American Idle

David Archuleta joined Brooke White and Michael Johns during their concert in Salt Lake City last night at the Murray Theater.

Obviously there weren’t many fans there but they were indeed boisterous.

White’s singing came off as shouty, and I don’t know if that was the acoustics in the place or just the poor video quality.

By all accounts, White and Johns have played to nice, intimate settings and crowds during their tour, which is par for the course for most American Idols.

It would be nicer if the Idols played to bigger audiences, but for most Idols this is as good as it gets, I’m afraid. Unless your name is David Archuleta, in which case you are a teen heartthrob and the place goes bananas, like it did below.

Michael Johns has been seeing his name in the press lately with his opinions on the Paula Abdul ordeal.

Now it seems Johns has some musical plans of his own, as he’ll embark on a U.S. and Canadian tour with David Foster, father to the surrogate mother of Clay Aiken’s son.

Oh, what twisted tales some weave. Anyway, Johns will also be on tour with Philip Bailey from Earth, Wind and Fire and Peter Cetera.

Doesn’t sound like a rock concert, but it does sound like some good music will be played on this tour. Here are the details:

Famed musical showman, producer and songwriter David Foster and some of his talented friends will be embarking on a l0-city tour of “David Foster and Friends” starting in Chicago on October 21^st, including stops in New York, Boston, LA, Vancouver, Miami and other markets, it was confirmed today by Warner Bros. Records. In addition to such artists as Philip Bailey from the chart-topping Earth, Wind and Fire, Oprah protégé Charice, Chicago’s Peter Cetera and American Idol’s Michael Johns, fans can expect surprise visits at every show.

And here are the tour dates as well:

Ticket prices are $125, $85 and $55 and can be purchased by logging on to http://www.ticketmaster.com/ or by calling 1-800-745-3000 (except for Vancouver, Canada, 604-280-4444, or http://www.ticketmaster.ca/).

Or, get your Johns tickets here:

Michael Johns caused some controversy during his time on American Idol 7 –mainly because he was already a professional singer–and now he’s decided to speak up on behalf of Paula Abdul.

Probably the greatest singer Idol has ever had on its stage, Johns is a funny guy with a good sense of himself but he wasn’t all that cordial when it came to the way FOX, 19 and Idol treated his good friend Abdul.

And, since he’s not with FOX or 19 Entertainment any longer, he also decided to take a few potshots at his old employer, leading one to believe the age-old adage: Don’t shit where you eat.

Anyway, Johns has done that with this revelation, and then some. Don’t think 19 will invite this guy out for tea anytime soon, not after what he said here.

From E! Online:

“She’s not asking for what [Ryan] Seacrest is getting paid,” Johns told us last night at In Style editor Ariel Foxman’s Summer Soiree party at the London hotel in West Hollywood. “She’s asking for $20 million over three years, so I think she totally deserves that money. She’s a huge reason people tune in to the show…I think Fox should pull their finger out and pay her what she deserves.”

In all, Johns is merely speaking up for his friend, and he didn’t like the way FOX, 19 or Idol treated Paula. in a way I can see his point, but considering that the music industry is about as fickle as they come, I think it’s a dumb move for Johns to open up on what is obviously a touchy subject.

But that’s not all he said. Paula apparently consulted him while the negotiations went on, leading me to believe that maybe–just maybe–these two are closer than just friends.

Also from E!:

“We talk all the time,” the Aussie singer said. “She was a bit upset. She just doesn’t understand why Fox made the decision they made—especially when a lot of people got upgrades in money. But she said, ‘Look I’m not going to budge on this. I really think that’s my worth.’ ”

Johns is currently appearing with Brooke White on their tour, so buy tickets now, to what will be one of the best shows from any Idol contestant this year!

Click the Buy Now tab below.

Michael Johns performed Otis Redding’s “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” recently at an appearance in New York.

Aside from the comments of “Oh, My!” and other ridiculous banter, the music was actually pretty good. Listen to it above.

Wow, what a results show it was for the contestants, three of whom were on the edges of their seats until it was down to one…Matt Giraud.

Then after Giraud belted out “To Really Love A Woman” with more conviction than the night before, he was saved by the judges, the first time in Idol history that happened.

So there really isn’t much to talk about in terms of post-wrap coverage, other than the fact that Jennifer Hudson performed “If This Is Love” last night and that Miley Cyrus performed “The Climb.”

But the most interesting performance of the night came courtesy of Michael Johns from season 7, during the post-wrap show “American Idol Extra.”

And you can see it above. So, get ready for next week, a disco-themed show in which two contestants will go home. The pressure to do well will be much more intense than the movie week.

Yesterday we talked about the unsung heroes of American Idol 7 and 2008, so today we’ll talk about the stars that made the show the phenomenon it was in 2008. Some weathered the storm of controversy while others just stayed firm to what they did, making music and rode the momentum all the way to the top. The thing that tied them all together was that all of them had success commercially in different regards before coming to American Idol. And they all finished in the top 10. But the main criteria we used in determining our top 5 was the success they had on Idol 7 and the success that followed with their debut album, primiarly.

5. Kristy Lee Cook - Enduring more than her fair share of controversy since she had already had a record deal with Arista in her youth which failed, Cook was more or less another of those failed pop stars who came to Idol in an attempt to resurrect their career. The thing about Cook that immediately got her fan base was her good looks, her blonde hair, slim build and powerful voice. And a few Web sites took her to task for some racy photos, but in the end Cook was a success story on Idol 7, having been one of the first performers that season to come out with a new album, which, ironically, came out on Arista, the company with whom she first began her career.

4. Michael Johns - Again no stranger to the spotlight, the Australian played in several bands, including the L.A. band Film before making his way to the Idol stage. Johns’ bluesy tones along with his business savvy made him a star not only here but in his native Australia. His top 10 finish on Idol 7 was what many expected from the Aussie; some mention he may have been the best male singer to have ever played on Idol.

3. Carly Smithson - Clearly the most talented female singer Idol has ever seen, Smithson (nee Hennessy) is a native of Ireland who came over to the states years ago to become a star. But like many who try to make it in the tough music industry, Smithson found it tough going initially. Her record was so unimpressive that it sold on eBay prior to her Idol appearance for 12 cents. Many cried she was too good for a show like Idol and was a “ringer.” Smithson proved most of her critics wrong by showing her true compassionate side and her amazing voice. She also finished in the top 10.

2. David Archuleta - The native Utahn and devout Mormon has seen success before, appearing on Star Search as a teenager and performing often in his native Utah, even with the famed Mormon Tabernacle Choir. But it was the manner in which Archuleta so quickly came to fame on Idol 7, with a devout fan base of mainly teenagers screaming his name every chance they got. Never had American Idol seen so many fans absolutely craving every song and every note somebody sang! (Except Sanjaya, perhaps) David finished runner-up to David Cook and cemented his place in Idol folklore with a gold debut album.

1. David Cook - The former Midwest Kings front man went to American Idol 7 auditions in Omaha with his brother and auditioned at the last minute as a lark (his brother Adam was the one auditioning). We all know what happened next, as Cook was the surprise of the show, taking what obviously looked like it would be a battle between Johns, Archuleta and Smithson and making it his own. With unique musical arrangements Cook wowed the audience week after week and quickly gained a fan base that was as broad as it was vocal. His victory proved that anyone can win the competition and made American Idol a household name heading into season 8. With a successful debut album and tour under his belt, Cook will be heard from for years to come.

Honorable Mention: Jason Castro, Danny Noriega, Chikezie, Josiah Leming, Luke Menard, Brooke White, David Hernandez.