She wowed millions with stand out performances and even taught
Simon Cowell a thing or two about grace under fire–but as faith
would have it, nothing could prepare Mandisa for what would soon
follow... Here in a candid interview, the grammy nominated artist
(for her debut c.d “True Beauty”) now turned author, shares from
the pages of “Idoleyes” her newly found perspective – on Faith,
Fat and Fame as told by Katie Lee.

Katie: You entitled your book “Idoleyes”. Could you please give us some
insight into the meaning of the title, and why you decided to write it ?

Mandisa: “Idoleyes” is simply a play on words representing my new
perspective on Faith, Fat and Fame. During my time on the show, I went
through a lot on so many levels, but I also learned very valuable lessons.
First, I learned that fame is not all it’s cracked up to be, and that there's a
level of responsibility that goes along with it, which I think most people take
for granted. There's also this sort of loss of anonymity and the realization
that at anytime anyone can say what they want about you over the Internet,
which was pretty difficult for me to deal with. I learned that the intangibles
such as relationships, and knowing that when I leave this world I’m going
to a better place, it's what’s most important. And last but not least, my battle
with weight, and how I'm learning to overcome it one day at a time, has
been great for me to write about. I know that a lot of people can identify with
this issue, so I wanted to share the lessons I've learned along the way.


Katie: In your book you candidly mention that you have a crush on
recording artist Ruben Studdard. would you care to elaborate…?

Mandisa: (Laughing), I always say, I’m 31 years old now, and “super duper”
single. I’ve not met the right man yet, but I know what my ideal man is. . .
(God can bring him in any size package he wants), but if you ask me, what
my ideal man is, I would say a “big, black, bald, born-again believer with
a goatee”. I just feel like Ruben fits that perfectly. (Laughing) I mean we
were both on American Idol you know, ( laughing) so I don’t see what's the
problem. You know, I hold Ruben in great regard and don’t know if any of
that is going to happen, but I’m still looking for the big man with a goatee.


Katie: From American Idol cast off to Grammy nominated artist, what
has this journey been like for you?

Mandisa: It's simply amazing! I never ever image that my first CD would
garner a Grammy nomination. It’s a dream that was so far beyond me that
it didn’t even cross my mind. Come on now, this was my first CD! I just feel
like God has blessed me so much. I can't take any credit for it, I just give it
all to Him. Continues page 2