American Idle

David Osmond is fast becoming the talk of American Idol 8. But it isn’t coming without a price. The blogs are dissecting every angle, checking every fact.

But they didn’t check all their facts before printing them, according to a production assistant who worked at the Salt Lake auditions. In an exclusive to American Idle, Mike B. lines out what really happened.

He says the truth about Osmond’s audition isn’t what you may have read on Vote For The Worst.  Some highlights of the chat: Osmond was not recruited by the producers, but rather was found while the producers were looking for the “perfect story angle.” He was allowed to skip the first audition after being given a “Green Star,” however. Oh, yeah, the producers missed another potential “story angle” too, when a girl related to the 80’s music group The Jets was passed on.

Also, Mike B. says Osmond’s brother auditioned after being coerced into doing it, although he was only “there to support his brother,” Osmond’s wife auditioned but wasn’t with her husband when he auditioned (and she didn’t make the cut) and apparently, you can audition twice for the same show. Wow.

Here’s how the conversation began in an email tip:

Hi, I wanted to try to set the record straight somewhere. I am reading on so many sites about David Osmond getting perferred treatment at the auditions in Salt Lake City.

I was a Production Assistant at the Salt Lake Auditions. I live in Salt Lake, all the producers are from out of state. David Osmond stood in line to get a wristband the day before the first auditions. During the second day of Auditions where it is filmed with Ryan Seacrest the big auditorium, all contestents had to wait in long lines until they had to audition in front of one of eleven tables with two producers. They were grouped in fours and had like 10 seconds to sing.

While David was in line, NO ONE noticed him from American Idol. He stood there with his brother and a friend like every contestent there. I quickly noticed him and told my friend who was also a Production Assistant to confirm and she did. I hestiated about telling anyone. Finally I saw one of the bigger Producers walking towards me, so I stopped him and asked him, “Do you want to know if someone kinda famous is in line to audition?” He told me “certainly” I then said, “two of the sons of Alan Osmond are in line waiting to audition. He asked me “Really?” I said “Yes” he said “You are sure?” I said “Very”

He asked me to point them out, I did, I noticed that David happened to be looking my way and noticed I was pointing him out. The Producer than went to another Big Wig Producer and told him, they both came back to me and said “Which two are Osmonds?” I pointed them both out and they went straight over to the line with them and gave them Green Stars, which went they automatically went to the next round.

Their friend was not so lucky. They made him audition and he was cut at the table. Right before David and his brother got to the table the two Big Producers stood behind the table of the two assistant producers and whispered in their ears. They both look over at David Osmond. Once they Auditioned, the one producer told David, “I was a fan of your Aunts”

David looked at me and kinda shook his head while smiling. At that point I knew he wanted to just audition on his own merits, and I kinda felt bad for pointing him out at that point.

Then the producers made a big deal about and got the Cameras and Ryan Seacrest to talk to him.

Had I not pointed him out I highly doubt that they would of been recognized at that point, because their names are not known to anyone unless they make it past that table. Who is to say that those two producers at the table would of even put them through not knowing who they really were? Because so many excellent singers were cut., like do you know the group The Jets? They were a big family group with top ten hits back in the late 80’s? Their younger sister Natalia actually auditioned and at that first table she was cut. She went on her own merits. Yet, professionally Natalia has sung onstage all over and opened up for top artists.

So to all the critics who claim Idol planted David Osmond…I can honestly say they were blind at who he was at first until I pointed him out!

Please help me get the truth out!

And we started talking more. On Osmond’s brother auditioning:

Yes, he also auditioned, yet he made it clear when they gave him the “sticker” that put him automatically through that he wasn’t there to audition but was there to support his brother. I don’t know what happened to him afterwards but I do know he wasn’t really trying to audition, just kind of got pulled in at the moment.

