Posts Tagged ‘American Idol’

If you watched this year’s “American Idol” finale, you’ll likely remember the moment when it seemed like things had gone completely off the rails. Comedian Dane Cook was singing a jokey homage to departing judge Simon Cowell when all of a sudden a parade of some of the legendary “Idol” misfits tumbled onto the stage in what has become a time-honored tradition on the final show of every season.

Only this time, reject Ian Benardo took things too far, mic-jacking a surprised-looking Cook and spewing off a string of incomprehensible Cowell-baiting, self-promoting blather before producers quickly cut to commercial.

Well, Benardo, not content to be shut down, has reportedly filed a $300 million lawsuit against the show, claiming that he was threatened by Cook and that producers caused him emotional distress and loss of employment opportunities through their handling of the situation.

According to TMZ, Benardo filed a suit with the New York State Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in which he claims that Cook personally threatened him after the show and that an unnamed “Idol” producer told Benardo that the comedian wanted to “shove this mic up your ass but you would like it.”

And while he was upset with the alleged harsh treatment he suffered during the finale, Benardo claims in the suit that the conflict started in 2006 when he first auditioned for “Idol.” At that time, Benardo claims that producers “exploited … my sexual orientation” by instructing the outrageous “So You Think You Can Dance” wannabe to “gay it up.”

When he was invited back for this year’s finale, Benardo says that producers gave him similar instructions to act “outrageous” and “gay,” which inspired him to snatch the mic from Cook. The comedian was none too pleased with Benardo’s move, calling him out on Twitter by writing, “If you missed it I got Kanye’d on ‘American Idol.’ Wild … Luckily at the end of the song … that was not staged. Weirdo hijacked the song. Just glad he didn’t hit me in the face with the mic or ‘American Idol’ would be ‘American Beatdown … Weirdo = f—face.”

Though Cook kept his cool onstage, in the suit, Benardo claims that the comedian and his manager were angry about the incident and that “Idol” producers warned Benardo that he should exit the building right away because he was “not safe.”

Benardo says he’s suffered emotional injuries and loss of employment opportunities as a result and is seeking $300 million in restitution. Fox, the network that airs “American Idol,” had no comment. A spokesperson for Dane Cook could not be reached for comment at press time.

It could be déjà vu all over again Wednesday night (May 26) on “American Idol.” Like last season, when flashy Adam Lambert charmed the judges and audience with his operatic wails and wild outfits while workmanlike Kris Allen slowly gained steam in the final weeks, experts are predicting that this year’s dark horse will pull out a win.

Even though season-long leader Crystal Bowersox pulled out a star-worthy three-pack of performances on Tuesday night’s show as Lee DeWyze struggled at times with nerves, our “Idol” watchers think DeWyze might still pull out an upset.

“Crystal Bowersox mopped the Nokia stage with Lee DeWyze in every way possible,” said MJ Santilli, webmaster of “Idol” fan site MJsBigBlog.com. “She out-sang him on a weekly basis, with few exceptions. And yet … I still think Lee is going to win ‘American Idol’ season nine.”

How so? Well, despite Bowersox’s major comeback after several weeks of so-so performances, Santilli said it might be too little, too late. “I don’t believe it was enough to overcome the tremendous momentum Lee brought with him into the final,” she explained, noting that departing judge Simon Cowell told fellow adjudicator Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show Tuesday that he thought Lee would win. “After all, he’s just a humble paint salesman, and that’s what this show is all about, as the judges kept reminding us. … Lee will win because he’s a totally relatable everyman — humble and sweet, striving to improve himself, which he did over the weeks of the competition. Crystal came in fully formed, taking no prisoners, sometimes seeming like she didn’t even care if she won.”

Santilli suspects that America fell in love with the humble Mt. Prospect, Illinois, kid, and his missteps on Tuesday night might have endeared him even more to voters.

Jim Cantiello, had to agree. Giving the W to Bowersox in the singing department on Tuesday night, he said for a guy who struggled with pitch all season Lee was surprisingly on point — but that wasn’t enough to combat BoSox’s A-game. “When it came down to the final round, MamaSox nailed the glory note in an obscure Patty Griffin tune, while Lee told America he’d be happy releasing U2 karaoke tracks,” Cantiello said.

