Big news out of American Idol land: David Archuleta's father has been banned from rehearsals. There had been rumors all season of Jeff Archuleta's meddling and pushing. He was also said to be an intense personality and a Type A stage parent, having groomed his talented child for this moment on America's top-rated talent competition. Now comes word the elder Archuleta was told last week that he can no longer help his 17-year-old son David rehearse.
TMZ broke that story last Friday, and other outlets have since followed up. According to the AP, "Jeff Archuleta's intense backstage involvement had become a source of concern for the series. But it was a lyric change on Tuesday's show that pushed producers to act. Despite a warning, Jeff Archuleta insisted on altering "Stand by Me," one of two songs his son sang on the show Tuesday." Apparently he added a verse from Sean Kingston's "Beautiful Girls," whichincurred additional costs for the show. He was ousted after that.
A controversy at this stage of Idol? And with fresh-faced David. A? Quelle shock! David A. has looked panic-stricken all season. Ryan Seacrest has commented numerous times about the kid's apparent anxiety, at times so great it appears he might pass out or cry. "Breathe, David, breathe," he's said. It will be interesting to see if the fan favorite, who's a shoe-in for the May 21 final, will lighten up or look like he's suffering even more. One might ask if this is a shrewd set-up by producers who are cooking up the controversy to generate more press and attention as Idol moves into it's final two weeks.
Hmmm...