ldyjocelyn Posted March 3 Report Share Posted March 3 al.com ‘American Idol’ rivals Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken share a meal in Alabama, ahead of dual tour Quote ‘American Idol’ rivals Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken share a meal in Alabama, ahead of dual tour Published: Mar. 03, 2023, 1:55 p.m. Ruben Studdard, left, and Clay Aiken acknowledge fans during a curtain call for "Ruben & Clay's First Annual Christmas Show" on December 11, 2018, at the Imperial Theatre in New York City. (Photo by Walter McBride/Getty Images) By Mary Colurso | mcolurso@al.com Two “American Idol” veterans, Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken, were spotted in Alabama this week, dining at Joe’s Italian in Alabaster. The restaurant — which specializes in pizza, pasta and other hearty Italian fare — posted a photo of the two singers Thursday night on its Facebook page, saying, “Looky Looky, Looky who joined us for dinner tonight .... @Ruben studdard and Clay Aiken @american.idol.winners.” Studdard and Aiken became inextricably linked in the public’s consciousness in 2003, when they took first and second place on “American Idol” during one of the reality show’s most popular seasons. Studdard, an R&B crooner from Alabama, and Aiken, a pop singer from North Carolina, vied for the “Idol” title with good humor and easy camaraderie, drawing fans to the series in droves. When Studdard took the crown that year and performed his emotional coronation ballad, “Flying Without Wings,” Aiken was right beside him, cheering him on. It’s unclear why Studdard and Aiken are spending time together in Alabama, but the two singers, now 44, have stayed in touch over the years and maintain a cordial friendship. They’ve performed together on occasion and starred in a Christmas show on Broadway in 2018. Also, Studdard and Aiken are planning to tour together this spring, marking 20 years since their time together on “Idol.” The tour starts on April 12 in Troy, New York, and ends May 16 in Wausau, Wisconsin. The agenda includes a half-dozen dates in the South, including a May 7 show at the Oxford Performing Arts Center in Alabama. (Tickets are $29-$55 via the venue’s website.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruben Studdard, left, and Clay Aiken acknowledge fans during a curtain call for "Ruben & Clay's First Annual Christmas Show" on December 11, 2018, at the Imperial Theatre in New York City. (Photo by Walter McBride/Getty Images)
ldyjocelyn Posted March 6 Author Report Share Posted March 6 news10.com Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard discuss reunion tour, Troy concert Quote Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard discuss reunion tour, Troy concert by: Cassie Hudson Posted: Mar 6, 2023 / 07:28 AM EST Updated: Mar 6, 2023 / 07:52 AM EST SHARE TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – After two decades of friendship, Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken are going on tour this spring. The two American Idol stars are kicking off their 20th anniversary reunion concert tour in Troy at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on April 12. During the tour, they’ll be singing all the songs you know them best for, as well as new collaborations. They also plan to share a lot of behind-the-scenes stories from their time on American Idol. “Ruben and I were both 24 when we were on the show, so in some ways – maybe you feel differently – it’s kind of almost hard to know what life was like pre-Idol,” said Aiken. Tickets are still available for the show. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling (518) 273-0038. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHARE TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – After two decades of friendship, Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken are going on tour this spring. The two American Idol stars are kicking off their 20th anniversary reunion concert tour in Troy at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on April 12. During the tour, they’ll be singing all the songs you know them best for, as well as new collaborations. They also plan to share a lot of behind-the-scenes stories from their time on American Idol. “Ruben and I were both 24 when we were on the show, so in some ways – maybe you feel differently – it’s kind of almost hard to know what life was like pre-Idol,” said Aiken. Tickets are still available for the show. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling (518) 273-0038.
ldyjocelyn Posted March 10 Author Report Share Posted March 10 southcoasttoday.com 'American Idol' contestants to celebrate 20 years together at The Zeiterion on April 14 Quote 'American Idol' contestants to celebrate 20 years together at The Zeiterion on April 14 Seth Chitwood Standard-Times Video Additionally, he performed in several stage productions, including “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Ain't Misbehavin'.” His latest single "Change Me" was released in 2019. He also teaches master classes and course at institutions such as at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. In 2009, Studdard visited New Bedford to meet contestants of New Bedford Idol at the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center. “American Idol was one of the most fond memories of my life,” he said. “Why it's good to have both of us (Aiken) in the room together, is because we can bring up and recall things that the other one doesn't remember.” He also has his own foundation, The National Inclusion Project, which works to help disadvantaged and disabled children. “I think that we're in a moment right now where people love the “Night Court” reunion reboot, they love the “Will and Grace” reboot. I think we are looking for, as people, as a society, things that are comfortable and safe,” Aiken said. “What both Ruben and I want the most to do with the show is sort of bring back that fun, safe, warm feeling, we want people to feel that nostalgia when they come to the show.” Remembering their time on ‘American Idol’ Season 2 of “American Idol” continues to be the most watched season to date for the series. The 2003 finale had a record-breaking 40 million views on Fox. Neither of them watched the show until recently when preparing to do the show. “We didn't really even watch it then because we were on it. It was live,” Aiken said. “It's just been really kind of magical to relive what we experienced 20 years ago,” Studdard quickly added. Aiken recalled being scared to death during his first live episode. “I remember being behind the big screen as we're walking around and thinking, oh my god, I'm so nervous,” he said. “I was thinking my stomach was going to like fall out of my rectum.” Suddard said he didn’t start to feel the nerves until he was recognized by fans while in a bar in Atlanta with his brother. “It just blew me away. It just didn't click to me that this show is everywhere,” he said. What to expect on April 14 Aiken and Studdard will be performing several songs during their performance such as “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” while also telling stories about their “American Idol” experience. Working this week on the second act, Aiken said they have so many songs and stories they’ve been struggling to cut it down for time. “I think people are coming because they want to get that behind the scenes information that they wouldn't have gotten just from watching us 20 years ago,” Aiken said. “Listen, we're gonna be doing some amazing music, have a good time, tell some great stories and who doesn't like a good time? Who doesn't like a party? “It's a celebration. It's the 20th anniversary of me beating Clay!” Studdard said with a big laugh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldyjocelyn Posted March 15 Author Report Share Posted March 15 abccolumbia.com American Idols Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken discuss concert coming to Newberry Quote American Idols Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken discuss concert coming to Newberry American Idols Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken are coming to the Midlands as for their 20th Anniversary Reunion concert tour. 14 hours ago Miya Payton NEWBERRY, S.C. (WOLO) – American Idols Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken are coming to the Midlands as for their 20th Anniversary Reunion concert tour. 20 years after American Idol Season 2, Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard are heading to Newberry. The two artists say their lives changed overnight after the show and often look back on their journey in disbelief . “I have those moments often and it usually comes in the form of being on stage with someone I used to idolize – like when I got to go to Japan and sing on stage with Natalie Cole or when I got the chance to tour with Boys II Men,” says Studdard. “We both were not the type of folks that you would expect to be the biggest pop stars. I was a hot mess from Raleigh, N.C. and Ruben was this sort of quiet, big guy from Alabama,” says Clay. American Idol season two finale continues to be the most watched episode. “We remind people all the time. I tell them I’m the reason and the prep-work,” says Clay. Ruben and Clay will be appearing as mentors for this season of idol competitors. “You tell them the things that could have derailed you in your success, you can see some of the mistakes that you’ve made that could have kept you from but the grace of God kept you from being in the position you’re in,’ says Studdard. While Clay plans to bring some of Simon’s attitude to this season. “Simon prepared us for a real world in the music industry that’s not always going to tell you you’re wonderful.” The duo is inviting you to join them at Newberry Opera House. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldyjocelyn Posted March 15 Author Report Share Posted March 15 lowerbuckstimes.com Ruben Studdard & Clay Aiken hitting Xcite Center next month Quote Ruben Studdard & Clay Aiken hitting Xcite Center next month The ‘American Idol’ season 2 stars talk 20 years of friendship and more in this exclusive interview BySamantha Bambino, The Times March 14, 2023 Two decades of friendship: American Idol season 2 alums Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken are hitting Parx Casino’s Xcite Center on April 28. Source: Submitted Photo It’s hard to believe that 20 years have passed since Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken stood side-by-side on the American Idol stage, anxiously waiting for Ryan Seacrest to crown the winner of the competition’s second season. Two decades later, Studdard and Aiken are a little older and a little wiser, yet ultimately, not much has changed. These unlikely buddies have not only maintained the friendship formed during the grueling Hollywood Week, but they’re still sharing the stage together. On Friday, April 28, at 8 p.m., they’re bringing “Twenty | The Tour” to Parx Casino’s Xcite Center for an evening of nostalgia and celebration of their American Idol season’s 20th anniversary. Ahead of the show, The Times caught up with Studdard and Aiken, who are thrilled to reunite for this momentous occasion. “I feel absolutely and extremely blessed to have reached this milestone,” said Studdard. “To have the opportunity to celebrate one another, to celebrate with the fans that gave us the opportunity to do this, it’s just great.” “It’s surreal to realize that it’s been 20 years,” said Aiken. “There are not many people, period, that get to keep performing and having people buy tickets 10 years after their first album or hit. To be able to continue to do it 20 years later, it’s surreal.” After coming out victorious on American Idol, Studdard has been on the road consistently, including on the “Ruben Sings Luther Tour.” Aiken, on the other hand, isn’t a big fan of tour life … unless he’s able to do it with his friend. The two embarked on the “Timeless Tour” to celebrate their Idol season’s 10th anniversary, and also had their own Broadway show in December 2018. Once COVID calmed down, Studdard knew they had to partner up again. “Maybe it’s just God’s will that every 10 years, we say, ‘Hey, here we are.’ So be on the lookout for the 30th anniversary,” said Studdard. “If I’m still around,” joked Aiken. “There’s only one person who’s been able to get me on a stage in the past decade, and it’s been Ruben both times. It’s very easy to work on stage with Rube. We’ve known each other for 20 years. We do finish each other’s sentences sometimes. Performing together, you have to trust somebody because when you’re up on stage, if I drop a line — which I never do *laughs* — but if I were to, Ruben would pick it up and vice versa. There’s something nice about going out and performing with a friend, so this was an easy thing, to celebrate 20 years and do it with my brother Ruben.” So how did this pair — an R&B singer from Birmingham, Alabama and a nerdy vocal powerhouse from Raleigh, North Carolina — become so close? According to Aiken, they remember the story a little differently. “We met in Hollywood Week during the first round where everyone came after they got their Golden Ticket. We stayed at the Glendale Hilton and on our evenings off, sometimes the contestants would socialize and get to know each other. And being the ‘ladies man’ that I am, I had a whole bunch of girls hanging out with me at the bar. And Ruben being the real ladies man that he is, noticed that I had all these ladies hanging out around me and he was impressed by my skills,” said Aiken, unable to keep a straight face. “OK, fix it, Ruben.” “I was intrigued by the young person that had so many young women around him at the bar and I decided to go speak to them, to the table,” said Studdard. While it’s unknown if any numbers were exchanged with the female contestants, Aiken and Studdard found in each other a friend for life. There was no cutthroat-ness regarding American Idol, but they did — and still do — often battle about who hails from the better state. “We became strangely competitive over that, not over singing,” said Aiken. “I don’t wanna make Ruben feel bad, but Alabama’s got two American Idol winners, and North Carolina has three American Idol winners. But it’s OK, Rube, you’ll get there eventually.” This sort of banter — along with some memorable songs from their Idol days and respective careers — is exactly what people can look forward to at the upcoming Xcite Center show. “Just come expecting to have a good time,” said Studdard. “We built this show in so many ways to recapture that 2003 energy and excitement. It was not just instrumental and a turning point in both of our lives, but I think in a lot of viewers’ lives,” said Aiken. “It was so exciting for people to gather around the TV with their family on Tuesday and Wednesday and see who was gonna sing what and who was going home. We want to return to those simpler times. It’s the kind of show that you can and should bring your grandparents to, your mothers, fathers and children. It’s going to be full of nostalgia and stories, and hopefully a lot of magic that people loved back then.” While both Studdard and Aiken admitted to not being regular viewers of American Idol (it’s far too stressful to watch the show since they know the inner workings of it), they provided some advice for the next generation. Above all, they highlighted the importance of staying true to oneself. “Just be authentic. I think the one thing that’s really cool about Clay and I is that we were able to be our absolute selves on American Idol,” said Studdard. “Just be you. It’s good enough.” “We all came in exactly as we were,” agreed Aiken. “I walked into my audition with my puka shell necklace and Ruben walked in with his jersey T-shirt. People, I think, were attracted to the authenticity of Idol and especially the authenticity of our season. Neither one of us were the types of people who were being put on TV as singers prior to that show. I like to believe that people could see themselves in this guy from Birmingham and this kid from North Carolina. I think that’s why it was a hit. Our friendship developed because of that, too. We were both excited to be there, a little bit dumbstruck and pleasantly surprised that we were able to be accessible and stick around as long as we did.” “First of all, my shirts were cool, just to be clear…,” responded Studdard. If you go: Catch Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken’s “Twenty | The Tour” on Friday, April 28, at 8 p.m. at Parx Casino’s Xcite Center, 2999 Street Road, Bensalem. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are still available at parxcasino.com/bensalem/xcitecenter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldyjocelyn Posted March 15 Author Report Share Posted March 15 charlotteobserver.com Quote Why Clay Aiken is done with politics but can’t quit touring with ‘Idol’ pal Ruben Studdard BY THÉODEN JANES MARCH 15, 2023 10:51 AM Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken, who were 24 years old when they became two of “American Idol’s” biggest stars, are starting to sound an awful lot like a couple of old men. Or, at least, like a couple of middle-age men. It escalated quickly: As they settle onto a Zoom call — for an interview to promote their 20th-anniversary reunion concert tour, which stops in Cary on April 29 and Charlotte on May 4 — Aiken mentions that Studdard is squeezing this in between music courses he teaches at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where the former “Idol” champ is a full-time faculty member. So, one naturally has to ask Studdard if his students are aware that he won the show back in 2003, when it was the most-watched show on television in Amer — “They have absolutely no idea who I was. No,” says the now-44-year-old Studdard, cutting off the questioner. They weren’t born, were they?” chimes Aiken, also 44, who was Season 2’s runner-up. “Maybe.” “They were not born,” Studdard continues, shaking his head and closing his eyes. “I have one student who is an older gentleman in my class, and he’s the only person that knows about ‘American Idol.’ He’s a veteran, so he started school late. But the rest of them have absolutely no idea. They couldn’t care less.” Then, he adds, as a smile blooms on his face: “I actually did a lesson one day on the show, so that they could understand who I was.” “It’s a little bit depressing,” Aiken concludes, though he’s now smiling, too. “We actually realized a week or so ago that we were now, currently, older than Simon and Paula were when we were on the show, when they were critiquing us,” referring to former “Idol” judges Cowell and Abdul, then 43 and 40, respectively. In case you’re wondering, Studdard has put out seven albums since “American Idol,” but none since 2018. Aiken recorded six albums in the nine years after the show, but zero since “Steadfast” was released 11 years ago. They’ve evolved in ways fans might not have expected. Studdard has shifted much of his focus to higher education. Aiken, a UNC Charlotte alum and Raleigh resident, mostly retired from the entertainment biz and unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Congress seats representing N.C. districts in 2014 and 2022. One thing that hasn’t wavered, however, is their going-on-two-decades-old friendship. And in fact, the “Twenty Years | One Night” tour represents their third major collaboration as pals who like to perform together, having also done a loosely similar road show in 2010 and a Christmas show on Broadway in December 2018. Studdard and Aiken spoke with The Charlotte Observer recently about their close relationship and how it (and Aiken getting fed up with politics) birthed this new tour, while also reflecting on “Idol’s” good-old days. The conversation has been lightly edited. Q. So I was in my late 20s when you guys were on it, and “American Idol” was obviously a huge deal back then. I stopped watching probably after Season 11. Its power and influence over pop culture seemed to be changing. I mean, that show just felt different in those earlier seasons. You guys obviously still have a connection to the show. I saw that you’re both gonna be on this season’s finale. Does the show feel different now? Studdard: When I go back there — and I’ve been back a lot — I feel like an elder statesperson. And that’s not a bad thing. But it is interesting, because I remember when we would go back early on, and you kind of still felt like a contestant. Then as I got older, it starts to feel like you’re everybody’s uncle. I mean, these people, their parents are our fans. ... Their parents were the ones that voted for us. Not the contestants. But we still have a lot of information to give (as guest mentors). The show, still, is pretty similar. It’s run kind of the same way. So, I think that Clay and I are an invaluable resource to Fox. Aiken: It’s on ABC now, Ruben. Studdard: Oh, ABC — sorry. Not Fox. ABC. Aiken: See, that’s how much it’s changed over the years! But you know what? The fact that it has changed networks speaks to its permanence in American media. I mean, I’ve compared it — maybe wrongly — but I’ve compared it to Miss America in the past. Miss America used to be the thing you expected every year. Still is going on, obviously. “Idol” is sort of that. I mean, Kelly Clarkson was Miss “American Idol” 2002, Ruben Studdard “American Idol” 2003. And so on. I’ve always said they should do it (by number) — “American Idol 21,” or whatever. I went back this year, myself, to mentor, and had almost exactly the same experience as Ruben. In fact, one of the girls who I was mentoring, her mother had waited in line to audition with me in Atlanta. She didn’t make it through. She went and had a wonderful life, and children, and one of those children, who she had well after she stood in line with me, is now on “Idol” this season. It was hilarious. Kind of depressing. I mean, he’s right: We are elder statesmen when we go back, in a way. But it’s amazing how much the industry has changed. Back when we were on, (the format was) text message or call in to vote. Now it’s on the computer. The contestants audition on Instagram, they audition via Zoom, like this. So it’s a different show. But what it continues to do is what it did for Ruben and I. It allows young people to change their life, it allows them to dream. I don’t know if I’ve told you this story, Ruben, but when I went back to the Hollywood Week this year, as I was waiting to be checked in to the hotel, there was a young contestant who was showing up for Hollywood Week at the desk next to me. He had a guitar on his back and he was talking to the lady at the counter, so excited — “Oh, yeah, I’m here, today’s such and such, and then tomorrow we’re gonna sing, and then if you make it through you get to” — he was telling her about how it goes, and I had this crazy flashback to when we checked in for Hollywood Week ourselves. I checked in, and I’m sure I did the same conversation with the lady at the Glendale Hilton. I checked myself into the Glendale Hilton, and that was probably the last time I checked myself into a hotel for a decade. And I thought, as he was standing there, this could be the last time he has to check himself into a hotel. His life could change after this week, in the same way ours did. At that Glendale Hilton. I got chills thinking about it, how much potential “Idol” has to do that for kids, to let ’em hope and dream that they can be the next Kelly Clarkson, or Ruben or Clay. Q. Speaking of the show changing people’s lives: When you think back to your experience in 2003, can you pinpoint a moment when you actually had a feeling that your life was going to change? Studdard: I knew it was about to be different when I was in the room with Clive Davis (then chair and CEO of RCA Records). I knew the music business. I knew about Clive. A lot of people go to “American Idol” not really knowing the behind-the-scenes people. But I remember, very vividly, seeing Clive Davis on “Entertainment Tonight” maybe a couple of months before I auditioned. He was introducing Alicia Keys on “Entertainment Tonight,” and I said to my roommates: “I’m gonna meet him one day.” And I remembered that moment as soon as I walked in that hotel when we all were on camera meeting Clive Davis. I was like, Man! I told these people last year I was gonna do this, and I’m actually doing it. So that show, man, the amount of access that we had to people like Lamont Dozier, Gladys Knight, Verdine White — those are people with huge careers that we were able to get to glean little bits of knowledge from, and that is invaluable. Aiken: But did you know it when it was happening? Did you realize it while it was going on? Studdard: I understood the gravity of the meetings. Aiken: I don’t think I did. When it’s happening, everything around you is moving. We worked so hard. We were on that show every day. Our day off was the day we shot the Ford commercial. That was the only day we didn’t have to worry about the show. It wasn’t until probably several years later when I looked back and realized, Holy crap. I am in Sweden right now. I mean, things moved so quickly that it took awhile after the first album cycle — maybe into the Christmas album for me (November 2004’s “Merry Christmas With Love”) — that I finally was able to see this was not a flash in the pan. This was not just a summer camp experience — something we do, and then we go home and it’ll go back to our normal lives. We never went back to “the normal life.” Q. Can you talk about expectation versus reality, as it relates to what you thought the future held at the time? I mean, I imagine a 24-year-old who wins a show like “Idol” envisions the albums and the tours, some fame and some fortune, like you guys have had. But Ruben, right now you’re also teaching college music courses. Clay, you tried to enter politics on a large scale. Do you think, if not for the show, that you guys would have gone in these sorts of directions? Studdard: Well, I was gonna be a teacher anyway. When I left Alabama A&M (in 2000), slightly prior to finishing my degree in music education, I promised my mom if I didn’t make it in five years, I would go back to school. Literally three years to the day I told my mama that, I won that show. And I was sweating bullets, ’cause I was like, Man, I’m gonna have to go teach. And now look at me. I’m teaching! My mom thinks that is the most hilarious thing. Even now, she’s like, “Before you and Clay go on the road, I’m coming to UTC. I gotta come sit in your class and watch you, ’cause you said you were never gonna be in nobody’s classroom.” (Editor’s note: Studdard did go back to school, eventually earning a master of arts degree from Alabama A&M University.) Aiken: I wonder if that means that we always are destined for what we’re destined for, regardless. Because if we could find my mom’s old IBM PS/1 from 1992, you would find posters that I made on Print Shop of me running for Congress. Of what my sign would be. I was fascinated by it. My eighth-grade class project was to interview and write an article about somebody who you admire. And I hunted down Terry Sanford, who had just lost his Senate race, and I interviewed him, and wrote my story about him. So it’s interesting that we both, in a way, ended up in similar places to where the “middle-school us” thought we might be. I would say this: I may have tried to run for Congress had it not been for “Idol.” But I never would have been able to. I mean, granted, I wasn’t successful. But I never would have been as successful as I was — or had the ability to even do it — had it not been for “Idol.” Ruben, I don’t know; maybe you would have been teaching, but maybe not at a great college like you are. Studdard: I was just enamored with my arts teachers. Everybody that taught me something in the arts, they were all my favorite teachers. Even to this day, they are still some of my favorite people in the world. And I wanted to be that version of that for some child. That was my dream — to be that, for somebody else. Q. But you both still have some sort of itch that needs to be scratched when it comes to being on a stage, right? Aiken: Ruben’s itch for performing has never gone away, and may never go away. Mine definitely went away, but strangely has returned, and I’m kind of pumped for it now. Q. So whose idea was this tour? Studdard: I think that we both discussed the possibility of it for years. Aiken: Yeah, we toured together in 2010 and really enjoyed it, and realized we’d like to do something together again. I’m the one who said “no” for a while, because I took the detours that I took. We went back and did a show on Broadway in 2018 together, largely because I went out and saw Ruben’s “Ruben Sings Luther” show and caught the bug again — told my manager, “OK, I really want to perform with him again. Let’s figure something out.” So we did a Christmas show on Broadway that year. But Ruben was very helpful to me in both my campaigns. He’s the only person in the entertainment world who came out and supported me in both of them. He came out to this one in Durham last year, and this one did not go the way I wanted it to. So when the campaign ended, I just decided, F--- politics. They’re not helping anybody. Neither side. And I just had this realization that I felt great about myself when I went and saw Ruben sing, and people enjoyed our Christmas shows, maybe if I actually want to help people, maybe the better thing to do is shut up about politics — because they’re all full of s--- — and instead just go and sing, and do something happy. I mean, Ruben had always been saying, “We should do something.” And after the campaign was over, one of the first calls I made was to say, “OK, let’s do it. I’m done with this crap forever! Let’s go sing.” https://youtu.be/c_c-PTjz4f4 Q. What’s are the differences between this tour and the one you guys did together in 2010? Studdard: Honestly, the tour is probably gonna look a little similar. Probably in some ways much better, because we have more technology, more things that we can do now that we couldn’t do 10 years ago. We have less people. I know that for sure, because technology has given us the opportunity to travel with less people. Also, the setlist is fire, fire, fire. If you like old-school music, you gonna have a good time at our show. We leanin’ into our childhood to play the ’80s and ’90s. We’re giving ’em the best of ourselves in those eras right there. Aiken: There is old-school music. We’ll still do some stuff that we both recorded also. But our “Timeless” tour was a little more regimented. We started in the ’60s and we worked our way through decades of music. I think this show is a much more authentic and real look at both of us — as people, and as fans of music. Because it was created based off of really just a natural jam-session-type conversation. We sat down in Birmingham with our music director, and Ruben and I just talked about our memories of 2003, and “Idol,” and the things that he loved about it. From each of those stories that we were sharing with each other came musical moments that were very natural. I just love the way this show was put together, because it was so organic in its development. People are going to have this opportunity to really reminisce and have the nostalgia of 2003, and re-live that magic. They’re gonna get to know us in ways that maybe they haven’t in the past. And I think why we perform very well together is that we trust each other on stage. If one person goes left, the other goes left, too. We trust each other, and that makes performing so much easier with each other. I’ve been backstage at “Idol” in years after ours where I could literally hear people trying to trip the other one up. That never happened with our season. We’ve never really been competitive with each other. In the entertainment world, a lot of times people need to be number one, or number two. We joke about that all the time. But neither one of us necessarily feels the need to have more solo lines than the other, or sing more songs than the other. We enjoy performing together. We put on whatever we think is the best show. Now Ruben’s gonna remind you that he won and I lost. Studdard and Aiken both laugh. RUBEN STUDDARD AND CLAY AIKEN IN CONCERT When and where: 7 p.m. Saturday, April 29, at Koka Booth Amphitheatre (8003 Regency Pkwy.) in Cary and 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 4, at Knight Theater (430 S. Tryon St.) in Charlotte. Tickets: Starting at $35.50 for the Cary show, and $24.50 and up in Charlotte. More details: www.rubenandclay.com. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldyjocelyn Posted Saturday at 04:24 PM Author Report Share Posted Saturday at 04:24 PM billboard.com Seven ‘American Idol’ Finalists to Return As Mentors During Season 21’s Hollywood Week: Exclusive Quote Seven ‘American Idol’ Finalists to Return As Mentors During Season 21’s Hollywood Week: Exclusive "Having a mentor in Hollywood Week is something we've always wanted to explore," executive producer and showrunner Megan Michaels Wolflick says. By Fred Bronson 03/24/2023 AMERICAN IDOL American Idol will continue to honor the series’ long history by inviting seven past finalists to mentor season 21’s contestants during Hollywood Week, which begins airing on ABC on Sunday, April 2. The returning Idols are Justin Guarini (season 1), Clay Aiken (season 2), Jordin Sparks (season 6), David Archuleta (season 7), Phillip Phillips (season 11), Catie Turner (season 16) and Noah Thompson (season 20). “Having a mentor in Hollywood Week is something we’ve always wanted to explore,” executive producer and showrunner Megan Michaels Wolflick tells Billboard. “We usually have over 150 people come to Hollywood Week, so it’s hard to have one mentor talk to everyone individually. I thought, ‘Who better to mentor on the Hollywood experience than people who have actually been through it.’ Jordin Sparks always speaks so well about this. She feels that Hollywood Week really was a perfect training ground for the music industry, all baked into that week. There’s no one better to mentor this week than people who have been there, and now that we can pull from 20 years of Idols, it was incredible. The people who came back this year were so excited to do it.” Explaining how this year’s Hollywood Week will be revamped, Michaels Wolflick says, “In the past two years in the ABC era, we’ve done this genre challenge. We would say, ‘Okay, you’re rock. You’re pop. You’re soul/R&B,’ and it was becoming less relevant, because a lot of the finalists were telling us, ‘I’m pop-soul.’ ‘I’m country-rock.’ There was a blurred genre thing going on. So I thought we should explore something else. “This year we gave all the contestants one of three areas that they wanted to work on: confidence, songwriting or stage presence. It was my challenge to pick two people who would be applicable for confidence. Clay Aiken and David Archuleta were total confidence. Both of them came in second place, and it was funny because when we were first talking to them about it, they said, ‘I still don’t have all the confidence.’ I told them, ‘Yes, but you have more than you came with.’ For the songwriting category, we had Catie Turner and Phillip Phillips, who are both songwriters in their own right. Both of them in their respective seasons brought an artistry to the show that maybe we hadn’t seen. And for stage presence, we have Jordin Sparks and Justin Guarini, two people who commanded the stage in their own way and still do.” The seventh mentor is last season’s winner, Noah Thompson. “He gave some motivational speeches and was able to talk about his experience from last year. I can’t tell you how many people auditioned this year inspired by him. His friend Arthur signed Noah up [to audition], so we had a lot of people secretly signing people up, which was really cool.” Addressing the legacy of 21 seasons of Idol, Michaels Wolflick says, “I think American Idol is now like the NFL, where people train their [whole] lives to come on the show. It’s now bigger than a TV show. It’s something you can aspire to be a part of — young singers are born every day.” As proof, the 15-year-old contestants on the current season were born during Idol’s seventh season, when Archuleta was competing on the show. Michaels Wolflick, who joined the Idol production staff in season 2, says, “If you come on the show, you’re part of the American Idol alumni. You are part of our history. This show has changed lives in so many different ways. When David Archuleta makes news, it’s picked up everywhere. Even though he was on the show in 2008, people still have a passion for him. The investment is real. Carrie Underwood knows to this day when she’s playing to full arenas, there might be a good portion of these people who voted for her. There’s a special connection that all of the alum have to the show. They like to give back to these people who are coming in and the people who are coming in love to talk to them.” Michaels Wolflick revealed to Billboard that more Idol alums will be returning during this 21st season, including the winner of season 2. “Clay and Ruben [Studdard]’s finale was on May 21, 2003. They’re going to come back and perform on this year’s finale, 20 years to the day.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMERICAN IDOL American Idol will continue to honor the series’ long history by inviting seven past finalists to mentor season 21’s contestants during Hollywood Week, which begins airing on ABC on Sunday, April 2. The returning Idols are Justin Guarini (season 1), Clay Aiken (season 2), Jordin Sparks (season 6), David Archuleta (season 7), Phillip Phillips (season 11), Catie Turner (season 16) and Noah Thompson (season 20). “Having a mentor in Hollywood Week is something we’ve always wanted to explore,” executive producer and showrunner Megan Michaels Wolflick tells Billboard. “We usually have over 150 people come to Hollywood Week, so it’s hard to have one mentor talk to everyone individually. I thought, ‘Who better to mentor on the Hollywood experience than people who have actually been through it.’ Jordin Sparks always speaks so well about this. She feels that Hollywood Week really was a perfect training ground for the music industry, all baked into that week. There’s no one better to mentor this week than people who have been there, and now that we can pull from 20 years of Idols, it was incredible. The people who came back this year were so excited to do it.” Explaining how this year’s Hollywood Week will be revamped, Michaels Wolflick says, “In the past two years in the ABC era, we’ve done this genre challenge. We would say, ‘Okay, you’re rock. You’re pop. You’re soul/R&B,’ and it was becoming less relevant, because a lot of the finalists were telling us, ‘I’m pop-soul.’ ‘I’m country-rock.’ There was a blurred genre thing going on. So I thought we should explore something else. “This year we gave all the contestants one of three areas that they wanted to work on: confidence, songwriting or stage presence. It was my challenge to pick two people who would be applicable for confidence. Clay Aiken and David Archuleta were total confidence. Both of them came in second place, and it was funny because when we were first talking to them about it, they said, ‘I still don’t have all the confidence.’ I told them, ‘Yes, but you have more than you came with.’ For the songwriting category, we had Catie Turner and Phillip Phillips, who are both songwriters in their own right. Both of them in their respective seasons brought an artistry to the show that maybe we hadn’t seen. And for stage presence, we have Jordin Sparks and Justin Guarini, two people who commanded the stage in their own way and still do.” The seventh mentor is last season’s winner, Noah Thompson. “He gave some motivational speeches and was able to talk about his experience from last year. I can’t tell you how many people auditioned this year inspired by him. His friend Arthur signed Noah up [to audition], so we had a lot of people secretly signing people up, which was really cool.” Addressing the legacy of 21 seasons of Idol, Michaels Wolflick says, “I think American Idol is now like the NFL, where people train their [whole] lives to come on the show. It’s now bigger than a TV show. It’s something you can aspire to be a part of — young singers are born every day.” As proof, the 15-year-old contestants on the current season were born during Idol’s seventh season, when Archuleta was competing on the show. Michaels Wolflick, who joined the Idol production staff in season 2, says, “If you come on the show, you’re part of the American Idol alumni. You are part of our history. This show has changed lives in so many different ways. When David Archuleta makes news, it’s picked up everywhere. Even though he was on the show in 2008, people still have a passion for him. The investment is real. Carrie Underwood knows to this day when she’s playing to full arenas, there might be a good portion of these people who voted for her. There’s a special connection that all of the alum have to the show. They like to give back to these people who are coming in and the people who are coming in love to talk to them.” Michaels Wolflick revealed to Billboard that more Idol alums will be returning during this 21st season, including the winner of season 2. “Clay and Ruben [Studdard]’s finale was on May 21, 2003. They’re going to come back and perform on this year’s finale, 20 years to the day.”
