'American Idol': ... and Don't Forget J.Lo!

It’s been Steven Tyler’s season so far on “American Idol” — the facial expressions, the outfits, the basic gifts of decency and wisdom. Sometimes it’s been tough to remember that the show’s other new judge, Jennifer Lopez, was meant to be the bigger draw.

Frank Micelotta/Fox Jennifer Lopez during an American Idol session in January.
A multimedia star with a far higher profile than Mr. Tyler, Ms. Lopez is a radiant presence. But while her hair and wardrobe budget must be 10 times her fellow judges’ — and worth it — thus far, she’s appeared to be purposefully downplaying. With her seated in the center chair, there are echoes of Paula Abdul, but Ms. Lopez is far more centered, and far more insightful.
And measured, too. Often she says little to contestants, largely the ones who don’t deserve a full assessment. But when she commits to a critique, it’s direct and refreshing, a combination of industry savvy and emotional comfort.
On Wednesday night’s show, mercifully the last audition episode of the season, Ms. Lopez was at her calm, thoughtful best. “I love the way you were planted in the ground,” she told Julie Zorrilla, one of the night’s best singers. “It says that you have confidence and that you’re a performer.”
She was moved the most by James Durbin, a young father who has already grappled with diagnoses of Tourette’s syndrome and Asperger’s syndrome, as well as the death of his father from a drug overdose. Mr. Durbin gave an Adam Lambert-like audition, from the freakishly muscular voice right down to the fauxhawk and the vest hanging loose and open over a T-shirt.
“You go away when you sing,” Ms. Lopez told him affectionately. “I got that sense you sing from a really different place than a lot of people we see.” Later, she declared, “You sing from where you’re supposed to sing from — from feeling, from heart, from your soul, from the need to feel and make others feel.” It’s a fundamental of great artistry, that the ability to connect is intimately tied to the need for connection, though it’s rarely articulated this succinctly. There may be a storm brewing next to Ms. Lopez, but she’s remaining steady.
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American Idols Unfortunate Casualties

Maybe after several weeks of warm feeling and strong singing, “American Idol” producers decided they’d had enough. This week, the 24 semifinalists were slashed down to the group of 13 finalists — a good old-fashioned bloodbath, and a reminder that “Idol” still has teeth.
But this scorched-earth tactic, while dramatic, also had unfortunate casualties. Some contestants, seen just a few times in the audition rounds and therefore with little backstory or accrued goodwill, ended up getting judged this week effectively on just one performance. Choose well, like Casey Abrams or Pia Toscano, and sail through. Choose poorly, and be gone before you were known.
Consider this abbreviated evaluation period the first misstep in a transitional season that could have been full of them, but has instead been marked by odd choices with unexpectedly winning outcomes.
These early rounds are meant to separate the wheat from the chaff, of course, but in previous years, a slower pace allowed for the audience to see more of contestants before arriving at the final competition rounds, voting them off two or four at a time, not en masse.
This year, though, poor song choice undid several semifinalists, including Jordan Dorsey, who’s probably already trashed all his Usher CDs, Julie Zorrilla, who in her heart knows she’s no Kelly Clarkson, and Rachel Zevita, who may never be able to watch “Burlesque” again.
Any of those three would have made for strong contenders, and would have likely had more legs than Karen Rodriguez or Haley Reinhart, and certainly more than wild card selections Ashthon Jones and Stefano Langone. (Stefano gets credit, though, for choosing the beautiful Smokie Norful song “I Need You Now” for his wild card performance, and doing right by it.)
For the most part, though, the best of the 24 survived to make the final 13 – the top 5 men, the top 5 women, and 3 wild cards selected by the judges.
My personal preference:
Jacob Lusk
Lauren Alaina
Naima Adedapo
Scotty McCreery
Casey Abrams
Pia Toscano
Thia Megia
Haley Reinhart
Karen Rodriguez
Paul McDonald
Stefano Langone
James Durbin
Ashthon Jones
P.S. Some housekeeping for posterity: Wednesday night’s top 12 women’s performances, ranked: Naima Adedapo, Kendra Chantelle, Haley Reinhart, Pia Toscano, Thia Megia, Karen Rodriguez, Rachel Zevita, Lauren Alaina, Ashthon Jones, Ta-Tynisa Wilson, Lauren Turner, Julie Zorrilla
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American Idol Top 9 Overshadowed by Weirdness

