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Carly Smithson to Become New Evanescence Frontwoman

June 18, 2009
Evil Beet
Amy Lee, Carly Smithson, Evanescence, The Fallen
59 Comments

The band’s former lead vocalist — the huge-voiced Amy Lee — left the group to pursue other projects, so now they’re teaming up with Idol sixth-place finisher Carly Smithson to form a new band, The Fallen.

“I kept getting told that ‘you don’t have the rock voice, you can’t do rock music,’ ” Smithson told the Los Angeles Times. “But it’s everything I am. It’s everything I listen to. I’m not the regular girl next door.”

The band will debut their first single on June 22, on their website.

Above find Carly doing one of Evanescence’s hits, “Bring Me to Life,” on the Idol tour. What do you think? Can she replace Amy?

59 CommentsLeave a comment

  • I don’t think Evanescence would have been that popular without Amy.. And now Amy is gone.. So they’re screwed.. I don’t think anyone could replace her.

  • Definitely a no no. And no, she hasn’t got a rock voice. But good luck. It’s a step forward for Carly, one step back for Evanescence.

  • The gossip sites that posted this all say the same thing: Amy Lee has a huge voice and no this won’t be successful. I ask how? Maybe Amy Lee fans hear something I don’t, her voice was nothing special, she seemed cool but her singing was average at best.

    The mistake here is why bother saying who the band is? They should have started fresh, why bother mentioning it’s the same guys from Evanescence? I think that’s going to turn off more people than bring them in.

    That was the last season of AI I watched, I thought Carly was pretty cool, (her boyfriend or whatever was a tool, only a complete fool would tattoo the face)

    • I thought Carly was pretty good on American Idol. This song may not suit her but from what I’ve heard in the past, she’s got a set of pipes.

  • i hate amy lee and all, and this new chick does sound PRETTY GOOD but not enough to appease the super evanescence fans out there. and shes totally not g0th enough. DUH

  • I will not be listening to the “new” band I will wait for Amy Lee to release her own music. Sucks she left the band but I can’t wait to see what Amy Lee can do on her own!!!!

  • This just ruined my day! Evanescence is my favorite band ever, and yet somehow I had no idea that Amy Lee left. I hated Carly Smithson on Idol, and I surely do not think she is a good enough replacement if they want to produce the same style of music as Evanescence.

    I am seriously heartbroken over this … :(

    • amy lee did not leave evanescence. Ben Moody left Evanescence in 03, Rocky and John left over a year ago. This new band is not evanescence, they are like a sappy evanescence reunion happening 20 years too soon.
      Evanescence (which is officially Amy Lee and Terry Balsamo will be releasing new and REAL Evanescence music in about a year)

  • ok, but amy lee didn´t left evanescence. The other members did, such as ben moody. So, he pic it up the mebers who also left, or amy lee fired (we will never know) and formed a new band, wich is kinda weird because this new band as the same name as de first album of Evanescence. So, Ben Moody is such a looser and as a lack of imagination. He was the one owho left the band at the end of 2003, so why he wants to do another Evanescence? This new is doomed to failure. Duh

    • I totally agree! evanescence sucked!! I mean all their songs were kind of the same “i miss you, i’m so miserable, killing my self brb” bullshit.
      At first I thought amy lee was pretty and kind of cool, but then she would do the same stuff after the same… and come on!!
      I think it’s really lame that a proclaimed true metal band would pick their lead singer from that show!! it’s so contradicting with whatever a metal band would stand for.
      anyway… this isnt as bad as when nightwish replaced tarja turunen with that new alien girl

      • I have Evanescence/Amy Lee too but they weren’t a true metal band. They were Christian Rock who happened to make it mainstream.

        But you’re right, every damn song sounded the same. There are some singers who have “great” voices but they just grate on me. That I can think of right now, her, Sporty Spice and Rihanna. Their voices are what sandpaper would sound like if it could sing.

      • Yeah – i’m not following the true-metal tag either. It’s clearly Christian rock through, and through –> which explains the repeated messages of there being a glimmer of hope when hopelessness is all you can see around you with Amy Lee’s repetitive rhythmic chanting choruses designed to sweep you up in a religious fervour without you even realising it…..advertising companies use the exact same simple tricks.

        But back to the usual banter: Amy Lee looks hotter. This new girl doesn’t cut it.

      • i agree with the anonymous above-they were never christian rock. and you Persistent Cat you just don’t know good music if you heared it.

  • Amy Lee WAS Evanescence. This new girl can sing, but she doesn’t have the edge or the power behind her voice that the lovely Amy has.

  • Wait a minute! Evanescence broke up?? I mean I hated their last album, but still, nooo!

    And this chick is going to be singing all their songs now??

    *head/desk*

  • From everything I’ve read, it sounds like Amy is kind of a B… that’s why the band fell apart. The fellas want to continue working together, including Ben who wrote most of the music for Evanescence and they’re starting a new band with Carly as the singer. Don’t be hatin’! I LOVED her on AI. She’s an amazing singer and has a super cool personality. I also love Amy and think she was incredible with Evanescence, but artists move on and things change. I’m looking forward to hearing some new tunes :-)

  • i agree,amy was evanescence and whether she chooses to go solo or join another band, it will be evanescence too. she might as well just call herself evanescence. her voice is very unique and added such a haunting quality to their songs. not since heart has a rock band been fortunate to have such a powerhouse female lead.

