Sanjaya Is Hit Of White House Dinner

(AP)  President Bush might been the most powerful man at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington over the weekend, but he certainly wasn't the most popular.

The longest line for autographs led to Sanjaya, who was voted off of "American Idol" last week.

Sanjaya told "Live With Regis and Kelly" that he couldn't believe it when the governor of New York told him he was a fan.

What he didn't mention is that the governor was initially shooed away by People magazine, who'd invited Sanjaya.

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Photos: Popular Dinner Guest
Photos: Sanjaya Malakar

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The Washington Post reports that it wasn't until Eliot Spitzer said, "But I'm the governor of New York" that he was able to get an autograph.

Tonight, Sanjaya reads the top 10 list on "Late Show With David Letterman."

[jjreding-2009]

Daughtry (finished 4th)- certified Platinum on December 21, 2006 It reached number one on the Billboard 200, with 65,000 copies sold, in its ninth week on the chart, for the issue dated February 3, 2007, becoming the first album from an Idol alumnus to top the Billboard 200 since Ruben Studdard's Soulful album in December 2003.

Kelly Clarkson - Thankful 2.5 million, Breakaway 5.8 million; Fantasia - 1.7 million; Clay Aiken 2.8 million; Josh Gracin - 636,000; Ruben Studdard - 2.4 million (all releases combined); Katherine McPhee - 238,000; Tamyra Gray - 122,000; Diana DeGarmo - 165,000+. All of the above have gone either gold, platinum or multiple platinum since their releases. Then there's Tamyra Gray's acting career, Diana DeGarmo and Fantasia both on Broadway and, of course, Jennifer Hudson's Oscar. Even William Hung has sold more than 300,000 records, so I guess Sanjaya has a chance. I don't think any of this qualifies as forgetting.

[fanjaya777]

Don't forget that Sanjaya is only 17 and he can always hire a good voice coach and good back up singers. What he lacks in singing voice he more than makes up in Charisma. People love him and that is half the battle won. The "great singing sensations" on IDOL are all but ignored and forgotten by the masses, why do you Mr. Beatles expert think that is so? I bet you do not have the brains to figure it out so let me enlighten you. Sanjaya has what all the other contestants, past and present lack -- Crowd appeal and Charisma. Even though he has been "booted off idol" he is signing autographs at Presidential functions and appearing on every talk show -- why do you think that is so Mr. Beatles expert? Again, let me enlighten you -- A star has been born -- that is why.

I AM A DIE HARD FANJAYA!

[jsilver2th]

jjreding: the Beatles had "two brilliant songwriters".

I'd say 3 brilliant song writers myself.

jjreding: "I was one of the first people in America to promote Duran Duran and Nine Inch Nails..."

And you are willing to admit this in public?

I think your joints must be starting to creak...

"Roll over Beethoven and tell Tschaikowsky the news...."

SANJYAYA'S GONNA ROCK YOUR SOCKS!

[jjreding-2009]

But, jsilver, the difference here is that the Beatles COULD carry a tune, had some of the most beautiful harmonies in pop music history and, as if that weren't enough, had two brilliant songwriters. They have also been covered in nearly every musical form imaginable - from blues to country to calypso to, yes, horror of horrors, hip hop. Sanjaya can only dream of such success. The Beatles are, by far, the most successful musical entity in modern history and have no competition. Why else would the greatest hits album '1' have sold millions of copies 35 years after the group broke up.

[jjreding-2009]

Oh, and by the way, I was one of the first people in America to promote Duran Duran and Nine Inch Nails, and I guess they went nowhere so I must not know from where I speak. I don't 'hate' Sanjaya in any way, shape or form. He just never deserved to stay on the programme as long as he did, and I'll stake my reputation as having produced the longest-running cable video music programme in Cleveland on that.

[jsilver2th]

jjreding: "To say that Sanjaya is the 'next Beatles' just proves you don't know about music."

Ha Ha. I went through Beatlemania on the front lines and didn't learn about it in high school.

The Beatles were a boy-band when they hit the US. George Harrison was 20.

As Wipedia recalls: "Their first live American television appearance was on The Ed Sullivan Show on 9 February 1964. The next morning practically every newspaper wrote that the Beatles were nothing more than a "fad", and "could not carry a tune across the Atlantic"."

[jjreding-2009]

SANJAYA HAS PUT IDOL ON THE MAP????????????????????????????? Oh please. This year has had the highest vote totals ever - since the beginning of the season before anyone ever knew what a Sanjaya was? Don't forget, Idol was a phenomenon elsewhere in the world before it ever came to the States, and continues to be a success in every country it airs in - without resident Sanjayas. If anyone can be said to have put Idol 'on the map', it was Kelly Clarkson's success in the first season. Sanjaya, nice as he may be, cute as he may be, good sense of humour that he may have, is still a flash in the pan and I guarantee that he will only be a footnote in history in a couple of years - if it takes that long.

[truslife]

Sanjaya is wonderful! I'm not a "tween" either, I'm a 44 yr old mom of a 17 yr old son and a 20 yr old daughter.
Sanjaya is the kind of role model I appreciate for my children's sake, because he has remained virtually unscathed and true to self through this whole "controversy". I can only hope my kids would stay so centered in the face of adversity. (or myself for that matter)
The haters will fade away or find someone else to bash. Those of us who really see Sanjaya's goodness and inner beauty (this includes a beautiful voice) will be around forever. We love Sanjaya and will support him in all of his endeavors.

[fanjaya777]

Could someone please tell me when and where Sanjaya can be seen in concert? -- I want to book my ticket now, because I know it will be a sell out affair.

Sanjaya has millions of fans out there waiting to buy tickets to his concerts. Sanjaya I love your voice and so do millions who want to support you just because you are so adorable and such a good sport. You haters out there -- have you noticed that Sanjaya had nothing but good to say about the people who were putting him down, namely Simon. You haters could all learn something from this awesome young man. He is going places and all you haters and losers are going nowhere but downhill.

Sanjaya has singlehanded put IDOL on the map. I am sure most people never gave IDOL a thought before this season, I know I did not!

GO SANJAYA! GO SANJAYA!

[jjreding-2009]

He's a nice kid, no doubt about that. But people don't buy music based on 'nice'. It requires talent to sell albums. Carrie Underwood didn't win all those Grammys, Country Music Awards and, possibly MOST importantly, People's Choice Awards - and Kelly Clarkson hasn't sold a couple million albums - based on 'nice'. It takes talent to do that and lastability. To say that Sanjaya is the 'next Beatles' just proves you don't know about music. The Beatles are still relevant today, almost 40 years after they disbanded, simply because they did brilliant music that paved the way for nearly every group that followed. The same could be said for The Who, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, not to mention dozens of others. Just because a kid has a brilliant smile and a chameleon-like hairdo doesn't make him a star. Only talent will do that, and, ultimately, this is a show that looks for stars.