Ayla Brown has decided to take the country route on her next album. The Season 5 Top 16 contestant was profiled on Boston.com today, with an article detailing her decision to pursue a career in the country industry. Below is a snippet from the piece:
She has her reasons. OK, she's tall and beautiful. She can’t change that. But she doesn't want the sexy stuff that dominates the music industry to define her. Not like Lady Ga-Ga, Janet Jackson, or a young Madonna. She wants to be a role model for young girls.
"I don’t want to be on stage shaking my butt to get fans," says Brown. "The pop world is not where I see my future."
So the former "American Idol" contestant is embarking on a country music career. "I'm excited and nervous," she says. "It’s like starting over again."
She'll show off her new sound at Arlington's Regent Theatre tomorrow night. "It's a coming-out show for me, with my new style and band."
A live video of Ayla's new single "My Favorite Part" was also posted along with the article. Watch it below:
Ayla will be debuting her new Nashville sound tomorrow at the Regent Theatre in Arlington, Mass., with her new band at 8 p.m. For ticket information, visit RegentTheatre.com.
The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:
>Simon Cowell's big sit-down on Oprah's couch (out of studio, far away from a studio audience) aired on her eponymous show yesterday, and he didn't hold back on any topic, addressing things ranging from his brushes with depression to "horrific mistakes" that led to him living out of his car when he was younger. Watch a clip below courtesy of The Insider:
Simon said he thinks this season has been too much about the judges, but what does he expect when a) the contestants are horrible and b) it's his last season. The judges are the most interesting part of this season.
>Casey James talked with the press today following his ouster Wednesday night. Casey was asked about "losing his shirt" during his audition in Denver and whether or not he would have done it again if he had the chance to go back to that point. Casey said:
"There's a possibility (that) had I not done that I might not have made it past that first round. It definitely wasn't something that I thought of, or even realized was going to happen. (But) it obviously worked out," he added.
Casey also appeared on Ellen this morning to talk about his time on the show. Watch a clip of his segment below:
Ellen was sure to say she thought he was a "great singer" and Casey mentioned how he hadn't seen Idol before he was on it because he didn't own a TV (something we all already knew), but he added that he finally bought one as well as a PS3. Good choice, Casey.
>Forbes.com released a list of the Top 10 earning Idol alums for the May 2009-April 2010 year, and it is less than spectacular. Even though the top earners are still raking in millions, the totals are far less than they were just years ago. Below is an abbreviated list of the Top 10 earners:
01) Kelly Clarkson ($8 million)
02) Carrie Underwood ($7 million)
03) Chris Daughtry ($5.4 million)
04) Kellie Pickler ($4.3 million)
05) David Cook ($2.3 million)
06) Jennifer Hudson ($2 million)
07) Jordin Sparks ($1.8 million)
08) David Archuleta ($1.4 million)
09) Clay Aiken ($800,000)
10) Kris Allen ($672,000)
When last season's winner is making less money in a year than a runner-up from seven seasons ago, that tells you something about the trajectory of this show and its contestants.
>Tomorrow's big KISS Concert sponsored by the Boston Top 40 radio station KISS 108 FM will feature three Idol alums, as it was announced yesterday that Ayla Brown will join a roster of 17 other acts including Kris Allen and Adam Lambert. Per a press release:
Brown, who will graduate from Boston College on Monday and is now a special contributor for CBS’ The Early Show, joins an impressive lineup of 17 fellow artists and bands including Ke$ha, Jason Derulo and Kevin Rudolf. Fellow American Idol alums Kris Allen and Adam Lambert are also scheduled to perform.
Upon receiving word that she was invited to take part in KISS Concert, Brown said she was ecstatic.
"I’m so excited that KISS asked me to perform at KISS Concert because they always put on a first-rate show," Brown said. "Just to share the stage with some of the biggest names in music is a great honor.”
