This Day in History April 24, 1982

Well, it was the girl in the video who was born on this date in 1982.  Ever heard or Kelly Clarkson?  She was the original American Idol winner, and she truly has had quite a career so far.  She is from Burleson, Texas (near Fort Worth), and I have had mixed feelings about her throughout the years.

I always liked the song that I posted here, but then I wasn't a fan.  Goodness, I hadn't even heard of American Idol, and I knew nothing of her until I began studying for my "Musician of the Week" segment each week when I was a music teacher.  I think in her early years, she kind of got a big head.  I first began to like her when she recorded with Reba McEntire.  And then when she recorded with Jason Aldean, I truly got even more interested.  I have recently began to enjoy her more.  When she does not yell and scream while singing, I think she is much more pleasant.

Happy birthday to her, and if you would like more information, please check out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly_Clarkson
http://www.kellyclarkson.com

This Day in History January 13, 1983

I used to share about this person every year in my music classes, and it was always fun.  Have you ever heard of William Hung?  Have you seen this infamous audition?  Well, this marvel was born on this date in 1983.  Did you know he made three albums?  Did you know that he truly had quite a fan base for a while?  And according to TMZ, he is now working for the L.A. County Sheriff's office.

I, for one, am glad that he has gone on with his life.  I always thought he truly was sincere, and although I found him funny, I do not believe he was doing this audition just to get publicity like so many do now.  He will never be forgotten, as far as I am concerned.

You may have heard that he committed suicide--internet myth.  I always used that story as a way to point out to the students that you have to be careful about what you read on the internet. And in books, too, for that matter.  Just because it says "thus and such," does not believe it is true.  I actually taught kids who believed that man landing on the moon was a hoax because they had read it somewhere on the internet.  But that's another story.

For a little more information, please check out these sites:
http://www.billboard.com/news/william-hung-scores-job-with-l-a-county-1005479152.story#/news/william-hung-scores-job-with-l-a-county-1005479152.story
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1592159/bio

This Day in History October 7, 1959

Who would have guessed that I would be doing a post about someone who is currently all over the news?  Well, I am.  And I have to admit that I am a fan of his.  And it just so happens that Simon Cowell was born on this day in 1959.  I actually did not realize he was that old--shows what I know!

Simon was born in Brighton, England, and he is Scottish and English Jew descent.  His father was a music industry executive, and his mother is a former ballet dancer.  Simon was lucky enough to have a father who was an executive at EMI Music Publishing, and it was his dad's influence that got him an entry level job there.  Simon worked his way up, and finally left to form E &S Music (with his boss from EMI).  Though very successful, Simon left a few years later.

In the next 8 years, Simon worked for Fanfare Records which finally was taken over by BMG.  It was during this time that Simon was able to help many musicians make their mark in the world of pop records.  He also worked with novelty recordings such as Teletubbies and others.

In 2001, he became a judge on the UK show Pop Idol.  And then his lucky break came the following year--becoming a judge on the American show American Idol and launched Syco records.  He helped to launch the careers of Leona Lewis, Il Divo, contestants from America's Got Talent and X Factor.   It truly gets confusing after this!  He has done so much, and he is currently one of the four judges of the U.S. version of the show X Factor.

I will tell you right now that I didn't watch the first four seasons of American Idol.  Shocking, I know.  I remembered hearing about the show, and the title did not set well with me.  I knew virtually nothing about the show.  I remember being shocked when I learned that Paula Abdul was one of the judges--I remember her from the 80's even though I was never a fan.

My mother is the one who got me to watch American Idol season 5.  And I was instantly taken with Simon Cowell.  I had heard of him, but to see him in action was really something.  Of the three judges, he was always my favorite.  I generally agreed with him, and I normally loved the bluntness of his comments.  I have wanted to sing for him for years--I would love to hear his thoughts on my voice.  But that's another story.

One thing I always find interesting is that so often Simon is painted as the enemy.  The contestants hate him, fear him, and they will even go so far as to say that his opinion doesn't matter.  I always marvel at the fact that those same people are absolutely floored when Simon tells them how well they did.  These are the contestants who live for the day when Simon gives them a genuine compliment.  And when all the judges say they don't like something, all the anger gets shot at Simon.

For those of you who would like to read more, check out his official site.

Okay, I am posting this video--his farewell to American Idol.  I think it says all  that is needed.