ldyjocelyn Posted Saturday at 04:28 PM Author Report Share Posted Saturday at 04:28 PM abc7.com Jordin Sparks, Clay Aiken, Phillip Phillips and more return to 'Idol' as mentors for Hollywood Week Quote Jordin Sparks, Clay Aiken, Phillip Phillips and more return to 'Idol' as mentors for Hollywood Week 'Idol' brings back its best to mentor contestants during Hollywood Week. By Evan Wyno and William Escobar Friday, March 24, 2023 6:12PM Familiar faces from previous seasons talk with On The Red Carpet about making their return as mentors for aspiring singers during Hollywood Week. LOS ANGELES -- "American Idol" continues it's 21-year celebration of amazing talent and remarkable entertainment. Familiar faces from previous seasons talk with On the Red Carpet about making their return as mentors for aspiring singers during Hollywood Week. Season 5 winner and returning mentor, Jordin Sparks is thrilled to be back as a coach for an all-new group of passionate and talented singers. "I can help with certain things, I can assess certain things and also just encourage them to be who they are so, I'm very excited to be back here." David Archuleta recalls his experience 15 years ago as a contestant. "You feel the pressure, there's like a lot of just this thickness in the air. People are excited but mostly nervous and it's just kind of an awkward place to be," the Season 7 runner-up explains. "So that's why it's like nice to be like, hey it's OK you can get through this and be a little bit of a relief to everybody." Like Archuleta, former Season 16 Idol contestant, Catie Turner shares her feelings about the stress of Hollywood Week. "Suddenly you get to Hollywood Week and your whole view of what your world is, is just crumbled 'cos you have a ton of people. Everyone is insane and you somehow have to deal with stress, self-doubt while still sounding good an um making friends," Turner said. "It's a lot at once and you and you're sleep deprived. It is insane. It is like singing bootcamp." In addition to the stress of Hollywood week, Season 1 runner-up, Justin Guarini talks about his ability to channel nervous energy into something positive. "There's just a couple of little tweaks that can take them from being good to great. What I love to do in my job is to say, hey, take that pressure take those nerves - either let's get rid of them, leave them aside or let's use them," Guarini said. "So, I just love to take the energy and shift it and take their attention off the "I'm not good enough" and focus it more on being present and connecting." For Season 2 runner-up Clay Aiken, returning to the show that launched his career is an unforgettable experience. "When we checked in last night to the hotel, here right next to us there was a kid who is checking in, who is a contestant and it reminded me that yeah, I had to get here and check myself in, by myself that day," Aiken said. "It's almost in a way sort of the last moment of innocence really was that the beginning of Hollywood Week because after that it all took off and it's been like that for 20 years." Phillp Phillips is grateful for being an "Idol" mentor. "This is my first time ever coming back as a mentor," the Season 11 winner said. "I feel like it's going really well, just talking, just communicating with these contestants. It's been fun and it was really cool honor for them to ask me. So yeah, hopefully we all get to learn a little bit of something this week." Watch "American Idol" Sundays on ABC at 8/7c. Hollywood Week starts Sunday, April 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Season 5 winner and returning mentor, Jordin Sparks is thrilled to be back as a coach for an all-new group of passionate and talented singers. "I can help with certain things, I can assess certain things and also just encourage them to be who they are so, I'm very excited to be back here." David Archuleta recalls his experience 15 years ago as a contestant. "You feel the pressure, there's like a lot of just this thickness in the air. People are excited but mostly nervous and it's just kind of an awkward place to be," the Season 7 runner-up explains. "So that's why it's like nice to be like, hey it's OK you can get through this and be a little bit of a relief to everybody." Like Archuleta, former Season 16 Idol contestant, Catie Turner shares her feelings about the stress of Hollywood Week. "Suddenly you get to Hollywood Week and your whole view of what your world is, is just crumbled 'cos you have a ton of people. Everyone is insane and you somehow have to deal with stress, self-doubt while still sounding good an um making friends," Turner said. "It's a lot at once and you and you're sleep deprived. It is insane. It is like singing bootcamp." In addition to the stress of Hollywood week, Season 1 runner-up, Justin Guarini talks about his ability to channel nervous energy into something positive. "There's just a couple of little tweaks that can take them from being good to great. What I love to do in my job is to say, hey, take that pressure take those nerves - either let's get rid of them, leave them aside or let's use them," Guarini said. "So, I just love to take the energy and shift it and take their attention off the "I'm not good enough" and focus it more on being present and connecting." For Season 2 runner-up Clay Aiken, returning to the show that launched his career is an unforgettable experience. "When we checked in last night to the hotel, here right next to us there was a kid who is checking in, who is a contestant and it reminded me that yeah, I had to get here and check myself in, by myself that day," Aiken said. "It's almost in a way sort of the last moment of innocence really was that the beginning of Hollywood Week because after that it all took off and it's been like that for 20 years." Phillp Phillips is grateful for being an "Idol" mentor. "This is my first time ever coming back as a mentor," the Season 11 winner said. "I feel like it's going really well, just talking, just communicating with these contestants. It's been fun and it was really cool honor for them to ask me. So yeah, hopefully we all get to learn a little bit of something this week." Watch "American Idol" Sundays on ABC at 8/7c. Hollywood Week starts Sunday, April 2.
ldyjocelyn Posted Monday at 06:47 PM Author Report Share Posted Monday at 06:47 PM billboard.com Seven Returning ‘Idol’ Stars Talk Mentoring Season 21’s Contestants Quote Seven Returning ‘Idol’ Stars Talk Mentoring Season 21’s Contestants Justin Guarini, Clay Aiken, Jordin Sparks, David Archuleta, Phillip Phillips, Catie Turner and Noah Thompson tell Billboard about coming home to the show that made them famous. By Fred Bronson 03/27/2023 Season Five of ABC's "American Idol"Eric McCandless/ABC/GI Hollywood Week takes a new twist this Sunday (April 2) when seven American Idol finalists from past seasons return to mentor the season 21 contestants during what is famously a grueling and challenging period. Executive producer and showrunner Megan Michaels Wolflick invited Justin Guarini (season 1), Clay Aiken (season 2), Jordin Sparks (season 6), David Archuleta (season 7), Phillip Phillips (season 11), Catie Turner (season 16) and Noah Thompson (season 20) to return to Idol to lend their expertise in three different areas: confidence, songwriting and stage presence. Justin Guarini was the very first runner-up, coming in second to Kelly Clarkson in season 1. He is just starting work on his seventh Broadway show and is the author of the book Audition Secrets. He teaches actors and performers about confidence and how to successfully audition. Clay Aiken has run for Congress twice and will be touring the U.S. with Ruben Studdard, commemorating the 20th anniversary of their season 2 finale. Jordin Sparks, the winner of season 6, has graced the Broadway stage in Into The Heights and is working on a new album. David Archuleta has consistently recorded and toured since he was the runner-up on season 7, and made national headlines in 2021 when he came out as gay. Phillip Phillips’s season 11 coronation song “Home” is considered to be the best of all the winners’ initial singles; his new album will be released this summer. Catie Turner has gone from season 16’s quirky songwriter to pop song perfectionist and has a new single out now. Noah Thompson won last season’s competition and has been touring and recording new material since then. He will open for Luke Combs on the country star’s upcoming tour. Billboard spoke to the returning seven to find out about their latest experience of coming home to Idol. The seven of you competed on Idol anywhere from 20 years ago (Justin Guarini, I’m looking at you) to one year ago (that’s you, Noah). What was it like, emotionally, to be on the Idol stage once more? Photo : ABC/Eric McCandless Justin Guarini: It feels like a reunion every time I come back because of that core group of people that was there in the beginning, like (senior supervising producer) Patrick (Lynn). I’ve done a lot of work with Megan [Michaels Wolflick]. I feel so blessed to have been a part of Idol from its inception and to have seen it grow from that little, tiny postage stamp of a stage to this international juggernaut. I always look forward to coming back and it was very special for me because there are contestants this year who weren’t even born when I was doing the show. I’m able to take everything that American Idol gave me over the past 20 years, everything it gave me access to, and come back to help the next generation of performers potentially achieve what I have been able to achieve, or more. It speaks to the power of the show and the power of the gift that it was to my life and my career. I love that when [the new contestants] came in, they were so open and eager and ready to learn and grow and work. That is a testament to Idol itself for choosing the right kind of performers with the right kind of mindset, but also to the performers themselves for really coming into it with the desire to serve and to do their best and to really give as much as they can of themselves. Clay Aiken: It was surreal. It’s a very different beast than when I was there. We have this really close relationship with the production staff. It was a very small, tightly knit group 20 years ago. Now it is a well-oiled machine, but it is so enormous that going back was shocking to me. There were a number of contestants on the show who were not born when I was on Idol. I kept saying to people that it’s like I imagine Miss America 1940 must feel if she is still alive. Everybody knows what the brand is, what it means and how important it is, but so many people didn’t experience it 20 years ago — at least the [current] contestants. Jordin Sparks: It was really fun for me. It’s always a full circle moment to come back to the place where you started. I was able to be a mentor last season as well and it was really fun to be able to step into that role. I’ve been asked a lot of times over the years like, “Would you want to be a judge?” At the beginning of my career, I thought, “No, I still have a lot to learn.” But I love the mentor role. I love being able to come in and give whenever I can. Since it has been 16 years, I’ve learned a lot and I feel like there’s a lot that I can give and that I can say to help these other contestants at the start of everything. David Archuleta: Going back does cause a bit of anxiety. It triggers all those feelings of working hard and worrying if you’re good enough for everyone and if people are going to judge you. But returning as a mentor was healing because I understood where the new contestants were coming from. That goes a long way when you feel understood by someone else when you’re in a high stress situation. And it was great to see the other mentors. I was looking at Clay and Jordin and thinking that these people had such an influence on me. They motivated me to get through hard things and give my best in singing and performing. Then I realized the contestants were looking at me the same way that I am looking at Clay and Jordin, because I’m standing right next to Clay and they’re asking me to give my advice. It was surreal and exciting. Phillip Phillips: I’ve been back a few times and I always get this sense of stress, especially for Hollywood Week. These contestants are super talented, amazing vocalists and some of them had some really well-written songs. I was there to help them steer whatever story they’re trying to tell. I told them you have to be honest, speak what’s on your mind and do it in the most creative way possible. It was super fun to see all the familiar faces. They were such a big part of my life during that time. I had never flown to a different state. I had never experienced anything like that. I was from a smaller town and so I’ll always remember them. It’s like family. You might go years without seeing each other, but it’s just a huge part of my life and I’ll always have them close to me. Catie Turner: Whenever you revisit Idol you feel exactly how you did the first time, so I almost time traveled back to being 17 and I was so full of wonder and awe. It was strange in this particular instance where I have to be a mentor and give advice because apparently, I am wise enough to do so, but I was getting nervous for the first round of Hollywood Week. I had a song in my head, I thought, “I need to practice.” I’m sizing up the competition. Once a contestant, always a contestant. It never leaves you. Noah Thompson: I was shocked they asked me to come back and be a mentor, considering I was the kid who came into this competition without a clue of what was happening. It was an honor to talk to these kids. A lot of them had similar backgrounds [to me]. Not only that, they’re scared to death. They got thrown into it by parents, friends or whoever. I looked in their eyes and knew what they were feeling. I told them not to worry about the cameras. Don’t focus on the camera crew and everything going on around you. Just enjoy your time. If there was something I could’ve told myself when I was there, it would’ve been, “Enjoy it more and make more friends.” What was it like to be a mentor instead of a contestant? Photo : ABC/Eric McCandless Justin: I had an absolutely awesome time mentoring because it really is one of my most favorite things to do. Besides performing on stage, besides doing all of it, I love taking people who are about to break through and let them discover the things about themselves that will help them to stand out. Clay: I have a son who’s almost 15. There were contestants who I mentored who were 17, 18 and 19, so I had a paternal instinct and compassion for some of these kids more than I ever would have thought I would have. I’ve heard (former mentor) Bobby Bones say that it felt like therapy when he was the mentor, and in a way, it is. I worked with a lot of kids on confidence. If you want to be successful on Idol or any performance realm, you have to be able to project a certain degree of confidence. We’re attracted to those folks who are confident or at least can make us feel that way. So I told them, “You have to find that confidence or you have to find an ability to fake it.” When I was on that stage 20 years ago, I didn’t really have it, but I did learn how to fake it. So I really felt like a parent talking to some of these kids about that. I’m not a crier, but my heart was warmed quite a few times, let’s put it that way. Jordin: The whole experience of mentoring was a blast. Normally you sit across from somebody and ask them a few questions, but this was more intensive. There were categories and I got to do stage presence, which I love. Right away you can tell if somebody is very nervous on stage or if they’re comfortable, if they have only been doing it for a little while and if they’re holding things back. It was really fun to talk them through some of those things as well as to just see them perform. I love hearing new voices. I love seeing the hunger and the wonder in their eyes and it was really special for me to be on the other side of that because I remember being where they were, standing there thinking, “This is so crazy, and I can’t believe that this is happening to me and everything could open up for me if all the variables line up.” David: I wasn’t sure how I was going to mentor. I had done some judging for local competitions, but to be at American Idol where I got my recognition and where my career took off, nerves always come when I go back to that world and that stage. To be able to go back and mentor the current contestants, I felt like I was talking to my younger self when I was 16 and 17 on season 7. It was therapeutic for myself, but also it was so nice being able to understand how the contestants were feeling. I helped them do affirmations and some breath work and helped them find that confidence in themselves, helping them feel connected to themselves so their heart can fully come out and that they can connect with the audience because that makes you feel confident up there. I feel like that’s the most essential part of being in a competition like American Idol. Phillip: Most of them came in with a song that they had written. I sat there uncomfortably with all the cameras and listened to their songs, because I still get uncomfortable with cameras. I tried to help them figure out a better melody or explore different parts of their vocal ranges. I remember this one young girl, she was 15. She went to the piano and was incredibly talented. I didn’t start writing songs until I was about 17 and 18, and if she wrote all that by herself, she’ll do very well. I said that she might win it just from that song. When I started writing songs, I didn’t know how to write a song. I was just writing it because some chick hurt my feelings and it made me feel good to write it down. That’s where it has to start. Once you start really learning how to write a song, it actually becomes difficult because you start second-guessing yourself in some ways. “Maybe I can do it better that way.” Sometimes you just go with what you were originally going with and keep on the right track. Catie: I have never mentored before, unless mentoring friends through bad relationships counts. It was challenging because a lot of these contestants walked in and I thought, “You don’t need me. Why am I giving you advice? You’re killing it.” It was so hard to find little things I could give them pointers on because they were so good. Songwriting is so subjective to each and every person. There’s not a universal rule of what good songwriting is. So I was struggling to find what to say and eventually I got the hang of it. I realized I actually could say some things of substance. I did not know I had that in me. Under pressure, you will surprise yourself. How would you compare this season 21 Hollywood Week to your own? Photo : ABC/Eric McCandless Justin: When we first started, it was an age of innocence, because nobody knew what Idol was. And yet I saw people who didn’t get the response they wanted during Hollywood Week [and they] would get bitter and be salty. But the kids who are doing it this year seem to be open, kind, loving, ready to work and have a vulnerability that surprised me, frankly, because when I did it, we didn’t know what to expect. We didn’t know what this thing was