Ayla will perform at the Comcast Center in Mansfield, Mass., at 2:15 p.m, while Kris will take the stage at 8 p.m. and Kris will close out the show at 9 p.m. A live webcast of the concert will be available at KISS108.com beginning at 2 p.m. ET.
>Bo Bice was out promoting his brand new album 3 this week, which included a stop at FOX & Friends on FOX News Channel. Watch him perform "You Take Yourself With You" below:
Bo explained the significance of the album's title, including the fact that he and his wife have three kids and this is his third studio album since finishing as runner-up on Season 4. The album is available in stores nationwide and at digital retailers including iTunes and Amazon.com
Last night showed us that in an overwhelmingly bad season, there are still instances when good vocals shine through. Tonight, however, one finalist must say goodbye. But hey, at least we get to be treated to performances from Daughtry, Bon Jovi and Fantasia (obviously I'm joking about the last one).
To see who I predict will be leaving tonight, see here. And as usual, please feel free to add your two cents throughout the one-hour blogcast. Coverage starts just prior to 9 p.m. ET.
Tonight's blogcast features the music of Allison Iraheta, Ayla Brown, David Cook, Kris Allen and Kristy Lee Cook.
"This shoot was less about beauty than about taking a risk and showing people a side of me they never have seen," says the American Idol judge. She was proud to have the confidence to strip down for the camera after struggling with binge eating and depression in her early 20s. "Back then I was a size 6 or 8; now I'm more like a size 2. Food is not what I use to anesthetize myself anymore." She didn't diet or work out like a maniac in preparation, but she did make one change: cutting way back on salt. "I can really retain water," she says.
Others to take part in the shoot, which was titled "THE NAKED TRUTH: 5 CELEBRITIES BARE IT ALL FOR ALLURE," include singer Colbie Caillat and actress Regina Hall.
>Katharine McPhee has been busy filming her new NBC pilot The Pink House, and there have been a few moles that have gone to tapings to report back. Below is a very low quality video capture of a scene featuring Kat:
According to reports, Kat and her fellow female co-star Ashley Madekwe are not the main focus of the show, but are still integral to the plot. Instead, the two guys who move from Mineapolis to California, played by Michael Cassidy and Zach Cregger, are the main focus.
>Kris Allen performed a set at the Zone Lounge in Sacramento, Calif, on Tuesday, where he had nothing but positive things to say to his fans, especially about Walmart and Chris Daughtry. Watch him talk about the two former topics and perform his original "Send Me All Your Angels" below:
Kris talked about how there are "three Walmarts in every town" in Arkansas and how Daughtry teased him when he visited the Season 8 Idol contestants during rock week. Daughtry helped Kris co-write "Angels," which is why his name came up during the pre-performance banter.
>Diana DeGarmo and Ace Young chatted with BroadwayWorld.com about their experiences in the Broadway music Hair thus far alongside fellow castmember Kyle Riabko. Watch the interview below:
Diana, Ace and the rest of the new tribe can be seen at the Al Hirschfeld Theater at the following times: Tuesday @ 7pm, Wednesday @ 2pm & 8pm, Thursday - Friday @ 8pm, Saturday @ 2pm & 8pm, Sunday @ 3pm.
>Ayla Brown, who joined the team over at CBS's The Early Show last week as a special contributor, appeared yesterday to do a piece on a six-year-old cancer patient named Hannah Lowe, and a song Ayla wrote and recorded for her through the Songs of Love Foundation. Watch the piece below:
The song, appropriately titled "Hannah's Song," is now available to download for a small $5 donation. Funds raised through the organization will go toward putting smiles on the faces of children like Hannah, so go ahead and donate for a good cause!
After last night's crowded collection of performances from one of the oldest bands currently touring, we must say goodbye to someone. This of course means they will miss out on the summer tour, which is a little depressing, but at least there will be 11 others to cheer him or her up!
In terms of guest performers, we get to see Orianthi, Ke$ha and David Cook rock out on stage.
