Nashville Star

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Nashville Star

Belt buckle-style logo for Nashville Star
Format Reality game show
Developed by Ben Silverman
Howard Owens
Jeff Boggs
George Verschook
Mark Koops
Starring Billy Ray Cyrus
(Host, 2008)
John Rich
(Judge, 2008)
Jewel
(Host, 2007; Judge, 2008)
Jeffrey Steele
(Judge, 2008)
Former cast:
Nancy O'Dell
(Host, 2003-2004)
Charlie Robison
(Judge, 2003)
Robert K. Oermann
(Judge, 2003)
Tracy Gershon
(Judge, 2003-2004)
The Warren Brothers
(Judges, 2004)
Billy Greenwood
(Judge, 2004)
LeAnn Rimes
(Host, 2005)
Cledus T. Judd
(Special Correspondent, 2005)
Sara Evans
(Guest Host, 2005)
Bret Michaels
(Judge, 2005)
Wynonna (Host, 2006)
Phil Vassar (Judge, 2005-2006)
Cowboy Troy (Co-host, 2006-2007)
Two Foot Fred (Segment host)
Anastasia Brown (Judge, 2005-2007)
Randy Owen (Judge, 2007)
Blake Shelton (Judge, 2007)
Country of origin Flag of the United States United States
No. of episodes 43
Production
Executive
producer(s)		 Ben Silverman
Jeff Boggs
H.T. Owens
Camera setup Multi-camera
Running time Varies (most episodes 60 minutes)
Broadcast
Original channel USA Network (U.S., 2003-2007)
NBC (U.S., 2008-present)
CMT (Canada)
Original run March 8, 2003 – Present (currently on seasonal break)
External links
Official website
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Nashville Star is a reality television program. It will be moved and will premiere on NBC June 9th in the United States, following five seasons on USA Network. It premiered on March 8, 2003, and its five seasons on USA made it the longest-running competition series on cable television [1]. The NBC version will premiere beginning in June 2008 on NBC [2], with Billy Ray Cyrus as host [3]. In Canada, the show aired on CMT through season 5, but will be moving to CTV for season 6.

It is similar to American Idol, in that performers must sing to impress both celebrity judges and the public via call-in and/or internet votes. Unlike American Idol, however, the performances are limited to country music.

Nashville Star is produced by Reveille Productions and originates live (except for each season's premiere episode, which is taped) from the Acuff Theatre at the Opry Entertainment Complex in Nashville, Tennessee. Audience members are required to have tickets, which are distributed free of charge except for a standard handling fee. The competition has historically taken place over the months of March and April, though it moved to January and February for the 2007 season and will move to the summer months in 2008.

Contents

[edit] Show format

[edit] Comparisons to American Idol

In a format nearly identical to the final round of American Idol, finalists perform one song per week individually and face criticism and/or praise from a panel of three judges. At the end of the show, voting opens to the viewing public, who may cast votes by calling a toll-free telephone number or logging on to the show's official website. The performer with the fewest number of votes is eliminated.

However, because Nashville Star airs only once per week, eliminations are not announced until the following week. The finalists who have not been eliminated are called in random order to the stage one-by-one to perform until there are only two remaining. At that point, one is called to perform and the other is eliminated for receiving the lowest amount of votes from the previous week. The finalists do not know the order in which they will perform, and have less than one minute to prepare once their names are called. No votes are tallied on the season finale.

Currently, the judges are only present to offer criticism to the finalists in an attempt to sway the voting public, much like those on Idol. Unlike Idol, however, Nashville Star's judges do not participate in the preliminary auditions, leaving that task to the show's producers. The audition process was not seen on-air on USA Network versions, but will be included as part of the NBC version. Each season (except for 2005), the judges have eliminated finalists based on consensus on the premiere episode without sending the vote to the public (the process continued for a few more episodes during the first two seasons).

Whereas American Idol generally elevates people off the street to stardom, Nashville Star finalists are usually already somehow involved in the country music industry, but may not have attained a record deal on a major label. Past finalists have included studio musicians, background singers, and independent artists. Finalists are usually songwriters, in addition to being singers. In each season, one episode is dedicated to songs written by the finalists. Nashville Star does not have the same age limits as American Idol, and performers in their 30s and 40s have been finalists, although most have been in their 20s.

