One of the frustrating things about discussing American Idol with other people who watch is that this show makes us all equal relative to technical music criticism.
I struggle to not play the I’m-a-musician-and-you’re-not card.
But I’ll be honest. I don’t think any of the Idol women are worth a damn. There is not one great voice [...]

For the past couple of weeks, when asked who I thought brought it and who left it on American Idol, I’ve consistently said “the kid” as my pick to beat.
The kid is David Archuleta, and after Tuesday night’s rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine,” I suspect all those who shrugged when I issued those sentiments will [...]

When you’ve got it, you’ve got it.
That’s what Simon Cowell told David Archuleta on Tuesday, minutes before he said the same things to Jason Castro and Aussie expatriate Michael Johns.
So, that would be the American Idol Top 3 from boys’ night, right?
Think again. And this year, it’s not just me judging the talent. My sainted [...]

In a slight twist from past years, American Idol allowed Hollywood contestants to play instruments while singing.
I know. What a novel idea.
However, as a pianist of 34 years, it’s easier said than done, and I’m actually pretty damned good at it. On Tuesday night, Idol musicians made some classic mistakes, and I thought it would [...]

It’s old news by this point, but the love of my life — Katharine McPhee — was dropped by J Records last week.
What’s peculiar about this decision is that her album didn’t do nearly as badly as Taylor’s, and I still say she had some upside commercially. Singles like “Love Story,” “Not Ur Girl” and [...]

The ol’ profile is on the rise.
It’s no secret that I’m a fan of American Idol on several fronts. First, it’s the third biggest-event created in modern television history behind the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards, and given that this reality show lasts for five months with huge numbers each week, it’s arguably the [...]

Good news from Simon Cowell, who says that Season 7 of American Idol, which debuts next Tuesday will be one of the best yet.
You didn’t expect him to say otherwise, did you?
However, in a conference call this week with reporters, he says that three or four of this year’s contestants would have gotten recording contracts [...]

We’re just nine days from the premiere of American Idol, Season 7, and already bad news coming out of the music industry as previous winners Taylor Hicks and Ruben Studdard have been dropped by J Records.
Not a stunner although Studdard was a fairly decent seller for them early in his label stint. On the other [...]

Dude, I totally wish FOX could work out a deal with ITV or whoever broadcasts X-Factor in Great Britain to show it stateside. Heck, they could air it a day after it runs overseas, and nobody would know the difference — and it would absolutely be a hit here.
Or perhaps I’m too much of an [...]

Well, it seems Idol’s creators are prepared to capitalize on their country success with a new reality show devoted to country.
They’ve partnered with CMT to create a new show called Can You Duet? It’s set to debut on April 14, and the goal of the show is to find the best unsigned country duo a [...]