AI 2/22 Interview: Four Down, Too Many to Go!

Yardgnome · 02-25-2008, 10:23 PM

This past Friday, I had the opportunity to participate in a media call with the four eliminated contestants. They all had lots to dish and here are the transcripts from their interviews. Enjoy!

Garrett Haley

You hadn’t received, obviously a lot of camera time before this week, so this was an important song choice for you and I just wanted to know why this was the song you choose, basically.

Garrett: Right, I didn’t really get to chose it. Okay, well we’re allowed to choose three songs from a list. And every contestant is for sure to get one of the songs, and I didn’t get to get any of my songs, because they gave the songs out to all of the contestants before that. So I just ended up with having to choose from the list again, and I didn’t really get to chose, they just threw the song at me and said, “Here, sing this one,” and I was like, “Okay.”

Was this part of the process that you had heard about before hand or was it a total surprise to you?

Garrett: It was a total surprise to me, but I took what I got and then I did what I could do with it. It’s kind of really hard to make a valid song just pop out at the beginning or anything. It was a test, but I did the best that I could and I’m happy with what I did.

Can you tell us what your song choices were that went to other people?

Garrett: I don’t think I’m allowed to say that. I’m pretty sure I’m not allowed to say that. Sorry.

Just quickly on that one for a second, had you ever heard of “Breaking up is Hard to Do,” before that?

Garrett: Never, not once.

Could expand a little bit on that story you told on the air, you said that you were on a family vacation in San Diego and you saw the auditions. Had it been a thought in your mind earlier, had you always thought, “Oh I want to audition some time,” or kind of tell us how that happened.

Garrett: We were here visiting family and I saw that they had auditions and I’ve been watching American Idol since season one, so I’ve wanted to audition since then, I was like nine or ten. Once I saw it there, I was like dude I should just do it now, so I tried out and I made it to the top 12 guys. So I’m pretty proud of myself for doing that.

Was your family on a long enough vacation that you were able to — because usually when you go to San Diego auditions, they approve you and you have to come back like two or three days later and do it again.

Garrett: Yes, we had to reschedule everything. We actually drove from Ohio to San Diego, so it wasn’t a problem with any airline tickets or anything like that. So we didn’t have to be back by a certain date.

Who gets first dibs in terms of picking songs, is it like a lottery system where you pick it out of a hat on who gets to pick songs first?

Garrett: You know what, I wasn’t too sure about that. I think it was random.

Tell us a little bit about the hair, because obviously this Leif Garrett comparison keeps coming up and that guy was popular long before you were born. When did you first hear this guy Leif Garrett even mentioned?

Garrett: Actually when I auditioned the first time. I’ve never heard of the guy before that, nobody has ever compared me to Peter Frampton or Leif Garrett before this, so that was new. I went back to the house that I was staying at, and I Googled them, because I had no idea of who they were and I was hoping that they were like decent looking guys and talented. So I was pretty happy when they popped up. I don’t just my hair, I use Garnier Fructis and I’ve been using that for a long time.

Oh is that coincidental, because isn’t that one of the sponsors?

Garrett: Yes, I think so. I had no idea about that until like a couple of interviews ago, so that was pretty sweet to hear about that. I don’t know what inspired me; I’m different, so not many kids have the same haircut where I’m from.

I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about Simon’s comment. Do you think he want over the line when he was talking about your appearance?

Garrett: Well when he first said that, I actually found some humor in it, because I know that I have fair skin. And I’m happy, I’m really happy with the way I look. And I wouldn’t change the way I look, just because Simon says I’m white or too while. So it didn’t really bother me though.

Do you think it affected how people voted for you?

Garrett: It possibly could have. I mean I don’t know what’s going on inside the voter’s heads. They told me afterwards — they told us that if they can’t find anything, they’ll try to get your appearance if they can’t find anything bad about your voice. So I think that was something big too. So I don’t know.

I just wanted to know who some of your musical inspirations are right now.

Garrett: Actually three of the contestants form season five, Elliot Yamin, Ace Young and Chris Daughtry. All three of those guys have inspired me in a big way to do this. Then I’m more of an alternative pop, like you guys didn’t really get to see my style, but I tend to switch it up on that song that I did, so you guys didn’t really get to hear my real voice. But more like alternative pop artists, like Boys Like Girls, Hit the Lights, people like that.

Are you going to keep singing after this? What’s next for you?

Garrett: Definitely, definitely. I mean I’ve never had a voice lesson in my life and all this experience that I got from this competition I can use for future references and it probably will look pretty cool on a resume too.

Well now that you’ve been able to meet all the other contestants, who do you think has what it takes to actually take home the prize this year?

Garrett: I don’t know. Actually every single person in this competition, they bring something different and unique to the table. You actually have no idea of what America is looking for, because it’s up to America now. So I don’t know, everybody is very talented, so that’s a hard question.

So that being said, how much of a surprise was it when you found out that you wouldn’t be continuing on?

Garrett: It was a surprise. I didn’t think I was going to get voted off that early, I had pretty high hopes and I was very excited about next week, because it was a song that I could really do, really well. I don’t know I was pretty shocked at first, when he said you’re going home, I thought he was kidding, but then he didn’t smile or anything and the music came on and I was like, “Oh man, he’s for real.” So I was sitting there like, “Oh my god, I hope I remember the words to this song that I have to sing.”

I wanted to know what an album by you would sound like when you get around to doing that.

Garrett: I don’t know; it would be like I said, like an alternative pop. Alternative pop is my style. But I have a tendency to lean towards R&B sounds too. So I don’t know; it might be a mixture, something new, something different.

And do you plan on doing something like that right away or are you going to finish school? What your plan next?

Garrett: I plan on finishing school first, but like you said, I’m going to keep in touch with everybody here, like the staff from American Idol, and if anything pops up where they want me to come do or if they’ll allow me to do little gigs or something, then I’m definitely going to jump on that, because you know all the experience I can get, I’m definitely going to do it. But right after school is when I’m going to hit it hard and I’m going to do everything that I can to become an artist.

I wanted to ask you, just kind of picking up on a previous question, you’re one of those contestants that didn’t get a lot of face time and there’s always a lot of talk about that, as we go into the final 24, how did you feel that sort of affected your chances and how much people got to see you?

Garrett: Well I bet that did affect my chance, because it didn’t really give America the chance to connect with me as a person. I don’t know, does that answer your question?

Do you feel, I guess it comes up every season that some people are at an advantage or a disadvantage and then they say, “Well Kelly Clarkson won and she didn’t have much face time.” How do you feel now that it has sort of happened to you?

Garrett: It doesn’t really bother me, I mean like at the time, it was like, hey you better not blink or you might miss me, if I even did show up on the screen. But I don’t know it’s like, I really wish they would have let you guys hear some of my Hollywood songs, because I beasted it up in Hollywood. So I think that would have affected them, because the top 12 guys, that’s the first time everybody heard me sing and it wasn’t the greatest song either. So I wasn’t too happy about that, but it’s okay.

I just want to go back to the comments that Simon had made. How did you feel when he made those comments and especially when the other judges came to your defense?

Garrett: I could tell that Paula and Randy were pretty upset about that, because that’s not something that you should be saying to a contestant or something. But you know Simon; I don’t know maybe he just couldn’t find anything bad about my voice or something. I really wasn’t affected by it; I found humor in it, kind of. I don’t know it didn’t really affect me much. I like to take constructive criticism from them. But when Simon said that I have white skin, there’s really nothing I could get out of that except for go tanning, but I wouldn’t do that. So I don’t know I really didn’t get much out of it. But I thought it was pretty funny.

