NEXT JOSH PERFORMANCE
February 25th, 2003
Click here to vote for JoshGracin.com!
[February 18th, 2003]
A new section is being added to the site, and I am allowing a sneak preview at just what to expect! The new section is going to be for fan signs. An example
is shown below. The beautiful baby in the photo is my little sister, Sophia. Isn't she a gorgeous model? Cindy Crawford's got nothing on her! :)
I would like to have a lot of these, but that can only be made possible if you participate. Even if you just want to make a digital graphic for Josh, that works
too! Anything would be awesome. If you want to make a Josh fan sign, send it to me ok?!
Also, Alyssa sent me the little smidget of an "article" about Josh from YM magazine. Here's what it says:
Joshua Gracin
Age: 22
Hometown: Westland, MI
Audition Song: "All or Nothing" by O-Town
Tell it to the Marines: "It's one thing to be disappointed in yourself or to go back to your family and explain what happened. But when you have the whole U.S. Marine Corps [which I've been in for two and a half years] on your back, it's a lot of pressure to succeed."
There was a picture that went along with it. I'm assuming it was one from the American Idol website or a live performance photo. Pretty cool! I like the quote a lot. Whoo for Josh! lol.
Cindy posted @ 7:19 p.m.
[February 17th, 2003]
First, Josh (along with other American Idol 2 contestants) has been mentioned in a few magazines already, one that I know of is YM. I'll probably
be picking that up and letting you know what they have to say sometime in the near future.
The countdown till Josh's next performance is ON! Just EIGHT more days and we'll be blown away once again! I am getting really anxious
to see how he does. I'm hopeful that America will see that this so-called "X Factor" lies not in some pretty boy with an average voice, but in THE MAN we know
as Josh Gracin. :)
In site news, I added more people to the fanlisting, so we've now gone over the 50 member mark! Our next goal is 100! I'm also
adding the last idol review Alicia wrote. I know it's kinda late, I'm sorry, but I'm trying to catch up here. :)
Finally, I got this poem in my email from Jessie and was asked to post it on the site. I think you guys will enjoy it, I definitely did. Thanks for sending it, Jessie! (Note: as
far as I know, there's no title and I have no clue who the author is. If you know who wrote it, let me know and I'll give proper credit)
I am a small and precious child,
My dad's been sent to fight...
The only place I'll see his face,
Is in my dreams at night.
He will be gone too many days
For my young mind to keep track.
I may be sad, but I am proud.
My daddy's got your back.
I am a caring mother.
My son has gone to war...
My mind is filled with worries
That I have never known before.
Everyday I try to keep
My thoughts from turning black.
I may be scared, but I am proud.
My son has got your back.
I am a strong and loving wife,
With a husband soon to go.
There are times I'm terrified
In a way most never know.
I bite my lip, and force a smile
As I watch my husband pack...
My heart may break, but I am proud.
My husband's got your back.
I am a soldier
Serving proudly, standing tall.
I fight for freedom, yours and mine
By answering this call.
I do my job while knowing,
The thanks it sometimes lacks.
Say a prayer that I'll come home.
It's me who's got your back.
Cindy posted @ 3:00 p.m.
[February 12th, 2003]
An update. :) I know it's been a few days, I'm sorry! But there's lots to mention. First, in somewhat unrelated news,
Frenchie Davis has been disqualified from American Idol. It's not like you haven't heard already, but just so you know, it's
true. She was scheduled to appear on February 25th's show, but it was found out that four years ago she had appeared on an adult
website. My opinion? This is not someone who should be named an American Idol.
As for last night's show, I was only truly impressed by Ruben Studdard, and for obvious reasons. His voice is incredible. When he
opens his mouth to sing you forget all about his image, and this will work to his advantage. His personality is great, and he just seems really
comfortable being in front of the camera. Case in point, his little interview with Ryan Seacrest after his performance. It was really funny! The other
contestants were okay, but I wasn't really blown away. I personally don't see the big deal about Clay Aiken, nor was I impressed by Kimberly Locke's attitude. Kimberly, honey,
having the voice isn't all that being an American Idol is about. It's one thing to respectfully disagree with Simon, or just say that you don't like the way
he critiques people...it's another thing completely to disrespect someone who WILL make or break you. America votes, but Simon is the one giving you
the record deal and marketing you. Remember that.
