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CNN Live Today

Idol Chatter

Aired May 15, 2003 - 10:43   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Kelly Clarkson is a Cinderella story of the first season, and Clive Davis, the music legend who helped make her dreams come true, he is the chairman of RCA music group, which is handling her hit CD. They are joining us from New York this morning.
Good morning to both of you.

Kelly, what a whirlwind it has been for you. If the people who are on "American Idol" right now think that's a whirlwind, what about when you win? How would you wrap up what the last few months have been like for you?

KELLY CLARKSON, "AMERICAN IDOL" WINNER: Right after, whoever wins will be very, very busy for the next year or so. But I mean, it's exciting. So that's what we all want -- we want a record deal and we want to perform, so.

KAGAN: Clive, you are one of the legends in the music business, some of the people you discovered and worked with -- Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Santana, Dave Matthews. Look at the young woman to your right, I believe it is, and tell us about the star quality you see in her?

CLIVE DAVIS, CHAIRMAN, RCA MUSIC GROUP: What's great that is Kelly has a natural passion for music, so that we don't approach her career as though she's the winner of "American Idol." We approach her career that she is a major new music performer. She's got incredible pipes, and to see the great reviews in "Rolling Stone" and "Entertainment Weekly" taking her on her own, and really showing the fact that she is such a gifted performer, that is what we're doing, taking her as a startling new worldwide major musical performer.

KAGAN: Kelly, you are standing next to Clive Davis, listen to the things he's saying about.

CLARKSON: I know. I didn't pay him too much.

KAGAN: Are you still having "pinch me" moments?

CLARKSON: Oh, yes.

KAGAN: Are you kind of getting used to -- I mean, going from "Idol" to diva?

CLARKSON: No, I'm having "pinch me" moments right now. Just having Clive Davis talking about you like that is very cool. KAGAN: Absolutely. I want to focus on what we're down to, the final two on "American Idol." We have a couple clip on Ruben and Clay. We'll listen in and I'm going to ask you about them.

Do we have those?

Want to call on the maestro first, on Clive, if you could just give us a rundown the star quality of the final two, on Ruben first, and then Clay.

DAVIS: You know, what's great about the competition is that these two individual performers definitely have star talent, no question about it. You get into the engaging personalities and you get into their life, but Ruben is a legitimate major musical performer in his own right. To hear him do "Superstar," you know, part of the "Idol's" compilation album, he shows that he can take on a Luther song and make it his own, and you know, he's going to have a terrific album in his own right.

KAGAN: And what about Clay?

DAVIS: Clay is in the tradition of those gifted singers that come along, whether it was Gary Puckett and The Union Cats (ph), whether it -- that big soaring voice, to hear him do a few weeks ago "Solitaire" by Neil Sedaca (ph) and make it his own, he has a soaring, beautiful pop voice, and he really is going to help establish himself as one of the major new pop performers, because the guy's got star qualities as well.

KAGAN: And, Kelly, if you were in it this time around, who would you rather be up against?

CLARKSON: I don't want to be up against anyone. I'm done.

KAGAN: No, you are just starting, my friend.

CLARKSON: Yes, I'm make music, being happy, no competition here.

KAGAN: Let me ask you if you had any advice, there will be one winner a week from now. What would your advice be for what they are in for?

CLARKSON: Well, one, not as a joke, all seriousness, I would get sleep. And two, just have fun. Because when it stops being fun, it's not worth doing. So, yes, make sure you are having fun.

KAGAN: You keep having fun. Clive, it looks like you have had decades of fun with your career. We loved having both of you stop by.

DAVIS: Thank you.

KAGAN: Good luck with the CD. Clive Davis and Kelly Clarkson. Thanks for joining us.

CLARKSON: Bye.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired May 15, 2003 - 10:43   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Kelly Clarkson is a Cinderella story of the first season, and Clive Davis, the music legend who helped make her dreams come true, he is the chairman of RCA music group, which is handling her hit CD. They are joining us from New York this morning.
Good morning to both of you.

Kelly, what a whirlwind it has been for you. If the people who are on "American Idol" right now think that's a whirlwind, what about when you win? How would you wrap up what the last few months have been like for you?

KELLY CLARKSON, "AMERICAN IDOL" WINNER: Right after, whoever wins will be very, very busy for the next year or so. But I mean, it's exciting. So that's what we all want -- we want a record deal and we want to perform, so.

KAGAN: Clive, you are one of the legends in the music business, some of the people you discovered and worked with -- Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Santana, Dave Matthews. Look at the young woman to your right, I believe it is, and tell us about the star quality you see in her?

CLIVE DAVIS, CHAIRMAN, RCA MUSIC GROUP: What's great that is Kelly has a natural passion for music, so that we don't approach her career as though she's the winner of "American Idol." We approach her career that she is a major new music performer. She's got incredible pipes, and to see the great reviews in "Rolling Stone" and "Entertainment Weekly" taking her on her own, and really showing the fact that she is such a gifted performer, that is what we're doing, taking her as a startling new worldwide major musical performer.

KAGAN: Kelly, you are standing next to Clive Davis, listen to the things he's saying about.

CLARKSON: I know. I didn't pay him too much.

KAGAN: Are you still having "pinch me" moments?

CLARKSON: Oh, yes.

KAGAN: Are you kind of getting used to -- I mean, going from "Idol" to diva?

CLARKSON: No, I'm having "pinch me" moments right now. Just having Clive Davis talking about you like that is very cool. KAGAN: Absolutely. I want to focus on what we're down to, the final two on "American Idol." We have a couple clip on Ruben and Clay. We'll listen in and I'm going to ask you about them.

Do we have those?

Want to call on the maestro first, on Clive, if you could just give us a rundown the star quality of the final two, on Ruben first, and then Clay.

DAVIS: You know, what's great about the competition is that these two individual performers definitely have star talent, no question about it. You get into the engaging personalities and you get into their life, but Ruben is a legitimate major musical performer in his own right. To hear him do "Superstar," you know, part of the "Idol's" compilation album, he shows that he can take on a Luther song and make it his own, and you know, he's going to have a terrific album in his own right.

KAGAN: And what about Clay?

DAVIS: Clay is in the tradition of those gifted singers that come along, whether it was Gary Puckett and The Union Cats (ph), whether it -- that big soaring voice, to hear him do a few weeks ago "Solitaire" by Neil Sedaca (ph) and make it his own, he has a soaring, beautiful pop voice, and he really is going to help establish himself as one of the major new pop performers, because the guy's got star qualities as well.

KAGAN: And, Kelly, if you were in it this time around, who would you rather be up against?

CLARKSON: I don't want to be up against anyone. I'm done.

KAGAN: No, you are just starting, my friend.

CLARKSON: Yes, I'm make music, being happy, no competition here.

KAGAN: Let me ask you if you had any advice, there will be one winner a week from now. What would your advice be for what they are in for?

CLARKSON: Well, one, not as a joke, all seriousness, I would get sleep. And two, just have fun. Because when it stops being fun, it's not worth doing. So, yes, make sure you are having fun.

KAGAN: You keep having fun. Clive, it looks like you have had decades of fun with your career. We loved having both of you stop by.

DAVIS: Thank you.

KAGAN: Good luck with the CD. Clive Davis and Kelly Clarkson. Thanks for joining us.

CLARKSON: Bye.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com