Well I’m glad you found humor. Then how have your friends and family responded now?

Garrett: Well they were pretty upset about what Simon said, like a lot of people from my hometown were like, I don’t know, I guess that they got a lot of complaints about that. I don’t know my family is my biggest support and I know that they’re going to be there for me when I get home. I’m happy that I’m going home, because I’m going home to my beautiful girlfriend, my friends, my family and school. So I’m happy about that.

What was the best piece of advice or constructive criticism that you did get while you were there from any of the other contestants or the judges?

Garrett: When I started it off I was pretty shy, and one of the contestants, I don’t remember who exactly told me, but somebody told me to be myself. And once I started being myself, that’s when I started to shine. That really helped me, because then I started showing who I really was and I wasn’t really shying away from anything. I’m glad I did this competition, because I can truly say that I gave 100% throughout this whole competition and I’m happy, because I can walk away saying that.

Amy Davis

I was wondering if you were surprised that you were voted off last night?

Amy: I was actually not surprised. I really didn’t have a good performance. So I was not surprised, I was actually waiting for Ryan to call my name.

Do you feel like you made a poor song choice? Do you regret anything about your performance the other night?

Amy: No, I do not regret my song choice. It’s really a technical issue on just my part, of why it was a bad performance. There was nothing I could do about that, I did the best I could, and it was just a fact of me not being able to hear myself. It’s not an American Idol issue or a sound issue on their part, it’s the way my brain works, I’ve been using in ear monitors for the last two years, consistently. And so the way my brain works is very mechanical, it’s not very creative and go with the flow like a lot of musicians work. And my brain is just trained to use the in ear monitors that just blares my vocal in my ear, so I can stay on pitch.

Obviously, when I came to American Idol I knew I wasn’t going to be able to use my in ears, so I tried to retrain my ears to use the floor monitors and I know that’s very technical, but that’s the way I am, a very technical person, and I just could not retrain my ears quick enough to stay on key. So it was my “bad skills” that I couldn’t improve quickly enough.

What was the toughest part of American Idol for you?

Amy: I think the toughest part of American Idol, for me, was the pressure of how huge American Idol is the expected performance that they want from each and every contestant. So a lot of pressure, it creates a lot of anxiety and nervousness. It was very hard for me to channel that into some sort of productive or less attractive manner.

How did you ever team up with the guys from Survivor?

Amy: Yes, Chris and Billy O, they actually live right near me, they’re ten minutes from where I live. Since they still tour a lot on the weekends, they’re working musicians, they wanted to keep week night gigs going, so they said let’s just do a little trio and find a female vocalist, and I’m in a loop of musicians back home, so they called me and it was wonderful, I was let’s do this.

I just wanted to know is what would you say the most surprising part about being a contestant was for you?

Amy: Honestly, the most surprising part for me was to see celebrities. I’m from Indiana, I’m just outside of Chicago, but I am on the Indiana side and you just don’t see a lot of celebrities in Indiana. And to come out here to Hollywood, I remember I saw Kelsey Grammar and Patricia Heaton and I was just completely star struck. I think Patricia even looked at me a couple of times, because the first time she actually had eye contact with me I was looking at her like, whoa there’s Patricia Heaton, I’m seeing her in person, normally I watch her on Everybody Loves Raymond. So that was surprising how star struck I was.

I was wanting to know; were you one of the women that were not feeling well?

Amy: No, actually I was not. I was vocally and I guess throat-wise I was perfectly healthy. I had a slight bit of some sort of pink eye, but it cleared up, I got some eye drops from the doctor and it cleared up. So no, I was not sick, at all.

In general do you feel like this kind of show takes a toll on you, I guess emotionally and physically it’s a lot of work that goes into it?

Amy: Absolutely. I can’t tell you how much it takes out of you, on every level, like you said, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. I mean every level you’re working so hard and getting so much for just a great amount of the time, with very little down time to recoup. So it does take a lot of you, but American Idol is so huge, it’s the biggest platform for a musician or a performer that you’ve got to give every ounce of energy you’ve got, to get something in return. So it’s a wonderful opportunity, but yes, it absolutely takes a toll on you.

What did you learn from your experience on Idol?

Amy: One of the things I learned was how a huge television show is put together, got to see all the behind the scenes of the people that do the work, the stage guys, the sounds guys, publicity, legal all of that, I got a really good introduction and crash course into what it takes to put on a huge TV show. And there are some many people involved and it’s magical seeing all of these people, such a huge team of people working together, as a team, to make it happen. And I just have so much respect for them. It was just a really cool thing. Sort of like when you were a kid watching Mr. Rogers and he’d go into a manufacturing plant to show you the behind the scenes of how something was made. That’s kind of how I felt watching all the people create American Idol.

What is the best piece of advice that you received and who was it from?

Amy: The best piece of advice I received was near the end from Paula, when she said, “You really need to know who you are as an artist.” And it didn’t just hit home for me, but I really want anybody out there who is wanting to try out for American Idol, to really take that to heart, because you can’t go out there and just be, “I don’t know who I am, but I’m trying to be something.” You really need to know who you are as an artist and stay true to yourself. So that really hit home for me.

I wanted to ask you — it was a short time that you were there, but was there anybody that bonded with and became friends with during your time at Idol?

Amy: Yes, as a matter of fact, and of course it’s going to be somebody from Indiana, because I am from Indiana. I really became good friends of Amanda Overmyer; we’re both from Indiana. She lived near Purdue University, which is where I went to undergrad college. And so we knew a lot of the same areas and the same venues that we both performed at, and we were able to connect on that level. She’s great, I wish her the best of luck, I wish all of the contestants the best of luck and I’ll be voting for all of them, but Amanda is a sweetheart.

We’re probably going to get a season eight of this, so what advice do you give people who are going to be in the top 24 next season, since you’ve been through the experience?

Amy: Advice for the next top 24 is to just, number one, stay true to who you are, of course; you’ve always got to do that. But number two, just pay attention to everything that is going on around you, try to take as much of it in, take notes. Just try to stay grounded so that you can take as much as you can from the show, when you ultimately leave, whether it’s as the second place contestant or as the next American Idol.

I wanted to know, what was the most embarrassing, if there was and what was the most inspiring moment you had at the show?

Amy: Well they both happened during Hollywood Week, actually. My most embarrassing moment was the first day of Hollywood Week, when I horribly messed up my audition. So it was very embarrassing to stand in front of not only the three judges, but all the other amazingly talented Hollywood Week contenders is very, very embarrassing. So that was not a good day for me.

But you got through it.

Amy: Yes, I did, as a matter of fact. The most magical feeling day for me was the following day when we all got a second chance and when they let me come through it was just wonderful for me. So that was a great day.

What helped you get through it and come through and show the true you, the real you?

Amy: I think what helped me get through that or through to the next audition was just having a drive, “You know what, you’re here, you have to give it everything you’ve got,” so I just had a certain amount of drive that kept me going on. And I’m glad I did, because I made it to the top 24, even though I had a rough beginning of Hollywood Week and it was a wonderful experience.

