So just how long does Simon Cowell plan to be a fixture on American Idol? The surly judge addressed his future with the show on a conference call today, telling reporters he
finds the audition process to be “absolute torture,” and hinting that he may
be hitting the road once his contract expires in two years.
“The public eventually are gonna get sick to death of me. Nine years is
probably enough to inflict on anyone. Can the show exist without me?
Absolutely. It would probably get better.”
Cowell also spoke about Taylor Hicks, Ruben Studdard, and Katharine McPhee no longer having record deals. “It’s a reflection on the unpredictability of the record business. Fortunately, we got it right more than we got it wrong…. There’s no scientific way to explain what happens. It’s a reality show and what happens at the end is also reality.” He used the same theory to explain lackluster sales by the most recent winner and runner-up, Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis. “Naturally, I’m disappointed that they didn’t sell more copies or that neither artist has caught on fire,” he said. “What you want [is] a Carrie [Underwood], Daughtry or Kelly Clarkson, where they’re competing with the Mariahs. It didn’t happen. Am I surprised? Not particularly…. The public decided it’s not necessarily what they wanted, so we have to try to do better this year.”
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How is three out of six a better than fifty percent average?
to daisyj, it’s not 3 out of 6. there were six winners, but non-winners, like katharine mcphee, also got deals. so it’s three out of however many got deals. including non-winners like clay, who still does have a record deal.
Fans of Hicks and McPhee are in agreement that they will be boycotting this year’s show due to the shabby treatment their idols received from their respective labels. Taylor’s career was badly mis-managed and McPhee was blatantly ignored during last year’s program. I predict another huge loss of viewers again this season. Way to go AI!
Ahem…have you ever thought that the reason those three were dropped was because they shouldn’t have had a record deal in the first place? Don’t lose sleep over this. Besides, this doesn’t hinder them from making music somewhere else…or how about this for a novel idea — making music on their own (you know, without all the fancy editing and overdubs).
Why is this a surprise? Hicks is a good bar singer and one you have to see in person to appreciate. As far as McFee & Studdard, I, personally, don’t like R&B or hip hop or whatever they call McFee’s cd. TPTB almost ruined Kelly Clarkson’s career with the drek they put on her first cd. There were a couple of good songs; her second & third cds are much better. And unfortunately, Jordin Sparks’ cd is just as unlistenable for me. All of the songs sound the same (actually they sound just like McFee’s songs). I was really looking forward to Jordin’s cd and I was VERY disappointed.
They are trying to fit a mold of what they THINK people will like.
The reason is that it is a popularity contest (who do you like best) rather than a talent contest and some voices do not translate that popularity into record sales. Elliot Yamin was virtually ignored by Clive Davis, despite coming in third, and has sold more records than Hicks and McPhee if you count his Target Holiday CD. Idol gets it wrong by putting people like Sanjaya in finals while ousting truly talented ones, and then by not supporting rare talent like Elliot
If Hicks and McPhee had a lot of fans to begin with, then they would have sold more albums and this wouldn’t have been an issue in the first place.
Hicks wanted to be his own man. He was an older artist and used to be independent, self-producing his style of music. He didn’t fit the mold. He will not suffer.
Reuben on the other hand may be another circuit singer along with the Peabo Bryson’s of the world. They go from circuit to circuit, show to show. It’s not a bad gig, it’s just not a “star” gig.
McPhee wanted to be in movies and she’s trying to capitalize on that. She never hit me with her personality. But she’s got good management and while she’s not top ’star’ material she will continue to work.
Like someone wrote, this is a reality show. They give you a record contract and a little push but the artist has to get good rep and sell themselves. They are the product, not the record company.
If Taylor had radio play, he would have sold more albums. When people requested his music on the radio, they were told “we’re not ALLOWED to play his music.”
In all this discussion it’s interesting that no one mentions Jennifer Hudson, probably the MOST SUCCESSFUL and the “quietest” IDOL. I mean she’s been in 4 movies, and is constantly touring in private events. She should have a kickA** CD coming out — when it comes out. But right now she can do no wrong.
Cowell has said many times that he would makes sure the public picked the correct winner. Well, maybe Simon should stay out of it and let the public select the winner. Maybe then they would have viable careers.
The inherent problem with the whole Idol concept is that it does things backwards. The record label is forced to sign an artist that they may not really want (definitely seemed to be the case with Taylor). And then the label is supposed to promote a product they don’t really believe in. Not a great recipe for success.
I rarely watched the show because my husband hates Simon Cowell so much. I tolerated him until he started dissing the winners…who were America’s choices.
I think the only way AI will regain popularity is to oust the idiot.
IF TAYLOR HAD MORE AIRPLAY ON THE RADIO HE WOULD HAVE MORE FANS TO APPRECIPATE HIS MUSIC. WHEN HIS ALBUM CAME OUTA LOT OF PEOPLE DIDNOT KNOW IT WAS OUT AND WHEN HIS FANS REQUESTED HIS ALBUM TO THE RADIO STATION THEY WOULDNOT PLAY IT . I THINK TAYLOR WANTED TO DO HIS OWN WAY ON HIS ALBUM . I THINK THAT HE DONT CARE ABOUT HAVE MUCH HE SALES HE JUST WANT PEOPLE TO ENJOY HIS MUSIC. SO WHAT I SAY ABOUT SIMON IS THAT HE SHOULD GAVE MORE RESPECT TO TAYLOR AND ALSO THIS YEAR AMERICAN IDOL WILL LOSE A LOT OF VIEWERS AGAIN BECAUSE THEY SHOULD BE ASHAME OF THEIRSELVES AND TAYLOR WILL BE FINE IN THE LONG RUN. HIS FAN BASE IS BEHIND HIM A 10000%AND WE ARE HERE FOREVER WITH TAYLOR SOULPATROL
Simon,
Duh, rockers have the best chance to sell a lot of songs; country is also very popular. So why not just allow those genres since you don’t seem to understand other genres. You wouldn’t know a musician if she/he bit you.
