Simon Cowell's response to the news? "Is he handsome?"
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Ever watch the judges on American Idol and think to yourself, "I could do that"?
Steve Lillywhite probably could.
Steve Lillywhite, a producer with a 30-year track record that includes hits for U2, the Rolling Stones, the Dave Matthews Band, Jason Mraz, 30 Seconds to Mars, Talking Heads and many, many others, is interested in Simon Cowell's spot on the
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With production credits that include U2, Dave Matthews Band, the Rolling Stones, Jason Mraz, Matchbox Twenty, Talking Heads, 30 Seconds to Mars and the forthcoming Evanescence album, Lillywhite's resumé pretty much blows the show's current judges right out of the water.
For the past couple weeks, Lillywhite has publicly campaigned for a shot at the Idol judges' seat being vacated by Simon Cowell at the end of this season. He recently made one video outlining his qualifications. He's planning on making another soon.
Lillywhite, who is in his mid-50s, is British and clever -- certainly a plus in someone trying to replace Simon.
"People don't know me, but they know my work," Lillywhite said when I spoke to him by phone Monday. "But people who do know me know that my personality would actually be quite good for the show. I'm quite bubbly. I've been known to say controversial things. I can make people laugh. And I'm quite self-effacing, as well, some times."
But Simon knows there's one key quality necessary for his replacement to possess. "Is he handsome?" he asked two weeks ago, when informed of Lillywhite's interest in replacing him.
Lillywhite has an answer for that: "I have to say, I'm looking at myself in the mirror right now, and ... yes, I am!" he says. "I'm as handsome as he is!"
More importantly, Lillywhite thinks he can bring a voice of expertise to American Idol. "Of course, I'm a fan of the show," he says. "But I'm also a fan of how I feel I can improve the show. Americans feel very serious about pop music. They see it as an art form, and they care about it. Which is why Idol has done so well. People love it. And I feel they're being short-changed at the moment.
"If I hear a judge say, 'That was a bit pitchy' one more time ... They get paid way too well for that to be their only criticism."
Like this year's judges, Lillywhite seems to favor the female contestants. "With the girls, there were some lovely, interesting choices of songs" last week, he says. "I like Lilly Scott, I like Didi Benami. I thought Siobhan Magnus' Wicked Game was actually pretty good.
"And I know they all said it was a car crash, but Haeley Vaughn's I Want to Hold Your Hand had some great moments in it."
The guys, he's not so keen on, naming Casey James as the only serious contender based on last week's performances. "Casey James has a good foundation to be a star," he says. "If he's too smiling, it doesn't work. There's a very fine line with him. Keep him slightly dark, slightly Chris Cornell, and I think he could go far. His voice has a nice fragileness to it. It's not hard rock, and that's good."
Lillywhite says he hasn't yet been in contact with anyone from American Idol. "I just have some people now who are putting this together," he says. "If they would want to see me, I'd be willing to go out there and meet up with them and do some sort of audition."
And what would Lillywhite have to say to them? "I would make sure that I offered the American public the best options available," he says. "I would see it as a challenge to make the next season of American Idol the most satisfying for the general public."
this dude is the best contestant for that empty chair i heard thus far imo. but too much ego going on here