Carly Smithson entered the seventh season of American Idol surrounded by controversy. In 1999, at the age of sixteen, Smithson (under her maiden name Carly Hennessy) was signed to MCA Records. In 2001 MCA released her debut album, "Ultimate High." Despite a marketing push and music video, the album only sold around 400 copies and Smithson was dropped from the label a short time later.
Because she is the only Idol contestant to have released an album under a major label, media and viewers debated on whether she should be allowed in an "amateur" singing competition. American Idol rules state that a contestant must not be under any current contract.
Despite the controversy Smithson was a popular contestant on the show and ultimately finished in sixth place. I got a chance to talk with Smithson before the Idol concert in Tacoma, WA on July 12th.
How has the tour been going?
Amazing. A dream come true, definitely. A lot more work than I thought it was gonna be, but you get to sing to everyday. That's all I want to do: sing everyday in arenas like this. I think we'll have to work really hard to ever play this size [venue] ever again. So I'm soaking it all up.
What is your favorite thing about touring?
I don't know. Probably the hair and make-up. We have the most amazing hair and make-up team. There's like, two of them. And we all look - I feel so much more confident in the way that I look. I was happy on the show, but this feels like a new level. My favorite part of the tour so far is that our voices have all held up. And they're better than the show. I'm meeting with fans, that's amazing. There's a group of fans from each city that follow us, and that's really cool. People are driving like nine hours in their cars to the next show. It's pretty crazy.
What are your plans after the tour?
Make a record. Get a record deal. That's kind of why we all came here. I definitely want longevity with a career. I have, apparently, a bunch of offers. [But] we're just on tour now, it's kind of hard to figure stuff out. I hope everything goes well. And yeah, I just wanna make a record. I don't want to rush it though. I want to make something I'm really proud of, that I put my entire heart and soul into. And something the fans are really proud of. I share this experience with them as much as myself. They put their time into it too, voting for us. And they follow us around. It's like their tour too.
Article comments
1 - Jane
All i can say is... Carly Smithson = Superstar!!
She is such a great singer, performer and person!.. i want her album now!! ;)