[edit] Appearing on both shows in the same season

In 2006, several musicians appeared on both American Idol and Nashville Star. Kenny Rogers made appearances as a guest performer live on both shows within two weeks of each other. Also, Patti LaBelle appeared as a guest judge on Star one week after mentoring on Idol. David Foster did the same, although two weeks apart.

In 2007, five days after Jewel's debut as the new host of Nashville Star, she appeared as a guest judge on the season premiere of American Idol. The Idol segments, however, were taped several weeks before she was named host of Nashville Star.

[edit] Broadcast

Regular episodes of Nashville Star run 60 minutes each. The show occasionally has a longer runtime (90 or 120 minutes), usually on season premieres and finales. The first three seasons featured nine episodes each. The series' run was cut to eight episodes beginning in 2006.

Finalists live together for the entire run of the show. During the first two seasons, the finalists lived in a large house near Nashville's Music Row. Beginning with the 2005 season, finalists shared a large suite at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. Excerpts of the finalists' interaction with each other in their living environment are often edited into the show.

In addition, most episodes include an established country music act making a guest appearance to perform a song.

[edit] Prizes

The winner of Nashville Star receives a recording contract (through Sony Music in Seasons 1 & 2, Universal South Records in Season 3, RCA Label Group in Season 4, and Warner Bros. Music in Seasons 5 & 6), a performance on the Grand Ole Opry, and a Chevrolet pickup truck. The truck was added to the prize package in Season 3 (2005), when Chevrolet became a major sponsor of the show. The 2008 season will also award the winner a performance at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China[4].

[edit] Criticisms

Nashville Star was criticized from its inception as an American Idol ripoff, but the show has outlived many critics' initial predictions of failure [5]. During Nashville Star's first season, Idol host Ryan Seacrest took a jab at Star on the air, calling it American Idol "without the talent."

First season winner Buddy Jewell had two top-five singles on his first album, which went to #1 on the Billboard charts (specifically the country album chart), but his second album didn't sell well and he was dropped by his record company. Brad Cotter, the 2004 champion, didn't chart any singles in the top 30 in his post-Star album, and was dropped by his label. As of 2007, Erika Jo, the 2005 winner has yet to have a hit single, while the only single to reach the chart from 2006 winner Chris Young peaked at #42. Angela Hacker, the winner of Season 5, has achieved little success with her post-Star album, and most often still plays concerts in her hometown. Fifth-season judge Blake Shelton told the New York Times, “I think it’s disastrous that there hasn’t been a winner to go on to be a consistent star in Nashville. In order for the show to have credibility and for it to take another step, we need a Carrie Underwood to come out of it.[6]” Despite this, the show was a ratings hit for USA Network, and was moved to broadcast network television after five seasons.

[edit] Controversies

In 2004, Mal Rodgers was eliminated by the judges during one of the early rounds, despite being an obvious fan-favorite (at this time, two finalists were eliminated each episode: one by the judges, one by fan-vote). At the taping, the audience loudly booed the decision to eliminate Rodgers, continuing after the show had gone off-air. For 2005, the elimination process was altered, completely removing the judges from the equation. The process was again altered in 2006, allowing judges to remove one finalist (two in 2007) on the premiere episode only, before fans get the chance to vote.

In 2005, finalist Tamika Tyler blamed producers for attempting to influence fans to vote against her, after she was voted off on an early-season episode. Tyler claims that video clips of a confrontation between her and eventual winner Erika Jo concerning the difference in their ages were doctored and taken out of context as they were presented on the show [7]. The show's producers would refute the claims; however, in 2006, the focus of the videos shifted from interactions between finalists to a behind-the-scenes look at each finalist preparing for his or her performance.