Joanne Borgella

You had a little bit of prior experience with Reality TV. Could you talk about how that made you, I guess more comfortable with the whole American Idol situation and with all the pressures of it, if it did?

Joanne: Well I was on a show, a beauty pageant, called Monique’s Fat Chance, which was amazing, and I had won that show, it was a two hour special, and that was great. But American Idol, in general, nothing can prepare you for this, I mean it’s so amazing, it’s such a whirlwind. I don’t think anything you’ve done in your live can prepare you for what you go through when you’re here. I mean its amazing people, the producers, the people you work with, the caliber of people, I mean it’s amazing.

One of the things you mentioned a couple of nights ago was that your voice didn’t necessarily sound the way people expected it to when they look at you. Could you talk more about that? I thought that was an interesting thing that you said.

Joanne: Yes, I was talking about that before I performed. Usually with a plus sized woman, you tend to think that they’re going to sing neo-soul, that genre of music, and for me I love that music, I mean it sounds great, but that’s not the kind of performer that I am, I don’t sing that kind of music. I listen to pop, R&B, … Whitney Houston, I love doing power ballads, but I also want to do the song that you would love to dance to in a club. And you don’t usually put that with a plus sized woman. You put that with someone with body image, very body conscious. So I’m not that, I’m opposite that.

Well do you think to some degree that might have weighed against you? Like do you think people’s expectations would have been a negative for you?

Joanne: No, not at all. I think I was just being true to myself. No matter what, in the end I’m always going to be true to myself and anyone that knows me, they know the kind of music I want to do. I don’t think because of the way I look you should expect me to sound a certain way. So I think that didn’t have any effect whatsoever on what people expected of me.

Can you compare the two experiences a little bit, I mean one you were a winner and this one you’re going home really soon. Just what the two experiences were like.

Joanne: Honestly, American Idol, the experience I shared here is totally complete different from any show, I think. I was on Monique’s Fat Chance, which was amazing; it was a beauty pageant, it had nothing to do with music. And this show, itself, it really does just thrust you into the music industry and it gives you this huge opportunity. And basically the experience was amazing; it’s beyond what anyone could possibly think of.

So you were one of the last ones picked and one of the first to go.

Joanne: Yes, crazy.

How did you feel about that?

Joanne: You know what, I feel amazing, Paula. To be part of the top 24 of 100,000 plus that have tried out and to be part of the crop that has been the best that they’ve ever had, I know my vocal abilities, I know my performance strings and I know that we’re all going to have to — I mean 23 of us are going to have to go home at the end of the day, every week. So I didn’t know it was going to be the first week, but it just happened to be the first week. And the experience itself, I seriously feel like a winner. I have no problems having had left last night. I’m sure if anyone saw me, I was actually happy. It was just amazing to even be part of this experience.

What is next for you, and if you’re going to continue to model, do you think this brief exposure on American Idol will help your career in that area?

Joanne: Definitely. . American Idol is so huge in itself, being a part of this season I know anything I want to do is going to be at my hands. Modeling, definitely, singing of course number one, I want to have an album and continue modeling and acting, as well, I went to school for that. You’re going to see me dabbling in everything, I’m a multitasker, so I’m definitely going to just continue doing what I’m doing. I think it has just opened like 80 billion more doors. So I’m excited.

What was the best piece of advice you received and who was it from?

Joanne: Best piece of advice. I think it was actually from all three of them, which was basically when you come out there, when you’re going to perform, go hard or go home, basically. And for me, personally, I didn’t give — I wanted to give my 100%, but visually all over me people were saying, “Oh my god, she looks mortified, terrified,” but I wasn’t, that’s not me, actually. You know give me a microphone it’s hard to take it away. So basically the best advice is to zone out when you’re going to perform and don’t let other things ever affect you, and just do your best, really.

How did you come up with your song choice?

Joanne: Well we get told what genre we’re going to be doing, and from there you just pick.

How has your life changed already?

Joanne: I think the fact that I’m a household name is huge. I’m talking to you, People Magazine, that’s great. My life has just been ridiculous. I mean I turn on the TV and I’ll see me in a commercial, and being out here, you’re in like a little bubble, because you’re very focused on the show and what you’re doing, and you don’t realize how chaotic it is outside of the show, being within it. So my life has truly changed for the better, I mean it’s been amazing. Just being a part of the show has just been outstanding and there’s just so much more to do.

Have you heard from record labels or any producers yet?

Joanne: Well you know it was yesterday. So phone has been ringing off the hook, but I’ve been busy with you guys.

Were you surprised you were sent home last night?

Joanne: I wasn’t surprised. You know there are 24 of us, I know every week at one point one of us is going to be going home and one is going to stay. So for me I always had a mindset, it may not be next week, maybe it might be the last day, I could be the winner. So when he called out my name, I had a moment, I prayed and when he said it, I got up there and I performed.

What was the toughest part of performing that last performance, the singing out to the commercial.

Joanne: That was probably the best point, I really enjoyed myself last night when I performed the last performance. It’s hard to say goodbye to my friends and some people say, “Oh my god I made lasting friends.” And you think, “Well how is that going to happen, you just met?” But when you’re put in a situation and it’s possible that your dreams can come true within a few months, it’s pressure, it’s anxiety, it’s happiness, it’s all these things, fatigue, you get these bonds that you would never think that you could make. I mean anyone could see last night how hard it was for all of us to leave, all my friends, everybody was crying …. I mean it was a beautiful moment.

Who now that you’re not on Idol anymore, who do you think is going to win Idol?

Joanne: I think everybody is winning.

You’ve talked about all these different things you’ve done, singing, modeling and acting, can you pull a favorite out of those? And then also, sort of related to that, have you ever tried out for any other shows like Top Model or anything like that?

Joanne: For me, singing by far is always going to be my favorite. I mean if the world could be a musical, I would be the lead singer in it. As far as modeling is concerned, I absolutely love doing it. I’ve never thought about doing America’s Next Top Model, because I was with Wilhelmina, which is one of the number one agencies. And I actually made the decision to leave there, in order to pursue American Idol, because you know you can’t have any contracts when you join with the show. So it was a big decision I made, but it wasn’t hard, because singing is my passion.

So for me I’m going to continue doing what I want to do, which is make and album and create great music and continue singing and continue modeling, I’m a multitasker so I’m going to be dabbling in everything.

Colton Berry

Who would you say, now that you’ve met everyone, would you say could be the ultimate winner?

Colton: You know what, this season has been amazing, and as everyone has seen, this top 24 is way better than anything that has ever come along and the talent is ridiculous. And I think everyone is kind of a level playing field, I seriously could not name one distinct winner.

Well would you say that this year, because there is more, younger talent than other years that there is a chance that someone as young as 16 could win it all?

Colton: You know I think the young ones are very talented, but I think the old ones are just as talented. I really can’t point out anyone that is more talented than anyone else. As people have seen, by watching the show, the voices are just unmatchable.

I think I have to ask you about Simon’s comment last night about getting a good job and all that kind of stuff. How did you feel when he said it and I guess now that you’ve had nearly 24 hours to reflect on it, what is your reaction to that?

Colton: You know what? Simon’s job is to be Simon Cowell. There is no one else in the world like Simon Cowell and that’s who he’s supposed to be, so I expected him to say something like that. But I also kept in mind and I think America kind of kept in mind, when he said that comment, he did pick the top 24 and our of hundreds of thousands of people, he picked us to be the top 24 singers in America, so obviously we’re all going to continue on with music careers, I mean that’s who we are, and obviously, he had a hand in putting us there. So I think he was being a little hypocritical in itself. But he’s Simon and everyone loves him and I love him, for who he is.