Anyway, enough of my commentary. Now for the regular site updates. Two new idol reviews have been posted, written by Alicia and Jessie. They
are really good reviews. If you'd like to discuss what they had to say, there's always the forums!
Guess what? This website has been mentioned in two newspapers...the one I write for (the Havelock News) and now The Sentinel, which comes out of
Carlisle, PA. The article was written by Francis Volpe, an editorial writer for the paper who had previously expressed his views on Josh Gracin. Unfortunately,
the article from which he had pulled his "facts" was the old New York Post piece that had erroneously reported that Josh was going to be on Idol when his unit
had been scheduled to deploy. I wrote this journalist an email, defending Josh (surprise, surprise).
I am currently pursuing a future career in Journalism, and I was
disappointed to see that this reporter hadn't exhausted his sources and come up with hard facts, rather than gossip from the NY Post. In response, Volpe did a
follow up article on this whole ordeal, in which I am named several times. Needless to say, I was utterly shocked when I found the article posted on the popular American
Idol 2 Yahoo Group. I don't know about you, but I think it's an extremely interesting read. ;) Read
it now!
Updates might be slow until Josh's group performs. Besides talking about the current episodes of American Idol, there's not much I can say about
Josh until he wows us once again with his gorgeous voice. I will say one thing though...I downloaded "It's Not Just Me" by Rascal Flatts (this is the
song he put as his favorite on his idolonfox.com contestant page), and I would like to heartily thank Josh for introducing me to the song. I can't
stop listening to it! I think Rascal Flatts has just gained another fan.
Until next time...
Cindy posted @ 6:40 p.m.
[February 8th, 2003]
As you may have heard by now, the sometimes unbearably honest Simon Cowell has finally named names. Who is he "keeping his
eye on"? Yes, you guessed it, Josh Gracin. The article from which this incredible news was taken can
be found here.
A JG.COM regular, Alicia, has submitted an idol review for us! Click here to check that out. We're hoping
she'll come back and leave some commentary on future episodes. If you want to get YOUR opinion in the Idol Reviews section, all you
have to do is let me know. I'll be more than happy to read your review and (if I like it) post it
on the site!
I added 11 new members to the fanlisting! We are now just 2 people shy of 40 members. If you haven't
joined yet, then what's wrong with you?! ;) lol. The more the merrier. Besides, it's really simple and the "rules" are very easy to follow. So, go
look!
I think that's about it for now. Have a good Saturday, guys.
Cindy posted @ 1:13 p.m.
[February 5th, 2003]
The first 2 of the final 10 have been picked -- Julia Demato and Charles Grisby. Charles was great
and I am so glad he made it. GOOD JOB, AMERICA!
I'm adding pictures from the official American Idol site tonight. I may also be adding
some articles to the news section. And that's it for now, everybody.
Cindy posted @ 9:19 p.m.
[February 4th, 2003]
Okay, first of all...what is this big hoopla over JD Adams? That guy isn't anything special. He doesn't
know how to use his voice at all, it is so empty of any emotion. Blah. Julia disappointed me tonight. She
just seemed to be going through the motions. My favorites from tonight were Trenyce and Charles, both of whom
I hadn't heard anything about until this show. They seem to be the general favorites, so I hope they make it.
So, now they have family members in the Red Room with the contestants...interesting. Patrick's dad coming to
his defense was nice. Kinda humorous, but nice. Patrick was good but I don't know if he'll make it. I wonder who out
of Josh's family will be up there with him?
I can't wait till tomorrow night to see who the first 2 are to advance and make it to the final 10. This should be
pretty cool. Oh, anyone else confused as to why Evan from Joe Millionaire showed up in the Red Room? lol.
Cindy posted @ 10:52 p.m.
American Idol is on tonight! Josh isn't on it, but I think you all should pay special attention
to Patrick Fortson. I've heard some great things about him.