Behind the scenes, a ticketing snafu early in the 2005 season saw hundreds of angry ticketholders turned away at the door for taping of the first live show after the house filled. This was caused by an email system sending out messages to anyone requesting tickets for the show, stating they had a reserved ticket(gold), when in actuality, it was 'reserving' a general admission ticket(blue). The expectation was that a percentage of those requesting tickets would be no-shows. The process was reformed for the remainder of the season with the elimination of standby tickets(blue) being given out in advance, and the addition of a standby queue (first-come-first-serve with no guarantee of entry). This system also had its faults, most notably at the season finale, when several fans, who had traveled from Texas and had been at the front of the line for more than 12 hours, were turned away. In 2006, the ticketing was outsourced to Ticketmaster where tickets could be obtained free (plus usual $2 per ticket handling fee). The standby queue was still an option for those without tickets. An audience coordinating company was enlisted to help ensure each taping had a capacity crowd.

During the fifth episode of the 2007 season, no finalist was eliminated. However, host Jewel teased an elimination several times from the beginning of the episode, only to reveal at the very end that the previous week's show experienced "technical difficulties" and the voting results were discarded. Neither USA Network, nor Reveille Productions, would comment publicly on the "technical difficulties"[8]. Interestingly, had the show eliminated a finalist that week, the finale episode would have only featured two performers, instead of the usual three.

[edit] Hosts

The host for the first two seasons of Nashville Star was entertainment reporter Nancy O'Dell, who also served as a consulting producer. Before the third season (2005), the show announced its move from Saturday nights to a more desirable prime time slot on Tuesday nights. As a result of the move, O'Dell chose to leave the show due to her hosting commitments at Access Hollywood, which is taped in Los Angeles. Country singer LeAnn Rimes was the host for Season 3, but missed two episodes late in the season due to a broken blood vessel in her vocal cords. Sara Evans substituted for Rimes in her absence. Rimes was replaced with Wynonna and Cowboy Troy in 2006. Jewel assumed the reins from Wynonna in 2007, while Cowboy Troy remained co-host. Billy Ray Cyrus has been named host for 2008.

Cledus T. Judd served as a "special correspondent" in 2005. Since 2006, Two Foot Fred has hosted a segment ("Small Talk") in which he briefly interviews the week's eliminated finalist during the closing credits before telling them to "hit the bricks."

[edit] Season-by-season

[edit] USA Network Version

[edit] Season 1 (2003)

The first winner of Nashville Star, in the spring of 2003, was 41-year-old Buddy Jewell. On the strength of his win, Jewell's self-titled album earned him a gold record and two top-five country hits ("Help Pour Out the Rain [Lacey's Song]" [#3] and "Sweet Southern Comfort" [#3]) . With the release of a second album, Times Like These, Jewell was thought to have secured his place as a legitimate country music star. However, after Times Like These underperformed, selling only approximately 80,000 copies following its release, [9] Jewell was dropped from the Sony BMG roster.[10]

Perhaps a bigger star was created in Miranda Lambert, who finished third. Her debut album, Kerosene, debuted on the Billboard country albums chart at #1 upon its 2005 release. As of March 2007, 1,000,000 copies of Kerosene had been shipped, making "Kerosene" a certified platinum record, selling more than the combined major-label recordings from any other Nashville Star finalist from any of the first four seasons. [11] As of 2007, she has two top-15 singles.

The standings for 2003 were:

Place Name Sex Age Hometown Week Eliminated
1 Buddy Jewell M 41 Osceola, Arkansas Winner
2 John Arthur Martinez M 41 Marble Falls, Texas Finale (May 3, 2003)
3 Miranda Lambert F 21 Lindale, Texas Finale (May 3, 2003)
4 Brandi Gibson F 21 Arlington, Kentucky Week 8 (April 26, 2003)
5 Brandon Silveira M 24 Hanford, California Week 7 (April 19, 2003)
6 Amy Chappell F 27 Hutchinson, Kansas Week 6 (April 12, 2003)
7 Jamey Garner M 32 Chester, Illinois Week 5 (April 5, 2003)
8 Prentiss Varnon M 22 Uvalde, Texas Week 4 (March 29, 2003) (Judges' decision)
9 Travis Howard M 32 Chalybeate Springs, Georgia Week 4 (March 29, 2003)
10 Tasha Valentine F 21 Albuquerque, New Mexico Week 3 (March 22, 2003) (Judges' decision)
11 Kristen Kissling F 22 Topeka, Kansas Week 3 (March 22, 2003)
12 Ann Louise Blythe F 24 San Lorenzo, California Week 2 (March 15, 2003) (Judges' decision)

Judges were country music historian Robert K. Oermann, record label executive Tracy Gershon, and singer/songwriter Charlie Robison.