On Osmond’s wife auditioning and the process:

Yes, Valerie, David’s wife was auditioning too. Like I said, she was seated in a different section with her friends, and she didn’t make it past the first round of auditions. Keep in mind how that first round of auditions took place:
11 tables lined up with two assistant producers seated at each table, each table is separated by black curtains. It is very loud. All those auditioning are asked by seated sections to line up and then they are grouped as 4’s and sent to a table where all 4 line up in front of the assistant producers and are told to sing for 10-15 seconds one after another. The assistant producers whisper then they make their decision if any of the four move on or exit. It’s very loud, so I couldn’t understand how they could determine if someone was really good or not.

Think Idol is paying attention to who’s already auditioned? Here’s proof:

My friend who worked with me, her husband’s cousin was auditioning. She was told she wasn’t “strong enough” by the two assistant producers table she was at, she exited. My friend then went to back to the Production room/lounge and got another wristband and ticket and went outside to meet her husband’s cousin and gave it to her so she could come back in and audition again. Lo and behold her second time in she was directed to another table (no one recognized her) and the two assistant producers she auditioned for the second time told her she was great and sent her on to the next round!

And how, pretty tell, the producers get their info if you do make it on TV:

Lastly, once the person auditioning makes it past the first round they are sent to what was called the “winners lounge” where they had an hours worth of paperwork to read and sign. One of the papers they are asked if they are related to anyone famous, have ever met or sang for anyone famous or worked for anyone famous. They also ask to list every social networking site and blog they have. They then ask if they ever had anything really interesting happen to them in their lifetime.

On the talent the producers “ignored” while playing on their Blackberrys and Mike’s final thoughts on the Osmond audition:

Anyhow, I agree, Salt Lake is a hotbed of talent, but after working 4 days as a production assistant on the Salt Lake auditions and seeing the behind the scenes auditions it is interesting how so much true talent is passed on in a matter of seconds by 22 assistant producers who are not even really in the music business but rather the reality tv business!
 
Oh, one other note, at the Salt Lake auditions day, it was the same day they had that minor earthquake in Southern California, and being that all the A.I crew was from Southern California, they became preoccuppied with watching CNN or calling home on their phones at the same time as auditions were happening.
 
Well, thanks again for hearing me out and giving you the actual truth of how David Osmond even got past the first round noticed.  I do know that they do a backstory on him because of his name and because he had the west nile virus and MS. I don’t know if it runs during the first auditions or the Hollywood auditions (which, yes he didn’t make it past Hollywood, that’s confirmed) I actually can’t wait to see how they spin it all!

Also I forgot to mention that later that day in the Production room/lounge, the producer came up to me again and stated “thanks for catching that Osmond in line, it’s the perfect story angle we were looking for here in Salt Lake”So irregardless, they needed something interesting for the Salt Lake Auditions.

Trish The Dish is back to spout off, this time about David Osmond from the Salt Lake auditions. He has literally taken over our Web site by force (and strength in hits.) But the real news is that he may have been cut in Hollywood. Even if that happens, BJ argues he’ll be back during the WildCard round, because nobody in their right mind would ever deny an Osmond from reaching their destiny, especially somebody with an amazing backstory. Right?!?

Here then is the debate starting with commentary from Trish The Dish. Welcome to our new column, Maybe/Maybe Not.

T: So David Osmond says…”The story begins, right here on American Idol” after walking through the doors with his own golden ticket. However, I do find that sort of ironic seeing as so many people already recognize the family name. American Idol made a name for itself giving opportunity to everyday people to live the American dream.

BJ: What…you mean the Osmonds haven’t been living the American dream? LOL Of course they have…if you are talking about an Osmond living off of other people in the Osmond family. Hehe Anyway, the sole reason David Osmond is as popular as he is right now…is due to his family name! Duh.

T: I hardly consider David to be an everyday American when it comes to opportunity for fame. Surely being a member of the Osmond clan could get him through a few doors, right? I’d say his family has already begun writing the story, he need only start work on the sequel. While he can sing… does he belong on (the amateur singing competition) American Idol?

