A Superstar In the Making

[Snake45]

Two of them, actually.

It's virtually certain that one of these two kids is going to win American Idol this year. I'm really hoping both of them make the final.

First up, Caleb Johnson, who I think is 23. One of his fellow contestants said, "If Meat Loaf and Jack Black had a baby, it would be Caleb," and that's a perfect description of him. He's an absolutely fearless singer and a born rocker who can sing just about anything really, really well (he's sung Led Zepplin, Adele, and Carrie Underwood songs, among others). And seems to be a nice guy, too. Here's one of his softer performances, and IMHO it's even better than the original:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQMcCRkgp6g

Next I give you Jena Irene, who is an astonishing 17 years old. She can rock almost as hard as Caleb (they've done a couple of amazing duets, too), but can also give a stunning softer performance. This is what she did the other night. When she starts, you're either going to think, "Oh, this is going to be boring," or "She's going to ruin this." Stick with it. Before she was halfway through, I had chills and was on the verge of tears--a truly awesome performance. Randy Jackson called it "one of the best performances in the history of American Idol" and he's right. Prepare to be amazed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZiwhFhyPgs

 

[toysoldier]

I don't watch Idol, so thanks for the post. Very much enjoyed Caleb; not so much Jena.

 

[sebtool]

As a rule I don't watch Idol, don't make the time. The wife watches it once in awhile, and when I walk thru the room, once in a great while stop and listen. I can hear potential in many of the contestants, but don't care participate in their 'maturing' process. :lol:

Caleb was good, no doubt. But Jena was absofreakinglutely phenomenal! The way she made that song her own is amazing. I'm sure she had plenty of help with the arrangement, etc, but for a 17 year old, that performance will give any established 'star' a run for their money! Even IF, by some fluke, she doesn't win this contest, she's not going away any time soon, she's here to stay! :wink:

Thx for posting Snake!

 

[Slyk Willy]

Thanks for posting that! I gave up on AI a while ago. So much "DAWG", and "Pitchy" and music that I can't relate to... But both of these performances make me want to start watching again. And yeah Meatloaf and Jack Black made a kid somehow.

 

[Snake45]

Here's Caleb and Jena together, rockin' it old-school, twice. They look like they're having fun and seem to enjoy working together. I sure enjoyed these performances. (BTW, the Idol house band is world-class.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xartN8ZIGDU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TJwSBsPC7I

In addition to Meat Loaf and Jack Black, I think Caleb might be channeling the late great Sam Kinison from time to time. I'm hoping he makes the final--I can't wait to see who they get for him to sing with.

 

[contender]

Caleb is from Asheville NC. (Just a few miles away.) This weekend was the "Homecoming" portion of next weeks show. There was a parade, a few short performances, & lots of local media coverage yesterday. His biggest concert yesterday was at a place called "The Orange Peel." They have space for 1000 attendees & it was "sold out." Locally they are airing a lot of stuff about him.
Around here, we rarely watch these types of shows. But as Caleb got into the top bunch, there was a lot of local media coverage about him. So, a few weeks ago we watched it. I chose to listen to him, rather than watch as I was raised in the music business & have heard more "wannabe's" than I ever care to think about. I will say he does seem to have much better talent than what I expected. It'll be interesting to see how he does from now on. I've only heard him do a total of 3 songs so far. Yet he has done a very good job of those.

 

[Dan in MI]

Caleb is from Asheville NC. (Just a few miles away.) This weekend was the "Homecoming" portion of next weeks show. There was a parade, a few short performances, & lots of local media coverage yesterday. His biggest concert yesterday was at a place called "The Orange Peel." They have space for 1000 attendees & it was "sold out." Locally they are airing a lot of stuff about him.

I almost wrote this same thing yesterday about Jena as she is from Farmington Hills not far from here. Word for word the same scenario except I heard the concert venue could 10k (but I'm sure SE MI is far more populated)

 

[RonEgg]

Snake, I am late to the post. Was afraid that you meant this "winner."

http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-London/2014/05/10/Europe-Reverts-to-Type-And-Continues-British-Boycott-at-Eurovision

 

[rugerguy]

You got it snake, these two are awesome, been watching for a while now and they just keep getting better and better............gotta see and hear MORE than 3 songs, cause the way they performed over the season, and what they had to go through , was something see and hear.........GOOD job by some young talent.