Scotty McCreery > Jacob Lusk > Haley Reinhart > Paul McDonald > Lauren Alaina > Pia Toscano > Stefano Langone > Casey Abrams > James Durbin

Vince Bucci/Associated Press Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas was at the Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards on Saturday in Los Angeles and back on “American Idol” on Wednesday.
This is how TV spinoffs get made: introduce a new character into a predictable environment, allow his or her wacky behavior to dominate the story line, even at the expense of series regulars, and then, with interest piqued, build a new show atop their shoulders. Think “Frasier” from “Cheers,” “Private Practice” from “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Daria” from “Beavis and Butt-head.”
Read more from Jon Caramanica on the 10th season of “American Idol.”
Maybe we’ll be able to add to that list whatever manic sci-fi variety show will.i.am was inadvertently auditioning for on Wednesday’s “American Idol.” Seated next to the macher Jimmy Iovine for the duration of the rehearsal process, he was fantastically odd, speaking gibberish to the “Idol” contestants, to Iovine and to himself in a display of disruption that never would have flown in the Simon Cowell era.
Also, what a glow will.i.am has! Who’s his facialist?
It’s unclear if he was in fact helpful to any of the contestants in his third consecutive week on the show; at least a couple of the singers (Scotty, Haley) looked confused, or maybe perturbed, by his interjections. To Jacob, who performed Michale Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror,” he said something about the Himalayas, the Atlantic Ocean and exploding heads; it was a compliment. He advised Stefano, who sang Percy Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Woman,” to check his voicemail midsong, or something of the sort. To Haley, will.i.am was halfway coherent. “The lens is a person. It’s not a camera,” he told her. “That’s the boyfriend that messed your head up.” Though judging by the angles producers used during her performance of Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart,” the cameras were breaking up with her before she got to break up with them.
But while will.i.am made great TV, his presence didn’t add up to much for the contestants. There was no boom, no boom and no pow in this week’s performances, which were perfectly good, sometimes great, but in no way alien. (Except for Paul, who appeared to be inhabited by a being with actual vim during his performance of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues.”) The two most frenzied “Idol” aspirants, Casey (“Have You Ever Seen the Rain?”) and James (“While My Guitar Gently Weeps”), opted for gentler material, to their detriment. Lauren continued to hit big notes, though she doesn’t know how to color them in fully. Jacob was great, but so was Haley, to general disinterest.
The week’s theme was the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which was introduced with a segment in which Steven Tyler attempted to make out with outfits which had belonged to Paul McCartney and Elton John, and then with a bust of his own screaming head. Maybe he’d seen the will.i.am footage and knew he needed to keep up.
The best of the night was Scotty, whose Elvis impression rivals his Josh Turner impression. He was also uncommonly gestural on “That’s All Right,” which led Jennifer Lopez to ask Scotty if he “watched rap,” which in turn led to Ryan Seacrest’s asking Scotty whether he was a fan of Pitbull. That will be the strangest post-performance sequence of the season, no doubt.
It was rivaled, though, by the last 90 seconds of the show, which revealed what happens when “Idol” finishes ahead of schedule for once: Ryan Seacrest fills time chatting emptily with the judges, while onstage, the contestants dance as if it were a hoedown, revealing that not one of them has rhythm.
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Jimmy Iovine weighs in on last nights performances

