Subject: Simon Cowell

• Houstonian Kady Malloy = Early American Idol Front-runner

  January 17, 2008

• Social Distortion: Did Shallow Social Media Sink Susan Boyle?

  You probably had no idea who the hell Susan Boyle was seven weeks ago. And if you'd seen her mugshot, you probably wouldn't have cared. 'Twas easy to judge the homely, have-not warbler by her cover - 'til she opened her mouth, that is. In a flash, The Woman Who Shut Up Simon Cowell was a household name the world over, fueled primarily by the most notorious wavemaker of all - YouTube. Next thing you knew, your co-workers were gushing that Boyle's performance made them weep into their lattes.

  June 1, 2009

• Carrie On!

  The American Idol finals inspire Beatlemania-like frenzies on the Richmond Strip

  June 2, 2005

• American Idol Returns Tonight... Yawn

  Come back Kelly Clarkson, all is forgiven... If you've been lucky enough to spend the past several months in a media-deprivation tank - or maybe you just don't read the Houston Chronicle - then you no doubt know Fox's shrill-singing flagship series American Idol returns tonight at 7 p.m. (As opposed to its torture-sanctioning flagship series 24, which returned Sunday.) Rocks Off realizes many readers will greet this occasion by turning off their cell phones and instructing family members

  January 13, 2009

• Idol Beat, Part 2: Still More Hollywood Week

  Michael Becker/ Fox AI judges Simon Cowell and Kara DioguardiDAY 5 This new Idol concept - a lushly appointed "judges' mansion" where contestants on thin ice are forced to sing for their survival - was squandered, somewhat, by the producers. I mean, this was a two-hour show, and really, there was time to make it a bit wacky, with mock bits wherein Simon, Kara, Paula and Randy pretend to live the high life: pedicures, pampering, sending butlers on petty errands, flipping out on chambermai

  February 12, 2009

• Idol Beat: Wild Card Wildout

  Frank Micelotta/ Fox Lucky 13: the American Idol season 8 finalistsFirst off, I'd like to extend a hearty Idol Beat way-to-go to the Fox minion or technological gremlin responsible for causing last night's episode of American Idol to cut out while Simon Cowell and Tatiana Del Toro were quibbling over the latter's decision to re-visit a particular Whitney Houston song. (Personally, I'm of the opinion that singing any given song more than once on this show shouldn't be allowed, but come on

  March 6, 2009

• Idol Beat: The Top Ten

  Photos by Michael Becker/ Fox Michael Sarver couldn't patch Motown's soul.Man, Sarvernator! What happened? When first we met, you were so dope, flexing serious white-soul chops - minus a soul patch - and you had the sort of blue-collar backstory that seemed to make you a lock for the Top Seven or Top Eight. But it turned out that you had an Achilles heel: the audience. When you sang for the American Idol judges' panel, you were golden; when you had to get up in front of a studio audience

  March 26, 2009

• Idol Beat: The Top Ten Results

  Photos by Frank Micelotta/ Fox Songs in the Key of Idol: Stevie Wonder performs Thursday night.I dare you. I double-dog dare you. Try not to break out into a toothy, mile-wide grin while watching Stevie Wonder command a stage, loop-de-looping through a handful of his zillions of classics in that inimitable zig-zag, running-through-tonal-mazes-at-light-speed style of his. Was he actually playing those keys live last night on American Idol? Doesn't matter, because we knew he was singing "O

  March 27, 2009

• Idol Beat: The Top Nine Results

  Photos by Michael Becker/ Fox No joy in Megan's world Wednesday night.Karma's a bitch, ain't it? Megan Joy admits that she doesn't care what Simon Cowell thinks of her performances, and then, when the judges have to decide whether or not to save her from elimination, Simon throws that comment back in her face like an icy snowball. Karma at work, folks. And teary-eyed Megan wasn't ultimately as tough and poker-faced - I swear, I'm not punning on Lady Gaga here - as she wanted everyone to

  April 2, 2009

• Idol Beat: The Top Eight Results

  Photos by Frank Micelotta/ Fox Guests of the Sheik: Flo Rida and his "harem."First things first: in yesterday's Idol Beat, I made reference to how excited I was for Idol Gives Back, a wildly successful annual event/trainwreck wherein the program brings a ton of celebrities on in an effort to raise money for various worthy charaties. I've just learned that Idol Gives Back won't be happening this year due to the recession. (The announcement was made last December, and I totally missed it.)

