‘Idol’ Chatter: May 3, 2006

By Laura Saltman,
Access “Idol” Insider

Could Kelly Clarkson return for the “American Idol” Season Finale?  We spoke yesterday and it’s not out of the realm of possibility (but still certainly not looking likely). “There is always chances obviously. Yeah, but we just really haven’t decided on anything just cause I am already in the studio working on the record. So we are pretty focused on that.”  Not too mention that on May 23rd, Kelly will be performing on the Academy of Country Music Awards airing Live on CBS.  That is, of course, night one of the “Idol” finale.

So, bad news there, but there?s lots of good news for Clarkson fans.  She expects her new album to be out by the end of this year or beginning of next year, “I don’t want to ever be one of those people that, you know, strikes when the iron is hot or, you know, needs to put out a record at a certain time so it will sell. I want to put out a record that is going to be awesome.”

Discerning listeners did get a sneak peak at a new single from Clarkson, last night, during ?American Idol.”  Her new song, “Go” was featured in a Ford commercial that aired during the show. Kelly is working with them on their new Bold Moves campaign and teaming up with Ford on her new summer tour title Addicted, ” the album has been such a success and fans keep asking, you know, for more shows so it’s like ?OK, cool.’ I love touring, it is my favorite part of my job. We are doing a lot of new songs as well and playing the hits, obviously.  It’s an amphitheater tour/summer tour. So, it’s going to be like outside having fun.”

There are always two sides to every story and Shakira wants you to know she didn’t intentionally dis the ?Idol? contestants. You’ll recall several weeks ago Shakira performed with Wyclef Jean on a results show.  Two days later I spoke with ?Idol? Executive Producer Ken Warwick, who was very angry that she would not meet the kids. “Well you find out a lot about the pop stars. They come with an entourage with 10,000 people that they don’t need. They demand tickets. They demand this and usually people fall over themselves to give it to them but it?s not about the star – it’s about the kids – and she didn’t want to meet the kids and she wasn’t interested in meeting the kids; she was a pain in the butt.”

Shakira addressed this with our NY correspondent Tim Vincent. “No it’s absolutely false. And people who know me, and my fans who know me really well would know that that is absolutely false because I always put my fans first. I would never in my life have said no to a photo, an autograph, or meeting someone who wants to meet me. What happened is that while I was in the dressing room, I was actually meeting with Wyclef. Someone from my team told me, ?Oh the kids are ready for you. Some kids want to meet you.? By kids I understood, OK some fans want to meet me and when I come out in a second, when I finish with Wyclef you know. And after my meeting ended, 15 minutes later, I asked for the kids and my tour manager said, ‘Oh no they’re gone, the kids are gone.’ Nobody ever told me that they were the “American Idol” kids and that they had to go. They had a really restricted time to meet me.

The whole incident has been very upsetting to Shakira who says she was thrilled to even be performing on “American Idol.” “It was just very, very confusing. Very upsetting, very frustrating. So I wrote a letter to the producer of “American Idol” and I think he understands by now and he knows now that it was a complete misunderstanding.”

Last night we hosted a viewing party with some of Katharine McPhee’s friends and family.  According to one of her friends, James Mellon, a technical glitch may have caused Kat’s less than stellar performance.  “What I was told was that the monitors went out and she couldn’t hear the band. When that happens, when you don’t hear yourself and you can’t hear the monitors, you tend to under sing so that you can hear.” I’m guessing that this was told to him by Katharine’s mom who was at the “Idol” taping and then attended the party. Fox rules state that media outlets are not allowed to interview the family members. They tell us its a fairness issue to the contestants. Personally, I think it’s more hurtful than helpful.  The more publicity the better. If all the contestants? family members agree to be interviewed then there is no fairness problem.

More scoop from inside the taping tomorrow.  Don’t forget to check out my interview with Kellie Pickler available for download free on the Access Hollywood video podcast.

Questions or comments, e-mail me at ah.idol@nbcuni.com.