going to be. We didn’t know the possibilities. Now, after 20 seasons, people know exactly what the stakes are in Hollywood Week. They’ve seen season after season after season and they know what to expect and they know how to “put it on.” And yet the vulnerability that the kids that I worked with showed their willingness to just play full out and almost not care how they looked on the camera. It wasn’t about being on the camera. It was about, “I’m going to be fully present and open here and if I start to cry, then I start to cry. Whatever it is, I’m going to go all in on this and I’m going to be with you, Justin.” That to me was astounding, because it would be so easy to fake it and put it on and to do the things that the camera loves or that the judges will love or that the audience will love, and I just didn’t find that to be the case. Clay: I would guarantee that if you ask anybody from our season that question, they would say that we didn’t go to Hollywood. Our whole Hollywood Week was at the Alex Theater in Glendale, about as far away from Hollywood as you can get in Los Angeles County. This time, I checked into the hotel and there was a young guy with his guitar on his back and he was checking himself in and it was this sort of crazy déjà vu that I realized that 20 years ago I checked myself into the Glendale Hilton. So that was a really weird kind of cool moment for me to see this 18-year-old, perhaps like me at 23, the first time he’s ever left home by himself or flown on a plane and it could be the last time he checks himself in and his whole life could change this week. It was really cool to watch these kids starry eyed and full of hope. I made friends that week in Hollywood that I still have. I don’t even stay in touch with people from high school, but I stay in touch with people from that week in Glendale, even those who did not make it into the top 32 that I still am friends with. So I told them all to savor the week and to savor the experience and that they would have friends for life from that opportunity that so few other people get. Jordin: The similarity is that it’s a big pressure cooker. You’re sitting around all these people and all of them are good and so you have to fight against your own mentality of believing in your talent, but also seeing that you have to step your game up because there are other people here that are just as hungry as you. One of the major differences is that we didn’t have mentors in our Hollywood Week. It was like boot camp. We’d be woken up at 6 a.m. but then we wouldn’t sing until 4 in the afternoon. It can be crazy, but you’ve got to put your best foot forward every time and you have to show that you can work with other people. Hollywood Week helps you prepare for the rest of the competition because once it goes live and people are voting for you, you have that one shot to do it and it’s make or break every time you step on that stage. I hope we helped ease a little bit of that pressure or that self-doubt that they could have. David: Bringing in previous contestants to encourage the [new kids] was a really neat element. I think it would have been nice to have that during my season, because it was almost like the people that were instructing us, they were trying to herd a lot of us and a lot of it was done just in a more aggressive manner, so it wasn’t very encouraging. It was more pressure inducing. I think I handled the mentoring as like, “What would I have liked to have heard? What is the counsel I would’ve liked to have had when I was in this position?” So I tried to be mindful of that. And again, it was healing because I felt like I was talking to little David. Catie: It was really cool understanding exactly how they’re feeling and thinking, “They’re so young. I remember those days.” It was a way more controlled environment. Though I’m super jealous that they have duets now. Maybe that takes some of the edge off of them in Hollywood Week, but I thought, “You guys don’t have to start harmonizing with people you just met. Come on!” Noah: My Hollywood Week was rough. I felt so out of place. The whole time, I was thinking, “What if I do this? What if I do that?” These kids are so talented. A lot of them definitely handled it better than I did, for sure. I’ve never mentored anyone. I never thought I’d be able to do anything like that. What does it mean to you to be a part of the American Idol family? Photo : ABC/Eric McCandless Justin: It’s a blessing. We all strive at the beginning of our careers to get our foot in the door and American Idol gave me the opportunity to get my whole body in the door — like get half of the body in the door so they can’t close it on you. So when I go back, it really is family because I know so many of the people who were there from the very beginning. And even though personnel has changed, the attitude has not changed. Megan has set a beautiful tone for the show and picked up where Nigel (Lythgoe) and Kenny (Warwick) left off and she has made it her own. And Patrick (Lynn) has gone from just starting out to making his own mark on the show. That I’m able to come back and do my small version of that is an honor. Jordin: My dad was in pro sports and when you see somebody else who is in it, there’s this recognition. You don’t even have to speak. It’s a “I know what you’ve gone through. I know what it took to get here” kind of moment and I feel that way with Idol alumni. I run into them all the time and only the few of us know what it was like to go through [it], to be standing up there on the stage and being voted for and never knowing what was going to happen and having to deal with Simon (Cowell). It’s beautiful to be a part of this group of creatives that are so amazing and have impacted music for the past two decades. David: I call American Idol the music business boot camp because it puts you through a rigorous schedule and introduces you to songs, arrangements, photo shoots, music videos, commercials, interviews, carpet events, touring and working with people in the industry. It literally takes you through everything. I was still in high school, so I was doing homework assignments in the middle of that. But it was like how people bond through high school or through military training. You bond because of the experience you’re sharing together and so I really do feel like it’s a special family. I still speak to David Cook. Brooke White reaches out to me all the time and so does Carly Smithson. I talk to Jordin Sparks, even though she was on a different season, and Melinda Doolittle and Kris Allen. Even though we’re in different places in our lives, we share that piece of time together that changed all of our lives in a very unique way. Only that group of people will understand because it is such a unique thing. Phillip: It’s a legacy that will always be around and I’m honored to be a part of it. So many amazing talents that have come from the show are absolutely killing it to this day. I do think Idol is different from all the other shows because they have built actual artists. Even the ones that haven’t won, some of them have been more successful than the others. Catie: It means everything. It is this amazing invisible force that unites all of us. On this season’s premiere episode, they honored [the late] Willie Spence and I never met Willie, but I was sobbing like I knew him, because there is this weird bond. You understand everything they’re going through and what it took to get to that point. You know the 17-hour days on the lot. You understand about going from nothing to something and all the emotions and that’s what I really loved about going back as a mentor, knowing that these contestants are going on the most wild ride of their life. Noah: The real Idol family thing comes into place around the top 24, because there’s so much going on with so many different contestants, it’s hard to speak with everybody. Right around the top 24, I started opening up more and talking to more people and getting to know everybody. All of the producers and the whole team make you feel at home as much as possible. Patrick Lynn taught me a lot. He has been around since the very beginning. He’s got a great heart. He’s a really good dude. He was the first person I met once I got there. Me and my friend Arthur were there and Patrick was just cracking jokes, and me and Arthur were dying laughing. We would not be having this conversation right now if you had not been on American Idol. How often do you think, "I would not be doing this right now if I had not appeared on Idol"? Photo : ABC/Eric McCandless Justin: I’ve done more cool things than most people will get to do in their entire careers because of American Idol. There will never come a day when I will want to deny that. You can’t buy that kind of publicity. Or you can, but it’s certainly well out of 99.9% of people’s budget. That’s why I always will jump at the chance to come back and work with kids and to be on the show itself. I believe so much in loyalty. I believe so much in remembering where you came from and certainly it is one of the biggest foundational elements of the career that I have today and will have for the rest of my life. Clay: Every minute. I don’t talk about my child in the press, but I wouldn’t have had a kid had it not been for Idol. Seasons 1 through 6, the show cast such a shadow. There was this belief that in order to be successful you had to distance yourself from Idol and I’ll be the first to admit that I was a part of that. But so much of my life would not have happened had it not been for Idol. I tried to run for Congress twice and still was “Clay Aiken from American Idol.” The show will always be bigger than anything I have done. Going back this season, I got to be a part of the journey of some kids who will likely have the same experience. Wait until you see this Hollywood Week episode. It is the funniest thing in the world. This girl speaks to me for the longest time. She’s telling me, “My mom auditioned whatever season Clay Aiken auditioned,” and here I am sitting right in front of her. It’s brilliant to be a part of that history. Books have been written and will continue to be written about American Idol and I’ll be a footnote in them, but that’s more immortality than most people get. Jordin: There are two answers to that question. Yes, I feel like I wouldn’t be in the space that I’m in and wouldn’t have been able to do the things that I’ve done in the past 16 years, but I do think on the other side of that that I would still be doing music. I have known since I was very young that it was what I wanted to do. I just didn’t know how it was going to happen and Idol absolutely 100% gave me that opportunity. I have an amazing fan base that I’ve had for the past 16 years. I’m grateful people still want to know what I’m doing, and people want still want to hear my voice. I was more excited to audition for the show then I was to get my driver’s license, so I’m very grateful to Idol. I wouldn’t be where I am today without it and with the fans that helped put me here. David: I feel like everything about my life wouldn’t have happened had it not been for American Idol. I don’t think I owe my life to the show, because every decision we make changes the outcome of where we get to and has influence on where we are. American Idol happened to be a decision I made that has influenced my life and it was the catalyst for starting my career, to be where I am, to have my audience, to have my fans. It’s been 16 years, but to this day people still recognize me from American Idol or the younger generation recognizes me from iCarly or Hannah Montana, which is funny because I only was on one episode of each of those. But people say, “I didn’t know you were a real person. I thought you were a made-up character.” But I’m super grateful for being on Idol and the opportunities it brought and how it shaped my career. Phillip: I think about this all the time. I was playing a lot of shows before Idol and I was planning to keep doing it and try to grind it all out, because I knew what it was like for people not to care about your music and I don’t think I would change anything. I was in a small town working at my dad’s pawn shop sometimes, playing tons of gigs and writing music. I wasn’t really caught up in all of the fame and glamor and I think that may be why people connected with me because it was just honest and real. I’m such a quiet person. I’m pretty private. I would definitely do it again because I wouldn’t have had all of these opportunities that I’ve been able to experience and have and friendships that I’ve made and places I’ve gotten to see. You go through some tough times. If you can make it out of there holding your head up, that’s what’s going to shape you and I wouldn’t change any of that either. I have a roof over my head, and I get to play music for a living. Not many people can say that, so I’m very thankful. Catie: All the time. Idol goes so deep that I met my first relationship at a post-Idol fan meet and greet and he voted for me. I started writing songs about that relationship and when he broke up with me, I thought, “I wouldn’t have written these songs if this guy didn’t break up with me.” My roommate is Maddie Zahm, who was on my season, and I live with her and I lived with Noah Davis. Idol is always present in my life and it’s why I love going back so much because I always want to acknowledge and honor the fact that I would still be in Langhorne just graduating college, not really knowing what I want to do with my life if it weren’t for American Idol. When you were competing on your season, did you ever imagine there would be a Season 21? Photo : ABC/Eric McCandless Justin: No. That was the blessing of that year, that season for me. We were so in the moment. Every single turn was a new adventure, like building the plane while you’re flying it. We weren’t influenced by expectations. We weren’t influenced by a precedent. It was just this wonderful adventure that we were making up and we were writing history but didn’t know it at the time. I think there’s something really cool and innocent and beautiful about that. Clay: I didn’t imagine in Season 2 that I’d make it to the final episode of the show. I have done my very best not to try to imagine anything that might happen in the future because I’m always wrong. Not a single one of us imagined that the show would lead to anything beyond just the experience of being on it nor could anyone possibly believe that the show would be the biggest hit of the 21st century. Jordin: I thought they would get 10 seasons. Then it went past 10 and then we had the big finale on Season 15 and they were saying, “It’s never coming back.” A year later they said, “Ha, ha. We were just napping.” I love that it’s still going and giving people the chance to live out their dreams. I think they should ride it until the wheels fall off. It’s a testament to how much people love the show and how everybody can watch it. I remember before I was on the show, after school we’d do our homework and then we’d all sit down together as a family. My grandparents, my parents, me and my brothers, we would all watch it. It’s still a show that everybody can bond over and get involved with. It’s a show that makes you happy. David: No, I had no idea. I thought maybe it’ll have a few more seasons, because I don’t know how long a competition like this can go for and how much it will command people’s attention, but here it is, continuing on 20 years later. Catie: No. During the earlier seasons, I was watching as a viewer. My seven-year-old self [wouldn’t have believed] this show is going to be one of the only constants in your life. I hope for it to continue and I’m secretly hoping it stays on long enough so I can come back again as a mentor. Finally, what are you doing now and what is next for you? Photo : David McClister Justin: I’m finishing up the last bit of my Star Code course. I’m teaching that live online. I also have a master class that I teach, which is a lead-in to that. And then I’m gearing up for what will be my seventh Broadway show, Once Upon a One More Time, which is opening in the summer. It’s a Britney Spears musical and I’ve been with it for five years and we are finally getting our due to come to Broadway and I could not be more excited. It is legitimately my most favorite role I’ve ever played, and it is going to be something where people come to it, they will laugh, they will cry and it will feel like they are watching the most kick-ass music video they’ve ever seen on Broadway. Clay: I semi-retired from performing nine years ago. In 2013 I said, “I’m going to step away from this.” And then in 2018 Ruben wanted to do something and we had an opportunity to do a Broadway show, so I came back and did that. And then I said, “Okay, dude. I’m not going to keep going.” And he said, “It’s our 20th anniversary. We’ve got do something.” I said, “Fine, let’s do it.” There’s nobody who could get me to come back and perform except for Ruben. I love doing that. We’re going to go out on our 20th anniversary tour, and it’ll be the first time I’ve been on tour in over a decade now. We’re putting everything we’ve got into this tour. I might fall on the ground afterward and be done for a while again. We’ll see. Jordin: I am still doing music. I am in the final stages of choosing the songs that are going to go on the new album. Last season, they were talking to me about music while I was on stage with Ruben during the finale and I had over 100 songs and now I have almost close to 200 and so I really have to figure out which songs are the best. I want to take people on a journey and make them feel something. So I’m hoping to get that done in the next couple weeks, because after that I’m going to film a Christmas movie for BET+ and then I’m hoping that I can tour internationally. So there are a lot of dreams and ambitions. I’m also just being mom. I’m really grateful that I still get to do what I love. David: I did a Christmas tour, and I was supposed to go on a spring tour, but I put that on hold because I need time to reassess myself. Because not only did I come out, but I also had a transition in faith. Before, my faith was the ship that steered every decision I made. I involved it in my career and now that it’s not there, it’s like I lost myself and I’m asking, “Who am I now?” But it’s also an opportunity to start again and decide who I am without my faith as a buffer. I’ve been writing a lot of music and I’m really excited to share my journey with everybody. Learning how to love yourself when you spent so much time believing that you were supposed to hate yourself and believing that that was the right thing to do: to be afraid of a piece of you, feeling like you have to hide this for your own safety and for the safety of the people around you. To think that if it ever came out, you would be hurting not only yourself but the people around you in your life. I am in the process of learning how to change that way of thinking. It hasn’t been easy, but I feel like I’m entering a whole new space of my career because I’m entering this new space personally. It’s always been important for me to share what’s in my soul and in my heart. Now, I feel so much passion in my career — [there’s] this fire that’s coming out of me