There is a lot of competition from the other contestants, as … earlier; did that put pressure on you, being as young as you are, a lot more pressure?

Colton: I don’t think there was any pressure on me, from anyone. I think the bonds that I formed in American Idol are unlike anything else. And you always hear in previous seasons that the idols are really close and people who watched the show on Thursday night, last night saw Ramiele and Katie and everyone and Danny, just balling their eyes out. We are all just really, really close.

I didn’t feel pressure; it didn’t feel like a competition. I just went out there and had a whole lot of fun.

You mentioned Ramiele, I’m sorry I just have to ask, what your opinion of her is. We in the Philippines are really, really … her.

Colton: Ramiele is one of my best friends out there. All of us are great friends, but she is definitely one of my best friends and one of my greatest supporters. And I know that whatever I do through my career, I know she’ll always be behind me and I’ll always be behind her.

I know you’re a big musical theater person and I was wondering, you know many former Idols have gone on to Broadway, are you hoping to follow that same route?

Colton You know I’ve had two dreams in life, I’m 18, I was born in 1990, I know, right, I’m a …. I was born in 1990, so my dreams since I was young, number one was to be on American Idol, because I grew up with the show, and number two was to be on Broadway. So I can check off my first one, and hopefully that first check will lead into the second one, and yes, that’s what I’m actually getting read to pursue. I’m going to set up as many auditions as I can and really go for that.

Do you think the fact that you were up against Kyle, he got a lot of screen time, could have affected how people voted for you. Maybe they thought he should have been in and so they didn’t vote for you. How do you feel about that?

Colton: I really don’t think — that might have been a factor, maybe, but there are 30 million plus who watch that show and vote and Kyle is a great guy and we got to know each other on that day and that may have had something to play into that, but I think really, people saw my performance and the voting system with Idol is kind of a weird system, you vote for your favorite and I didn’t get a lot of time, other than the show with Kyle, like Hollywood Week or anything and I didn’t have a lot of exposure. So I think people just voted for their favorites and they were really familiar with me and they hadn’t seen much of me before.

I don’t think that it was that people wanted me off the show, because if that were the case, then people would vote for — the votes would be flipped around, you would just vote for who you don’t like. I think it was just the fact that not many people knew what they were going to get out of me or whatever and I just ended up at the bottom.

So what’s your dream musical to start in, so I can make my plans.

Colton: You know what is … right now and one of my favorites I saw it on Broadway Wicked.

Oh, I loved Wicked.

Colton: Yes, I would love to play the male, Fiyero. Oh my god, that’s my dream role, so you best believe I’m going to … part.

You yourself noted a resemblance to Ellen DeGeneres, when did you notice that, did somebody bring it up to you or did you notice it for yourself?

Colton: You know people have been saying it for years. You know I’m one of her biggest fans; I’ve always been her fan. And one day I kind of looked in the mirror and I was like, “Maybe everyone is right, maybe I do really look like Ellen.” So I figured I might as well embrace it.

Has she asked you to be on her show yet? Have you heard anything yet?

Colton: I have not yet talked to her. I know that she called Ryan Seacrest and was laughing with Ryan about the comments that I said. Hopefully, if Ellen is reading this, Ellen, give me a call.

You had commented before on how close everyone was and how people were crying during your farewell song, could you tell me about any special bonds you had or any great little anecdotes you had with some of the contestants that brought you together or some little hijinks that you guys got into?

Colton: You know it’s really interesting, but like all of the top 24, all of us had different bonds with each other, as pairs. But definitely our personalities — it’s really difficult to see our personalities on TV, especially for such a short period of time, but Katie and Ramiele and Danny and Joanne and Asia and I were just kind of like this super power of comedians, and we always everyone just laughing and we would make each other laugh, all the time, we were with each other constantly, we couldn’t not be around each other.

In fact they were calling me this morning, as soon as they woke up and just all the way through the whole process we’ve been really, really, really tight like brothers and sisters, and we just loved to get together and laugh. We had so much fun together.

I read that you were directing a production of The Wiz from out there in LA for your hometown theater.

Colton: Yes, I am.

So are you going to hop right back into that when you get home, and when are you coming back?

Colton: I am coming back really, really soon, ASAP, because I do have to hop back on that show. It opens on March 7th and runs through the 16th, so it’s coming up soon. So I’m definitely going to hop right back on and join in with my cast.

Are you in it?

Colton: No, I’m not in it. I’m actually just directing it. I might have a cameo, perhaps, we’ll see.

Thank you to FOX for allowing us to participate in this media call.

Google · Sponsored Links

raindrops47 · 02-26-2008, 01:17 AM

thanks so much!

everyone seems so nice!
haha.

Tickety · 02-26-2008, 02:23 AM

Quote:

You hadn’t received, obviously a lot of camera time before this week, so this was an important song choice for you and I just wanted to know why this was the song you choose, basically.

Garrett: Right, I didn’t really get to chose it. Okay, well we’re allowed to choose three songs from a list. And every contestant is for sure to get one of the songs, and I didn’t get to get any of my songs, because they gave the songs out to all of the contestants before that. So I just ended up with having to choose from the list again, and I didn’t really get to chose, they just threw the song at me and said, “Here, sing this one,” and I was like, “Okay.”

That is SO unbelievably unfair! Three puny little songs?! Of course people are going to snap up the best ones! And TPTB basically making him do a song that he didn't even choose in the first place and hadn't even heard of...

that is wrong. AI is so screwed up.

I really wanted him to stay.

Thanks for the interview, Yardgnome!

raindrops47 · 02-26-2008, 02:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tickety

That is SO unbelievably unfair! Three puny little songs?! Of course people are going to snap up the best ones! And TPTB basically making him do a song that he didn't even choose in the first place and hadn't even heard of...

that is wrong. AI is so screwed up.

I really wanted him to stay.

Thanks for the interview, Yardgnome!

oh i know!
i hate the song 'breaking up is hard to do'... it's no wonder nobody chose it!

too bad for him
=(

Leo · 02-26-2008, 06:50 AM

Garrett really got screwed, didn't he? It just proves how idiotic of an idea the whole theme weeks idea was.

Thanks for the interview Yardgnome.

MotherSister · 02-26-2008, 09:19 AM

Joanne seems very kind; I guess that explains the rivers of tears and mascara at her elimination. And look, Amanda can make friends!

Thanks for bringing us the interview Yardgnome!

AJane · 02-26-2008, 11:56 AM

I know Garrett and Colton maybe weren't the greatest singers of the bunch, but I thought they were two really likeable young men, and I think even more of them now. Nice kids, and I hope they continue to pursue musical careers.

Thanks, Gnomie, that was a really interesting read.

harleychick · 02-26-2008, 02:41 PM

The one thing I took from Garrett's interview - people who are wanting to be on AI (and especially those who make the Top 24) need to listen to a wide range of music - pop, country, R&B, Oldies (go back 20-30 years from their birth year) to get a feel for different styles. I think this would help them be better prepared for 'odd' songs or theme weeks.

