Showing posts with label odds and ends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label odds and ends. Show all posts

Friday, September 3, 2010

'Idol' odds 'n ends: Season 10 auditions adds last-minute Los Angeles stop

The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:

>TMZ is reporting that Jennifer Lopez is back in the good graces of Simon Fuller and co., as she will most likely sign a deal next week that will permanently put her in the seat once held by Simon Cowell/Ellen DeGeneres.
Sources connected to the negotiations tell TMZ ... contrary to some news reports ... there has been no drama and no diva demands. As one source puts it, "It's been typical negotiating."
Well, I guess TMZ has been at the forefront with all the replacement judge drama, so this bit of info is probably as reliable as anything else out there. As to whether or not J. Lo is "the key to re-energizing the show," that is certainly still up to debate.

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>The nominations list for the 44th annual CMA Awards was revealed on Tuesday, and one Idol alum was able to score some nods as usual. Carrie Underwood is up for Female Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year for Play On. Although Carrie has a pretty good track record at these award shows, it looks to be Miranda Lambert's year, as she received a record nine nominations and looks to take home a lot of awards.

Still, it's good to know Carrie received more nods than Taylor Swift, who is only up for one category - FVotY. The 44th annual CMA Awards will air live on Wed., Nov. 10, at 8 p.m. on ABC.

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>Just as the disappointing Season 9 Idols Live! Tour concluded on Tuesday, Season 10's auditions have been extended to later this month when auditions will be held at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., on Wed., Sept. 22. Per Idol's website:
For the milestone 10th season of American Idol, we just couldn’t stay away from Idol’s hometown, Los Angeles, CA. In fact, this is the show’s sixth time holding hometown auditions in L.A. The goal during hometown auditions is to get a ticket Hollywood, and successful singers in L.A. won’t have to travel very far for the final round of auditions. Katharine McPhee, Adam Lambert, Allison Iraheta, and Andrew Garcia are among the talented Idol stars from the City of Angels. L.A. is where the Idol finalists reside while competing for the prize, and it’s the place many Idol alumni settle to pursue their music career.
It's pretty interesting that the producers think adding a last-minute stop in LA of all places will help ensure we don't get another Season 9, since LA is one of the blandest, most uninteresting places to find talent. But whatever, if they want to attract teens from skipping school for the day, they're certainly free to do so.

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>Katharine McPhee has landed another role, this one in the horror pic Shark Night 3D. Other actors recently added to the cast include Sara Paxton (The Last House on the Left) and Dustin Milligan (Extract). Per DigitalSpy:
The trio will join the recently announced Sinqua Walls, Chris Carmack, Alyssa Diaz and Joel David Moore in the 3D horror movie.

The Final Destination and Snakes On A Plane helmer David R. Ellis is behind the camera for Shark Night, which centres on a group of people who are attacked by sharks while on vacation in the Louisiana Gulf area.
Well, at least it's not Piranha 3D. But Kat, is this really the best you could do? Shark movies never hold a candle to Jaws, and 3D is getting pretty tiring by now. Still, it's good to see she's continuing to get roles.

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>After only a few performances on Broadway in the musical In the Heights, Jordin Sparks injured her hip last Saturday during a show. She was understandably bummed, but like the pro that she is, she turned to Twitter to apologize to her fans and offer them a token of appreciation for coming out to see her:
"Thank you so much to everyone who came tonight. Sorry I couldn't sign. :( It's hard to stand/walk. Hopefully the physical therapist can fix me! :)

"If you'd like, you can send your playbills/tkts/pics w/ a stamped return envelope to the theatre & I'll get them back to you. Thank you for understanding. It means the world. Love you guys. <3"
Jordin is now back in tip-top shape and said she is "so attached to the cast & show already!"

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Saturday, August 28, 2010

'Idol' odds 'n ends: Fantasia dishes on suicide attempt on 'GMA'

The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:

>For the first time since her botched suicide attempt, Fantasia spoke out about the ordeal when she appeared on Good Morning America on Tuesday to promote the release of her latest album, Back to Me. In her interview with Robin Roberts, Fantasia said she "just wanted to be away from the noise." Watch the interview below:



Fantasia also squeezed in a few live performances for the crowd in the studio, including a televised performance of "Bittersweet."

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>Speaking of Idol alums performing on morning shows, Chris and the boys from Daughtry took to Rockefeller Plaza on Fri., Aug. 20 to perform for The Today Show's Summer Concert Series. Watch the band perform "September" below:



Daughtry also performed "Feels Like Tonight" for the television audience during the set.

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>Kelly Clarkson recently teased about a big duet with an act people have been wanting her to record with for ages, but for now fans will just have to settle for her being featured on a track with Jason Aldean. Per USAToday.com's "Idol Chatter":
The new album from country singer Jason Aldean will feature a duet with Kelly Clarkson called Don't You Wanna Stay.
Don't You Wanna Stay is due out Nov. 2, which more than likely will be before Kelly's latest disc hits retail and digital outlets.

