Author: Emma Loggins
Date: 2008-04-11


Interview:
Clive Davis has another winner and he has Simon Cowell to thank. Leona Lewis, who catapulted to fame in her native U.K. after winning that country's televised X Factor talent competition launched by Idol Cowell, will debut at #1 on next week's HITS Album Sales chart with her debut Spirit, edging near 200k, though the final total will probably closer to 190k. That's based on one-day sales reports from our crack team of retail reporters around the country who are still standing. Lewis' album has already spawned the hit single, "Bleeding Love," as Team RCA, led by Davis and EVP Richard Palmese, bring the song all the way home. We had the honor of sitting down with the singer, and here's what she had to say:

Now you were on X Factor which isn't a show a lot of people in the States are familiar with, does it work the same way as American Idol?

Yeah it's kind of similar, except they have categories. They have up to 25, which I was in, over 25, and groups. And we all do the show together.

Is there still voting by the public?

Yeah.

So what's Simon really like?

Simon is a really good guy. I know everything thinks he's mean and nasty, but he's actually a good guy.

There's a rumor floating around online and through some of the news feeds that he's actually buying you a house. Is that true?

No [laughs]. A lot of things get blown out of proportion and made up.

Do you remember where you were and what you were doing the first time you heard your music on the radio?

Yeah, I was at home, and I knew exactly what time it was going to be on. So I was at home waiting, and it was amazing to actually hear it on the radio.