To see who I predict will be leaving tonight, see here. Please feel free to add your two cents throughout the two-hour blogcast, with coverage starting just prior to 9 p.m. ET.
Tonight's blogcast features the music of Ayla Brown, Daughtry, David Archuleta, Kellie Pickler and Kelly Clarkson.
It looks like Kara DioGuardi's father has caught the Scott Brown bug. Joseph DioGuardi, who served as a republican U.S. representative from New York for two terms in the 1980s, will apparently announce his intention to challenge Sen. Kirsten Gillebrand for the seat, which is up for grabs in November. Per the AP:
DioGuardi has a reputation as a kinetic politician and a fiscal conservative. He would join a Republican field that already includes former Long Island lawmaker Bruce Blakeman. A number of other Republicans are considering a run.
Obviously, he would have to be victorious in an increasingly crowded republican primary field before he could run against Gillebrand. If he is successful, he will be the second U.S. senator to be the father of someone who has been on Idol, as the aforementioned newly-elected Sen. Brown of Massachusetts is the father of Season 5 semifinalist Ayla Brown.
Ayla Brown showed promise during her time on Idol's fifth season, but she bobbled the ball during Top 16 week when she picked Natasha Bedingfield's hit in the making "Unwritten." Watch the performance below:
The song was just starting to get big in the U.S., which probably was party responsible for audiences not being familiar with it and likely played a role in Ayla's early ouster. Still, things have been going fairly well for the now 21-year-old, so the lyrics of the song are pretty accurate in describing how things have turned out for her.
After carrying the early rounds of Idol's ninth season using the Chatroll platform, I am reverting to the CoverItLive software after receiving feedback that it is the preferred way to blog during the show's episodes. I would also like to announce that Tyler will be joining me as a producer this season to help manage comments that are sent in by readers, so hopefully this season will run smoothly here at IDOL LIVE!
Tonight we begin the much anticipated live shows when the Top 12 girls kick off with their own as they perform songs from Billboard's Hot 100 (i.e. songs that have charted over the course of its history, not just current ones).
Please feel free to add your two cents throughout the two-hour blogcast, with coverage starting just prior to 8 p.m. ET.
Tonight's blogcast features the music of Allison Iraheta, Ayla Brown, Brooke White, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Jordin Sparks, Katharine McPhee, Kelly Clarkson and Kimberley Locke.
The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:
>It was revealed this week that Diana DeGarmo and Ace Young will be members of the new cast taking over the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Hair starting Tues., March 9. According to an article on NYTimes.com:
Mr. Young, who made his Broadway debut in 2008 as Kenickie in the last revival of “Grease,” had been previously reported as in negotiations to play the merry-making hippie in “Hair.” (Berger does more audience crowd work than anyone else in the production.)
Ms. DeGarmo, who has been rumored for awhile as in line for a role in “Hair,” had her Broadway debut in 2006 as the character Penny Pingleton in the musical “Hairspary."
BroadwayWorld.com also came up with video of the new cast rehearsing "Let the Sun Shine In," which can be viewed below:
The show calls the Al Hirschfield Theater home. No word yet on when Diana's and Ace's engagements will run up.
Phil is very exciting to announce that he is hitting the road with Natalie Grant and Britt Nicole this Spring on the Love Revolution Tour. Make sure to check out his tour dates and mark your calendars for all the fun! Check back regularly because more dates are going to be added soon.
The tour will kick off on Sat., March 20, at Grace Chapel in Mason, Ohio, according to a schedule on Grant's official Web site.
>Carrie Underwood really has been adding lines to her resume under her "filmography" section, as she was spotted filming the biopic Soul Surfer earlier this week. Carrie will be playing Per Carrie's official Web site:
The inspirational film is based on the autobiography of 19-year-old champion surfer Bethany Hamilton, who, for over six years, has defied all odds to compete and win professional championships after losing her arm in a shark attack at age thirteen.