BJ: Being an Osmond has already got him through a few doors. How many “amateur” singers do you know who have already performed with their family band (The Osmonds Second Generation) in Branson? He has, and he’s performed at the Sundance Film Festival so I doubt that his career is suffering. Even though there are rumors he didn’t make the Top 36 of American Idol, I still think it’s possible you might see him in the WildCard round that Idol 8 is bringing back. What do you think about that, toots?

T: I think he’s already had his chance to play his “WildCard”. It’s too bad that some people who really NEED the opportunity to get their name out in order to live their dream…may take a back seat to an Osmond. I mean… come on! Really? An Osmond needs American Idol to get a contract? I call BS!

BJ: LMAO. Wow, you’re probably right. Hehe But I still think we’ll see him in Hollywood, even after he’s been cut from the supposed “Hollywood Week.” Did Donny make some calls? Maybe. Did Archie help too? Possibly. Hey, It’s the way in which the machine grinds the gears. And you know, people love the Osmonds anyway. And that’s the way it’s always been, since the 1960’s when David’s dad Alan (above photo with son) fronted the original Osmonds. You can’t argue with history.

Video issues? Watch them here

Well, that’s it for the auditions. Next week we’re on to Hollywood for the event they like to call “Hell Week.” That’s when the real show begins.

Also, look for extended Idol coverage tomorrow as Trish The Dish and I break down this past week in our twice-weekly column.

You’ve heard David Osmond, who led off the show with a bang. 13 singers in all were sent to Hollywood out of thousands. Here’s the highlights and lowlights from my hometown. Make ‘em proud.

Tara Mathews is a bill collector, age 21 from my hometown of Salt Lake City. She sang “Some Day I’ll Fly Away” from the Moulin Rouge soundtrack. It was, in a few words, “Oh…My…Goth.” And the judges didn’t care for it either. One funny note: she did put up a middle-finger salute. VIDEO   Rich Kagel (middle photo) was funny. So were Aleesha Turner and Katie Sullivan, in terms of their singing. So did they go to Hollywood and become stars? Not hardly. VIDEO

I’ll bet you saw Chris Kirkham! The 26-year-old telemarketer from Ogden, UT could sing. Kind of. But the notable thing about him was his friend, “Greg The Rabbit,” (top photo with Kirkham) adorned in a fuzzy pink bunny suit. LOL Among the funniest things I’ve ever seen on Idol. Check out the pic above. Uh, he didn’t make it to Hollywood. Dang. VIDEO

Frankie Jordan is a 24-year-old ringer from Hollywood. She’s also a stay-at-home mom. The Amy Winehouse lookalike sang “You Know I’m No Good” by Amy Winehouse. Heh. Wow. She’s going home. I doubt she’s all that excited.

Meghan Corkrey has some tats. She’s also a mother to a boy named “Rider.“ And she’s divorced. And she cries a lot. But she can smile, ‘cause she’s (drum roll) going to Hollywood. VIDEO

Andrew Gibson is from Kearns, UT. Not far from where I live, he dropped a lyrical BOMB on the judges. That was a soul brother. VIDEO

Who in the hell would sing a Raffi song? Well, Austin Sisneros did. And he still went to Hollywood. VIDEO

You heard about 15 seconds of Jarrett Burns, but it’s all you needed, right? The 24-year-old student from Orem, UT sang “Put Your Records On” by Corinne Bailey Rae and you’ll be seeing him in Hollywood. VIDEO

Taylor Vaifanua (bottom photo) sang a spiritual called “Joyful Joyful.” She’s in. The judges liked her, calling her tone the “best” they had heard. Yeses all around. VIDEO

Rose Flack from Rathdrum, ID lost both of her parents and lives with another family. How sad. But there is some happiness since she’s gonna be in Hollywood next week. “I Feel The Earth Move” by Carol King impressed the judges. A nice way to end the show. VIDEO

Once again…same drill as last night while we get this all perfected before Hollywood Week starts next Tuesday…Go HERE if you can’t see the video. She does an awesome job with her blog so help her out too.

