Thankfully, in “Chicken Soup for the 'American Idol' Soul,” the newest addition to the inspirational juggernaut “Chicken Soup” series, everyone involved is still quite happy to be on the planet. Stories abound in easily digestible two-or-three page clusters from former Idol contestants and fans (even producers Nigel Lythgoe and Cecile Frot-Coutaz get a page or two to dispense some folky wisdom).
Truth is flown in from all corners. Inexplicably popular manboy Sanjaya Malakar assents that the hardest part of "Idol" was hearing the judges’ comments: “Nobody likes to hear ‘You’re horrible,’ or, ‘You look like a bush baby.’” Ruben Studdard reminds us that you should never ever bring a friend to an audition, because that friend will always get the part. Chris Sligh talks about being newly married and losing job after job—pizza deliveryman, church worship leader, roofing company owner—before making it to the Top 10 in season six. And newest Idol Jordin Sparks purrs that “if you sing you should do it not because you want the attention but because it’s a gift God has given you.”
In fact, God is like the fifth Beatle in this book, although he gets more credit between these covers than pre-Ringo drummer Pete Best ever got in “Anthology.” God is the O.G.—getting big ups in almost every success story, even when things are at their lowest.
Notably absent from the line-up is famous grumpy-pants judge Simon Cowell. God himself knows it would be refreshing to hear Simon reminisce (in his own homespun way) about breaking a folding chair over Randy Jackson’s head. Perhaps a bit about the “dark times” of season one, like when he was caught eating a four-year-old backstage. But oh well. Cowell must have had some better things to do, like torch a village in Northern Scotland.
