The Kat Pack Interviews Katharine Mcphee
This was posted by Vadia on KMF. It’s a Funny interview and it’s the reason why we all love Katharine so much. She’s such a young kid at heart..
(PART 1) Recently I went with three other Kat Packers to an AI concert in Texas, and afterwards we were so lucky to be able to visit with Katharine. I’ve put together a recap of the after-party into a little interview format. I hope you enjoy it!
KAT PACK INTERVIEW WITH KATHARINE McPHEE - September 7, 2006
Note from the McReporters: We didn’t have a tape recorder or anything. We were just four Kat Packers who came in from all over the U.S. to meet Katharine after an AI concert in Texas (Sept. 7, 2006). At a very small venue with not a lot of other fans around, we hung out by Katharine and got a chance to know her a little bit between times when other fans approached her for autographs and things.
Katharine is everything we fans thought she would be and more. We seriously voted for the right girl. Not only is she an obviously gifted performer, but in person she is sincere, fun-loving, goofy, personable, and completely unpretentious. She is also very considerate and aware. She is a very smart lady, with social intelligence that is through the roof. Katharine makes you feel at ease. She is so unassuming and even a little shy at first. Even though you admire her so much, she doesn’t intimidate you.
Here are some things Katharine shared with us.
KAT PACK (Leah): Um, guys. Katharine is standing right there. [Haha, Katharine had come up and stood so quietly nearby that we didn’t even notice her!!! California Kat Phan, who was closest, turned toward her.]
KATHARINE: (offers handshake and says softly) Hi, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Katharine.
[NOTE: The hardest part of the conversation was beginning because it’s hard anytime you meet someone new, and most especially when they happen to be an artist you adore. After a few bumpy introductions …]
KAT PACK: Here are some gifts Leah brought for you.
(We all look over at the big, beautifully wrapped gift box Leah had brought. There is a pause.)
KATHARINE: (looks at us) Would you like me to open them here?
KAT PACK: Yes! We want to open up all of your fan presents with you!
KATHARINE: (opens the box) Ooo, are these for the bus?
KAT PACK: No, Katharine, they are for you. Leah bought them for you.
As Katharine opens the box and begins to reach in for presents, her security guard (who obviously adores Katharine) gives Katharine a stern glance as if to say, “You know I’m supposed to open those for you.” Katharine happily opens about three presents, saying things like, “Ooo, this will be perfect for when I get my new place,” and “awww, these would be so cute for a little backyard barbecue.” She opens up a tube of lotion, smells it, and rubs some lotion on her hands. She notices a couple of DVDs that she says Kellie will love. Then she looks at the security guard, grins, and says, “See? I didn’t even explode!”
KAT PACK: What happens to the gifts that you get from your fans?
KATHARINE: They go into the back of the bus. And sometimes we ship them home.
KAT PACK: Do you like to cook?
KATHARINE: I LOVE to cook!
KAT PACK: (pointing to a picture of Katharine kissing her goddaughter on the head) What is your beautiful goddaughter’s name?
KATHARINE: (looks at the picture, looks again, and totally lights up at mention of her goddaughter – she ADORES her little goddaughter)
We call her ‘Charlie’ but her real name is Charlotte. I get to see her a lot, but was sad that I didn’t get to see her when I was in Los Angeles [for the homecoming concert].
KAT PACK: Kat or Katharine?
KATHARINE: You can call me either one.
KATHARINE: I read that some fans were upset that I went to Taylor’s concert after the show the other night. Please tell them that I was invited and that it was fun!
KAT PACK: Will do.
KAT PACK: Andrea Bocelli
Katharine talked about how Bocelli is this tall, dignified, amazing singer… and that we’d be surprised to hear that he likes to kid around. He’d do things like…[at this, Katharine startles all of us by busting out into amazing full voice and singing the two words “Somos Novios”] but then she said that instead of singing those words, sometimes Bocelli would kid around by totally changing the words around to say something completely shocking. It was very funny.
