Tamyra Gray plugs 'American Idol' book at Borders
Not every contestant on "American Idol" becomes a superstar, but this week, two past finalists will get to be "Soup"-er stars.
Season 1's Tamyra Gray and season 4's Constantine Maroulis will be stopping at local Borders bookstores to meet fans and sign copies of "Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul" (HCI Books, $14.95), a collection of mmm, mmm, feel-good stories from past contestants, fans and "Idol" stage crew.
Gray, who'll visit Borders in Farmingdale Wednesday night, was more than happy to recount how her mother inspired her to follow her dreams. "I was shocked that they wanted me to do it," said Gray in a recent phone call from Manhattan, where she's appearing in "Rent." "I had written pages and pages and naturally they had to make adjustments and edit it to fit the concept of 'Chicken Soup.' I've never had a book signing before, so I'm really thrilled and excited."
Maroulis likewise said he was flattered to share his story about the high school music teacher was his guardian angel.
"I'm a pretty spiritual guy and I was fortunate to have a teacher that really believed in me," he said last week by phone from Los Angeles.
Many of the stories told by the "Idols" were actually written by authors Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Debra Halperin Poneman, as well as contributing writers such as Lise Hintze of Setauket, an American Idol Magazine scribe who put Maroulis' story on paper. Hintze also contributed her own tale of how her daughters made her watch season 3 and she caught "Idol" fever after hearing Top 5 finalist George Huff.
Recent book signings featuring Levittown's own Kevin ("Chicken Little") Covais, who finished 11th in season 5, and last year's fourth-place finisher LaKisha Jones (who's on Broadway in "The Color Purple") drew plenty of tween and teen girls (and their moms). Covais, sans glasses, spent just as much time posing for the camera as he did signing books.
Maroulis, who is also gearing up for dates at Manhattan's HighLine Ballroom Feb. 22 and the Boulton Center for the Performing Arts in Bay Shore Feb. 23, promises something extra for those tweenyboppers: a live acoustic performance of songs from his CD.
"I'm just getting a couple of hundred bucks for this," he said. "It's not a lot of money, so I figured, I'd rather just give it to my guitar player. And it would be a good day for the fans."
WHEN&WHERE Tamyra Gray will be at Borders, 231 Airport Blvd., Farmingdale, Wednesday at 7 p.m., 631-752-0194; Constantine Maroulis will be at Borders, 1260 Old Country Rd. Westbury, Saturday at 2 p.m., 516-683-8700.
source; http://www.newsday.com/features/booksmags/ny-e5546299jan21,0,1905140.story
Season 1's Tamyra Gray and season 4's Constantine Maroulis will be stopping at local Borders bookstores to meet fans and sign copies of "Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul" (HCI Books, $14.95), a collection of mmm, mmm, feel-good stories from past contestants, fans and "Idol" stage crew.
Gray, who'll visit Borders in Farmingdale Wednesday night, was more than happy to recount how her mother inspired her to follow her dreams. "I was shocked that they wanted me to do it," said Gray in a recent phone call from Manhattan, where she's appearing in "Rent." "I had written pages and pages and naturally they had to make adjustments and edit it to fit the concept of 'Chicken Soup.' I've never had a book signing before, so I'm really thrilled and excited."
Maroulis likewise said he was flattered to share his story about the high school music teacher was his guardian angel.
"I'm a pretty spiritual guy and I was fortunate to have a teacher that really believed in me," he said last week by phone from Los Angeles.
Many of the stories told by the "Idols" were actually written by authors Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Debra Halperin Poneman, as well as contributing writers such as Lise Hintze of Setauket, an American Idol Magazine scribe who put Maroulis' story on paper. Hintze also contributed her own tale of how her daughters made her watch season 3 and she caught "Idol" fever after hearing Top 5 finalist George Huff.
Recent book signings featuring Levittown's own Kevin ("Chicken Little") Covais, who finished 11th in season 5, and last year's fourth-place finisher LaKisha Jones (who's on Broadway in "The Color Purple") drew plenty of tween and teen girls (and their moms). Covais, sans glasses, spent just as much time posing for the camera as he did signing books.
Maroulis, who is also gearing up for dates at Manhattan's HighLine Ballroom Feb. 22 and the Boulton Center for the Performing Arts in Bay Shore Feb. 23, promises something extra for those tweenyboppers: a live acoustic performance of songs from his CD.
"I'm just getting a couple of hundred bucks for this," he said. "It's not a lot of money, so I figured, I'd rather just give it to my guitar player. And it would be a good day for the fans."
WHEN&WHERE Tamyra Gray will be at Borders, 231 Airport Blvd., Farmingdale, Wednesday at 7 p.m., 631-752-0194; Constantine Maroulis will be at Borders, 1260 Old Country Rd. Westbury, Saturday at 2 p.m., 516-683-8700.
source; http://www.newsday.com/features/booksmags/ny-e5546299jan21,0,1905140.story
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