Once again, The Amazing Race will be pre-empted on CBS by NCAA Basketball. Good luck on those office pools!
Ryan Seacrest: 6 secrets from 15 seasons of American Idol – Ryan Seacrest has presided over the proceedings on the Fox reality series since its launch in 2002 (back when he shared the hosting gig with one Brian Dunkleman, whose legacy has since been lost to the punchlines of the early oughts). In chatting with EW, Seacrest lauded the show’s major legacies – notably, its ability to unite families nationwide during the Idol heyday – but the mega-producer also shared a few key revelations about parts of the Idol DNA that didn’t always translate to the screen. This… is Ryan Seacrest talking about American Idol. – Read more at EW.com
How David Cook Kept His Composure & More Things You Didn’t See on ‘American Idol’ – Here’s something that you saw but David Cook didn’t, even though he was right there in the studio. When he performed “Heartbeat” from his new album, Digital Vein, a video of past Idol contestants, including Cook, was playing on the giant onstage screen. Cook purposely did not look at the montage, even though he had the opportunity during rehearsals. “I made it a point not to watch,” he told Billboard. “I wanted to be composed. I got notes from my team telling me not to turn around because it would make me cry.” Cook, who will be back for the finale on April 7, said it was one thing to learn that Idol was going into its last season, and another to realize the end is almost here. “As it gets closer, it starts to feel real. I’m glad I got to be a part of it.” – Read more at Billboard.com
Clay Aiken’s Stunningly Tone-Deaf Tweet About North Carolina’s Anti-LGBT HB2 – Clay Aiken posted a stunningly tone-deaf tweet Friday morning in response to his home state of North Carolina’s new anti-LGBT law. The singer and songwriter who unsuccessfully challenged a sitting Tea Party Republican U.S. Congresswoman two years ago has been all but absent from the debate that’s embroiled his entire state. Aiken managed to post three tweets on Thursday about HB2 – apparently his first mention of the law despite months of coverage – concluding with one that suggests he thinks that what’s worse than the sweepingly broad anti-LGBT law is that apathetic voters didn’t come out to elect him when he ran for Congress in 2014: – Read more at the New Civil Rights Movement
Fifth Harmony share details of their ‘vulnerable’ new album – Fifth Harmony has a new album, and Fifth Harmony can’t talk about it. Or anyhow, they can’t go too deep into specifics. The pop girl-group behind last year’s “Worth It” and the new hit single “Work From Home” has a new album hitting on May 20, 2016. The title of the album is 7/27 – a reference to the date Fifth Harmony formed, back when the five singers were contestants on the American version of The X-Factor. Beyond the title, though, 7/27 is shrouded behind a veil of NSA-level secrecy, because everything in pop culture is J.J. Abrams now. – Read more at Entertainment Weekly
Steve Van Zandt’s Wife Slams Jennifer Lopez After She Forgets His Name on ‘American Idol’ – When it came time to work with Idol contestant Mackenzie Bourg, Van Zandt wasn’t feeling his first take on Cheap Trick’s “I Want You To Want Me” and advised him to try something different. While Lopez acknowledged that Bourg “Mackenzie’d” it, she didn’t love the performance, but added insult to injury when she couldn’t recall Van Zandt’s name, looking to Keith Urban for help. “I would have liked to have heard what you did originally before…uh, uh… mentor?” she said. Urban dead panned “Cheap Trick” before Harry Connick Jr. jumped in telling her, “Steven.” But Maureen wasn’t having it on Twitter, and took umbrage when Lopez said Van Zandt helped Bourg change his original course with the song. – Read more at Billboard