Well, I love Elliott, but Elliott has not sold more CDs than Taylor — Taylor has sold 825,000 worldwide — and just a few CDs shy of 700,000 statewide.
Taylor Hicks has done a phenominal job of selling what he has without a single for a long time and without radio play for the most part. The DJs were requested to NOT play Taylor. I would say he did remarkably well under the circumstances.
His two independent CDs sold like wildfire after his AI exposure. Thankfully, he doesn’t line the pockets of AI with those funds.
Taylor is a gifted talent who has so much music within him and his fans can’t wait to hear the music he writes for his next CD. He has such good things in store for us which he never would be able to do if he stayed with Clive Davis. Taylor is not a pop machine — he has heart and soul.
I thank AI for bringing us Taylor Hicks, but that’s about all I thank them for. Season VI was a dismal failure. Season VII — who cares!
Also, as for Elliott’s sales — if his Christmas CD is counted, then Taylor’s two independent CDs should be counted also — and their were TONS of those sold. But, as I said above, I do love Elliott and I wish the very best for him and Taylor Hicks, and Kathryn McPhee for that matter. She is a beautiful, talented girl. She was not promoted properly either by AI. Good luck to her in the future.
Simon is an ASS! “Nuff said.
i’m laughing that the fans of hicks & mcphee are boycotting the show, so that’s like 1 million people of the 25 million people who watch the show. now if carrie & daughtry fans boycott, that’s almost 10 million fans.
Blake seems to be getting the same kind of treatment from the radio stations. Callers are told they don’t have the CD. His album is really good but the single Break Anotha is getting hardly any air play. That could be a clue as to why sales are not what they SHOULD be! Come on!! Play the music!
Radio blows. If an artist doesn’t fit into a station’s narrowly defined genre, he/she/they won’t get played. It’s a problem American Idol has never been able to overcome despite the show’s populist sentiment.
So back to the main topic of the article – I was sick to death of Simon in Season 3, and that’s when I started watching! I’ve had enough of the angry Brit judges on all these shows; enough already.
The winner of American Idol is like the winner of the Heisman Trophy – sometimes they make it big on the next level, sometimes they don’t. You never know. And sometimes the people that make it the biggest are the ones that don’t win it.
As to Simon’s comments that the show would be better without him, it depends on who they get to replace him. Did The Daily Show go down the toilet when Jon Stewart replaced Craig Kilborn?
What DJs were requested to NOT play Taylor, and why? By who? The guys who make the crop circles?
Frist let me address Simon: NO CLASS Simon, NO CLASS. The fact that he doesn’t get Taylor just proves Simon is very knowledgable in making money and exploiting,knows nothing about real music. He gets rock and that is his limitation. Narrow musical tastes like his mind.
When the music of some artists are refused play on the radio does it not make you think, someone’s hand was not greased.
Frist let me address Simon: NO CLASS Simon, NO CLASS. The fact that he doesn’t get Taylor just proves Simon is very knowledgable in making money and exploiting,knows nothing about real music. He gets rock and that is his limitation. Narrow musical tastes like his mind.
When the music of some artists are refused play on the radio does it not make you think, someone’s hand was not greased.
I llike Simon. I usually enjoy his comments when he’s actually listened to performances instead of phoning it in as he seems to do once they move to the big hall. The line producers need to do a better job of selecting singers not sideshows in the pre-auditons. The shows need to move more quickly without the “right after the break…” nonsense that encourages cheerleader/pagent behavior from the contestants. Right now, the part of Idol I’m most looking forward to is EW’s Idolatry. Park it and snark it!! I’m counting the days.
They lost their record deals. For one reason and one reason only, they aren’t not any good. If they were they would have sold the albums the way that Carrie, Chris and Kelly have. Taylor, Ruben and Katharine are not even close to be on same talent level as Carrie, Chris or Kelly.
I am glad to read comments where people have been civil and made comments that are worthy of thought. The best thing AI has done is give people a chance……the worst thing they have done is make fun of the people who win, or allow a grown man (Clive Davis) to come on the show and ridicule the very people on his label, like he did last year to Taylor, Katharine and Kelly. Taylor Hicks has been a great representative of AI everywhere he went, while Simon behaved like a buffoon and told someone to put gum on his face. AI has become a farce.
This argument is kind of silly. Many high profile recording artists are losing their record deals because of the rapid decline in CD sales. Idol is a TV show primarily. Taylor Hicks won because he was fun to watch on TV. In my opinion, the record label behind the show was incredibly lucky to get a Kelly Clarkson and a Carrie Underwood. Also, runner-ups, such as Daughtry, have proven that there is mass-market appeal for some of these talents, as long as they have some freedom to do what they do best.