that’s given me this new fuel into what I do and into the music and I just can’t wait. I’m looking for ways to share my story, because I know so many other people, especially those coming from religious backgrounds, they’re still in the thick of it and I want to help them learn because I know what it’s like. It’s like being a mentor on Idol: I was there, so this is what I wish I would have known. While it’s easier for some, it’s especially tricky for people in religious conservative households where you are still being taught, “This is not okay. Resist it. Do not give into it. Do not accept this part of you. If you do, you’re a failure.” Too many [people] who share my beliefs feel like it’s better to end their lives than to accept their sexuality if they’re queer. I was there as well. I thought, “Before I accept this about myself, maybe it’s better for me to not be here and to end my life, so that I save my soul in the long run.” I realized, “Even if you’re queer, David, maybe your life is still worth living.” I had to take that chance and it has been worth it and I realized I’m not this evil person. I’m just now understanding this love that everyone wrote love songs and romance movies and romance novels about, expressing how beautiful of a feeling it is. I didn’t understand before. I couldn’t relate to it and now I’m able to comprehend that and write those songs myself and tell my story of what it’s like to feel that feeling of loving someone and wanting to be there for them. I feel like that will help people understand, like, “Oh, that’s not very much different from what I experienced, so maybe it’s not as foreign than what I thought it was.” To help them not demonize that feeling because they feel it too and it’s a pure, wholesome feeling to experience. Phillip: I released a song earlier this year called “Dancing With Your Shadows.” I love that song. And I’m releasing another song when this is airing called “Before I Loved You” and I’m really proud of that song. It’s a beautiful love song about me and my wife. There’ll be an album toward the end of the summer called Drift Back and all of these songs are representations for the past three to five years for me through COVID and show where I am now. It’s an honest album of love through ups and downs, not just your significant other but relationships with family and friends. My little boy Patch, he sings every word to one of these songs and that’s really sweet. I’ll say, “Is that a good song?” He’ll say, “Yup, that sounds good, daddy.” I’m like, “That’s good. Thank you.” Catie: I am releasing a new single called “Hyperfixations” and it shows what the inside of my brain sounds like, if anyone’s ever wondered that before. I wrote this song with my producer in Nashville, Ruslan. I was discovering a new sound for myself because I went from very acoustic to very pop and I wanted to find a way to honor both but still feel authentic to myself. I’m finding the nice middle ground of acoustic lyrics but with a more produced sound and in a way to where it’s not so pop. I’m having a really fun time with that. Noah: I recently moved to Nashville. I’ve been on tour, and I’ve been writing every day. I really don’t want to stop. Hopefully we’ll get some tour dates back up pretty soon. We’ve got some cool shows coming up, opening for Luke Combs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Season Five of ABC's "American Idol"Eric McCandless/ABC/GI Hollywood Week takes a new twist this Sunday (April 2) when seven American Idol finalists from past seasons return to mentor the season 21 contestants during what is famously a grueling and challenging period. Executive producer and showrunner Megan Michaels Wolflick invited Justin Guarini (season 1), Clay Aiken (season 2), Jordin Sparks (season 6), David Archuleta (season 7), Phillip Phillips (season 11), Catie Turner (season 16) and Noah Thompson (season 20) to return to Idol to lend their expertise in three different areas: confidence, songwriting and stage presence. Justin Guarini was the very first runner-up, coming in second to Kelly Clarkson in season 1. He is just starting work on his seventh Broadway show and is the author of the book Audition Secrets. He teaches actors and performers about confidence and how to successfully audition. Clay Aiken has run for Congress twice and will be touring the U.S. with Ruben Studdard, commemorating the 20th anniversary of their season 2 finale. Jordin Sparks, the winner of season 6, has graced the Broadway stage in Into The Heights and is working on a new album. David Archuleta has consistently recorded and toured since he was the runner-up on season 7, and made national headlines in 2021 when he came out as gay. Phillip Phillips’s season 11 coronation song “Home” is considered to be the best of all the winners’ initial singles; his new album will be released this summer. Catie Turner has gone from season 16’s quirky songwriter to pop song perfectionist and has a new single out now. Noah Thompson won last season’s competition and has been touring and recording new material since then. He will open for Luke Combs on the country star’s upcoming tour. Billboard spoke to the returning seven to find out about their latest experience of coming home to Idol. The seven of you competed on Idol anywhere from 20 years ago (Justin Guarini, I’m looking at you) to one year ago (that’s you, Noah). What was it like, emotionally, to be on the Idol stage once more? Photo : ABC/Eric McCandless Justin Guarini: It feels like a reunion every time I come back because of that core group of people that was there in the beginning, like (senior supervising producer) Patrick (Lynn). I’ve done a lot of work with Megan [Michaels Wolflick]. I feel so blessed to have been a part of Idol from its inception and to have seen it grow from that little, tiny postage stamp of a stage to this international juggernaut. I always look forward to coming back and it was very special for me because there are contestants this year who weren’t even born when I was doing the show. I’m able to take everything that American Idol gave me over the past 20 years, everything it gave me access to, and come back to help the next generation of performers potentially achieve what I have been able to achieve, or more. It speaks to the power of the show and the power of the gift that it was to my life and my career. I love that when [the new contestants] came in, they were so open and eager and ready to learn and grow and work. That is a testament to Idol itself for choosing the right kind of performers with the right kind of mindset, but also to the performers themselves for really coming into it with the desire to serve and to do their best and to really give as much as they can of themselves. Clay Aiken: It was surreal. It’s a very different beast than when I was there. We have this really close relationship with the production staff. It was a very small, tightly knit group 20 years ago. Now it is a well-oiled machine, but it is so enormous that going back was shocking to me. There were a number of contestants on the show who were not born when I was on Idol. I kept saying to people that it’s like I imagine Miss America 1940 must feel if she is still alive. Everybody knows what the brand is, what it means and how important it is, but so many people didn’t experience it 20 years ago — at least the [current] contestants. Jordin Sparks: It was really fun for me. It’s always a full circle moment to come back to the place where you started. I was able to be a mentor last season as well and it was really fun to be able to step into that role. I’ve been asked a lot of times over the years like, “Would you want to be a judge?” At the beginning of my career, I thought, “No, I still have a lot to learn.” But I love the mentor role. I love being able to come in and give whenever I can. Since it has been 16 years, I’ve learned a lot and I feel like there’s a lot that I can give and that I can say to help these other contestants at the start of everything. David Archuleta: Going back does cause a bit of anxiety. It triggers all those feelings of working hard and worrying if you’re good enough for everyone and if people are going to judge you. But returning as a mentor was healing because I understood where the new contestants were coming from. That goes a long way when you feel understood by someone else when you’re in a high stress situation. And it was great to see the other mentors. I was looking at Clay and Jordin and thinking that these people had such an influence on me. They motivated me to get through hard things and give my best in singing and performing. Then I realized the contestants were looking at me the same way that I am looking at Clay and Jordin, because I’m standing right next to Clay and they’re asking me to give my advice. It was surreal and exciting. Phillip Phillips: I’ve been back a few times and I always get this sense of stress, especially for Hollywood Week. These contestants are super talented, amazing vocalists and some of them had some really well-written songs. I was there to help them steer whatever story they’re trying to tell. I told them you have to be honest, speak what’s on your mind and do it in the most creative way possible. It was super fun to see all the familiar faces. They were such a big part of my life during that time. I had never flown to a different state. I had never experienced anything like that. I was from a smaller town and so I’ll always remember them. It’s like family. You might go years without seeing each other, but it’s just a huge part of my life and I’ll always have them close to me. Catie Turner: Whenever you revisit Idol you feel exactly how you did the first time, so I almost time traveled back to being 17 and I was so full of wonder and awe. It was strange in this particular instance where I have to be a mentor and give advice because apparently, I am wise enough to do so, but I was getting nervous for the first round of Hollywood Week. I had a song in my head, I thought, “I need to practice.” I’m sizing up the competition. Once a contestant, always a contestant. It never leaves you. Noah Thompson: I was shocked they asked me to come back and be a mentor, considering I was the kid who came into this competition without a clue of what was happening. It was an honor to talk to these kids. A lot of them had similar backgrounds [to me]. Not only that, they’re scared to death. They got thrown into it by parents, friends or whoever. I looked in their eyes and knew what they were feeling. I told them not to worry about the cameras. Don’t focus on the camera crew and everything going on around you. Just enjoy your time. If there was something I could’ve told myself when I was there, it would’ve been, “Enjoy it more and make more friends.” What was it like to be a mentor instead of a contestant? Photo : ABC/Eric McCandless Justin: I had an absolutely awesome time mentoring because it really is one of my most favorite things to do. Besides performing on stage, besides doing all of it, I love taking people who are about to break through and let them discover the things about themselves that will help them to stand out. Clay: I have a son who’s almost 15. There were contestants who I mentored who were 17, 18 and 19, so I had a paternal instinct and compassion for some of these kids more than I ever would have thought I would have. I’ve heard (former mentor) Bobby Bones say that it felt like therapy when he was the mentor, and in a way, it is. I worked with a lot of kids on confidence. If you want to be successful on Idol or any performance realm, you have to be able to project a certain degree of confidence. We’re attracted to those folks who are confident or at least can make us feel that way. So I told them, “You have to find that confidence or you have to find an ability to fake it.” When I was on that stage 20 years ago, I didn’t really have it, but I did learn how to fake it. So I really felt like a parent talking to some of these kids about that. I’m not a crier, but my heart was warmed quite a few times, let’s put it that way. Jordin: The whole experience of mentoring was a blast. Normally you sit across from somebody and ask them a few questions, but this was more intensive. There were categories and I got to do stage presence, which I love. Right away you can tell if somebody is very nervous on stage or if they’re comfortable, if they have only been doing it for a little while and if they’re holding things back. It was really fun to talk them through some of those things as well as to just see them perform. I love hearing new voices. I love seeing the hunger and the wonder in their eyes and it was really special for me to be on the other side of that because I remember being where they were, standing there thinking, “This is so crazy, and I can’t believe that this is happening to me and everything could open up for me if all the variables line up.” David: I wasn’t sure how I was going to mentor. I had done some judging for local competitions, but to be at American Idol where I got my recognition and where my career took off, nerves always come when I go back to that world and that stage. To be able to go back and mentor the current contestants, I felt like I was talking to my younger self when I was 16 and 17 on season 7. It was therapeutic for myself, but also it was so nice being able to understand how the contestants were feeling. I helped them do affirmations and some breath work and helped them find that confidence in themselves, helping them feel connected to themselves so their heart can fully come out and that they can connect with the audience because that makes you feel confident up there. I feel like that’s the most essential part of being in a competition like American Idol. Phillip: Most of them came in with a song that they had written. I sat there uncomfortably with all the cameras and listened to their songs, because I still get uncomfortable with cameras. I tried to help them figure out a better melody or explore different parts of their vocal ranges. I remember this one young girl, she was 15. She went to the piano and was incredibly talented. I didn’t start writing songs until I was about 17 and 18, and if she wrote all that by herself, she’ll do very well. I said that she might win it just from that song. When I started writing songs, I didn’t know how to write a song. I was just writing it because some chick hurt my feelings and it made me feel good to write it down. That’s where it has to start. Once you start really learning how to write a song, it actually becomes difficult because you start second-guessing yourself in some ways. “Maybe I can do it better that way.” Sometimes you just go with what you were originally going with and keep on the right track. Catie: I have never mentored before, unless mentoring friends through bad relationships counts. It was challenging because a lot of these contestants walked in and I thought, “You don’t need me. Why am I giving you advice? You’re killing it.” It was so hard to find little things I could give them pointers on because they were so good. Songwriting is so subjective to each and every person. There’s not a universal rule of what good songwriting is. So I was struggling to find what to say and eventually I got the hang of it. I realized I actually could say some things of substance. I did not know I had that in me. Under pressure, you will surprise yourself. How would you compare this season 21 Hollywood Week to your own? Photo : ABC/Eric McCandless Justin: When we first started, it was an age of innocence, because nobody knew what Idol was. And yet I saw people who didn’t get the response they wanted during Hollywood Week [and they] would get bitter and be salty. But the kids who are doing it this year seem to be open, kind, loving, ready to work and have a vulnerability that surprised me, frankly, because when I did it, we didn’t know what to expect. We didn’t know what this thing was going to be. We didn’t know the possibilities. Now, after 20 seasons, people know exactly what the stakes are in Hollywood Week. They’ve seen season after season after season and they know what to expect and they know how to “put it on.” And yet the vulnerability that the kids that I worked with showed their willingness to just play full out and almost not care how they looked on the camera. It wasn’t about being on the camera. It was about, “I’m going to be fully present and open here and if I start to cry, then I start to cry. Whatever it is, I’m going to go all in on this and I’m going to be with you, Justin.” That to me was astounding, because it would be so easy to fake it and put it on and to do the things that the camera loves or that the judges will love or that the audience will love, and I just didn’t find that to be the case. Clay: I would guarantee that if you ask anybody from our season that question, they would say that we didn’t go to Hollywood. Our whole Hollywood Week was at the Alex Theater in Glendale, about as far away from Hollywood as you can get in Los Angeles County. This time, I checked into the hotel and there was a young guy with his guitar on his back and he was checking himself in and it was this sort of crazy déjà vu that I realized that 20 years ago I checked myself into the Glendale Hilton. So that was a really weird kind of cool moment for me to see this 18-year-old, perhaps like me at 23, the first time he’s ever left home by himself or flown on a plane and it could be the last time he checks himself in and his whole life could change this week. It was really cool to watch these kids starry eyed and full of hope. I made friends that week in Hollywood that I still have. I don’t even stay in touch with people from high school, but I stay in touch with people from that week in Glendale, even those who did not make it into the top 32 that I still am friends with. So I told them all to savor the week and to savor the experience and that they would have friends for life from that opportunity that so few other people get. Jordin: The similarity is that it’s a big pressure cooker. You’re sitting around all these people and all of them are good and so you have to fight against your own mentality of believing in your talent, but also seeing that you have to step your game up because there are other people here that are just as hungry as you. One of the major differences is that we didn’t have mentors in our Hollywood Week. It was like boot camp. We’d be woken up at 6 a.m. but then we wouldn’t sing until 4 in the afternoon. It can be crazy, but you’ve got to put your best foot forward every time and you have to show that you can work with other people. Hollywood Week helps you prepare for the rest of the competition because once it goes live and people are voting for you, you have that one shot to do it and it’s make or break every time you step on that stage. I hope we helped ease a little bit of that pressure or that self-doubt that they could have. David: Bringing in previous contestants to encourage the [new kids] was a really neat element. I think it would have been nice to have that during my season, because it was almost like the people that were instructing us, they were trying to herd a lot of us and a lot of it was done just in a more aggressive