The American Idol franchise has done very well with Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard, apparently less so with Justin Guarini:
- Justin Guarini, the second-place finalist for the first season of "American Idol," has reportedly been dropped by RCA.
The label, which no longer lists him on its Web site, declined comment. Guarini's eponymous debut album has sold 134,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.
By contrast, the debut from first-season "Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson, "Thankful," has sold 1.7 million copies. Second-season finalist Clay Aiken's "Measure of a Man" has sold 1.3 million copies since its release in October.
....Guarini did not appear on last week's Fox "An American Idol Christmas" TV special, although he was initially announced as one of the performers. 19 Entertainment, which signed Guarini to a management deal after his appearance on "Idol," did not return calls.
...."American Idol's" third season premieres Jan. 20, 2004. According to published reports, music producer Pete Waterman, a judge on the U.K.'s "Pop Idol," is in discussions to join the show as a fourth judge alongside current "American Idol" judges Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson and Cowell. [Billboard]
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - TDavid
Ruben hasn't been fully tested with his full length CD since it hasn't come out yet. Wonder where his sales will rank compared to Kelly and Clay?
I wonder how much that flop of a movie (From Justin to Kelly) had to help this decision along?
2 - Natalie Davis
I suspect his minor legal run-ins (runs-in?) may have pushed a certain amount of the public away from Justin. That, combined with the movie and the lackluster sales of his album and the quick airing of AI2 (which pushed Clay and Ruben into the spotlight alongside Kelly, whose LP did great), may have helped the public forget about him. Which is sad, because Justin is a good singer. I wish him luck in the future. AI is supposed to be a training ground, in part, and I guess Justin has learned a good lesson -- the business is hard and cruel and fickle. "Crushed velvet sometimes / Sometimes just pretzels and beer..."
3 - Tom Johnson
The label, which no longer lists him on its Web site, declined comment. Guarini's eponymous debut album has sold 134,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Like that's a paltry number or something. Most musicians would love to sell 134,000 copies of something they did. And how much money did RCA put into that album in the first place, I wonder? I can't imagine they invested too much - knowing this will likely be a fairly short-lived thing anyway, and hoping to maximize profit.
4 - Eric Olsen
130,000 isn't very good taking into account the mass appeal musical format, the built-in audience from the show, the movie, etc. They probably figured ANYONE could sell that many copies under the circumstances.
He sold 1/10 of what Kelly and Clay did - that's a pretty good indication.
5 - Craig Lyndall
Hey Nat, what legal run-ins did he have? Just curious.
To be honest I am quite surprised that Clay and Kelly have done so well. That is until I heard the Clay single (Invisible?) that is out right now. It isn't my style of music, but that is just a great pop song. It has some cross over appeal because it is a bit of rock, a bit of ballad, a bit of pop and enunciated well enough that it wouldn't alienate listeners like my parents. I would be interested to hear what style the Justin songs were. Built in audiences, marketing and hype will eventually fail if the songs are bad.
6 - Eric Olsen
Guarini has been sued $100K for a traffic accident in Pennsyvania.
7 - TDavid
Craig - check out Clay's song: "Touch" -- very catchy! There were several songs on Measure of a Man that took me by surprise (being better than I thought they would be). I liked Measure of a Man better thank Clarkson's Thankful which had a few good songs (the duet with Tamayra Gray) and the acoustic version of "A Moment In Time".
Clay's CD is about as surprising as his voice. Throughout Idol they kept saying this guy doesn't look like a singer, and he doesn't, but damn he can really sing! He sang a few dogs (the Grease thing was bad) during Idol, but what singer hasn't?
I wish him the best of luck, because his honesty -- folks love an honest, hard working person -- are paying dividends that are well deserved and have nothing to do with luck. I think he might just outsell Clarkson's Thankful when it's all said and done. Kudos to him!
We need more stars without image problems.
8 - Eric Olsen
TD, I like Clay a lot too, although I have only heard a couple of songs from the CD. I think your estimation is correct.
9 - Natalie Davis
Justin was also charged and fined for allegedly nearly running over a kid with a water jet ski in Florida.