  • It’s not true. Amy lee posted on both the Evanescence website adn the Myspace page:

    ” Friday, June 19, 2009

    Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?

    There’s some pretty weird stuff flying around right now and I’d like to clear up some confusion in the press. As our fans already know, Ben Moody left Evanescence in 2003. Evanescence came out with a follow-up to Fallen in 2006. It was called The Open Door and it debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts and reached platinum status in just over a month. The Open Door has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide. We’re currently working on new material that I’m extremely excited about. I believe that to make great music you have to give yourself the freedom to evolve. I don’t see the point in making the same record twice, so I always want to challenge myself to make something better, stronger, and more interesting than before. That takes time, but it’s worth the wait for me. Hopefully, it will be for the fans too. Look out for new music next year…

    -Amy
    9:42 AM”

    Also, just my opinion, but Carly wouldn’t do Evanescence justice.

    • I love you!!!! You just made me happy again, haha. Thanks so much for sharing that :)

      Not sure what happened with Ben Moody and Amy Lee, but he toilet-papered her house with Kelly Clarkson, which is just not cool.

  • This is The Fallen! She is not replacing Amy, I love Amy’s voice too, but Carly will rock! Open your minds! Damn, some of you sound like the self righteous extreme right wing!

    • Amy Lee sings live all the time… and very well I might add… sometimes she can be shaky but if you sang live all the time you would too. Amy Lee could kick this dumb b III tches a s s

  • If you actually read the E! news article linked to the story it’s not that Amy left the band it’s that the ex-members of Evanescence are forming a new band with Carly as their singer. I <3 Amy Lee. :)

  • “ok, but amy lee didn´t left evanescence. The other members did, such as ben moody. ”

    ^ This is true. Amy never left Evanescence and isn’t planning on it either. The band is coming out with a new album in 2010ish.

    http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/americanidoltracker/2009/06/carly-smithson-to-join-forces-with-exevanescence-musicians-to-become-the-fallen.html

    Like the article says, “ex-Evanescence members”.

    Also, way to go for naming the band “The Fallen”. 2003 album influence? Ya, cool. Not. This chick wouldn’t be able to replace Amy anyway, so fuck it.

  • Amy’s voice was annoying as hell and she was too lazy and sloppy to get in shape and they still tried to stuff her down our throats. The band was nothing special. I resented hearing them on the airwaves. Make room for some real talent and someone who isn’t afraid to look good for her “fans”.

    • I totally agree, you may call us superficial but honestly half the people who even dared to listen to them was because of the fact that amy lee was really pretty, but now?? i mean if you’re not going to look your best then at least do some good music, if we didnt care what “artists” look like everyone would love that disgusting woman from britains got talent or whatever it is

  • Here is a note from Carly…..this is not Evanescence….AMY LEE is still the lead singer of the band called Evanescence….

    Here’s the CNN note:

    Carly Smithson wants to make one thing clear: She is not the new lead singer of Evanescence.
    Former “American Idol” contestant Carly Smithson is the lead singer of the new band We Are The Fallen. There may be some confusion because the former “American Idol” contestant has joined forces with original Evanescence members Ben Moody, Rocky Gray and John LeCompt for the new band We Are The Fallen.

  • amy is the shit i own evrything shes done carly could never replace her and amys solo shit better come soon its aganizing long live the hot fucker that is amy lee

  • may i throw up please??
    omg guys, look how she uses the mic..SHE’S A STRIPPER!!

    there’s no Evanescence without AMY LEE!
    her voice made those songs no one else can just come and steal it , i can never hear these songs from somebody else but AMY LEE!

    • lol she’s a stripper, she also did a song about blow jobs. Let me blow your mind. On her FLOPPY MCFLOPINSTEIN of an album ultimate high 2.2 million dollar budget and 400 records sold! awesome carly hennessy… i mean smithson can really sing!

  • That is a bunch of bull crap. Amy Lee did not leave the band. did NOT! Over time she fired the other members or they quit because they were all about the money and weren’t getting along. Amy Lee is still in charge of Evanescence and always will be. The old members of the band started a new band and got a different singer. Carly is great I have to admit. She goes perfectly with the badn (We Are) The Fallen. But she will never replace Amy Lee. She isn’t the new Evanescence. She is the new The Fallen. And she is going to do an amazing job at it too. Best of luck to both of you.

  • AMY LEE DID NOT LEAVE EVANESCENCE!! The former band members of evanescene came together and created this “We the Fallen” group with Ben Moody. Carly is a wanna be when she was on American Idol she sang Bring Me to Life by Evanescence She sang it again at the live tour. She was trying to get Ben Moody’s attention and she did. Ben Moody needed a new “Amy Lee” and he found her.

    http://www.wearethefallen.com/

  • Amy DID NOT leave Evanescence, Ben Moody formed the Band: We are the Fallen with Carly. To be honest, they try so hard to make her look and sound like Amy, they miss her and I think they’ll be together again one day :)