American Idol: The Untold Story

by Richard Rushfield

The currency is fame, and it's bigger than money, more desired than power.

Each season American Idol delivers on a promise whose epic scope is unparalleled in the annals of competition: to take an unknown dreamer from the middle of America and turn him or her into a genuine star. It has become not only the biggest show on television, but the biggest force in all of entertainment; its alumni dominate the recording charts and Broadway, win Academy Awards, and sweep up Grammys. In fact, American Idol has reshaped the very idea of celebrity.

But it didn't start out that way. When the little singing contest debuted as a summer replacement on the U.S. airwaves, it was packed between reruns and low-cost filler. The promise that it would find America's next pop star produced a hearty round of guffaws from the country's media critics. Now, some ten years and millions of records later, no one is laughing.

American Idol: The Untold Story chronicles the triumphs and travails, the harrowing backstage drama and the nail-biting onstage battles that built this revolutionary show. In this revealing book, veteran journalist Richard Rushfield goes deeper inside the circus than any reporter ever has. Candid interviews with Idol alumni, including Simon Fuller and Simon Cowell, shed new light on the show that changed the entertainment industry. And because Rushfield had full access to the people who created the show, starred in it, and kept it atop the pop culture pyramid, this book is the first to take Americans behind the curtain and tell what has really been happening on the world's most watched and speculated-about stage.

Genres: Nonfiction, Music, Tv, Pop Culture, Biography

288 pages, Hardcover

First published December 30, 2010

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really excited to read this because I will admit to being slightly obsessed with the show and I was slightly disappointed. The first half was better than the second half. I thought the focus was too much on the judges, especially Simon. It almost felt like a biography of his journey on Idol rather than a real look at the show as a whole. Although there was definitely some good gossip I had never heard before, I wanted more about the contestants. The author could have gone a lot deeper but unfortunately he only scratched the surface. I was left wanting more.

[Gail Cooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

For American Idolizers (fans of America's most popular TV show, that is) Richard Rushfield offers an insider's look at what has been called our "biggest dream factory."

Starting in season six Rushfield covered American Idol for the Los Angeles Times - he wrote countless lines of type, did thousands of interviews, and continues to cover the show on his own blog. He's most definitely the go-to guy for Idol information, and here it all is - 287 pages detailing the rivalries, the ins-and-outs of voting, why Paula Abdul really left, who Simon Cowell truly is, plus interviews with the stars as well as Cowell and show creator Simon Fuller. AMERICAN IDOL is more than a bird's eye view - it's a revelation.

[Ariel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tonight is the season finale of American Idol so it seems to the perfect time to review this book. And the winner will be? who cares anymore. Alas when Simon left he seemed to take the magical buzz that was Idol with him. This book is a look back when Idol was THE show everyone was talking about. The start was a little slow for me with it's extensive background of how Pop Idol in the UK morphed into American Idol here. Once we got to the states is when the book really took off for me. The best part was the chapter where the author got Brian Dunkleman to talk about his departure after season 1. It must go down as the single most bone headed move ever in the history of the entertainment industry. He knows it too. Still it was interesting to hear his side of the story. He really felt bad for the contestants when they were cut down by Simon and he had no idea what a juggernaut Idol would become. It was likely that he was going to be fired anyway but he jumped the gun by quitting. Even so he probably should not plan on having a career in the spotlight until Idol is a long burned out star though according to him the backlash seems to thawing at long last. A chapter is also devoted to the vote for the worst web movement. The rest of the book covers the Idols themselves. If you are a true fan of the show you will know most of what is revealed anyway. It was still an enjoyable stroll done memory lane. As for me I am enjoying The Voice and looking forward to this fall's X Factor, two shows which may have stolen Idol's crown.

[Beverly · Rating 1 out of 5]

On first impression, this account of the first 9 years of American Idol (although there is hardly anything about year 9)appears to be well informed because it covers a lot of detail about the program's genesis in the UK. On balance though it says nothing that an ordinary fan would not have learned by reading the news and blogs throughout the show's run. Worse, it is TOTALLY undocumented, consisting of nothing but unattributed word of mouth; ie: gossip. There is an egregious, unattributed slur on Ellen DeGeneres in chapter 20 (p. 260 in hardcover) about her being an awful diva. Rushfield reveals his ulterior motives however when he notes that DeGeneres used scab writers during the Hollywood writer's strike of 2008. Payback. For this bit of garbage, Rushfield gets one star, and overall, he really doesn't deserve more.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light read about the behind-the-scenes world of American Idol. This book gives a brief history of how the show came to be and how things have changed throughout the seasons. The focus is heavier on the judges (especially Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul) than on the contestants, so those expecting or wanting insider info or details about individual performers will not find much. Even the details about the nine winners are skimpy with almost nothing on recent champs Kris Allen and Lee DeWyze. Too, if you are an avid watcher of Idol throughout the years, none of the scandals revealed in the book will be any surprise. Entertaining but not uber-revealing.

[Leandro Nogueira · Rating 1 out of 5]

Do not buy it unless you really love the show like I do.

Richard is an awful writer, pedant and primitive. Al the texts inside this book are nothing but a compilation of interviews with the producers, creators, judges and some second class ex-contestants.

There some really cool information like the building of Simon Fuller's empire and the advent of Simon Cowell in "showbiz" but most part of this book is reserved for backstage gossip and useless information like the impact of a Priest's contribution for the show in one of the seasons that took an entire chapter of this book.