Below is video of Carrie filming the other day in Hawaii:
Carrie will played the role of Sarah Hill, a church youth group leader, and the film will feature actors like AnnaSophia Robb, Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt. This comes after shots of Carrie on the set of CBS's How I Met Your Mother have been steadily released to the public during her guest appearance on the episode "Hooked," which will air Mon., March 1.
>For the first time in six years, an episode of Idoldid not finish first in its time slot, as Wednesday's Top 24 reveal finished behind NBC's broadcast of the Vancouver Winter Olympics. The Olympics garnered a 9.0 with 30.07 million viewers in the 9 p.m. hour, while Idol was only able to manage a 6.9 with 18.42 million viewers. This came one day after the Olympics' 5.1 and 19.74 million viewers weren't enough to passIdol's 9.1 and 24.64 million viewers.
>Ayla Brown had a busy week in terms of nationally televised appearances, as she sat down with Joy Behar and even performed her single "Pick It Up" on FOX & Friends. One of the more interesting appearances was her interview on ABC News NOW's What's the Buzz? on Monday, where she talked about a challenge she and her dad made to President Obama. Watch the interview below:
The offer has been picked up far and wide throughout the media, including an article that showed up on the Politico on Tuesday. Stay tuned to see if anything ever materializes from this.
A lot of new releases by Idol alums have gone unreported over the past few weeks, let's take a glance at what's found its way onto iTunes recently from the franchise.
Also featured now on iTunes is Kris Allen's celebrity playlist podcast, which features songs like MGMT's "Electric Feel" and Radiohead's "High and Dry."
The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:
>It was announced yesterday that Carrie Underwood will sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" prior to Super Bowl XLIV on Sun., Feb. 7. Per the wire services:
Underwood, 26, winner of four Grammys and one of the most commercially successful artists to emerge from TV talent show "American Idol", follows in the footsteps of Whitney Houston, Beyonce, Neil Diamond and others celebrities chosen to sing at the biggest event in the U.S. sporting calendar.
Carrie will be the third-straight Idol alum to do the honors, as Jennifer Hudson sang the Anthem at last year's Superbowl and Jordin Sparks did the same at Super Bowl XLII.
>Danny Gokey premiered his very first music video for his debut single "My Best Days Are Ahead of Me" on AmericanIdol.com on Monday. Watch the video below:
Danny's debut album My Best Days is now available to pre-order on Amazon.com for $10.99. It's currently set for a March 2 release.
>David Archuleta apparently was working overtime last Friday when he donated his time to the Haiti Telethon. Although he didn't get a coveted performance spot during the telecast, Arch was busy manning the phones. According to People.com:
"The celebrities were so low-key. Everyone drove themselves, there were no handlers, no entourages," adds the source. "Everyone was in a good mood. Most people showed up early and many celebrities, including Chevy Chase, Olivia Wilde and David Archuleta, stayed after the telethon was over so they could keep answering phone calls.
Arch seemed appreciative of the opportunity to help out with the effort, as he tweeted:
What an awesome experience! Thanks everyone who donated! So cool seeing so many people there helping! 11:21 PM Jan 22nd from txt
>Katharine McPhee appeared on E!'s daily late night talk show Chelsea Lately on Monday where she promoted her sophomore album Unbroken in addition to chatting about other projects like her upcoming guest appearance on NBC's Community and her new film You May Not Kiss the Bride. Watch the segment below:
>Ayla Brown performed her new track "No More" on The Early Show on CBS on Tuesday when she stopped by the morning program to chat about life since her father was elected to the U.S. senate in Massachusetts in the special election held to fill the seat left vacant by the late Ted Kennedy. Watch the performance below:
Ayla, whose EP Circleshit iTunes this week, reiterated her father's challenge to take on President Obama in a two-on-two basketball match at the White House. Stay tuned on whether or not this plan will ever materialize.
