://video.disney.com/watch/will-jay-and-sonika-vaid-smoke-from-distant-fires-music-video-radio-disney-53a5c0df8f0c03feda496446

Sonika Vaid from the final season of AI has a new duet song out and it's getting some publicity and promotion, at least from Radio Disney. It's a strummy, pretty song and she looks as gorgeous as ever in the video. For the record, I have absolutely no idea who the guy (Will Jay) is.

[BogoGog24]

7 hours ago, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

http://video.disney.com/watch/will-jay-and-sonika-vaid-smoke-from-distant-fires-music-video-radio-disney-53a5c0df8f0c03feda496446

Sonika Vaid from the final season of AI has a new duet song out and it's getting some publicity and promotion, at least from Radio Disney. It's a strummy, pretty song and she looks as gorgeous as ever in the video. For the record, I have absolutely no idea who the guy (Will Jay) is.

Ironically enough Will Jay is a close friend of Dalton Rapattoni and they were both in a Disney boy band in 2012 called IM5 which was created by none other than Simon Fuller. Will sat in the audience at a lot of the Idol shows to support Dalton so that was probably how he met Sonika. They also both seem to want to be associated with Radio Disney so it kind of makes sense why they collaborated I guess. 

[TheGreenKnight]

I'm glad Sonika's getting around, doing something.

[SunFun]

Not surprised w/ sales #s. The business has changed, and AI stopped genuinely trying to effectively promote winners since S4.

Updates:

Carrie Underwood: Are you ready for some football? Vid of new theme song by Carrie! http://www.etonline.com/music/196559_check_out_carrie_underwood_s_new_sunday_night_football_theme_son/

 

Justin Guarini: Two songs off his new EP are posted at the SoundCloud link below.  I purchased the EP, and heard the whole thing. Current sounding and very good. Mad skills. Arguably one of the best falsettos, and crazy range. My gentler heartbreaking favorite (which isn't at the SoundCloud link) is vocally beautiful w/ an emotional punch. Love it. You'll know which one it is if you buy/listen to the digital download.

 

Kelly Clarkson: Article discusses career and current news. Children's book (Oct 2016 release) and soul album (2017 release) announced!

What Happened to Kelly Clarkson? What is She Doing Now?  http://gazettereview.com/2016/08/happened-kelly-clarkson-now/

Edited August 26, 2016 by SunFun
move pics

[SunFun]

2 for 1 Update

Ace Young and Diana Degarmo:

How Diane Paulus Put Two Actors on the Path to Marriage

http://www.playbill.com/article/how-diane-paulus-put-two-actors-on-the-path-to-marriage

[Ohwell]

Thanks, SunFun.  It's so nice to hear Justin again!  

[Kromm]

8 hours ago, SunFun said:

What Happened to Kelly Clarkson? What is She Doing Now?  http://gazettereview.com/2016/08/happened-kelly-clarkson-now/

Geez. Whoever picked the photo for that article must really hate Kelly to misrepresent it as "where is she now".  I know people aren't supposed to say she got too heavy during her pregnancies or else be accused of fat shaming, but the flip side of that is some jackass using that picture up top for an article about what they're up to now. 

Here's a video she posted just yesterday, and while there's no need for her to look like the skinny Kelly of her 20s, she certainly doesn't look like that photo anymore. Her hair is kind of terrible now though--actually it was terrible in that photo from her pregnancy too, but that was because of bad roots. Now it's terrible because it's a horrible ombre that's about 6 or 7 years of out date.:

Edited August 27, 2016 by Kromm

[holly4755]

I say that about a lot of celebrity pictures though, they either pick the most unflattering photo they could find or something photoshopped within one inch of it's life. Celebrities are not people to the press, just different images they want to push or pull.

 

I am fine with Kelly growing her hair out, I think the darker hair , besides looking like a real hair and not a wig, is far more flattering to her than the fake blonde, and hair grows out. Hope she isn't shaving it as well.  I think natural is more her forte rather than gussied up.  I remember when she came back on Idol in 2003 to debut her album song with tiger colored hair and Aguilera moves with dancers, it just seemed so fake. Where as when she gives a concert it is just her and she is fine.  Sometimes the labels try and make you someone else, when you are just fine as you are - sorry old fashioned thinking. 

[SunFun]

Justin Guarini has a new B'Way project. Picked as one of six "Hot Tickets" must-sees, it's the first all a cappela musical on Broadway.

http://www.playbill.com/article/telly-leung-justin-guarini-among-cast-of-a-cappella-broadway-musical-in-transit

 

Kelly Clarkson's song 'My Life Would Suck Without You' is being used in a Honda commercial.

Edited September 1, 2016 by SunFun
spacing, add update

[rereader2]

Jason Castro, with his sibs Jackie and Michael, released their first EP Friday--it's sitting at #1 in the iTunes Singer/Songwriter category. It's also on Spotify:

Edited September 4, 2016 by rereader2

[bluwater]

Dalton Rapattoni is going out on tour this fall/winter with a new band. His album will be out early 2017.

I love Justin Guarini and Castro EPs! They are both flawlessly fantastic.
 

[BogoGog24]

21 hours ago, bluwater said:

Dalton Rapattoni is going out on tour this fall/winter with a new band. His album will be out early 2017.

I love Justin Guarini and Castro EPs! They are both flawlessly fantastic.
 

Yep I've got my tickets plus M&G for the October 7th show in CT! He was also on Idol's Facebook live yesterday to do a Q&A, loved it!

[bluwater]

Gorgeous song. I can't wait to see Dalton on this tour coming up!! 

[BogoGog24]

1 hour ago, bluwater said:

 

Gorgeous song. I can't wait to see Dalton on this tour coming up!! 

I saw this too and have replayed it several times. It's so beautiful. What I love and have always loved about him is how you can feel his heart and soul in everything he sings. He sings each lyric with so much passion and emotion. Not to mention his vocals sound incredible here. 

[Kromm]

Jennifer Hudson is joining The Voice family... to be exact, The Voice UK family, as one of a pair of new coaches.