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>It was announced about one week ago that Kris Allen will be opening for Lifehouse on its current tour beginning in October.
10/15 MGM Foxwoods, Manshucket, CT
10/16 Orpheurm Theatre, Boston, MA
10/17 Roseland Ballroom, New York, NY
10/20 The Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA
10/23 Tropicana Show Room, Atlantic City, NJ
10/24 Dar Constitution Hall, Washington DC
10/26 Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA
10/29 Drury University, Springfield, MO
10/30 Choctaw Casino Events Center, Grant OK
10/31 Verizon Wireless Theatre, Houston TX
11/2 Palladium Ballroom, Dallas TX
11/4 Uptown Theatre, Kansas City, MO
11/5 Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL
11/6 The Fillmore, Detroit, MI
11/9 Pagent, St Louis, MI
11/11 Eagles Ballroom, Milwaukee, WI
11/12 Val Air Ballroom, Des Moines, IA
11/14 Ogden Theatre, Denver, CO
11/15 In The Venue, Salt Lake City, UT
11/16 Knitting Factory, Reno, NV
11/18 Gibson Amphitheater @ Universal Studios, Universal City, CA
11/19 The Joint @ Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
11/20 Pechanga Casino, Temecula, CA
11/21 Masonic Center, San Fransisco, CA
11/23 WaMu Theatre, Seattle, WA
11/24 Roseland Theatre, Portland, OR
Kris has already opened for the likes of Lady Antebellum, Maroon 5, Keith Urban and Daughtry, so it's encouraging for Kris that Lifehouse is interested in having him on board for the remainder of its North American tour.

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>Kimberley Locke and her mom appeared on the series premiere of WETV's You're Wearing That!? on Thurs., Aug. 19. In the episode, Kim and her mom get advice from a fashion expert on how to change up their look. Watch a clip from the episode below:



Kim also recently sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "God Bless America" during the Los Angeles Dodgers game on Fri., Aug. 20.

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Friday, August 20, 2010

'Idol' odds 'n ends: Steven Tyler preps for 'Idol' judgeship by falling off stage

The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:

>Steven Tyler is all but confirmed to be a judge for Idol's 10th season, but he doesn't seem to be slowing down to save his energy for coming up with critiques, as evidenced by his multiple falls while performing onstage, including the most recent episode at a show in Toronto. Per Zap2It:
After quickly rebounding from his accidental stage dive, Tyler sprung up and yelled to the crowd, "It ain't gonna happen again!"

Let's hope not. The lights and video floor on the "American Idol" can be awfully disorienting.
That's actually really good advice, especially since if the lights don't disorient him, they'll probably at least melt his face clear off. Then who would replace the replacement?


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>Jordin Sparks has been busy this week in New York City gearing up for her big premiere in the Broadway musical In The Heights. As per usual, making appearances on the talk show circuit were included on her itinerary, including Live with Regis & Kelly, on which she performed the song "Breathe" yesterday. Watch the performance below:




Jordin's Broadway debut came last night, which marks the kickoff of a 12-week run at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. For schedules and ticket information for In The Heights, visit InTheHeightsMusical.com.


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>After much delay, Kris Allen's music video for second single "The Truth" premiered on VH1 on Tuesday. Watch the video below:




The video was directed by Marco Puig, who was at the helm of Kris's video for "Live Like We're Dying," and featured model Cindy Vela and Train lead singer Pat Monahan. Was the video worth the wait? Not in my opinion, unfortunately.


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>David Archuleta posted another vlog on his official YouTube channel on Tuesday in which he informed fans that work on his forthcoming album The Other Side of Down is almost complete. Watch the vlog below (if you can tolerate the annoying buzzing sound):




As expected, Arch confirmed the album has been pushed back until Tues., Oct. 5. He said he's excited to start performing live again soon and hopes he can hit the high notes in "Something 'Bout Love." The Other Side of Down is available to pre-order at Amazon.com.


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>Kellie Pickler is reportedly busy putting her own signature touch on her wedding plans, as she's looking for ways to incorporate her love of animals into the ceremony. According to a piece by Wendy Geller of Yahoo! Music:
And, we're not just talking about having a dog dressed up in a mini-tuxedo, as Underwood did at her wedding. Pickler is talking about having her reptile buddies in the mix. "I'm thinking of having the python be the ringbearer," she told PEOPLE this week.
I wonder if she'll think about asking calamari to be the flower girls? The piece goes on to say there will be no first dance with husband-to-be Kyle Jacobs because he is "'a disaster' on the dance floor." That's a little out of the ordinary, especially since Kellie is definitely the dancin' kind.

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Saturday, August 14, 2010

'Idol' odds 'n ends: Fantasia meets up with Antwuan Cook after being released from hospital

The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:

>The latest news in the Fantasia saga is that merely one day after being released from a Charlotte, N.C., hospital for a drug overdose and suicide attempt, she had a meeting with her "off and on" boyfriend Antwuan Cook in a local park. Per an article on People.com:
The two were spotted visiting a local park and appeared to be in deep conversation – all while cameras, presumably for her VH1 reality show, Fantasia for Real, captured the conversation.
Additionally, the 911 call was made public:



To add to things, VH1 issued a statement that the first episode of Fantasia For Real's second season, which kicks off on Sun., Sept. 19, would be changed to accommodate the incident before retracting the statement. It may just be me, but all this is sounding pretty opportunistic, especially when considering Fanny's latest album hits stores in less than two weeks. Well, if her goal (and her manager's goal) was to get the public to remember her, they surely accomplished it this week (photo courtesy of People.com).

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>After all the drama that went down this week with reports that Jennifer Lopez is out of the running to replace Ellen DeGeneres or Simon Cowell as a judge for Season 10, good ol' Nigel Lythgoe interjected to smooth out the waves made by the rumors. Accoring to Uncle Nigel:
He tells Extra, "These people don't know Jennifer Lopez. She's a wonderful woman. I've never seen her be a diva in her life!"
Well, that's hardly a denial that J. Lo has been axed from consideration, but I guess it's better than a confirmation of the news - for Lopez at least.

