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Monday, May 31, 2010

American Idol Lee DeWyze interviews with Larry King

Season 9 winner Lee DeWyze visits Larry King Live as part of the American Idols Open Up: On what happened on and off stage.



Saturday, May 29, 2010

Lee Dewyze’s “Slumberland” reaches #17 on Billboard Top Heatseekers Chart

Lee Dewyze’s “Slumberland” reaches #17 on Billboard Top Heatseekers Chart

American Idol continues to impact Billboard charts.

The "American Idol Season 9" soundtrack marks the ninth compilation from the series to reach the Billboard 200. Such collections were released each year from 2002 through 2006, followed by a two-year break before returning last year:

The new soundtrack isn't the only album debuting this week featuring one of the current "American Idol" top two finalists.

Lee DeWyze bows on Heatseekers Albums at No. 32 with "Slumberland." His second album, released on the independent WuLi Records label, features the singer/songwriter's now-familiar acoustic-rock stylings. In addition to this great chart position, "So I’m Told" (2007) is at #24 on the iTunes Top 100 Pop USA Album Chart!

The notable records, "Slumberland" and "So I’m Told", feature producer Ryan McGuire and guitarist extraordinaire, Louis Svitek, well known for his work with Ministry, M.O.D. and Mind Funk. The collaboration is an evocative, haunting mix of multi-instrumental, multi-faceted songs whose artistry draws comparison to Jack Johnson and Chris Martin of Coldplay.

Billboard chart manager Alex Vitoulis notes that DeWyze is the first "American Idol" contestant to reach a Billboard chart as a solo artist while competing on the show. (2008 hopeful Carly Smithson had spent a week on Hot Singles Sales, billed by her maiden name Carly Hennessy, in 2003. She now fronts the alternative/metal band We Are the Fallen, which, coincidentally, enters the Billboard 200 this week at No. 33 with its debut album, "Tear the World Down").

source:hollywoodnews/billboard

Friday, May 28, 2010

American 'Idol's Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox Sign Record Deals

It hasn't even been 24 hours since Lee DeWyze was crowned this year's "American Idol," but already he and his runner-up, Crystal Bowersox, have signed their record deals.

DeWyze is signed to 19 Recordings Limited and RCA Records, while Bowersox is signed to 19 Recordings Limited and Jive Records, a source confirms exclusively to Billboard.com.

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DeWyze joins Daughtry and Adam Lambert at RCA, while Bowersox can now count past "Idol" winners Jordin Sparks and Kris Allen, and 2009 finalist Allison Iraheta, as her labelmates.

If 19 and Sony Music stick to the release schedule of past years, fans can expect DeWyze and Bowersox's debut albums to be released in the fourth quarter, as "Idol" albums are typically targeted for release around the holiday season. Last year, Allen's self-titled debut and Lambert's "For Your Entertainment" were released on Nov. 17 and Nov. 23, respectively.

In the meantime, the pair's debut singles were released to iTunes and radio today. DeWyze's single, a cover of U2's "Beautiful Day," and Bowersox's version of Patty Griffin's "Up to the Mountain". It's too early to tell how many downloads "Beautiful Day" and "Up to the Mountain" may sell in their first week. However, industry sources contacted suggest looking to how the past few seasons'-worth of first and second-place finishers have fared with their debut singles in the week after the finale in order to forecast how DeWyze and Bowersox might do this week.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Lee DeWyze: "This is awesome man, this is amazing", The Seacrest interview

American Idol Season 9 winner Lee DeWyze visits Ryan Seacrest’s KIIS studio for a post show interview.



Monday, May 24, 2010

Lee DeWyze comes home to Chicago ~ Fans send their love!

Lee DeWyze from Fox's American Idol Season 9 comes home to Chicago on May 14 2010, to thousands of screaming fans! Lee's Homecoming Visit also included stops in Mt. Prospect and Arlington Heights. This tribute video shows the outpouring of support for Lee, including greetings from fans, his brother, and video of Lee's visit. Please leave your comments below!




Special thanks to The Pauly Vincent Show for the video!

Sunday, May 23, 2010

25 Things You Didn't Know About Lee DeWyze

25 Things You Didn't Know About Lee DeWyze

1. I always eat too much on Thanksgiving

2. I don’t like onions

3. I played baseball when I was younger

4. I have an English bulldog named Capone

5. I don’t like vanilla ice cream

6. I always forget to charge my phone

7. I still tie my shoelaces with bunny ears

8. I can juggle–somewhat.

9. I’m afraid of heights

10. I love the zoo

11. I miss Saved by the Bell

12. I think clowns are scary

13. I’m a Scrabble fanatic

14. I’m not allergic to anything

15. I want a moped

16. I like to play poker

17. I could never beat the Top Gun video game

18. I have four tattoos. The most recent is the Chicago flag on my right arm. All my musical ventures started there

19. I play the drums

20. I’m a Mac, not a PC

21. I forget birthdays…a lot!

22. Fall is my favorite season

23. I don’t have a girlfriend, but wouldn’t mind one

24. I like to call my family before every performance. It makes me feel better

25. I am romantic

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Lee DeWyze's Early Albums: A Boy and His Guitar Grow Up

Pre-American Idol work displays singer/songwriter's progress, in Bigger Than the Sound.
By James Montgomery

Late last week, I received a package from something called Wuli Records, a vaguely mysterious-sounding Chicago label with a fancy dragon logo. Intrigued — since, you know, I love dragons — I opened it, and out fell a pair of CDs from a singer/songwriter named Lee DeWyze. I have never heard of him, but I decided to give them a listen, since he looked like a nice guy in the press photo. I guess I had a few hours to kill or something.

