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American Idol Interview: Ashley Rodriguez
March 10, 2010 12:46 PM by Christine McDow
After Ashley Rodriguez’s boot from American Idol a couple of weeks ago she talked to reporters and answered all of her fans burning questions. There were many people who were upset about American Idol getting cut from the top 24 of AI. Were you one of them?
Question: A quick question for you:Â Looking back, what are you going to be taking with you from the Idol experience?
Ashley Rodriguez: Idol has really shown me that now more than ever I have to fight for what I want. It was giving me a little taste of the dream and I’m willing to work hard for it, especially now that I’ve got a little glimpse of what this life is like.
Question: How about memorable experiences throughout the show and a message to all the fans who supported you?
Ashley Rodriguez: Memorable experiences. Our top 24 photo shoot was a blast. We walked into this big L.A. shoot and it was just super-glamorous and really exciting, a ton of press, and it was really our opportunity to shine. That’s definitely probably one of my favorite moments. Also getting to meet with and work with Ricky Miner and the band, and they’re just so incredible. Those are definitely two great moments that I’m going to take away from this experience.
The fans that I’ve gained in doing this show have been so wonderful from the very beginning and so supportive. I’ve seen a few of the messages since being eliminated from the show, and they’re holding on, man, and still so supportive and so loving, and I’m hoping that in the near future I’m going to have an awesome album for them and a great record and they’ll stay fans for a long time.
Question: Tell me, is there anything, looking back, that you wish you had changed or done differently?
Ashley Rodriguez: Actually, there isn’t. I feel like I went into this competition giving 100% all the time, and I think it’s actually a really, really awesome thing for me that I can walk out of it saying that I have no regrets. I gave my all in every performance, in every situation, and I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and that one opportunity that may not have been for me is just going to lead me and bring me to the next best thing for me.
Question: Did you feel like the judges were too harsh with you? They didn’t have a lot of positive feedback for anybody.
Ashley Rodriguez: Yes, they were not taking any chances this week. I think a lot of people thought they would be a little lenient considering it was our first live show, but turns out that they were coming in throwing punches, and – I wouldn’t say that they were too hard, but – we definitely could have used a little bit of love from them, that’s for sure. I think that they were very quick to give a lot of criticism and not back it up by anything positive, which is unfortunate, because you can always find something good from a performance, even if it falls apart. There’s always something positive you can take from that, and they didn’t really highlight on that too much, which is unfortunate.
Question: I was curious if you were rooming with anyone during this time, and what friendships have you made, and what about those friendships will you treasure?
Ashley Rodriguez: Janell and I were actually roommates, and I’ve also roomed with Caitlin during this experience. They’re both wonderful, wonderful girls. Being in a close-knit group like that has really just built some awesome friendships. I’m also great friends with Michelle and – it’s just – we all have the same dream, or at least a similar one, and if nothing else, that was our connecting bond, that’s what brought us together, and so just that in itself—there haven’t been many people who have gone through this Idol experience, so we’re a couple of the few who can say that we’ve done this together and that’s something we’ll live with for the rest of our lives, so it’s been pretty incredible.
Question: You’ve also said that everything happens for a reason. Do have a particular thought behind that in regard to leaving so soon?
Ashley Rodriguez: Yes. It’s unfortunate that I’m leaving the competition so soon, but I have to believe that everything happens for a reason, the good and the bad, because that’s the glimpse of hope. That’s the light in a dark situation. And I’m taking Idol for what it is and for what it was for me, which was a great platform and an awesome opportunity and an incredible moment to sing in front of such a huge audience – 30 million people got to hear me sing and I got to share with them, so what a better way to jump start your career than such a huge audience on such a big platform.
Question: I kind of want to know about the first time you ever sang a solo. I heard something about a first-grade Christmas play and I want you to take me back.
Ashley Rodriguez: Oh, my goodness, my first solo. Yes, I definitely wrote down – it was either kindergarten or first grade and I was singing in a Christmas play. I don’t even remember the song, but I just remember the feeling that I had. I was up on the stage and – I look back now and it was so tiny, the stage was probably tiny and it was like a little school play. But I remember the feeling of having the lights go dim and having the spotlight kind of hit me, and me sing through like – I don’t know what, was maybe like 30 seconds of a solo, and just remember feeling so incredible and just knowing in that instant that this is something that I love to do. I love being on a stage. It’s where I’m comfortable, it’s where I feel the most at peace, and that was something that I was going to definitely have be a part of my life for the rest of my life.
Question: Kind of the turning point?
Ashley Rodriguez: Oh, absolutely.
Question: There seems some buzz about Simon was a little bit harsher than usual. What do you think about that?
Ashley Rodriguez: I think we’ve all kind of agreed that we do feel like Simon Cowell and the rest of the judges were a little harsh with both the girls and the guys this year. There was definitely no leniency with it being our first live show, which is unfortunate, because there are a lot of jitters and nerves that go into our first live performance. But they’re doing their job, and their job is to critique, and their job is to give criticism, and they’re the judges. It’s unfortunate that it came about that way, but at the end of the day I love them all, they’ve all played such a huge role in this experience for me. Hopefully we’ll be crossing paths again.
Question: Ashley, do you have any closing remarks?
Ashley Rodriguez: I do. I would just like to say thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who’s supported me, and really just made this journey so incredible for me, my friends and my family and to my city, Boston. You guys have really just banded together and stuck by me, and that’s huge for me. This will not be the last that you see of me. I’m definitely going to work hard and America will get to see me again, that’s for sure.
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Photo Courtesy of FOX
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