Tag Archives: janell-wheeler

Joe Munoz Doesn’t Blame Screen Time For ‘American Idol’ Exit

‘Other people didn’t get screen time at all, and they got through,’ he says. By Katie Byrne Jose Munoz performs on Wednesday’s “American Idol” Photo: Michael Becker/ FOX Joe Mu

‘American Idol’ Castoff Janell Wheeler Is ‘Nashville-Bound’

‘I definitely heard a lot of us having pitch problems,’ she says of rocky first week. By Katie Byrne Janell Wheeler on Wednesday’s “American Idol” Photo: Fox Janell Wheeler had a standout moment during Hollywood Week when she sang a stripped-down version of Estelle’s “American Boy” and played her acoustic guitar. Unfortunately, she left the guitar at home for her performance of Heart’s “What About Love,” getting the boot Thursday night along with Tyler Grady , Ashley Rodriguez and Joe Mu

Ashley Rodriguez Says ‘American Idol’ Judges Were ‘Throwing Punches’

‘A lot of people thought they would be a little lenient, considering it was our first live show,’ eliminated contestant says. By Katie Byrne Ashley Rodriguez and Didi Benami on “American Idol” Photo: Micelotta/ Getty Images Before the live “American Idol” episodes kicked off this week, Ashley Rodriguez was shaping up to be the season-nine diva. She tackled songs by Alicia Keys, Beyonc

American Idol Makes First Four Cuts

Sheryl Crow once crooned that “the first cut is the deepest.” For American Idol last night, the first four cuts were the most erroneous. Let’s analyze each below: Joe Munoz over Tim Urban?!? The latter might be cute, but did you see the look of shock on his face after Ryan told Tim he was safe? Did viewers really do Urban a favor by keeping him around and ensuring his weak vocal skills will be torn apart again and again until America comes to its senses? Tyler Grady over Jermaine Sellers?!? We weren’t fans of Grady’s 1970s-inspired gimmick, either. But he made a great point (which Simon acknowledged, if you read his lips) about the judges selecting him for the semifinals… but then jumping all over him for the same schtick that got him there. It would have been nice to have seen if Tyler had more to offer going forward, especially compared to the over-emotional nonsense that Sellers through our way this week. Janell Wheeler over Haeley Vaughn?!? Yes, Wheeler chose the wrong song. She’s not a rocker. But Vaughn comes across like some sort of frightening, dressed-up doll. She just looks awkward on stage and her rendition of “I Want to Hold Your Hand” wasn’t strong. Ashley Rodriguez over Lacey Brown?!? Brown was really bad and Ashley is really good looking. Come on, voters! At least we got to see Allison Iraheta and Kris Allen perform. And at least we can still look forward to Crystal Bowersox, Didi Benami and others next week. But this was a poor start for the viewing public. Did you agree with who was sent home? As you ponder that question, check out a few photos below from the first results show of season nine:

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American Idol Makes First Four Cuts

Kris Allen Sings ‘Let It Be’ On ‘American Idol’ For Haiti

Song will be available on iTunes with proceeds going to earthquake relief. By Gil Kaufman, with additional reporting by Jim Cantiello Kris Allen Photo: MTV News Last year’s “American Idol” champ, Kris Allen, paid a return visit to his old haunt Thursday night (February 25) to discuss his recent trip to earthquake-ravaged Haiti and perform on the show without being judged for the first time since his surprise win last year. Allen visited Haiti last week with the United Nations Foundation, and upon his return, he recorded a cover of the legendary Beatles ballad “Let It Be,” which he performed Thursday in front of footage from his trip. “There’s a lot of devastation, a lot of destruction … but there’s a lot of hope, there’s a lot of organizations there that are building things back, and I think it’s going to be better than it was,” Allen said about the conditions on the island. One of the big concerns now, Allen said, is the upcoming rainy season. “The rainy season is actually bad, because it comes, and there’s not a lot of shelter now, and the shelter they do have is not very waterproof,” he said. “And with water comes diseases and all that stuff, it’s really bad. So they need a lot of help, for sure.” Allen’s performance of “Let It Be” was immediately available on iTunes after the show, with all proceeds going to Haiti relief. Viewers were also encouraged to go to AmericanIdol.com to make credit-card donations or to text the word “Idol” to 20222 and reply “yes” when prompted to donate $10. Over footage of the destruction in Haiti and his time spent helping children on the island, Allen stood in a stark spotlight center stage, strumming his acoustic guitar and singing an emotional cover of the iconic rock ballad to the accompaniment of a grand piano. Before taking the stage, Allen talked to MTV News about how he hit upon covering the Beatles classic for the project. “It was actually because we were looking through [my] album and we were like, ‘What song could we sing?’ We can’t sing ‘Live Like We’re Dying,’ ” he explained of the single from his debut album. “And I didn’t feel like I connected with anything else that would inspire people to give something. … So I was like, ‘What can I do that would be moving to somebody?’ And my friend Cale [who played piano with Allen during the performance] actually was like, ‘What if you did “Let It Be?” ‘ I feel like it would be a really moving kind of thing.” Allen said the song has always touched him, whether it was the 1970 original from the band’s final studio album or the version in the 2007 Beatles tribute movie “Across the Universe.” “That song has so much power,” he said.