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>Kimberly Caldwell will today appear at the AT&T store in Tustin, Calif., where she will perform in concert beginning at 1 p.m. She will then hang around to meet and greet fans until 3 p.m. More information on the event per the media advisory:
Without RegretEvent attendees will have an opportunity to meet KIIS FM’s Manny on the Street between 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Attendees will also be able to take advantage of the promotion on the new Android™ 2.1 Powered Samsung Captivate* ($199 after mail-in rebate and 2-year agreement), with the super AMOLED screen. With the purchase of the new Samsung Captivate attendees will receive two tickets to the upcoming American Idol Concert Tour at the Honda Center, Tuesday, August 17.
The store is located at 2219 Park Ave between Tustin Ranch and Park Avenue. Kimberly's debut album Without Regret will be released on Tues., Dec. 31, and is available to pre-order at Amazon.com.

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>Jordin Sparks recently spent a day with a teen girl named Kyrie who devoted her time to charitable work with kids in Jamaica as part of Famous Footwear's "Famous for a Day" program. Watch the video below courtesy of Famous Footwear's official YouTube channel:



Jordin brought Kyrie 50 pair of shoes for the children of Jamaica in addition to hanging out with her for the day and inviting her backstage to a Jordin's concert. This isn't the first, nor will it be the last, of Jordin's charitable contributions.

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>Season 6 Top 16 contestant Asia'h Epperson is the latest Idol alum to land in hot water, at least legally, as she was arrested last night after allegedly beating up a clubgoer with her sister in Hollywood. Per TMZ:
According to sources, Epperson and another chick -- her sister -- kicked another clubgoer's butt inside Colony club.
TMZ's paps captured video of Asia'h with rapper Too Short (who?) earlier in the evening. She was released on bail early this morning. Why question is, why did TMZ have video of Asia'h before she was even arrested? Makes no sense. Either way, it's nice to see Season 6 is still being represented well.

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Friday, August 6, 2010

'Idol' odds 'n ends: Nigel wants Paula Abdul back as a judge

The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:

>Upon officially acknowledging his return to Idol for the show's 10th season (and his first since Season 7), Nigel Lythgoe made one of his trademark controversial statements: that he'd fully support (and actively try) to get Paula Abdul back on the judging panel. As unlikely as this actual scenario sounds, Nigel said it anyway:

One of his first ideas is to bring back one of the show's most beloved judges: Paula Abdul. Lythgoe told Daily Variety that despite her commitment to headline a new dancing show on CBS, he'd love to get Abdul back in the "Idol" fold. "I still love Paula," he said. "She's signed to CBS, probably exclusively, but I'd recommend we have her in a heartbeat."

Nigel also said he wants to focus less on the judges and to lessen the reliance on shoving contestants' back stories in audiences' faces. Well, knowing that, count me among those thrilled to have Nigel back in charge!


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>Katharine McPhee's Unbroken ballad "Say Goodbye" might not be getting the single treatment, but it will at least be heavily featured in the upcoming Christian film I AM. Part of the song's attachment to the film includes a music video complete with scenes from the movie and shots of Katharine herself. Watch the video below:




I AM, courtesy of 20th Century Fox, is described as the following per its website:

I AM offers an insight into the true nature of our God, and fights the damaging stereotypes of His character through a gritty, non-linear drama with a plot weaving around average people violating the Ten Commandments -- one by one. We see that these commandments were not edicts from a jealous God, but a love letter to humanity -- a warning to those who don't understand the massive consequences of even the smallest sins upon ourselves and the world around us.

It will premiere on Sun., Oct. 10 (National 10 Commandments Sunday), in churches across the country before being released in theaters.


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>On average, who do you think charges more for the gigs: Kris Allen or Kellie Pickler? If you answered Kris, TheSmokingGun.com has evidence to the contrary:
Rascal Flatts $702,500
Kiss $500,000
Keith Urban $487,500
Drake $155,000
Selena Gomez $100,000
Kelly Pickler $40,000
Kris Allen $12,500

Chris Young $7,500
While it's not too surprising Kellie is pulling in more than Kris at the moment since she's a more established artist, is it even conceivable that Rascal Flatts are pulling in a whole $200k more per show than Kiss? That's more than surprising.


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>Tamyra Gray and her husband, Sam Watters, spoke with People.com about how they welcomed their daughter Sienna Marie into the world last month. Tamyra told People about the unusual manner in which they came up with her name:

“I know it sounds weird, but back in February I had a dream where she told me her name. I shared my dream with Sam and we decided we’d wait and see. It took us eight hours after her birth to name her and at the end, we went with her suggestion.”

Tamyra, now 30, said despite waiting until delivery to find out the sex of her baby, she knew instinctively that she'd be having a girl and now she has "someone to share in [her] love of fairies and tea."


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Heartbreak On Vinyl>Blake Lewis will appear at the AT&T retail store in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 7, where he will greet fans, pose for pictures and sign autographs between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. More info per a media alert:

Event attendees will have an opportunity to win signed copies of Lewis’ limited edition double LP “Heartbreak on Vinyl” scheduled to be released on August 24. Attendees will also be able to take advantage of the promotion on the new Android™ 2.1 Powered Samsung Captivate* ($199 after mail-in rebate and 2-year agreement), with the super AMOLED screen. With the purchase of the new Samsung Captivate attendees will receive two tickets to the upcoming American Idol Concert Tour at the Staples Center, Friday, August 13.