But despite Lee looking like he was going to lose his lunch on the stage at times due to nerves, Cantiello had to agree with Santilli that DeWyze is likely to pull out an upset victory. “She peaked too early and allowed Lee to gain traction as she squandered her lead with lazy, unsubstantial performances for a few weeks,” he said. “More importantly, Lee’s fanbase is made up of a lot of young girls who are willing to text till their fingers go numb. MamaSox’s voting block may skew older (since, let’s face it, she harkens back to another era of music), and typically the older crowd doesn’t vote with the same frenzied intensity of the young’uns. When this season started, I proclaimed that a girl would never win this show again, thanks to the shifting ‘Idol’ viewer demographics and rabid female online community. I fear I will be proven correct come Wednesday night.”

Most of Wednesday night’s (April 21) “American Idol” was given over to the all-star fundraising effort “Idol Gives Back,” featuring performances from Alicia Keys, Elton John, Mary J. Blige and others uniting to raise funds for children’s charities in the U.S. and abroad. There was, of course, also work to be done, as another contestant faced elimination at the end of the nearly two-and-a-half-hour special.

But the majority of the show was focused on performances at the “Idol” studios in Los Angeles, as well as a second location at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, where Queen Latifah hosted in front of a rowdy crowd hyped for Carrie Underwood, the Black Eyed Peas and other special guests.

The evening opened with President Obama and the first lady, Michelle Obama, delivering a pre-taped message from the White House. ” ‘American Idol’ has always been about changing lives, on the stage and around the world,” the president said. “That’s why Michelle and I want to take a moment to thank everyone watching tonight for your continued generosity as part of ‘Idol Gives Back.’ ”

The top 12, all wearing crisp white outfits, were reunited for one last group number, the 1986 Freiheit song “Keeping the Dream Alive,” followed by the Black Eyed Peas, who beamed in for their tune “Rock That Body” on a stage shrouded in fog and crisscrossing lasers. As a half-dozen futuristic robot-girl warriors flashed their ray guns at the crowd, Fergie worked the stage in a metallic snakeskin body suit and knee-high matching boots for the uptempo dance tune.

This week’s mentor, Alicia Keys, sang her sultry new ballad “Un-Thinkable” while wearing a silky black pantsuit, and then sat down at the piano for a forceful run through the sequel to her hit duet with Jay-Z, “Empire State of Mind (Pt. II) Broken Down.” Former “Idol” winner and country superstar Carrie Underwood dropped by to sing her inspirational ballad about trying to make a difference in the world, “Change.”

Though former Eurythmics singer Annie Lennox was scheduled to perform, she was grounded by the Icelandic volcano, but still made an appearance in a touching segment about how the right drugs helped save the life of a desperately ill 7-year-old girl with pneumonia and AIDS. She later appeared in a satellite segment singing her hopeful tribute to children in need, “Universal Child,” a new song that was available for download on iTunes after the show.

English guitar icon Jeff Beck was joined by Joss Stone and the Jubilation choir for a slinky ramble through “I Put a Spell on You,” which featured plenty of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s legendary whammy-bar pyrotechnics. Mary J. Blige also lent a hand, hooking up with Orianthi, Travis Barker, Steve Vai and “Idol” judge Randy Jackson to perform Led Zeppelin’s rock classic “Stairway to Heaven.” Wearing dark shades, black leather pants and a black leotard with mirrored shoulder pads, Blige brought some soul power to the rock anthem, with Barker bashing out the rumbling rhythm and Vai and Orianthi trading off riffs as the tune built to a titanic peak.

The night’s final performance came from Elton John, who encouraged viewers to get educated about HIV/AIDS and to get tested for the disease before singing his ageless piano ballad “Your Song.”

Among the stars lending a hand through video segments chronicling childhood poverty and hunger were Jennifer Garner, former guest judge Victoria Beckham, Captain “Sully” Sullenberger, Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, George Lopez, David Duchovny, Chris Rock, Josh Groban, Morgan Freeman, Slash, Jim Carrey, Wanda Sykes and Ben Affleck.

Garner visited an Appalachian town near hear hometown in Charleston, West Virginia, where 45 percent of children are growing up in poverty. She met a family of six that lives in a cramped two-room trailer with no heat and is getting some educational help from Save the Children, one of the night’s beneficiaries. Freeman and Randy Jackson traveled to Mississippi and watched as Save the Children helped spread literacy to help rural children get out of poverty. DeGeneres was in Monrovia, California, with David Arquette to see the efforts of Feeding America, which provides food to families in need, while former “Idol” winner David Cook went to Ethiopia on behalf of the U.N. Foundation to see their work trying to help save young girls from servitude.

