The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:
>Paula Abdul is not one to be broken by news of her successor. As long as she's still making headlines in other ways, who is she to care? Paula has most recently appeared in the following promotional video that is airing on VH1 for the upcoming Divas special that she will be hosting. Watch her make fun of herself (and her former Idol cohorts) in the clip below, with a special cameo by Ryan "SeCrest":
The Divas special will be broadcast live on VH1 on Thurs., Sept. 17.
>Meanwhile, more commentary has come in over the past two days about the announcement that Ellen DeGeneres would be replacing Paula as the fourth judge of Idol. A few quick hits from around the industry:
Whoopi Goldberg: I'm just curious...where's the music experience? I'm not sure that this was the right choice for that particular show."
Taylor Hicks: "I definitely believe Ellen's jokes are funnier than Simon Cowell's jokes...she has a great personality and she might have a little bit more of a musical chop than we think she does."
Bucky Covington: "I gotta be honest with ya...I am probably the bad person to ask here cause I'm a huge Ellen DeGeneres fan...and I think it'd be great to have someone call Simon out on his corny jokes."
As for Ellen, she is already prepping for the inevitable spats she will be having with Simon. She said:
"When Simon is rude and mean, I will tell him he's rude and mean, just like I tell him when he's on my show that he's rude and mean."By the looks of things, it's gonna be an exciting Season 9.
>It was announced that Jordin Sparks will be singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at her Arizona Cardinals' home season opener against the San Francisco 49ers on Sun., Sept. 13. Per AZCentral.com:This is the Sparks fourth time signing the anthem at University of Phoenix Stadium. She also last sang at last season's NFC Championship Game, when the Cardinals hosted the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football last season and at Super Bowl XLII.Jordin is also currently being featured in ads for the Got Milk? campaign, as seen pictured to the right.
>The record label of Season 5's Top 16 finalist Ayla Brown unveiled a backstage video of the singer and Boston College basketball star at a concert she performed at this past summer. Watch the eight-minute video below:
At the end of the video, it is announced that Ayla will release a live album on Tues., Nov. 10, featuring tracks she performed with The James Montgomery Blues Band and The Uptown Horns, and a studio album title Circles will see an April 6, 2010 release.
>Leslie Hunt, who placed in the Top 20 in Idol's sixth season, has given birth to her first child, daughter Eliza(beth) Joni Faulds on Sun., Aug. 30. Per Leslie's official Twitter account:
Our daughter, Eliza Joni, was born on Sunday, August 30th @ 9:42pm, and all is right in the world. :-) 8:38 PM Sep 2nd from webLeslie's sophomore album, Your Hair Is On Fire, is now available to purchase on CDBaby.com.
