Pickler comes to Madison Square Garden Friday, January 18, 2008 BY IAN SPELLINGSPECIAL TO THE RECORD Kellie Pickler is pumped.
The singer, who's made the most of her sixth-place finish on "American Idol" a couple of seasons ago, can't wait to open for Rascal Flatts tonight at Madison Square Garden.
"Let me tell you, it is crazy," Pickler says excitedly, pronouncing "crazy" as "cray-zee." "When I first signed on, I didn't have an outline of the tour dates. When I got it I was like, 'Oh my God, we're doing Madison Square Garden!' It's one of our first shows. So I'm very excited."
Pickler will have the spotlight to herself for about 45 minutes. She'll no doubt perform songs from her hit album "Small Town Girl," which was released in October 2006 and spawned the popular singles "Red High Heels," "I Wonder" and "Things That Never Cross a Man's Mind." And she might even preview a song from her next album, which she's working on now.
On the telephone from her label's office in California, Pickler laughs easily and sounds as if she's enjoying the whirlwind ride from obscurity -- and life as a roller-skating waitress -- to pop stardom. She's breathlessly enthusiastic, but there's none of the ditziness that made her stint on "American Idol" and her recent appearance on "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" so entertaining.
"I did 'American Idol' in '06, and '07 was crazy, too," Pickler says. "It's amazing how fast time has flown by and how much has happened in just that little, short amount of time. The biggest adjustment is how much your life does change. It's so much to take in and absorb. But this is what I've wanted my whole life, and I finally got it. So I'm definitely going to take advantage of every opportunity that comes along."
Of course, there's always that bugaboo of "Be careful what you wish for." Because she's in the public eye, some people seem to consider anything Pickler-centric fair game. Every zit gets photographed. Every goofy comment is dissected. If she sheds a tear, people debate whether the emotion was genuine.
"That's been strange," Pickler acknowledges. "People that buy these magazines and newspapers and watch TV, I think they forget we're all people. We all put our pants on the same way. We're all going to gain weight and lose weight. We're all going to break out and get a zit. We're all going to make mistakes because we're human. ...
"I think this is definitely the most critical industry you could be in, because people are constantly watching you and are so fascinated by the people they see on television."
Though the "Idol" phenomenon has launched many a career, there's no guarantee of longevity. Ruben Studdard, Katharine McPhee and Taylor Hicks were recently dropped by their labels. Even once bulletproof Kelly Clarkson hit a roadblock.
Still, Pickler figures, if it all went away tomorrow she'd be OK.
"Everyone's definition of success is different," she says. "My definition is being able to make a living doing what I love. It's not about selling more records than someone else. It's not about having the highest single on the charts. It's not about being the lead in a movie. It's about the journey to get there. It's about being able to do what you love and touch people.
"If there's only one person that buys your record and your song has changed their life, that's enough. That's just my way of looking at it. I'm not a competitive person. I just love music. I love to write. I'll write until the day I die. I want to be buried with my notepad and pen so I can write."
Pickler laughs that raucous laugh of hers.
"That sounds weird!" she says.
Then she turns serious again.
"But you just can't get caught up in the fame and money, because none of that is going to make you happy."
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I hope Kellie does land roles in movies one day! Hmmm maybe she already has?