Of course, the second-half of that paragraph isn't exactly true (since, you know, DeWyze is probably going to win "American Idol," a show watched by some 20 million people every week, myself included), but I decided to pretend like it was, for one day at least. Erasing everything I know about him from my memory (which isn't all that much — didn't he work in a paint store or something?), I sat down and listened to DeWyze's first two albums. After all, before he was a front-runner on America's favorite singing competition, he was just another kid with an acoustic guitar, a batch of songs and a dream of making it big. I suppose it was my way of trying to get to know him better or at least trying to latch on to this fairly nebulous thing his fans keep e-mailing me about. What can I say? I guess I had a few hours to kill or something.

So, ignore everything I just wrote. Let's talk about this DeWyze kid — he could be big someday, or at least have a song or two on adult-contemporary radio, provided he works hard enough.

His first album — which, conveniently enough, came bundled with a huge sticker declaring it "The Debut Album From Lee DeWyze" — is called So I'm Told, and it's very much a first album. Released in 2007 and produced by Ryan T. McGuire (who, Wikipedia tells me, is/was a member of the Virginia Gentlemen, "the oldest a cappella group at the University of Virginia"), it's basically 11 gently strummed acoustic numbers, with DeWyze singing like a mushier-mouthed Dave Matthews (particularly on the song "Love and Misery"). None of it is particularly grabbing, though it bears mention that the silly wah-wah guitar frippery on "Red Rover" manages to get a rise (it also sounds a whole lot like Edie Brickell & New Bohemians' "What I Am"), and DeWyze's duet with an unnamed female singer (looking at the back of the album for a name, perhaps it's "Erin McGuire," who's credited as an "Additional Recording Engineer") on "The Problem Is You" is genuinely pretty. The problem here is, DeWyze doesn't show anything special. Sure, his voice is nice enough, and he's a perfectly serviceable player, but he doesn't do much to distance himself from the 10 bazillion dudes who do this same kind of thing every Tuesday at open-mic night. Oh, and the album artwork is kind of boring too.

It's on DeWyze's second album — or, as the sticker on the front puts it, "The New Album" — Slumberland where he really shows signs of distancing himself from the pack. Released in 2009, it's proof that DeWyze has been practicing and growing as a musician and songwriter. Opening with "So What Now" — a hushed, dreamlike number featuring a humming, backtracked guitar bit, rattling tabla and a sitar (!) — the album rolls right into the strummy, feedback-laced "All Fall Down" and then a roiling slide-guitar tune called "Annabelle," each showcasing his newfound sorta-growl and swampy, sweaty phrasing techniques. There's a cocksure swagger here, and yes, DeWyze still sounds a lot like Matthews, but he's also coming into his own. I could see him winning a televised singing competition someday.

Thematically, as the title implies, Slumberland seems to be loosely based on the concept of sleep, or at least dreams. "Princess" opens with the line "Do you remember sleeping on the floor?" "Where You Lie" begins with "Under your bed, where you lie your head." And, shoot, there's a tune called "Another Sleep Song" on here too. Sonically, there's plenty of opaque, treated guitars, wooshing, windswept slide guitar, winsome strings and even some electronic beats. I'll go ahead and call it a concept album, because, hey, it's not like anyone is ever gonna hear it.

The point is, I would probably actually buy Slumberland. There's an admirable level of growth on display here, in just about every conceivable way — not to mention the level of ambition he shows by releasing what amounts to a conceptual piece. Even the artwork — a drawing of a tree — is much improved this time out.

I don't know what the future holds for DeWyze, but if the leap he made from one album to the next is any indication, things look bright indeed. Sure, he's still just a singer/songwriter (a genus I will freely admit to loathing), but there's something here, to be certain. Now, if only he could find some way to raise his profile. Then the sky would really be the limit.


*See previous Lee Dewyze Blog post to order Slumberland & So I'm Told on CD (the links above are for the MP3 format), as well as Square One, an album of children's songs!

Friday, May 21, 2010

Lee DeWyze Pre-Idol – The Making of ‘Annabelle’ – VIDEO

Lee DeWyze Pre-Idol – The Making of "Annabelle"
Author: mj

Lee DeWyze is constantly introduced as “the paint salesman” by Ryan Seacrest on Idol, but actually, Lee is no neophyte to the music business. He’s already got two albums under his belt–his debut, So I’m Told, and the recently released Slumberland. Both records were produced by Chicago indie label, Wuli records.

The label just released a new video of Lee recording the tune “Annabelle” from the 2009 album Slumberland. The song is a mournful acoustic ballad, and quite different than what we’ve heard from Lee on Idol so far.