Idol should do let the top 24 perform for 2 weeks (or 2 different style songs) before being elimated. Especially since they don't expose most of them until after Hollywood week. They give too much airtime to people who aren't going to Hollywood.

lildago · 02-26-2008, 02:53 PM

Great interview, Gnomie!

graycat11 · 02-26-2008, 08:16 PM

The top 24 only had 50 songs to choose from. Not a good idea at all, after some people pick the songs they want, there are not many songs to choose from.

02-25-2008, 10:23 PM	#1
Yardgnome Being VIP Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Harnessing my evil for good. Age: 31 Posts: 5,176	AI 2/22 Interview: Four Down, Too Many to Go! This past Friday, I had the opportunity to participate in a media call with the four eliminated contestants. They all had lots to dish and here are the transcripts from their interviews. Enjoy! Garrett Haley You hadn’t received, obviously a lot of camera time before this week, so this was an important song choice for you and I just wanted to know why this was the song you choose, basically. Garrett: Right, I didn’t really get to chose it. Okay, well we’re allowed to choose three songs from a list. And every contestant is for sure to get one of the songs, and I didn’t get to get any of my songs, because they gave the songs out to all of the contestants before that. So I just ended up with having to choose from the list again, and I didn’t really get to chose, they just threw the song at me and said, “Here, sing this one,” and I was like, “Okay.” Was this part of the process that you had heard about before hand or was it a total surprise to you? Garrett: It was a total surprise to me, but I took what I got and then I did what I could do with it. It’s kind of really hard to make a valid song just pop out at the beginning or anything. It was a test, but I did the best that I could and I’m happy with what I did. Can you tell us what your song choices were that went to other people? Garrett: I don’t think I’m allowed to say that. I’m pretty sure I’m not allowed to say that. Sorry. Just quickly on that one for a second, had you ever heard of “Breaking up is Hard to Do,” before that? Garrett: Never, not once. Could expand a little bit on that story you told on the air, you said that you were on a family vacation in San Diego and you saw the auditions. Had it been a thought in your mind earlier, had you always thought, “Oh I want to audition some time,” or kind of tell us how that happened. Garrett: We were here visiting family and I saw that they had auditions and I’ve been watching American Idol since season one, so I’ve wanted to audition since then, I was like nine or ten. Once I saw it there, I was like dude I should just do it now, so I tried out and I made it to the top 12 guys. So I’m pretty proud of myself for doing that. Was your family on a long enough vacation that you were able to — because usually when you go to San Diego auditions, they approve you and you have to come back like two or three days later and do it again. Garrett: Yes, we had to reschedule everything. We actually drove from Ohio to San Diego, so it wasn’t a problem with any airline tickets or anything like that. So we didn’t have to be back by a certain date. Who gets first dibs in terms of picking songs, is it like a lottery system where you pick it out of a hat on who gets to pick songs first? Garrett: You know what, I wasn’t too sure about that. I think it was random. Tell us a little bit about the hair, because obviously this Leif Garrett comparison keeps coming up and that guy was popular long before you were born. When did you first hear this guy Leif Garrett even mentioned? Garrett: Actually when I auditioned the first time. I’ve never heard of the guy before that, nobody has ever compared me to Peter Frampton or Leif Garrett before this, so that was new. I went back to the house that I was staying at, and I Googled them, because I had no idea of who they were and I was hoping that they were like decent looking guys and talented. So I was pretty happy when they popped up. I don’t just my hair, I use Garnier Fructis and I’ve been using that for a long time. Oh is that coincidental, because isn’t that one of the sponsors? Garrett: Yes, I think so. I had no idea about that until like a couple of interviews ago, so that was pretty sweet to hear about that. I don’t know what inspired me; I’m different, so not many kids have the same haircut where I’m from. I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about Simon’s comment. Do you think he want over the line when he was talking about your appearance? Garrett: Well when he first said that, I actually found some humor in it, because I know that I have fair skin. And I’m happy, I’m really happy with the way I look. And I wouldn’t change the way I look, just because Simon says I’m white or too while. So it didn’t really bother me though. Do you think it affected how people voted for you? Garrett: It possibly could have. I mean I don’t know what’s going on inside the voter’s heads. They told me afterwards — they told us that if they can’t find anything, they’ll try to get your appearance if they can’t find anything bad about your voice. So I think that was something big too. So I don’t know. I just wanted to know who some of your musical inspirations are right now. Garrett: Actually three of the contestants form season five, Elliot Yamin, Ace Young and Chris Daughtry. All three of those guys have inspired me in a big way to do this. Then I’m more of an alternative pop, like you guys didn’t really get to see my style, but I tend to switch it up on that song that I did, so you guys didn’t really get to hear my real voice. But more like alternative pop artists, like Boys Like Girls, Hit the Lights, people like that. Are you going to keep singing after this? What’s next for you? Garrett: Definitely, definitely. I mean I’ve never had a voice lesson in my life and all this experience that I got from this competition I can use for future references and it probably will look pretty cool on a resume too. Well now that you’ve been able to meet all the other contestants, who do you think has what it takes to actually take home the prize this year? Garrett: I don’t know. Actually every single person in this competition, they bring something different and unique to the table. You actually have no idea of what America is looking for, because it’s up to America now. So I don’t know, everybody is very talented, so that’s a hard question. So that being said, how much of a surprise was it when you found out that you wouldn’t be continuing on? Garrett: It was a surprise. I didn’t think I was going to get voted off that early, I had pretty high hopes and I was very excited about next week, because it was a song that I could really do, really well. I don’t know I was pretty shocked at first, when he said you’re going home, I thought he was kidding, but then he didn’t smile or anything and the music came on and I was like, “Oh man, he’s for real.” So I was sitting there like, “Oh my god, I hope I remember the words to this song that I have to sing.” I wanted to know what an album by you would sound like when you get around to doing that. Garrett: I don’t know; it would be like I said, like an alternative pop. Alternative pop is my style. But I have a tendency to lean towards R&B sounds too. So I don’t know; it might be a mixture, something new, something different. And do you plan on doing something like that right away or are you going to finish school? What your plan next? Garrett: I plan on finishing school first, but like you said, I’m going to keep in touch with everybody here, like the staff from American Idol, and if anything pops up where they want me to come do or if they’ll allow me to do little gigs or something, then I’m definitely going to jump on that, because you know all the experience I can get, I’m definitely going to do it. But right after school is when I’m going to hit it hard and I’m going to do everything that I can to become an artist. I wanted to ask you, just kind of picking up on a previous question, you’re one of those contestants that didn’t get a lot of face time and there’s always a lot of talk about that, as we go into the final 24, how did you feel that sort of affected your chances and how much people got to see you? Garrett: Well I bet that did affect my chance, because it didn’t really give America the chance to connect with me as a person. I don’t know, does that answer your question? Do you feel, I guess it comes up every season that some people are at an advantage or a disadvantage and then they say, “Well Kelly Clarkson won and she didn’t have much face time.” How do you feel now that it has sort of happened to you? Garrett: It doesn’t really bother me, I mean like at the time, it was like, hey you better not blink or you might miss me, if I even did show up on the screen. But I don’t know it’s like, I really wish they would have let you guys hear some of my Hollywood songs, because I beasted it up in Hollywood. So I think that would have affected them, because the top 12 guys, that’s the first time everybody heard me sing and it wasn’t the greatest song either. So I wasn’t too happy about that, but it’s okay. I just want to go back to the comments that Simon had made. How did you feel when he made those comments and especially when the other judges came to your defense? Garrett: I could tell that Paula and Randy were pretty upset about that, because that’s not something that you should be saying to a contestant or something. But you know Simon; I don’t know maybe he just couldn’t find anything bad about my voice or something. I really wasn’t affected by it; I found humor in it, kind of. I don’t know it didn’t really affect me much. I like to take constructive criticism from them. But when Simon said that I have white skin, there’s really nothing I could get out of that except for go tanning, but I wouldn’t do that. So I don’t know I really didn’t get much out of it. But I thought it was pretty funny. Well I’m glad you found humor. Then how have your friends and family responded now? Garrett: Well they were pretty upset about what Simon said, like a lot of people from my hometown were like, I don’t know, I guess that they got a lot of complaints about that. I don’t know my family is my biggest support and I know that they’re going to be there for me when I get home. I’m happy that I’m going home, because I’m going home to my beautiful girlfriend, my friends, my family and school. So I’m happy about that. What was the best piece of advice or constructive criticism that you did get while you were there from any of the other contestants or the judges? Garrett: When I started it off I was pretty shy, and one of the contestants, I don’t remember who exactly told me, but somebody told me to be myself. And once I started being myself, that’s when I started to shine. That really helped me, because then I started showing who I really was and I wasn’t really shying away from anything. I’m glad I did this competition, because I can truly say that I gave 100% throughout this whole competition and I’m happy, because I can walk away saying that. Amy Davis I was wondering if you were surprised that you were voted off last night? Amy: I was actually not surprised. I really didn’t have a good performance. So I was not surprised, I was actually waiting for Ryan to