Posted at 2:30 p.m. Monday, June 9

Viewers have yet to hear a note on “Nashville Star” and some long-time fans of the country music talent search already are crying “sham.”

The reality show moves to NBC from sister network USA for its sixth season beginning at 8:30 p.m. Monday.

Fans on message boards at NBC and USA Network—where the first five seasons of “Star” aired—are accusing NBC and “NS” producers of planting a few contestants without ever auditioning them.

“I am furious with the casting crew/producers. What a sham!!!,” WalnutValleyGal wrote at USA Network’s forum.

I couldn't get NBC reps to return my phone calls or emails to talk about the accusations, but in previous press releases the network has said the 12 finalists were culled from nationwide auditions.

The audition process and the finalists’ first performances in front of judges John Rich (of country duo Big & Rich), Jewell and songwriter Jeffrey Steele will be part of the season premiere. The performances were taped June 2 at the Acuff Theater in Nashville. After Monday night, all episodes will be live and viewers will vote to keep their favorites.

Some angry fans who posted on the forums have suggested that a few of the 12 finalists were hired from Broadway and/or modeling agencies to give the show good-looking young contestants that will attract younger viewers.

At least one accuser even suggests that host/judge John Rich, of the country duo Big & Rich, was in on the alleged scam.

“Tell the truth John [Rich] you brought some of us in from Broadway and were in on hiring underwear models,” SSY wrote at NBC’s site on June 5.

The “underwear model” in question in 19-year-old Justin Gaston (above), who does appear to be repped by Premier Model Management and Vision Model Management. He seems to be the contestant most under attack.

According to his NBC bio, Gaston moved away from home to pursue a singing career and supported himself as a model.

Fans claim Gaston’s NBC bio is made up, pointing to a bio at the Most Beautiful Man Web site that says “he moved to Los Angeles immediately and made the courageous decision to pursue modeling.” The writers also point out the bio mentions music only once, as a pastime: “In his spare time, he likes to play the guitar, do interpretive dance, watch movies and listen to Asian music.”

Gaston doesn’t seem to deny any of this. In a story published Sunday in The Town Talk, a newspaper serving his hometown, Gaston said he moved to New York and then L.A. to pursue modeling, but he had other plans.

“Modeling was just kind of to get me started,” Gaston told The Talk. “It was just to make money to do this. I’ve always loved country music.”

Read the bios of the 12 finalists on the jump.

Here are the 12 finalists on Season 5 of "Nashville Star."

JUSTIN GASTON
AGE: 19
HOMETOWN: Pineville, La.
CURRENT HOME: Los Angeles, California
Originally from Louisiana, Justin left home at age 17 to pursue a career in music, while supporting himself as a model. Only after suffering heartbreak from breaking up with his long-distance girlfriend did Justin realize how isolating living on his own can be at a young age. With his good looks and great voice, Justin is the ultimate teenage country heartthrob.

ALYSON GILBERT
AGE: 28
HOMETOWN: Crookstown, Minn.
CURRENT HOME: Jackson, Tenn.
Stunningly beautiful former Miss St. Paul, Alyson has a passion for music and animals. Her husband quit his job so Alyson could pursue her dream of music. When not performing at local bars and parties, Alyson studies veterinarian science at the University of Tennessee in Martin.

ASHLEE HEWITT
AGE: 20
HOMETOWN: Lancaster, Minn.
CURRENT HOME: Nashville, Tenn.
With her dad currently in Iraq training Iraqis, Ashlee is hoping to stay on the show for a few weeks so her dad can see her perform when he returns to the States for a short leave from overseas. One of 13 children, Ashlee grew up on a 2,500 acre horse ranch in Minnesota and is a true country girl—she’s comfortable driving tractors, catching fish or riding one of her family's 70 horses. Now, Ashlee's left her family and her farm to move to Nashville in pursuit of her dream.

CHARLEY JENKINS
AGE: 29
HOMETOWN: Roosevelt, Utah
CURRENT HOME: Murray, Utah
Everybody has been affected by cancer but for Charley Jenkins, it partly defines who he is. Five years ago Charley moved away from home to pursue his music career but when his dad was terminally ill with cancer, Charley returned home to Utah. A year later, Charley's dad passed away and now Charley includes a song he wrote about his father in every set he performs to have his dad still be close to him. With a 2-year-old daughter and a wife at home, this true good-old-boy from Utah wants to make his family proud—and his dad smile from above.

COFFEY
AGE: 28
HOMETOWN: Bangs, Texas
CURRENT HOME: L.A., Calif.
According to Coffey, being away from his 5-year-old daughter Savannah is like holding his breath and suffocating. As a single father, Coffey is competing for two—himself and his daughter. He loves country music, entertaining and being a Southern gentleman. While most move to Nashville, Coffey left his small town in Texas for L.A. where he can often be found performing on the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, trying to sell a CD as people pass by.

GABE GARCIA
AGE: 28
HOMETOWN: Lyle, Texas
CURRENT HOME: Dickson, Tenn.
Gabe Garcia is proud of his roots and wants to inspire other Hispanics to pursue a career in country music, just as Rick Trevino inspired him. The ultimate Tex-Mex cowboy, Gabe left San Antonio and his job of 10 years after his father passed away last October to follow his dream and he's not turning back. With his family's support, Gabe wants to be the next "Nashville Star" with his mother cheering him on from the audience.

