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Trencye looks back at Idol run
By Tom Walter
walter@gomemphis.com
May 6, 2003
And the beat goes on. . . . This time it's a drumbeat of incessant questions from panting media: Was Trenyce prepared for her ouster from American Idol last Wednesday? Did she know she would get the nod? Who does she think will win?
"And, of course, my famous shoplifting incident," she said of questioning in the numerous interviews she has given since her final appearance on the show.
That's her 1999 arrest on theft charges and the subsequent expunging of her record. How does she handle that?
"I say it kind of helped me in this process by learning how to be strong and have a tough skin," the 23-year-old Memphian said Monday. "I'm the kind of person who can tell teens to be careful who their friends are, that you can get in trouble, but you also can get back on track."
Her particular track leads, she hopes, to a recording contract and a career as a singer. But first comes her return home (possibly later this week), the show's finale May 21 and then the American Idol tour, which comes to The Pyramid Aug. 16. (Tickets to the show are scheduled to go on sale May 17).
Although she said she was prepared for either eventuality - stay on the show, get voted off the show - she was most surprised, as was nearly everyone else, that Ruben Studdard joined her in the bottom two in last week's voting.
"I definitely was shocked. I didn't see that coming because he had such a great night. I think Josh (Gracin) was more surprised. . . . He even came up afterward and said. 'It should have been me.' I said, 'No, things happen for a reason. Go out in your next performance and kick butt.' "
As for who she thinks will win, it's a tossup between Studdard and Clay Aiken.
"They seem to have the broader fan base," she said. "I think it will be Clay. You should see his fan mail. It's ridiculous."
The wise guys disagree. Internet betting service www.betWWTS.com has Studdard as the 2/3 favorite, followed by Aiken at 7/4.
Trenyce said the best thing about the American Idol experience was the recognition and appreciation she got from fans.
"You feel good, you feel you didn't do this in vain, that you're touching someone because that's what I really wanted to do.
"The worst thing was saying goodbye each week to someone. I'm a very emotional person. I cry so easily, and I hate saying goodbye to people, especially when you've become such close and intimate friends. It's tough to see anyone leave."
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