The AT&T store is located at 6203 Topanga Canyon Blvd (between Victory Blvd. and Erwin St.). Earlier in the week, fans who pre-ordered the special edition of Heartbreak on Vinyl on vinyl received the bonus MP3 track "Till We See The Sun," with just a few copies of the special edition vinyl disc available for pre-order ahead of its release on Aug. 24.

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Sunday, August 1, 2010

'Idol' odds 'n ends: Kristy Lee Cook records music and shoots deer on 'Goin' Country'

The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:

>Kristy Lee Cook might be a few years removed from the music biz, but that doesn't mean she can't keep busy with her second favorite past time - hunting. Catch Kristy on her new show Goin' Country with Kristy Lee Cook, which premiered today on Versus at 9 a.m. Watch a promo clip for the show below:



As you can tell by the clip, the whole show isn't about her shooting deer (probably just 80%), The show will feature cameos by some of KLC's friends, including Blake Lewis, so be on the lookout for that episode.

>Allison Iraheta and duet partner Orianthi appeared on FOX's So You Think You Can Dance? results show on Thursday to help their struggling single "Don't Waste the Pretty." Watch the performance below:



This single is currently hovering in the mid-70s on Mediabase's Top 40 chart, sitting at #74 w/ an audience impression of 0.172 million. It's available to purchase at iTunes.

>Kimberley Locke and her team want to give you an iPad - for free! The catch is, you have to be signed up on her street team and do some promo work to raise awareness for her music. The following is a portion of an update that was sent out to fans on her mailing list on Wednesday:
Our new SUMMER CONTEST has just launched which may result in YOU winning a brand new iPad, valued at $499 + tax. Members of this mailing list will need to ensure they are on the street steam in order to participate. To ensure you are on the street team, please follow the "Update Contact Info" link at the very bottom of this email and ensure the "street team" box is checked. Details for each weekly mission will be emailed on each Saturday from July 31st through August 27th. You could win an iPad just by promoting Kimberley's music on your websites.

If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, head over to KimberleyLockeOfficial.com for more details. Kim's next appearance will be at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Aug. 15.

>Michael Sarver's self-titled debut effort dropped this past Tuesday courtesy of Dream Records. Although the album is more gospel than country, Alison Bonaguro of CMT.com wrote about the country connection the CD has:
Michael Sarver
In fact, one song comes right out and says his dreams stretch far beyond the country line. But as you sift through the track-by-track review from the paper, it still sounds like there are a lot of country influences going on. The ones that sound like the best bets to me are "Safe," a waltz about how he will always be your home, and "Ferris Wheel," about the weightlessness you feel when you are falling in love. Then there's "Always Surviving," which I know I will love no matter what it's about, because it was written by two of Nashville's most gifted tunesmiths, Rachel Thibodeau and Rivers Rutherford.
Michael Sarver is available to purchase at Amazon for $10.99 and at iTunes for $9.99.

>With all the recent rearranging of the deck chairs on the Titanic that is American Idol, one Idol personality who probably won't be going anywhere is Debra Byrd, the show's head vocal instructor. Byrd just announced she will be holding a master class for aspiring singers called STAR SCHOOL LIVE! at the House of Blues in Cleveland, Ohio.
Byrd will kick off her tour at the House of Blues in Cleveland, Saturday, August 14, at 10AM. Private instruction is available following the master class beginning at 1:00 PM. Sign up for a 30 minute or 1 hour session. For more information, please email byrd@debrabyrd.com.

STAR SCHOOL LIVE! is made possible by Olbas Pastilles herbal lozenges and microphone manufacturing company Sennheiser. Tickets are $45 in advance, $50 the day of the show and $40 for groups of 10+ and can be purchased at HouseofBlues.com.

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Saturday, July 24, 2010

'Idol' odds 'n ends: total of 26,000 turn out for Milwaukee, Nashville auditions

The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:

>The Season 10 auditions kicked off in Nashville on Thurs., July 15, where about 10,000 hopefuls stood in line on the first day (16,000 in all performed in front of producers). This week, auditions journeyed to Milwaukee, where another 10,000 turned out for a shot at becoming the next Lee DeWyze. Per a post by EW's Michael Slezak:

“The numbers of people turning up to the American Idol auditions in Nashville and Milwaukee have been incredible,” said show creator Simon Fuller, in a release. “These attendance figures are significantly up on the last few years, and there is clearly renewed excitement and interest in the show, which is great to see.”

Ryan Seacrest took us on a behind the scenes tour of the Bradley Center to see what things are like, well, behind the scenes. Watch the piece below:



Auditions will next hit New Orleans, La., on Monday. If you're interested in giving Season 10 a shot (and at this point, you might as well throw your hat in the ring!) be sure to check out AmericanIdol.com/Auditions.

>As you've probably heard by now, Chris Isaak is the latest replacement for Simon Cowell being floated around. The rumor du jour comes on the heels of a Reuters and Hollywood Reporter piece claiming Isaak met with FOX twice in recent weeks for consideration of taking over for Simon. Per the piece:

While Fox insists no decision is imminent, the clock is ticking to replace Cowell as preliminary auditions get under way for the talent show's 10th season. Peter Rice, the network's new entertainment chairman, has said he expects the new "Idol" judge to join the audition roadshow by early September.

Other potential replacements that keep coming up in the media include Harry Connick, Jr., Bret Michaels and now...apparently...Donald Trump (huh!?). If Team FOX care about sparing fans from hearing about all this speculation, they'll hurry up and name a replacement fast.

