It was one of the last shows of the tour.
And after a memorable experience last year in Nashville, Tenn., another American Idol concert was something Emily Fanguy and Laurie Anne Price would never miss. The date was August 20, and the pair circled their calendars months in advance.
“Since last year, we’ve been fans of American Idol,” Price, an education sophomore from Houma, said. “We’ve watched just about every show so far, and going to last year’s performance was so good.”
When the pair left home with Fanguy’s parents, Fanguy and Price were simply looking forward to enjoying the 30th performance of a 39-city tour by the 2003 American Idol finalists at the Compaq Center in Houston.
They got that and a little more. Not only did the pair attend the concert, but they met all the American Idol finalists in person as well.
“It was such an awesome thrill to meet all of the American Idols,” Fanguy, a nursing sophomore from Houma, said. “We just so happened to find ourselves in the right place at the right time.”
Before the concert began that evening, Fanguy and Price learned that the Idols were staying in a nearby hotel across the street from the Center when they arrived. The pair jogged to the hotel in an attempt to spot some of the Idols and maybe get an autograph or two.
“We looked around for a while and then we saw some of them eating at a table. We were so excited,” Fanguy said. “We waited until they finished to try to talk to them.”
They did just that. Fanguy and Price walked away with autographs from the young celebrities Kimberely Locke, Ricky Smith and Trynese, along with personal photographs with the stars. As Fanguy and Price left the scene, they noticed the rest of the Idols passing nearby. The pair ran over to get a few more autographs and pictures.
“We were unable to get pictures of [American Idol] Ruben Studdard and [runner-up] Clay Aiken, though, because they were running a little late,” Fanguy said. “They were really rushing.”
As the Idols loaded the American Idol bus to leave for the Center to prepare for the concert, Fanguy and Price walked back across the street and noticed a local radio station that was giving away free backstage, meet-and-greet session tickets. After conversing with Clay Aiken’s bodyguard, who convinced the station manager to give him two tickets, the bodyguard gave Fanguy and Price each a ticket.
But that left Fanguy’s parents without a chance to meet the Idols face to face. So, Fanguy and Price asked Aiken’s bodyguard if he could find two more tickets to the meet-and-greet session. Aiken’s bodyguard said he would try to and told the pair to meet him by the front door a few minutes later, but when he came back, he had no tickets.
Moments later, however, Price saw Kimberly Caldwell and gave the singer’s bodyguard a note to give Caldwell along with a bag of Starbursts, Caldwell’s favorite candy. Seemingly frightened, Caldwell ran onto the American Idol bus nearby when she saw Fanguy and Price coming her way.
“At that time, we thought she was just being a witch,” Fanguy said. “But a few moments later, her bodyguard came back and said, ‘Kimberly would personally like to meet with you two.’ We were stunned.”
The bodyguard led Fanguy and Price into a room alone with Caldwell so they could chat for a few moments. Realizing that Price was the one who sent the note and a bag of Starbursts, Caldwell thanked and hugged her – and then gave Fanguy and Price the extra pair of meet-and-greet tickets they were looking for.
“In a matter of a few minutes, she went from being rude to one of the nicest people you’d ever meet,” Price said. “Emily’s parents were able to meet-and-greet with us because of her, so that was cool.”
Later in the evening, all four of them went up to a room at the Center for the meet-and-greet session with all of the American Idol finalists. Fanguy said fans participating in the session could only get autographs, shake hands and take pictures without the Idols looking directly into the camera.
“They all were very nice,” Fanguy said. “It moved very quickly; we only had a couple minutes to meet with each one. It was a very neat and unforgettable experience though.”
After almost becoming an afterthought, the concert that night was memorable, Price said. She said performances by Clay Aiken, who sang many originals from his first album “Measure of a Man,” and Kimberly Locke’s rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” received standing ovations. Ruben Studdard, they said, was not accepted as well by the audience as they thought he would be.
“The concert was amazing and fun,” Price said. “We sat at about the 11th row, so we had excellent seats. We were also right in front of Kimberly Caldwell’s family and friends who were just screaming like crazy.”
Looking back at the experience, Fanguy and Price were most impressed with the attitude of the Idols above anything else. In contrast to many celebrities who appear sociable on television but act arrogantly face to face, the duo said the Idols were very approachable.
“The Idols were some of the nicest and friendliest people you would ever meet,” Price said. “Just because talented people decide to go on a reality show to try to boost their careers, it in no way makes them smaller than talented people who take the hard road instead.”
Fanguy and Price said that they were too embarrassed to admit they were American Idol fans before the concert and meet-and-greet session, but the experiences of that August evening changed their views.
“When you watch a show like American Idol, you are forced to form an opinion based on image,” Price said. “But meeting them in real life and realizing they are real people just striving to do their best, changes the whole way you perceive them.”
If the same opportunity presents itself for next year’s American Idol tour, Fanguy and Price said they would not hesitate to do it again.