After taking a year off in 2009 due to the financial crisis, Wednesday night’s show was the third edition of “Idol Gives Back,” and near the end of the show, Simon Cowell announced that $15 million has already been raised. If you want to show your support, you can see your favorite artists and American Idol performers live by purchasing concert tickets.

To donate to “Idol Gives Back,” call (877) 436-5243 or visit www.americanIdol.com.

Andrew Garcia just couldn’t get past his Hollywood Week performance of … do we even need to remind you which song by a former “American Idol” judge he covered?

His uninspired performance of Elvis’ “Hound Dog” was the last straw, and he was sent packing, along with Katie Stevens, during Wednesday’s results show.

We caught up with the acoustic crooner on Thursday (April 15) to talk about his “Straight Up” albatross, his bromance with Lee Dewyze and much more.

Q: You had a lot of hype going into the semifinals after your take on Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up.” Do you think your early fans were disappointed with the direction you went once the live shows started?

A: I felt super excited coming into the top 24, and I don’t feel like I let my fans down at all. My fans are just so amazing, and they get me, and that’s all that matters. I know I didn’t let them down, and they know I didn’t let them down.

Q: After weeks of bad reviews, were you surprised that the judges loved your take on Chris Brown’s “Forever” during R&B week?

A: I kind of knew it was gonna be a good night, just because I’m a guy who does current music and puts my acoustic twist on it. And I saw that song, and I was like, “Man, I gotta do something with that song. It’s current and my feel too.” I’m a kind of R&B/pop kind of guy. I put my twist on it, and I felt it 100 percent. I was just like, “You know what? I know the fans and supporters are gonna love it.” And I went out there, confident, and it showed. And loved it.

Q: Simon often got on your case for being boring, and mentor Adam Lambert even said you needed to liven things up. Why do you think your personality didn’t translate into your performances?

A: Well, onstage, I was focused more on just performing. They’re talking about personality; they don’t really hang out with me, so they can’t really talk about someone’s personality if they’re not trying to hang out with me. If they hung out with me, they’ll love me. Guarantee.

Q: After Michael Lynche was given a second chance, were you disappointed or relieved that the judges’ save wasn’t on the table for you this week?

A: At that point, I was just happy with where I was at and how far I’d gotten. And the save, they couldn’t have did a better save. Michael Lynche, that guy is a warrior, and I love that guy.

Q: Do you think this year’s judging panel was harder on the contestants than last year’s?

A: I felt like it was harder, just ’cause they were being really hard this year. I don’t know why, but they’re being really, really, really hard on the judging.

Q: Ryan Seacrest was especially wacky this week, even slow dancing in the aisle during Tim Urban’s performance. What were you thinking when you saw his behavior?

A: I was like, “Ryan has lost his mind.” But I love the guy. He works a lot, so he has the right to get a little coffee in him now and then.

Q: What brought you and Lee together as friends?

A: We find ourselves doing the same thing at the same time, and it’s just really weird. Like, “What the heck?” We look at each other, and we’re like, “Dude, we’re meant to be!”

Q: Will you be rooting for Lee at future shows?

A: I will for sure go to the shows and cheer him on. That’s my brother for life.

As the first winner of Britain’s “Pop Idol,” Will Young was never voted off and, therefore, was never played off the stage with a goodbye song. Now, however, he’s up close and person with the “American Idol” season-nine exit song: It’s his track “Leave Right Now.”

“It’s brilliant,” chuckled Young, who has sold more than 8 million records. “I haven’t released in America before, so I’m really happy, because my song is now on the biggest show in America. And it’s played every week. I’ve watched it over here a couple of times when I can, and I think it sounds great on the show.”

Back in 2002, the 31-year-old Brit won “Pop Idol,” the show that launched the mega-popular “Idol” franchise, which has brought us budding superstars like Kelly Clarkson, Jordin Sparks and Jennifer Hudson.

He’s hoping to build on the momentum of his “Idol” exit song, releasing a digital album in May and following that up with his first real working visit Stateside. So far on the docket are a few live shows, a few taped TV performances and, he’s hoping, a chance to head over to the “American Idol” stage.

Still, he’s just grateful for his “Idol” opportunity and hopes to make as big a splash in the U.S. as he’s made worldwide. As for his tune, he couldn’t have picked a better calling card for American ears.