Think Casey's nervous or just clueless? When the camera pans across the contestants as Ryan starts this segment, he's chewing away on his fingernails. And he gets the first viewer question: If he could do a duet with anybody living or dead, who would it be? Jazz pianist Oscar Peterson, he says: "Playing bass with him or singing a ballad ... would just be so fun with that kind of musical genius."
Jacob is asked when and how he discovered his range: "I was probably 6 or 7 years old" at choir rehearsal with his mom, he says, and he'd sing the soprano, alto and tenor parts.
Lauren Alaina says missing friends and family is the hardest thing about being on the show. She relates a story of having to call home during yesterday's tornadoes to make sure her family was okay (they are).
Scotty McCreery worked at a grocery store before coming on Idol. James played with a few bands before his days on the show. "I always have some sort of a project going on," he says. Ryan can identify.
Haley's all-time favorite past Idol contestant is probably Adam Lambert, she says, but she also liked Siobhan Magnus, Kelly Clarkson, Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox. "No Taylor Hicks?" Ryan asks. "Oh, yeah," Haley replies, "him too."
As he begins the results, Ryan says he'll call out the Top Six individually and in random order. Haley's first. "I fully agree with Jennifer that Haley has one of the best voices on this stage," Jimmy Iovine says, but adds that he believes the audience is getting wind of his opinion that she doesn't know who she is yet. Haley hears it, and the show goes silent. "I think I know who I am," Haley says. "There's definitely some soul in it, right? Some rock 'n' roll. Some blues."
If the audience is getting wind of it, though, they're not voting accordingly. She's safe. That means somebody new's going to the Bottom Three tonight.
Scotty learns his fate next. "Scotty's a phenom," Jimmy says. "He has a subtlety that's magnificent, but I'm always worried that subtleties in this particular environment can get lost."
Ryan sends him back to the couch without telling him his results and calls out Lauren instead.
"Lauren only hears the negative in the critique," Jimmy says. "She has a poise when she's confident that challenges any singer in the game today." He thinks Lauren's here for the long run. But, with Haley safe, she may have a close call tonight. She tells Ryan that Jimmy's right -- she only hears the negative, and she needs to be more grateful about where she is. Ryan tells her to hang tight, too.
Up next, it's Casey. "Casey's a great musician and will probably go on to be a great singer-songwriter," Jimmy says, but he's disappointed that he continues to feel the need to growl during otherwise solid performance. "Casey has to realize that the family dog does not vote." Ryan tells him to relax, too, and then he goes to the break.
Really? You give us four people and tell us results for just one? You've gotta be kidding.
To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.
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Casey Abrams: Steven Tylers a better kisser than JLo

Casey Abrams says Steven Tyler kisses better than Jennifer Lopez. "JLo just let me kiss her, but Steven Tyler kissed me back," the eliminated American Idol contestant said during a conference call with reporters Friday. Casey kissed Jennifer during last week's performance of Maroon 5's Harder to Breathe, then smooched the Aerosmith singer as he sang his final song, I Put a Spell on You, Thursday.
When Ryan Seacrest left Casey and Scotty McCreery on stage together near the end of Thursday's American Idol results show, Casey knew his time had come. Again. "I was like, 'No one's going to do anything to Scotty, so I'll see you guys later,'" he said during a conference call with reporters on Friday.
Casey's performances on Idol were marked by a sense of humor and unpredictability that made him one of this season's most entertaining performers. Viewers also wondered whether he and fellow contestant Haley Reinhart were romantically involved, though he says they weren't.
Casey managed to escape elimination once before, during the Top 11 week. But Wednesday's performance of Carole King Hi-De-Ho brought the jazz-loving multi-instrumentalist's Idol run to an end.
Casey and I spoke briefly on Friday.
Q: After the judges used their save on you, did you feel like you were always on borrowed time?
A: I felt guilty for taking that save afterwards, but then time went on and I felt okay about it.
When Pia got eliminated, there was such an uproar. More uproar than anyone, I think, has ever had. So I felt really guilty.
Q: Did anybody say anything to you after Pia left?
A: Not to my face. But on the Internet, they said some things. It made me feel pretty guilty, but some people talked me out of it.
Q: In your conference call with reporters Friday, you said that when you and Scotty were onstage together, you knew nobody was going to do anything to Scotty. Is there a sense that Scotty's not going home any time soon?
A: It seems like you're right. He has never been in the Bottom Three. It's a topic of conversation.
Q: You and Haley had great chemistry onstage together. Why do you think your duets worked so well?
A: 'Cause we know each other, and we're friends with each other. It happens that she's got an incredible voice.
If I went out on the road, I would choose musicians who are my friends more than they are really, really good at what we do. Because we could communicate well, and that's key. That's why it's fun doing it with Haley.
Q: What do you think started the romantic rumors about you and Haley?
A: The fact that we were talking to each other on the couches. The fact that we sat together, I think that made people think we were hooking up.
Q: How much romantic intrigue goes on in the Idol house?
A: You're asking the wrong person. I'm the loner. I'm just trying to find romance, man.
Q: Last night, Jimmy Iovine said about you, "The family dog doesn't vote." Did he say stuff like that to your face?
A: He said worse things to my face. I didn't feel threatened by the whole "family dog" thing. In fact, I thought it was hilarious.
Q: What sorts of things did he say?
A: Like the first time I got voted off, he came in and said, "You know what was wrong with that performance? Every single thing." That's pretty sketchy. But he does it out of love.
Q: Viewers see the comments the judges make to you, but do you learn more from them or from Jimmy Iovine, the producers and the coaches you worked with each week?
A: I probably learned from the coaches. They really know their stuff. People like Michael Orland really helped me out music-wise, voice-wise -- what to sing, what notes to hit and what vibes are the best. I really trust in them and what they have to say.
Q: Thursday night, you mentioned the great jazz pianist Oscar Peterson on the show. If you wanted to point my readers to some other great jazz musicians, where would you start them?
A: Obviously, Esperanza Spalding. There's this bass player named Avishai Cohen and [keyboardist] Jason Lindner: They have really cool, new music. If you're looking for old stuff, Lester Young, Cannonball Adderly.
The song that got me into jazz, and it's still my favorite song to this day, is Autumn Leaves by Cannonball Adderly. Miles Davis plays the melody. It's the most amazing version of Autumn Leaves I've ever heard.
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American Idol Top 6: The recordings