Crystal Bowersox and Lee Dewyze in "Idol" spin

Crystal Bowersox and Lee Dewyze in "Idol" spin

*Very interesting to reflect back on Crystal Bowersox and Lee DeWyze when they made the Top 12...

Less than an hour after learning they had made the final 12 on Fox's American Idol, Crystal Bowersox and Lee DeWyze arrived Thursday night at a nightclub on L.A.'s busy La Cienga Boulevard for their first taste of what Idol stardom could bring them.

"This is insane. This is crazy. This is nuts," Dewyze told the Sun-Times, spinning around to take in the media melee of shouting reporters, flashing photographers and TV journalists.

The Arlington Heights native, who prior to making the Idol cut was splitting his time between Mount Prospect and Chicago, was quick to credit his local roots as being key to his success.

Over the past few years, Dewyze has played gigs at numerous area venues, including FitzGerald's in Berwyn, the Abbey Pub, the House of Blues, the Elbo Room and the Underground Lounge.

"So many people have been supportive. Family, friends and the whole town -- Chicagoans I never have even met -- have reached out and been so supportive. It's been an incredible experience."

As one of the contestants on the top-rated talent competition, Dewyze knows the Idol judges rank him among those who truly know who they are as performers. Yet Dewyze said that while his personal confidence and secure understanding of his talent is helpful, it doesn't necessarily make him a front-runner.

"Does it give me an edge? Maybe yes, maybe no," he said. "But I definitely know who I am and what kind of musician and artist I want to be. That's something I've always known."

"This is just the beginning for me, a platform to help me do many great things in music" -- like following in the footsteps of his inspirations, including "classic rockers like Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, but also great lyric writers and storytellers like Cat Stevens, Simon and Garfunkel or Eric Clapton."

Bowersox of Toledo, Ohio, auditioned in Chicago last summer after spending a "good part of the last five years living in Chicago." Like Dewyze, Bowersox knows it's her seemingly cool confidence and clear understanding of how best to project her gifts that has many Idol observers ranking her high among the finalists.

"I've known who I am for a long time," she said. "I've been doing this for a long time. Yet, it was this year -- after becoming a mother -- that I came completely into my own and became completely comfortable in my own skin."

"I think that shows, and people seem to be responding to it."

While the singer worked the music scene at various local clubs, "I really think some of the best training -- so to speak -- for 'American Idol' came from all the times I was playing for quarters in the subway and on the L platforms."

As she walked the Idol blue carpet Thursday in a sexy black wrap dress and carefully applied makeup, it was clear that Bowersox had glammed up her look from her days by the trains.

Thursday was a "bit of a roller coaster -- pretty emotional," as Bowersox put it. While she and Dewyze were thrilled to make the final 12, the two singers felt sad that competitors they had personally bonded with -- Katelyn Epperly and Lilly Scott -- had been sent home.

"I'm celebrating the fact I'm still here, but I'm also grieving for the loss of my friends," Bowersox said.

Dewyze agreed. "I made some really good friends, and it's never fun to see friends go. But as far as the competition goes, I'm going to keep doing what I think I do best and go as far as I can."

Lee DeWyze Bandmates Watched 'American Idol' Finalist Become a Star

Ryan McGuire and Louis Svitek have played with Lee for more than six years.
By Gil Kaufman

CHICAGO — Louis Svitek has seen plenty of rock and roll in his day. The music-industry veteran has played with hardcore bands such as M.O.D. and toured with industrial legends Ministry for more than a decade. But when a friend turned him on to an unknown, unassuming 17-year-old singer/songwriter named Lee DeWyze almost seven years go, Svitek took notice.

"Lee's got a great voice. I liked him. He was kind of shy, intimidated, nervous, and then when he sang it was just like ... I mean, he's got a fantastic voice," said Svitek, whose large presence, shoulder-length rocker hair, all-black ensemble and hardcore past seem to contrast with a gentle, soft-spoken spirit and admiration for DeWyze's mainstream pop/rock appeal. "I automatically saw that he had talent. And he starts singing all kinds of stuff and was nailing it. Lee's got that voice, and he can do just about anything and make it sound good."

Sitting in the production room at Chicago's Gravity Studios — where he was awaiting the final mix on "Princess (Reprise)," a new single he produced with business partner Ryan McGuire from an unused track recorded for DeWyze's second CD, January's Slumberland — Svitek and McGuire were happy to talk about their longtime bandmate and the first artist on their small indie label, Wuli Records, to hit the big time.

"I met Lee when he was 17 years old at a house party," said Svitek, who went on to play guitar in the Lee DeWyze Band right up until the singer left for "Idol" last winter. "A friend of mine was like, 'You really need to see Lee perform,' because I was already doing music and maybe I could do something and help him out and get [something] going."

The pair met, and when Svitek returned from a yearlong tour with Ministry, he began producing tracks for the teenage singer that would end up on 2007's So I'm Told, DeWyze's debut album and one of the first releases from the label he co-founded with drummer McGuire.

