Randy Jackson and Betty Buckley (
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Broadway legend and former “Eight is Enough” star Betty Buckley launched a Twitter tirade against “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson Thursday night, for his habit of dismissing the show’s failed singers as “too Broadway.”
“With respect, ‘Dog,’ your opinion is whack & uninformed!” Buckley tweeted, calling Jackson’s characterizations “beneath contempt” and “beyond idiotic!!!”
Buckley feels that in disparaging Broadway, Jackson displays an ignorance of singing styles, and casts an inappropriately negative light on the Great White Way.
“Broadway is a place, not a style of singing,” Buckley tells the Post. “Whenever he doesn’t like something, he just throws in that ‘this is a Broadway voice.’ I don’t know how many Broadway shows Randy Jackson has been to, but clearly not many, because there’s a wide variety of shows on Broadway.”
Buckley says that Jackson’s Broadway reticence – especially ironic given how many former Idol contestants wind up performing there – stems from his dislike and misunderstanding of vocal vibrato.
“He clearly doesn’t like vibrato, and doesn’t think vibrato exists in pop, which is absurd,” she says. “Lady Gaga sings with vibrato. Freddie Mercury did. Beyonce, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald. Christina Aguilera has a vibrato, and she’s spectacular.”
Buckley was especially angered by Jackson’s comments because she feels they could undermine the dreams of aspiring singers.
“You’re a young kid, a good singer, you go to these auditions, and Randy Jackson says, ‘you’re too Broadway.’ Then this kid, who had dreams of going into musical theater, says, ‘I don’t wanna be in musical theater because Randy Jackson thinks it’s not cool.’”
Buckley’s Twitter comments spread so quickly that Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe responded sympathetically several hours later, calling Broadway “a Mecca for talent,” and adding, “I will certainly speak to Randy.”