See you tomorrow when we’re in New York and San Juan, Puerto Rico!

 David Osmond led the pack of singers auditioning in Salt Lake City. Not just in order, but in spirit. It has been well known that Osmond auditioned in Salt Lake; the only thing some people needed was video proof. Well, they got that tonight as Osmond sang a rather unique song, “Something Within Me” by Take Six and received lukewarm responses from the judges. They did send him to Hollywood, though, warning him to sing songs that are less contemporary. With that famous name,  Osmond will have a target on his back every week. Hope he’s ready. You know what? If he can deal with MS he can deal with what’s about to come at Hell Week starting next Tuesday.

Here’s a video of Osmond from the Sundance Film Festival last week. He’s singing “Needle And Thread.”

More Osmond mania from Salt Lake City when we get it!

Also, complete Salt Lake City wrap-up tomorrow.

First off, the bad news. 16 total people sent to Hollywood from this audition? What’s going on this year with Idol 8? Now the good. Anne Marie Boskovich (above photo) was head and shoulders above the rest. So was TK Hash (below photo). The worst singer of the night had to be Naomi Sykes. She was so bad she could be up there with the best of the worst. Wait until you hear her last note! Yikes!! Here’s the rundown:

Joshua Ulloa compares himself to Justin Guarini, who is currently appearing on Gone Country 3. Um, Ulloa is not exactly Guarini — and he sure as hell isn‘t Marvin Gaye! The tile layer, age 22 from Beverly Hills, FL sang “Let’s Get it On” by Marvin Gaye. Check it out! Simon actually gave this guy yeses! WTF? VIDEO

Sharon Wilbur sounds like Britney Spears, which is a tad nauseating, but the theme this year seems to be beauty queens — and lots of ‘em at that! The judges liked her stuff; I personally found it a bit much, but my vote doesn‘t count…yet. The 25-year-old from Jacksonville, FL is a non-profit administrator when she isn’t belting out the hits. She sang “Superstar” by Leon Russell. VIDEO Dana Moreno tried to channel Chaka Khan and came up in a losing battle. She even asked the judges for direction, which I found professional, but Simon said the only direction he wanted her to take was “right, then right.“ LOL Or, in layman’s terms, out the first door she came. Anyway, the 24-year-old student from West Palm Beach, FL found out the hard way, getting straight no’s. VIDEO Kaneswesa Finnie wins the award for “Top Prospect.” That is, until you hear the first notes of her song, which would be good…if you were deaf. Out of tune the whole song is not the way to win the hearts of the judges. Poor mom; she doesn‘t get it either. Oh, well, the 16-year-old from Jacksonville had fun and she definitely wins an award for the plaid dress. “Caught up in the Rapture of Love” by Anita Baker was a no, though. VIDEO

Julissa Veloz is a 19-year-old Latina beauty queen who prowls her MySpace as well as she purrs like a kitten. Meow! And to top it all off, she can sing herself some Whitney Houston. Wow. A dynamic package. She could go far, but she still might be young. Simon said the song didn‘t sound “nice.” She may be somewhat immature, but the judges put her through to Hollywood begrudgingly. VIDEO

Darin Darnell is gonna be a great public relations director someday, but the tennis instructor at the advanced age of 28 from Houston, TX can’t sing to save his life. The fact he managed to sing “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye” by Boyz II Men after watching his “friend,” who didn’t make the cut either, was a tearjerker. And for Darnell, “yesterday” felt like an eternity. Simon cut him off midstream and the judges did him a huge favor, in their own words, by telling him no. VIDEO