When the veteran musicians first got DeWyze into the studio, McGuire said the "Idol" finalist treated it like a "large lump of clay," and it wasn't long before Lee started asserting himself. "He wanted to do everything acoustic, just him, voice and guitar," McGuire said. "We kind of introduced him to loops, rhythms, drums, percussion and stuff, and he opened up to that." Svitek said the pair didn't really have to give DeWyze any direction, because the singer seemed like he already had a good idea of what he wanted to do.

Even more amazing, DeWyze had just picked up the guitar a few years earlier and, without any formal training, was already chopping out songs at a furious pace. "He would literally go outside and have a cigarette ... and come back and say, 'I just wrote a song,' " McGuire said. "And he'd play it, and then Louis would say the chord, and Lee would be like, 'No, I don't know what that is.' Till this day, he still does that."

With a love for sensitive singer/songwriters such as Dave Matthews and Cat Stevens, DeWyze definitely had a lane he was carving for himself, one that didn't seem to include "Idol." McGuire and Svitek stayed up late the night before last summer's Chicago "Idol" auditions, following a show with DeWyze, and they never imagined he'd end up where he is now. "He was going to do it for a couple of years, and he was just reluctant to [try out] and didn't want to go out and do the whole thing," said McGuire, who added that both men have repeatedly encouraged DeWyze to get a younger band because neither of the music vets are "spring chickens" anymore.

His baseball hat pulled down low over his eyes, McGuire leaned back in his chair at Gravity and smiled when asked to cough up a favorite Lee story as an example of whether Hollywood has gone to DeWyze's head. The tale happens to be a recent one, from a trip McGuire took out to Los Angeles to visit his friend in late April.

"He said, 'You're not going to pay for anything tonight,' " McGuire recalled. "We went out to a sushi restaurant, and then when he went to pay for it, he pulled out half a credit card, the bottom half with just the stripe, because he had sat on it and broke it. He pulled it out of his pants and gave it to the waitress. And I'm like, 'That's my guy Lee right there.' And of course, he's like, 'It works.' And it did work, so I don't think he's gone Hollywood yet. His clothing has changed a bit, but that's about it."

Though the judges have alluded to it at times on the show, one thing both men said most people don't know about Lee is that, despite his seemingly calm demeanor, he's a very, very nervous performer. "If he would come into this room right now and play in front of the six of us, he'd get nervous and probably have to go backstage and get his nerves and come back," said McGuire, who has seen DeWyze lose his lunch more than once before a show.

For now, both men are just watching "Idol" to see how Lee does and enjoying the healthy bump in sales for Slumberland and So I'm Told as a result of the exposure. "We have our hands full right now ... trying to get his product out there [and] making sure people hear what he's done before 'Idol,' because that's crucial," Svitek said. "That's his past, and that's definitely going to carry on to whatever he does on his third album."

How do you think Lee has grown on "American Idol"? Let us know in the comments.

source:mtv.com

Sunday, May 16, 2010

American Idol Top 3 'Judges' Choice' Picks

By M.S. Chloe

Friday was 'Homecoming Day' for the American Idol Top 3 contestants. During this whirl-wind meet-the-fans/media blitz - which included parades, singing of "The National Anthem", interviews and their first chance to sing original songs for their fans - Crystal Bowersox, Casey James and Lee DeWyze learned what song the judges have picked for them to perform this Tuesday.

This week, the Top 3 will perform 2 songs. One will be the judges' choice and the other is the finalist's choice.

Ellen Degeneres picked "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney for Crystal.

Casey James will be singing "Daughters" by John Mayer, chosen by Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardia.

Simon Cowell picked "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen for Lee to perform.

If two of the three songs don't immediately come to mind, join the club. I don't think I've ever heard of "Daughters", and it took a few secs for "Maybe I'm Amazed" to start playing in my mind's soundtrack, but I think that's because 'maybe I'm amazed' Ellen would choose this song for Crystal. With all the songs that would allow Crystal to show her amazing range and really shine, this song's a bit too safe to sing at this point in the competition. Ellen, we're down to the Top 3, not the Top 24! But then, look what Crystal did to "I'm Alright." Maybe she'll completely re-arrange this song too, and like "I'm Alright", make it better than the original.

Just listened to John Mayer's "Daughters" - no wonder I've never heard it before, it sounds like a public service announcement. Does Kara expect Casey to sit down in an 80's turquoise jacket with his little ukulele and imitate Tiny Tim again? Plus, she's making it too easy for Casey, allowing him to sing the guy mother refers to as "The One-Note Wonder."

And for Simon's choice of "Hallelujah", all I can say is "How boringly predictable." Don't get me wrong, the Jeff Buckley version of this song is one of my all-time favorites. But, hasn't Simon chosen this over-played song before? Tim Urban already sang it this season and Jason Castro gave a great performance of Jeff Buckley's version of "Hallelujah" during Season 7. (It's on Jason Castro's new album...you gotta get it!)

So you don't have to go searching around, I've included the videos below.

