AI Now Interview with Crystal Bowersox & Aaron Kelly

Today we bring you the second installment in our series of interviews from the Idols Live Tour media day at Center Staging last week. Check out our interview with Crystal Bowersox and Aaron Kelly - video below!
We started the interview off by asking Crystal how she plans to remain herself while working with Jive Records, a label that is most known for its successful pop artists. "I don't want to believe in stereotypes," Crystal said. "Jive has a lot of really credible artists and musicians...Jive might be known for more of a pop kind of thing, but that is not going to matter. It's not going to be a limitation."

Aaron also has an album in mind, saying that he's been writing several original songs since "Idol." "I don't want to sit back and wait for someone to approach me," Aaron said. "Right now I've been working with Taylor Swift's producer and we're going to get lots and lots of songs written. And, if a label doesn't approach us, then we are going to record a demo and pitch it to some people."

Crystal complemented Aaron saying that even though we didn't hear about it on the show, Aaron is a "brilliant songwriter." Crystal also said that Aaron plays guitar really well. She joked, "He was too chicken to do it on the show." Aaron admitted, "I play better on my original stuff rather than other people's songs."

When we asked Crystal which one of Aaron's performances was her favorite, she couldn't name just one, saying he was so great every time. "I don't think you ever missed a note," Crystal said. Aaron said his favorite Crystal performance was the finale song, "Up To The Mountain."

And, we couldn't help but ask who Crystal and Aaron would pick to replace Simon Cowell on the judges panel. Crystal said she would really like to see Bret Michaels on the panel for his straightforward attitude and support of type 1 diabetes awareness. Aaron, meanwhile, is pulling for Harry Connick Jr. "Just because he has such a great ear...And another great thing is that he's honest. He's going to tell you what he thinks. He might not be as brutal as Simon, but you definitely don't want someone who is going to try and copy Simon."

To see the entire interview, including an update on Crystal's plans for a juvenile diabetes awareness event, watch the video below!

Crystal Bowersox, Lee DeWyze, Casey James & Didi Benami Chat with Fans (Video ~ Recorded Live!)

Good News, Fans! If you missed the Live Chat with Crystal Bowersox, Lee DeWyze, Casey James and Didi Benami, you can watch it now on The Crystal Bowersox Blog! The 2-hour event was recorded live. The Idols answer questions submitted by fans via Twitter.

It's great to see the Idols like this...interacting and having fun with each other, letting down their hair - so to speak, and really letting the fans get to know them. We get a much better sense of who Crystal and Lee really are. They seem so much more natural and at ease sitting around answering questions with their good friends than we've seen in the many one-on-one interviews the Idols have been doing lately.

The Live Chat was organized as a promotion for the American Idol LIVE tour kicking off July 1 in Detroit, Michigan.

The first live chat, held with Tim Urban, Katie Stevens, and Michael Lynche, drew more than 100,000 live responses from engaged fans. The second featured Aaron Kelly, Andrew Garcia and Siobhan Magnus.

American Idol's Crystal Bowersox, Lee DeWyze & Casey James ~ LIVE CHAT TODAY!!

American Idol fans will get to interact with the Top 10 finalists today, Sunday, June 20 at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT.. Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox along with other finalists including Casey James and Didi Benami will answer questions from their fans.

This audience - American Idol finalist’s talk is being organized as a promotion for the American Idol live tour starting off on July 1 at Detroit.


Fans will get an excellent opportunity to tweet their questions to #IdolsLive. The audience has a chance to get an answer to all their queries regarding American Idol and its contestants.

The first live chat held with Tim Urban, Katie Stevens, and Michael Lynche drew more than 100,000 live responses from engaged fans. The second featured Aaron Kelly, Andrew Garcia and Siobhan Magnus. Tickets for the Idols Live Tour are for sale.

American Idol Live! Tour 2010 Tickets are NOW on Sale!!! Get them HERE!

The Top 10 finalists Aaron Kelly, Andrew Garcia, Casey James, Crystal Bowersox, Didi Benami, Katie Stevens, Lee DeWyze, Michael Lynche, Siobhan Magnus, and Tim Urban will hit the road this summer on the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2010.