As far as site updates, I put up some more pictures (thanks to Jessica for the
screen caps). There will be more after the show is over!
Cindy posted @ 8:02 p.m.
[February 3rd, 2003]
We now have a CHAT ROOM up so please,
instead of using the tagboard as a chat, hold discussions in the chat. If you're not a chat type person, then hold discussions
in the forums. Isn't that a nifty idea?
I'll be back with more updates later.
Cindy posted @ 7:30 p.m.
[February 2nd, 2003]
I added my article to the news section. The article
will be published this Wednesday in the Havelock News. I would appreciate it if I could get some feedback on it. You can
email me, put a comment in the joshBOX, or post in the forums.
Cindy posted @ 8:36 p.m.
-----
I have a few updates. I added three articles to the news section,
one of which was published in a newspaper from Josh's hometown of Westland, Michigan (it's really cool, you
guys should check it out). I have two others that were found at the American Idol 2 Yahoo Group, but
the sources are unknown. If anyone could let me know where they
came from I'd appreciate it. Also, I'll be posting an article that I, myself wrote about Josh in my town's
local newspaper. I can't wait to see what you guys think of it.
I'm adding some more people to the fanlisting today. If you are a first
time visitor, why not go join? :) By the way, I've got 2 new affiliates that are linked to the left side of the
page. One is the Josh Gracin Yahoo Group and the other is IdolFan.org, those are great sites so stop by and give 'em
a look.
I've put JoshGracin.com in the American Idol Topsites, so please take a minute and vote
for us! Let's put JoshGracin.com at the top! :) Finally, I'd like to point something out. Please do not direct
link ANY files from this website. That takes up my bandwith, which is a valuable thing to lose. If you want any audio or
image file from this site, please contact me first and ask what it is that you
want. From there, you'll have to save the file and upload it to your own server.
Hope you all had a nice weekend...
Cindy posted @ 3:31 p.m.
[February 1st, 2003]
Once again, there's something I need to address. People seem to be questioning my reasoning
for putting up this site. What was my purpose for making this site? Who am I? Am I related to
Josh? I'll answer all of these questions.
First of all, I am Cindy Park, a 16 year old daughter of a Marine. I watched the first
season of American Idol religiously, glued to the screen each and every week. I voted, voted,
and voted some more. When the first season ended, I was thrilled to find out that there would
be a second season of what I now considered to be my favorite TV show.
Let's fast forward to Wednesday, January 22nd. LCpl Joshua Gracin marches out in front of
Simon, Paula, and Randy and introduces himself, saluting the panel of judges. I immediately
take notice and wait for him to sing. You see, my dad has been in the Marine Corps for almost
20 years. So I wondered, would Josh sound good? I certainly hoped so. I didn't
want this guy, who was actually representing the whole Marine Corps, to be called "the worst
singer in America" on one of TV's most popular reality shows.
On the contrary, he sounded amazing. After the show was over I jumped online to check out
the American Idol message boards to see what people were saying. Then it hit me, "I can
make a fansite for him!" I've been creating and designing websites for awhile now, and it took
me no time to do a nice layout and put up a few pages. I understand this could take others quite
a long time to do, but for me it was nothing.
At first, the site was pretty bare. The information I had on him consisted of anything I could
find at the American Idol message boards and some of my own little internet research. Trust me guys,
it isn't that hard to find information on people these days. Just think about it.
Within days I was in contact with high school friends of Josh. They filled me in and gave me basic
biographical information on the Idol hopeful, as well as some photos and a short demo clip. This is
how it all started. Since then, I've gotten my news and pictures from media sources that anyone can
find.
Think what you want, but I am not related to Josh Gracin. If anything, Josh and I are part of
the same family...the MARINE CORPS family. That was enough motivation for me to create this site and
to support this wonderfully talented man. I have no idea whether or not he will make it to the final 10,
but his vocal talent alone tells me that the American public will recognize his star quality and put their
votes toward a true American Idol.
Cindy posted @ 3:41 p.m.