"Hallelujah", as made famous by Jeff Buckley:

Lee DeWyze Hometown Visit Opening Speech (Lee DeWyze Day)

American Idol's Lee Dewyze comes back home! Here he is walking onto the stage at Arlington Park Racetrack with over 41,000 fans in attendance! Lee becomes overcome by emotion several times, from all the love and support from his screaming fans.



Saturday, May 15, 2010

Lee DeWyze Honored in Chicago, Mount Prospect Friday

FOX Chicago News

Chicago - American Idol finalist and Mount Prospect native Lee DeWyze is in town Friday after making the top three on the show.

He began a busy day in Chicago at FOX Chicago News, then was scheduled to throw out the first pitch at the cubs game and wrap up with a concert at Arlington Park.


Mount Prospect is very proud of DeWyze’s success on Idol and rolled out the red carpet for his homecoming.

The city will welcome him home with t-shirts, billboards, posters in local businesses and a parade that starts at 4:30 Friday afternoon.

It will run along Northwest Highway between Route 83 and Central Road.

Missed seeing Lee DeWyze during his visit home and concert in Arlington Park? Hurry and get your tickets for the American Idol Live Concert before they sell out!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Lee DeWyze Homecoming Schedule

American Idol Season 9 Top 3 Finalist Lee DeWyze will return home to the Chicago, IL area on Friday!

Here is his tentative schedule. Local time is CDT, but all times below are in eastern time...

--8am: Arrive at Good Day Chicago

--Radio station interviews

--Noon: Arrive at local AT&T store (9725 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, IL, 60077)

--2:20pm: Throw first pitch at Cubs game at Wrigley Field

--Visit local school and paint store (private events)

--5:30pm: Parade along Northwest Highway between Route 83/Main Street and Central Road

--7:30pm: 3 song concert at Arlington Park Racetrack (2200 West Euclid Avenue, Arlington Heights, IL)

American Idol Viewers Send "Big Mike" Packing, plus Results Recap

Michael Lynche Eliminated after Predictable Michael Jackson Cover During Movie Week
By Joyce Lee

"Michael Lynche came painfully close to his dream of making it to the top three, but fell short when he received the fewest votes on Wednesday night's episode of American Idol.

Lynche, the 26-year-old personal trainer from St. Petersburg, Fla., left the viewers and the judges unsatisfied with his predictable performance of Michael Jackson's "Will You Be There." The judges deemed his performance safe and unimpressive.

During the results portion of the show, Casey James was the first contestant granted relief. This came as a shock since everyone assumed he would land in the bottom two with Lynche."

Next up was Lee DeWyze. Ryan Seacrest reminded the audience of the judges' assessment from last night. Lee didn't think his performance was karaoke-like, and was happy with the performance, but thought he could have done more with the arrangement. Ryan then called Mike's name, then asked him to "hang tight for a second." Then he said "Lee...friends, Lee is headed back to Chicago."

Lee DeWyze is safe!

"Instead, Crystal Bowersox was the one left standing next to Lynche at the end. But it was no surprise to hear she was saved, as she's a strong favorite to win the whole competition, or at least advance to the final two.

Despite being saved from elimination by the judges five weeks ago, Lynche had a good run. He won the viewers over early with his charm, and they were further endeared to him when his wife gave birth to their first child during the audition rounds.
Results Recap

American Idol Season 3 winner Fantasia Barrino opened the show with her performance of "Bittersweet," a powerful ballad from her upcoming album. Bon Jovi also took the stage to sing "Superman Tonight."

Later, Season 5 finalist Chris Daughtry returned to the Idol stage with his rock band and performed "September." Grammy-nominated Daughtry offered a few words of advice to the finalists.

"Stay hungry and don't compromise the music you love -- stay what's true to you," he said.

Wednesday night's results show had 37 million viewers, a record high for the season.

Next week, the Season 9 Top 3 finalists - Crystal Bowersox, Lee DeWyze and Casey James - will get a chance to visit their hometowns before hitting the stage once more, with one more contestant sent home before the May 26 finale."

On next Tuesday night's show, the Top 3 will sing 2 songs each – a song the judges choose for them and a tune they pick themselves. (At the time of writing, no theme had yet been announced for the Top 3 show. Wouldn't it be nice to have a theme-free night?) Traditionally, the contestants find out their judges' pick during their hometown visit - as if the finalists do not have enough on their minds during their whirl-wind tour of parades, ribbon cuttings, keys-to-the-city ceremonies and "God Bless America"'s.


with additional reporting by M.S. Chloe

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

If he makes the cut, Arlington Park will host Lee DeWyze party

Tickets for free concert will be available minutes after 'Idol' names its top 3 finalists!

By Sheila Ahern | Daily Herald Staff


Arlington Park will host Lee DeWyze and thousands of his fans Friday if he makes the cut Wednesday and is named one of "American Idol's" final three contestants.

A concert at the track will be the last event in an all-day hometown celebration of DeWyze, the affable young musician from Mount Prospect who has become a national star through his success on this year's "Idol." Tickets would be available minutes after vote results are announced on "Idol" Wednesday night.

Although his schedule is still being finalized, DeWyze will probably start his day on the Fox TV program "Good Day Chicago" followed by stops at local radio stations and an AT&T store.