KAT PACK (gecko2gecko): You’re wearing the flip flops the Brazilian fans gave you!
KAT PACK (Vadia): They were so excited to hear that you were wearing their flip flops!
KATHARINE: (surprised and smiling) Really? How did they know?
KAT PACK: Lots of people take pictures of you, Kat. There were pictures of you wearing them after one of your concerts.
KATHARINE: (about the flip flops) I love them! I wear them ALL the time! (And to prove it, Kat removes her flip flops and holds them out for everyone to see the wear stains. Kat notices things, is super aware. She mentions how the left flip flop is a little less worn because she had been wearing her boot!)
KAT PACK: [NOTE: Anyone who thinks Kat is distracted from making her album right now by movies is dead wrong.] Kat’s solo album
Katharine got very, very excited and serious when discussing her solo album. She says she is working hard with a group of excellent people on making an album that will sell. She said it won’t be a Celine kind of album. She also said that the album will not be along the lines of My Destiny, which — though she really liked how it turned out on the CD — she and the people she is working with felt was a bit countryish and not the direction they’re headed.
She seemed a little bummed about getting behind on making the album by being sidelined with vocal problems just after idol.
Katharine went on to talk about her vocal health issues right after AI. She said that had a burst a vein in her vocal cords…
KATHARINE: It happened right before I performed Somewhere Over the Rainbow.
KAT PACK: The second time?
KATHARINE: (leans in, eyes wide) The FIRST time!
…the first time! Apparently, to get her through, doctors shot her throat with cortisone, which brought down the inflammation, but she said the injury was still there. Bocelli later expressed concern, saying he worried about her vocal health.
KATHARINE: (A young girl comes up and asks Katharine to autograph the palm of her hand.) “Right here?” The girl shyly nods and Katharine says very sweetly: “Okay, but it may not last long.” When she is done signing, Katharine holds out her right hand and says, “Look, I like to write on my hands, too!” Indeed, there is a small heart drawn in permanent marker in the middle of her right palm. It is a little faded so Kat redraws it right there. Katharine is so light-hearted and fun. She says, “I like to draw on myself when I’m bored!” and demonstrates by making dashes (in permanent marker) on the back of her hand!
KAT PACK [Leah]: JC Penney Jam
Katharine talked about how her JC Penney Jam performance happened on the same night as her morning performance at the cruise ship christening in New York (Of course we all remembered that coast-to-coast marathon!) She said that the ship christening performance thing was a bit awkward, like maybe she was a little out of place. Also, it was very early in the morning (50 AM California time) and she knew her voice didn’t sound as good as she would have liked. She said that her plane from NY arrived in L.A. RIGHT as the JC Penney Jam was starting! There had not been time for her to do a dress rehearsal or anything, so it was like all of a sudden she was walking down this giant staircase in a big dress, like that just really blew her mind. She shared that she wanted to do something completely different with SOTR that night than she had done on AI. Also, she said that she felt her voice was weak during Somos Novios. Of course, we all wholeheartedly disagreed!
KAT PACK INTERVIEW (part 2)
KAT PACK: Everyone and their Soul Patrol brother LOVED you in your JC Jam performances.
KATHARINE: (mixture of joy and surprise) Really?!
KAT PACK: The L.A. Homecoming concert
Katharine was thankful for the homecoming concert shirts we gave her, including one with all of the homecoming volunteers’ names written on it. Wrapped inside were two glowsticks. Katharine brought them out and said…
KATHARINE: I saw those at the concert!
KAT PACK: Really? Did you notice them?
KATHARINE: Totally! There were a LOT of them!
For the remainder of the conversation Katharine held the glowsticks. As animated as she is with her hands, of course the glowsticks moved with her. At one point she was talking and playing with the glowsticks and suddenly we hear a small “crack.” Katharine looks a surprised (think Coca Cola moment), laughs, holds up the glowstick, and says…
KATHARINE: (big eyes and a grin) Oh! It’s glowing!