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Kris Allen Sings ‘Let It Be’ On ‘American Idol’ For Haiti

‘American Idol’ Boots Tyler Grady, Janell Wheeler, Ashley Rodriguez, Joe Munoz

Kris Allen and Allison Iraheta also stop by results show. By Gil Kaufman Tyler Grady on “American Idol” Thursday Photo: Fox After one of the roughest first rounds in “American Idol” memory , voters appeared to get it right with the initial four eliminations of season nine. Though a few of the shakiest competitors from the debut week of live performances lived to see another day — think Tim Urban and Katie Stevens — Thursday night (February 25) marked the end of the road for Janell Wheeler, Ashley Rodriguez, Joe Mu

American Idol: Attack of the Five Foot Women [Recaps]

Well, America’s favorite shining whirligig finally got to whirling and gigging last night. Though for a big “Here are your choices, America!” debut, it certainly wasn’t very graceful, was it? Actually, it was kinda downright urgly. First let’s talk about the thing that all of America cared about six months ago and now no one remembers, because everyone is so tired of the noise, all the noise in the world, that they chose to forget it: L’Ellen DeGeneres is judging the show! And last night was her first live episode. Was she hilarious? A terrible disaster? No. She was earnest and boring. She was nice like Paula, but without the drunken fishmouth flopping. And she said words that don’t really mean anything, like Randy except without all the guttural hooting and raping of Princess Toadstool. Guys, maybe I missed it, but she didn’t even dance . Isn’t that what L’Ellen is famous for at this point? Dancing like a Southern white gay lady in her 50s? I’m pretty sure that’s what she is famous for these days. Look, I love her and often find her funny, but she’s been on autopilot with that talk show for years and now her Idol debut was like waking up and seeing that it’s a sunny day in March and so you go outside and, aw nuts, it’s just a little bit colder than you thought it was and you actually do need a coat and it’s still pretty much winter. Boo to that. Sad things happen to sad people. And American Idol viewers are, one hundred undoubtable percentage points, sad people. Moving on! There was a great boom and a crackling sound and a fissure opened in the skies and out of it skittered twelve women-creatures, all wriggingly writhing things with snakes for hair and ugly big gems for eyes. There were short ones, tall ones, ones with mossy brown teeth, ones with mouths that yawed open to the size of the pit of Tartarus, ones that shrieked and caterwauled and turned our ears into mushy blood orange pulps, a cluster of dead nerves like a coral reef ruined by divers. What I’m trying to say is that they were kinda bad. I mean weren’t they? I was all keyed up from Lost and dying to move onto the Olympics, so I already had hate in my heart for having to watch the show at all, but I think even if I was objective, they woulda been bad. And WTF was with this show being two hours? Twelve people sang songs that were a minute long. That’s twelve minutes of singing, on a TWO HOUR show that is supposed to be about singing. I know that ” American Idol doesn’t respect our time!” is the oldest groan in the book, but it’s just still so fundamentally, brain-hurtingly true. Thank goodness for DVR. I sincerely have no idea how anyone could possibly watch this show without that magic technology. OK, enough of a preamble. Let’s cut into this roast beast. The Good Crystal Bowersox is good. I mean, she is a good singer and looks proper with a guitar. But fuck man. Nothing else about her is terribly likable. Her robust voice kind of sidewinded into prickly pear Joanna Newsom territory last night, which is fine for Club Passim, but not for American Stinkbag: A New Musical . On American Stinkbag: A New Musical most folks are looking for big bellowing notes and blinding white teef. And Boomerslacks has neither of those things. I wish she was just quietly making a quiet name for herself in some city, like Austin or something, instead of peddling her wares on Ryan Tinklywinkly’s Dream Machine . Though, I suppose the indie club scene wouldn’t really pay for that kid she’s got. Something I diiiid loooove about her was when Simon was all “That wasn’t original,” and she said “But we’re not allowed to do original stuff on this show.” Boom shakalaka, Simon. Boom, and then later, shakalaka. Although, his reply that she could do some completely rando song, Dave Bowie or