[edit] Season 2 (2004)

Nashville Star began its second season on March 6, 2004. In 2004, the second winner was 33-year-old Brad Cotter, who enjoyed very limited success after his win. Cotter was one of ten finalists eliminated by the judges on the first episode, but was allowed back into the competition after he was selected by viewers to be the one of those ten saved. The format was changed after the 2004 season and that element of the competition was scrapped.

Cotter won a recording contract with Sony Music on its Epic Records label. His first album, Patient Man, performed poorly, selling less than 140,000 copies. He was subsequently dropped from the roster. Cotter remains on tour opening for other country artists, such as Mark Chesnutt and Restless Heart.

However, runner-up George Canyon (also 33 years old) experienced a result similar to Miranda Lambert. He didn't win a record deal from the show and has not achieved success in the U.S., but he has become a country music star in his native Canada, where he was signed by Universal Music and has released three successful albums.

Following the season, third-place finisher Matt Lindahl began appearing in television, radio, billboard, and print advertisements for Purity Dairies, a regional dairy company based in Nashville. In the television and radio ads, Lindahl (along with his band) sings, acts, and plays the washboard - an instrument that he also played on Nashville Star.

The standings for 2004 were:

Place Name Sex Age Hometown Week Eliminated
1 Brad Cotter M 33 Opelika, Alabama Winner
2 George Canyon M 33 Fox Brook, Nova Scotia, Canada Finale (May 1, 2004)
3 Matt Lindahl M 28 Snellville, Georgia Finale (May 1, 2004)
4 Lance Miller M 33 Fairfield, Illinois Week 8 (April 24, 2004)
5 Jennifer Hicks F 35 Nashville, Tennessee Week 7 (April 17, 2004)
6 Brent Keith M 24 Blanchester, Ohio Week 6 (April 10, 2004)
7 Marty Slayton F 37 Alamo, Tennessee Week 5 (April 3, 2004)
8 Sheila Marshall F 31 Nacogdoches, Texas Week 5 (April 3, 2004)
9 Mal Rogers M 24 Antrim, Northern Ireland Week 3 (March 20, 2004) (Judges' decision)
10 Stacy Michelle F 33 Memphis, Tennessee Week 3 (March 20, 2004)
11 Gregory DeLang F 39 San Angelo, Texas Week 2 (March 13, 2004) (Judges' decision)

*No finalist was eliminated on the Week 4 show due to a "technical glitch" during Week 3's show.

Gershon returned as a judge, joined by radio personality Billy Greenwood and country artists The Warren Brothers.

[edit] Season 3 (2005)

Nashville Star began its third season on March 1, 2005. The 2005 winner was 18-year-old Erika Jo from Mount Juliet, Tennessee — the first female and youngest overall winner. Her victory was watched by the show's largest-ever USA Network audience, when over three million people tuned in to see the finale on April 26. It marked the first time the show ranked among the top ten cable shows of the week.

Erika Jo's self-titled album debuted at #5 on the country album charts, but quickly fell out of the top ten, selling just over 118,000 copies in the year following its release [12]. The video for the first single, "I Break Things", initially received heavy rotation on CMT and GAC, but the song was largely ignored by country radio and only reached #53 on the Billboard Magazine country charts [13]. One subsequent single ("I'm Not Lisa") was released, but it also failed to attract substantial attention. She was later dropped from the Universal South roster. Erika Jo occasionally makes concert appearances and has become a semi-regular performer on (but not a member of) the Grand Ole Opry since her victory.