call my name. Do you feel like you made a poor song choice? Do you regret anything about your performance the other night? Amy: No, I do not regret my song choice. It’s really a technical issue on just my part, of why it was a bad performance. There was nothing I could do about that, I did the best I could, and it was just a fact of me not being able to hear myself. It’s not an American Idol issue or a sound issue on their part, it’s the way my brain works, I’ve been using in ear monitors for the last two years, consistently. And so the way my brain works is very mechanical, it’s not very creative and go with the flow like a lot of musicians work. And my brain is just trained to use the in ear monitors that just blares my vocal in my ear, so I can stay on pitch. Obviously, when I came to American Idol I knew I wasn’t going to be able to use my in ears, so I tried to retrain my ears to use the floor monitors and I know that’s very technical, but that’s the way I am, a very technical person, and I just could not retrain my ears quick enough to stay on key. So it was my “bad skills” that I couldn’t improve quickly enough. What was the toughest part of American Idol for you? Amy: I think the toughest part of American Idol, for me, was the pressure of how huge American Idol is the expected performance that they want from each and every contestant. So a lot of pressure, it creates a lot of anxiety and nervousness. It was very hard for me to channel that into some sort of productive or less attractive manner. How did you ever team up with the guys from Survivor? Amy: Yes, Chris and Billy O, they actually live right near me, they’re ten minutes from where I live. Since they still tour a lot on the weekends, they’re working musicians, they wanted to keep week night gigs going, so they said let’s just do a little trio and find a female vocalist, and I’m in a loop of musicians back home, so they called me and it was wonderful, I was let’s do this. I just wanted to know is what would you say the most surprising part about being a contestant was for you? Amy: Honestly, the most surprising part for me was to see celebrities. I’m from Indiana, I’m just outside of Chicago, but I am on the Indiana side and you just don’t see a lot of celebrities in Indiana. And to come out here to Hollywood, I remember I saw Kelsey Grammar and Patricia Heaton and I was just completely star struck. I think Patricia even looked at me a couple of times, because the first time she actually had eye contact with me I was looking at her like, whoa there’s Patricia Heaton, I’m seeing her in person, normally I watch her on Everybody Loves Raymond. So that was surprising how star struck I was. I was wanting to know; were you one of the women that were not feeling well? Amy: No, actually I was not. I was vocally and I guess throat-wise I was perfectly healthy. I had a slight bit of some sort of pink eye, but it cleared up, I got some eye drops from the doctor and it cleared up. So no, I was not sick, at all. In general do you feel like this kind of show takes a toll on you, I guess emotionally and physically it’s a lot of work that goes into it? Amy: Absolutely. I can’t tell you how much it takes out of you, on every level, like you said, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. I mean every level you’re working so hard and getting so much for just a great amount of the time, with very little down time to recoup. So it does take a lot of you, but American Idol is so huge, it’s the biggest platform for a musician or a performer that you’ve got to give every ounce of energy you’ve got, to get something in return. So it’s a wonderful opportunity, but yes, it absolutely takes a toll on you. What did you learn from your experience on Idol? Amy: One of the things I learned was how a huge television show is put together, got to see all the behind the scenes of the people that do the work, the stage guys, the sounds guys, publicity, legal all of that, I got a really good introduction and crash course into what it takes to put on a huge TV show. And there are some many people involved and it’s magical seeing all of these people, such a huge team of people working together, as a team, to make it happen. And I just have so much respect for them. It was just a really cool thing. Sort of like when you were a kid watching Mr. Rogers and he’d go into a manufacturing plant to show you the behind the scenes of how something was made. That’s kind of how I felt watching all the people create American Idol. What is the best piece of advice that you received and who was it from? Amy: The best piece of advice I received was near the end from Paula, when she said, “You really need to know who you are as an artist.” And it didn’t just hit home for me, but I really want anybody out there who is wanting to try out for American Idol, to really take that to heart, because you can’t go out there and just be, “I don’t know who I am, but I’m trying to be something.” You really need to know who you are as an artist and stay true to yourself. So that really hit home for me. I wanted to ask you — it was a short time that you were there, but was there anybody that bonded with and became friends with during your time at Idol? Amy: Yes, as a matter of fact, and of course it’s going to be somebody from Indiana, because I am from Indiana. I really became good friends of Amanda Overmyer; we’re both from Indiana. She lived near Purdue University, which is where I went to undergrad college. And so we knew a lot of the same areas and the same venues that we both performed at, and we were able to connect on that level. She’s great, I wish her the best of luck, I wish all of the contestants the best of luck and I’ll be voting for all of them, but Amanda is a sweetheart. We’re probably going to get a season eight of this, so what advice do you give people who are going to be in the top 24 next season, since you’ve been through the experience? Amy: Advice for the next top 24 is to just, number one, stay true to who you are, of course; you’ve always got to do that. But number two, just pay attention to everything that is going on around you, try to take as much of it in, take notes. Just try to stay grounded so that you can take as much as you can from the show, when you ultimately leave, whether it’s as the second place contestant or as the next American Idol. I wanted to know, what was the most embarrassing, if there was and what was the most inspiring moment you had at the show? Amy: Well they both happened during Hollywood Week, actually. My most embarrassing moment was the first day of Hollywood Week, when I horribly messed up my audition. So it was very embarrassing to stand in front of not only the three judges, but all the other amazingly talented Hollywood Week contenders is very, very embarrassing. So that was not a good day for me. But you got through it. Amy: Yes, I did, as a matter of fact. The most magical feeling day for me was the following day when we all got a second chance and when they let me come through it was just wonderful for me. So that was a great day. What helped you get through it and come through and show the true you, the real you? Amy: I think what helped me get through that or through to the next audition was just having a drive, “You know what, you’re here, you have to give it everything you’ve got,” so I just had a certain amount of drive that kept me going on. And I’m glad I did, because I made it to the top 24, even though I had a rough beginning of Hollywood Week and it was a wonderful experience. Joanne Borgella You had a little bit of prior experience with Reality TV. Could you talk about how that made you, I guess more comfortable with the whole American Idol situation and with all the pressures of it, if it did? Joanne: Well I was on a show, a beauty pageant, called Monique’s Fat Chance, which was amazing, and I had won that show, it was a two hour special, and that was great. But American Idol, in general, nothing can prepare you for this, I mean it’s so amazing, it’s such a whirlwind. I don’t think anything you’ve done in your live can prepare you for what you go through when you’re here. I mean its amazing people, the producers, the people you work with, the caliber of people, I mean it’s amazing. One of the things you mentioned a couple of nights ago was that your voice didn’t necessarily sound the way people expected it to when they look at you. Could you talk more about that? I thought that was an interesting thing that you said. Joanne: Yes, I was talking about that before I performed. Usually with a plus sized woman, you tend to think that they’re going to sing neo-soul, that genre of music, and for me I love that music, I mean it sounds great, but that’s not the kind of performer that I am, I don’t sing that kind of music. I listen to pop, R&B, … Whitney Houston, I love doing power ballads, but I also want to do the song that you would love to dance to in a club. And you don’t usually put that with a plus sized woman. You put that with someone with body image, very body conscious. So I’m not that, I’m opposite that. Well do you think to some degree that might have weighed against you? Like do you think people’s expectations would have been a negative for you? Joanne: No, not at all. I think I was just being true to myself. No matter what, in the end I’m always going to be true to myself and anyone that knows me, they know the kind of music I want to do. I don’t think because of the way I look you should expect me to sound a certain way. So I think that didn’t have any effect whatsoever on what people expected of me. Can you compare the two experiences a little bit, I mean one you were a winner and this one you’re going home really soon. Just what the two experiences were like. Joanne: Honestly, American Idol, the experience I shared here is totally complete different from any show, I think. I was on Monique’s Fat Chance, which was amazing; it was a beauty pageant, it had nothing to do with music. And this show, itself, it really does just thrust you into the music industry and it gives you this huge opportunity. And basically the experience was amazing; it’s beyond what anyone could possibly think of. So you were one of the last ones picked and one of the first to go. Joanne: Yes, crazy. How did you feel about that? Joanne: You know what, I feel amazing, Paula. To be part of the top 24 of 100,000 plus that have tried out and to be part of the crop that has been the best that they’ve ever had, I know my vocal abilities, I know my performance strings and I know that we’re all going to have to — I mean 23 of us are going to have to go home at the end of the day, every week. So I didn’t know it was going to be the first week, but it just happened to be the first week. And the experience itself, I seriously feel like a winner. I have no problems having had left last night. I’m sure if anyone saw me, I was actually happy. It was just amazing to even be part of this experience. What is next for you, and if you’re going to continue to model, do you think this brief exposure on American Idol will help your career in that area? Joanne: Definitely. . American Idol is so huge in itself, being a part of this season I know anything I want to do is going to be at my hands. Modeling, definitely, singing of course number one, I want to have an album and continue modeling and acting, as well, I went to school