manner, so it wasn’t very encouraging. It was more pressure inducing. I think I handled the mentoring as like, “What would I have liked to have heard? What is the counsel I would’ve liked to have had when I was in this position?” So I tried to be mindful of that. And again, it was healing because I felt like I was talking to little David. Catie: It was really cool understanding exactly how they’re feeling and thinking, “They’re so young. I remember those days.” It was a way more controlled environment. Though I’m super jealous that they have duets now. Maybe that takes some of the edge off of them in Hollywood Week, but I thought, “You guys don’t have to start harmonizing with people you just met. Come on!” Noah: My Hollywood Week was rough. I felt so out of place. The whole time, I was thinking, “What if I do this? What if I do that?” These kids are so talented. A lot of them definitely handled it better than I did, for sure. I’ve never mentored anyone. I never thought I’d be able to do anything like that. What does it mean to you to be a part of the American Idol family? Photo : ABC/Eric McCandless Justin: It’s a blessing. We all strive at the beginning of our careers to get our foot in the door and American Idol gave me the opportunity to get my whole body in the door — like get half of the body in the door so they can’t close it on you. So when I go back, it really is family because I know so many of the people who were there from the very beginning. And even though personnel has changed, the attitude has not changed. Megan has set a beautiful tone for the show and picked up where Nigel (Lythgoe) and Kenny (Warwick) left off and she has made it her own. And Patrick (Lynn) has gone from just starting out to making his own mark on the show. That I’m able to come back and do my small version of that is an honor. Jordin: My dad was in pro sports and when you see somebody else who is in it, there’s this recognition. You don’t even have to speak. It’s a “I know what you’ve gone through. I know what it took to get here” kind of moment and I feel that way with Idol alumni. I run into them all the time and only the few of us know what it was like to go through [it], to be standing up there on the stage and being voted for and never knowing what was going to happen and having to deal with Simon (Cowell). It’s beautiful to be a part of this group of creatives that are so amazing and have impacted music for the past two decades. David: I call American Idol the music business boot camp because it puts you through a rigorous schedule and introduces you to songs, arrangements, photo shoots, music videos, commercials, interviews, carpet events, touring and working with people in the industry. It literally takes you through everything. I was still in high school, so I was doing homework assignments in the middle of that. But it was like how people bond through high school or through military training. You bond because of the experience you’re sharing together and so I really do feel like it’s a special family. I still speak to David Cook. Brooke White reaches out to me all the time and so does Carly Smithson. I talk to Jordin Sparks, even though she was on a different season, and Melinda Doolittle and Kris Allen. Even though we’re in different places in our lives, we share that piece of time together that changed all of our lives in a very unique way. Only that group of people will understand because it is such a unique thing. Phillip: It’s a legacy that will always be around and I’m honored to be a part of it. So many amazing talents that have come from the show are absolutely killing it to this day. I do think Idol is different from all the other shows because they have built actual artists. Even the ones that haven’t won, some of them have been more successful than the others. Catie: It means everything. It is this amazing invisible force that unites all of us. On this season’s premiere episode, they honored [the late] Willie Spence and I never met Willie, but I was sobbing like I knew him, because there is this weird bond. You understand everything they’re going through and what it took to get to that point. You know the 17-hour days on the lot. You understand about going from nothing to something and all the emotions and that’s what I really loved about going back as a mentor, knowing that these contestants are going on the most wild ride of their life. Noah: The real Idol family thing comes into place around the top 24, because there’s so much going on with so many different contestants, it’s hard to speak with everybody. Right around the top 24, I started opening up more and talking to more people and getting to know everybody. All of the producers and the whole team make you feel at home as much as possible. Patrick Lynn taught me a lot. He has been around since the very beginning. He’s got a great heart. He’s a really good dude. He was the first person I met once I got there. Me and my friend Arthur were there and Patrick was just cracking jokes, and me and Arthur were dying laughing. We would not be having this conversation right now if you had not been on American Idol. How often do you think, "I would not be doing this right now if I had not appeared on Idol"? Photo : ABC/Eric McCandless Justin: I’ve done more cool things than most people will get to do in their entire careers because of American Idol. There will never come a day when I will want to deny that. You can’t buy that kind of publicity. Or you can, but it’s certainly well out of 99.9% of people’s budget. That’s why I always will jump at the chance to come back and work with kids and to be on the show itself. I believe so much in loyalty. I believe so much in remembering where you came from and certainly it is one of the biggest foundational elements of the career that I have today and will have for the rest of my life. Clay: Every minute. I don’t talk about my child in the press, but I wouldn’t have had a kid had it not been for Idol. Seasons 1 through 6, the show cast such a shadow. There was this belief that in order to be successful you had to distance yourself from Idol and I’ll be the first to admit that I was a part of that. But so much of my life would not have happened had it not been for Idol. I tried to run for Congress twice and still was “Clay Aiken from American Idol.” The show will always be bigger than anything I have done. Going back this season, I got to be a part of the journey of some kids who will likely have the same experience. Wait until you see this Hollywood Week episode. It is the funniest thing in the world. This girl speaks to me for the longest time. She’s telling me, “My mom auditioned whatever season Clay Aiken auditioned,” and here I am sitting right in front of her. It’s brilliant to be a part of that history. Books have been written and will continue to be written about American Idol and I’ll be a footnote in them, but that’s more immortality than most people get. Jordin: There are two answers to that question. Yes, I feel like I wouldn’t be in the space that I’m in and wouldn’t have been able to do the things that I’ve done in the past 16 years, but I do think on the other side of that that I would still be doing music. I have known since I was very young that it was what I wanted to do. I just didn’t know how it was going to happen and Idol absolutely 100% gave me that opportunity. I have an amazing fan base that I’ve had for the past 16 years. I’m grateful people still want to know what I’m doing, and people want still want to hear my voice. I was more excited to audition for the show then I was to get my driver’s license, so I’m very grateful to Idol. I wouldn’t be where I am today without it and with the fans that helped put me here. David: I feel like everything about my life wouldn’t have happened had it not been for American Idol. I don’t think I owe my life to the show, because every decision we make changes the outcome of where we get to and has influence on where we are. American Idol happened to be a decision I made that has influenced my life and it was the catalyst for starting my career, to be where I am, to have my audience, to have my fans. It’s been 16 years, but to this day people still recognize me from American Idol or the younger generation recognizes me from iCarly or Hannah Montana, which is funny because I only was on one episode of each of those. But people say, “I didn’t know you were a real person. I thought you were a made-up character.” But I’m super grateful for being on Idol and the opportunities it brought and how it shaped my career. Phillip: I think about this all the time. I was playing a lot of shows before Idol and I was planning to keep doing it and try to grind it all out, because I knew what it was like for people not to care about your music and I don’t think I would change anything. I was in a small town working at my dad’s pawn shop sometimes, playing tons of gigs and writing music. I wasn’t really caught up in all of the fame and glamor and I think that may be why people connected with me because it was just honest and real. I’m such a quiet person. I’m pretty private. I would definitely do it again because I wouldn’t have had all of these opportunities that I’ve been able to experience and have and friendships that I’ve made and places I’ve gotten to see. You go through some tough times. If you can make it out of there holding your head up, that’s what’s going to shape you and I wouldn’t change any of that either. I have a roof over my head, and I get to play music for a living. Not many people can say that, so I’m very thankful. Catie: All the time. Idol goes so deep that I met my first relationship at a post-Idol fan meet and greet and he voted for me. I started writing songs about that relationship and when he broke up with me, I thought, “I wouldn’t have written these songs if this guy didn’t break up with me.” My roommate is Maddie Zahm, who was on my season, and I live with her and I lived with Noah Davis. Idol is always present in my life and it’s why I love going back so much because I always want to acknowledge and honor the fact that I would still be in Langhorne just graduating college, not really knowing what I want to do with my life if it weren’t for American Idol. When you were competing on your season, did you ever imagine there would be a Season 21? Photo : ABC/Eric McCandless Justin: No. That was the blessing of that year, that season for me. We were so in the moment. Every single turn was a new adventure, like building the plane while you’re flying it. We weren’t influenced by expectations. We weren’t influenced by a precedent. It was just this wonderful adventure that we were making up and we were writing history but didn’t know it at the time. I think there’s something really cool and innocent and beautiful about that. Clay: I didn’t imagine in Season 2 that I’d make it to the final episode of the show. I have done my very best not to try to imagine anything that might happen in the future because I’m always wrong. Not a single one of us imagined that the show would lead to anything beyond just the experience of being on it nor could anyone possibly believe that the show would be the biggest hit of the 21st century. Jordin: I thought they would get 10 seasons. Then it went past 10 and then we had the big finale on Season 15 and they were saying, “It’s never coming back.” A year later they said, “Ha, ha. We were just napping.” I love that it’s still going and giving people the chance to live out their dreams. I think they should ride it until the wheels fall off. It’s a testament to how much people love the show and how everybody can watch it. I remember before I was on the show, after school we’d do our homework and then we’d all sit down together as a family. My grandparents, my parents, me and my brothers, we would all watch it. It’s still a show that everybody can bond over and get involved with. It’s a show that makes you happy. David: No, I had no idea. I thought maybe it’ll have a few more seasons, because I don’t know how long a competition like this can go for and how much it will command people’s attention, but here it is, continuing on 20 years later. Catie: No. During the earlier seasons, I was watching as a viewer. My seven-year-old self [wouldn’t have believed] this show is going to be one of the only constants in your life. I hope for it to continue and I’m secretly hoping it stays on long enough so I can come back again as a mentor. Finally, what are you doing now and what is next for you? Photo : David McClister Justin: I’m finishing up the last bit of my Star Code course. I’m teaching that live online. I also have a master class that I teach, which is a lead-in to that. And then I’m gearing up for what will be my seventh Broadway show, Once Upon a One More Time, which is opening in the summer. It’s a Britney Spears musical and I’ve been with it for five years and we are finally getting our due to come to Broadway and I could not be more excited. It is legitimately my most favorite role I’ve ever played, and it is going to be something where people come to it, they will laugh, they will cry and it will feel like they are watching the most kick-ass music video they’ve ever seen on Broadway. Clay: I semi-retired from performing nine years ago. In 2013 I said, “I’m going to step away from this.” And then in 2018 Ruben wanted to do something and we had an opportunity to do a Broadway show, so I came back and did that. And then I said, “Okay, dude. I’m not going to keep going.” And he said, “It’s our 20th anniversary. We’ve got do something.” I said, “Fine, let’s do it.” There’s nobody who could get me to come back and perform except for Ruben. I love doing that. We’re going to go out on our 20th anniversary tour, and it’ll be the first time I’ve been on tour in over a decade now. We’re putting everything we’ve got into this tour. I might fall on the ground afterward and be done for a while again. We’ll see. Jordin: I am still doing music. I am in the final stages of choosing the songs that are going to go on the new album. Last season, they were talking to me about music while I was on stage with Ruben during the finale and I had over 100 songs and now I have almost close to 200 and so I really have to figure out which songs are the best. I want to take people on a journey and make them feel something. So I’m hoping to get that done in the next couple weeks, because after that I’m going to film a Christmas movie for BET+ and then I’m hoping that I can tour internationally. So there are a lot of dreams and ambitions. I’m also just being mom. I’m really grateful that I still get to do what I love. David: I did a Christmas tour, and I was supposed to go on a spring tour, but I put that on hold because I need time to reassess myself. Because not only did I come out, but I also had a transition in faith. Before, my faith was the ship that steered every decision I made. I involved it in my career and now that it’s not there, it’s like I lost myself and I’m asking, “Who am I now?” But it’s also an opportunity to start again and decide who I am without my faith as a buffer. I’ve been writing a lot of music and I’m really excited to share my journey with everybody. Learning how to love yourself when you spent so much time believing that you were supposed to hate yourself and believing that that was the right thing to do: to be afraid of a piece of you, feeling like you have to hide this for your own safety and for the safety of the people around you. To think that if it ever came out, you would be hurting not only yourself but the people around you in your life. I am in the process of learning how to change that way of thinking. It hasn’t been easy, but I feel like I’m entering a whole new space of my career because I’m entering this new space personally. It’s always been important for me to share what’s in my soul and in my heart. Now, I feel so much passion in my career — [there’s] this fire that’s coming out of me that’s given me this new fuel into what I do and into the music and I just can’t wait. I’m looking for ways to share my story, because I know so many other people, especially those coming from religious backgrounds, they’re still in the thick of it and I want to help them learn because I know what it’s like. It’s like being a mentor on Idol: I was there, so this is what I wish I would have known. While it’s easier for some, it’s especially tricky for people in religious conservative households where you are still being taught, “This is not okay. Resist it. Do not give into it. Do not accept this part of you. If you do, you’re a failure.” Too many [people] who share my beliefs feel like it’s better to end their lives than to accept their sexuality if they’re queer. I was there as well. I thought, “Before I accept this about myself, maybe it’s better for me to not be here and to end my life, so that I save my soul in the long run.” I realized, “Even if you’re queer, David, maybe your life is still worth living.” I had to take that chance and it has been worth it and I realized I’m not this evil person. I’m just now understanding this love that everyone wrote love songs and romance movies and romance novels about, expressing how beautiful of a feeling it is. I didn’t understand before. I couldn’t relate to it and now I’m able to comprehend that and write those songs myself and tell my story of what it’s like to feel that feeling of loving someone and wanting to be there for them. I feel like that will help people understand, like, “Oh, that’s not very much different from what I experienced, so maybe it’s not as foreign than what I thought it was.” To help them not demonize that feeling because they feel it too and it’s a pure, wholesome feeling to experience. Phillip: I released a song earlier this year called “Dancing With Your Shadows.” I love that song. And I’m releasing another song when this is airing called “Before I Loved You” and I’m really proud of that song. It’s a beautiful love song about me and my wife. There’ll be an album toward the end of the summer called Drift Back and all of these songs are representations for the past three to five years for me through COVID and show where I am now. It’s an honest album of love through ups and downs, not just your significant other but relationships with family and friends. My little boy Patch, he sings every word to one of these songs and that’s really sweet. I’ll say, “Is that a good song?” He’ll say, “Yup, that sounds good, daddy.” I’m like, “That’s good. Thank you.” Catie: I am releasing a new single called “Hyperfixations” and it shows what the inside of my brain sounds like, if anyone’s ever wondered that before. I wrote this song with my producer in Nashville, Ruslan. I was discovering a new sound for myself because I went from very acoustic to very pop and I wanted to find a way to honor both but still feel authentic to myself. I’m finding the nice middle ground of acoustic lyrics but with a more produced sound and in a way to where it’s not so pop. I’m having a really fun time with that. Noah: I recently moved to Nashville. I’ve been on tour, and I’ve been writing every day. I really don’t want to stop. Hopefully we’ll get some tour dates back up pretty soon. We’ve got some cool shows coming up, opening for Luke Combs.
