Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Showtime is still a half-hour away, but the Idol news has been coming fast and furious all day.

First, Simon Cowell puts to rest those nasty rumors that he’ll be leaving American Idol.

Cowell told The Associated Press he intends to stay on as a judge for at least another year. That’s the time remaining on his current contract.

Apparently, the speculation that Idol’s crankiest judge would be leaving the show started when he told an England newspaper that he can’t keep up his busy schedule indefinitely.

Gotta say, it’s tough to imagine Idol without Simon. Does he come across as egotistical at times? Oh, yeah. But the show needs someone who isn’t afraid to use words like “horrible” and “atrocious.”

Besides, countless times, I’ve watched the other judges critique a performance, and I’m left wondering, “Huh, were we listening to the same thing?” Then Simon gets his turn and says exactly what needs to be said.

Stick with us, Simon. The show needs you.

(P.S.: Stay tuned for live blogging, beginning at 8 p.m., with song-by-song grades for the contestants.)

———-

Tuesday afternoon, I had a chance to interview another of Idol’s delightful semifinalists — Kendall Beard of Austin, Texas.

Anyone who was reading this blog back when the season started knows how much I hated the semifinal format this season. There’s no way voters or anyone else can judge a contestant based on one 2-minute performance. With this year’s setup, Idol was simply bidding farewell to too many talented singers too quickly.

The media got to interview each of Idol’s finalists as they earned those spots. And we get to interview each of the finalists again when they are eliminated. I figure folks have a right to hear from the semifinalists as well.

Enough of my blather. You’re waiting for the segue. Here it is. Now that she’s back in Texas, Kendall says there are two questions she hears most from Idol fans: “Who’s going to win?” and “What is Simon really like?”

So, Kendall, what is Simon really like?

“I like Simon. He’s tough, but I think a lot of times, he does, he speaks the truth. He’s right on a lot of times. And I’ll say there’s some times when he’s not. He’s a kind guy, I think he really is. He has to entertain just like everybody else has to entertain on that show. He’s not as cold-hearted as people think he is.”

Check back Thursday for an interview with another semifinalist, Kristen McNamara. The full interview with Kendall should go online next week.

———-

So, have you heard about British sensation Susan Boyle?

I hadn’t this morning. But by noon, two York Dispatch reporters had drawn my attention to Ms. Boyle, and I had stumbled upon an Associated Press story about her.

Seems the frumpy, unemployed 47-year-old — who says she’s never been kissed — showed up on the show “Britian’s Got Talent” proclaiming that she wanted to be a professional singer.

No one took her seriously, until she sang a splendid version of “I Dreamed a Dream” from “Les Miserables.” Simon proclaimed her performance as “extraordinary.” (Oh, yeah, he’s a judge on the show and its producer. One of the reasons his schedule is so hectic, I suppose.)

Anyway, by Tuesday evening, more than 3.5 million people had watched the YouTube clip of her performance. And it’s, indeed, an incredible story.

I just hope we don’t find out, a few months from now, that Susan recorded six independent albums with the British Philharmonic Orchestra as a young woman.

Sorry to sound cynical, but some of these televised reality shows aren’t exactly up front about the background of their contestants. (Listening, Idol?)

In case you haven’t seen it, here’s a link to the YouTube clip.

———-

Speaking of older Idol-like contestants, Senior Idol stopped in York for a round of auditions Tuesday afternoon.

At stake, a chance to perform in the state Senior Idol finals in Lancaster this summer.

Check back tomorrow for reporter Kathy Stevens’ story on the local auditions and to find who made the grade with the judges.

Simon, by the way, wasn’t on hand.

———-

So, did you catch Carrie Underwood on Oprah Tuesday afternoon?

Carrie was engaging and lovely, as always. We get to meet her rat terrier. She talked about going to the grocery store late at night to avoid the crowd. And in sweatpants, with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, to keep from being recognized.

Apparently it works.

Says Carrie: “People won’t tell me, ‘Are you Carrie Underwood?’ They’ll say, ‘Wow, you look like Carrie Underwood,’ cause Carrie Underwood wouldn’t be at the Harris Teeter, you know, 11 o’clock at night in her sweatpants.”

Just in case you missed it, here’s the interview.

[youtube]vx8U3OBcFK4[/youtube]