At least where the solo performances were concerned, I thought that Carole King Week turned out to be a much more rewarding experience than I had expected. Each of the singers brought something enjoyable to their renditions, with the two contestants who have to be considered the front-runners at this point -- James Durbin and Scotty McCreery -- stepped up their games at opportune times.
So I was particularly looking forward to this week's recordings, figuring that they also would have captured some of Wednesday's magic and maybe even clarifying the vision the singers had for their King songs.
Unfortunately, that didn't turn out to be the case.
BETTER THAN THE SHOW
Haley Reinhart, Beautiful. I have a feeling that this track would sound even better if Haley and her producers had been able to work on it for more than a weekend. It kind of sounds like a demo or a rough take for the track they really wanted to do. I don't quite as much of the Beatles thing that Haley was going for in the B section, but she's the only one of this season's really stylized vocalists that has learned how to rein in her unique vocal qualities for a pleasurable listening experience.
Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina, Up on the Roof. This isn't a lot better than Wednesday's performance, but at least it's in tune. And Scotty's not having to sing those horrible harmony lines underneath Lauren. Plus, Lauren has learned this neat Dolly Parton-like warble, which fits right in with a kind of harmonica-driven shuffle that was popular in Nashville in the late '60s/early '70s. But the truth of the matter is that Lauren's and Scotty's voices sound just awful together. Here's hoping the duets don't continue once they get to Nashville.
ABOUT THE SAME AS THE SHOW