The seven of you competed on Idol anywhere from 20 years ago (Justin Guarini, I’m looking at you) to one year ago (that’s you, Noah). What was it like, emotionally, to be on the Idol stage once more? Photo : ABC/Eric McCandless Justin Guarini: It feels like a reunion every time I come back because of that core group of people that was there in the beginning, like (senior supervising producer) Patrick (Lynn). I’ve done a lot of work with Megan [Michaels Wolflick]. I feel so blessed to have been a part of Idol from its inception and to have seen it grow from that little, tiny postage stamp of a stage to this international juggernaut. I always look forward to coming back and it was very special for me because there are contestants this year who weren’t even born when I was doing the show. I’m able to take everything that American Idol gave me over the past 20 years, everything it gave me access to, and come back to help the next generation of performers potentially achieve what I have been able to achieve, or more. It speaks to the power of the show and the power of the gift that it was to my life and my career. I love that when [the new contestants] came in, they were so open and eager and ready to learn and grow and work. That is a testament to Idol itself for choosing the right kind of performers with the right kind of mindset, but also to the performers themselves for really coming into it with the desire to serve and to do their best and to really give as much as they can of themselves. Clay Aiken: It was surreal. It’s a very different beast than when I was there. We have this really close relationship with the production staff. It was a very small, tightly knit group 20 years ago. Now it is a well-oiled machine, but it is so enormous that going back was shocking to me. There were a number of contestants on the show who were not born when I was on Idol. I kept saying to people that it’s like I imagine Miss America 1940 must feel if she is still alive. Everybody knows what the brand is, what it means and how important it is, but so many people didn’t experience it 20 years ago — at least the [current] contestants. Jordin Sparks: It was really fun for me. It’s always a full circle moment to come back to the place where you started. I was able to be a mentor last season as well and it was really fun to be able to step into that role. I’ve been asked a lot of times over the years like, “Would you want to be a judge?” At the beginning of my career, I thought, “No, I still have a lot to learn.” But I love the mentor role. I love being able to come in and give whenever I can. Since it has been 16 years, I’ve learned a lot and I feel like there’s a lot that I can give and that I can say to help these other contestants at the start of everything. David Archuleta: Going back does cause a bit of anxiety. It triggers all those feelings of working hard and worrying if you’re good enough for everyone and if people are going to judge you. But returning as a mentor was healing because I understood where the new contestants were coming from. That goes a long way when you feel understood by someone else when you’re in a high stress situation. And it was great to see the other mentors. I was looking at Clay and Jordin and thinking that these people had such an influence on me. They motivated me to get through hard things and give my best in singing and performing. Then I realized the contestants were looking at me the same way that I am looking at Clay and Jordin, because I’m standing right next to Clay and they’re asking me to give my advice. It was surreal and exciting. Phillip Phillips: I’ve been back a few times and I always get this sense of stress, especially for Hollywood Week. These contestants are super talented, amazing vocalists and some of them had some really well-written songs. I was there to help them steer whatever story they’re trying to tell. I told them you have to be honest, speak what’s on your mind and do it in the most creative way possible. It was super fun to see all the familiar faces. They were such a big part of my life during that time. I had never flown to a different state. I had never experienced anything like that. I was from a smaller town and so I’ll always remember them. It’s like family. You might go years without seeing each other, but it’s just a huge part of my life and I’ll always have them close to me. Catie Turner: Whenever you revisit Idol you feel exactly how you did the first time, so I almost time traveled back to being 17 and I was so full of wonder and awe. It was strange in this particular instance where I have to be a mentor and give advice because apparently, I am wise enough to do so, but I was getting nervous for the first round of Hollywood Week. I had a song in my head, I thought, “I need to practice.” I’m sizing up the competition. Once a contestant, always a contestant. It never leaves you. Noah Thompson: I was shocked they asked me to come back and be a mentor, considering I was the kid who came into this competition without a clue of what was happening. It was an honor to talk to these kids. A lot of them had similar backgrounds [to me]. Not only that, they’re scared to death. They got thrown into it by parents, friends or whoever. I looked in their eyes and knew what they were feeling. I told them not to worry about the cameras. Don’t focus on the camera crew and everything going on around you. Just enjoy your time. If there was something I could’ve told myself when I was there, it would’ve been, “Enjoy it more and make more friends.”
What was it like to be a mentor instead of a contestant? Photo : ABC/Eric McCandless Justin: I had an absolutely awesome time mentoring because it really is one of my most favorite things to do. Besides performing on stage, besides doing all of it, I love taking people who are about to break through and let them discover the things about themselves that will help them to stand out. Clay: I have a son who’s almost 15. There were contestants who I mentored who were 17, 18 and 19, so I had a paternal instinct and compassion for some of these kids more than I ever would have thought I would have. I’ve heard (former mentor) Bobby Bones say that it felt like therapy when he was the mentor, and in a way, it is. I worked with a lot of kids on confidence. If you want to be successful on Idol or any performance realm, you have to be able to project a certain degree of confidence. We’re attracted to those folks who are confident or at least can make us feel that way. So I told them, “You have to find that confidence or you have to find an ability to fake it.” When I was on that stage 20 years ago, I didn’t really have it, but I did learn how to fake it. So I really felt like a parent talking to some of these kids about that. I’m not a crier, but my heart was warmed quite a few times, let’s put it that way. Jordin: The whole experience of mentoring was a blast. Normally you sit across from somebody and ask them a few questions, but this was more intensive. There were categories and I got to do stage presence, which I love. Right away you can tell if somebody is very nervous on stage or if they’re comfortable, if they have only been doing it for a little while and if they’re holding things back. It was really fun to talk them through some of those things as well as to just see them perform. I love hearing new voices. I love seeing the hunger and the wonder in their eyes and it was really special for me to be on the other side of that because I remember being where they were, standing there thinking, “This is so crazy, and I can’t believe that this is happening to me and everything could open up for me if all the variables line up.” David: I wasn’t sure how I was going to mentor. I had done some judging for local competitions, but to be at American Idol where I got my recognition and where my career took off, nerves always come when I go back to that world and that stage. To be able to go back and mentor the current contestants, I felt like I was talking to my younger self when I was 16 and 17 on season 7. It was therapeutic for myself, but also it was so nice being able to understand how the contestants were feeling. I helped them do affirmations and some breath work and helped them find that confidence in themselves, helping them feel connected to themselves so their heart can fully come out and that they can connect with the audience because that makes you feel confident up there. I feel like that’s the most essential part of being in a competition like American Idol. Phillip: Most of them came in with a song that they had written. I sat there uncomfortably with all the cameras and listened to their songs, because I still get uncomfortable with cameras. I tried to help them figure out a better melody or explore different parts of their vocal ranges. I remember this one young girl, she was 15. She went to the piano and was incredibly talented. I didn’t start writing songs until I was about 17 and 18, and if she wrote all that by herself, she’ll do very well. I said that she might win it just from that song. When I started writing songs, I didn’t know how to write a song. I was just writing it because some chick hurt my feelings and it made me feel good to write it down. That’s where it has to start. Once you start really learning how to write a song, it actually becomes difficult because you start second-guessing yourself in some ways. “Maybe I can do it better that way.” Sometimes you just go with what you were originally going with and keep on the right track. Catie: I have never mentored before, unless mentoring friends through bad relationships counts. It was challenging because a lot of these contestants walked in and I thought, “You don’t need me. Why am I giving you advice? You’re killing it.” It was so hard to find little things I could give them pointers on because they were so good. Songwriting is so subjective to each and every person. There’s not a universal rule of what good songwriting is. So I was struggling to find what to say and eventually I got the hang of it. I realized I actually could say some things of substance. I did not know I had that in me. Under pressure, you will surprise yourself.
How would you compare this season 21 Hollywood Week to your own? Photo : ABC/Eric McCandless Justin: When we first started, it was an age of innocence, because nobody knew what Idol was. And yet I saw people who didn’t get the response they wanted during Hollywood Week [and they] would get bitter and be salty. But the kids who are doing it this year seem to be open, kind, loving, ready to work and have a vulnerability that surprised me, frankly, because when I did it, we didn’t know what to expect. We didn’t know what this thing was going to be. We didn’t know the possibilities. Now, after 20 seasons, people know exactly what the stakes are in Hollywood Week. They’ve seen season after season after season and they know what to expect and they know how to “put it on.” And yet the vulnerability that the kids that I worked with showed their willingness to just play full out and almost not care how they looked on the camera. It wasn’t about being on the camera. It was about, “I’m going to be fully present and open here and if I start to cry, then I start to cry. Whatever it is, I’m going to go all in on this and I’m going to be with you, Justin.” That to me was astounding, because it would be so easy to fake it and put it on and to do the things that the camera loves or that the judges will love or that the audience will love, and I just didn’t find that to be the case. Clay: I would guarantee that if you ask anybody from our season that question, they would say that we didn’t go to Hollywood. Our whole Hollywood Week was at the Alex Theater in Glendale, about as far away from Hollywood as you can get in Los Angeles County. This time, I checked into the hotel and there was a young guy with his guitar on his back and he was checking himself in and it was this sort of crazy déjà vu that I realized that 20 years ago I checked myself into the Glendale Hilton. So that was a really weird kind of cool moment for me to see this 18-year-old, perhaps like me at 23, the first time he’s ever left home by himself or flown on a plane and it could be the last time he checks himself in and his whole life could change this week. It was really cool to watch these kids starry eyed and full of hope. I made friends that week in Hollywood that I still have. I don’t even stay in touch with people from high school, but I stay in touch with people from that week in Glendale, even those who did not make it into the top 32 that I still am friends with. So I told them all to savor the week and to savor the experience and that they would have friends for life from that opportunity that so few other people get. Jordin: The similarity is that it’s a big pressure cooker. You’re sitting around all these people and all of them are good and so you have to fight against your own mentality of believing in your talent, but also seeing that you have to step your game up because there are other people here that are just as hungry as you. One of the major differences is that we didn’t have mentors in our Hollywood Week. It was like boot camp. We’d be woken up at 6 a.m. but then we wouldn’t sing until 4 in the afternoon. It can be crazy, but you’ve got to put your best foot forward every time and you have to show that you can work with other people. Hollywood Week helps you prepare for the rest of the competition because once it goes live and people are voting for you, you have that one shot to do it and it’s make or break every time you step on that stage. I hope we helped ease a little bit of that pressure or that self-doubt that they could have. David: Bringing in previous contestants to encourage the [new kids] was a really neat element. I think it would have been nice to have that during my season, because it was almost like the people that were instructing us, they were trying to herd a lot of us and a lot of it was done just in a more aggressive manner, so it wasn’t very encouraging. It was more pressure inducing. I think I handled the mentoring as like, “What would I have liked to have heard? What is the counsel I would’ve liked to have had when I was in this position?” So I tried to be mindful of that. And again, it was healing because I felt like I was talking to little David. Catie: It was really cool understanding exactly how they’re feeling and thinking, “They’re so young. I remember those days.” It was a way more controlled environment. Though I’m super jealous that they have duets now. Maybe that takes some of the edge off of them in Hollywood Week, but I thought, “You guys don’t have to start harmonizing with people you just met. Come on!” Noah: My Hollywood Week was rough. I felt so out of place. The whole time, I was thinking, “What if I do this? What if I do that?” These kids are so talented. A lot of them definitely handled it better than I did, for sure. I’ve never mentored anyone. I never thought I’d be able to do anything like that.
