American Idol
An interview with author Debra Poneman And Idol Gina Glocksen About Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul
I had the chance to spend some time talking with Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul author Debra Poneman. In a complete surprise she also brought along one of the genuine articles, a real American Idol, Gina Glocksen.
Debra, you Tell us something about yourself?
In 1981 I founded Yes to Success Seminar ™, Inc. This is the seminar that launched the careers of many top transformational leaders, including Deepak Chopra, Janet Attwood (The Passion Test) and Marci Shimoff (Happy for no reason). The Yes to Success seminar provides a system for uncovering your true purpose and then gives you the tools you need to realize that goal – and the knowledge of how to live each and every day of your trip fun and profound. I've also seen hundreds of keynote speeches for corporations, associations and professional organizations across the country, wrote a syndicated newspaper column on the principles of success and appeared on hundreds of radio and TV talk shows.
However, my biggest achievement is that I took 19 years of my career to a full-time mom! Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul is my first venture back into the world of writing. I spent 6 months interviewing and then work on their stories with top 10 Idols from every season, backstage crew, fans and judges, co-author of this book has brought together the # 1 show in television history and the # 1 nonfiction book series in publishing history.
The Chicken Soup series is one of the great book franchise successes of the past decade. How are you involved in this organization? And a follow-up, where did you get the idea of American Idol?
Well, actually it was because of my son.
When Daniel was 10, he started watching American Idol Season One. He was totally transfixed by this show, which was unusual because we're not a big TV family. One day, He: "Mom you have to watch it with me. You might like it. "And I think:" Oh please, anything but, let me look at a talent show. "But as the perfect mother I am, and really appreciate a way I could spend time with my son, I smile and said," Great Daniel, I just love this talent watch with you. "It took me two shows before I became a full-fledged AI fanatic. And of course we went to the American Idol Live concert that summer.
The next season – the big Clay / Ruben years – my husband and daughter with us every week to the show and then the family went to the concert of the summer (twice!). And all I'd say around my kids, "I'm going to personally know those Idols. I will do something with them. I do not know what it is, but I am absolutely sure."
Also during Season Two, I discover that my good friend and colleague, Marci Shimoff, author of Chicken Soup for the Women's Soul and Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul and currently the best selling author of Happy for no reason, was a closet Idoloholic and we started emailing back and forth our own weekly reviews of each show complete with editorial … "Clay is going to win because he is the boy next door. There is no way that you can not love him ."…" If Jennifer gets voted out I never look back ."…." What was up with Carrie's hair? "We just thought our editorial were so brilliant that we one day said:" We must really know this stuff, "and then simultaneously exclaimed," Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul! "And as they say, the rest is history.
As I understand you spent some time on the road with idols? This must have been a lot of fun. Can you tell us a bit about?
Actually the only time I was Idols was last season. I was back stage for a number of days an interview with the top 10 finalists of Season 6 and the crew including their make-up artist, stage manager, vocal coaches, wardrobe stylist, musical director, producer and director. It was a lot of fun – especially if the recordings of the shows.
But what I enjoyed most about was to discover that these participants are not just good people with great voice, they were great people with a great voice. As I said in the introduction to the book …. "In the process their stories to you, we have discovered what most have suspected -. That not only talented singers, but special people who touch our lives not only by the beauty of their votes, but by the depth of their souls "There is a reason why America fell in love with them and it goes beyond the talent. I think we have good instincts about who these people really are and we vote our hearts – to join them to verify that America has chosen the right top 10 every season!
And what I loved most about spending time with the support the crew that I discovered that their lives parallel the lives of the Idols. What I mean is that they also came from tough backgrounds and none of them had their success handed to them on a silver dish and they lived their dreams. They really are the American Idols of their respective professions – you can not win a bigger pot than doing your thing for the # 1 show in television history. They each tell their story in the book. It is very inspiring.
Many of the stories in Chicken Soup are very moving and thought-provoking, it was a difficult task of selecting the stories for inclusion?
