Updated June 3, 2025...originally published May 2012.
This update also underscores two key issues: the importance of proper fact-checking and how faulty information can needlessly inflame…
Good supplemental lesson for high school students.
It’s not easy being green…
On May 18, 2025, the second African American male to win American Idol in 22 years was elementary school physical education teacher Jamal Roberts from Mississippi.
And a negative story about American Idol judge Carrie Underwood’s reaction began circulating on the Internet.
I missed 99% of the season and did not watch the finale.
But I was curious and began viewing some of the original videos of Underwood and Roberts.
Based on what I saw, the controversy seems unfounded. If Underwood critiqued Roberts for a lack of stage presence, he certainly learned quickly (chuckle).
However, the only way to verify the article would be to fact-check all the original, unedited episodes against the other claims in the negative piece.
Update: watching commentary from radio hosts and interviews with Jamal Roberts would shed further light.
Meanwhile, according to host Ryan Seacrest, 26 million people voted this season, 50% more than the previous year.
The final contestants deserved to be there, but from a music marketing standpoint, it was a duel between John Foster, a talented *18-year-old country singer who could capture teen girl fandom, and Jamal Roberts, a 27-year-old dad, teacher, and singer who performed many genres, dominating the popularity vote.
And Roberts, who began singing at age 2, followed an evergreen tip with ease, see the earlier post, below Marketing ABC’s.
*AI reported John Foster as the winner during the hour before the final tally process, reports The Demia Avery Show, presenting proof to her subscribers.
So, if country music star Underwood happened to use Google at the time…imagine her shock when the actual winner was announced…
As for Jamal Roberts’ mentor, Jelly Roll, never have I seen an artist so thrilled to have his material covered… heartwarming.
Marketing ABCs for singers
Each year, the judges on American Idol stress the importance of “choosing the right song.”
On last week’s show (May 2012), the consequences of ignoring that advice were evident when singing sensation Joshua Ledet, one of three left in the competition, did not receive enough votes from across America to make it to the finals.
The decision dismayed and stunned the audience outside the singer’s family, including some professional mentors to American Idol hopefuls.
The three singers had to perform several songs. Ledet’s opening melody was one that I disliked a lot. I’d never heard the song before.
On the other hand, the other two talented singers performed compositions by musicians, including Mariah Carey, Rob Thomas, and Michael Jackson.
Ledet chose the wrong composition and arguably made it easier for viewers to exclude him from the finals. Based on his vocal ability, Ledet should not have been voted off.
“Choose the right song”
is code for achieving marketing success in this industry niche. Countless talented people are vying for the stage. The song is the product and the other major element.
Brief, straightforward instruction, “choose the right song,” is in reality a complex set of rules, a mix of art, science, business, marketing, and gut instinct.
After being voted out, Ledet’s farewell repeat performance of This is a Man’s World was, based on audience reaction, a showstopper.
Had Ledet been able to choose that song for his presentation or something similar the week before, it would have been harder to rule him out.
Ironically, during John Foster’s early audition, the judges advised him to expand his musical choices. Without a deep dive, each video clip I viewed after he was sent to Hollywood, he wore a cowboy hat and sang a country song.
Lesson: Every industry has a unique set of marketing rules, and you have to figure out what they are and whether you have the skill set to execute them successfully.
Sources
Los Angeles Times Blog
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2012/05/american-idol-recap-joshua-ledet-goes-out-with-style.html
PBS.org
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/interviews/iovine.html
The three vocal coach videos
below are positioned by release date.
Cheers
Hawaii
Jamal and Jelly Roll
Solo version of Liar with Jelly Roll in the outdoor audience. Starts at 4:55-9:10
https://youtu.be/0AmhPl1RHyU?si=eu1MUvTAj24uQ3qQ&t=295
Tom Odell, author of Heal
https://x.com/1035KTU/status/1924518490964144251
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