Casey Abrams, Hi De Ho. I like Casey and think he was an entertaining addition to this year's cast. But with a few hours to get used to the idea of his being gone, I'm not all that disappointed that he was the contestant eliminated this week. Though his song choices and arrangements always promised some surprises, his actual performances had grown predictable: He'd start strong, but once the initial shock of his choice wore off, he'd invariably start hamming it up, baring his teeth and putting that snarl in his voice. That's the case with this cover of this 1970 Blood, Sweat & Tears hit, too. I don't know what Casey would have done next week, but I'm pretty sure I know how I would have felt at the end of it. For at least the last three weeks, I enjoyed his cover concept more than the performance itself. Jacob Lusk may be a more polarizing figure, but, at this point, he's much more likely to come through with a jaw-dropping number, and Haley Reinhart, who I didn't much care for early on, simply continues to improve and has earned her Top Five spot.
Casey Abrams and Haley Reinhart, I Feel the Earth Move. The thing I'll miss most about having Casey on the show is hearing him and Haley do more duets. They've got real chemistry together, and it's all over this track.
Jacob Lusk, Oh No Not My Baby. I'm glad Jacob did something fun this week -- I didn't even mind the suit -- and I'm kind of into the uptempo '70s soul treatment he gave the song. That said, what this version really makes me do is want to go back and dig out Maxine Brown's original.
Lauren Alaina, Where You Lead. This isn't awful, but it just never clicks. And the studio version doesn't add a thing to what she did live. It's not possible that, with all the professional help she's getting, that Lauren is actually regressing, is it?
WORSE THAN THE SHOW
James Durbin, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow. Wednesday's performance was such a unexpectedly magical moment that it'd be practically impossible to have bottled that lightning in the studio. But this is a fine version, especially when the drums kick in. I'll still be glad when James realizes he doesn't have to go for the high notes on every song, though.
Scotty McCreery, You've Got a Friend. Man, did this arrangement change between the studio in the stage. Wednesday's live version was romantic and subtle, Scotty's best vocal of the season by far. The recording, on the other hand, falls back on that old country shuffle, and Scotty's vocal is far too mannered. What a shame.
James Durbin and Jacob Lusk, I'm Into Something Good. Could anything be worse than Wednesday's wail-fest? Why, yes, it could actually. Put the same thing over an instrumental bed that sounds like it's being played on one of those Casio keyboards. This is just embarrassing.
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American Idols Live! tour starts in Salt Lake City

The 11 top American Idol finalists will take to the road starting July 6 in Utah for this summer's American Idols Live! tour. The tour has 45 confirmed dates, wrapping Sept. 10 in Rochester, N.Y. Tickets go on sale Friday, May 13.

A full list of confirmed tour dates follows:
7/6 West Valley City, UT Maverik Center
7/8 Everett, WA Comcast Arena at Everett Events Center
7/9 Portland, OR Rose Garden
7/11 Sacramento, CA Power Balance Pavilion
7/12 Oakland, CA The Oracle Arena
7/13 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion at San Jose
7/15 Los Angeles, CA Nokia Theatre LA Live
7/16 Ontario, CA Citizens Business Bank Arena
7/17 Phoenix, AZ US Airways Arena
7/19 Oklahoma, OK Cox Convention Center
7/20 Grand Prairie, TX Verizon Theater at Grand Prairie
7/21 Houston, TX Reliant Arena
7/22 New Orleans, LA Lakefront Arena
7/24 Orlando, FL Amway Center
7/26 Duluth, GA Arena at Gwinnett Center
7/27 Raleigh, NC RBC Center
7/28 Charlotte, NC Time Warner Cable Arena
7/30 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
7/31 St. Louis, MO Scottrade Center
8/2 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
8/3 Minneapolis, MN Target Center
8/4 Milwaukee, WI Bradley Center
8/6 Rosemont, IL Allstate Arena
8/7 Detroit, MI Joe Louis Arena

8/9 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center
8/10 Pittsburgh, PA Consol Energy Center
8/11 Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena
8/13 Atlantic City, NJ Boardwalk Hall
8/14 Newark, NJ Prudential Center
8/17 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
8/19 Washington, DC Verizon Center
8/20 Richmond, VA Richmond Coliseum
8/21 Wilkes-Barre, PA Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza
8/23 Long Island, NY Nassau Coliseum
8/25 Bridgeport, CT Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard
8/27 Providence, RI Dunkin' Donuts Center
8/28 Albany, NY Times Union Center
8/30 Portland, ME Cumberland County Civic Center
8/31 Manchester, NH Verizon Wireless Arena
9/1 Worcester, MA DCU Center
9/3 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
9/6 Syracuse, NY War Memorial Arena at The Oncenter
9/7 Reading, PA Sovereign Center
9/9 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
9/10 Rochester, NY Blue Cross Arena
See photos of: American Idol
To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.
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Book Review - American Idol - By Richard Rushfield

 Bo Bice, the runner-up in Season 4 of “American Idol.”