Ayla Brown had a big week thanks to the release of her new EP Circles, which is available to purchase at iTunes. One of the components of her week was the release of her debut music video for her song "Pick It Up," which can be watched below:
The song was co-written by fellow Idol Season 5 alum Will Makar and Australian singer/songwriter Nathan Leigh Jones. Will, who shares a record label with Ayla, is still attending Berklee in Boston. The music video was reportedly produced on a "$0 budget," so it's not bad all things considered.
Ayla Brown has a lot to celebrate nowadays. Aside from the fact that she can call herself an ‘American Idol’ alum, a college hoops star and a senator’s daughter, she releases her third studio effort in the form of the EP ‘Circles.’
On ‘Circles,’ Brown experiments with more R&B/dance-themed sounds and ratchets up the power on her vocals. Kicking off the EP with the mid-tempo breakup tune “No More,” Brown allows her vocals to flow seamlessly amid the rhythmic arrangement. She then transitions into the upbeat dance anthem “Absolutely Everybody,” a cover of a track previously recorded by Australian artist Vanessa Amorosi. The theme of unity shines through on the lyrics (“I’m know different I am just the same / a player in the game / absolutely everybody”), which Brown sings with conviction.
The only original song on ‘Circles’ that is not co-written by Brown is “Pick It Up,” a catchy mid-paced ballad that finds her vocals set to a similar arrangement found in Rihanna’s “Take a Bow.” The song was co-written by label mate Will Makar and Australian artist Nathan Leigh Jones. The track has the most hit potential of any on the EP. But Brown really turns up the heat on “I’m So Happy,” a heavy R&B recording that relies on synths and just a hint of autotuning that give the track enough flavor to make it appeal to a wide audience.
Brown closes out the EP with the bubbly “Tonight,” a club banger that demonstrates she can pull off more current offerings. The song’s only weakness is it length, as it easily could have included an extra chorus at the end to top off at three minutes.
Regardless, Ayla Brown does not have to try hard to convince listeners of her talents, and ‘Circles’ will go a long way in helping her mature into a seasoned recording artist.
The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:
>If you were watching the Idol premiere last week, you may have seen a Ford commercial featuring a certain familiar face. That's right, Kris Allen made a special appearance in the video in which he's shown driving a a Ford Fusion Hybrid and he highlights one of the car's new features, which is CDs can be recorded in the audio system so that songs are available on playlists stored in the car. Watch the commercial below:
Also in the commercial is Kris's song "Alright with Me."
>Katharine McPhee performed "It's Not Right," one of her album tracks off her sophomore album Unbroken, on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live on Thursday. Watch the performance below:
Kat also chatted with Kimmel briefly following the performance where her upcoming guest appearance on NBC's Community was brought up. Kat said it should be airing in about a month.
>Adam Lambert's music video for his current single "Whataya Want From Me" premiered on VH1 and MTV on Friday. Watch the video below:
The video unsurprisingly leaked prior to being officially released. Adam tweeted:
So it leaked. Oh well :) big old watermark in middle of frame though. Will be on VH1, MTV etc tomorrow and on my website on Monday. :)
The video was directed by Diane Martel and filmed on Dec. 20, 2009.
>Kellie Pickler continued to show her support to American troops overseas this week as she traveled with fellow artists as part of a USO Tour trip. Kellie tweeted from the trek:
It's 10:30PM in Iraq. Loooong day. Sleeping w/both eyes open 2 avoid getting eaten by camel spiders. 2:29 PM Jan 15th from txt
I'm tweeting from a helicopter...flying over Baghdad. 4:09 AM Jan 16th from txt
Kellie has been traveling the middle east with fellow country singers Randy Houser and Jamey Johnson since last week. She has previously participated in USO Tours in 2007 and 2008.
>Ayla Brown continued campaigning with her father, Scott Brown, this week, including cutting this radio ad with her sister, Arianna, in which they responded to charges leveled against their father of denying rape victims emergency contraception. Listen to the ad below:
Ayla also helped out by recording an automated phone message that went out to registered voters across Massachusetts in which she echoed a similar sentiment. The special election to fill the vacant U.S. senate seat will be held on Tues., Jan. 19.