 

[RugerHound]

I have never watched any of these shows... But I do enjoy watching performing arts as long as there are no commercials! Both seem to do a good job. I'm always a bit more impressed with performers who can play instruments and sing at the same time.

 

[m657]

killer Snake, absolute killer vocalists....While I *never* catch this type of show, I had to go watch some of their other stuff.

Caleb & 'Still of the Night' & 'Skyfall'.....

yes, talent on the rise....

thanks for the link

 

[Fox Mike]

I guess I am too old fashioned but I am not impressed with either of them. Why must every "singer" today have to SCREAM the words? Think back to Bing Crosby, Johnny Mathis, Perry Como, Doris Day, Patsy Cline, and the list goes on.They didn't have to SCREAM to make themselves great...they could carry a tune and sing a note.

 

[Tensaw]

Two outstanding talents! I would give a very slight edge to Caleb. That guy is something special musically.

 

[Pierow]

.....In addition to Meat Loaf and Jack Black, I think Caleb might be channeling the late great Sam Kinison from time to time. I'm hoping he makes the final......

That is spot-on Snake. If he ever becomes a star and ends up hosting Saturday Night Live, a professor Terguson sketch would be perfect for him.

Band seems to always be crazy good as you mentioned and Caleb and Jena are seriously talented. I bet it was those two who two weeks ago voted to send someone home versus carry-forward to the following week. Why shouldn't they, they knew it wasn't them going home.

Pierow

 

[Bull Barrel]

AI jumped the shark years ago when they had the scruffy looking guy who wore a suit coat with his shirt tail flapping and couldn't sing a note win it all. Then he dropped off the face of the Earth.

 

[Snake45]

Think back to Bing Crosby, Johnny Mathis, Perry Como, Doris Day, Patsy Cline, and the list goes on.

They all had one thing in common: They bore me to tears. :roll:

And you can add Tony Bennett, Andy Williams, Burl Ives, and Jerry Vale to that list, too. :x

I kinda like Tom Jones, though. :wink:

And you know what? Elvis had a really, really good voice. All the hype aside, he was a really good singer.

 

[Snake45]

.....In addition to Meat Loaf and Jack Black, I think Caleb might be channeling the late great Sam Kinison from time to time. I'm hoping he makes the final......

That is spot-on Snake. If he ever becomes a star and ends up hosting Saturday Night Live, a professor Terguson sketch would be perfect for him.

Pierow

And I really, really want to hear Caleb sing "Mississippi Queen" at some point.

And I'd love to hear Caleb and Jena do Meat Loaf's "Life Is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back." There aren't many female singers around who could do justice to the Patty Russo part in that song, but Jena could--easily. :wink:

But that song's prolly too obscure for Idol. I might have to settle for "Paradise by the Dashboard Light." Which those two could also totally tear up. :mrgreen:

BTW, I believe Jena (who's still in high school) asked Caleb to take her to her prom, which is about the coolest thing I've heard in a while. Good for both of them!

 

[rugerguy]

well snake, I think Jena and Caleb did them selves proud last night, GREAT job, two really awesome performers, and as far as I'm concerned, they are BOTH winners..........did you send them YOUR 'request' ?? 8) :wink:

 

[Snake45]

well snake, I think Jena and Caleb did them selves proud last night, GREAT job, two really awesome performers, and as far as I'm concerned, they are BOTH winners..........did you send them YOUR 'request' ?? 8) :wink:

I'm pulling for Caleb but won't be upset if Jena wins, and I think she's the favorite. Yah, they both did great last night and I can't wait to see Caleb tear it up with KISS tonight!

 

[wolfsong]

Think back to Bing Crosby, Johnny Mathis, Perry Como, Doris Day, Patsy Cline, and the list goes on.