It’s the night before the “American Idol” finale. You’re one of the two remaining contestants — the lesser one — and all but certain to receive a thrashing in front of nearly 30 million people. What do you do? According to Richard Rushfield, if you’re Bo Bice in Season 4, up against the bionic future country superstar Carrie Underwood, you do the sensible thing: get very, very drunk. (For what it’s worth, Bo, even steroids wouldn’t have helped.)
The story of Bice’s bender is one of a few small gems of backstage drama in Rushfield’s “American Idol: The Untold Story.” No pop-culture phenomenon is more ripe for exposé than “American Idol,” the most popular television series of the last dec­ade and the reality show that remains, even in the face of increasing tabloid interest, relatively wholesome.
As a reporter on the “Idol” beat for The Los Angeles Times and now The Daily Beast, Rushfield has been dogged and thorough, breaking several stories along the way. But there’s little new in this book, which is neither the definitive story of the “Idol” empire nor a satisfying tell-all teeming with behind-the-scenes gossip. Instead, it’s an amiable and in places astute recap of the last nine years, when an unloved British import became an American fixation, rewriting the rules of the television business along the way.
That’s true of both “American Idol” itself and Simon Cowell, the caustic yet lovable judge who left the show to bring his rival singing competition, “The X Factor,” to the United States later this year. One of Rushfield’s sharpest insights here is on the subject of Cowell, whose acid tongue he characterizes as “a trait that a succession of outraged schoolmasters saw as the nerve of an overprivileged brat, but that would eventually resolve itself into the ‘fearless truth telling’ that would reshape entertainment.” Those tough-to-watch but irresistible dressing-downs? Just small blasts of class warfare, maybe.
Rushfield himself apes this power dynamic, though, by heavily employing interviews with top “Idol” management to frame his story, then filling it in with ­flashes of intrigue from low-level contest­ants. It’s a bit like writing about the Super Bowl by interviewing the team owners and the chain gang. For this book, he does not appear to have spoken (on the record, at least) with any “Idol” winners, the judges Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul, or the host, Ryan Seacrest. He does capture some revealing moments, though. The first-season winner, Kelly Clarkson, may be dismayed to find herself described, by the executive producer Nigel Lythgoe, as “one of those girls, not particularly pretty, not a particularly gorgeous body or anything. Just talented.” Um, thanks?
Large sections of the book consist of rote, familiar chronology, with occasional attempts at contextualizing, including some strained efforts to link the success of “Idol” to the post-9/11 mood in America. And Rushfield is given to feverish turns of phrase: “Hollywood Week” — when a few hundred contestants are whittled down to the semifinalists — “tapped into the most potent myth in American culture, even more potent than the legend that any boy can grow up to be president.”
Still, Rushfield has been around the “Idol” machine long enough to know that some of its most interesting characters are on the outside looking in. He excels when he breaks away from the rehashing and profiles people with deep and underexplored “Idol” connections. There’s the Season 1 co-host Brian Dun­kleman, still darkened by the shadow of his departure from the show almost a decade later; Dave ­Della Terza, who operates the ­“Idol”-­inspired subversion site ­votefortheworst?.com; and, most fascinating, Leesa Bellesi, a little-known unofficial spiritual adviser to several “Idol” figures in recent seasons. Rushfield notes that Bellesi’s influence seems to have risen as more and more “Idol” finalists were drawn from the world of Christian worship music, but he doesn’t pursue this topic — one of several threads left unattended here.
Jon Caramanica writes about pop music for The Times.
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Steven Tyler's Bio - American Idol

STEVEN TYLER

BIRTHPLACE: Yonkers, NY

•  

Born Stephen Victor Tallarico in Yonkers, NY, Steven Tyler is the iconic songwriter, composer and voice of Aerosmith – America’s greatest rock-and-roll band – and is considered one of rock’s most recognizable and dynamic frontmen. Rolling Stone has named him one of the greatest singers of all time.

After moving to Boston in the late 1960s, Tyler met the musicians with whom he would form Aerosmith: guitarist Joe Perry, bassist Tom Hamilton, guitarist Ray Tabano (who was later replaced by Brad Whitford) and drummer Joey Kramer. The quintessential lead singer, Tyler is also known to play harmonica, percussion (he began his career as a drummer) and piano on occasion. His one-of-a-kind style can always be seen at the microphone with his signature scarves wrapped around the mic stand, outrageous hats and embellished stage clothes supporting his unmatched stage swagger.

