After AshleeGate erupted Saturday on SNL, Ashlee Simpson was fortunate enough to have a chance to redeem herself, of sorts, a mere 48 hours later at the 2004 Radio Music Awards last night. According to all she sufficiently rocked, and did so live. I mean LIVE live.
The effusive administrator of the fan site Ashlee.us tells us so:
- Ashlee Simpson blew away the audience (and me as well) during her ABSOLUTELY LIVE performance at the 2004 Radio Music Awards!!
She even made fun of her SNL performance by starting off with Pieces of Me and then stopping the band after about 20 seconds, then kicking into a totally rocking version of Autobiography! Ashlee was completely confident and it showed.
Her voice sounded GREAT, her band sounded GREAT and the audience loved every second of it. Take that you nay-sayers!
Ashlee's career is far from over. To the contrary this epsisode of her career will only help it as it proves that Ashlee Simpson is not a "flash in the pan", a "loser", "hack", etc...
As soon as I have the video of the performance ready it will be on this site. After viewing it I think you'll agree that Ashlee is definetely back and has put the SNL show behind her! After all, as the song Shadow says, "the past is in the past".
A slightly less biased AP agreed:
- This time Ashlee Simpson sang it for real.
We think. The 19-year-old pop artist was among a slew of stars who played Monday during the 2004 Radio Music Awards at the Aladdin hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip.
....whether she liked it or not, Simpson was at the centre of the show thanks to a glitch on Saturday Night Live last weekend that revealed she had been lip-synching one of her songs.
Before she sang Autobiography off her hit album, host Carson Daly reassured Monday's audience they were getting a live performance.
"Live, yes live," he said.
When Simpson's band started playing, the younger sister of pop starlet Jessica Simpson screamed, "It's the wrong song." Seconds later, she told a stunned theatre filled with hundreds of people that she was "only kidding."
Later in the evening, she told Daly in an off-stage interview that acid reflux disease had made her lose her voice four hours before her SNL appearances.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Claire
EO, I laughed all the way through this one. What a piece! Good reporting, good pics, and hilarious sidebars.
And is there an artist anywhere that, at a superbowl, an awards show or somewhere hasn't at some point had a back-up track supporting them? No. Whitney Houston has, Madonna has, Shania Twain has, Faith Hill has, Garth Brooks has, not to mention the lesser artists who grace the stages of the music world. I remember an occasion when B. Spears didn't, and I wished all the way through she had.
The only one I bet hasn't is Celine Dion, but thats just a guess, and even she could have had a case of acid reflux which necessitated it!
The only sidebar you missed *huge grin....is "besides, she's a hottie"....
Grinning and enjoying...
Claire
2 - BRATTY
Yeah- that makes it alright to pay $100.00 for a concert where the artist is not actually singing. All the people you mention are "lesser artists" already and have forgettable cds bought by losers like you.
Ashlee Simpson is just more of the same crap foisted on a bunch of dorks who think she looks cute.
3 - Claire
Why, thank you Bratty, your derision makes me more certain of my position....I didn't MENTION concerts...I mentioned award shows and superbowls. If you are stupid enough to pay 100.00 to see anyone when you can buy their cd for 12.00 bucks...then we don't need a brain match here do we?
Claire
4 - barley
Was anyone else listening? she "blew everyone away" when she finally sang live at the radio awards?!? i think she just plain blew. the only word i have to describe this performance is ATROCIOUS.
5 - Natalie Davis
Frankly, I wished that she had lip-synced. Ashlee blew chunks at the RMAs -- she was out of tune and out of her league. But hey, the kids love(loved?) her -- talent is rarely a deciding factor when it comes to who will be the next big thing.
6 - Claire
Natalie said: talent is rarely a deciding factor when it comes to who will be the next big thing.
Ain't it the truth...LOL...
Claire
7 - Eric Olsen
In this case I am just reporting what was said, I didn't see/hear the RMA performance myself. I am unconvinced she is a major talent, although she is only 19. I DO give her credit for working in a different musical vein from her sister, and for writing all the songs on her album.
8 - Eric Olsen
and thanks Claire, your kind words are always much appreciated!
9 - Lono
for the record, I called it talentgate some days ago and am just waiting for the media to catch on. in deference to Claire, she isn't unpleasant to look at. Last night my wife asked me if I even felt a little bad for her and my answer was without pause NO. She is a fake and a phony and a fraud. She got caught.
Sure, there may be millions more like her in the industry, and I will applaud when they get caught too. I live for music, it's why I still go to work everyday... so I can pay the bills to live another day to listen to more music.
People like her are an affront to my sensibilities as a music dork. Now let's bring it on home to Eric's point:
What do you call a drummer without a girlfriend? Homeless!
10 - Eric Olsen
wasn't it toward drummers that Randy Newman sang "they got no reason, no reason to live"?
11 - Boo
Ashley Simpson IS no singer, she sucks, and I hate her more than I hate Hilary....