In connection with the Idol stories, an Idol who wanted a story set was welcome. The hardest part was choosing which story to choose! For example, Jasmine Trias shared an amazing story about a young man with cerebral palsy who lived in a group home outside Las Vegas. He loved Jasmine so much that he recorded an album with photos of her aboard the tray of his wheelchair and would show it to anyone who was willing to watch. He also wore a t-shirt that read "Jasmine's # 1 Fan. "She surprised him when she appeared in Las Vegas and arranged for him to attend her concert and back stage to come. I cried when she told me the story. Then tells me a different story of a woman who has been in a coma for some time and they literally came out of the coma when she heard an angel sing for her. It turned out that her granddaughter was watching American Idol and Jasmine sang. She believes that Jasmine saved her life. How do you choose when you only have a story?
I understand that you have brought a special guest, you can use the introductions?
Yes, this is Gina Glocksen who came in at # 9 on Season 6.
Hello, thank you Gina for taking part. Can you tell us something about yourself and your involvement with American Idol?
Actually I do to tell my story in the book, but the short version … My passion was singing, of course. I've been singing for people of my life and started getting serious in about 15 years old, but my day job was as a dental assistant. I auditioned second season and even make past the first round and was told I was not what they were after.
So I did not audition for season 3 and 4, but looked and religious thought, not what they're looking for? What they do not I? How's that girl in any way other than me? Season 5 so when I rolled decided I did not want to suck saliva the rest of my life, so I auditioned again and made it all the way to Hollywood Week. When I got my last audition that I would have gotten into the top 40 do, I forgot my words – this is an instant good-bye.
I was so stressed that I said I would never do that again but when season 6 rolled my friend Joe, who, by the way, is now my fiancee – he proposed to me on stage the Idol Live tour in Chicago – said: "Gina, I have a feeling this is your year." So I went to LA hope that the court (which is one of the producers) that you to pass before you get to Paula, Simon and Randy would remember me and he did. I did not even get past the first round. They told me I just returned the same thing I did last year.
Most sensible people would have given up, but I was not going to let someone tell me that I could follow my dream. And next week I was off for auditions in Memphis. And the rest is history. Not only was I in the top 10 but I am one of the new co-host this year's American Idol Extra.
It was not until I read Chicken soup for the American Idol Soul magnitude that I really started to get an idea of the program, but it also seems much more a 'family' environment. Do you have a chat off?
Gina: I'm incredibly close to the people of my season. I mean, we lived in small apartments and then for 14 hours per day backstage together for at least one month or more, depending on when you started and then two buses for another three months on tour. Did we socialize? We do not really see anyone, but each other! Fortunately in my season was all fine. I've heard that there are conflicts in other seasons, but we are all very close and I think we always will.
Debra: Something I noticed when I interviewed the backstage crew is how much affection for each other. I've never heard of a crew member ever say a bad word about another. They just expressed respect and admiration for their colleagues. Idol is really a well-oiled machine. What also struck me is how many crew members are all really care about Idols and how broken they are when each gets voted out. Mezhgan Hussainy who the Idol's makeup artist, and by the way, has an amazing story in the book about how her family escaped from Afghanistan, told me that when Charlie Grigsby got voted off Season 2, everyone loved him so much that the air backstage was worse than a funeral. She said They could not even speak to anyone that night. She just had to go home, she was so upset.
A question for fun. I mention no names, but one of the judges has a bit of a reputation for his outspoken comments. Is this just an "on camera" persona?
Gina: It's hard to say. We do not ever Judges look off camera, so I just got to believe that "This person, 'what you see is what you get.
Debra: But I must say that some of the Idols I interviewed said that although "the court" can be brutal, it is often the first to jump on stage when someone is voted out and give them a hug and says: "Do not give up."
I want to thank you for taking time to talk with me. Good luck in your future career.
About the Author
Simon Barrett is an adult educator in Calgary, Alberta. With the 11 months a year of winter, he reads a lot of books! He is also a contributing editor for
Blogger News
and maintains a personal blog at
Simon B
How can Lee Dewyze be allowed on American Idol if he has been an album with a record company?
Joanna did not know that girl from American Idol last year get kicked out because she had already signed a record deal? So why can not Lee Dewyze be allowed on the Idol?
He would never have made passing Hollywood week, I hate the loser.
American Idol – 5 worst
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