10 - Mac Diva
I haven't been very impressed with the American Idol choices overall. They are usually okay, but just okay. I don't believe they compare with newcomers who have arrived on their own during the show's run such as India Arie, Alicia Keyes and Nellie Furtado.
It probably isn't useful to read too much into Justin's youthful problems. But, if they continue, ala Courtney Love. . . .
11 - Eric Olsen
oops, didn't know about mowing down civilians
12 - The Theory
mmm. mowing.
mmm. civilians.
13 - Eric Olsen
I hear Toro is coming out with a new civilian mower for spring!
14 - TDavid
I sense some Death Race 2000 inspiration in the audience.
15 - Mac Diva
Life can be amazing. Will people even recall Guarini's name 10 years from now? Based on observations over the years, he will probably be found, gone completely bald, working as a clerk at Hollywood Video. Sometimes I think fate is being particularly cruel when it gives young people hope and then dashes it.
16 - Eric Olsen
There are three factors in long-term success: talent, determination and luck, and particularly large quotients of any two can overcome difficiencies in one. I am sure that Guarini has had enough exposure and has enough talent that he can be an entertainer for as long as he wishes, but the level at which he operates is very much left to be determined.
17 - HW Saxton Jr.
While I agree with you on the three
factors leading to success,Eric,I'd add
another: A Gullible Public.
Miss Kelly Clarkson was shoved down the
throats of the public by a MultiMillion
dollar media blitz.Instead of retching
it up,the public swallows it whole and
then slobbers like Pavlov's pooches for
more.Enter: Ruben Stoddard. Neither of
these two marginal performers would've
made it through raw talent,originality
or sheer determination.If this were the
case then Pere Ubu would've been as big
as The Beatles. As the public becomes
increasingly name conscious and less and
less suspect,big buck promotion machines
like Fox,point their fingers at those
whom they want you to accept and you do.
You bend over every time the big green
weenie of mindless consumerism flashes
across your TV screen.Multi-Media mega
corporations buy critics and columnists
by pandering to their way over-inflated
egos.Polls & industry awards are bought
outright or rigged by block voting.Real
critics have been rendered ineffective
by glossy fan-zines such as Teen Dream
& Rolling Stone which have no more real
bearing on a performers fate than does
"The Watchtower" on my chances in the
afterlife.The relationship between
artistic talent and commercial success
is non-existent or at best,very shaky.
And you my friends have been had,again.
Can't wait to see who make your flavor
of the year next on American Idol.
egos.
18 - Eric Olsen
HW, I don't disagree with you in a general sense, but since the hype factor and public gullibility factor are fairly constant, SOMETHING has to differentiate between the success of the three and the relative failure of the other. In other words, even if it's all hype, people don't respond the same way so there must be something to the actual content that makes a difference. I think Guarini just didn't make a very interesting record, while the others had enough to distinguish them that the public bought into it.
19 - HW Saxton Jr.
Good point Eric.
Touche...
20 - Craig Lyndall
I think one of the big reasons for Clay's success is that his first release to the public (correct me if I am wrong) was Bridge Over Troubled Water. What a genius way to enter the market. Look at Limp Bizkit with Faith, Alien Ant Farm with Smooth Criminal and that band that did the Boys of Summer this year. Even though Clay lost his first release was appealing because it brought a sense of familiarity to an audience that kind of knew him already. This plays into the point you were making about Content Eric.
21 - Mac Diva
I don't like nobody messin' with a classic like "A Bridge Over Troubled Waters," Craig. But maybe people not so familiar with the original aren't bothered by it.
Let's not forget that Limp Bizkit paid to get airplay at thousands of radio stations when it first started out. That fits right in with in with Saxton's point about the triumph of marketing.
Eric, I think it may come back to ego. Can Guarini bear being the weekend entertainer at some city's Sheraton after having seen the big time?