They all had one thing in common: They bore me to tears. :roll:

And you can add Tony Bennett, Andy Williams, Burl Ives, and Jerry Vale to that list, too. :x

I kinda like Tom Jones, though. :wink:

And you know what? Elvis had a really, really good voice. All the hype aside, he was a really good singer.

This mildly surprises me, Snake. At their prime, those old crooners were what was hip and current and popular. To compare two different eras of entertainment personalities and skill sets is difficult to do objectively, not that I am implying that you were comparing anyone. I just feel that those who laid the foundations for future artists to expand deserve their props, and their impact and influence on subsequent artists to be recognized for what their work is worth.

Again, I am no suggesting that you have disparaged the older entertainers in any manner; I'm just surprised at your observation, being the music aficionado that you are.

For the record, my choice would be Jena, based on her appeal to a broader audience. As much as I like and enjoy good ol' rock and roll - and Caleb certainly represents - I think that rock, as you and I know and appreciate it, is fastly becoming extinct. Be that as it may, either Caleb or Jena are worthy of being the next American Idol.

Peace and God bless, Wolfie.

 

[Snake45]

Someone accused me once of saying that I thought Tony Bennett was "untalented." I replied, "I said no such thing. I don't like the songs he sings, the way he sings them, or the sound of his voice, but I think he's enormously talented. He's just not for me." The same goes for just about everyone I mentioned in that post.

If you (or anyone else) likes that type of music, that's fine. You listen to it. I don't care to. You probably wouldn't like 80% of the stuff I do, and that's also fine. We're lucky enough to live in an era where we all have easy access to whatever kind of music (or movies, or TV, or books, or whatever) we like, and all of it we can stand.

Is this a great country or what? :wink:

 

[Snake45]

For the record, my choice would be Jena, based on her appeal to a broader audience. As much as I like and enjoy good ol' rock and roll - and Caleb certainly represents - I think that rock, as you and I know and appreciate it, is fastly becoming extinct. Be that as it may, either Caleb or Jena are worthy of being the next American Idol.

I agree with you completely on all counts. I think Jena is tremendously "today," her only snag being she'll have a lot of competition in this niche--everyone from Gaga to Demi Lovato to Taylor Swift to Carrie Underwood to Adele to Katie Perry and a couple dozen others whose names I don't even know. But I think she might have the potential to be this era's Linda Ronstadt--someone who can sing anything well and make it work.

Caleb might have been born 30 or even 40 years too late. If he'd been around in the '70s, he'd have been a lengendary superstar. Can you imagine him singing with, say Van Halen? I'm hoping there's still a market for him out there. Perhaps he'll singlehandedly bring that whole market back.

 

[contender]

Well, Caleb won it. Locally the news stations spent a lot of time covering it. We chose to watch it so we'd be able to discuss it with our friends over the next few days.
I will say that Caleb does have talent. If he gets the right management, and polishes his act, he'll do good!

 

[wolfsong]

Ah, gee, Tyrone, thanks a lot! Some of us in middle America and on the west coast are still watching the show. But, that's okay. It doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things.



Peace and God bless, Wolfie.

 

[gramps]

I liked Caleb's presentation better than Jena's. Thanks for the post. I don't watch TV so was unaware of them. I will bet Snake doesn't like Roger Whitaker either? .
gramps

 

[Snake45]

Never heard of him.

 

[contender]

Sorry Wolfie,,, I figured it was a live feed & y'all just watched it earlier in the evening.
I'm not a big fan of these types of shows,,, as they have gotten away from a lot of true talent by doing a lot of hype, and extra fluff to sell ratings.
And I will admit that I'm a fan of more of the older R&R vs a lot of the newer stuff out there, but I still prefer music from artists who can sing, (not scream,) lyrics you can understand, songs with a message, talent vs how outrageous you can look or act on stage, performers who can be seen in public as nice people & not law breakers, (Beeber comes to mind,) etc. That said, I was sceptical of Caleb at first, and wouldn't watch the TV, just listen to him sing. I understand his preferred music is R&R, and it has a full history of being loud & harder to hear & understand, but I was able to see he does actually have some true talent.
Now, we'll have to see how he does AFTER all this TV hype.