>Lee DeWyze took time to speak with AmericanIdol.com about how the tour has been going with his fellow Season 9 Top 10 finalists. Lee covered a limited range of topics dealing with the tour and offered up a limited range of answers questions posed by both fans and AI.com. One of Lee's more interesting responses:
As the American Idol, Lee is the headliner of the Season 9 tour. Since he’s the last person to perform at each show, what does he do to pass the time while he’s waiting for his set? “I’m still trying to figure it out,” Lee remarked. “I have time to listen to a full album, so I’ll pick one and listen to it. I just try and chill, because if I just sit around and wait, I’ll get tired. During Casey’s and Crystal’s sets, I’ll go watch them and listen to the crowd and get pumped up.”

Lee said he's aiming for a "folk-rock" sound on his forthcoming album and he's been writing "everything so far." Lee, who apparently has been writing since he was 16 years old, said he's anticipating his hometown stop of Chicago because all his family and friends will be there. Read the full interview at AmericanIdol.com.

>Kellie Pickler had to break some bad news to the organizers of the St. Joseph County Grange Fair in Centerville, Mich., as she backed out of her scheduled show to close out the fair on Sept. 25 due to an extension of Rascal Flatts' tour, on which she is an opening act. This news came in conjunction with fellow country artist Chris Young's withdrawal as an opening act scheduled to perform at the fair on another day. Per an article from SturgisJournal.com:
“Next year we wouldn’t be able to touch Kelly Pickler or Chris Young … they’ll be priced way out of our league,” Johnson said. “If they honor the rate we were giving (for the September shows), it’d be a bargain.”

Ironically, Johnson noted, Rascal Flatts was an opening act at the fair several years ago.
Johnson did not indicate what the fair was to pay Pickler, saying only that it was a five-figure amount. Through Wednesday, about 950 tickets to Pickler’s show had been sold. Ticket prices ranged between $25 and $35 each.

All in all, not a good situation for the organizers of the fair.

>Jordin Sparks sat down with Oliver Trevena of YoungHollywood.com this week to chat about her Battlefield tour and other things on her mind. Watch the segment below:



Jordin recounted a memorable moment on the tour where a pregnant woman was waiting by her bus and she said "the baby's coming," Jordin was asked to sign her shirt and was freaking out because the baby needed to be delivered. She said she had never encountered that before (not many have, Jordin).

She also talked about her upcoming 3-month stint on Broadway in In the Heights, which kicks off on Thurs. Aug. 19.

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Sunday, July 18, 2010

'Idol' odds 'n ends: Lee DeWyze performs "Hallelujah" on 'The View'

The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:

>Continuing in his "Idols Live!" tour-promoting mode, Lee DeWyze stopped by The View on Monday for a brief chat with co-hosts Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Sherri Shepherd in addition to an acoustic performance of "Hallelujah." Watch the segment below:



Lee didn't have much to say in the interview, but that's not surprising considering the questions he was fielded. Luckily, he delivered an alright performance to make up for it.

>Also on The View this week was Clay Aiken, who served as guest co-host on Tuesday's episode. Surprisingly, Clay "cussed" during a segment in which the ladies discussed spoiled children (or something to that effect). Watch Clay's exit interview in which he apologizes below:



The full episode can be viewed on ABC's website. Clay is planning to begin his "Timeless Tour" with fellow Season 2 alum Ruben Studdard on Fri., July 23 in Asheville, N.C., on which he will promote his new album Tired & True.

>Katharine McPhee promoted her work with the campaign being sponsored by ConAgra Foods and Feeding America on Friday's episode of On the Record with Greta Van Susteren on FOX News Channel. Watch the segment below:



In addition to talking about the campaign, Kat also said she will spend roughly three months putting together her upcoming yet-to-be-titled Christmas album, which she already began recording.

>Kris Allen took a break from his tour with The Barenaked Ladies on Thursday to finally film the music video for his current single "The Truth" in the California desert, however before much could get filmed, rain canceled the operation. Kris was set to film the video with his love interest, model Cindy Vela, and Pat Monahan of Train, but according to one of Kris' recent tweets, it will resume on Monday.

Photos from the set of the shoot were released, however, showing that Kris' wife, Katy, is standing by to show him some support.

>David Cook posted one of his world famous vlogs this week to tease fans about his upcoming release. It basically consists of black and white shots of recording sessions in the studio. Watch the vlog below:



David sang roughly six seconds of a new track, which turns out to be David Hodges' "Hard to Believe."

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Friday, July 9, 2010

'Idol' odds 'n ends: Lee, Crystal and crew perform in concert at GMA

The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:

>As noted in the previous post, Season 9's Top 10 performed in concert on Good Morning America as part of the ABC morning program's Summer Concert Series in Central Park. While the group medley was abysmal, Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox did pretty well with their solo offerings. Watch them both below:

Lee singing "Treat Her Like a Lady":



Crystal singing "Piece of My Heart":



You can tell by the close-up shots and quick camera cuts that there was a very sparse crowd at the show. Lee, Crystal and the rest of the gang will next perform in concert at the Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Conn.

>Two Idol alums separated by four seasons and many placings will perform in concert tonight in an intaimte show at The Listening Room Cafe in Nashville when Diana DeGarmo of Season 3 and Cardin McKinney, Hollywood contestant from Season 7, take to the stage alongside Robin Meade and Victoria Shaw. Tickets are still available to the show, which is meant to showcase songwriting and acoustic singing, begins at 9 p.m.