Ayla Brown, a semifinalist from Idol's fifth season, took a stand in defending her father, State Senator and U.S. Senate candidate Scott Brown, in a press conference yesterday in which she demanded her father's opponent, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, take a negative ad off the air. Watch video from a FOX 25 News piece on the press conference:
Ayla also made the front page of today's Boston Herald, with an article quoting her as saying:
“Martha Coakley’s new negative ad represents everything that discourages young women from getting involved in politics, and as a young woman, I’m completely offended by that,”
Scott Brown has been gaining on Coakley for the special election to fill the senate seat once held by the late Ted Kennedy, and the latest Rasmusen poll has the race as a dead heat. Ayla has taken to her official Twitter account to encourage people to get out and vote on Tues., Jan. 19.
In her first release since 2006’s ‘Forward,’ Ayla Brown connects with veteran R&B acts The James Montgomery Blues Band and The Uptown Horns on her live album ‘Ayla Brown Live!’ The album, courtesy of Double Deal Brand Records, marks a critical step forward in Brown’s recording career.
Leaving behind the polished feeling found in the comfort of the recording studio, Brown takes to the stage with the aforementioned bands for great, raw vocal performances.
Kicking things off on the basketball-themed “Breaking Away,” which appeared on ‘Forward,’ Brown shows off her spunky side while hanging onto a few extra long notes. She is able to maintain a healthy margin in her vocal comfort zone and does not overreach at any point during the performance.
Cover songs play a major role on ‘Live!’ as Brown gives her own spin on classics like “Dancing In the Streets” and “Respect.” On the former, Brown’s vocals mesh well with the harmonica and other instruments that do not normally accompany her. As for the latter, Brown transforms into a sultry soul songstress and displays her incredible range and masterful inflections. In both cases, Brown is sure to give the bands their dues by letting them feature instrumental solos.
It is on “Some Kind of Wonderful,” however, where Brown ratchets her performing skills up to another stratosphere, as she really reaches down into the depths of her soul to deliver a sassy Christina Aguilera-like showcase, with the highlight of the track coming at its finale.
As for her cover of Macy Gray’s “Come Together,” the track was written with James Montgomery and The Uptown Horns in mind, as its funky style creates a relaxed atmosphere and its lyrics carry a positive message (“And the sun shines laughter when we live as one / And there’s peace with those who believe in love”). The album’s finale comes in the form of Brown’s take on “Absolutely Everybody,” which takes on a life of its own thanks to the brass instrumentation that surrounds her emotion-laced vocals.
The iTunes bonus track, a studio version of “Come Together,” is an ear-pleasing piece that incorporates all the strong points of the live version while allowing for a polished final product.
With a little help from veteran acts The James Montgomery Blues Band and The Uptown Horns, Ayla Brown nails her foray into live albums and keeps fans invested in her career ahead of her forthcoming studio release ‘Circles’ in April 2010.
Ayla Brown Live! can now be purchased at iTunes ($6.93).
Two releases from alums of Idol's fifth season hit the digital marketplace today, as semifinalist Ayla Brown debuts her live album with The James Montgomery Blues Band and The Uptown Horns, while runner-up Katharine McPhee has her third digital single ahead of her sophomore album's drop date of Jan. 5, 2010.
Ayla Brown Live! features six tracks that were recorded by the Top 16 contestant over the summer with the aforementioned bands. It is her first main release since 2006's Forward.
Katharine's single "Lifetime" is her third digital release since August following lead single "Had It All" and "Say Goodbye."
Also appearing on iTunes for a limited time only is third season sixth-place finalist John Stevens' Christmas album Home For Christmas, which includes 12 holiday favorites.
And Brooke White's exclusive Live Session - EP featuring three songs is also up on iTunes, as are pre-orders for Adam Lambert's For Your Entertainment and Allison Iraheta's Just Like You.