What does it mean to you to be a part of the American Idol family? Photo : ABC/Eric McCandless Justin: It’s a blessing. We all strive at the beginning of our careers to get our foot in the door and American Idol gave me the opportunity to get my whole body in the door — like get half of the body in the door so they can’t close it on you. So when I go back, it really is family because I know so many of the people who were there from the very beginning. And even though personnel has changed, the attitude has not changed. Megan has set a beautiful tone for the show and picked up where Nigel (Lythgoe) and Kenny (Warwick) left off and she has made it her own. And Patrick (Lynn) has gone from just starting out to making his own mark on the show. That I’m able to come back and do my small version of that is an honor. Jordin: My dad was in pro sports and when you see somebody else who is in it, there’s this recognition. You don’t even have to speak. It’s a “I know what you’ve gone through. I know what it took to get here” kind of moment and I feel that way with Idol alumni. I run into them all the time and only the few of us know what it was like to go through [it], to be standing up there on the stage and being voted for and never knowing what was going to happen and having to deal with Simon (Cowell). It’s beautiful to be a part of this group of creatives that are so amazing and have impacted music for the past two decades. David: I call American Idol the music business boot camp because it puts you through a rigorous schedule and introduces you to songs, arrangements, photo shoots, music videos, commercials, interviews, carpet events, touring and working with people in the industry. It literally takes you through everything. I was still in high school, so I was doing homework assignments in the middle of that. But it was like how people bond through high school or through military training. You bond because of the experience you’re sharing together and so I really do feel like it’s a special family. I still speak to David Cook. Brooke White reaches out to me all the time and so does Carly Smithson. I talk to Jordin Sparks, even though she was on a different season, and Melinda Doolittle and Kris Allen. Even though we’re in different places in our lives, we share that piece of time together that changed all of our lives in a very unique way. Only that group of people will understand because it is such a unique thing. Phillip: It’s a legacy that will always be around and I’m honored to be a part of it. So many amazing talents that have come from the show are absolutely killing it to this day. I do think Idol is different from all the other shows because they have built actual artists. Even the ones that haven’t won, some of them have been more successful than the others. Catie: It means everything. It is this amazing invisible force that unites all of us. On this season’s premiere episode, they honored [the late] Willie Spence and I never met Willie, but I was sobbing like I knew him, because there is this weird bond. You understand everything they’re going through and what it took to get to that point. You know the 17-hour days on the lot. You understand about going from nothing to something and all the emotions and that’s what I really loved about going back as a mentor, knowing that these contestants are going on the most wild ride of their life. Noah: The real Idol family thing comes into place around the top 24, because there’s so much going on with so many different contestants, it’s hard to speak with everybody. Right around the top 24, I started opening up more and talking to more people and getting to know everybody. All of the producers and the whole team make you feel at home as much as possible. Patrick Lynn taught me a lot. He has been around since the very beginning. He’s got a great heart. He’s a really good dude. He was the first person I met once I got there. Me and my friend Arthur were there and Patrick was just cracking jokes, and me and Arthur were dying laughing.
We would not be having this conversation right now if you had not been on American Idol. How often do you think, "I would not be doing this right now if I had not appeared on Idol"? Photo : ABC/Eric McCandless Justin: I’ve done more cool things than most people will get to do in their entire careers because of American Idol. There will never come a day when I will want to deny that. You can’t buy that kind of publicity. Or you can, but it’s certainly well out of 99.9% of people’s budget. That’s why I always will jump at the chance to come back and work with kids and to be on the show itself. I believe so much in loyalty. I believe so much in remembering where you came from and certainly it is one of the biggest foundational elements of the career that I have today and will have for the rest of my life. Clay: Every minute. I don’t talk about my child in the press, but I wouldn’t have had a kid had it not been for Idol. Seasons 1 through 6, the show cast such a shadow. There was this belief that in order to be successful you had to distance yourself from Idol and I’ll be the first to admit that I was a part of that. But so much of my life would not have happened had it not been for Idol. I tried to run for Congress twice and still was “Clay Aiken from American Idol.” The show will always be bigger than anything I have done. Going back this season, I got to be a part of the journey of some kids who will likely have the same experience. Wait until you see this Hollywood Week episode. It is the funniest thing in the world. This girl speaks to me for the longest time. She’s telling me, “My mom auditioned whatever season Clay Aiken auditioned,” and here I am sitting right in front of her. It’s brilliant to be a part of that history. Books have been written and will continue to be written about American Idol and I’ll be a footnote in them, but that’s more immortality than most people get. Jordin: There are two answers to that question. Yes, I feel like I wouldn’t be in the space that I’m in and wouldn’t have been able to do the things that I’ve done in the past 16 years, but I do think on the other side of that that I would still be doing music. I have known since I was very young that it was what I wanted to do. I just didn’t know how it was going to happen and Idol absolutely 100% gave me that opportunity. I have an amazing fan base that I’ve had for the past 16 years. I’m grateful people still want to know what I’m doing, and people want still want to hear my voice. I was more excited to audition for the show then I was to get my driver’s license, so I’m very grateful to Idol. I wouldn’t be where I am today without it and with the fans that helped put me here. David: I feel like everything about my life wouldn’t have happened had it not been for American Idol. I don’t think I owe my life to the show, because every decision we make changes the outcome of where we get to and has influence on where we are. American Idol happened to be a decision I made that has influenced my life and it was the catalyst for starting my career, to be where I am, to have my audience, to have my fans. It’s been 16 years, but to this day people still recognize me from American Idol or the younger generation recognizes me from iCarly or Hannah Montana, which is funny because I only was on one episode of each of those. But people say, “I didn’t know you were a real person. I thought you were a made-up character.” But I’m super grateful for being on Idol and the opportunities it brought and how it shaped my career. Phillip: I think about this all the time. I was playing a lot of shows before Idol and I was planning to keep doing it and try to grind it all out, because I knew what it was like for people not to care about your music and I don’t think I would change anything. I was in a small town working at my dad’s pawn shop sometimes, playing tons of gigs and writing music. I wasn’t really caught up in all of the fame and glamor and I think that may be why people connected with me because it was just honest and real. I’m such a quiet person. I’m pretty private. I would definitely do it again because I wouldn’t have had all of these opportunities that I’ve been able to experience and have and friendships that I’ve made and places I’ve gotten to see. You go through some tough times. If you can make it out of there holding your head up, that’s what’s going to shape you and I wouldn’t change any of that either. I have a roof over my head, and I get to play music for a living. Not many people can say that, so I’m very thankful. Catie: All the time. Idol goes so deep that I met my first relationship at a post-Idol fan meet and greet and he voted for me. I started writing songs about that relationship and when he broke up with me, I thought, “I wouldn’t have written these songs if this guy didn’t break up with me.” My roommate is Maddie Zahm, who was on my season, and I live with her and I lived with Noah Davis. Idol is always present in my life and it’s why I love going back so much because I always want to acknowledge and honor the fact that I would still be in Langhorne just graduating college, not really knowing what I want to do with my life if it weren’t for American Idol.
When you were competing on your season, did you ever imagine there would be a Season 21? Photo : ABC/Eric McCandless Justin: No. That was the blessing of that year, that season for me. We were so in the moment. Every single turn was a new adventure, like building the plane while you’re flying it. We weren’t influenced by expectations. We weren’t influenced by a precedent. It was just this wonderful adventure that we were making up and we were writing history but didn’t know it at the time. I think there’s something really cool and innocent and beautiful about that. Clay: I didn’t imagine in Season 2 that I’d make it to the final episode of the show. I have done my very best not to try to imagine anything that might happen in the future because I’m always wrong. Not a single one of us imagined that the show would lead to anything beyond just the experience of being on it nor could anyone possibly believe that the show would be the biggest hit of the 21st century. Jordin: I thought they would get 10 seasons. Then it went past 10 and then we had the big finale on Season 15 and they were saying, “It’s never coming back.” A year later they said, “Ha, ha. We were just napping.” I love that it’s still going and giving people the chance to live out their dreams. I think they should ride it until the wheels fall off. It’s a testament to how much people love the show and how everybody can watch it. I remember before I was on the show, after school we’d do our homework and then we’d all sit down together as a family. My grandparents, my parents, me and my brothers, we would all watch it. It’s still a show that everybody can bond over and get involved with. It’s a show that makes you happy. David: No, I had no idea. I thought maybe it’ll have a few more seasons, because I don’t know how long a competition like this can go for and how much it will command people’s attention, but here it is, continuing on 20 years later. Catie: No. During the earlier seasons, I was watching as a viewer. My seven-year-old self [wouldn’t have believed] this show is going to be one of the only constants in your life. I hope for it to continue and I’m secretly hoping it stays on long enough so I can come back again as a mentor.
Finally, what are you doing now and what is next for you? Photo : David McClister Justin: I’m finishing up the last bit of my Star Code course. I’m teaching that live online. I also have a master class that I teach, which is a lead-in to that. And then I’m gearing up for what will be my seventh Broadway show, Once Upon a One More Time, which is opening in the summer. It’s a Britney Spears musical and I’ve been with it for five years and we are finally getting our due to come to Broadway and I could not be more excited. It is legitimately my most favorite role I’ve ever played, and it is going to be something where people come to it, they will laugh, they will cry and it will feel like they are watching the most kick-ass music video they’ve ever seen on Broadway. Clay: I semi-retired from performing nine years ago. In 2013 I said, “I’m going to step away from this.” And then in 2018 Ruben wanted to do something and we had an opportunity to do a Broadway show, so I came back and did that. And then I said, “Okay, dude. I’m not going to keep going.” And he said, “It’s our 20th anniversary. We’ve got do something.” I said, “Fine, let’s do it.” There’s nobody who could get me to come back and perform except for Ruben. I love doing that. We’re going to go out on our 20th anniversary tour, and it’ll be the first time I’ve been on tour in over a decade now. We’re putting everything we’ve got into this tour. I might fall on the ground afterward and be done for a while again. We’ll see. Jordin: I am still doing music. I am in the final stages of choosing the songs that are going to go on the new album. Last season, they were talking to me about music while I was on stage with Ruben during the finale and I had over 100 songs and now I have almost close to 200 and so I really have to figure out which songs are the best. I want to take people on a journey and make them feel something. So I’m hoping to get that done in the next couple weeks, because after that I’m going to film a Christmas movie for BET+ and then I’m hoping that I can tour internationally. So there are a lot of dreams and ambitions. I’m also just being mom. I’m really grateful that I still get to do what I love. David: I did a Christmas tour, and I was supposed to go on a spring tour, but I put that on hold because I need time to reassess myself. Because not only did I come out, but I also had a transition in faith. Before, my faith was the ship that steered every decision I made. I involved it in my career and now that it’s not there, it’s like I lost myself and I’m asking, “Who am I now?” But it’s also an opportunity to start again and decide who I am without my faith as a buffer. I’ve been writing a lot of music and I’m really excited to share my journey with everybody. Learning how to love yourself when you spent so much time believing that you were supposed to hate yourself and believing that that was the right thing to do: to be afraid of a piece of you, feeling like you have to hide this for your own safety and for the safety of the people around you. To think that if it ever came out, you would be hurting not only yourself but the people around you in your life. I am in the process of learning how to change that way of thinking. It hasn’t been easy, but I feel like I’m entering a whole new space of my career because I’m entering this new space personally. It’s always been important for me to share what’s in my soul and in my heart. Now, I feel so much passion in my career — [there’s] this fire that’s coming out of me that’s given me this new fuel into what I do and into the music and I just can’t wait. I’m looking for ways to share my story, because I know so many other people, especially those coming from religious backgrounds, they’re still in the thick of it and I want to help them learn because I know what it’s like. It’s like being a mentor on Idol: I was there, so this is what I wish I would have known. While it’s easier for some, it’s especially tricky for people in religious conservative households where you are still being taught, “This is not okay. Resist it. Do not give into it. Do not accept this part of you. If you do, you’re a failure.” Too many [people] who share my beliefs feel like it’s better to end their lives than to accept their sexuality if they’re queer. I was there as well. I thought, “Before I accept this about myself, maybe it’s better for me to not be here and to end my life, so that I save my soul in the long run.” I realized, “Even if you’re queer, David, maybe your life is still worth living.” I had to take that chance and it has been worth it and I realized I’m not this evil person. I’m just now understanding this love that everyone wrote love songs and romance movies and romance novels about, expressing how beautiful of a feeling it is. I didn’t understand before. I couldn’t relate to it and now I’m able to comprehend that and write those songs myself and tell my story of what it’s like to feel that feeling of loving someone and wanting to be there for them. I feel like that will help people understand, like, “Oh, that’s not very much different from what I experienced, so maybe it’s not as foreign than what I thought it was.” To help them not demonize that feeling because they feel it too and it’s a pure, wholesome feeling to experience. Phillip: I released a song earlier this year called “Dancing With Your Shadows.” I love that song. And I’m releasing another song when this is airing called “Before I Loved You” and I’m really proud of that song. It’s a beautiful love song about me and my wife. There’ll be an album toward the end of the summer called Drift Back and all of these songs are representations for the past three to five years for me through COVID and show where I am now. It’s an honest album of love through ups and downs, not just your significant other but relationships with family and friends. My little boy Patch, he sings every word to one of these songs and that’s really sweet. I’ll say, “Is that a good song?” He’ll say, “Yup, that sounds good, daddy.” I’m like, “That’s good. Thank you.” Catie: I am releasing a new single called “Hyperfixations” and it shows what the inside of my brain sounds like, if anyone’s ever wondered that before. I wrote this song with my producer in Nashville, Ruslan. I was discovering a new sound for myself because I went from very acoustic to very pop and I wanted to find a way to honor both but still feel authentic to myself. I’m finding the nice middle ground of acoustic lyrics but with a more produced sound and in a way to where it’s not so pop. I’m having a really fun time with that. Noah: I recently moved to Nashville. I’ve been on tour, and I’ve been writing every day. I really don’t want to stop. Hopefully we’ll get some tour dates back up pretty soon. We’ve got some cool shows coming up, opening for Luke Combs.
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