After that, DeWyze will head to Wrigley Field to throw out the first pitch at the 1:20 p.m. Cubs game against Pittsburgh.

From Wrigley, DeWyze will head to the Northwest suburbs for a private stop at a District 214 school that will not be open to the public before kicking off a parade at 4:30 p.m. along Northwest Highway between Route 83 and Central Road, Mount Prospect spokeswoman Maura El Metennani said.

Fans would be able to park in the Mount Prospect village hall parking deck at 50 S. Emerson St., commuter parking lots along the railroad tracks on Northwest Highway and Prospect Avenue, and designated on-street parking.

From there, it's over to the track, where DeWyze will perform three songs in an hourlong concert starting at about 6:30 p.m. Horse racing Friday will start at 1 p.m. instead of 3 p.m. and wrap up around 5:30 p.m. to accommodate the concert, said track spokesman Dave Zenner.

At the performance, Mount Prospect Mayor Irvana Wilks will present DeWyze with a key to the village, and Arlington Heights Village President Arlene Mulder will greet the crowd and welcome Lee, his family, friends and fans.

"We're really excited," Zenner said. "How often does someone from our area get this far in the show?"

The track holds about 30,000 people, Zenner said.

Entrance to the DeWyze show will be free, but fans must get tickets. They will be available on the Arlington Park website, arlingtonpark.com, minutes after DeWyze makes it past the next round Wednesday night.

Fans can also buy a $6 general-admission ticket to get into the park before those with free "Idol" tickets.

Parking at the track will be free, Zenner said.

"American Idol" hometown celebrations are given to the top three contestants on the show. Mount Prospect officials are still planning the details of the event, which attracts MTV, "Access Hollywood," People Magazine and anywhere from 5,000 to 20,000 fans.

"Idol" fans who can't wait until Friday can cheer on DeWyze tonight at several local locations. Hundreds of fans are expected to attend an "Idol" party at the Blues Bar, 2 W. Busse Road, and Capannari Ice Cream will host a party at St. Raymond's Catholic School gym, 300 S. Elmhurst Avenue in Mount Prospect. Fans also gather at the Fox and the Hound, 910 W. Dundee Road in Arlington Heights.

Party: Free tickets to Arlington show, or $6 to watch horse races first
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source: dailyherald.

Top 4 Idols Mentored by Jamie Foxx During Cinema Week!

This week, Jamie Foxx, movie star and recording artist, will mentor the American Idol Season 9 Top 4 as they take on the Songs of the Cinema. If you’ll recall, Foxx mentored the Top 5 last year for Rat Pack week.

On the Wednesday night results show, Daughtry will perform their new single, “September.” Bon Jovi is also set to perform.

Each of the four – Crystal Bowersox, Lee DeWyze, Casey James and Michael Lynche will sing a solo. But, the 4 contestants will also pair up to sing a duet.

Duets for tonight! Crystal Bowersox/Lee Dewyze and Casey James/Mike Lynche! What do you think of that?

Another development: The list of songs have been expanded from 34 to 50. And man, the list is full of re-treads! Yikes. Not liking this list so much… Why are there so many bad 80’s songs on it?

New songs on the list include Prince’s “Purple Rain”, which is notable, because Prince rarely clears his songs for Idol. (He allowed fellow Minnesotan, Paris Bennett, to sing “Kiss” back in Season 5.) And there are songs nobody wants covered on Idol again, like “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Falling Slowly”.

The sixteen additional songs don’t improve the original list, that’s heavy on cinema cheese and total WTF? Should be an amusing night.

So, what do you think the Idols should sing? Check out the list and leave your comments below!

* (Everything I Do) I Do It For You – Bryan Adams
* (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life – Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes
* A Whole New World – Brad Kane & Lea Salonga
* Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In – The 5th Dimension
* Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do) – Christopher Cross
* Beauty and the Beast – Celine Dion & Peabo Bryson
* Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
* Can I Have This Dance – Vanessa Hudgens, Zac Efron & the Cast of HS Musical
* Can You Feel the Love Tonight – Elton John & London Community Gospel Choir
* Can’t Fight the Moonlight – LeAnn Rimes
* Danger Zone – Kenny Loggins
* Don’t You Forget About Me – Simple Minds
* Endless Love – Lionel Richie & Diana Ross
* Evergreen – Barbra Streisand
* Eye of the Tiger – Survivor
* Falling Slowly – Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova
* Flashdance (What a Feeling) – Irene Cara
* Footloose – Kenny Loggins
* Gangsta’s Paradise – Coolio
* Ghostbusters – Ray Parker Jr.
* Gonna Fly Now (Theme From Rocky) – Bill Conti
* Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman – Bryan Adams
* I Believe I Can Fl – R. Kelly
* I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing – Aerosmith
* I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston
* I’m Alright (Theme from Caddyshack) – Kenny Loggins
* Into the West – Howard Shore and Annie Lennox
* Iris – Goo Goo Dolls
* It Might Be You (from Tootsie) – Stephen Bishop
* Jai Ho – A.R. Rahman, Sukhvinder Singh, Tanvi Shah et al
* Jailhouse Rock – Elvis Presley
* Kiss From a Rose – Seal
* Let the Riverrun – Carly Simon
* Live and Let Die – Wings
* Lose Yourself – Eminem
* Moon River (from Moon River) – Audrey Hepburn & Henry Mancini
* Mrs Robinson – Simon & Garfunkle
* My Heart Will Go On – Celine Dion
* One Night Only – Jennifer Hudson, Deena Jones & The Dreams
* Over the Rainbow – Judy Garland
* Purple Rain – Prince & the Revolution
* Separate Lives – Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin
* Stayin’ Alive – Bee Gees
* Summertime – Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
* Superfly – Curtis Mayfield
* Take My Breath Away (Love Theme from Top Gun) – Berlin
* Up Where We Belong – Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes
* We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) – Tina Turner
* Will You Be There – Michael Jackson
* You’ll Be in My Heart – Glenn Close & Phil Collins