“Funny enough, the song is more about taking yourself out of a situation, so in a way, I’m telling myself to leave, which is almost the harder thing to do,” he explained. “I think that’s what it is about, that song. So many people have experienced that. You’re coming back, and you think, ‘I really shouldn’t be in the situation, but here I am again.’ You know, that awful feeling where your heart has been broken once and you don’t know if you can do it again. That’s what that song is about. And that’s why I always love performing it.”

For once, “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest wasn’t exaggerating when he promised that Wednesday night’s results show would be a shocker. On a night when many predicted that Aaron Kelly’s “Idol” journey would be coming to a halt, instead it was burly personal trainer and new dad Michael Lynche facing the sing of shame.

Lynche, who has emerged as one of the strongest contenders in an otherwise lackluster season nine, pulled out his big guns in an attempt to stay in the mix, reprising his lauded cover of Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work” and earning the season’s only save. He was on the chopping block despite a mostly praised R&B spin on “Eleanor Rigby” on Tuesday night.

“I was absolutely shocked,” Rickey Yaneza, webmaster of the “Idol” fan site Rickey.org, said about Lynche landing in the bottom three alongside Kelly and Andrew Garcia. “I didn’t think he’d end up getting the least amount of votes, but I think they made the right call.” Yaneza said Lynche’s “Woman’s Work” was one of the best performances of the season so far, and the reprise was more than enough to earn his spot back.

As for what happened to put Lynche in the crosshairs, Yaneza speculated that the brawny singer’s fans may have gotten complacent, while supporters of Kelly and Garcia pulled it together and rallied enough votes to keep them in the competition. “Aaron and Andrew’s fans worked their butts off overnight knowing their guys were in trouble,” he said, noting that Lynche’s fanbase has never been as strong as those for other on-the-bubble contestants such as Kelly, Garcia and “Teflon” Tim Urban.

Idol disciple, Jim Cantiello, was surprised that the judges used their one-and-only save for Lynche, assuming they’d save it for one of the other front-runners. “Given the way this season is going, I assumed they’d only use it on Crystal Bowersox or perhaps Lee Dewyze,” he said. “Michael was a likable guy, but he’s been railed for giving overdramatic performances. Tuesday night, he went way over the top and Simon was quite vocal in his disapproval. So for 24 hours later to have passed and now the judges are unanimous in giving this guy another shot? It was unexpected.”

Cantiello disagreed with the move, saying Lynche had reverted back to his “over-emotive” habits. “After his results-show interview where he told Seacrest that people should just download his studio recordings if they’re not feeling his onstage antics?” Cantiello said. “That right there proves he has no intention of pulling back. America wasn’t feeling his dinner-theater performance style, voted him off, and then the judges gave him a free pass to keep doing what he’s doing. If he doesn’t tone it down next week, he’ll be the lowest vote-getter all over again.”

Readers reacted strongly to the drama, with Kevin writing, “Now what do they do if someone that is talented and could have a future in the business like Crystal doesn’t get enough votes one week? Bad decision with this many weeks left!” Rick took a more academic approach, arguing that the judges shouldn’t have saved Lynche because “when your vote total is that low, then your fanbase is highly unlikely to carry you through and you’re going home within the next few weeks anyway. I don’t think you break out the save until there is seven or even six left. In that case you could potentially save the winner.”

MJ Santilli, who runs the “Idol” fan site MJsBigBlog.com, isn’t a fan of the save in general, feeling that the “Idol” chips should fall where they may with no interference from the judges. “Surprise boots are part of the ‘Idol’ experience. Everyone gets over it and moves on,” she said. “So I’m happy to have it out of the way for the season.”

That said, if the save has to be deployed, she was fine with Lynche being the beneficiary. “There are at least four contestants who should be heading out the door before Mike Lynche: Aaron Kelly, Andrew Garcia, Katie Stevens and Tim Urban have all had spotty track records, at best, on the ‘Idol’ stage,” she said. “Plus, Mike is one of the few contestants left with decent performance skills, and now that Paige Miles is gone, he’s the only R&B singer in the group.”

Santilli was also surprised at Lynche’s elimination because she figured his fanbase wasn’t being split with any of the other contestants. But the problem now, she said, was that if one of the other front-runners — such as Bowersox, Dewyze or Siobhan Magnus — is eliminated in the next few weeks, the judges can’t do a thing about it. “And there goes that feel-good save they could have used during ‘Idol Gives Back,’ ” she lamented.

