American Idol wannabe finally cashes in on his own creation

Feb 25, 2010 12:13 GMT  ·  By
General Larry Platt performing his hit “Pants on the Ground” on the American Idol auditions
   General Larry Platt performing his hit “Pants on the Ground” on the American Idol auditions

When the latest season of American Idol kicked off with the auditions stage, audiences were introduced to a man named “General” Larry Platt. Though way past the age limit for the show, Platt went to auditions in Atlanta and performed a song he had written himself, something called “Pants on the Ground,” which has gone viral ever since. Now, TMZ has learned, Platt is bringing “Pants” to Vegas.

Shortly after his single became an international phenomenon, with countless remixes, covers and parodies emerging online, Platt was telling the media he was yet to see a dime from his instant shot to fame. It would seem that things have changed now, with the General being booked for a couple shows in Vegas, though whether he’ll also be singing something else is not yet known.

“‘General’ Larry Platt is finally cashing in on his ‘Pants on the Ground’ phenomenon – because American Idol’s favorite senior citizen is now getting paid to play in Las Vegas. Platt is scheduled to perform his semi-hit at JET nightclub at the Mirage Hotel on Friday,” TMZ writes after speaking with Platt’s manager. Further details have not been revealed to the media, but are bound to emerge pretty soon.

“Sources at the hotel tell TMZ Platt is being flown from Atlanta first class... and will get pampered with free food, lodging, several thousand dollars and, last but not least, a steak dinner! TMZ spoke to Platt’s manager, who said this is just one of many shows Mr. Pants has booked recently... which means the old man is finally getting the money his musical genius deserves,” TMZ goes on to say.

So far, Platt has been on The View and performed on the red carpet at the Grammys, after which he also gave a short interview to Ryan Seacrest, who was on hosting duties for the night. A while back, Platt’s manager released the official “Pants on the Ground” single to radio stations, though rumor had it then that he had done so without Platt’s consent.