This week, Idol hopefuls salute the golden hits of the silver screen, making their selections from the magical movie songs on the above playlist. Click the "Songs From the Movies" box below to download these great songs as singles, or download all - with just one click - as a special American Idol "Songs from the Movies" album.
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source: mj's blog

Friday, May 7, 2010

American Idol's Lee DeWyze is the voice of baby food entrepreneur

When it comes to finding stars, few people have the same eye for talent as Simon Cowell. For nine seasons, the "American Idol" creator has combed the nation's best and brightest young talent, building careers and crushing dreams along the way.

But River Forest entrepreneur Denise Henderson can claim she's a step ahead of Cowell. Her baby food company, Square One Organics, landed a baby coup in 2008 when she convinced local musician Lee DeWyze to record a promotional album.

Little did she know that America would watch as Cowell and the rest of the "Idol" judges would select 24-year-old Mount Prospect native DeWyze to compete on the show's latest season.

Now, she's marketing her rapidly expanding organic baby foods with DeWyze's music.

She hardly conducted the same kind of national talent search to find DeWyze that it took "Idol" to find him.

Turns out Henderson's husband played in DeWyze's band, so there were no auditions to get in on the baby-food-marketing action.

"Lee didn't bat an eye," Henderson said. "He was like, 'Oh I love it, let's work on that.'"

The goal was simply to record an album of catchy children's music that Square One could use to market its products, handing them out to promote the brand. But as DeWyze has gotten further and further on the "Idol" (he's competing in the top six this week), she's started to trumpet his involvement with the brand on her Web site and to customers.

"We made a children's CD, and who knew we were gonna be so fancy as to have an American Idol contestant on it?" she said. "He is now, obviously, on the home page."

DeWyze's musical career has strong roots in Oak Park, as well: his two other pre-"Idol" albums, So I'm Told and Slumberland, were recorded at Ryan McGuire's home studio on the village's northwest side for local label WuLi Records.

"We signed him to a three-album deal, but we had to let him out of it in order for him to compete," said McGuire, who also plays drums with DeWyze's band and on the Square One album.

McGuire released DeWyze's most recent album, Slumberland, this year, and they plan on touring behind the album as soon as the "Idol" contract is up, he said. When that could happen, however, is unclear: Some oddsmakers are ranking DeWyze towards the top of this year's "Idol" class.

Reality TV contestants are kept well under wraps by notoriously suspense-goading producers, so DeWyze wasn't available to talk about his Oak Park-River Forest connections with the Journal.

However, Henderson said her husband has snuck in a few texts to the reality TV star, and she and her family are all rooting for him from home.

"I know how lovely he is and I know how talented he is," she said. "I'm really more into it when he looks like he's really absorbing it, when he's smiling and he looks so happy."

Oh, and she's mashing "redial" on her phone to vote for him every week, too.

SOURCE: BEN MEYERSON, Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Lee DeWyze's 'That's Life' Steals American Idol Show

Emerging Favorite to Win the Season Channels Frank Sinatra

Lee DeWyze didn't just sing "That's Life" tonight on American Idol.

Lee DeWyze actually channeled Frank Sinatra tonight. He snarled. He sneered. He moved around the American Idol stage when he felt like moving around the stage and not before. He followed Harry Connick Jr.'s advice and spent "half an hour" on the lyric "pauper".

He did it all and brought the classic Sinatra tune to life and buried the competition.

He was helped by a great arrangement courtesy of Harry Connick, Jr. He also stayed true to himself, which was an unfair advantage in many ways for him considering the theme for the evening.

What many do not realize is that Frank Sinatra, ironically enough, was supposed to be 'anti-rock and roll', but the reality was he was the original rock and roll star when it came to attitude and perspective. And he was the original gangster rapper.

Lee DeWyze seemed to get all that tonight as he interpreted Frank Sinatra instead of imitating him.

DeWyze never tried too hard, it seemed, he just let it flow. Frank Sinatra was in many ways about being indulgent without being self conscious about it. Lee DeWyze nailed that part in particular. His emotion and feeling never got the better of him and certainly never got in the way of singing the song the way in which it was supposed to be sung. And yet DeWyze never seemed to be following a script written by Frank Sinatra; it was as if he took Sinatra's idea and realized that it was his story as well.