Runaway of this book if you do not like the show or even if you don't know it and have some interest on it.

[Audiaa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is really the RE-told story of American Idol. I don't think there was much here that hadn't already been told in a newspaper/magazine article, tabloid television show, on a website, or in a contestants biography. Though I didn't know that Sanjaya had a biography. There was a whole chapter dedicated to Brian Dunkleman, Ryan Seacrest's co-host for season 1 of Idol, which may have been new but not interesting. Since I'm not really a mega fan of the show, I just pop in now and then, I was surprised that I had already heard most of the stuff in this book. The information was re-told well and in a nice little package, but I didn't really see anything new.

[Carlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not an avid or even casual fan of American Idol, though being generally aware of pop culture, I am vaguely familiar of the winners (and stars) of AI. This book was a quick summary of the many seasons of AI, up until the last one. I felt the later seasons were rushed, which kind of matched the popularity of AI as a show in general, and also the decline after the original group of judges fell apart.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. Though I have heard/read some of the stuff that was mentioned in this book, it was nice to get a concise overview of what is arguably one of the most popular shows on tv and in the world

[Stephanie A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked up at the dollar store and surprisingly fun - since it only went through 2010, a/k/a "the last year I watched with any regularity," and focused more on the earlier years when I was more invested, it was like a highlight reel/nostalgia tour of all the things I loved about Idol, plus some interesting insider details. It started a little slow with the backstory, but I loved walking through each season and reviewing the most memorable contestants and twists. It's the only book I've ever read on Idol, and kind of feels like the only one I'll ever need to.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to read this because I am an unabashed Idol geek! This book did have some good behind-the-scenes info, but just like the show, I felt that it focused too much on the judges, producers, etc., and not enough on the contestants. I have an almost endless appetite for info about the kids. It was still a good read, and I definitely recommend it for big fans of the show. I think Richard is a good writer...I might have to see if he has written anything else.

[Mike McAdam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have watched the show since flipping channels and finding the first audition episode of the first season. I knew a lot of what was in the book already but there was enough that I didn't know that I found the book riveting anyway. I read the entire thing in one day. I would have liked more info on what happens backstage and what people are like when the cameras aren't rolling but there was enough to keep me happy. Loved this book and could not put it down.

[Julie Schoen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admit it, I am an American Idol fan. I have been dedicated to watching most every season. This book was fun for me because it gave me the story of how it all began. I enjoyed learning about the show's beginnings and to see how much it has changed over the years. I will continue to be a loyal fan of this show and will always be grateful that it was created. This book will be a keepsake for me because of this fact. For anyone who shares in my love of Idol, will surely enjoy this book.

[Matthew Gallaway · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am far from an expert in terms of American Idol, but I enjoyed this book a lot. Rushfield dissects the show and its place in popular culture with a characteristic intelligence and wit that is familiar to those of us who have admired his other work. I for one am curious to see where he next focuses his attention.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

American Idol: The Untold Story was fantastic. This book only goes up to the 9th season when Simon, Randy, Kara and Ellen (yeah, remember that?) were judges, but it still has good stories. Many of the stories were ones I’d heard before, but it was fun to remember contestants I’d forgotten about through the years.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been an Idol fan since the end of season 1. Naturally, I was anxious to read this book. I enjoyed going back to info about past seasons, learning about the whys and hows and gaining insights into the program. I gave it a 4 based on my Idol addiction not necessarily because of the writing.

[Barbara Babs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love to hear how success started. This is a great story about how Simon Cowell and Fuller rose in their careers and by luck launched the first episodes of American Idol because the CEO of Fox's daughters asked her "daddy" to check out this great concept.

[Kieran · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't watch the first few seasons of Idol, so I couldn't relate to what they were saying about the personaliity of some of the earlier stars. I paged through to get to some of the interesting tidbits.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't say this was exactly "The untold story" of American Idol. There were some aspects that I wasn't aware of but most of the incidents described in the book were pretty much covered in the media.

Thank goodness it was a quick read.

[Keli Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a lot of fun reading this book and it brought back a lot of memories watching the show... I did not like how it gave us so much detail at the beginning only to skim more and more of the seasons as the book went on. I loved American Idol in the day...but I am glad I don't watch it anymore...

[Robin]

Yep, gotta read this one!

[Carissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few bits of juicy gossip, but mostly a look at how the Idol machine works. Lots of fun, though.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written, well-paced, full of background information. Excellent guilty pleasure reading.

[Annie Knox · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poorly researched, repetitive and overall not very insightful. I was hoping for more inside knowledge, but found basic factual errors and not a lot of substance.

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love all things Idol, so of course I liked it! Not crazy about the writing style, but loved getting the scoop on things.

[Calli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up expecting to skim, rather than read through. I surprised myself by reading it from start to finish and enjoying it. It was interesting to learn how the show came about and developed.

[Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was kind of boring- took me a lot longer than normal to read a book with less than 300 pages. I learned a couple of new things, but that was about it.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know what I was expecting. I only checked it out because it was on the "new" shelf.

[Jen Wirt · Rating 3 out of 5]

All right, I know it's fluff but it's entertaining. :)

[Chris Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a crazy American Idol fan like I am, you will thoroughly enjoy this book.

[Rachel Yuska · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great reading for idol fans. I enjoy the drama and scandals behind the curtain.