for that. You’re going to see me dabbling in everything, I’m a multitasker, so I’m definitely going to just continue doing what I’m doing. I think it has just opened like 80 billion more doors. So I’m excited. What was the best piece of advice you received and who was it from? Joanne: Best piece of advice. I think it was actually from all three of them, which was basically when you come out there, when you’re going to perform, go hard or go home, basically. And for me, personally, I didn’t give — I wanted to give my 100%, but visually all over me people were saying, “Oh my god, she looks mortified, terrified,” but I wasn’t, that’s not me, actually. You know give me a microphone it’s hard to take it away. So basically the best advice is to zone out when you’re going to perform and don’t let other things ever affect you, and just do your best, really. How did you come up with your song choice? Joanne: Well we get told what genre we’re going to be doing, and from there you just pick. How has your life changed already? Joanne: I think the fact that I’m a household name is huge. I’m talking to you, People Magazine, that’s great. My life has just been ridiculous. I mean I turn on the TV and I’ll see me in a commercial, and being out here, you’re in like a little bubble, because you’re very focused on the show and what you’re doing, and you don’t realize how chaotic it is outside of the show, being within it. So my life has truly changed for the better, I mean it’s been amazing. Just being a part of the show has just been outstanding and there’s just so much more to do. Have you heard from record labels or any producers yet? Joanne: Well you know it was yesterday. So phone has been ringing off the hook, but I’ve been busy with you guys. Were you surprised you were sent home last night? Joanne: I wasn’t surprised. You know there are 24 of us, I know every week at one point one of us is going to be going home and one is going to stay. So for me I always had a mindset, it may not be next week, maybe it might be the last day, I could be the winner. So when he called out my name, I had a moment, I prayed and when he said it, I got up there and I performed. What was the toughest part of performing that last performance, the singing out to the commercial. Joanne: That was probably the best point, I really enjoyed myself last night when I performed the last performance. It’s hard to say goodbye to my friends and some people say, “Oh my god I made lasting friends.” And you think, “Well how is that going to happen, you just met?” But when you’re put in a situation and it’s possible that your dreams can come true within a few months, it’s pressure, it’s anxiety, it’s happiness, it’s all these things, fatigue, you get these bonds that you would never think that you could make. I mean anyone could see last night how hard it was for all of us to leave, all my friends, everybody was crying …. I mean it was a beautiful moment. Who now that you’re not on Idol anymore, who do you think is going to win Idol? Joanne: I think everybody is winning. You’ve talked about all these different things you’ve done, singing, modeling and acting, can you pull a favorite out of those? And then also, sort of related to that, have you ever tried out for any other shows like Top Model or anything like that? Joanne: For me, singing by far is always going to be my favorite. I mean if the world could be a musical, I would be the lead singer in it. As far as modeling is concerned, I absolutely love doing it. I’ve never thought about doing America’s Next Top Model, because I was with Wilhelmina, which is one of the number one agencies. And I actually made the decision to leave there, in order to pursue American Idol, because you know you can’t have any contracts when you join with the show. So it was a big decision I made, but it wasn’t hard, because singing is my passion. So for me I’m going to continue doing what I want to do, which is make and album and create great music and continue singing and continue modeling, I’m a multitasker so I’m going to be dabbling in everything. Colton Berry Who would you say, now that you’ve met everyone, would you say could be the ultimate winner? Colton: You know what, this season has been amazing, and as everyone has seen, this top 24 is way better than anything that has ever come along and the talent is ridiculous. And I think everyone is kind of a level playing field, I seriously could not name one distinct winner. Well would you say that this year, because there is more, younger talent than other years that there is a chance that someone as young as 16 could win it all? Colton: You know I think the young ones are very talented, but I think the old ones are just as talented. I really can’t point out anyone that is more talented than anyone else. As people have seen, by watching the show, the voices are just unmatchable. I think I have to ask you about Simon’s comment last night about getting a good job and all that kind of stuff. How did you feel when he said it and I guess now that you’ve had nearly 24 hours to reflect on it, what is your reaction to that? Colton: You know what? Simon’s job is to be Simon Cowell. There is no one else in the world like Simon Cowell and that’s who he’s supposed to be, so I expected him to say something like that. But I also kept in mind and I think America kind of kept in mind, when he said that comment, he did pick the top 24 and our of hundreds of thousands of people, he picked us to be the top 24 singers in America, so obviously we’re all going to continue on with music careers, I mean that’s who we are, and obviously, he had a hand in putting us there. So I think he was being a little hypocritical in itself. But he’s Simon and everyone loves him and I love him, for who he is. There is a lot of competition from the other contestants, as … earlier; did that put pressure on you, being as young as you are, a lot more pressure? Colton: I don’t think there was any pressure on me, from anyone. I think the bonds that I formed in American Idol are unlike anything else. And you always hear in previous seasons that the idols are really close and people who watched the show on Thursday night, last night saw Ramiele and Katie and everyone and Danny, just balling their eyes out. We are all just really, really close. I didn’t feel pressure; it didn’t feel like a competition. I just went out there and had a whole lot of fun. You mentioned Ramiele, I’m sorry I just have to ask, what your opinion of her is. We in the Philippines are really, really … her. Colton: Ramiele is one of my best friends out there. All of us are great friends, but she is definitely one of my best friends and one of my greatest supporters. And I know that whatever I do through my career, I know she’ll always be behind me and I’ll always be behind her. I know you’re a big musical theater person and I was wondering, you know many former Idols have gone on to Broadway, are you hoping to follow that same route? Colton You know I’ve had two dreams in life, I’m 18, I was born in 1990, I know, right, I’m a …. I was born in 1990, so my dreams since I was young, number one was to be on American Idol, because I grew up with the show, and number two was to be on Broadway. So I can check off my first one, and hopefully that first check will lead into the second one, and yes, that’s what I’m actually getting read to pursue. I’m going to set up as many auditions as I can and really go for that. Do you think the fact that you were up against Kyle, he got a lot of screen time, could have affected how people voted for you. Maybe they thought he should have been in and so they didn’t vote for you. How do you feel about that? Colton: I really don’t think — that might have been a factor, maybe, but there are 30 million plus who watch that show and vote and Kyle is a great guy and we got to know each other on that day and that may have had something to play into that, but I think really, people saw my performance and the voting system with Idol is kind of a weird system, you vote for your favorite and I didn’t get a lot of time, other than the show with Kyle, like Hollywood Week or anything and I didn’t have a lot of exposure. So I think people just voted for their favorites and they were really familiar with me and they hadn’t seen much of me before. I don’t think that it was that people wanted me off the show, because if that were the case, then people would vote for — the votes would be flipped around, you would just vote for who you don’t like. I think it was just the fact that not many people knew what they were going to get out of me or whatever and I just ended up at the bottom. So what’s your dream musical to start in, so I can make my plans. Colton: You know what is … right now and one of my favorites I saw it on Broadway Wicked. Oh, I loved Wicked. Colton: Yes, I would love to play the male, Fiyero. Oh my god, that’s my dream role, so you best believe I’m going to … part. You yourself noted a resemblance to Ellen DeGeneres, when did you notice that, did somebody bring it up to you or did you notice it for yourself? Colton: You know people have been saying it for years. You know I’m one of her biggest fans; I’ve always been her fan. And one day I kind of looked in the mirror and I was like, “Maybe everyone is right, maybe I do really look like Ellen.” So I figured I might as well embrace it. Has she asked you to be on her show yet? Have you heard anything yet? Colton: I have not yet talked to her. I know that she called Ryan Seacrest and was laughing with Ryan about the comments that I said. Hopefully, if Ellen is reading this, Ellen, give me a call. You had commented before on how close everyone was and how people were crying during your farewell song, could you tell me about any special bonds you had or any great little anecdotes you had with some of the contestants that brought you together or some little hijinks that you guys got into? Colton: You know it’s really interesting, but like all of the top 24, all of us had different bonds with each other, as pairs. But definitely our personalities — it’s really difficult to see our personalities on TV, especially for such a short period of time, but Katie and Ramiele and Danny and Joanne and Asia and I were just kind of like this super power of comedians, and we always everyone just laughing and we would make each other laugh, all the time, we were with each other constantly, we couldn’t not be around each other. In fact they were calling me this morning, as soon as they woke up and just all the way through the whole process we’ve been really, really, really tight like brothers and sisters, and we just loved to get together and laugh. We had so much fun together. I read that you were directing a production of The Wiz from out there in LA for your hometown theater. Colton: Yes, I am. So are you going to hop right back into that when you get home, and when are you coming back? Colton: I am coming back really, really soon, ASAP, because I do have to hop back on that show. It opens on March 7th and runs through the 16th, so it’s coming up soon. So I’m definitely going to hop right back on and join in with my cast. Are you in it? Colton: No, I’m not in it. I’m actually just directing it. I might have a cameo, perhaps, we’ll see. Thank you to FOX for allowing us to participate in this media call. Last edited by Yardgnome; 03-03-2008 at 11:02 PM.

