American Idol 6: Hollywood Stories

As you have read in recaps at RealityNewsOnline and commentary here on Foxes on Idol , and probably heard around your water coolers, we have had a gullet full of the bad auditions. On with the talent! Even among the cream of the crop there are lots of colorful personalities. So, before the Hollywood round begins, time to polish off those scorecards.

We all know historically that some Idol contestants seem to invariably have some scrapes with the law in their pasts. Season five was oddly quiet for this, and the scandal machines have been overheating looking for some dirt. This is the best they could come up with – Akron Watson and a three-year-old issue, Ashlyn Carr, and Ebony Jointer.

Ashlyn, whose faces during her singing (they didn’t seem so odd to me, personally – I thought they were kind of cute) almost cost her a trip to Hollywood, poured some sugar in the gas tank of an ex-boyfriend’s car. Not that I am advocating this, but that’s pretty minor stuff.

Ebony Jointer, who rolled in her audition on skates with two buddies/co-workers, is even more “nefarious.” You see, Ebony played lingerie football for the Chicago Bliss. Yes, that’s right, lingerie football! Put out an APB!!

Things are much more serious for Akron Watson, who Simon thought had a lack of personality until his second song. Akron has been disqualified for a pot possession arrest in 2003. That is, at least, believed to be the reason for the disinvite – just two days before he was to leave for Hollywood. American Idol won’t say. Not even to Akron.

“I have questioned and I have questioned,” Akron said in a Dallas radio interview, “they even had a psychologist call me because they thought I was going to flip out!” In the end, Akron just wanted a straight answer, given that he says he’s been straight with Idol. “I told them about [the possession arrest] – they knew from the very very beginning.” It has been confirmed that Akron discussed his past when Idol camera crews came down to Akron’s home to film footage that would possibly be shown during the Hollywood rounds.

“I’m not trying to hide anything. I’m not proud of what I’ve done, but I have rose above it,” Akron said, “there is a lesson in that.”

Jory Steinberg’s Idol audition may not stick out in your mind because she breezed in, sang like a pro, Simon called her audition “right on the money,” and she breezed on out. She may have had this slightly smarmy “told you so” smirk on her otherwise pretty face. There was good reason for that.

Jory Steingerg once had a seven-record deal under her belt! She even has a song, “Try To Say Goodbye,” on the I Know What You Did Last Summer Soundtrack (then she was known as “Jory Eve”). The song had solid success in Japan. Things were looking mighty positive for Jory Eve, but then… trouble. Her record label went through a major upheaval and the new regime bought off many of the old contracts, including Jory’s. No more deal. Good luck.

What’s a girl to do? Try out for Idol. Right on the money.

Sadly, the road the fame is littered with stories like Jory’s. One that’s not so common is the story of Sean Michel. It’s a story that is still developing. The message boards are HOPPING with the rumor that he has been disqualified. And the reason for the disqualification is that he would not cut his hair! As the story goes, his curious resemblance to Fidel Castro or Osama bin Laden, depending on which angle you are looking at him, has caused some concern for the comfort level of the viewing audience.

In other words, Fox is supposedly shivering at the notion that this disheveled looking but otherwise harmless young man could end up in the Top 12, in untold millions of living rooms each week while the Fox logo beams brightly from the corner of television sets all over the world.

Now is a good time to remind you again that this is pure rumor, but the story is Fox exec had put pressure on Idol execs to cut Sean’s hair. Idol asked nicely, Sean said no. Idol asked not so nicely, Sean still said no. Idol demanded, and Sean still said no, and he was eliminated.

The source of this story is someone on a message board claiming to have gone to Hollywood, and was close enough to Sean to get the story firsthand. Even though the Hollywood rounds are set to air shortly, the actual audition process happened months ago. Since all of the Hollywood attendees are sworn to secrecy by written contract, Sean Michel has declined to speak about this rumor at all… but does state he still has all his hair and beard, “proudly.” The Hollywood attendee has obviously refused to identify him/herself.

Will Sean’s hair-raising saga make it to air? Is there more to this story? Is the story even true? Stay tuned.