Now that we’re down to the top 10 on “American Idol,” the competition is heating up and it becomes harder each week to predict who will be sent packing. But on Tuesday night, two performances stood out from the rest for our “Idol” experts as the likely swan song for a pair of finalists.

“Didi Benami’s ‘What Becomes of the Brokenhearted’ was uncomfortable television,” opined reporters own “Idol” aficionado Jim Cantiello of the lounge jazz cover of the Jimmy Ruffin hit. “And not in an ‘Awww, I feel bad for her, I’m going to vote for her’ way. More like in a, ‘I think I need to change the channel and possibly even take a shower’ way.”

For Cantiello, and the show’s judges, it was pitchy and dreary. “But worst of all, it was old-fashioned,” he said, mirroring the comments from Simon Cowell and Kara DioGuardi, who told the singer/songwriter that she had slipped up by once again trying to change her coffeehouse image. “She had the potential to knock this one out of the park, but she continued her misguided attempt at being America’s favorite cabaret star instead of developing her singer/songwriter persona,” Cantiello said.

MJ Santilli, of the popular MJsBigBlog.com, had to agree, though she still held out hope that one of the show’s seemingly bulletproof, perpetually poorly performing finalists might finally be on the chopping block. “Either Tim Urban or Didi Benami is going home this week,” she predicted. “Both have made trips to the bottom and have struggled to please the judges.”

There were jokes on Tuesday night about Urban’s new nickname “Teflon Tim,” a nod to the seeming power of his Abercrombie & Fitch good looks to overcome mostly negative remarks for his performances. And after Urban face-planted with an off-key, shambling cover of Anita Baker’s “Sweet Love,” the panel was shocked by his laughter during their evisceration of his latest epic fail. Cowell threw up his hands at one point, acknowledging that Urban’s rabid fanbase would probably keep him in the competition despite another rough week.

“The first two eliminations have been female, so I think we’re due for a guy to leave,” Santilli said. “Tim Urban’s performance last night was ridiculous and a little creepy. Laughing while the judges were trying to give him constructive criticism probably did not endear him to viewers beyond his core fanbase of tweens.”

Who do you think will go home tonight? Share your own “Idol” predictions in the comments below.

Most “American Idol” fans would agree that Paige Miles made it farther in the competition than anyone could have predicted. Not only was she virtually nonexistent on the show once before being named to the top 24, she also got week after week of criticism from the judges for not living up to her potential. On top of that, she struggled with laryngitis over the past two weeks.

But, against all odds (sorry!), she soldiered through to the top 11, unfortunately just missing the cut for this summer’s Idols Live! Tour. Her version of the oft-covered “Against All Odds” by Phil Collins was lambasted by the judges, and voters agreed, sending her packing during Wednesday’s results show.

We caught up with the bubbly schoolteacher on Thursday (March 25) to talk about the judges’ save being yanked from her before she even sang and what’s next in her career.

Q: Were you upset that the judges took away the save before you sang during the results show? Did that hurt?

A: Yes, it did. I initially thought the save was something that even if they’re not going to use it, you’d get the opportunity to at least sing for it, and then they make their decision. But for the statement to be made before I opened my mouth, I was pretty bummed.

Q: How much power do you think the judges have over voters?

A: The judges obviously have a certain amount of power over the voting public, but it also comes down to the performer delivering a good, solid performance. Tuesday night definitely wasn’t my best, and they ripped me for it. So it can go both ways, ’cause sometimes, back up the person that the judges ripped apart if they feel that that person really delivered, but you never really know how America’s gonna vote.

Q: Did you and your fellow contestants discuss how to please the judges?

A: Yeah, the best thing to do, really, is just do yourself and do what makes you most comfortable, because the judges can give mixed messages.

Q: A lot of critics said Miley Cyrus was too young to be a mentor on “American Idol.” How do you think she did coaching the contestants?

A: I think Miley did a great job. I mean, I’m 24, so I’m older than her, but talking with her, her age didn’t come across at all. I mean, I was just speaking to her as someone else with experience doing exactly what I would like to do, so she was great.

Q: Are you able to still sing with laryngitis? Because you sounded great last night, but your voice sounds really rough this morning.