Actually, no, I still hate Hilary more, but still, They both suck and Ashlee Simpson makes me hurl and I think she's on crack
My respects to Jessica, It's not your falt you're dumb.
12 - ^^NaS^^
who let these morons go up on stage ever?!?!?! ashlee simpson cant sing and shed be worse if she tried to think about singing the song shes suppost to play. both simpsons are just rotten lil blond gurls who dont know crap. that reminds me why did the two bolnds keep staring at the orange juice box? cuz it said concentrate. the day one of them gets a real job is the day pigs fly
13 - ^^NaS^^
while were talking about dumb people lets bring up claire.. are u blond? I bet u are
14 - Lono
Firstly, fuck off and leave Claire alone. She is the only class we have in this operation, even if she is a righty. Secondly, and most importantly, we are making fun of drummers.
How do you know when a drummer is at your door. As he knocks, he keeps speeding up and slowing down without warning.
15 - Eric Olsen
what Lono said
16 - Jared
Making fun of drummers eh? Think again.
Neil Peart
Mike Portnoy
Simon Phillips
Buddy Rich
Max Roach
17 - Limptriskit
Well Jen is less than a genius and her sis can't really sing. Hmm . Kills me to think young girls think Ashlee is punk because she found color in a bottle.
18 - Joe Simpson
So what that she said she would never lip sync!
So what that we blamed it on the band!
So what that we claimed it was acid reflux!
So what that she can't sing!
So what that she can't dance or act!
So what???? It's all about duping one more fan out of their hard-earned money. Here is where we scored big!
We are the champions in the end.
Joe
PS...keep your grimey mitts off of my daughters!!!!
19 - Mr. Lonely
Ashlee,
I believed you when you said you would never lip sync.
I believed you when you said it was the band's fault.
I believed you when you said it was acid reflux.
I still love you Ashlee...let me put just the head in....I promise I won't squirt!
Promise.
Mr Loney
20 - DJ
No talent ass clowns...
21 - DJ
BTW - loved your comment Mr Loney
22 - Victor Plenty
Yep, this discussion needs more drummer jokes. Following up from Lono's:
Q: How do you get the drummer off your doorstep?
A: Pay for the pizza.
Q: How is a drummer different from a pizza?
A: The pizza can feed a family of four.
Thank you, everybody! You've been great! I'll be here all week!
But seriously, well done on the article, Eric. Loved your choice of Kurzweil's book, especially after the synchronicity of hearing him interviewed on "Talk of the Nation" today.
23 - sink
I think the thing that truly ticks me off the most is not that Ashlee Simpson got caught lip synching. (I don't know how people could watch her show and not realize that she was mediocre from the start.) What really bothers me is that the world jumped down her throat and then proceeded to give Brittney Spears another platinum album, a perfume, and a clothing line for making a CAREER out of lip synching. It infuriates me that as long as some hottie shakes her ass half-naked and is a giant slut, THEN we forgive that she can't sing. But since Ashlee is punk, and actually wears clothing, well then she had BETTER actually be able to sing. Where's the sense or justice in that?
24 - Eric Olsen
Sink, you have a good point, except I dont' see Ashlee as "punk": she is faux-indie rock in the manner of Avril Lavigne, but at least Avril can sing and play live. And from the marketing I would not say Ashlee is above using her looks. I wouldn't weep too much for her, though, she had the 9th best-selling album of '05
25 - Spuebear
After that funny incident of Ashlee on “SNL”, it was amazing to me that Joe Simpson, the manager and derelict father of these two airheads stated that the song was a back-round song for the singer to sing-along with. This is common in the industry, played at low volume to increase the volume of the actual singer. I know you have all seen the “SNL” screw-up, now watch it again and listen to the “back-round” song. Is it low-volume, or full? Sure sounds full to me. In fact, they turned it down after the mistake was realized.
And now, of course, comes the reason why. Acid-reflux disease. As many of you know, she and her dickhead daddy stated that she had this problem with her voice and saw a doctor and got a cortisone shot.
Decent excuse, except cortisone has no effect on that ailment considering that cortisone is an anti-inflammatory. In fact, it can actually contribute to the disease.
So if Joe Simpson thinks the American public, who subject themselves to this crap in order to watch an episode of “SNL”, is stupid enough to believe him, then I can say I’ve come across decomposing bodies that where less offensive. Now Ashlee tried to show us she doesn’t need to lip-synch at the Orange Bowl when , in fact, maybe she should have. Anyone who told Ashlee to “just be herself “couldn't have given her worse advice. That was the end of college football for me, that and religion, because if there where a just and loving God in the Heavens, He wouldn’t allow this sort of thing to happen.
It’s not that I really care she got busted. What makes me mad is the passing the buck, pointing the fingers, and the blatant lying through their teeth about absolutely everything.
So I close with some advice for Ashlee. The next gig daddy gets you and you show up with the intention of singing live, always remember that you’re as well accepted as a rattlesnake at a square dance.