Kevin English interacts with musicians everyday who aspire to live the rich and famous type of lifestyles.  Every now and then he is able to speak with top of the line artists who have shared their experiences and reflect upon their journey to stardom.

Kevin had attended a panel called “Idol Views from Two Music Nation Leaders: USA and Sweden” at CMJ 2009 where finalists talked about their journey to fame.  Surprisingly, the audience barely outnumbered the panelists.  However, English describes the event to be a good experience.

Among the panelists were Season II winner, Kimberly Locke; Season III finalist, Diana DeGarmo; and Swedish version Idol, Daniel Lindstrom.  Fred Bronson, the administrator and American writer, talked to these three panelists about the ups and downs throughout their music careers.

The panelists described “American Idol” to be an “eye opener.”  The entertainment industry is not solely about music; everyone is in it for the money. “American Idol” is a business, and Locke described it as a boot camp where contestants learn how to interview, perform a snippet of what they can do, and learn how to deal with fans – because once” American Idol” is over, they are on their own.

The three panelists described their lives after “American Idol”.  DeGarmo signed with RCA and released her hit,“Blue Sky”.  Although it was a good album, she claimed that it just was not right.  RCA tried pairing her up with other artists such as Avril Lavigne; however, she was not interested.  She wanted to sing country music.

Lindstrom’s album went gold, yet he said he had lost control and was not enjoying his career anymore.  He stopped working with Sony/BMG and released his third album soon after.  His gigs started picking up, and he began having fun again.

Locke had a different experience after the show.  She had the Right of Refusal; after the show had ended she had to wait ninety days to hear from Sony/BMG before she could sign with another company.  She got turned down and ended up working with Curb Records.  Although she does not regret her decision, she said that her album was not like she hoped it would be.  She remained indifferent.  Now she is having trouble finding out who her fans are.  Her fan base has strayed far from her time on the show, and the cost to revive the relationships with her “American Idol” fans would be costly.

Even though these young stars had reached different points of success, their lives had changed by the start of the following season.  As an independent artist, it is up to you to create your favorite type of music and set your goals toward success. Your future is in your hands.

Greg Gerla
greg@audimated.com
www.audimated.com