Today's Entertainment

COVER STORY Two American music icons get ‘Idol’-ized By Jacqueline Cutler © Zap2it Steven Tyler didn’t watch “American Idol.” He was too busy being one. Jennifer Lopez watched re- ligiously and picked all but two winners. And Randy Jackson experi- enced every pitchy note and bril- liant performance since it started. “Season 10 — The Remix” as Jackson calls TV’s most popular show, “American Idol,” returns to Fox Wednesday, Jan. 19. Host Ryan Seacrest and judge Randy Jackson return with new judges Lopez and Tyler. The three judges spoke separately with Zap2it about the upcoming season, why they’re doing it and what they expect. “Idol,” more so than any show, comes with expectations. What other show heading into its 10th season can expect top ratings? What other show has people gossiping about what will happen six months before it airs? And what other show con- sistently turns out new stars? Lopez, who as a singer, danc- er, actress, entrepreneur, model and mother of twins nearly 3, has more than most going on, explains why she became a judge. “Besides the fact I feel like I landed a really great gig, televi- sion has become so important in the music industry,” she says. “It’s like the new radio. When they first offered it to me, it was not something I was interested in do- ing. I have a record coming out. To be quite honest, Marc (An- thony, her husband) and I have been touring. To be in one place, with the babies and the family and have some semblance of a normal life — even if it’s just for six months — that becomes a big part of your decision when you have kids.” click well. The three judges agree they “It has been so good,” says Tyler, the longtime Aerosmith frontman. “When I met Randy, within one minute it was like we were separated at birth. He is so open and has a great sense of humor.” “We picked the two right ones,” says Jackson, who over the years worked with Tyler and Lopez. “We hit it off right away.” No one makes any bones about last season working well. “I don’t think any will ever be like the original,” Jackson says. “Who is going to be the mean one? There doesn’t have to have one.” People are bound to liken Tyler to Simon Cowell simply be- cause Tyler doesn’t mince words Judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler and host Ryan Seacrest (from left) begin a new season of “American Idol”Wednesday on Fox. and is funny. Tyler even takes a dig at Cowell. “It’s not about someone being in a bad mood for singing coun- try-western,” Tyler says, adding that the couple of snippets of “Idol” he had caught featured Cowell dismissing a singer be- cause he didn’t like the type of song. “What kind of judge is that if someone doesn’t like the same music?” he says. It’s not the choice of song but the singer’s abilities, the judges say. And what they say to one another, secretly, may well be the best lines. “You do not want to hear what goes on when we’re whispering in each other’s ears,” Tyler says. “They walk across the stage in front of us, and we say, ‘What do you want to sing?’ And then they sing, ‘To Dream the Impossible Dream.’ And I will ask, ‘Did you bump your head on the way in, or did you eat a lot of paint chips as a child?’ I am being brutally honest with a 15-year-old who spent the last 10 years watching ‘Idol’ and Mom and Dad telling them they are really good.” Lopez laughs as she talks about Tyler’s reactions to the hopefuls. “He says things that make my head spin,” Lopez says. “I don’t even know if he knows the reaction. His personality is so unpredictable and off the wall. He’s still so pleasant. He is a soulful artist, and he loves music, and he is really great at what he does.” Lopez and Tyler both mention that they think about the hope- fuls long after the auditions. “It’s hard because I was in that position in my career many times, and my heart really goes out to them,” Lopez says. “Steven and I have a compas- sion that maybe Randy doesn’t because he’s more the industry type.” Still, Jackson has long worked as a musician. He knows theory and history, throwing Bartok and Beethoven into con- versation as easily as he does Aretha Franklin. And he loves finding new talent. “Simon gave the truth like a drill sergeant,” Jackson says. “I give the truth like somebody’s mother.” Sometimes these are acts only mothers could love. “When a kid comes on and can’t sing, (Randy) starts laugh- ing,” Tyler says. “I am a trans- mute. I saw it first on ‘Star Trek.’ I empathize with their feelings almost to the extreme where I take on their wounds. Jennifer Lopez is very street, very matter of fact and to the point. If not for anything, maybe it’s not about kicking their ass with the Simon Disability Specialist, Inc. Representing Social Security Disability Claimants A Leader in the Field With More Than 15,000 Successful Claims Our expert representatives will: • Explain the process • Discuss the merits of your claim • File the needed paperwork and appeals • Gather evidence • Contact physicians • Appear with you in court • Provide any other necessary services 1 x 4" ad All to assure professional representation. No recovery.... No fee. Call for free case consultation 1.800.642.6393 disabil@cpinternet.com www.disabilityspecialist.net Corner of 7th & Laurel Downtown Brainerd 829-7266 Major Credit Cards Accepted JANUARY 16 - 22, 2011 – BRAINERD, MN/DISPATCH – 3 2 x 4" ad Got a new ring, but not the right size? Bring it to us for a perfect fi t! In store ring sizing & repair. 2 x 4" ad Member FDIC route. I got a little more heart. I am hoping that compassion and love is the new black.” Jackson, with a veteran’s perspective, says, “I honestly be- lieve we have the best talent we have had in many a year. I think someone pretty amazing will win it this year, someone completely different from the last three or four years.” “We just want to find real art- ists, people with staying power and who will make a mark in the music world,” Lopez says. “We feel we know the combination of different traits it takes.” Ultimately, the next “Idol” will “make you feel, make you think and stand up,” Lopez says. “You will cry and cheer and laugh and scream. That is kind of our goal.”

• Cover