Justin Guarini: 'American Idol' First Year
Runner Up Speaks Up.
Angela Spann
EURweb.com September 5, 2003
eurweb.com/articles/music...052003.cfm
In a world of bubble-gum pop and one-hit wonders, the music
industry has recently been turned on its collective ear with the restoration of
real music and true artistry. It started with soul children like Jill Scott and Musiq and is holding steady with crossover hit-makers like Alicia Keys and
Justin Timberlake. These artists, like many others at their level, have found a
way to make real music while blazing the charts and leaving their contemporaries
in a commercial dust. We’re not only seeing an appreciation, but an outright
demand for talent at almost every turn in the music business. One show, in
particular, has pretty much carried the torch and raised the bar on this very
concept.
American Idol has become a music industry phenomenon and its chosen ones are the
new pioneers of today’s musical resurgence. They’re our idols and they’re living
the American dream. We recently spoke with one of America’s first Idols, Justin
Guarini. The curly-haired multi-talented singer from the show’s first season
spoke candidly about life after American Idol, his new album, and of course, his
new stardom.
Going from the show’s set to his own movie set with fellow idol Kelly Clarkson
almost seemingly overnight, Justin says being on the show was all good and then
some.
“[I have no regrets.] I don’t live life that way. Some of the most important
things I’ve made in the past year are the mistakes and I’m glad I made them now
because it really shows me the direction I want to go in the future,” explains
Justin, who consistently displayed natural talent throughout the competition.
The smooth singer also stated that he’s learned quite a bit along the way.
“My eyes are open wide. I see a lot of things I’ve never seen before about the
entertainment industry. Now I understand why it takes so long for people to get
where they need to go.”
With time, comes wisdom. Justin is beginning to understand all too well the
politics associated with the business. The instant positive feedback that he
received while on American Idol did not prepare the star for the real world
where he would have to prove himself one track at a time.
Justin easily takes it all in stride. The sexy star says he doesn’t mind paying
his dues because he knows that his time will come.
“I’m going to work very hard to be ready for it when it does,” confirms Justin.
He also says that he receives support from his superstar cousin, highly
acclaimed actor, Samuel L. Jackson and his wife Latonya. He states that the hard
working couple has given him great advice about the entertainment business.
When asked to describe his self-titled new album, the 24-year-old says that it
is an eclectic mix.
“We wanted to appeal to a wide audience with this album, but the meat and
potatoes of it is R&B. I think a lot of people don’t know that.”
Another fact that most people don’t know is that Justin’s manager is also the
show’s creator, Simon Fuller, who is often confused with the AI judge, Simon
Cowell. Clive Davis and Fuller, who Justin states is “a phenomenal manager,”
have both been very hands-on and supportive of Justin’s first project.
The Idol alum is really excited about promoting his album. His first single,
“Sorry,” was recently performed on Oprah, which is a rarity for new artists.
Feeling that this year’s American Idol focused mainly on vocal ability, citing
talents Ruben and Clay as proof, Justin reveals that he is a great fan of Ruben
due to his love for R&B. As an only child, Justin states that his parents
exposed him to everything from Mozart to Marvin Gaye, which nurtured his
appreciation for all types of music. He also attributes his study of vocal
performance, musical theater, and dance at the University of Arts in
Philadelphia with helping him reach his goals.
One of Justin’s other goals, acting, was also recently realized with his big
screen debut in the movie “From Justin to Kelly,” which, despite starring two of
AI’s top winners, didn’t do commercially well at the box office. Justin’s
laid-back demeanor is to take what he’s learned and use it to improve his next
serious film project. He truly understands the success, or lack thereof, of this
project.
“[The movie] was designed to capitalize on the American Idol thing. We filmed
for six weeks and it was a good film. I look forward to growing from it,”
explained Justin.