Justin Still an Idol to His Family, Many Fans
Naila Francis
phillyBurbs.com,
September 6, 2002
www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/81-06192003-110358.html
LOS ANGELES - He may not be the "American Idol," but Justin Guarini, the Central
Bucks East graduate who was one of two finalists vying for a million-dollar
recording contract on the Fox TV show, has still come out a winner.
"I do feel Justin has won because of all the notoriety and acclaim he has gotten
to date," his stepfather, Jerry Guarini, said Thursday. "He did tell me in
private if he had to lose to anyone, he would want it to be Kelly because he had
so much respect and admiration for her."
Guarini, 23, lost the title to Texan girl-next-door Kelly Clarkson in the
Wednesday night results finale, televised live from the Kodak Theatre.
But coming in second in one of the summer's most popular television shows is no
small accomplishment, and in some respects, may pave an even greater path to
stardom for the man who ignited the ardor of thousands, young and old, with his
good looks, strong vocal ability and stage presence.
All 10 finalist on the show are locked into a three-month contract with Fox that
prevents them from considering other offers. However, Guarini said Thursday that
his son has had offers from Fox for a major role in the new fall series "The
Fast and the Furious"; from Tommy Hilfiger to be a model; and from a motion
picture studio interested in having him sing the soundtrack to an upcoming film.
He has had to decline all, although there is a possibility that he may sing the
national anthem at the Eagles-Cowboy game at Veterans Stadium in late September.
As far as "Idol" work goes, he still has a two-hour special with all 30 final
contestants performing from Las Vegas to do, a three-month tour of 30 cities
with the final 10 to embark upon, and his own single to be released once his
contract is up.
Before falling into such a hectic schedule, he is being whisked away by Fox,
along with Kelly, to an undisclosed location for a mini-vacation. Justin, who
was not available for interviews Thursday, spent most of the day with his
family. His mother was released from the hospital that day after undergoing
surgery to remove her left kidney as well as a tumor on her pancreas. He was to
fly out to begin his vacation late Thursday night. He has said to his parents
that he eventually plans to make Los Angeles his home.
"We're relieved that the pressures of 'American Idol' are over," Guarini said,
"and Justin is looking forward to getting some rest."
Dianna Beach, Justin's sister, said that not being voted the "American Idol" may
open the door to more opportunities for her younger brother, since he will not
have to work within the constraints of whatever long-term contract to which
Clarkson is bound. Once his three months are up, he will have greater
flexibility in shaping his career.
"I think he would like to do plays," said Guarini. "He would like to do TV. He
would like to do music. And he's a great dancer, even though (judge) Simon
didn't like him dancing, for some reason. And on top of that, Justin is funny."
According to Guarini, Justin does great impersonations, one of his favorites
being John Lennon. He often uses impersonations to diffuse his stepfather's
anger when Justin does something to upset him.
Although disappointed following Wednesday's show, the family seemed to echo
Justin's sentiments that Clarkson deserved her win.
Guarini did acknowledge that the two ballads written for the finalists to
perform - one of which has already been released as Clarkson's first single -
were not suited to Justin's vocal style.
"Since they're not Justin's upbeat style," he said, "they accommodated Kelly
better. I'm not saying he would have won if the songs were different, but he
would have had a better chance."
According to series chief executive producer Nigel Lythgoe, unlike in England,
where "Pop Idol" was a precursor to its American counterpart, fans of the show
did not pick one performer and stick with that individual for the entire run of
the series.
In America, he said, voters were more focused on talent and ability, their
allegiance only as good as each contestant's last performance.
But Justin, said his father, Eldrin Bell, will nonetheless leave an impression
on people for years to come.
"He was as I expected him to be, a gracious gentleman, coming into the second
position," said Bell, who lives in Atlanta but spoke Thursday from his Los
Angeles hotel room.
"After the show Simon Cowell asked me how I could be sitting there cheering on
both him and Kelly. Each of them in their own right are American idols. There
was no first and second last night."
Bell, the former police chief of Atlanta has three other biological children and
six adopted children. He has been grooming Justin, his youngest son, to be in
the public eye since he was a young boy. A singer himself, though not
professionally, he said Justin inherited a family gift. Bell's grandfather was
also blessed with a good voice, as was Michael, Bell's oldest son.
But beyond his innate talent, Justin, whose full name is Justin Eldrin Bell
Guarini, grew up practically in the midst of the entertainment industry.
His father, in his capacity as Atlanta's police chief and various other
political offices, hosted numerous events for visiting dignitaries and
celebrities. Justin, growing up, would not only rub elbows with Nelson Mandela,
President Clinton, Vernon Jordan and others, he would serve as host and greeter
at many of his father's functions, engaging a parade of the famous and the
not-so-famous in conversation.
Bell, who now runs Eldrin Bell and Associates, a security and government
relations firm, took Justin with him to his media training course at the FBI
Academy in Virginia and tucked him into a sleeping bag on the back seat of his
car while working as a field commander with the Atlanta Police Department.
Justin was beside him during the Olympics in Atlanta and in Barcelona, Spain,
and when the Jacksons did their Victory Tour in the 1980s.
He also gained exposure to the music business through his father's membership in
the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences, the organization that
puts on the Grammy Awards. But although Bell has always nurtured his son's
dreams of stardom and been proud of his accomplishments, he pointed out that
Justin is worthy of idol status for reasons beyond his talent and charisma.
"I taught Justin early on to be a gentleman, to be humble, and that a smile will
take you through this life to a long and successful career. A smile is the
mirror of your soul and even if they run you out of town, it will look like
you're leading a parade," he said, quoting the advice that Justin shared on
television with the "American Idol" hosts.
"The greatest reward I could have from Justin is to have him get on stage and
say, 'My dad is my inspiration.' Justin has been a star," said Bell. "All this
show has done is discover him, and I'm very happy to share him with America as
an American idol and from a father's perspective, I think he'll be an excellent
role model for America's children."