'Kiss' Off
Paris Bennett: ''Don't be sad. I'm not.'' The latest ''Idol'' evictee tells Jessica Shaw about being ''satisfied'' with the results, the blessing she got from Prince and Mary J., and more



WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE PARIS Well, maybe not on the show -- but Bennett says she'll be working on her own album

Paris Bennett: Squeaky-voiced child prodigy or squeaky-voiced annoyance? Audiences were divided by this diva in training, but ultimately chose to send the 17-year-old back to high school. Not that Paris is burning up about it. In fact, she barely sounds bothered.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Paris, I'm sorry you got voted off last night...
PARIS BENNETT Don't be sad. I'm not.

What do you mean you're not sad?
I'm very happy. I'm satisfied with how everything went on the show. There are so many blessings on the way. I need to close one chapter to enjoy the other one.

So you're telling me you didn't even cry once?
Nope. Well, I cried to see the producers and staff cry because I was leaving. That was sad. But never for the show. I was very happy with the judgment. I came in with a smile and left with a smile.

Do you think your performances of Prince's ''Kiss'' and Mary J. Blige's ''Be Without You'' got you voted out?
I was very very happy with my performances. I wouldn't change them in any way, shape, or form. And for Prince to clear it for me...

He cleared the rights to ''Kiss'' because he knew you were singing it?
Yeah — that was the first time Prince cleared a song, and the first time Mary did too.
Week after week, the guest musicians like Barry Manilow, Queen, and Rod Stewart went on and on about how amazingly talented you are.
It was just a big blessing to hear them say I was great and that my voice had something that the others didn't have. That was a blessing in itself that other people noticed that. I don't even think I realized how much of a gift I have.

You mean you went into the American Idol auditions thinking you just had a pretty good voice?
When I went into the competition I said I wasn't going to go for that No. 1 goal. I was going into it because I like to sing and dance and I would love to entertain America.

And yet Simon didn't always seem to be so entertained. Last night he called you ''screechy and annoying.''
You know, I felt just fine about that. Anything they say I take the negative and make it positive. Nothing knocks me down. I never take anything to heart. I have to be very strong-willed. You can either dwell on it or move on and start a new thing. You have to make it a positive.

How do you make ''screechy and annoying'' a positive?
Because everyone has their different opinions of my voice. I can't help if that's the way I talk. This is what I was born with. I'm grateful to have this gift.

Speaking of your voice, it's pretty amazing how high your speaking voice is and how low you can sing.
I hear that a lot. I've trained myself to be able to do that. For a lot of singers, having a low register is a great A+. A lot of female singers can't do that and have to sing their songs at high notes.

I've interviewed the eliminated contestants in past weeks and a lot of people said they got very close to you. Were you everyone's kid sister?
I was everyone's big and little sister. I wear my heart on my shoulder. I'm not afraid to take in another person as a member of my family. I genuinely have a heart and I love everyone. Sometimes people say you can't love more than one person, but I do.


Do you think being the youngest remaining competitor was an advantage or a disadvantage?
I don't know if it was an advantage or a disadvantage. Some people would say, ''She sings too old'' and ''She dresses too old.'' And other people would say, ''She sings too young'' and ''She dresses too young.'' When you're 17, you don't have a defined place. When you're 18, you're an adult. When you're 16, you're a teenager. Seventeen doesn't have one place. Seventeen is when you're becoming a young adult. I let America be a part of me becoming a young adult.

But I bet going to school during the day when everyone else was off shopping was pretty lame.
It was fine. I was willing to do what I had to do. I got it out of the way.

Did the judges have any words of wisdom for you last night?
The judges said I was a strong, young girl, and no matter what they said I never lost my dignity or my confidence. They said I always smiled and said ''thank you,'' and that's something they respected.

You come from an incredible legacy with a family of singers, including your grandmother Ann Nesby. Were they comforting to you?
They said they were proud of me.

Anything else meaningful said to you last night?
Everyone was saying nice things to me last night. Everyone has a special bond with me. After dinner I went home and went to sleep.