Aerosmith played its first gig together in 1970, and by 1975, emerged as one of the world’s leading rock bands. Forty years later, the “Bad Boys from Boston” continue to excite fans in stadiums and arenas worldwide. Aerosmith came full circle when they played to a sold-out crowd in August 2010 at Fenway Park, a few blocks from where they had their humble beginnings as a band. Closing out the show, Tyler appeared atop the famed Green Monster in the outfield projecting his classic smash “Dream On” on a white baby grand piano in what can only be described as one of the greatest moments in recent rock-and-roll history.

The band has sold over 100 million records and has won numerous prestigious awards, including Grammys, American Music Awards, Billboard Awards and MTV Awards. Aerosmith was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. Many of the band’s greatest hits have topped the Billboard charts throughout the years: “Dream On,” “Walk This Way,” “Sweet Emotion,” “Toys In The Attic,” “Janie’s Got A Gun,” “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing,” “Livin’ On The Edge,” “Cryin,” “Crazy,” “Amazing,” “Pink,” “Love In An Elevator,” “Dude (Looks Like A Lady) and “Mama Kin.”

Their trendsetting videos defined the video era, and the band has infiltrated rock history with their memorable film and TV appearances, including “Wayne’s World,” THE SIMPSONS and the Super Bowl XXXV Halftime Show in 2001, as well as with their own version of Guitar Hero, the smash hit video game.

Tyler’s autobiography, “Does The Noise In My Head Bother You?,” is set for release May 3, 2011. He also has a solo single, "(It) Feels So Good," releasing in May, 2011.

He lives in Los Angeles.

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'Idol' airplay: Kelly Clarkson, Mandisa, more

Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson's Don't You Wanna Stay remains the most-played track on this week's American Idol airplay chart. But Mandisa's Stronger has the highest position on any of USA TODAY's radio format charts -- No. 2 at Christian AC. Having gone to recurrent status on the Country charts, Don't You Wanna Stay is at No. 31 on USA TODAY's Hot AC chart.
Jennifer Hudson's new single, Don't Look Down, cracks the Urban AC top 40 this week. David Cook's The Last Goodbye gains nearly 90 spins, most from Hot AC stations, and makes an Idol-airplay jump from No. 73 to No. 57.

