Bo Bice

[ShelleyC]

Posted originally on CH:

Can Bice survive the 'Idol' baggage?

Fans may have stopped biting their nails over the fate of Helena's Bo Bice now that "American Idol" is over for the season, but it's actually time to start in earnest.

Bice, 29, has achieved worldwide celebrity through weekly television exposure on the Fox reality series, singing his way to second place and a recording contract with RCA.

Besting thousands of other hopefuls and becoming a TV star? That was the easy part.

Now the pony-tailed "hippie at heart" faces two massive career challenges - and these seem much more difficult than choosing a '70s dance tune or facing judgment from Paula, Randy and Simon.

By entrusting his fate to "Idol," Bice has lost any street credibility he gained in the past. All those years of performing in nightclubs, writing personal songs and sleeping on equipment cases - actions that earn respect from other hard-working musicians - have pretty much vanished from his resume.

They've been replaced with shiny, happy "Idol" credits and the clout that comes from an association with 19 Entertainment, the iron-fisted and extremely controlling company behind the show.

As shrewd Simon Cowell once put it, becoming a pop sensation means that Bice has gone over to the dark side - or, more accurately, to the light side.

Forget the heavy-metal gigs with a Huntsville band called Purge, the wild concerts with his pals fromSugarMoney and Bice's earnest efforts in a home recording studio.

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Hey, it's got to be frustrating for Bice to realize that some folks are surprised he actually can play the guitar and is covering Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child" on the "American Idol" tour. Compare his capable solo with the actions of fellow finalist Nadia Turner, who strides on stage strapped into an electric ax that's merely a fashion prop.

Despite his abilities, Bice is required to prove himself over and over again, satisfying the demands of tough, cynical insiders in the music industry - not to mention those members of the "too cool for school" listening public.

Another formidable dragon in his path: 19 Entertainment, known for pushing out quickie albums by "Idol" graduates and strong-arming them into highly commercial molds. Bice cannot afford to appear ungrateful to the powerhouse that shoved him into the spotlight, but he must find ways to manage his aggressive backers - to balance their needs with his desires, their ideas with his goals.

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Rumors already are swirling that "Idol" Svengalis have decided on a pseudo-Creed style for Bice's major-label debut disc, set for release in the fall. They'll likely rely on established producers and songwriters who've already done well for them - people like Desmond Child and Andreas Carlsson (at the helm of the "Inside Your Heaven" single), along with RCA honcho Clive Davis.

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[yalcFan]

I really like Bo Bice and was rooting for him. But what happened since his loss in AI??? I've heard maybe 2 songs from him....I think he deserve more than that.

[djs111]

Bo got very very sick and lost Idol ground. I read that he is releasing his own CD as an independent.

For all but the winners, the end of the season is pretty much the end of the push, they got a huge leg up, is all.

The otheridol threads at the CH are kept pretty up=to=date, I have found!

[playbiller]

this isthe official Bo bice board http://www.bobice.com/

The was also some board with a lot of media called the guitar shop, but the account has been suspended.