Naomi Sykes. Few words can describe Sykes, who is as ditzy as advertised. Oh my God, she compared herself to Mariah Carey. Oh no. Yeah, it was that bad; she may actually be the worst female singer ever. At least she was halfway good looking. And at the age of 25, the food server (um, waitress) showed off her talents by belting out “Loving You” by Minnie Riperton. And that end note? Sweet mother of pearl… VIDEO

Jasmine Murray is a ringer. She walked up to the stage in front of the judges and belted it out. It sounded good, and that‘s how you go to Hollywood, folks. Even at the age of 16. Of course, singing “Big Girls Don’t Cry” by Fergie isn’t like singing Whitney. We should probably remember that. VIDEO

George Ramirez is the QUIETEST SINGER EVER. The Abe Lincoln lookalike was one ball of energy. Heh. The fact he majors in physics kind of explains his demeanor. Simon asked him how things would go 11 years from now. He replied, “a simple house and a floor made of marble.” So how would he choose “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves? That’s a peppy song. But not when he sang it. Weird. VIDEO

Anne Marie Boskovich is the true definition of ringer, from her head to her cowboy boots. The 23-year-old from Nashville surprised NOBODY by walking in And getting a golden ticket, even with the wardrobe change the judges imposed on her. She sang “Bubbly” by Colbie Caillat. And there are already rumors she’s in the Top 36. VIDEO

T.K. Hash made it this far last season, but he showed he may be one of the top male singers in an awfully crowded field this year. The 23-year-old from Concord, NC sang “Imagine” by John Lennon like it hadn’t been sung before. Yes, I’m including David Archuleta in that discussion. And so you’ll see him in Hollywood. VIDEO

Michael Perrelli needs to be slapped. Who would disrespect their mother on national TV like that? Get a job, bro. VIDEO

See you tomorrow in Salt Lake City. Video feeds don’t work? Go here.

Scott McIntyre Possibly In The Top 50 - American Idol 8

We have a new column that we’re unveiling today on American Idle, featuring myself and my guest columnist Trish The Dish. We’ve been covering Idol for many years now and so we thought it would be kinda fun to vent!

First up: the news that Scott McIntyre reportedly made the Top 50! According to several blogs McIntyre, the gentleman from Phoenix Arizona who is 98 percent blind (he can basically see through an opening the size of a straw) is into the Top 50 on American Idol 8!

As per the rules of the house BJ, the editor will go first followed by Trish The Dish.

BJ: I think , that if true, this is great not only for Idol but also for the world. We haven’t seen a truly talented blind musician since Stevie Wonder, so this is gonna be something great. Whaddya think, Trish?

T: You have to wonder about his showmanship. I think he’s a talented artist and can definitely sing, but many contestants on Idol are criticized for their lack of showmanship. To be fair we need to consider that he may have this weakness because for all we know, he may find the edge of the stage accidentally.

BJ: He may find the edge of the stage accidentally? Did you actually SAY that? Wow. LOL OK, true Scott is only 22 years young, but he is a Fulbright Scholar and has toured with his family band for years. So none of this is new to him, despite the fact he can’t see very well. I’ll bet he can find his way around a stage, though. Just give him time.

T: I know he is intelligent, the guy may even be a genius for all we’ve seen so far! However, I did see his audition and he had an escort take him to his mark on the audition room stage. Does he plan to have his escort available to walk him to his mark on the Hollywood stage?

BJ: I don’t know, honestly. But what I do know is Ryan Seacrest won’t be high-fiving him anytime soon. LOL He basically looked like an ass on national TV. But I will be tuning in to see what all the hubbub is about this bub. But I’ve gotta say…what is up with that album photo? I hope they do something to spice up his image.

T: I personally don’t care if he does need help getting to his mark on the stage. I think the boy can sing, and his future will be bright! I do sincerely hope that the American Idol “image artists” don’t do anything too drastic to him. Just because the guy can’t see what you’ve done to him doesn’t mean that you have a free ticket to make him into a performing drag queen. Go easy on him guys!