something, and make it original sent that shakalaka boomeranging back to ol’ Blunderbloomers up there on stage. Who else? Oh, you know. Didi Bel Ami or whatever her name is did a fine impersonation of the lady that sings that song that goes “The wayyy that Iiiii love youuuu” and is about Rogaine or something. Is that Duffy? Oh, no. Google tells me that it’s someone called Ingrid Michaelson. Well, hi Ingrid. You’ve now been imitated on American Idol by someone named Didi Idi Amin. Katelyn Epperly, who skated a beautiful dance on Monday, was surprisingly not shitty! I thought she’d be one of those pretty randos who stinks butts but lingers on because she has honey-blond good looks that all the straight dudes who are forced to watch the show like, nudging their girlfriends or wives or daughters to vote for her. “Yeah, uh, who’s that one with the curly hair? Yeah, she wasn’t bad. You should give her a vote. Yeah. Her.” OR SOMETHING. I have no idea how anyone could watch American Fartpants: A Songbook and find it sexy. It is the least sexy show since Picket Fences , and that was a profoundly unsexy show. The Bad Everyone else! I wish I was kidding. Everyone else biffed it hard. Michele Delamor? More like Dela snore , amirite? That old witch lady with the gray hair that’s cousins with Will -‘o-the-Wisp? I liked her in the Hollywood Week episodes, but not last night. The interchangable Siobhan/Lacey contingent? I just fell asleep writing that sentence. You know what was annoying? When Siolacey tried to create A Moment by singing Chris Isaak. No, chille. Just no, honeypot. Pretty blonde girl number two Janell Wheeler wasn’t awful , but can you picture anyone having the following dialogue: “Hey are you going to the big Janell Wheeler rock concert down at the music arena?” “Oh I wish, but that concert has been sold out for weeks!” “Rats.” “Phooey.” No. You can’t. Because no one ever would or will. No one is going to that Janell Wheeler rock concert, even if it’s down at the riverfront bandshell on a breezy summer night and you’ve got Lonnie Dinkins, the cutest boy at Washington High, on your arm. It’s just not happening. Ashley Rodriguez? I can’t even talk to you. I’m so disappointed. Boring as sin, and just not even that good in a technical sense. Sigh. Paige Miles? I don’t even know who you are. They Want This Girl To Win I Think Katie Stevens. Girl can blow, to use Randyian parlance. But she’s not that cute and she seems a bit smarmy, doesn’t she? Like some producer pulled her aside as said “It’s you, kid.” I know everyone’s all into the teen phenoms these past few millennia, but I just don’t see it with this Stevens child. Plus: she’s from Connecticut. And, as I learned yesterday while reading about American Hamburg: How My Grandfather Says ‘Hamburger’ , no one from the Northeast has made it to the finals since your wife Justin Guarini made it there on the first year. People from up here just don’t vote with the same kind of state pride. Jasmine Trias? All of Hawaii put down their birth certificate forging machines and voted for her over and over and over again. They set up call centers. People in Meriden are not going to set up call centers. Anyway. Please Kill It Can we talk for a second about Haeley Vaughn? In your years on this Earth, have you ever encountered something as irritating as the thing that is Haeley Vaughn? I really can’t stand that thing. It is so manufacturedly cheery and bright and American and ohhhh god, Taylor Swift is slowly going to ruin teenagers, isn’t she? I really profoundly dislike this Haeley Vaughn thing. Its mouth opens sooooo big that I worry it is trying to eat me through the HD television. It also can’t even sing that well. It just sort of warbles and yodels and figures that if it works for Swift, it’ll work for it. I don’t know where it came from (what’s that? Fort Collins? of course) but I would like it taken away now please. Waiter, there’s a Snork in my variety show. I’m not sure I have anything else to say to you today about American Flapjacks: Music’s Last Stand . I’m sorely disappointed by the ladies this year and just don’t know if they can do anything to make it up to me. And the gents? Ohh fuck the gents. There’s no Adam Lambert this year or beautiful Krissy Allen. There’s just a bunch of Chikezies and one prettier Sanjaya . Oh and Greg Brady is going to be gracing us with his Johnny Bravo musical stylings. So. Aren’t you excited for that? OK. Sleep tight. Don’t let the Haeley Vaughns bite. Ohadflafjds;afdfd. I’m so scared of it and hate it.

