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Meet the new Amy Lee: 'American Idol's' Carly Smithson to join former members of Evanescence
03:00 AM PT, Jun 18 2009


Since he left Evanescence in 2003, founding guitarist Ben Moody has worked with "American Idol" vets such as Kelly Clarkson and Chris Daughtry. But he can leave the work-for-hire gigs in the past, as Moody will now be in a full-time band with former "Idol" contestant Carly Smithson.


Our sister blog Idol Tracker has the full news, but Moody and Smithson have joined to form the Fallen, which also features former Evanescence members Rocky Gray and John Lecompt, as well as non-Evanescence member Marty O'Brien.
Writes Richard Rushfield on Idol Tracker:

Evanescence's unfinished business beckoned its refugees, leading Moody to contact his former colleagues to ask: "'How do you feel about looking for someone to complete our family and to finish this thing?' " he said he asked them. "It feels like everything with our old fans is at a standstill. There's not new music, there's no tour. There's nothing.' So I reached out, and everyone was just ready to get started."


However, the biggest hurdle remained: filling the shoes of Lee, whose plans since Evanescence's last release in 2008 has been the source of much speculation -- with rumors floating that she was alternately working on a Celtic-inspired solo album or collaborating with Metallica.

"We began looking for our soulmate, which we were scared was going to take a long, long time," said Moody.

Smithson's post-"Idol" journey, meanwhile, had been rife with uncertainty. For one whose career had seen its ups and downs -- a terrible major label experience before her "Idol" turn, and then an abortive "Idol" run in Season 5 scuttled by green card issues -- it seemed as though her eventual run in the Top 12 of TV's reigning goliath might prove another false start. While offers came for recording contracts, all attempted to place her in the pop world, away from her natural hard-rock roots.

http://latimesblogs.latim...bers-of-evanescence.html