[January 31st, 2003]
This picture was found at the USMC.mil website (it was attached to the article about him) and
was taken just about 4 days ago on the 28th, so it is the most recent photo of him that's out
there. :) Isn't it nice? He's got his cammies on in it too.
As you can see, we've gotten a new tagboard. The old one had some bandwith problems, but
this one shouldn't give us any trouble. I am also aware of some of the things that were said
in the old tagboard, and all I've got to say is remember what your mama taught you - if you
don't have something nice to say, then don't say anything at all.
The forums are up! Go check it
out. Besides a general discussion forum, I've even included a place to talk about American Idol,
the USMC, as well as a spot to leave messages for Josh. It took me forever to get the forums up, so
I hope you enjoy them!
On a final note, I've added a bunch of pictures to the photo gallery and
changed the poll. Go vote! Tonight watch 20/20 on ABC - they have behind the scenes 'information'
on American Idol 2, maybe Josh will be featured!
Cindy posted @ 8:18 p.m.
[January 30th, 2003]
I have some great things for you guys today. First, I posted the link to an awesome
news article on Josh published by USMC.mil (the
official Marine Corps website). Josh did an interview with them, and there are some really good
quotes from him that you should read. Go to the news section for
the link.
I've also received the FULL version of the song She Loves Me, as well as another
pre-American Idol demo he did called It's Not Over. They have been added to the media
section, but you can also pick 'em up right here (these are both .wav files):
(right click and press 'Save Target As')
She Loves Me
It's Not Over
I'll be back in a little while to add some pictures.
Cindy posted @ 7:58 p.m.
[January 29th, 2003]
JOSH HAS MADE IT TO THE NEXT ROUND! Josh, if you're reading this, we are SO happy
for you and I personally can't wait to vote like crazy for you. You sounded amazing on the
show tonight and you should be really really proud of yourself! We positively cannot wait to
hear more from you on the show!
Here are some audio clips from tonight's show (where he's mentioned as well as where he sings):
-- Even Joshua Gracin
-- Audition 2
-- I'm Moving On
Just for reference, Audition 2 is a clip of Josh singing one of the five original songs
that American Idol hopefuls had to choose from. We are unsure of which Josh chose, so as
of right now we can't name it. I'm Moving On is a song by Rascal Flatts, a popular
country group.
Later on we'll be getting the full version of She Loves Me (YAY!), so that should be
awesome. I've also gotten some fan art from
Jamie of our affiliate, Silent-Fear.org. It is
a great "congrats" graphic for Josh!
One last thing...WHOO HOO JOSH!
Cindy posted @ 11:21 p.m.
-----
Great news! We may be getting the full version of She Loves Me as well as another
demo Josh did before American Idol called One Little Prayer. I've been getting lots of
requests for the full She Loves Me file, so lucky you...your wishes are being granted. ;)
A new article has been added to the news section, as well as a few
more fans in the fanlisting. More audio from Josh's first American
Idol audition will be added to the media section within the hour, so be
expecting that.
Please remember to check back to the site after American Idol 2 airs tonight (@ 8:30 p.m. EST)!
Cindy posted @ 5:48 p.m.
[January 28th, 2003]
The domain is finally open! Yay! Not everything is up yet as you can imagine, but
more will be added as time progresses. I have a few section updates I'd like for you to see.
First, check out the news section for a new article from CNN.com on Josh. Also, more
people have been added to the fanlisting (if you haven't joined yet, then get over there
and get listed!). "She Loves Me" and his "All Or Nothing" audition audio have been added in the media
section. Thanks to Kristin for the "All Or Nothing" clip! After you listen to "She Loves Me," let us know what you think of it in the joshPOLL.
We are looking for fan reviews of each American Idol episode as well as fan opinions of Josh. What do you think of
all the auditions? Why do you like Josh? E-mail me and let me know what YOU think. All of this
will be found in the 'Idol' Reviews section.
Just a reminder...tomorrow night American Idol 2 will air at 8:30 p.m. EST. The 32
chosen Idol hopefuls will be announced. These 32 will go on to televised competition, and WE get
to vote. Let's all cross our fingers for Josh!
Cindy posted @ 10:07 p.m.
|
Josh
