American Idol: Jordin Sparks Controversy
AMERICAN Idol is over for another year. The tears, the joy, the talent and the, er, did we mention the tears?
But there is talk of a fix. Tabloid Baby investigates:
JORDIN Sparks is the new American Idol.
After a bloated two-hour show whose highlights included a performance by an 80-year-old man, a human beatbox duet, the indelible memory of Ruben Studdard singing “Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds”, and the lower half of Kelly Clarkson’s body, the questions this morning are whether Jordin, a 17-year-old Christian and anti-abortion crusader, will use her new role to spread her controversial agenda– and whether Idol producers played a little in-joke by having Jordin sing background on the Beatles’ “She’s Leaving Home”– a song about a girl sneaking out of the house to have an abortion.
And there will be debate today about whether Jordin’s victory was in the cards from the beginning, even before judge Randy Jackson predicted that the winner would have “curly hair.” We direct you to an article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that followed the Seattle audition episode– Jordin’s first appearance on Idol:
Seattle Post Intelligencer
January 19, 2007
On TV: Seattle’s ‘Idol’ auditions: Hurt so good
By MELANIE McFARLAND
P-I TELEVISION CRITIC
…”Idol,” in turn, gave us a young, bright, charismatic, pretty contestant who looks so much like the show’s idea of the total package that she could be a ringer….
…One shining star stood out: 16-year-old Jordin Sparks from Glendale, Ariz. She’s beautiful, has a smile that can light up L.A., and tore apart Celine Dion’s “Because You Love Me.”
Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!
Seeing her is supposed to drive home the reason we keep running back to “Idol.” Young, ambitious and undiscovered, she embodies the dream of “Idol,” the idea that someone with small but bright embers of talent can, within the space of a few months, shoot from obscurity to superstardom.
Except that’s not exactly the case with this young woman.
Out of nowhere, Abdul says she recognizes Sparks’ name– and Sparks reveals she is the daughter of former New York Giants cornerback Phillippi Sparks. What a coinky-dink!
And that’s not all! Jordin Sparks has an exhaustive Wikipedia page, where you can find out interesting facts such as: She was the Coca-Cola Rising Star in 2002. Coca-Cola, of course, being “Idol’s” major sponsor. She also appeared in “America’s Most Talented Kids” in 2004, toured with Michael W. Smith and sang in Alice Cooper’s Christmas show. Winning “Arizona Idol” netted her a Ford Fusion and a trip to Seattle. Wonder if she had to wait in line?
Fix?
June 7th, 2007 at 3:01 am
This may work better if AI added a provision , ‘We’re looking for the best undiscoverd singer’, such as “must be attractive. i.e., have the ‘Idol look and personality.’ It is apparent from the early start of each show that some of the ‘contestants’ don’t have clue, and even those who are accepted are later weeded out. Case in point, Melinda Doolittle, best and most talented singer ever to grace the stage. (????)
August 3rd, 2007 at 9:01 am
The real results of the American Idol Songwriting contest
Season six 2007.
At least 13 different songwriters have had prior
working relationships with either
American Idol Judge’s Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul,
American Idol bandleader Rickey Minor,
American Idol host Ryan Seacrest, former American Idol
finalist or Fox Television.
One songwriter (Colin Armstrong), according to his
American Idol bio,
won the “BE A STAR” contest on L.A. radio station STAR
98.7 FM.
Sadly, the bio doesn’t mention that Ryan Seacrest was
the radio DJ , and that 2 of Colin’s Armstrong’s
co-writers (Mikal Reid and Marti Frederiksen) are
credited on Bo Bice’s 2005 CD and Clay Aiken’s 2006
CD.
(Side note, Marti Frederiksen and Clive Davis are
producer’s on Bo Bice’s CD).
Mikal Reid-Colin Armstong’s co-writer
Mikal Reid-drums on former American Idol finalist Bo
Bice’s 2005 c.d
The real thing
Marti Frederiksen-Colin Armstongs co-writer
Marti Frederiksen was the producer and engineer on
Clay Aiken’s 2006 A thousand different ways
Songwriting finalist
(Jennifer Hamady) spent 2 episodes
as a backup singer on the 2007 season of American
Idol.
Songwriting finalist (Kelly Corsino) has her own music
production company
and one of her clients is Fox Television.
Songwriting finalist (Cal Harris Jr.)
(Could be Cal Harris Sr But so what) was an engineer
on Paula Abdul’s “Head Over Heels” CD.
Was also a engineer on Diana Ross’s 2006 Blue album
Diana Ross was a mentor on season six–2007
Songwriting finalist (Sam Sims) was the bass
player on Paula Abdul’s “Under My Spell” tour.
And was the Bass player And Randy Jackson
Was musical Director on Mariah Carey’s
2003 Charmbraclet tour
Songwriting finalist (CJ Vanston) played keyboards
while Randy Jackson played Bass on
Richard Marx’s “Repeat Offender” and “Days In Avolon”
CD’s.