>Carrie Underwood will be getting married tomorrow! After a few months living life engaged to each other, Carrie will wed her Ottawa Senators player, Mike Fisher, in a ceremony at The Ritz-Carlton Lodge in Greensboro, Ga. To be sure the pesky photogs stay away for the day, Carrie went all out. Per an article at SFGate.com:
...the happy couple has booked every room at the venue to house their guests for the night, costing a whopping $268,000, according to local paper The Herald Journal.

The publication's editor, Carey Williams, says, "She has blocked off all 251 rooms at the hotel."
The article also said Carrie will be arriving in style via a helicopter. Not a bad way to start the weekend.

>Kris Allen will be taking part in the benefit concert for the people of Tennessee who are still recovering from the floods that ravaged the Nashville area in May. The concert will take place at the Cannery Ballroom on July 23 and all proceeds will go toward the efforts being undertaken by the Community Foundation. iCarly star Miranda Cosgrove will also perform at the concert. To purchase tickets, visit Ticketweb.com.

>Katharine McPhee is doing her best to ensure her current single "Terrified" stays on the right track at radio, so she had a webisode filmed to document the recording session she had with Zachary Levi of NBC's Chuck. Watch the webisode below:



As for how the single is performing on the charts, it's safe to say "Terrified" has seen better days. It has virtually disappeared from all charts, both airplay and sales.

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Friday, July 2, 2010

'Idol' odds 'n ends: David Archuleta premieres single "Something 'Bout Love"

The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:

>David Archuleta threw his hat into the ring of new summer music releases yesterday when he premiered his new single "Something 'Bout Love" on his official website, DavidArchuleta.com. Listen to the single below:



The single will be available to purchase on DavidArchuleta.com on July 13 and will be available everywhere else, including iTunes, on July 20.

>Blake Lewis yesterday alerted fans to his limited edition vinyl release of Heartbreak on Vinyl that is due out Tues., Aug. 3. According to Blake on a video of him describing the package uploaded to his official website, the signed, double LP special edition includes an unreleased remix of "Til We See the Sun," access to Blake's VIP Opendisc site and more. There are only 500 copies that were pressed, so if you really need to have this collector's edition, pre-order here for $24.99.

>Jennifer Hudson saw her "Behind the Music" special air on VH1 on Monday, which documents her humble beginnings in Chicago to her early rise to stardom on Idol to her role in Dreamgirls and the family tragedy that gripped her in the fall of 2008. Below is a snippet from the special that covers some of her time on Idol:



An all-star roster of contributors were interviewed for the special, including Jamie Foxx, Randy Jackson and Queen Latifah. The special will most likely repeat throughout the month on the music-themed cable network. More clips are available to watch in addition to the full episode at VH1.com.

>Rumors this week strengthened of Simon Cowell's successor, and Bret Michaels, who was once considered to have less than an outside shot at the seat at the judges' table, now seems to be gaining steam. Following an interview with PARADE magazine that was published on Monday, Michaels was asked to interview with the people over at FOX. In the PARADE piece, Michaels says the following of why he'd like to be a judge:
"I'm not built exactly like Simon Cowell, but, at the same time, I respect what he did. But I would have to bring my own personality. I think if they have someone in there to try to imitate Simon, it would be a mistake; he's an original. Bring Bret Michaels in to be original to who and what I am. Bring someone who can bring a little grit, true grit back to the show."

Michaels went on to say "Helly yeah" he would've tried out for Idol had he been a rocker looking got make it into the business nowadays because "you get instant exposure to millions of people" even though you run the risk of being considered "disposable." Stay tuned for more developments in the quest to fill the shoes of the British one.

>It's been one week since Fantasia release her music video for her current single "Bittersweet." Watch the video below:




"Bittersweet" is available to purchase on iTunes and is of course off Fantasia's forthcoming album Back to Me, which is due out July and is available to pre-order at Amazon.com

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Friday, June 25, 2010

'Idol' odds 'n ends: Antonella "Jersey Girl" Barba premieres a music video

The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:

>Antonella Barba is back on the scene with a new single and music video. The Jersey girl is acknowledging what she is and after releasing the single "Jersey Girl" on iTunes back in May, she premiered her new music video for the track on her official YouTube page yesterday. Watch the video below (I'd suggest doing so with the audio off):



Well, I hear producers of MTV's Jersey Shore are searching for a theme song to the second season of the reality series. Maybe this will be a real winner? Or maybe Antonella could earn a spot in the cast. Now that would make the show worth watching!

>News of Kellie Pickler's engagement to Nashville-based songwriter Kyle Jacobs came as a bit of a surprise to many, but when considering the recent string of engagements among blonde country singers (see Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert), it wasn't too out in left field. According to an article on People.com:
The couple met through friends about 2 1/2 years ago, and Pickler, who was raised by her grandmother after her mother left and her father went to jail, says she learned how to have a healthy relationship from her new fiancé.

"Kyle took away all my fear of marriage and has shown me the way love is supposed to be," she says.

Thanks to Jacobs -- as well as a renewed relationship with her dad, Clyde Pickler, who's been sober for a year -- "I'm in the happiest place I've ever been," she says, adding that she plans to have her father walk her down the aisle.
This development is a very positive one for Kellie and caps off a great year for her career-wise.

>In what seemed to be more of an afterthought than an example of striking while the iron is hot, Crystal Bowersox was finally allowed to perform on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Monday night. Watch her perform "What's Up?" below:





Also on the show was self-professed Idol fan and actress Dakota Fanning, who coincidentally said she was also a "huge fan" of Crystal.

