It was seven years ago this fall that ITV, Great Britain's most popular private channel, began an experiment that would result in one of the biggest
phenomena of our time. After the success of finding members of a burgeoning pop group (Popstars), Simon Fuller, he of the Spice Girls, created a new kind of
competitive reality show: finding the next great pop solo artist. He called it "Pop Idol". Four judges were commissioned: Pete Waterman, who helped
bring Kylie Minogue and Rick Astley to international reknown; Neil Fox, a radio and television presenter; Nicki Chapman, another television personality; and
the soon-to-be internationally-known Head Bitch in Charge known as Simon Cowell.
They searched high and low around the United Kingdom for the ONE. Along the way, they found a treasure trove of talented teens and young adults, as well as a shitload of the shittiest singers in history. At the end of one of their regional auditions, a secondary school student named Will Young stepped into the audition room and faced the British equivalent of the Axis of Evil. A few months later, in February of 2002, a record-breaking audience watched as Will defeated the favored Gareth Gates to become THE Pop Idol.
In the six years since his win, he has become one of Great Britain's leading men of pop music. To date, he has scored 10 UK Top Ten hits (not even Kelly Clarkson has scored that many on the Billboard Hot 100), released four albums, come out of the closet, had a role in "Mrs. Henderson Presents", won a Brit Award, received critical acclaim unusual for a reality-show veteran, and performed at the Concert for Diana, Princess of Wales.
In the six years since his win, the Idol franchise has spread to all six inhabited continents. Over forty franchised versions have aired in languages from English to Armenian. Over 120 people from all over the world have been lucky to follow in Will's footsteps. Millions of people have auditioned, some good, and some just dreadful. Over 3 billion votes have been cast via landline phone or cell phone. Sadly, Idol's legacy is almost non-existent in the land of its origin. Pop Idol lasted one more season (in 2003, won by Michelle McManus) and then it took a hiatus that has lasted to this day. In its stead, two new shows have sprung up: The X Factor (responsible for Leona Lewis) and Britain's Got Talent (responsible for the operatic Paul Potts).
While Leona and Paul have gone on to international glory and reknown, the one whose win and success made it possible for them and for the likes of Carrie Underwood to get off that fucking farm in Oklahoma and win 3 Grammy Awards, Will Young, is all but forgotten. He was invited to perform at the Grand Final of American Idol 2002, but got negative reviews. A shame, really. Why has it been impossible for Will, who has conquered the second most-important music market in the world, and who has the talent and personality and credentials to get him forward, to be a global superstar, yet Leona Lewis and Paul Potts (who isn't as prolific on the charts as Will is) have been able to do so? Even Paul Potts has a cult following in the USA, thanks to clips on YouTube.
Without Will Young's success, the music industry and popular culture would be different. Kelly Clarkson would still be waitressing. Clay Aiken would have gone on The Amazing Race and continued his work with autistic children. Jennifer Hudson would still be singing on that cruise ship. Carrie Underwood would still be on that damn farm. Chris Daughtry and his ego would still be working at a big-box store. Jordin Sparks would still be a regular high school student. And David Cook would still be touring dives. We would not have heard of all these people, not even the classic rejects of William Hung, Keith Beukelaer, Rhonetta Johnson, Tamika Bush, and Julie Dubela. Hell, were it not for Will Young, Colbie Caillat would not have auditioned for Idol and been rejected and gotten the contract that led her to having a hit song with "Bubbly".
I think that Will Young deserves the visibility and recognition that has eluded him for so long.
They searched high and low around the United Kingdom for the ONE. Along the way, they found a treasure trove of talented teens and young adults, as well as a shitload of the shittiest singers in history. At the end of one of their regional auditions, a secondary school student named Will Young stepped into the audition room and faced the British equivalent of the Axis of Evil. A few months later, in February of 2002, a record-breaking audience watched as Will defeated the favored Gareth Gates to become THE Pop Idol.
In the six years since his win, he has become one of Great Britain's leading men of pop music. To date, he has scored 10 UK Top Ten hits (not even Kelly Clarkson has scored that many on the Billboard Hot 100), released four albums, come out of the closet, had a role in "Mrs. Henderson Presents", won a Brit Award, received critical acclaim unusual for a reality-show veteran, and performed at the Concert for Diana, Princess of Wales.
In the six years since his win, the Idol franchise has spread to all six inhabited continents. Over forty franchised versions have aired in languages from English to Armenian. Over 120 people from all over the world have been lucky to follow in Will's footsteps. Millions of people have auditioned, some good, and some just dreadful. Over 3 billion votes have been cast via landline phone or cell phone. Sadly, Idol's legacy is almost non-existent in the land of its origin. Pop Idol lasted one more season (in 2003, won by Michelle McManus) and then it took a hiatus that has lasted to this day. In its stead, two new shows have sprung up: The X Factor (responsible for Leona Lewis) and Britain's Got Talent (responsible for the operatic Paul Potts).
While Leona and Paul have gone on to international glory and reknown, the one whose win and success made it possible for them and for the likes of Carrie Underwood to get off that fucking farm in Oklahoma and win 3 Grammy Awards, Will Young, is all but forgotten. He was invited to perform at the Grand Final of American Idol 2002, but got negative reviews. A shame, really. Why has it been impossible for Will, who has conquered the second most-important music market in the world, and who has the talent and personality and credentials to get him forward, to be a global superstar, yet Leona Lewis and Paul Potts (who isn't as prolific on the charts as Will is) have been able to do so? Even Paul Potts has a cult following in the USA, thanks to clips on YouTube.
Without Will Young's success, the music industry and popular culture would be different. Kelly Clarkson would still be waitressing. Clay Aiken would have gone on The Amazing Race and continued his work with autistic children. Jennifer Hudson would still be singing on that cruise ship. Carrie Underwood would still be on that damn farm. Chris Daughtry and his ego would still be working at a big-box store. Jordin Sparks would still be a regular high school student. And David Cook would still be touring dives. We would not have heard of all these people, not even the classic rejects of William Hung, Keith Beukelaer, Rhonetta Johnson, Tamika Bush, and Julie Dubela. Hell, were it not for Will Young, Colbie Caillat would not have auditioned for Idol and been rejected and gotten the contract that led her to having a hit song with "Bubbly".
I think that Will Young deserves the visibility and recognition that has eluded him for so long.