Songwriting finalist (Shedrick Mitchell) gets the
credit of playing the organ
while American Idol bandleader Rickey Minor played the
bass on “Queen Latifah’s Dana Owens” CD.
Songwriting finalist (Byron Zanos) Album
Somewhere in the middle was produced and engineered
By Dagiel Bennett (Tony Bennetts son)
Tony was a mentor ang sang on the show 2007.
Songwriting finalist (Reed Waddle)
Has been working with John Oates (Hall & Oates
They were on the show season five.
Songwriting finalist (Lane Lenhart)
According to Lane’s Myspace page
She wrote the Theme song for a pilot show
Called Pie
For Fox Television.
Songwriting finalist (Nelson Kole)
The Drummer On Nelson Kole’s Ambum-Tattoo is
Vinnie Colaiuta Who also plays on several Clay Aiken
Albums
And is also the drummer on Erin Boheme’s Album-What
love is.
(Erin Boheme is also a top Twenty finalist-American
Idol Songwriting contest)
Songwriting finalist (Diana Dewitt)
She is a well known christian back-up singer
And has worked with some of the same people as
Scott Krippayne Melinda Doolittle
And Jordin Sparks
And if you visit the U.S. copyright website, a quick
search shows Scott Krippayne has written songs
for several christian artist like Jaci Velasquez,
Rebecca Saint James, Kathy Troccoli, Point of Grace
and more.
And if you check out Scott’s Purplehonda myspace page,
Scott says he has written 14 number 1 hits
and 20 top 10 hits for artist like John Tesh, Ronan
Tynan, Saddi Patty and more.
What are the odds that 2007’s American Idol winner
Jordin Sparks and
2007’s American Idol 3rd place finalist Melinda
Doolittle would both be singing
with AI season 3 finalist George Huff before American
Idol season 6 even began?
Just so you know…Ryan Seacrest announced on American
Idol’s final show that
over a 100,000 people tried out for the 2007 season.
Math was never our subject, but 100,000 to 1 seems
close.
According to an article from Shoutlife.com christian
artist Michael W. Smith’s manager Chaz Corzine said
“Three years ago I met and became friends with a young
girl that possessed about as much talent as I had ever
seen in one person. Her name is Jordin Sparks and when
I first met her - she was 14 years old. Shortly after
I met Jordin she, her mother and her grandmother
visited Nashville. I had the opportunity to take them
to Michael’s house where Jordin and Michael’s girls
hit it off like they had been best friends all their
life! Another unique thing about that visit was that
former American Idol contestant, George Huff, was at
Smitty’s house. As you might imagine - it wasn’t long
before the three of them (Michael, George and Jordin)
wound up around the piano. That is a night I will
never forget. Well, it wasn’t long before Jordin was
on the road with us singing Background Vocal’s for
Smitty’s 2005 Christmas tour. She was a hit - both on
stage and off stage. That was the first of two tours
Jordin would do with Michael. She also joined him on
his 2006 Christmastime Tour.”
So where does American Idol 3rd place finalist Melinda
Doolittle fit in all of this?
She’s a backup singer on George Huff’s 2004 “My
Christmas” CD.
Also American Idol finalist Melinda Doolittle and
American Idol songwriting winner Scott Krippayne
both appear on the “Music For The Soul’s After The
Storm” CD.
Scott Krippaye sings lead vocals on the song “Twenty
Three” and
Melinda Doolittle sings lead vocals on “When The
Saints”.
One last tidbit, Melinda Doolittle and Michael W.
Smith both are credited on Rich Mullen’s “The Jesus
Record” CD.
Scott Krippayne had at least 5 differant connections.
To either the show and/or to the contestants.
Before the contest.
Here are the facts.
Scott Krippayne (Winner AI Songwritng contest)
Before the contest.
Scott has written with Matthew Ward.
Matthew Ward was the producer of Jordin Sparks’s
2003 demo cd
Scott has written with Andy Marvel.
Andy Marvel was one of the co-writers on Jordin
Spark’s 2003 demo cd
Scott was also on the 2005 cd
After the storm
As was Melinda Doolittle (3rd place winner AI)
Scott Krippayne wrote title track
Wonderful Crazy—-Katelyn Tarver’s—–Debut-c.d.
Katelyn Tarver was a Finalist 2003 Junior Idol
According to Scott’s MySpace Bio
He has worked with Kari Kemmil
Kari Kemmil wrote the song (I Could) for
American Idol Kimberley Locke
Scott Krippayne has written with Jorge Corante
Jorge Corante is a producer on Paula Abdul’s 1991
Album SpellBound.
Also the name of Jordin Sparks 2003 Demo cd
Was —For Now
The name of the winning song in the AI songwriting
contest was.
This is my now.
Good luck next year………….