>Adam Lambert was up in Canada for the 2010 MuchMusic Video Awards on Sunday, where he was one of 10 American and Canadian artists to perform. Watch his performance of "Whataya Want From Me" below:





Adam actually took home an award, too. He nabbed the "UR Fave: International Video" category (whatever that means).

>Danny Gokey released his second music video last week, this time for his latest single "I Will Not Say Goodbye." It premiered exactly one week ago during CMT's "BIG NEW MUSIC WEEKEND," which also featured new video premieres from artists like Lady Antebellum, Tim McGraw and LeAnn Rimes. Watch the video below:





The video is pretty hard-hitting, and even though his late wife Sophia is not referenced by name or anything, it's pretty clear she serves as the inspiration for the video along with the side stories of loved ones speaking about family members they've lost.

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Friday, June 11, 2010

'Idol' odds 'n ends: Ryan Seacrest wants another talk show?

The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:

>Is it possible Ryan Seacrest could become the next Oprah? There are rumors floating around that he's considering launching back into the daytime talk circuit with a show of his own, but not until 2011. Per Zap2It.com:

According to LARadio.com, Seacrest and CBS are sidling up to talks for Seacrest about hosting and executive producing a show that would premiere in the fall of 2011. It would also likely be a package deal that would include his radio shows as well.

The rumblings about Seacrest making a move come as the end of his current radio contract nears its end. He's currently with KIIS-FM, a Clear Channel-owned station, but his deal there expires in November.

If anyone is thinking to his or herself, "wait a minute, didn't Ryan already have his own talk show?" your mind isn't playing tricks on you. Back in '04 Ryan spent his afternoons on On-Air with Ryan Seacreast, which had a lifespan of only a few months.

>Adam Lambert's "Glam Nation Tour" with fellow Season 8 finalist Allison Iraheta and Orianthi kicked off at the Kirby Center in Wilkes Barre, Pa., on Fri., June 4. Watch fan video of him performing "Fever" below:



Adam, Allison and Orianthi will next perform at the Shining Star Casino in Mahnomen, Minn.

>As his peers previously had done, Lee DeWyze stopped by CBS's late night talk show The Late Show with David Letterman on Monday to chat with host David Letterman and perform his winning single "Beautiful Day." Watch his performance below:



Lee's talk with Letterman was, well, rather boring but he seemed more personable than usual. Lee talked about working in a paint store and the full year process of him working with Idol, calling Simon a "genuinely nice guy."

>Only three months since joining the Hair tribe, Diana DeGarmo and Ace Young will be looking for a new paycheck as they were given their two weeks notice yesterday that the Broadway revival will be closing its doors at the Al Hirschfeld Theater on June 27. Per Broadway.com:

The closing release emphasized that Hair recouped its entire $5,760,000 investment four months into the run and has generated a profit. The show weakened at the box office after the original cast departed for London, grossing $351,992 for the week ending June 6 and playing to 46.50% of capacity. The London production, which opened in April at the Gielgud Theatre will close on September 4, and according to a statement from the producers, “Many of the members of the current Broadway Tribe and London Tribe will take part in the tour.”


If you were planning on seeing Diana and Ace in the show sometime this summer, there's still time to see it over the next two weeks. See here for tickets starting at $37.

>New shots from Jordin Sparks's video shoot for her cover of the classic "Beauty and the Beast" have surfaced. The video, which is directed by Philip Andelman ("Battlefield"), will appear on the special Blu-ray/DVD release of the Disney classic Beauty and the Beast, which will be out Tues., Oct. 5, and can be pre-ordered on Amazon.com.

The photos are courtesy of JordinSparks.cc and come after EW.com posted a first look of the scene from the video two weeks ago. The song, which was originally a duet between Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson, will be sung solely by Jordin.

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Friday, June 4, 2010

'Idol' odds 'n ends: Lee DeWyze & Crystal Bowersox perform on 'Today'

The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:

>Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox paid NBC's Today Show a visit yesterday to perform in concert at Rockefeller Plaza. Watch them duet on "Falling Slowly" below:



Lee took the stage to perform an acoustic version of "Beautiful Day," while Crystal did an acoustic rendition of "Me & Bobby McGee" as Michael Orland accompanied the two on piano. In their pre-performance chat with Meredith Viera, Lee was asked what his favorite brand of paint was, and he gave a cop-out "the're's plenty of good ones" answer." Crystal said she'd like to use her celebrity to raise awareness for diabetes, especially in underdeveloped countries.

>After staying out of the limelight for an extended amount of time, Clay Aiken seems to be taking on a higher profile as of late, with a performance on ABC's Good Morning America on Tuesday and details of yet another cover album leaking out. Watch Clay and his new hairdo perform "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" below:



Clay's latest cover disc, Tried and True (more like "Tired and Too Much"), hit stores on Tuesday to little fanfare. Before his performance on GMA, Clay chatted with co-host Robin Roberts and called summer tour mate Ruben Studdard "one of the best performers on stage" he knows.

>David Archuleta has been busy on his book tour in support of Chords of Strength, which is described as "a memoir of soul, song, and the power of perseverance. So far he has hit up Ridgewood, N.J., New York City and Long Island. Below are a few tweets courtesy of Arch from his travels during the tour:

Finished the book signing in Manhattan! Andy Garcia, Kasey James, and DiDi Benami all stopped by. Such a cool surprise!
9:19 PM Jun 2nd via txt

"you smell like really good baby powder." well I haven't heard that before but thanks! I'm glad I don't smell bad! Haha
about 12 hours ago via txt

Lake Grove on Long Island was awesome!! Thanks so much too everyone who came and thanks to Barnes and Noble too!
about 9 hours ago via txt


While in the city, Arch also performed "Works For Me" on FOX & Friends yesterday with friend Toby Lightman. He will next be at the Barnes & Noble at the Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minn., tomorrow at 2 p.m.

