Birmingham News says Clay is ahead by a "North Carolina mile"

Can Singers Stay In The Spotlight After 'Idol'?

Birmingham News


Right this minute, if you've been following "American Idol," the fortunes of its contestants may seem very, very important.

That's fine. In fact, it's exactly how the show's producers want you to feel.

If you're interested, for example, in what's going to happen to Constantine Maroulis - the sexy Greek godster beloved by millions but booted before his time - the Fox reality series has done its job.

You're invested. Committed. Absorbed.

But when Season Four cools down, will Maroulis' hottie status still matter to you?

Will you care about the program's top 12 finalists when their faces aren't beaming onto your TV screen every week?

That's the million-dollar question for all "Idol" graduates, win or lose, record deal or no record deal.

And it remains to be answered.

As the credits roll at the end of each season - as they will on Wednesday's finale - "Idol" turns into a precarious springboard for singers instead of a solid platform. Through the immense power of television, a crop of unknown vocalists has been made famous. Temporarily.

Their next steps depend on a wide, wild variety of factors, most of which are a mystery to anyone outside of the entertainment industry. We can only guess at the opportunities, disappointments, temptations and pressures tossed into the paths of people like Tamyra Gray, that elegant showstopper, or Bo Bice, currently the long-haired hope of Helena.

Everyone knows, however, that music careers are extremely dicey, no matter how they're forged.

The hopefuls who emerge from the "Idol" machine - which is tightly controlled by producer Simon Fuller and his company, 19 Entertainment - can't be stamped with any guarantees.

Consider these names: Nikki McKibbin. Jim Verraros. Charles Grigsby. Vanessa Olivarez. Matthew Rodgers. Leah LaBelle. Jared Yates. Sarah Mather.

Heard anything about them lately? Um, even remember what they look like?

That's the danger - and perhaps the real, eventual lesson - of the "Idol" experience. It's pushing out quickie household names aplenty, but where's the staying power?

Of course, a small handful of "Idol" wannabes - especially its winners over the past three seasons - can be tracked fairly easily.

Season One diva Kelly Clarkson (a definite success story, for now) has achieved the desired pop-star status with her second album, "Breakaway." She's got a bunch of singles on the radio and is a regular on the Billboard charts. She's thinner, blonder, more fashionable. Her vocals have been given a coat of polish, as well.

Season Two champ Ruben Studdard (whose momentum appears to be slowing) reportedly has been recording his third album for J Records, "The Return of the Velvet Teddy Bear." His fortunes have gone up (Grammy nomination, double-platinum debut, gold gospel disc) and down (plane-seat snafu, management lawsuit, botched weight-loss campaign on "Extra").

The Birmingham resident will be in town this weekend for a big-bucks concert to benefit his music-scholarship charity for children. But what message is his label sending with that skimpy official Web site, so devoid of information and in dire need of updating?

Season Three queen Fantasia Barrino (yes, we insist on using her last name) has one platinum album to her credit, called "Free Yourself," and a U.S. tour with Kem on her summer agenda. She'll open for him here on June 10 at the BJCC Concert Hall. She's done quite well on the R&B charts with the song "Truth Is" and apparently remains a devoted "Baby Mama."

Standing out from the rest of the pack - by a North Carolina mile - is Clay Aiken, the second-season runner-up. Oh, that skinny guy is smart. Shrewd, savvy, solid and smart.

Others might sit idle after "Idol," but Aiken appears to be one of the hardest-working men in show biz. He's wholesome and in demand: Andy Williams for the 21st century, Pat Boone for the millennium, Barry Manilow for the future.

Two top-selling albums, including a boffo Christmas disc. Tons of TV appearances. His own holiday special. Concert tours, ringtones, Web sites, fan clubs, magazine covers. That active Bubel-Aiken Foundation for people with developmental disabilities.

His A-plus resume includes a self-help guide, "Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life," published in November with coauthor Allison Glock. But Aiken really could write the book on how to make the most of what "Idol" has to offer. He's actually learned how to use the show, instead of allowing it to use him.

When Aiken's contract with 19 Entertainment displeased him - apparently because the company's cut was too large and their policies too restrictive - he hired a tough lawyer and cut loose from it. Then he signed with The Firm, a management powerhouse that offered a sweeter deal.

That's darn good business sense, and it bodes well for Aiken to become the "Idol" who remains while others fade away.