Copyright ©2007 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved.
Posted:
May 11, 2007.
Just about a year ago, Katharine McPhee was one of the last
two contestants standing on the most popular TV series in the US. In
arguably the most competitive season of
American
Idol
– certainly the one with the most talented top six – McPhee had stood toe to
toe with tough competition, coined the term "McPheever"
and made it to the finals. As America watched, the tall, beautiful singer
with the booming voice faced off against gray-haired soul man Taylor Hicks
as Ryan Seacrest promised to let us know who would be the next
American
Idol
– “After this commercial…”
Though Hicks ended up going home the victor, McPhee’s music
career was on its way. Soon after the series finale, McPhee had her first
charting two-song single, “My Destiny” and a spine-tingling cover of the
Judy Garland classic “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Then
she headed out on the
Idols
concert tour (though she missed several shows for health
reasons,
getting both laryngitis and
later a foot injury.)
But that was last year, and now, frankly, McPhee is over it.
She is all about looking forward, not reliving the past – as is evidenced by
the fact that she declined to answer any questions on American Idol
or even the “My Destiny”/”Somewhere Over the Rainbow” single.
Instead, McPhee is excited about her self-titled debut CD – a
chance where she gets to show a range beyond the ballad-heavy Broadway diva
rep that she got on that series we aren’t supposed to mention. However the
winning personality that she displayed on TV is in full display on the
finished product.
Musically,
Katharine McPhee is surprisingly diverse. There is more theatrical stuff
like “Ordinary World.” “Not UR Girl” is pop-rock. “Open Toes” is a
whimsical new-wave-by-way-of-Destiny's Child jam. “Love Story” has a very
modern pop feel, “Over It” and “Each Other” are very soulful, “Home” is more
of a power ballad.
“I
was just looking to put together the best songs possible,” McPhee says. “I
can adapt to many styles so it’s great to bring a few genres together.”
The plan worked. In fact, “Over It” has become a top-40
radio single in early 2007, riding an indelible hook across the airwaves for
the last several months. Now the uptempo R&B swayer “Love Story” has been
released as a second radio track, with McPhee hoping it will follow the
predecessor up the charts.
These youthful sounding songs were
important to McPhee, who was not sure that she wanted to do the straight
Adult Contemporary album that so many people expected. In fact, as the
recording of her debut was going, she made sure to write and find music with
a contemporary feel.
“It was definitely a collaborative effort between me, RCA,
and my producers,” McPhee says. “I pushed for the songs I connected with
the most.”
The album was a life-long dream for the 23-year-old
Sherman Oaks-based singer. Her mother, Peisha McPhee, was a cabaret singer
and music teacher who brought her daughters into the art world from their
first years. Peisha even sang a self-penned ballad for her small children,
“Adriana and Katharine,” on her 1997 CD
Out of the Blue,
in which the mother
promised the small girls, “Everything that’s good can happen….”
Little did Peisha know
how true that line would become.
Katharine
McPhee was drawn to the world of entertainment from the start, taking voice
lessons, doing local theater, dreaming of filling concert halls.
“Since I
was really young, I have always sung,” McPhee recalls. “My mom is a voice
teacher, so we constantly had students in and out of the house. I was
always surrounded by music.”
All those
years back in her family’s Valley home, she had no way of knowing that she
would be working with some of the biggest names in music before her 25th
birthday. She was signed to her current record contract by legendary exec
Clive Davis.
The album
included songs written by respected songwriters like Babyface, Kara
Diogiardi, Walter Afanasieff and Billy Steinberg.
“Well
I surely dreamed it,” McPhee says, “but no, I never thought it would really
happen!”
Of course, McPhee hopes that this is just the beginning.
There is so much more that she wants to experience as a performer. For
example on the disk, there are only three songs she co-wrote – “Open Toes,”
“Not UR Girl” “and “Neglected.” As she gets more comfortable with
recording, this ratio may shift.
“I really enjoy writing, so I hope that I will have the
opportunity to do more,” McPhee admits.
She
has also very actively gotten involved in television – guesting on such
shows as
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Rachael Ray, The Tonight Show,
Larry King Live and
Live with Regis and Kelly,
as well as guest hosting on
The View
and
TRL.
She
has also dipped a toe back into acting – playing herself on the popular
television series
Ugly Betty
and did a cameo on the hip web series
Lonelygirl15.
McPhee has signed to star in a movie project named
The Last Caller.
Rumors abound that she may
also star in The Echo
and possibly have a small role in an as yet-unnamed
major motion picture.
She’s
shown a refreshing comfort level and playfulness on camera – a clip of Tyra
Banks feeling McPhee up on her talk show has become a YouTube favorite –
leading you to believe that perhaps this will be a career path she may want
to explore as well. McPhee seems to be open to anything she finds
interesting.
McPhee also took advantage of her higher profile to speak out on a subject
that was very near and dear to her. She
has been very open about the fact that she had a serious eating disorder
resulting from body image problems. She has been able get her own problem
with Bulimia under control. McPhee hopes feel that by sharing her own
experiences with her fans, she can help girls come to grips with similar
illnesses.
“It’s not going to stop people from becoming sick,” McPhee
acknowledges. “It’s just going to give hope to those who are suffering that
there is a solution; there is help…”
In the meantime, McPhee would just like people
to see her music as “Fun, inspiring and ME!”
That ME part is very important to McPhee. She
has realized that you can become successful in a career without sacrificing
the very things that make her unique. She is confident that her fans will
follow.
“I
think my fans know me pretty well and I love them for all their support,”
she says.
Now that her album is taking off and McPhee is branching out
into all different areas of show biz, she just has to smile as she looks at
all that has happened. She is doing her best to comfortable with life in
the limelight and yet stay the same person she always was.
“It’s a
great life,” McPhee gushes. “What more can I say! I feel blessed that my
dreams came true.”
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Copyright ©2007 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved.
Posted:
May 11, 2007.
