American Idol season 8 wrapped almost three months ago, and yet all things Idol continue to make headlines. This week it was Paula Abdul making news, when the show's wackiest and warmest-hearted judge announced--via her Twitter page--that after a public and protracted salary battle and an eight-season run, she was officially leaving the series.
"With sadness in my heart, I've decided not to return to #IDOL," she tweeted Tuesday night. "I'll miss nurturing all the new talent, but most of all being a part of a show that I helped from day 1 become an international phenomenon. What I want to say most, is how much I appreciate the undying support and enormous love that you have showered upon me. It truly has been breathtaking, especially over the past month. I do without any doubt have the BEST fans in the entire world and I love you all."
The Twitterverse instantly and server-meltingly responded (hey, maybe THAT'S the real reason Twitter broke down!), with fans launching #keeppaula and #savepaula campaigns and AmIdol alums of all seasons sadly tweeting that the show would not be the same without her kind words (who else will say, "You dare to dance in the path of greatness," huh?) and signature seal clap. (Unsurprisingly, people did not react as emotionally when it was announced that newbie judge Kara DioGuardi would indeed be returning for Idol season 9).
Some people claimed this was all just a publicity stunt and that Paula still secretly plans to return to the show. Others said this was a salary-standoff bargaining tactic gone awry. But regardless, the show had to go on. So while speculation ran rampant over whether Paula would become a judge/choreographer on So You Think You Can Dance (that show's producer, Nigel Lythgoe, announced that she was welcome to join the SYTYCD cast), Idol began its season 9 audition shoots with guest judge Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham (not exactly a fabulous singer, even compared to Paula, but okay...) and Katy Perry (wonder if she'll wear her infamous Adam Lambert cape again?). Meanwhile, rumored permanent replacements for Paula included another dancer-turned-semi-singer, Jennifer Lopez (J.Lo dismissed such rumors), and British pop/TV star Cheryl Cole, herself a reality veteran (she's a member of the Popstars U.K. group Girls Aloud and a judge on Simon Cowell's X Factor).
But straight up: We don't think anyone can replace Paula Abdul on American Idol. She's forever our girl.
The other Idol making news this week was Kelly Clarkson, when she appeared on the cover of the new issue of Self looking suspiciously svelte. Many fans said it looked like she'd gone on a drastic digital diet, so to speak--that is, that some overzealous Photoshopper had given her an extreme electronic makeover. This seemed contradictory, considering that the interview behind the magazine's "Total Body Confidence" cover was filled with Kelly quotes about her being happy with her weight. Self editor-in-chief Lucy Danziger denied that the mag's art department did any more "post-production" on the Kelly cover that it had done in the past for any other, slimmer model. So why did some airheaded airbrusher remove the tattoo from Kelly's hand?
Meanwhile, the aforementioned Katy Perry got caught up in controversy herself, when singer-songwriter Jill Sobule finally spoke out about Katy allegedly stealing the title of her '90s hit, "I Kissed A Girl." While Jill's song had a different melody and lyrics than Katy's 2008 breakthrough smash, Jill--who dubbed Katy a "stupid, not good for the gays, title-thieving slut"--was still apparently perturbed. "It bugged me when she said she came up with the title for the song in a dream," said Jill in an expletive-riddled interview with TheRumpus. "In truth, she wrote it with a team of professional writers and was signed by the same guy that signed me in 1995. I have not mentioned that in interviews as I don't want to sound bitter or petty, because that's not me."
What, calling someone a "title-thieving slut" isn't bitter or petty? But then again, perhaps Jill has good reason to be bitter. Moving on...
In other news, another pop princess, Miley Cyrus, also came under fire this week, although the circumstances were much more serious. A 53-year-old man named Mark McLeod, who told police he is secretly engaged to marry Miley, was charged with stalking the tween queen after Disney security guards reported he disobeyed orders to stay away from the set of Miley's current movie project, The Last Song. "He was asking for Miley and going up and knocking on some doors," of homes near the set in Savannah, Georgia, said local police chief Jim Price. "The security guards recognized him. In fact, he went up to the security guards and asked them, 'Is Miley around?'"
Back in June, Mark was arrested in Savannah on misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and obstruction of a police officer, after he tried to cross a security perimeter around the movie's set. A police report filed at the time said Mark told officers he'd come to the set "to be with Miley"; that he and Miley "were supposed to be together and we couldn't stop it"; that Miley had accepted his marriage proposal; that her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, approved of their "engagement"; and that Miley had sent him "secret messages" through her Hannah Montana television show.
Bond for Mark was set this week at $50,000, with conditions that he not return to the Savannah area except for court appearances, and that he stay away from Miley and the rest of the Cyruses. Hopefully he will obey the judge's orders this time.
In other court-related news, Chris Brown's sentencing in his Rihanna assault case, originally scheduled for August 5, was postponed until August 27--reportedly because the judge on the case wanted to make sure that Chris's punishment will include community labor like roadside cleanup, as specified in his plea deal arranged in June. (As of this writing, the judge is still awaiting a community labor proposal from Virginia, Chris's home state.) And in a court hearing on Monday, the late Michael Jackson's mother, Katherine, was formally granted legal, permanent guardianship of Michael's three children. Debbie Rowe, Michael's ex-wife and the estranged biological mother of Michael's two eldest offspring, Prince I and Paris, will be granted visitation.
And in unrelated concert-catastrophe news, country singer Billy Currington said (via his Twitter account, which seems to be how all celebrities communicate these days) that he and his band are very grateful to be alive after the stage they were performing on at last weekend's Big Valley Jamboree festival in Canada collapsed. (Billy suffered just a minor concussion, but 75 people were injured in the tragic accident--including his bassist, who had to have surgery to repair a severed artery and nerves in his left arm--and one person was even killed.) And Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler broke his shoulder when he fell offstage during a concert in Sturgis, South Dakota.
The current Aerosmith tour had already had its share of setbacks (seven shows were postponed after Steven hurt his leg muscle; guitarist Brad Whitford missed the first few shows while recovering from head surgery; and cancer-survivor bassist Tom Hamilton left the tour to undergo surgery of his own). And now there is talk that after this latest incident, the tour will be cancelled entirely.
We wish full and speedy recoveries for all members of Aerosmith, Billy Currington's band, and the Big Valley Jamboree accident victims.
And finally, on an even sadder note, this week two more music icons passed away. CBGB punk hero Willy DeVille, founder of the cult group Mink DeVille and an Oscar-nominated songwriter, died at age 58 from pancreatic cancer on Thursday. On the same day, legendary Brat Pack filmmaker John Hughes, age 59, died of a heart attack.
While the latter death may seem like more of a movie story than a music one, John had a way of crafting memorable musical moments in his films--the "Twist & Shout" parade and the "Oh Yeah" shower scene in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, the detention dance in The Breakfast Club--and his movies' soundtracks offered some of the best new wave hits of the 1980s: Simple Minds' "Don't You Forget About Me," the Psychedelic Furs' "Pretty In Pink," Yello's "Oh Yeah," OMD's "If You Leave," Oingo Boingo's "Weird Science," Flesh For Lulu's "I Go Crazy," the Thompson Twins ' "If You Were Here," and the list goes on. Every music fan who remembers, or just loves, the '80s feels a massive loss this week.
And on that bummer note, we're going to wrap up this blog to go light 16 candles in John Hughes' honor. See you next Friday, and until then, goodnight and good music.
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