The judges all concurred; unanimously they praised both his performance as well as the lengths he has made as he becomes a star in front of America's eyes.

While it is difficult to gauge these things based on an edited snippet, it seemed that DeWyze was a favorite of Harry Connick Jr.'s as well. He cajoled, he coached and he kidded around with him.

Working in DeWyze's favor was song selection. His personal story (having worked in a paint store before this) seemed to fit perfectly and he was able to sing about life with equal parts awe and humility...a perfect
combination and a perfect ending to the show. The audience seemed strangely subdued, for some reason, even though the judges were not in their praise of his song choice and performance.

Lee DeWyze is probably going to win the entire American Idol season. And when he does, we will all look back on tonight's show stealing interpretation of Frank Sinatra's "That's Life" and think that's where he truly distanced himself from the competition.


Source: MTV Staff

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

When Harry met Casey ... and Lee and Crystal and Michael and Aaron

American Idol Season 9 Top 5 perform the music of Frank Sinatra, with mentoring by Harry Connick Jr.

It's not every day you walk into the "American Idol" studio and find Harry Connick Jr. at the piano, but that's where the jazz legend was, dressed Monday casual in a baggy white button-down and loose black pants, walking Big Mike through his big-band arrangement -- one that Harry himself came up with -- and making sure the Top 5 contender was comfortable with the twists and turns of a Sinatra song. Judging from the fist bump at the end, it was all good.

It's Ol' Blue Eyes week, which means it felt a little like a Christmas rom-com and a lot like "When Harry Met Sally" on Stage 36. Only this was when Harry met Lee, and Casey, Crystal and Aaron, along with the aforementioned Michael Lynche. Truth be told, Harry Connick is one heck of a multi-tasker. Not only did he orchestrate all the parts of each individual song, but he also played conductor, cheerleader and vocal coach.

The process, however, was pretty much the same. Each contestant got at least three run-throughs plus an instrumental to sing along to sans amplification, with musical director Rickey Minor looking on from the judges' table. The band, which includes nine string players, 13 brass and one drummer, looks like it was put together by HCJ. And as we previously reported, no one is allowed to play an instrument this week.

How did that pan out? Kind of nicely, I must admit. Without the weight and obstruction of a guitar, however minor, it seemed as though the Top 5 opened up vocally -- like they got more power, volume and reach with that little bit of extra air. Or maybe that's just confidence taking control. After all, it's been a couple of months of high-stress competition.

And how was Season 9's guitar golden boy Casey James handling the adjustment? "We'll see," he said with a hint of skepticism, then explained how he'd come to terms with what he "signed up for." Meaning, he's not driving this well-oiled machine. Nevertheless, Casey was pleasantly surprised by this new guitar-less sound. "Walking around sounds different," he enthused in a moment of self-discovery. Leave it to stage manager Debbie Williams to chime in with a very important message for Casey: "You know who we should fix you up with? Kellie Pickler." As if Casey needs help in the dating department. Really, Debbie.

We kid, but in all seriousness -- someone's gotta go every week. This is what Casey James was explaining after mentioning our shiva for Siobhan. That's right, the guy in the bottom two was trying to console me. I'm not sure if that meant he'd resigned himself to the possibility that Tuesday is his last night or whether Casey was just speaking the truth, but I liked the way he ended his thoughts: "Well, you have two more days to mourn." And: "What matters to me me is what happens after the show." He's wiser than he even realizes...

Speaking of smarts, Aaron Kelly's got some, otherwise how would he have made it to the Top 5? With his sleeves rolled up (as always) and his schoolwork out of the way, he was down to big-band business and what he does best: belt. Last week, I asked him about hitting the "money note" -- that big sustain at the end of every one of his performances. "It's not that I'm trying to show off," he explained, "it's what feels right for the song. Sometimes, I feel like it's gonna be boring if it doesn't have a big, grand ending." And going one step further in proving he's Season 9's David Archuleta, little Aaron dutifully hugged everyone within arm's reach (Crystal, vocal coach Debra Byrd, Fox staffers etc.), vintage Archie style. No wonder he keeps getting all those votes!

As for our front-runners, needless to say, Lee and Crystal handled their starring turns with aplomb, even if somewhat fidgety without their instruments. So instead of the strum, it was the snap, which seems all too appropriate considering the genre du jour. Lee was especially thumb-happy and also looking quite chummy with Mr. Connick, while Casey, who held onto his microphone for dear life, was simply starstruck. "I'm not even alive right now, it's like I'm in a dream," he said while watching Harry have his way with a Hammond organ.

To that end, expect a little New Orleans groove in Tuesday's episode (it is, after all, Harry Connick's hometown), as evidenced by Crystal and Rickey Minor's impromptu twirl at the base of the stage while Lee sang his heart out. Similarly, Lee and Casey both stood at attention while Crystal ran through her Sinatra number. But even with only 30-some people in the room, the show's last girl standing garnered the loudest applause from this influential focus group. Next stop: final four.

-- Shirley Halperin
L.A. Times, American Idol Tracker