  April 9, 2009

• Idol Beat: The Top Seven

  Michael Becker/ Fox Somehow Still Hanging Around: The bloom is off Lil Rounds' "Rose."Perhaps delusionally, I nursed a desperate hope that this week's American Idol theme would be "songs used in Quentin Tarantino movies." Seriously, I even worked up a sort of dream list of songs I thought the seven remaining contestants would choose from brilliantly soundtracked flicks like Jackie Brown, Reservoir Dogs, and Death Proof. Alas. I was mistaken, of course: this is "Music from Films" week, an

  April 15, 2009

• Idol Beat: The Top Seven Results

  Michael Becker/ Fox Bottom Feeding: Lil Rounds and Matt Giraud will likely be right back here next week.At the beginning of Wednesday's American Idol, I was pretty sure that whoever the week's lowest vote-getter was - Lil Rounds or Matt Giraud - would go home. No save for them. So when Simon Cowell announced that despite the fact that low-man-on-the-totem pole Giraud wasn't improving and had no prayer of winning Season 8 - then went and saved his bacon anyway - I was totally floored; didn

  April 16, 2009

• Il Communication

  June 15, 2006

• The Head of the Class

  Allen Hill leads the cheers for Houston's only American Idol contestant

  February 22, 2007

• Idol Chatter

  Opening day for America's fourth national sport is upon us

  January 18, 2007

• Took a Shot

  October 19, 2006

• Hope Springs Eternal

  A northern suburb tops our third installment of rating greater Houston's taste in music

  August 10, 2006

• Hip-hop as She Is Rapped

  Translating the German Wikipedia entries of Houston's top MCs

  June 22, 2006

• They've Got Spirit

  Houston Texans Cheerleader tryouts

  April 27, 2006

• Reality Nightlife

  Get off the couch!

  January 19, 2006

• Houston's Gone Gaaga for Haaga

  August 4, 2005

• Knitting Factory

  Artist Tina Kotrla spins a yarn at Gallery 1724

  July 28, 2005

• This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

  May 5, 2005

• Signs of Ignorance

  Just chop 'em where it says "Do Not Chop," boys

  August 26, 2004

• Pop-Up Pop Stars

  With the help of city government, Matthew Knowles hopes to find the next Destiny's Child. You got a problem with that?

  August 19, 2004

• Gong Hits

  Test-screen your video art at the Aurora Picture Show

  July 22, 2004

• A Nashville Star Is Born

  Former Richmond Strip denizen Sheila Marshall makes it all the way to Music City

  March 18, 2004

• Idols in Training

  Little girls act like little women in the Junior Miss Texas Rodeo Pageant

  February 19, 2004

• The End Is Near

  The day of the Locust is at hand

  February 12, 2004

• Eight Is Great

  Tamalalia goes West

  July 24, 2003

• Idol Beat: The Top Three

  Disclaimer: Thanks to technical difficulties brought about by the crap DVR capture feature of our limp-ass new cable box/provider, I missed the first 15-20 minutes of Tuesday's episode of American Idol. Please feel free to attempt to conjecture about whatever you think I would have said - had I been able to watch - in the comment section. Or just call me a homophobe, or get all up in my grill for screwing something up! Whatever. So I have no idea what song the American Idol judges decided

  May 13, 2009

• Saturday Night Fever

  July 23, 2009