Jennifer Lopez' On the Floor currently sits at No. 6 on the Top 40 chart and at No. 16 Rhythmic.
TW/LW
1 1 Jason Aldean/Kelly Clarkson, Don't You Wanna Stay (5584 spins) (#31 Hot AC)
2 3 Daughtry, September (3190) (#3 AC)
3 2 Jennifer Hudson, Where You At (3076) (#26 Urban, #3 Urban AC)
4 4 Carrie Underwood, Before He Cheats (2377)
5 6 Adam Lambert, Whataya Want From Me(2136)
6 5 Kelly Clarkson, Already Gone (2103)
7 8 Carrie Underwood, Undo It (1708)
8 10 Daughtry, Home (1678)
9 7 Daughtry, No Surprise (1669)
10 11 Kris Allen, Live Like We're Dying (1604)
11 9 Daughtry, Life After You (1535)
12 12 Mandisa, Stronger (1265)
13 13 Kelly Clarkson, Since U Been Gone (1188)
14 14 Daughtry, What About Now (1167)
15 17 Daughtry, Feels Like Tonight (1143)
16 18 Kelly Clarkson, Because Of You (1028)
17 16 Carrie Underwood, Cowboy Casanova (1026)
18 15 Kelly Clarkson, Breakaway (1010)
19 19 Kelly Clarkson, Behind These Hazel Eyes (951)
20 23 Kelly Clarkson, Miss Independent (846)
21 21 David Cook, Time Of My Life (833)
22 20 Fantasia, I'm Doin' Me (800)
23 26 Carrie Underwood, Last Name (798)
24 22 Daughtry, It's Not Over (794)
25 31 Carrie Underwood, All-American Girl (757)
26 27 Kelly Clarkson, My Life Would Suck Without You (719)
27 28 Carrie Underwood, Jesus, Take The Wheel (700)
28 24 Carrie Underwood, Mama's Song (670)
29 29 David Cook, Come Back To Me (647)
30 30 Carrie Underwood, Wasted (645)
31 25 Fantasia, Bittersweet (645)
32 33 Kelly Clarkson, Walk Away (550)
33 35 Josh Gracin, Nothin' To Lose (546)
34 32 Jordin Sparks, Tattoo (545)
35 34 Daughtry, Over You (520)
36 36 Carrie Underwood, Songs Like This (432)
37 40 Carrie Underwood, Temporary Home (422)
38 38 Kelly Clarkson, A Moment Like This (413)
39 37 David Cook, Light On (404)
40 39 Fantasia, Collard Greens & Cornbread (397) (#22 Urban AC)
41 41 Jordin Sparks, No Air f/Chris Brown (374)
42 46 Carrie Underwood, Just A Dream (344)
43 43 Santana feat. Chris Daughtry, Photograph (334)
44 45 Elliott Yamin, Wait For You (331)
45 44 Kellie Pickler, Best Days Of Your Life (283)
46 42 Jason Castro, You Are (248)
47 48 Reba McEntire feat. Kelly Clarkson, Because Of You (240)
48 47 Adam Lambert, If I Had You (238)
49 50 Chris Sligh, One (231)
50 49 Carrie Underwood, So Small (208)
51 54 Fantasia, When I See U (202)
52 52 Jennifer Hudson, Spotlight (194)
53 51 Chris Sligh, Only You Can Save (189)
54 55 Jordin Sparks, Battlefield (183)
55 53 David Archuleta, Crush (153)
56 57 Mandisa, He Is With You (148)
57 73 David Cook, Last Goodbye (144)
58 59 Fantasia, Truth Is (140)
59 64 Jennifer Hudson, Don't Look Down (136) (#39 Urban AC)
60 56 Fantasia, Free Yourself (120)
61 60 Jordin Sparks, One Step At A Time (120)
62 58 Carrie Underwood, Don't Forget To Remember Me (117)
63 63 Chris Sligh, Empty Me (109)
64 65 Carrie Underwood, I Told You So (91)
65 62 Charlie Wilson feat. Fantasia, I Wanna Be Your Man (90)
66 61 Studdard/Haddon/Mary Love Him Like I Do (87)
67 66 Mandisa, My Deliverer (85)
68 68 Kris Allen, Heartless (65)
69 71 Kellie Pickler, Didn't You Know How Much I... (64)
70 67 Bucky Covington, A Different World (62)
71 80 Bucky Covington, A Father's Love (The Only...) (62)
72 69 Jennifer Hudson, If This Isn't Love (61)
73 72 Jennifer Hudson, And I Am Telling You I'm Not.. (59)
74 75 Phil Stacey, You're Not Shaken (59)
75 77 Mandisa, Only The World (51)
76 70 Bo Bice, Real Thing (50)
77 78 Bucky Covington, I'll Walk (44)
78 74 Mandisa, Voice Of A Savior (44)
79 79 Phil Stacey, Some Kind Of Love (44)
80 81 Kris Allen, Alright With Me (39)
81 87 Ruben Studdard, Don't Make 'Em Like U No More (36)
82 83 Kelly Clarkson, All I Ever Wanted (35)
83 76 Kelly Clarkson, I Do Not Hook Up (35)
84 86 George Huff, A Brighter Day (29)
85 89 Kellie Pickler, Don't You Know You're ... (29)
86 NA Carrie Underwood, The Star Spangled Banner (24)
87 NA Carrie Underwood, I'll Stand By You (23)
88 84 Jennifer Hudson, Jesus Promised Me A Home .... (23)
89 97 Lee DeWyze, Beautiful Like You (22)
90 82 Bucky Covington, It's Good To Be Us (21)
91 85 Carrie Underwood, Quitter (21)
92 94 Jordin Sparks, World I Knew (21)
93 96 Kellie Pickler, Makin' Me Fall In Love Again (21)
94 98 Ruben Studdard, Change Me (21)
95 95 Mandisa, God Speaking (20)
96 NA Ruben Studdard, Sorry 2004 (19)
97 90 Josh Gracin, We Weren't Crazy (18)
98 92 Kellie Pickler, Red High Heels (18)
99 88 Lee DeWyze, Sweet Serendipity (18)
100 93 Daughtry, What I Want (16)






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