Originally posted Tuesday, July 24, 2018 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
Bo Bice to many is that 1970s-style Alabama rocker from season four in 2005 who lost to Carrie Underwood. He has had quite a journey since then.
Six years ago, Bice moved his four kids and wife to Georgia from Nashville to be closer to his parents off Lake Jackson in Covington. He was also trying to get clean from alcohol addiction and needed a change of scenery. (He is now three and a half years sober on that front.)
Soon after his move, the band Blood, Sweat & Tears of "Spinning Wheel" fame hired him to be their lead singer for a few gigs. That turned into five years and hundreds of concerts. He traveled to Australia, Europe and Asia. ((He performed "Spinning Wheel" on "Idol.")
In April of this year, though, he was told his services were no longer needed.
“I found out through my management,” Bice said in an exclusive interview. “They put out a statement saying they were moving in a different direction. I hadn’t had any dialogue with anybody directly with the band.”
Although that sounds corporate cold, he said he’s not bitter. “Listen,” he said. “I wish them all the best. I got to stand on stage with some of the most incredible musicians on the face of this earth singing from a catalog of music I grew up loving. I felt very honored to play a very small part in such a big iconic brand.”
Bice, now 42, spent ages 3 to 12 in Covington and lived in London as a teen. He recently moved back to Helena, his wife Caroline’s hometown 20 miles south of Birmingham. He is in the midst of selling his Covington compound, which he said got a viable offer in less than a week.
The move was more organic than planned, he said. Someone from Helena wanted to build a ball field for special needs kids via The Miracle League. Bice wanted to help. He held a concert there and raised $7,000. He did a celebrity softball event last month which included fellow "Idol' alum Jessica Meuse.
At the same time, he decided to rent some space and open a combination guitar shop/recording studio/teaching space in Helena. It's called Bo Bice's Premier Instruments and sits on Main Street, where a parade was held for him in 2005 during the height of "Idol" fever. "I mainly give master classes," he said. "People have to be a certain level."
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Aidan, his oldest, is 13 and will help out teaching beginner trumpet. His other kids are Caleb (10), Ean (8) and Merrin(6).
Before “Idol,” Bice worked at a guitar store in Pelham for five years, eventually becoming store manager. So in a sense, he’s returning to his roots.
“This gives me a chance not only to enhance the musical skills of the people in my community but I really love this place,” he said. “It’s been a part of my life for a long, long time.”
He said his enthusiasm for guitars has never waned. And he now has more time to write.
Bice is also past the brouhaha he raised early last year when a black Popeyes' employee called him "boy" and "Bo Bo" and he complained about "reverse racism." After a Fox 5 news report where he teared up, he was roundly mocked on social media.
“I will say it made me a better person to got through experiences like that,” he said. “I try to make sure I treat everyone with love and respect. I need to speak softer and not allow small things to bug me.”
Bice remains friends with fellow Alabama "Idol" man Ruben Studdard, who won season two. "We've toured together," he said. "My kids love him."
And he has known this year's runner up Caleb Lee Hutchinson for many years. Caleb, who lives in Dallas, opened for Bice a few years back at Mill Town Music Hall in Bremen.
When Caleb at the time told Bice he wanted to compete on the show, Bice gave him complete support.
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Georgia native and season 10 runner-up Lauren Alaina announced at SunTrust Park Saturday night opening for Jason Aldean that she is engaged to her long-time boyfriend Alex Hopkins.
Both are 23 and have been dating for six years.
Alaina landed her first No. 1 song in 2016 "Road Less Traveled" and was featured in Kane Brown's No. 1 2017 song "What Ifs."
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Credit: Scott Olson
Credit: Scott Olson
Jennifer Hudson is set to star in a movie adaptation of "Cats."
Others cast include Taylor Swift, James Corden and Ian McKellen.
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Season 17 of "Idol" officially started this past weekend in New Orleans. This story provides pretty scarce info beyond the fact a few hundred folks showed up.
The producers will be coming to Infinite Energy in Duluth on September 20 for the final open auditions.
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I’d normally have a Clay Aiken Tweet of the Week but he hasn’t tweeted anything of note since July 11. Where are you Clay???
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