By MARK FRANKLIN
First, it’s trivia time, Idol fans. Today’s question: Who co-hosted with Ryan Seacrest on the first season of Idol?
Now, are you wondering why you’re looking at a photo of Kelly Clarkson, the first American Idol, as season eight is about to begin?
The answer’s simple. Idol’s return tonight marks the start of three weeks of audition shows, and those auditions quickly grow tiring.
No one sings for long. We’re treated to far too many auditions by woeful singers who clearly made it into the audition room because show producers think we’ll be entertained by folks who don’t mind embarrassing themselves … as long as they get in front of a TV camera.
And the audition shows will be followed by Hollywood week. Where someone will undoubtedly break down in front of a camera because the pressure of it all is just too much. Where someone will be caught partying rather than taking the competition as seriously as they should.�Where there’s sure to some drama among mismatched contestants who find themselves forced to perform a group number together.
I mean, we’ve seen it all before.
Which is where Kelly comes in. I figured it might be a good idea to remind folks why we watch Idol. That the show has discovered some darn good singers. Check out these clips of Kelly from her Idol days. Heck, they’ll make perfect viewing during tonight’s all-too-frequent, all-too-long commercial breaks.
But, first, lock in your trivia answer, because you’re going to see the former co-host in the clips.
Kelly singing “Stuff Like�That There,”�back when Idol producers thought it would be a good idea to have contestants sing songs from the Big Band era.
Kelly working at a construction site, then singing “Natural Woman.”
Kelly sings “I Surrender” and dazzles Simon.
I’ve often wondered if American Idol would be as popular as it is had Kelly flopped. If, for instance, season five winner Taylor Hicks would have been the first Idol instead of Kelly.
Her first single hit number one. Her first album, Thankful, was a success. Her followup, Breakaway, won a Grammy. For a while, you couldn’t turn on the radio without hearing “Because of You.” Album number three, My December, didn’t yield a number one single or a Grammy, but still sold more than 2 million copies worldwide.
And Kelly fans have this to look forward to — album #4, All I Ever Wanted, is scheduled for release March 17. The first single, “My Life Would Suck Without You,” will be released soon. You can check out the fetching cover art for that one here.
This from a tomboyish�Texan who once told Idol interviewers: “I do, somewhere inside me, have a somewhat sexy side.”
I guess she found it during the photo shoot. Judging from the photo, my bet’s on a Valentine’s Day release for the single.
Oh, and today’s trivia answer: Brian Dunkleman.
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