No Song Unsung Blog

Exciting news for American Idol fans… Kara DioGuardi will join the judging panel when the eighth season of the wildly popular singing contest begins. Definitely a smart move by the producers as it brings a new dynamic and adds “freshness” to the show.

Kara DioGuardi has a very impressive resume and certainly has the credentials to be a judge. She’s written songs for Kelly Clarkson, David Cook, Pussycat Dolls, Tom Jones, and Hannah Montana, just to name a few. The list of artists she’s written for and collaborated with is just way too long to list!

Learn more about Kara DioGuardi by visiting here MySpace page

It’s amazing how a song can spur up so many long-forgotten memories…I was in a restaurant last night having dinner and the background music consisted of melodies from the 80’s - a time when my family and I did quite a bit of traveling, especially summer camping trips. As they say, “It was the good ole days…”

It’s interesting to me how songs can carry with them so many stories. Of course, the singer singing the song has a story to share, but all the people that a particular song reached also have a story that coincides with that song. In essence, there’s a great deal of sentiment and emotion related to songs. For one person, hearing a certain song brings memories of love while that same song could mean heartache for another. For me, music has a way of bringing out these feelings of nostalgia that photographs can’t do.

Last night David Cook sang “Hungry Like the Wolf” by Duran Duran. I suddenly felt this wave of giddy-like excitement wash over me as if I was a teenager watching Duran Duran performing on TV again. Here’s the video from David Cook’s performance…

“If you love it, don’t stop ever, ever, ever….”

That’s the advice Neil Diamond gave to the last five contestants of American Idol as they awaited their fate during tonight’s show.

I think I still have yet to meet any artist who doesn’t have a passion for their craft. It’s something about art or creating music that conjures up feelings of bliss. Unless you let your ego listen to naysayers, you continue to produce pieces that come from the heart and soul. You keep creating music because you love it - no matter if you’re paid or not.

And that, my friends, is the secret to longevity in the music business!

Photo Credit: a DELL

Many of us use music as a way of expressing ourselves while others use music as a therapeutic tool to heal the soul. I know I feel my spirit soar when I sing a song I feel emotionally connected to!

Then there are others who use music as a platform to give back. Simon Cowell, the producer of American Idol, has used the power that the show has had to do good by putting on the “Idol Gives Back” special every year. It’s a show full of guest performances by some of the hottest names in the industry - all coming together to bring awareness to the people who are less fortunate than us.

I had no idea who was going to be performing, so I was pleasantly surprised to see Gloria Estefan with Sheila E! My favorite performance of the night was by Mariah Carey who’ve I’ve admired ever since her career started.

Let’s rewind a little to last night when Idol contestants sang inspirational songs. I’ve been teetering between David Cooke and David Archuleta as the winner, but regardless I think all of them will go far in the business.

Here’s David Cooke performing the song, “Innocent”…

Make a contribution and save a life! Visit: AmericanIdol.com Check out my thoughts about the 2007 Idol Gives Back show…

So we’re down to the “Elite Eight” of American Idol.  Unlike previous years, this season I’ve watched every episode of American Idol.  I think it’s because of the top eight that we have now.  Every single one of them has something unique and their styles of singing are all so different. 

I was rooting for Ramiele Malubay because she has such a strong voice, but I have to say that she picked the wrong songs and didn’t have much of a stage presence. It’ll come with more practice, though.

I don’t really have a favorite because like I said earlier, each of them has star quality in their own special way.  I will say that David Archuleta’s voice is so smooth that I literally feel myself melt like butter whenever he sings!  No doubt in my mind that he’ll have a long career in performing.  My favorite performance so far was when David sang, John Lennon’s “Imagine”.  If you missed it, check it out below…

American Idol - Exclusive Charity Albums - Download It Now on iTunes

The first week of American Idol has passed and I’m pretty excited about the upcoming season. All of the singers are really talented, but there are a few that really stood out this week.

For the girls, Ramiele Malubay put on an excellent performance. She definitely has star quality. Here’s a clip of her performing “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me“…

I know, I’m a day late! Jordin Sparks was my second pick for the Idol finale, but now I’m glad that she did win!
Although Melinda Doolittle was my favorite, it’s obvious that she was already going to have a career. As a matter of fact, Melinda already worked in the industry. I had no idea that she was a professional back-up singer!

I heard through the “grape vine” that the Idol producers already decided who they wanted to win a few weeks ago. My theory is that they booted Melinda to boost ratings - it would create a bit of a stir and keep people glued to the TV. Keeping Jordin and Blake on kept the show unpredictable.

This is not to discount the fact that Jordin and Blake are truly talented people. Jordin has a phenomenal voice and Blake is a great entertainer…However, Melinda had a great voice AND knew how to put on a show.

Anyways, all that doesn’t matter anymore. They’re all stars