>Allison Iraheta's latest single was unveiled earlier this week. Her third release will be a revamped version of "Don't Waste the Pretty" featuring Orianthi, who Allison will be touring with this summer. According to Michael Slezak at EW.com:
The Orianthi-infused “Don’t Waste the Pretty” hits iTunes June 8, according to a rep at Allison’s label.

Jive must really believe in Allison since they've previously released two singles that have failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, especially considering they only got behind two singles on David Archuleta's first release and Jordin Sparks's Battlefield.

>Diana DeGarmo visited CBS's weekend morning program The Saturday Early Show over Memorial Day Weekend to perform a few songs from Hair, which she is currently starring in on Broadway. Watch her perform "I Believe in Love" and a snippet of her song of appreciation of the men and women serving in our military, "Thank You," which was fitting for the weekend, below:



Last week, Diana together with SunTrust Bank unveiled a campaign called "Solid Salute," which allows people to send personalized e-greetings to men and women in uniform using her song "Thank You." You can also download the track for free at LiveSolid.com.

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Saturday, May 29, 2010

'Idol' odds 'n ends: Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox visit 'Ellen'

The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:

>Lee DeWyze made his first talk show appearance on who else's show but Ellen DeGeneres' very own Ellen yesterday. Watch his interview and performance of "Hallelujah" below (why he didn't perform "Beautiful Day" I don't know):



Crystal Bowersox also appeared on the show, where she performed "Up to the Mountain" after joining Lee on Ellen's signature couch.

>It looks like Paula Abdul is getting the last laugh after all. CBS announced earlier this week that Paula will star as executive producer, lead judge, coach, mentor and advocate of the network's new reality series Got to Dance. Per TheWrap.com:

Based on a popular British show that began last year on Sky TV, the series will see the former choreographer return to her dance roots. Like "Idol" or "So You Think You Can Dance," amateur contestants from across the coutnry will audition for Abdul and a panel of experts before performing live in the semi-finals and finals to compete for the "Got to Dance" championship.

So basically it's CBS's version of So You Think You Can Dance? Good for Paula. Regardless, it's not impossible for her to also co-judge X-Factor in Fall 2011, so hopefully there's still room for that to happen.

>Carrie Underwood and Jennifer Hudson took part in the tribute special for Brooks & Dunn on CBS's ACM Presents: Brooks & Dunn - The Last Rodeo, which aired last Sunday (if you didn't know about this it was probably because you were watching the Lost or The Celebrity Apprentice finales). Watch Carrie perform the duo's "Neon Moon" below:



Watch Jennifer's performance of "Believe" below:



Who knew Jennifer could sing country so well? The special was a way to say a final farewell to Brooks & Dunn, who are in the process of breaking up after 20 years of performing together and are doing one last concert tour together. Ratings-wise the special pulled in a 1.8 adults 18-49 rating and an average of 10.1 million viewers over two hours.

>Aside from having winners and runners-up on her show, Ellen DeGeneres might be setting herself up with a backup career to supplement her talk show if the Idol producers yank her contract prematurely, as she announced on her show Wednesday that she was starting her own record label, eleveneleven, with the first artist signed being 12-year-old YouTube sensation Greyson Chance. Per Reuters:
"Greyson ... inspired me to start a record label called eleveneleven. He is my first artist and we are making a record together," DeGeneres said in a statement released on Tuesday.

DeGeneres said she will continue to use her show as a platform to find new artists, whom she will sign to eleveneleven. The record label is being set up in collaboration with Telepictures Productions.

Greyson visited Ellen to perform on Wednesday. Watch his performance of the original song "Broken Hearts" below:



So what do you think, will this move give Ellen the street cred she needs to hang onto her judging slot on Idol? She's signed for something like four seasons anyway, but if there was a real need she could easily wiggle out of that commitment. Regardless, this might end up being the smartest business decision Ellen has made yet.

>It's not surprising this year's Idol season finale was the lowest-rated (and watched) one on record, but it's amazing to actually compare these numbers with the numbers from seasons' past. Robert Seidman at TVBytheNumbers put together a handy chart of rating scores and total viewers from all nine seasons:

09/04/2002 American Idol - Season 1 10.8 23.02
05/21/2003 American Idol - Season 2 16.8 38.06
05/26/2004 American Idol - Season 3 12.0 28.84
05/25/2005 American Idol - Season 4 12.5 30.27
05/24/2006 American Idol - Season 5 14.2 36.38
05/23/2007 American Idol - Season 6 11.5 30.76
05/21/2008 American Idol - Season 7 11.4 31.688
05/20/2009 American Idol - Season 8 10.0 28.86
05/26/2010 American Idol - Season 9 8.2 24.2

Wow, the word "ouch" seems to come to mind when looking at those figures together. Although TV ratings have been on a steady decline in general over the past 10 years, Idol's finale seems to be an exception to the rule and is more based on factors like the quality of its competitors and the general buzz going into the finale, which explains Season 2's, Season 5's and Season 7's high numbers, as well as Season 3's (and now Season 9's) low numbers. This might be one trend that won't continue after the quality of this past season left a bad taste in most people's mouths.

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