See Crystal Bowersox LIVE!!

America’s #1 show will make 51 stops this summer at a mix of top arenas and amphitheaters across North America giving fans a chance once again to catch their favorite Idols performing live in a town near them. The Live Nation promoted tour begins on July 1st in Detroit and runs through September 14th in Pittsburgh. For the full list of locations.

Simon Fuller, creator and executive producer of American Idol stated, “We are all looking forward to this year’s American Idol Live! Tour. This is always one of the highlights of the year. Each of the Idols have the chance to meet the people that voted for them and perform at incredible venues all over America, another special moment in their developing careers.”

When Harry met Casey ... and Lee and Crystal and Michael and Aaron

American Idol Season 9 Top 5 perform the music of Frank Sinatra, with mentoring by Harry Connick Jr.
It's not every day you walk into the "American Idol" studio and find Harry Connick Jr. at the piano, but that's where the jazz legend was, dressed Monday casual in a baggy white button-down and loose black pants, walking Big Mike through his big-band arrangement -- one that Harry himself came up with -- and making sure the Top 5 contender was comfortable with the twists and turns of a Sinatra song. Judging from the fist bump at the end, it was all good.

It's Ol' Blue Eyes week, which means it felt a little like a Christmas rom-com and a lot like "When Harry Met Sally" on Stage 36. Only this was when Harry met Lee, and Casey, Crystal and Aaron, along with the aforementioned Michael Lynche. Truth be told, Harry Connick is one heck of a multi-tasker. Not only did he orchestrate all the parts of each individual song, but he also played conductor, cheerleader and vocal coach.

The process, however, was pretty much the same. Each contestant got at least three run-throughs plus an instrumental to sing along to sans amplification, with musical director Rickey Minor looking on from the judges' table. The band, which includes nine string players, 13 brass and one drummer, looks like it was put together by HCJ. And as we previously reported, no one is allowed to play an instrument this week.

How did that pan out? Kind of nicely, I must admit. Without the weight and obstruction of a guitar, however minor, it seemed as though the Top 5 opened up vocally -- like they got more power, volume and reach with that little bit of extra air. Or maybe that's just confidence taking control. After all, it's been a couple of months of high-stress competition.

And how was Season 9's guitar golden boy Casey James handling the adjustment? "We'll see," he said with a hint of skepticism, then explained how he'd come to terms with what he "signed up for." Meaning, he's not driving this well-oiled machine. Nevertheless, Casey was pleasantly surprised by this new guitar-less sound. "Walking around sounds different," he enthused in a moment of self-discovery. Leave it to stage manager Debbie Williams to chime in with a very important message for Casey: "You know who we should fix you up with? Kellie Pickler." As if Casey needs help in the dating department. Really, Debbie.

We kid, but in all seriousness -- someone's gotta go every week. This is what Casey James was explaining after mentioning our shiva for Siobhan. That's right, the guy in the bottom two was trying to console me. I'm not sure if that meant he'd resigned himself to the possibility that Tuesday is his last night or whether Casey was just speaking the truth, but I liked the way he ended his thoughts: "Well, you have two more days to mourn." And: "What matters to me me is what happens after the show." He's wiser than he even realizes...

Speaking of smarts, Aaron Kelly's got some, otherwise how would he have made it to the Top 5? With his sleeves rolled up (as always) and his schoolwork out of the way, he was down to big-band business and what he does best: belt. Last week, I asked him about hitting the "money note" -- that big sustain at the end of every one of his performances. "It's not that I'm trying to show off," he explained, "it's what feels right for the song. Sometimes, I feel like it's gonna be boring if it doesn't have a big, grand ending." And going one step further in proving he's Season 9's David Archuleta, little Aaron dutifully hugged everyone within arm's reach (Crystal, vocal coach Debra Byrd, Fox staffers etc.), vintage Archie style. No wonder he keeps getting all those votes!

