U.K. Pop Idol Will Young Takes A Break From Fame... in Los
Angeles?
by R. Hunter Garcia
Most people come to Los Angeles seeking fame. But when
British superstar Will Young came to L.A. last week to guest star on the American
Idol finale, one of the side benefits of the trip was taking a break from
being a household name in his home country.
Reached at his Notting Hill home on his return from
California, Will reflected on his week of anonymity. “For a lot of different
reasons, it was a great experience, because I think it’s very good for your
ego. I think it was a really good thing for me to go out there where no one
knows who I am. Really, if no one knows who you are, no one really cares, you
know what I mean? They’re really blunt about it. If they don’t know you,
they’re not really that interested.”
“Also, I had to go out and sing, and had to win people
over, and that can be really tough because you can get used to people screaming
for you and giving you a great response in the U.K.”
Will recently told CBS’s The Early Show that he
thought hyper-critical American Idol judge Simon Cowell had been even
rougher in America. “I think he’s gotten a bit nastier.” When Will was still
just a contestant on Pop Idol, Will once spoke back to Cowell when he labeled
Will’s performance of “Light My Fire” average. “I don’t think you can call that
‘average,’” Young said at the time. “Light My Fire” went on to become Young’s
second No. 1 hit single.
“I was really surprised and pleased that (Simon’s
criticism) brought out a strength of character in me... that I was like, ‘No,
I’ve got to stand up for myself.’ I’m quite a shy person, and I’d never really
done that before.”
Will’s third single comes out next week in the U.K., a
duet version of “The Long and Winding Road,” sung with Gareth Gates, the singer
who placed second on Pop Idol. Will’s first album, From Now On,
will be released Oct. 7 in the U.K.