02-26-2008, 01:17 AM	#2
raindrops47 FORT Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 694	Re: AI 2/22 Interview: Four Down, Too Many to Go! thanks so much! everyone seems so nice! haha.

02-26-2008, 06:50 AM	#5
Leo FORT Fogey Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 10,033	Re: AI 2/22 Interview: Four Down, Too Many to Go! Garrett really got screwed, didn't he? It just proves how idiotic of an idea the whole theme weeks idea was. Thanks for the interview Yardgnome.

02-26-2008, 09:19 AM	#6
MotherSister Arugula Eating Pinko Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: the balcony Age: 25 Posts: 2,337	Re: AI 2/22 Interview: Four Down, Too Many to Go! Joanne seems very kind; I guess that explains the rivers of tears and mascara at her elimination. And look, Amanda can make friends! Thanks for bringing us the interview Yardgnome! __________________ !

02-26-2008, 11:56 AM	#7
AJane Provoked Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: In my dog's house Posts: 6,656	Re: AI 2/22 Interview: Four Down, Too Many to Go! I know Garrett and Colton maybe weren't the greatest singers of the bunch, but I thought they were two really likeable young men, and I think even more of them now. Nice kids, and I hope they continue to pursue musical careers. Thanks, Gnomie, that was a really interesting read. __________________ All my life, I have felt destiny tugging at my sleeve. ~ Thursday Next The truth, like humor, is where you find it. - Henry Rollins

02-26-2008, 02:41 PM	#8
harleychick FORT Regular Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dallas Posts: 97	Re: AI 2/22 Interview: Four Down, Too Many to Go! The one thing I took from Garrett's interview - people who are wanting to be on AI (and especially those who make the Top 24) need to listen to a wide range of music - pop, country, R&B, Oldies (go back 20-30 years from their birth year) to get a feel for different styles. I think this would help them be better prepared for 'odd' songs or theme weeks. Idol should do let the top 24 perform for 2 weeks (or 2 different style songs) before being elimated. Especially since they don't expose most of them until after Hollywood week. They give too much airtime to people who aren't going to Hollywood.

02-26-2008, 02:53 PM	#9
lildago Mesmerizing Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 9,656	Re: AI 2/22 Interview: Four Down, Too Many to Go! Great interview, Gnomie! __________________ These dreams are not of sand.

02-26-2008, 08:16 PM	#10
graycat11 FORT Fogey Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 2,359	Re: AI 2/22 Interview: Four Down, Too Many to Go! The top 24 only had 50 songs to choose from. Not a good idea at all, after some people pick the songs they want, there are not many songs to choose from.