As for our front-runners, needless to say, Lee and Crystal handled their starring turns with aplomb, even if somewhat fidgety without their instruments. So instead of the strum, it was the snap, which seems all too appropriate considering the genre du jour. Lee was especially thumb-happy and also looking quite chummy with Mr. Connick, while Casey, who held onto his microphone for dear life, was simply starstruck. "I'm not even alive right now, it's like I'm in a dream," he said while watching Harry have his way with a Hammond organ.

To that end, expect a little New Orleans groove in Tuesday's episode (it is, after all, Harry Connick's hometown), as evidenced by Crystal and Rickey Minor's impromptu twirl at the base of the stage while Lee sang his heart out. Similarly, Lee and Casey both stood at attention while Crystal ran through her Sinatra number. But even with only 30-some people in the room, the show's last girl standing garnered the loudest applause from this influential focus group. Next stop: final four.

-- Shirley Halperin
L.A. Times, American Idol Tracker

With Crystal Bowersox & 3 other Idols sporting new ink, Season 9's Top 6 talk tattoos

Life offstage had a theme this week and it was new ink. With a rare day off (which Siobhan Magnus described as "like, a big deal"), four of six Season 9 contestants took advantage of the me time and visited a Hollywood tattoo parlor on Friday night. Naturally, we had to ask what inspired the four to mark the occasion and also posed a question to Casey and Aaron, who sat out the inking: What would they put on their sleeve at this moment in their lives?
Crystal Bowersox: Sporting fresh ink on her left wrist -- a beautifully illustrated gadfly-like twist on the classic medical symbol with a syringe down the middle and the words Type 1 Diabetic written across the top, Crystal said she got the tattoo because she is a "diabetic for life" and also "because I am really horrible about wearing medic ID bracelets and necklaces." But beyond practical purposes, Crystal says it sends a message to others and serves as a reminder to herself. "It's important now being in the position that I'm in," she explained after Tuesday night's show. "I have a responsibility to take good care of myself. There's lots of little kids out there with juvenile diabetes who need to take care of themselves, and they need a good role model." As for the art itself, she proudly declared, "I designed my own thing."

Siobhan Magnus: Ever the jokester, Siobhan first tried to convince us she had Michael Lynche's and Lee DeWyze's names written on her butt cheek, leaving "room on the other side for everybody else.... I'm sorry I can't show you," she said with a hilariously straight face. But in all seriousness, she couldn't show us the roman numeral IX she had stenciled on her "hip area," but she could explain the digit's significance: "It's been a really good number for me," said Siobhan. "I was 19 years old when I tried out in 2009 for season 9. And the more I think about it, then the more nines come up. Like memory vomit -- I was 9 years old when I figured out I loved to sing, and I was born in 1990, I could go on and on...."

Michael Lynche: Big Mike's gigantic guns both got new decoration. On his left arm, three stars, each about 3 inches tall. On his right: the word "Dream" in script. "They're healing up good," said Mike. "I'm just into reaching for the stars, you know? As silly as it is, I'm reaching as high as you can go and just dreaming big dreams. I'm sure all of us want to be stars. It resonates in my spirit, so I put it on my arm."

Lee DeWyze: Fans first spotted Lee's adornment at a "Shrek Forever After" screening over the weekend. Lee explained the symbol: "I got a silhouette of the Chicago flag ... (because of) everything that's happened to me there, and that's where this all started for me."

Casey James: When it comes to future tats, the wheels are already turning in Casey's mind. One of which, he teased, involves "a symbol from a movie" on his arm. He later 'fessed up: it's a Star Wars thing, which he'll share with his brother and cousin. "I've got a few (tattoos) drawn up that I'm getting when I go back home," said Casey. "My brother has one on his arm that's my initials on music bars, and I'm going to get his, which is BC."

Aaron Kelly: Though he's now one year closer to 18, Aaron's mother would likely not approve of a tattoo on her little guy -- even if it said "Mom" -- but if he were to go under the pen? "I'd probably go (with something) like Siobhan's," said Aaron. "But she did a roman numeral IX and I'd probably get the (number) 9 for season 9 of American Idol."

SOURCE: Shirley Halperin, LATimes.com