The standings for 2005 were:

Place Name Sex Age Hometown Week Eliminated
1 Erika Jo F 18 Mt. Juliet, Tennessee Winner
2 Jason Meadows M 33 Calera, Oklahoma Finale (April 26, 2005)
3 Jody Evans M 28 Donaldson, Arkansas Finale (April 26, 2005)
4 Jayron Weaver M 22 Dallas, Georgia Week 8 (April 19, 2005)
5 Justin David M 31 Marshfield, Missouri Week 7 (April 12, 2005)
6 Jenny Farrell F 35 Albuquerque, New Mexico Week 6 (April 5, 2005)
7 Tamika Tyler F 33 Coffs Harbour, Australia Week 5 (March 29, 2005)
8 Casey Simpson F 19 Cerritos, California Week 4 (March 22, 2005)
9 Christy McDonald F 29 Tabor City, North Carolina Week 3 (March 15, 2005)
10 Josh Owen M 19 Brownsboro, Texas Week 2 (March 8, 2005)

Judges were singer/songwriter Phil Vassar, record label executive Anastasia Brown, and singer/songwriter (and Poison frontman) Bret Michaels.

[edit] Season 4 (2006)

The 2006 winner was 20-year-old Chris Young. Nashville Star began its fourth season on March 14, 2006 with a slightly altered set, two new hosts in Wynonna & Cowboy Troy, and only two regular judges. A guest judge occupied the third seat each week. The format remained unaltered, though the length of the season was reduced by one week, and one finalist was eliminated on the season premiere (by judges' decision) to compensate. Two Foot Fred's "Small Talk" segment also made its debut in 2006. The season ended on May 2, 2006 with Young—from nearby Murfreesboro, Tennessee—crowned champion. His debut album was released on October 3, 2006 and debuted at #3 on the Billboard country chart, although it has yet to generate any top-40 singles.

The standings for 2006 were:

Place Name Sex Age Hometown Week Eliminated
1 Chris Young M 20 Murfreesboro, Tennessee Winner
2 Casey Rivers M 23 Lindale, Texas Finale (May 2, 2006)
3 Nicole Jamrose F 33 Schererville, Indiana Finale (May 2, 2006)
4 Matt Mason M 20 Fairland, Indiana Week 7 (April 25, 2006)
5 Jared Ashley M 29 Hobbs, New Mexico Week 6 (April 18, 2006)
6 Kristen McNamara F 20 Napa Valley, California Week 5 (April 11, 2006)
7 Melanie Torres F 28 Albuquerque, New Mexico Week 4 (April 4, 2006)
8 Monique LeCompte F 23 Grand Terrace, California Week 3 (March 28, 2006)
9 Shy Blakeman M 25 Kilgore, Texas Week 2 (March 21, 2006)
10 Jewels Hanson F 31 Fremont, California Premiere (March 14, 2006) (Judges' decision)

Vassar and Brown returned as regular judges, with a third seat occupied by guest judges, which included:

[edit] Season 5 (2007)

The 2007 winner of Nashville Star was 29-year-old Angela Hacker from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, who finished just ahead of her younger brother, Zac. It was the first time that siblings had competed, let alone finished in the top two.

The fifth season debuted on USA Network and CMT Canada at 10 pm EST on January 11, 2007. There were several changes to the show, including an earlier start date and new night. The series moved to January and February, and aired live on Thursdays at 10 pm EST rather than Tuesdays. Jewel replaced Wynonna as host, with Cowboy Troy returning as co-host. The format remained mostly unaltered, except the judges eliminated two finalists (one male, one female) on the premiere episode. Sonic Drive-In was the presenting sponsor for 2007. The season finale aired March 1, 2007.

Following the season, Angela Hacker's album was only available at Wal-Mart causing it to not enter Billboard Magazine's Top 75 Country Albums chart [14].

The standings for 2007 were:

Place Name Sex Age Hometown Week Eliminated
1 Angela Hacker F 29 Muscle Shoals, Alabama Winner
2 Zac Hacker M 23 Muscle Shoals, Alabama Finale (March 1, 2007)
3 David St. Romain M 28 Baton Rouge, Louisiana Finale (March 1, 2007)
4 Joshua Stevens M 28 Churchville, Iowa Week 7 (February 22, 2007)
5 Whitney Duncan F 22 Scotts Hill, Tennessee Week 6 (February 15, 2007)
6 Meg Allison F 25 Chicago, Illinois Week 4 (February 1, 2007)
7 Kacey Musgraves F 18 Golden, Texas Week 3 (January 25, 2007)
8 Dustin Wilkes M 26 Jefferson, Georgia Week 2 (January 18, 2007)
9 (t) Rickiejoleen F 18 Tempe, Arizona Premiere (January 11, 2007) judges' decision
9 (t) Tim LaRoche M 36 Gardner-Athol, Massachusetts Premiere (January 11, 2007) judges' decision

*No finalist was eliminated on the Week 5 show due to "technical difficulties" during Week 4's show.

