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| On Wednesday night's elimination show, Season 8 contestants got their first glimpse of the glory that awaits those who make it through these brutal semifinal rounds as they were visited by the two greatest performers in "American Idol" history, Michael Johns and Carly Smithson. One year after they sat among the 24 nervously awaiting their fate, wondering whether ignominy or stardom awaited each night, Michael and Carly returned for the first time to the room where their careers as we know them were born -- utterly transformed in that brief whirlwind year since. We spoke by phone with the pair minutes after they stepped off the Idoldome stage. |
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| CARLY SMITHSON Q: Congratulations on a great performance. CS: Did you see me almost go face down at the end? My shoe was a little slippery on the bottom. But everything went great. Q: Are you guys going to put out a single together? CS: I know, everybody calls us Sonny and Cher. We're the little duet band. Q: You sing so well together. CS: Everybody kept asking us to do it and we said, cool, because we were friends and it's really cool. Q: Tell me about your day returning to the Idoldome. CS: I came in from Nashville tonight because I've been writing there with Andrew Dorff and Chris Tomkinson, who wrote "Before She Cheats" among other numbers, and Andrew Dorff is an awesome songwriter. I was supposed to go to New York today for Fashion Week to the Zac Posen show; my favorite designer is Zac Posen. But it was just really amazing to be asked to come back. That's huge; that's the first live show. I'm really shocked that they asked us. We just got the phone call the other day. We said, what? That's amazing. Q: How did it feel to be back there with this year's kids? CS: I didn't get to see them that much. I got to see them in the makeup room and they all came over and said hi. But they were very quiet today. Nine were about to go home. The room was very mellow. Myself and Michael kept saying, this is way different than what it was last year. Even on elimination days, we were still nuts. Q: What was it like on elimination day in the beginning rounds last year? CS: Well, we didn't really know what to expect. And as well, they did the boys first, so I got to watch them, so it wasn't a huge shock to me. But they cut Colton Berry [Season 7 contestant] so fast we didn't even know what was going on. Ryan literally straight away said, "OK, start the show. Colton Berry, you're going home." And we were all saying, Oh my God, it's that quick! We were all freaking out. It was really, really bizarre. So I understand. I feel what they're feeling. Q: But how is it being there as a special guest now? CS: Isn't that so weird? I love it. It's definitely like a really bizarre feeling. You know, I'm moving ahead with my record. I love my music. Everybody says, you look so different. It's just great to be able to take that step up and be part of the show in that way. But I still felt like I was about to sing for my survival. Q: Can you give us an update on what's happening with the songwriting? CS: I just went to Nashville. I'm doing two songs tomorrow in New York with a lady called Stacy Wilde. I am getting there. I'm very very happy. The record is forming and sounding amazing. I'm almost at the finish line. Q: Did you talk to Simon tonight? CS: I did an interview with USA Today and I said, if Simon doesn't like my music, I don't care. And that's a great gift to have. Because I'm so much more comfortable with myself. I said to Simon tonight, I didn't enjoy the critique last year. I got a heavy critique last year; I got torn apart. But I learned from it and grew from it. It's like now I feel like I have the greatest gift. If you tell me I look like ---- I don't care. If you tell me I sound like ---- I don't care. As long as I feel like I'm doing good and the band feels like I'm doing good. All the other negativity just makes me stronger. And I explained that to Simon and said, do you get what I'm saying? And he said, "Maybe. In a way." He was laughing with me. He's a very cool guy. Q: Have you been watching this season? CS: A little bit. I try and watch as much as I can. I watched on the flight last night; they had Direct TV. It was actually kinda cool. The lady next to me kept taking her headphones off and saying, "Now what did you think of that?" Q: Do you have a favorite? CS: I really like Anoop Dog. I also really like Danny. He was really great. He said hello and that he was a fan, and I told him I was a fan of his too. And I really liked Anoop Dog. He was so cool. I thought he was adorable. Tatiana told me she had a dream about me. Q: Did she say what happened? CS: I don't know. She was everything she was on TV. And more. But I love this whole thing she's got going on. She's got this huge personality and I like it. She was lovely. Super-lovely. Q: So you're off to New York now? CS: New York, and then to Nashville. Q: Such a jet-setter! CS: It's this new amazing life I have and I love it. I come home between trips to see [husband] Todd and then I fly back out. I try to make as much time for him as possible. That is so important in the mix. But it was a weird experience tonight, but a great experience, because I haven't seen all those people who work on the show in so long, so it was really nice to be able to hang out with them and say hello and just go into it in a different mind-set. Q: How did you feel a year ago when you were there? CS: I think very stiff. I would tense up and feel this lack of self-confidence. But that's all gone now. That's out the window. I am so much happier and more comfortable in myself. |
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| With musical influences ranging from U2 to Janis Joplin, EMI Music Publishing’s Stacy Wilde has steadily been emerging on the scene playing before such legendary acts as The Kinks, Crosby Stills & Nash, and Fleetwood Mac, with her music appearing on TV (“Charmed”), (“Side Order Of Life”) and films (“The Last Request”) various ad campaigns and compilation cd’s (“Aware 9”) as well as her own Atlantic Records album “Tear Down The Sky”. |
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| Andrew Dorff, dated Claire Danes, and later released a grunge rock album, Hint of Mess. It was poorly received in America, but something of a hit in Europe. Their father, composer Steve Dorff, wrote music for Clint Eastwood's Bronco Billy, Every Which Way But Loose, and Honkytonk Man. He also wrote the music for Growing Pains, Murphy Brown, Reba, and other sitcoms. His biggest pop hits include Kenny Rogers' "Through the Years", and Anne Murray's "I Just Fall In Love Again". |
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| Hailing from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and influenced by the likes of Jackson Browne and Neil Young, Chris focused on developing himself as a professional songwriter, vocalist and piano player during his high school years in the marching band. Practice and hard work paid off, leading to full time keyboard work on demo sessions as well as co-writes with various writers in the Muscle Shoals area. Chris decided he and his songs belonged in Nashville, Tennessee. In the summer of 2000 at age 22, Chris made the move and got his first publishing deal. In 2004, Chris penned his first Top 20 hit single “ME AND EMILY”, co-written with friend and artist, Rachel Proctor. 2005 proved to be a promising year for Chris. American Idol winner Carrie Underwood recorded his song “BEFORE HE CHEATS” and it landed the 1 Spot on Country radio for 5 consecutive weeks. It was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2007 ACM and CMA Awards and was named ASCAP's 2007 Country Song Of The Year. Some other recordings include Hank Williams Jr.’s “THATS HOW THEY DO IT IN DIXIE”, featuring country superstars Gretchen Wilson, Big and Rich and VanZant, and “BAMA BREEZE”, recorded by Jimmy Buffett. Chris is currently a staff songwriter for Big Loud Shirt Industries. |
| QUOTE (Shelly @ Feb 19 2009, 03:34 PM) |
| Love L.A. Times Carly articles! :w00t: PLEASE go leave comments on the article! Show your support of Carly... |
| QUOTE (Nancy @ Feb 19 2009, 01:56 PM) | ||
Been there done that.Thanks Amy for sharing this. |