Links to purchase the aforementioned can be found below:
Idol Season 5 Top 16 semifinalist Ayla Brown announced she has a limited number of free tickets available to give away to fans to tonight's David Foster and Friends show at the Agganis Arena in Boston, Mass., at 8 p.m.
The show features fellow alums Ruben Studdard and Michael Johns as well as veteran artists Peter Cetera, Philip Bailey and Deborah Cox and newcomer Charice. The tour's principle ringmaster, producer David Foster, accompanies the singers during the show. Below is a synopsis of the show:
Famed musical showman, producer and songwriter David Foster, whose PBS Great Performances Special "David Foster and Friends" was one of the highest pledged PBS shows in history, will be embarking on a l0-city tour. Foster will perform with some of his talented friends the hits that have paved the way for the many artists he has worked with over the years including Whitney Houston, Barbra Streisand, Josh Groban, Chris Botti, Celine Dion, Michael Buble, Andrea Bocelli, Chaka Khan, Madonna and Chicago.
To score the free tickets, contact Wayne Laako, president of Ayla's record label Double Deal Brand Records, at wayne@double-deal.com. The deadline to place your name on the list is late this afternoon. Unless you hear back that tickets have been sold out, you will be guaranteed a free ticket if you e-mail by the deadline.
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 web
Leslie's sophomore album, Your Hair Is On Fire, is now available to purchase on CDBaby.com.
The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:
>Blake Lewis began making the rounds in support of his forthcoming album, Heartbreak On Vinyl, beginning with an appearance on New York City's FOX affiliate morning program, Good Day New York, on Mon., Aug. 3. On the show, Blake spoke with its co-hosts and performed the album's first single, "Sad Song." Watch Blake's performance below:
Blake said the album is about the death of the physical medium of music, and it will additionally be available to purchase on vinyl records. The album will be out on Tues., Oct. 6.
>David Archuleta posted his latest blog entry from his tour with Demi Lovato on his official Ning site on Tues., Aug. 4. A snippet from the entry is found below:
After the Pittsburgh show, we had the North Carolina show, and then went down to Florida! The state where I was born and lived my first 6 years of life haha. We had a day off there, and so I got to spend it with some friends who are amazing people! I also got to spend time with my Grandparents! I love them. My grandparents were actually able to come to all 3 of our shows in Florida, and it was so great. I honestly don't remember the last time I was able to spend that much time with them, so I'm really grateful for it.
Arch also talked about some second cousins he did not know existed until he did research and ended up inviting them to his show, and ended the blog entry by encouraging his fans to research up on their families to see if they had any relatives they did not know about.
>Jordin Sparks spoke with ABC News about her new album, Battlefield, in addition to her thoughts on Chris Brown and Paula Abdul. Watch the interview below:
Jordin should get points just for speaking to Darius Brown while getting her nails done. That must take some talent.
>Amid all the Paula mania that happened this week, the controversy raised by Ju'Not Joyner got two more voices to contribute to the discussion. Ayla Brown, a semifinalist on the show's fifth season, told ABCNews.com:
"A few weeks in, when I was rehearsing, Ken and Nigel came in and said, 'You know, we knew you were pretty but we really didn't know you could sing this well,'" Brown said. "It made me think that I was on the show, and some people are put on the show, just to get ratings."
Similarly, Justin Buckles, a former production coordinator for Idol, said that the way the show's contestants are treated "is slave labor and I am not afraid to say it."
>Daughtry's highly anticipated AOL Sessions were uploaded to AOL Music last week. Watch the entire set below, starting with "No Surprise."
Other songs performed during the set include "Possum Kingdom," "Every Time You Turn Around," "Home" and "Ghost of Me." In addition to the performances, the band participated in a Q&A session.
IDOL LIVE is the place to stay up to date with the most current news on past, present and possibly future American Idol contestants, in addition to discussing the show in real-time as it happens.
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