Richard Rushfield goes deeper inside the circus of American Idol than any reporter ever has. Candid interviews with Idol alumni, including Simon Fuller and Simon Cowell shed new light on the show that changed the entertainment industry. Rushfield has had full access to the people who created American Idol, starred in it, and kept it atop the pop culture pyramid. This is the first book to take Americans behind the curtain and tell what has really been happening on the world’s most watched and speculated-about stage.
American Idol: The Untold Story by Richard Rushfield is a welcome addition to every American Idol fan collection. This book is the untold story behind Idol that I, among many others had been waiting to find out for years on end.
It starts off telling the lives of Simon Fuller, Simon Cowell, and Nigel Lythgoe before Idol which transitions smoothly into the creation of Pop Idol in the UK. Once Pop Idol is brought to the US, Rushfield details the development of compared to future season can be seen as the loosely organized first season, sharing personal accounts from Season One contestants. The way that Rushfield blends his interviews, his research, and his own accounts (in an unbiased way) on the set and behind the scenes..it is so well done that viewers will be captivated from the moment they finish page one. This book can easily be read in one sitting.
While there is less about the individual season contests than expected, this book is filled with plenty of information for fans who have wanted to know about what went into making this phenomenon. It leaves the reader satisfied, whether a longtime Idol fan or not. Rushfield clearly lays out how the audition process advanced over the seasons, for example with background checks. He also plainly lays out the controversies surrounding those caught in scandals despite the background checks. Some of these victims like, Frenchie Davis did not let their scandal get the best of them, having gone on to play a role in Rent on Broadway…while others such as Corey Clarke cause even producers’ eyes to roll when reminiscing on past seasons.
While there were surely many arguments along the way amongst contestants, Rushfield does not discuss any of these negative moments with a gossip mentality. He briefly highlights the tension amongst certain contestants just as much as he highlights the long lasting friendships of others.
What I found to be incredibly fascinating was how Rushfield describes the lack of judge interaction and mentorship with contestants after the first season, or in Paula Abdul’s case, after the Corey Clarke scandal. Having not watched any season of American Idol in its entirety, there was so much that came to light for me through reading this book. I was blown away probably more than the judges were with the pleasant surprise of Kelly Clarkson.
Detailing the journeys of the judges, executive producers, and contestants is really just the beginning for Rushfield, as he breaks down the modifications over the season from production design to the show’s format, and the introduction of Idol Gives Back among other changes and additions. Ratings and the voting system are explained in a general way – easy for anyone to understand, just as clearly as it is stated that Season 6 was the weakest season (aside from 9) yet Season 6 also had the most amount of successful artists (singers, actors, etc…).
There are some very thought provoking stories shared as well. For one, I must have been under a rock when the press had a field day with the news that Simon Fuller sued Simon Cowell over the creation of X Factor. Rushfield did not mention anything of the sort happening with Lythgoe (So You Think You Can Dance) when Randy Jackson took on America’s Best Dance Crew. Perhaps Lythgoe is more open minded than Fuller? I don’t know. I also did not get far enough into Seasons 8 and 9 to understand the chemistry between the new judges and the longtime trio, so this was very interesting to finally learn about outside of ridiculous press headlines.
Rushfield also shares a lot about the rules the contestants had to follow off screen and what an eye opener this may be for some. The Idol journey is certainly not as glamorous as it may seem. Actually, the road after Idol is not nearly as glamorous as it may seem for many contestants even in the top 10 hoping to get record deals. In one of the latter chapters of the book, many of the contestants tell Rushfield about living in the Idol bubble, having the time of their lives on tour, but not having much direction or success in the business afterwords along with not being prepared for being publicly recognized and how that affects their ability to shop…or get hired.
The most fascinating untold stories in this book for me seem to be how much the website, Vote for the Worst evolved over the years (whether it impacted the show’s votes or not), the salary negotiations (though Randy Jackson’s salary is not mentioned once), and Leesa Bellesi, the woman who helped the families of many contestants come to Los Angeles to see and support their loved ones on the Idol journey. And what a journey it has been that American Idol has taken so many on.
Rushfield’s interview with Brian Dunkleman seems depressing at first but clearly Dunkleman is content with his life, so it seems there is no reason now to feel sorry for “the man who walked away from a job on American Idol.” There is definitely more history given regarding the original judges and more significant contestants from season 6 and under while the new judges, Kara DioGuardi and Ellen DeGeneres are briefly mentioned. For the amount of time spent discussing Season 1, the film, “From Justin to Kelly” did not get nearly the coverage that I expected. While the book may not 100% explore every area of everything Idol, it does at least mention the successes and failures of all things Idol. The book is
mostly chronological but as it was clearly rushed to print for the premiere of the show’s 10th season, there was a bit of repetitiveness. Overall, this book succeeds in telling the untold story of the history of the making of American Idol. With 2 color photo section inserts, this is a fun and informative read that I definitely recommend.
Richard Rushfield, author of American Idol: The Untold Story, for three years has covered American Idol for the Los Angeles Times, writing hundreds of columns and conducting thousands of interviews with cast and crew. He is currently an entertainment columnist for The Daily Beast, a Vanity Fair contributing editor, and author of its long-running “Intelligence Report” column.
American Idol: The Untold Story by Richard Rushfield is in book stores now.