Nothing Sadder Than A Former American Idol

The first American Idol winner, Kelly Clarkson, has announced that she is canceling her summer tour of large arenas across America. Ticket sales were reported as "disappointing."

A quick check at Ticketmaster revealed that the ticket price for Clarkson's tour was more than reasonable for such tours, at $45 - $90 a ticket. A big arena show is very expensive to bring out. At those ticket prices a sell out everywhere was almost essential if profits were to be made. Clarkson's new management indicates that they will reorganize for a tour in smaller venues.

The fact is that Clarkson, a great singer, is not the compelling performer today's audiences demand. She is not one of the blonde hotties prancing about in limited clothing. She does not do a show the focuses on dance and special effects. She sings and sings well. But she sings mostly new songs tailored and focus-grouped to death in an effort to avoid real art and create only that which, it is hoped, will sell. As the sinking of the music industry in general demonstrates, people are not moved by that kind of music by committee. Certainly, the combination is no longer enough to fill America's arenas.