A: Yeah, it was bad last night . It wasn’t as bad as it is now. I’ve been struggling with laryngitis for over three weeks now. I have swollen vocal cords and there’s a lot of inflammation, and with the singing and rehearsing as much as we do, I have very little time for it to heal, so it would basically get a little bit better, then I would have to sing again and it would get worse again. So it’s tough when you’re in a singing competition and you have no voice. That was a bummer, and that affected my song choice at times, because I would kind of stay away from what I would typically do, like big, belty tunes like “All Right Now,” which I love and I’m super comfortable at, and I would kind of shy away and try to do something smaller in efforts to not … do something where I could possibly damage them.

Q: Did you realize how many times “Against All Odds” had been sung on “Idol,” and did that affect your decision to sing it?

A: Actually I hadn’t realized how many times it had been done. I was in rehearsals last week and was just trying to find a slower song that I wouldn’t have to stress vocally too much over, because my vocal cords were pretty much trashed, and I didn’t want to do anything too uptempo and crazy, just really trying to take care of my vocal cords if I were to keep going, but I probably should have just picked something I was super comfortable with, which is something like “All Right Now,” and just gone for it, but you live and you learn, and I was trying to make a decision for me and my health.

Q: Do you feel that the lack of screen time before the semifinals hurt you?

A: Well, early on, a lot of the kids were able to build a fanbase, whereas I wasn’t able to. But still, what you come out there and do on the stage really sets the tone, and if I would have delivered the way I know I could have, maybe I would still be around. So, yes and no.

Q: What did you think about Simon’s comment right off the bat that you had the best voice in the competition?

A: I thought it was a pretty awesome comment, so I was happy he said it. I mean, a lot of people didn’t know anything about me, they hadn’t heard me at all … so it was nice to hear him say that.

Q: Are there any artists who inspire you or you’d like to model your career after?

A: I wouldn’t say necessarily model my career after, ’cause I think what makes an artist great and individual is how their career has kind of … formed its own shape, which makes them stand out. But I really admire Christina Aguilera. She’s a beautiful woman, and she has an amazing voice. She’s kind of followed her own drum, which I also really like. She doesn’t put out an album every year. She takes her time, and she makes artwork out of her albums. I really admire that about her.

Q: In an interview package, you revealed that coloring relaxes you before a performance. Does that come from being around kids so much?

A: Yeah. We would do it in class, and it was a way to kind of calm down the room. “Idol” is very high-stress and a lot of tension and anxiety, so people usually can’t find a way to get their nerves down. If you just open up a coloring book and start coloring, you end up being kind of focused on what you’re doing, and it’s just a way to relax. Some people do yoga, some meditate, and I like to just whip out a box of crayons and color. So it’s a little cheesy, I know, but it works.

Q: It sounds relaxing!

A: It really is. I can’t draw to save my life, but I can color. I can stay in the lines.

Every season, “American Idol” casts a new batch of aspiring singers. And every season, without fail, tabloids work overtime to dig up as much dirt on the newbies as possible. Whether it’s Antonella Barba’s risqué photos or Bo Bice’s drug arrests, gossip rags and blogs get a ton of mileage out of “Idol” contestants’ youthful indiscretions.

Season nine is no exception. Finalist Casey James is the latest in a long line of “Idol” singers with a rap sheet. Last week, Star magazine published James’ 2001 mug shot, taken when the then-teenager was slapped with a DWI. (James eventually served a monthlong jail sentence in 2003 after getting busted an additional two times.)

But the laid-back Texan (who impressed the judges early on with a vulnerable-rocker vibe and a shirtless audition) is taking it all in stride. When reporters caught up with Casey at the “American Idol” top 12 red carpet last week, James insisted he had nothing to hide. “There’s not a lot there. What you see is what you get there,” Casey said, adding, “I think everybody can do a quick Google search and pretty much catch everything there is to talk about me as far as bad stuff goes.”

Casey also implied that tabloids are wasting their time by scouring his past, while giving them a helpful (albeit tongue-in-cheek) hint: “I’ll create something new in the future,” he laughed. “Just you all wait for it!” (But sorry, self-described “cougar” Kara DioGuardi. Casey promises no sex tapes are in the works.)

In the meantime, James is putting all his energy into recuperating from the flu and delivering an arresting performance. On Tuesday night (March 16), he’ll take to the new “Idol” stage, along with the rest of the top 12 contestants, for Rolling Stones night.