It’s not often that you get the chance to talk to the winner of American Idol and I received my first opportunity to do so when I talked to the Idols before they took to the stage in Toronto as part of their North American Tour. In addition to talking to Jordin Sparks, I also had the pleasure of speaking with Melinda Doolittle as well as the best friends did their press tour together. I think that your friend and mine, Eliza Orlins (Survivor Vanuatu) will especially enjoy this article.
(Melinda Doolittle and Jordin Sparks bring over chair to my table to conduct the interview together).
Murtz Jaffer: I should have brought it over, we’re supposed to be Canadian.
Melinda Doolittle: (Laughs). Hi, I’m Melinda.
Jordin Sparks: Hello, I am Jordin, nice to meet you.
MJ: So many questions for you guys, but I am going to try and boil it down to five. We’ll start with Melinda. Please describe the Idol experience.
MD: The Idol experience… hmm. Out of this world. No words to describe it. Think all you could have imagined or dreamed and then multiply it by about a thousand.
JS: Add in a little trauma and being afraid a little bit and then you have the experience. But it is…
MD: Well worth it.
JS: Totally. It’s one of the best things that have happened.
MJ: Well yeah, you’re the winner! I wanted to ask you if you thought you were eliminated too early and then I am going to ask Jordin if she thought that you were eliminated too early.
MD: Well, I will say no to that question only because I really feel like first of all Jordin and Blake are really amazing at what they do and so they deserve to be where they were. They totally deserved that. Second of all, I believe that God has a plan for our lives and I believe that it works out the way that it is supposed to so if it was my time to go home, send me home. You know what I’m saying? I was totally fine with it. I think it worked out perfectly. I am starting to think that it could not have been better.
MJ: And Jordin? What about Melinda?
JS: In all honesty, I thought that I was going to be the one going home that night. Because I just remember being in the Top 24 and I remember Blake because he did his whole beatboxing and I was like ‘that is so different, he is totally going to go far’ and then Melinda is just so amazing (I am biased because I love her). She is just… her vocals just never cease to amaze me so I was just like that’s a no-brainer. Hello? And then they called my name. I went to sit on the couch and I was like ‘what? Seriously?!’ So I don’t know.
MJ: How close did you guys become on the show?
MD: Pretty much attached at the hip. A little inseparable. It’s one of those things where it’s a slightly traumatic experience so it helps if you have somebody to go through it with so that’s kind of what we were for each other.
JS: Exactly. And she’s my lifeline. Actually, the other day we were on separate floors and everything and we walked down the stairs and I was like ‘no way.’ We were dressed exactly alike. It was so weird.
MD: Kind of scary.
JS: So weird, so weird.
MJ: I don’t know if you watch any other reality TV shows, but I hang out with a lot of people from Survivor, Big Brother, Amazing Race, and The Apprentice, and I’ll tell you this. They all picked you guys as their favorites from almost every season. I thought you would find that interesting.
JS: Oh my gosh, thank you!
MD: Wow!
MJ: I don’t know if you guys watch the show, but there’s a girl from Survivor‘s ninth season, Eliza who is like your biggest fan. I don’t know if you remember her. She was the student from Syracuse.
JS: On, on, on….
MJ: Survivor Vanuatu. It was the one with all the females at the end and then the one guy ended up winning. Long hair. Look it up if you get a chance!
JS: I will. Oh, that’s so exciting!
MJ: And my last question is to please give me an album update. When are your records coming out?
JS: Oh, definitely. I have recorded four songs so far and I am very excited to get it out there. I just can’t wait for everybody to hear it. The majority of the recording is going to happen after the tour and then it is supposed to drop before Thanksgiving so hopefully it will be out soon.
MD: I have a little extra time so…
JS: Lucky!
MD: Hahaha. I am just kidding. I am writing right now. Some people are sending in some amazing songs that I am very excited about. So after the tour, I’ll start recording and then get the album out there.
MJ: Very cool. Thank you so much.
JS: You’re so welcome.
MD: Thank you.
MJ: Great meeting you.
JS: Great meeting you too. Tell them all I said hello.
MJ: I definitely will.
The American Idols Live Tour hits the Hampton Coliseum tomorrow night in Hampton, VA. The tour wraps up on Sept. 22 in Manchester, New Hampshire.