LAURA FEDOR, SOPHIE ZALOKAR
AGE: Laura (18), Sophie (16)
HOMETOWN: Willoughby, Ohio
CURRENT HOME: Willoughby, Ohio
To look at Laura and Sophie is to see two high school teenagers who should be enjoying their summer vacation from school. Instead, Laura is missing her high school graduation and spent her last three weeks at home fighting with her parents who forbade her from doing "Nashville Star." The 18-year-old chose to go against her parents' wishes to spend the summer with her best friend Sophie as they try to pursue their dreams at a young age. With Laura still wearing braces and Sophie barely legal to drive, these teens are unlike anything else in country music.

MELISSA LAWSON
AGE: 32
HOMETOWN: Arlington, Texas
CURRENT HOME: Dalworthington Gardens, Texas
At age 31, Melissa is the oldest female contestant this season on "Nashville Star." A working mother with five sons, Melissa wants to prove that country music is about the songs and the voice, not about the size jeans you where. She's the "every woman" in pursuit of the ultimate dream and she didn't leave her family to lose the competition

PEARL HEART (Amy, Angela and Courtney Krechel)
AGES: Amy and Angela (20), Courtney (17)
HOMETOWN: Florissant, Mo.
CURRENT HOME: Thompson's Station, Tenn.
The female trio Pearl Heart is a family affair with twin sisters Amy and Angela singing alongside their little sister Courtney. After watching their daughters perform together for years, Pearl Heart's parents packed up their bags and moved their family to Tennessee for their daughters to more seriously pursue their music career. By making top-12 of "Nashville Star," the Krechel sisters are hoping to prove to their parents that the move paid off.

SHAWN MAYER
AGE: 21
HOMETOWN: May City, Iowa
CURRENT HOME: Madison, Tenn.
From a town of 45, Shawn skipped lunch at school to avoid finding someone that would sit with her or having to sit alone, because unlike her classmates, Shawn was spending her weekends earning money by performing in bars and not hanging out at the mall. Her parents encouraged her to make her own way and she rewarded them by hiring them to be part of her team as she pursued her dreams. She's worked on a hog farm, is a mechanic and a volunteer firefighter but the girl really just wants to be on a stage.

THIRD TOWN (Jeffrey Fairchild, James A. Kouns, Tony Mosti)
AGES: Jeffrey (37), James (29) and Tony (35)
HOMETOWN: San Antonio, Texas
CURRENT HOME: Las Vegas, Nev.
First, Jeffrey, James and Tony tried to make it in San Antonio, then Pigeon Forge, Tenn., and third, they went to Las Vegas where they found their name—Third Town. After their tryout for "Nashville Star," the three were told that they didn't make the show's top 12 and they returned to Las Vegas and resumed their lives of pounding the pavement in pursuit of their dreams. Then, the day before the first show taping, they got the call that will forever change their lives—they had made the top 12. Though each one performed in a separate show in Vegas, Jeffrey, James and Tony dropped everything and headed to Nashville.

TOMMY STANLEY

AGE: 23

HOMETOWN: Cushing, Okla.

CURRENT HOME: USS Kitty Hawk

Tommy Stanley was working as an engineer on the USS Kitty Hawk and stationed in Japan when he filmed his video audition for "Nashville Star." Once finding out he'd made it to the Norfolk military audition, Tommy flew from Japan to Virginia with the hope of taking a leave from duty to pursue his music. He hasn't seen his father in a year or his mom in three years but he hopes to perform before them on the show.

TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d83451600969e200e5531a66d38833

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference 'Nashville' nastiness: Is Season 6 hottie a 'plant'?:

This show was a major let down. I have never watched it before and now conclude I have missed nothing~!
LOL
Charley Jenkins rocked it!
Those Judges are biased and need to get their ears checked!

Curt's reply: I agree Chris. It seemed like they were judging some on singing, some on stage presence, some on facial expressions. But none on all of the above.

I manage a young singer by the name of MELISSA ANN KIESECKER from Long Island. (www.MelissaWorldWide.com) She's an aspiring country/pop singer. We were on the "audition" list for a year and never got an audition location until a few days or so before they were to be held. Of course they were not in our state so we had to make plans and couldn't stay any where near the place because every room was booked solid. This lack of notification was even worsened when you consider I sent numerous emails requesting the date/time/location of the auditions for this season's show.

I've heard rumors before about the "planting" or "pre-picking" of contestants but figured they were just that ... rumors ... however, now I question if they were or not.

I certainly do not think the judges have anything to do with that if it is going on, but the lack of communication for a potential contestant shouldn't be ignored.
Curt's reply: That's too bad, John. Thanks for the info. I wish Melissa good luck in the future.

I wanted so badly to try out for the Nashville Star but never got notification of where the auditions would be held until a day or two before they were having them. I thought that was really unfair.

Curt's reply: So I hear, Melissa, from your manager's comment. That sucks. Good luck in the future.

Justin Gaston is cute but I don't think he has what it takes to be a country singer star. I enjoyed Pearl Heart's performance and loved Ashlee Hewitt's. She gave me goosebumps a true indication for me that she has talent. I will totally tune in Mondays at 9pm!!

Curt's reply: ... and 8 p.m. Central. Thanks for reading and commenting Marie.

Post a comment