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American Idol: Attack of the Five Foot Women [Recaps]

Crystal Bowersox vs. Janell Wheeler: Semifinalist Showdown!

Do you sense a theme early on season nine of American Idol ? The show is highlighting young women on guitars, possibly aiming to find the next Taylor Swift. Not exactly a misguided idea. Two of the female contestants that have advanced to the semfinals and made a stong impression on viewers are Crystal Bowersox and Janell Wheeler. The former can seriously rock a harmonica, while the latter was admittedly a bundle of nerves in Hollywood, but got the green light from all four judges anyway. Consider the futures of these aspiring stars and vote below… Who will advance farther on American Idol? Earlier today, we also compared semifinalists Andrew Garcia and Todrick Hall. Sound off on these hopefuls chances right now , as well.

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Crystal Bowersox vs. Janell Wheeler: Semifinalist Showdown!

Idol Chatter: Kara DioGuardi Stands Up for Ellen DeGeneres

As recounted in our American Idol rundown from last night, we thought Ellen DeGeneres made an outstanding debut as a judge. She was fresh, funny and didn’t try to overshadow the contestants. From most of what we’ve read online, almost all television critics agree with that assessment. So we found it odd that Kara DioGuardi spoke to E! News today and defended her new cohort from attacks on her Idol premiere, attacks we weren’t aware existed. “How it’s edited and what you see is very different from my experience,” Kara said . “I remember just thinking she was very funny and critical and had heart… It’s edited in a specific way. It has to be. It has to be about the contestants.” The sentiment is nice, but it’s hard for DioGuard not to come across as condescending, considering how many viewers don’t like her very much. Kara added that it was impossible to compare Ellen and the woman in whose seat she occupies. “Paula and Ellen [are] completely different, and I think they both bring something valuable to the table… It’s something that takes time to get used to, and I think [Ellen] did an incredible job for her first time there.” So do we! So do most people we’ve talked to. In closing, DioGuardi said “I would love to see a girl win” and, based on one night of Hollywood auditions, she may get see that hope come true. Didi Benami, Crystal Bowersox, Haeley Vaughn and Janell Wheeler all stood out this week. What did you think of Ellen as a judge?

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Idol Chatter: Kara DioGuardi Stands Up for Ellen DeGeneres

Janell Wheeler: From Orlando’s Got Talent to American Idol

She was only featured for 20 seconds on the American Idol Orlando audition episode. But those were a gorgeous 20 seconds. Florida native Janell Wheeler sang “House of the Rising Sun” in front of the judges and impressed them with her vocal range and good looks. We don’t mean to be shallow by including the latter, but let’s face it: beauty helps. Wheeler is a sales representative from Tampa. She won Orlando’s Got Talent and describes her music as “country, pop, soul, glam, fun.” The 24-year old also says she loves the ocean. Will viewers love her in Hollywood? Check out her audition below and decide for yourself. Janell Wheeler Audition

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Janell Wheeler: From Orlando’s Got Talent to American Idol