Smallscreen Features

'Nashville Star' Charley Jenkins exit interview

By April MacIntyre Jun 11, 2008, 20:17 GMT

NBC's "Nashville Star" is underway and has said goodbye to the first cut - determined by the judges after a two-hour premiere on Monday night.

Nashville Star contestant Charley Jenkins was the first to get his walking papers from show judges Jewel, John Rich and Jeffrey Steele.Jenkins, the 29-year-old from Roosevelt, Utah who currently resides in Murray, Utah was pragmatic about the whole experience."I love country music," said Charley after his elimination was revealed. "I wish all these guys the best luck in the world. You guys are in for a heck of a show, so stay tuned to Nashville Star." Starting next week, everyone eliminated from the show is going to be voted off by viewer votes. Monsters and Critics spoke to Charley on Tuesday.Which country or western artist influenced you the most in your own style growing up and listening to music?Charley Jenkins: Well, you know, I’m a hodgepodge of different - I try to say different aspects of different artists. It’s the way that they perform to the way they - their vocal performance to even how they are on stage.I grew up rodeo and I grew up around the western lifestyle. It was engrained in our family. And so, I’m driven more toward artists like George Strait.However, if I were to mix - if I were to create somebody that would be hey, you know, I want to have their type of career, if I could I would mix George Strait and Garth Brooks together and have somebody who does rope and ride and knows that western thing but also moves around onstage and creates such a buzz, and is such a great entertainer.So if I could mix those two together, that would be my ideal artist that I would want to be.

Judge John Rich

Do you think John Rich went overboard in his criticism?Charley Jenkins: John is very opinionated and I know in his own career he has received a lot of great criticism and a lot of very negative criticism himself. And I think, in his expression - in doing so, he’s got these really, really strong opinions.One of the things about this competition that’s hard is that John is responsible for taking the winner in and producing their album, and also writing the song that they’re going to sing.And so if that one particular judge does not feel that you are the artist that he wants to work with, he could really sway the competition and take it away from somebody that he doesn’t believe in - him personally.You know, on my end there’s the reality of it - of the show is that there’s so much that you can control and there’s so much you can’t control, meaning song selection and also often your staging and where you can and can’t go on stage, and where you should go, and kind of your role within the competition as an overall look of the competition.In my situation, I was criticized for the way that I went down into the audience and that was a big criticism that they gave to me.That was beyond my control. That was part of something that was suggested and kind of asked to do. And so when they criticize - when you’re listening to the judges criticize the other contestants, it’s kind of a jaded criticism on the contestants’ side because you’re able to know what was that contestant, they didn’t really have a choice on some of these scenarios?So it’s not as personal. I think that they were a little critical, maybe especially for the first show. I think they could’ve worked into it a little bit more.But they’ve also got very strong opinions, all of them, and at least they’re willing to share them.That’s interesting.Charley Jenkins: Yeah.Are you personally pulling for anyone on the show now?Charley Jenkins: You know what, I don’t - I became such good friends with all of the contestants that it was - it would be very hard for me to even vote. I do believe that there are contestants that I think have, you know, artistic advantage.But that - my opinion is - you know, coming from somebody that really has more of a country-based opinion and there’s certain things I like and don’t like.And so there are a couple artists I feel that have a really strong chance of making the finals in my opinion.Please tell me who you are talking aboutI think the girls in the competition are stronger than the guys right now, honestly. Of course, Melissa was fantastic. I think as an overall artist, working with her and being around Ashlee Hewitt, I thought that she’s got such a great control of her vocals and she can play the guitar and sing, and she’s also a great songwriter.So I think she’s very strong on that side. On the guy side, somebody that could really find a niche and has the vocals, and the lifestyle is Gabe. I mean, he’s the real deal when it comes down to his vocals.So if there was two people on each side, I would say Gabe and Ashlee.How did you feel your performance stacked up?Charley Jenkins: You know, the answer to that is I did feel that I was - I should be in contention now. I don’t feel that I definitely didn’t win the night, nor do I feel like maybe I was even in the Top 5.But out of the 12 acts, I didn’t believe that I would be in the bottom two. I still don’t think even Alyson that was pulled up there should’ve been in the bottom two as well.I felt like there was a couple other acts that went on that night that didn't perform even up to her standards of what she did. And so, of course, it was, you know, disappointing. But the reality of it is - a show like this is that you get different voices that pipe in and make the decision even away from the judges. So you never now exactly what the agenda is - like exactly what they see and what they don’t see. And you just kind of have to run with it.Do you think the voting fans would have kept you in?Charley Jenkins: You know what, I do. I feel like I could’ve been around for a little while. I don’t - you know, I would never be arrogant enough to say that I would’ve won the competition.To be honest, that wasn’t my overall objective. I just wanted the opportunity for America to see me sing. I feel - there is a part of me - a big part of me, especially, you know, after the show and waiting around for it to air that it just looks out and thinks, you know, there is 11 - there was 12 contestants, 12 acts.Eleven of those get America to decide on and one of them doesn’t. And in reality, you kind of feel like you just got cut from the final. It's kind of sad when you just don’t get that opportunity - what I feel like to get that opportunity for America to decide because I think it’s a little easier when America decides versus three people’s opinions or a network’s opinion, I guess.Charley also has a website: CharleyJenkins.com.