Did you have to share an apartment with anyone on the show?
Katharine was in the same apartment. It was a great thing. I love Katharine. I taught her a lot of things. And she taught me.

What did you teach each other?
Katharine taught me to always have that time where you can be in your own world, when you don't have to talk to people, and I taught her that every time you go on stage [you should] act like it's your last time on stage. Give them 100 percent, because no matter what, you don't want anyone to ever be able to say you didn't give 100 percent.

What's up with your ''Princess P'' nickname?
It was a name given to me by my family members. I've always been called a little princess because I've always been in makeup, hair, skirts, and heels. But Paris is a tomboy, and P is abbreviated for Paris. Paris is a tomboy underneath all the dresses.

Last night when it was down to you and Elliott, you said something to him which I couldn't make out. Do you remember what it was?
I said, ''You did it, E-Double.'' He calls me ''P-Double.''

Why Double?
It's just a nickname. It doesn't mean anything. Him, Taylor, and Ace have become my big brothers. I would never exchange anything for them.

What's next for you, besides going on Jay Leno (which I hear them calling you for)?
I will continue to do my online school and enjoy my friends, and then I will work on the tour and make my own album. A lot of blessings

I didn't think you needed to be cleared by Prince to perform 'Kiss', as long as you've got one of those performing licenses you can cover most songs live, though I don't know the ins-and-outs of it all? There again, this is recorded... But surely that must mean Prince gave permission to Chico to perform Kiss on the UK version? And I don't see that happening, I'm not sure he was even happy about Tom Jones covering it!

I might be wrong on this, as I can't remember the specifics, but I believe that the price for licensing for a tv show that reaches millions costs a lot more than the price of a venue's performing licenses.

It would cost less for an artist to clear a song and pay the artist/company lump sum royalties.

Dauphin said:

That may be true, but still, her statement that this is the first time Prince has cleared a song (and thereby giving the impression she is special) is clearly wrong as Chico sang the song as I said before.

If someone wants to perform a song, say on TV, they have to get permission from the Publishers of that song in order to use it. The Publisher will decide if they wish to grant permission to use it AND the fee they may want to charge for that use. Since Prince "Publishes" his own work, either he (or somebody working for him) would have to approve that usage

Often, money is a factor here. You generally don't hear Beatles songs on "Idol" because the cost they want is considered too high . Though the other night Taylor sang 'Something"...according to an 'Idol" Producer, George Harrison's Publishing reps want a smaller fee than the Lennon/McCartney Publishers, which was why it was allowed on .

Is Paris hot?

Prince only let's beautiful women do his works!

MikeMatronik said:

I don't think it had anything to do with the physical, plus she is not a woman. She is only 16 or 17. She sorta kinda has a connection to P. Her grandmother, Ann Nesby, is a singer and used to be in the group Sounds of Blackness, which was produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, if I am not mistaken. I am an pretty sure the connection helped with the clearance.

PurpleCharm said:

And what was Chico's connection with Prince?

metalorange said:

Why do I have Jack & Ennis del Mar on my mind now!

metalorange said:

What country is Chico in? Maybe copyright laws are different internationally? Just a guess.

PurpleCharm said:

that's my guess

I just know I've heard other US idol contestants mention in past years that they would've loved to do a Prince song but it was never cleared.

isthisdadawn said:

I sort of already said the same thing.

PurpleCharm said:

Just clarifing baby

endorphin74 said:

Dont folks remember the big ordeal over whats her name not clearing her songs? The first year winner? Kelly..Kelly Clarkson? Simon had to call her and call her an ungreatful twit or something and then she relented and allowed clearance.

PurpleCharm said:

The UK. Where Pop Idol originated. I really doubt that the UK would be exempt from such laws.

isthisdadawn said:

...Purple said the SAME THING!!!

sosgemini said:

I remember that. I didn't get it until... now... lol...

I've alredy asked this on the other Paris thread, but is it yet possible to watch her performance on the AI homepage?

VenusBlingBling said:

I'd like to know that as well

That was a sweet little interview. I'm even more bummed she got the boot now. Numbskulls got too much earwax or something!