Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Jordin Sparks: Staying A Virgin Is Hard by Owen Williams

‘American Idol’ winner Jordin Sparks has revealed that staying a virgin has no been easy.

Sparks, who won he sixth season of the reality television show told Us magazine at KIIS-FM’s Homecoming Concert: “Temptation is always there, it’s hard everyday, but I made a promise to myself.”

Us Magazine reports that Jordin, a committed Christian has worn a platinum “promise ring” since she was 13-years-old — bearing the inscription “True Love Waits” — that her parents gave her, and she plans to keep it on.

“I wasn’t ever forced into [wearing the ring],” she said. “It’s all about making the right choice and not putting yourself in that situation.”

Still, Jordin says she wouldn’t mind boyfriend! - when asked what her dream guy would be like, she responded: “They have to make me laugh because I love to laugh, they have to have nice teeth. They could be athletic and sing … and play an instrument.”

From: http://www.showbizspy.com/2007/10/29/jordin-sparks-says-staying-a-virgin-is-hard/

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Sparks to appear at Phooson concert on Oct. 12

Larry Rodgers
azcentral.com


American Idol winner Jordin Sparks is scheduled to appear in Casa Grande on Oct. 12 as emcee of the first Phooson concert, which will star Latin pop singer Enrique Iglesias and rappers Fabolous and Ne-Yo.

Staged by deejays Johnjay and Rich, who are heard weekday mornings in both Phoenix ("KISS-FM," 104.7) and Tucson (KRQQ-FM, 93.7), the concert also will feature the Jonas Brothers, a New Jersey pop-rock band; Kat DeLuna, a Latin-influenced R&B singer; and Paula DeAnda, 4 whose music mixes R&B and pop.

Sparks, a Glendale resident who has been touring and recording an album since her May American Idol victory, will introduce the Phooson acts. Organizers were still trying to firm up the issue of whether Sparks will sing as part of the show.

Also scheduled to appear are Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart and Phoenix's Allison DuBois, upon whose life the NBC drama Medium is based.

Criss Angel, a modern-day magician with a show on the A&E network, also is scheduled to appear. The event, whose name is a phonetic combination of "Phoenix" and "Tucson," emerged after Iglesias started calling Johnjay and Rich's show on a regular basis. The three joked about organizing a concert halfway between Phoenix and Tucson, and Phooson became a reality.

"We were talking about this fake concert that we were going to have between Tucson and Phoenix," said deejay Rich Berra. "Then we struck up this friendship with Enrique and thought, 'Why don't we wrap the whole thing around him?' "

Berra said organizers are trying to get local authorities to rename the area of the concert Phooson on Oct. 12.

Berra said he hopes the event will help soften any rivalry between the two cities: "It's about bridging the gap, and let's face it, it's all going to be one big town soon."

The show will take place at the Pinal County Fairgrounds. General admission is $40, with children 2 and younger admitted free. Call (480) 784-4444 or go to ticketmaster.com for tickets.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

'American Idol' Champ Jordin Sparks Puts Finishing Touches On Debut, Considers Acting

By Chris Harris, with reporting by Yasmine Richard

The debut album from America's latest "Idol," Jordin Sparks, will drop November 20. So why is the 17-year-old songstress — and youngest "American Idol" champ — still sitting in a Los Angeles recording studio? Well, she's not done with the self-titled LP yet, which has her feeling a bit nervous.

"It's all very exciting, but also kind of scary, because it doesn't give me a lot of time to finish it," she said. "I'm out here in L.A., finishing up the record, and then they're sending me back to New York to write some more songs, and then I'll be coming back to master it and set the order for the songs. ... I'm trying really, really hard to finish it."

Every since taking the "Idol" title back in late May, Sparks said her life's been the very definition of hectic: She's been back home a mere three days, having just wrapped up the Idols Live Tour, and whenever she has some free time on her hands, she's been working on her album.

"My life has pretty much been airplanes, buses and hotel rooms," Sparks said, adding that even during the tour, she was writing songs for her debut. "To me, when I think of people making records, it usually takes, depending on who they are, nine months or so, maybe a year. I have a couple of months, so let's just try to get it done. Now that the 'Idol' tour's over, I don't have to balance that with finishing the record. I can just concentrate on finishing the record, and I'm working really hard on it."

Sparks said her label has largely been hands-off when it comes to her debut disc, but that the process has been very collaborative and filled with compromise. Sparks has enlisted several producers for Jordin Sparks, including production team the Underdogs (Ne-Yo, Chris Brown); Robbie Nevil (who has worked on the "High School Musical" and "Hannah Montana" soundtracks); Norwegian duo Stargate (Nas, Rihanna); Sam Watters (Diana DeGarmo, Jessica Simpson); and Eman (Nick Lachey, Katharine McPhee).

"So far, I have a whole bunch of songs I love and can't wait to perform," she said. "All of the producers are really awesome, and being in the studio with them is cool, because we can communicate. When they tell me to do something, I will try to do it — if I can't, they tell me to try it again. It's cool to see how they all work. They know exactly what they want, what they need to hear, and it's cool to get that direction."

Sparks said the album is "not complete R&B or hip-hop" — it also includes pop and country elements. "It's hard to make everything fit together," she said — something she feels she achieved on "Tattoo," the album's first single, which she co-wrote with Amanda Ghost (who penned the BeyoncĂ© and Shakira hit "Beautiful Liar"). "I fit all of that into one song, so I hope the songs I have on the album will resonate with that. There are some slow songs, a ballad called 'Permanent Monday.' I'm just so excited."

Sparks said she's still getting used to life after "Idol" and still can't believe she won the talent contest. "It's so weird to hear I'm the 'American Idol,' " she said. "It's so weird for me. Some days, I'll just be sitting, and it will hit me: 'What in the world is going on here?' I think of how thankful I am, and how super-blessed I am to be doing this. I don't know many 17-year-olds who get to tour all summer with their best friends and make a record."

In fact, reality really hit for Sparks during a recent shopping spree, she said. "I was in the dressing room at Express, and 'Tattoo' came on," she said. "I started flipping out and screaming, and a lady came by to see if I was all right."

Of course, when the album does drop, Sparks will be busy touring and promoting the disc. But ultimately, she'd like to branch out, like season-three "Idol" finalist — and Academy Award winner — Jennifer Hudson.

"I would love to do some acting," she explained. "I did musical theater back home, and I love being on the stage and acting out. It's so cool to become a different character for a little bit, so if the opportunity comes along, I'd love to do a movie or Broadway. If I ever actually have the time, I'd love to do it."