Dear Mark Burnett,

I was reading my news online this evening and noticed an article by Reuters about a new singing competition show that is being produced by Mark Burnett for NBC. The same Mark Burnett that brought Survivor, The Apprentice and Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader to TV.

The article notes that in this case, the judges would also serve as coaches and would be four currently popular performing artists. The cool thing about it is that the contestants would have to perform while the coaches had their backs to them; because in the end you have to have the voice before you have anything else. Hence, the title of the show is The Voice.

It would be great to actually find singers who can sing live. So many of today’s most popular singers are pro-tooled within an inch of their life. So, as soon as I read that article I wanted to find Mark Burnett’s phone number and text him four letters…C L A Y. But something tells me that Mr. Burnett’s number is unlisted so in today’s electronic age, I am composing this internet plea.

Dear Mr. Burnett,

*You will need a recognizable name to both the music audience and the television audience. Who better than the person who helped put American Idol on the map in 2003 and became a household name? And how sweet would it be to give Idol a run for their money with one of their own.

*The article states that the coaches will have to perform too. How about a guy who had to sing live under pressure for sixteen weeks? Have you seen some of the music award shows lately and heard these people without their autotune? He’s got the years of experience performing on live television as an entertainer, a talk show guest with comedic flair and even a co-host.

*You’ll need someone to bring ratings and Clay Aiken brought pretty big ratings to your Fifth Grader show when he was on during celebrity week. Think of the buzz of him competing against the show that gave him his start.

*You need someone who can help your contestants as both a judge and a coach. Clay served in this role for David Foster’s Star Search and did a great job. He was funny, he was insightful and he gave sound advice from a perspective that only one performer can give to another. Plus, who better to help them go from being an ordinary citizen to handling sudden fame?

*He’s a touring machine and could offer exposure to your contestants as a potential opening act.

As an added bonus, you’ll get a fandom that is very organized, tech savvy and loyal.


All I ask is that you give him a stylist who has a personal aversion to spiked hair. This look will do.



How 'bout it, Mark?



Clay Aiken, Survivor, Mark Burnett,The Voice, Roma Downey, The Apprentice, American Idol, NBC, Donald Trump, coach, Decca Records,pop music, Fifth Grader,Jeff Foxworthy,David Foster, Paul Telegedy

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