Which brings us to the sad story of Dana Plato. She was fired from Different Strokes when she was 19. No other sitcoms picked her up. As far as I know, she did not attempt 'lesser' things such as commercials, daytime TV or theater. Nor did she go to college so she wouldn't have to return to her working-class origins. Plato eventually accepted a few 'regular folks' gigs. One of them backfired when she was recognized as both as a child star and the person who had robbed a local bank. Witnesses remembered her from the drycleaners where she was a clerk. The downward spiral continued. Even posing naked for Playboy didn't help. Dana Plato took her own life in her 30s.
22 - Craig Lyndall
Diva I agree. The original is BY FAR the best, but there is no accounting for those who don't have the taste or sense to reject the remake.
Also a good point about the Bizkit. The funniest thing about that in my opinion is the slew of bands that were connected. Korn hit it big. They signed Limp Bizkit. Limp Bizkit signed Staind and Puddle of Mudd. Every band that I listed has had recent struggles. Bizkit, Staind and Korn have had lackluster sales in the last 2-3 years and the jury is just about ready to read the verdict on Mudd. She fuckin hates me could only last so long.
23 - HW Saxton Jr.
Dear Craig & Mac Diva,
Did you know that Bridge was originally
penned with Aretha Franklin in mind?
She didn't want it at the time the song was offered to her but,she did end up
doing a GREAT!cover of it on the "Live At The Fillmore West" LP.
24 - Natalie Davis
Clay has a fine voice, but I'll never forgive him for BOTW. AWful!
25 - Sandra Smallson
Poor Guarini. I liked his duet with Kelly.."Timeless" I think its a fabulous song. It only goes to show that people give far too much weight to these TV shows..I believe Kelly, Clay(who I do not like at all) and Ruben came from the same line..you've got to have something else I guess. kelly has a good voice but when she appeared on Pop Idol UK to perform a song, she almost made me deaf and I was watching from home. She wailed and wailed, I almost lost the will to live..she was practically yelling..I think she was trying too hard to show the wanabees why SHE won and why she is now a "star" in some circles..I only survived when I realised I was better off than the poor souls actually sitting in the studio:) I think she's good though. Rubens voice makes me feel warm and safe..the feeling you get when cuddling a teddy..I like..I like a lot:) Clay, just does not do it for me.
Macdiva: There is nothing more boring to me than India arie..I hate that whole earth mother crap and singing the most boring songs(she's not the excellent Badu or Jill Scott)..she's not the average gal from the video?..Well, thank goodness for that! I remember when her first song came out, I was sick of her interviews talking about the pop stars of toady..Ms Arie Has a message in HER music?..Pish..Posh..look at Mr Eminem,,talking about the President in his yet to be released new song..now, theres all this interest in it..and people will buy..timely leak from someone in his camp dont u think? Its all promotion and everyone does it..but only poor Britney(the new whipping bitch for all thats wrong in the world, since the marriage of former whipping bitch Madonna:)will be attacked for kissing M on stage as promotion for new Album..how they figure that out remains a mystery.
Nelly Furtado's new song..it is not very good. This is just my opinion ofcourse and not scientific fact. I like Alicia Keys, though she is considered more credible than necessary simply because she sits at a piano..I was listening to her first Album..and some of the songs..one called Girlfriend..I think..My dear britney could have easily sung that..and danced like hell to it..I guess we like what we like and POLITICS will always prevail in the sense that the "experts" will still try and force upon us what they think to them is credible music making sure along the way to speak in derogatory terms about those whose music might just be as good and we just might like. As is obvious, I am disillusioned by todays so called music Experts and critics...current articles and attitudes leave nothing to be desired. Used to be a time where you respected music "experts" whether u agreed or not with thier views..Guarini might be better off. Kelly/Clay/Ruben are bound to be criticised this time next year if they actually still exist after the music "critics" use them as statistics to show the fleeting nature of the music business today, while exalting some johnny/jackie just come singer with a guitar that looks like something the cat just dragged in(makes them look cool/thoughtful and not interested in appearance/all about the music persona;) but puts you to sleep in a millisecond with a boring tune. Nevertheless, articles galore will name this person as the second coming of Janis Joplin. Same shit, different day or year!