Wow, what a crazy week! American Idol 8 showed it’s gonna be a force to be reckoned with, again, after some ear-splitting and melodious performances. But because our coverage is limited to only Idol 8 during the week, we missed out on some big news from Idols past.

First up, Jason Castro, in spite of still not telling us when his album will be released (or if he even has one in production) is still playing small gigs. That tells me he’s doing something, even though only he knows what that is. LOL Here he’s performing “Hallelujah” after the premiere of Amar A Morir at the Santa Barbara Film Festival.

Bucky Covington has been doing things in the country music world for quite some time now and his success has surprised some folks, me included. But you can’t fault the guy’s work ethic; he’s back in the studio and is ready to release a new single. He may just be the James Brown of country.

And what is with this picture of Clay Aiken? Uh-oh…we got a bad boy on our hands! LOL Of course the paparazzi picked up on this playful photo like cockroaches crawling on dirty dishes, but whatever. Hey, he’s just happy because his run on Spamalot is over, OK?

And don’t look now, but Sanjaya is back in the news, just in time for whatever it is he’s doing. Like putting out a book, for example. And talking about possibly taking some photos in the nude. But other than that, I would like to know who gave this kid $100,000.

And finally, in some real interesting news (seriously!) Ace Young has reportedly been tapped to co-host American Idol Extra with (drum roll please, thanks) Jillian Barberie, that loud-mouthed Canadian/ex-FOX football/Good Day weathergirl.  Talk about an interesting couple. Hehe. Like Steve before her (if you know FOX Good Day you’ll get the joke) Ace will probably want to kill himself before the third episode.

It was a memorable week on American Idol 8 and one I’ll soon not forget. LOL Anyway, there were many singers (31 total) who made it to Hollywood. But the most noteworthy news of the week was Ross Plavsic and Akilah Askew-Gholston, who taught us all how not to sing. They even brought pages of notes to back their claims that they could learn how to sing professionally. If only they could have heard themselves then they would truly know how awful they were! As for Ross, he was at the Louisville auditions and though he is a smart guy, a physics major, he said he too had a theory on how the human body sings well. The only trouble was, he didn’t live up to his own billing. But sipping on Paula’s drink was too much for me (picture proof above) and she naturally asked for another straw when he was done quenching his thirst. Heh. As for Akilah The Hun, she was at the San Francisco auditions and her big thing was, using big words she had no business using! Also, when she showed Ryan Seacrest her notes it looked like she ripped them out of a book! LOL And I hadn’t heard words like that since Damon Wayans’ character on the hit 1990’s TV show In Living Color, in which he played an inmate who made up words. And then Akilah sung her own song. Talk about the kiss of death. Not only was the outfit hideous (judge for yourself in the picture above) but her singing made me wanna stick my head in an oven!

According to several blogs Adam Lambert and Danny Gokey are  supposedly in the Top 50. I’ll wait and see, but it wouldn’t surprise me. Lambert, who you saw at the San Francisco auditions Tuesday during American Idol 8 sang Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which was good, albeit a tad theatrical. Check out that audition here

Well, let’s rephrase that: it was a LOT theatrical. In fact, it ranked up there with some of Clay Aiken’s early stuff.That said, Lambert is no stranger to theater himself, having been on the cast of the L.A. musical “Wicked” as well as in the video above, in which he performed “I’m Crazy In Love.”Anyway, the judges loved him on Idol 8 and so he made it through to Hollywood. Obviously he’s been there before so he’ll not be awed by the whole setup.

It was a truly tear-jerking moment on a show where you often wonder how many “tear-jerking” moments actually are.But I think Gokey’s faith, as well as his considerable singing talent have helped pull him through what is obviously a dark time in his life. I believe his story will touch many and propel him to greater heights.The male talent this year is astronomical. I believe the women will have their hands full. What do you think of the male talent this year in this, the eighth season of American Idol?