The above ten were chosen from over fifty Regional Finalists, selected from local area callbacks and auditions. The Regional Finals were held in Nashville, TN on November 1, 2, and 3, 2006 at The Stage.

Judges included Brown, who returned for her third season at the desk. Joining her were country singers Randy Owen (lead singer of Alabama) and Blake Shelton.

[edit] Season 6 (2008)

Main article: Nashville Star (season 6)

[edit] NBC Version

The NBC Version of Nashville Star originates from the Acuff Theatre and features Billy Ray Cyrus as host. The show moved from USA Network to NBC, airing on Monday nights beginning June 9, 2008. Cyrus has promised a "whole new look and vibe" for the series premiere on NBC. In addition, the minimum age for finalists is lowered to 16 from 18, and groups of 2 or 3 performers are also eligible to perform and compete together, in addition to solo acts. The contestants were announced by NBC on June 5, 2008. The contestants are: Alyson Gilbert Ashlee Hewitt, Charley Jenkins, Coffey Anderson, Gabe Garcia, Justin Gaston, Laura Fedor and Sophie Zalokar, Melissa Lawson, Amy, Angela, and Courtney Krechel, Shawn Mayer, Jeffrey Fairchild, James Kouns, and Tony Mosti, Tommy Stanley. [15] John Rich of Big & Rich will be one of the judges, and will write and produce the winner's first single.[16] Jewel will remain with the show, leaving her hosting duties and becoming a judge. [17] Jeffrey Steele will join the cast as the third judge.[18] The winner has been promised a recording contract and the opportunity to perform at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.Taylor Swift also performed on the premire.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Nashville Star TV Series -News, Show Updates and Events - USA Network
  2. ^ 'Nashville Star' to shine on NBC - Entertainment News, TV News, Media - Variety
  3. ^ Billy Ray Cyrus to host NBC debut of 'Nashville Star' | www.tennessean.com | The Tennessean
  4. ^ Billy Ray Cyrus to host NBC debut of 'Nashville Star' | www.tennessean.com | The Tennessean
  5. ^ reality blurred + Nashville Star "surprised" industry; judge says Idol has "pageant singers."
  6. ^ NY Times Advertisement
  7. ^ 'Nashville Star 3' bootee Tamika Tyler blames producers for ouster - Reality TV World - News, information, episode summaries, message boards, chat and games for unscripted television programs
  8. ^ USA's 'Nashville Star 5' throws out voting results, sends no one home - Reality TV World - News, information, episode summaries, message boards, chat and games for unscripted television programs
  9. ^ http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060503/ENTERTAINMENT12/605030432
  10. ^ http://www.buddyjewell.com/home/pops/letter_01_31_06.htm
  11. ^ http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060503/ENTERTAINMENT12/605030432
  12. ^ http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060503/ENTERTAINMENT12/605030432
  13. ^ Nashville Scene - Star Stuck
  14. ^ Billboard Charts - Year-end Albums - Top Country Albums
  15. ^ Billy Ray Cyrus to host NBC debut of 'Nashville Star' | www.tennessean.com | The Tennessean
  16. ^ Nellie Andreeva (2008-03-12). 'Nashville' to strike it Rich. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved on 2008-03-12.
  17. ^ 'Ex-'Nashville Star' host Jewel to serve as sixth-season judge, mentor'. Reality TV World (2008-04-10). Retrieved on 2008-04-19.
  18. ^ 'Jeffrey Steele to Join Judging Panel of Nashville Star…'. Reality TV Magazine (2008-04-25). Retrieved on 2008-04-26.

[edit] External links

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