Click here to hear Kimberly's music. The player will open in a new window. Email: (More info) Since March 2003 Best Viewed @ 1024x768 resolution Designed by Kristin Photos from Michael Antonio online Bookmark Site	By Kenny Boudreaux The Nicholls Worth THIBODAUX, La. -- The American Idol tour quickly dwindled down to one of its last shows. And after a memorable experience last year in Nashville, Emily Fanguy and Laurie Anne Price were not about to miss another concert. In fact, the pair circled August 20 on the calendars months in advance. "Since last year, we've been fans of American Idol," says Price, an education sophomore. "We've watched just about every show so far, and going to last year's performance was so good." When the friends left home with Fanguy's parents, Fanguy and Price were simply looking forward to enjoying the 30th performance of a 39-city tour by the 2003 American Idol finalists at the Compaq Center in Houston. They got that -- and a little more. Not only did the pair attend the concert, but they also met all the American Idol finalists. "It was awesome having a chance to meet all of the American Idols," says Fanguy, a nursing sophomore from Houma. "We found ourselves in the right place at the right time." Before the concert began that evening, Fanguy and Price when they arrived learned the Idols were staying in a nearby hotel across the street from the Center. The pair jogged to the hotel in hopes of spotting some of the Idols -- and maybe get an autograph or two. "We looked around for a while and then we saw some of them eating at a table," Fanguy says. "We waited until they finished to try to talk to them." Afterward, Fanguy and Price walked away with autographs from the young reality TV show celebrities Kimberely Locke, Rickey Smith and Trynece, along with personal photographs with the stars. As Fanguy and Price left the scene, they noticed the rest of the Idols passing nearby. The pair ran over to get a few more autographs and pictures. "We were unable to get pictures of [American Idol] Ruben Studdard and [runner-up] Clay Aiken, though, because they were running a little late," Fanguy says. As the Idols loaded the American Idol bus to leave for the Center to rehearse for the concert, Fanguy and Price walked back across the street and noticed a local radio station crew giving away free backstage, meet-and-greet session tickets. After speaking with Clay Aiken's bodyguard, who convinced the station manager to give him two tickets, the bodyguard gave each Fanguy and Price a ticket. But that left Fanguy's parents without a chance to meet the Idols face to face. So, Fanguy and Price asked Aiken's bodyguard if he could find two more tickets to the meet-and-greet session. Aiken's bodyguard said he would try to and told the pair to meet him by the front door a few minutes later, but when he came back, he had no tickets. Moments later, however, Price saw Kimberly Caldwell and gave the singer's bodyguard a note to give Caldwell along with a bag of Starbursts, Caldwell's favorite candy. Frightened and overwhelmed, Caldwell sprinted to the American Idol bus when she saw Fanguy and Price coming her way. "At that time, we thought she was just being a witch," Fanguy says. "But a few moments later, her bodyguard came back and said, 'Kimberly would personally like to meet with you two.' " The bodyguard led Fanguy and Price into a room alone with Caldwell so they could chat for a few moments. Realizing that Price was the one who sent the note and a bag of Starbursts, Caldwell thanked and hugged her - and then gave Fanguy and Price the extra pair of meet-and-greet tickets they were looking for. "In a matter of minutes, she went from being rude to one of the nicest people you'd ever meet," Price says. "Emily's parents were able to meet-and-greet with us because of her." Later in the evening, all four of the diehard American Idol fans went up to a room at the Center for the meet-and-greet session with the finalists. Fans participating in the session could only get autographs, shake hands and take pictures without the Idols looking directly into the camera. "They all were very nice," Fanguy says. "It moved very quickly; we only had a couple minutes to meet with each one. It was a very neat and unforgettable experience." The concert almost became an afterthought. Still, the night was memorable. Price says performances by Clay Aiken, who sang many originals from his first album "Measure of a Man," and Kimberly Locke's rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" received standing ovations. Ruben Studdard, they say, was not accepted as well by the audience as they thought he would be. "The concert was amazing and fun," Price said. "We sat at about the 11th row, so we had excellent seats. We were also right in front of Kimberly Caldwell's family and friends who were just screaming like crazy. They were nuts." Looking back at the experience, Fanguy and Price were most impressed with the attitude of the Idols above anything else. In contrast to many celebrities who appear to be social butterflys on television but act arrogantly in person, the duo says the Idols were approachable. "The Idols were some of the nicest and friendliest people you would ever meet," Price says. "Just because talented people decide to go on a reality show to try to boost their careers, it in no way makes them smaller than talented people who take the hard road instead." Fanguy and Price say that they were too embarrassed to admit they were American Idol fans before the concert and meet-and-greet session, but the experiences of that August evening changed their views. "When you watch a show like American Idol, you are forced to form an opinion based on image," Price said. "But meeting them in real life and realizing they are real people just striving to do their best, changes the whole way you perceive them." If the same opportunity presents itself for next year's American Idol tour, Fanguy and Price said they would not hesitate to do it again. Kenny J. Boudreaux holds a bachelor's degree in print journalism from Nicholls State University, and he is currently a news reporter for the Tri-Parish Times in Houma, La. He can be reached at kenny_boudreaux@hotmail.com. [back]