Archuleta rocks Governor’s inauguration (with video)
Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. might be considered a media-savvy, polished politician, but at his inauguration on Monday even he couldn’t compete with David Archuleta for the screams and shrieks of young audience members.
Archuleta, the Murray 18-year-old who finished second in the most recent season of FOX’s TV juggernaut “American Idol, ” made a brief appearance on the south steps of the Utah State Capital for the governor’s swearing-in ceremony. The singer performed the national anthem, again, at the request of the governor, four years after the then-14-year-old sang at Huntsman’s first inaugural ceremony.
Carrie on the People’s Choice
Carrie Underwood will perform at the People Choice Awards Wednesday.
Carrie is nominated for Favorite Female Singer and Favorite Country Song for …Last Name. And since the winners are told beforehand so theyll show up, my guess is that shell take home at least one of them.
…American Idol is nominated for Favorite Competition/Reality Show and Jordin Sparks is nominated along with Chris Brown for Favorite Combined Forces for …No Air.
The People Choice Awards airs Wednesday, January 7th at 9 p.m. on CBS ¦
Interview: Rye Randa Discusses Shaun White’s Don’t Look Down
The long awaited and much anticipated New Year is finally here. I’ve been biding my time for months now so I could make the announcement that Rye Randa (Singer/songwriter/producer), Michael Johns(American Idol Finalist), and Jeff Foxworth (Missfodus Publishing) fans have all wanted to hear. The three artists have teamed up to do the soundtrack for Shaun White’s documentary DVD Don’t Look Down, which will be released on January 6, 2009.
American Idol Scam Alert
FOX and the producers of “American Idol” have received information about a mail fraud scam using sweepstakes award letters printed on what appears to be “American Idol” letterhead and allegedly signed by creator and executive producer, Simon Fuller. The letter notifies recipients that they have been selected as a winner of a sum of money and contains fraudulent checks and a phone number to call to claim the fake “prize” checks.
FOX, the producers of “American Idol, ” and their subsidiary companies, do not sponsor or support any lottery, sweepstakes or prize contest that resembles the letter referred to above. The producers of “American Idol” are investigating this mail fraud in conjunction with local and national law enforcement agencies. If you receive a letter like this, please report it to the United States Postal Inspection Service at:
https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/forms/MailFraudComplaint.aspx.
Citrus Park Mall Hosting An ‘American Idol’ Photo Op
TAMPA – To promote the Jan. 13 return of “American Idol, ” Fox is setting up official “Idol” backdrops at various malls throughout the country, including Tampa’s Westfield Citrus Park.
Beginning today, fans will have a chance to pose for photos in front of what appears to be an “American Idol” stage. Photos can then be uploaded to the “Share Your Voice” photo gallery at www.americanidol.com. The backdrop will be in the malls through Feb. 2. Westfield Citrus Park is at 8021 Citrus Park Drive. A new season of “American Idol” begins at 8 p.m. Jan 13 on Fox.
American Idol Exec ‘Surprised at Kara DioGuardi Choice
“Also, at this stage when we have this dysfunctional family of Ryan, Randy, Paula and Simon, you introduce someone else into that and it’s like bringing a daughter-in-law into the family. You don’t know if she’s going to get in the way. Hopefully, she’ll stand her ground, and she’ll have relevant things to say.”
Lythgoe, who created “So You Think You Can Dance, ” admits leaving “Idol” was not an easy decision. “It was very, very tough. I’ve been doing it for eight years, and they’re all really close friends. When they went out on the road to start auditions, I was very down and depressed, but at the same time I was going to South Africa and Australia to do ‘So You Think You Can Dance.’ I had to remind myself that if I were on the road, I wouldn’t be able to do that.”
A Hudson update . . .
It was discreet. . . . And it was quiet: Singer/actress Jennifer Hudson, who has endured the murder of her family, was in town during the Christmas season with her fiance — and both were spotted dining at the Calypso Cafe in Hyde Park having a post-Christmas meal. Hudson reportedly will not be singing at Obama’s inaugural.
Kelly Clarkson shares her lyrics
With eight days to go until Season 8, it’s a big morning for Idol news. We’re going to tackle as much as we can here, but at this moment, the major event burning up the wires is the unveiling of the complete lyrics for prodigal Idol Kelly Clarkson’s forthcoming single, “My Life Would Suck Without You.”
The roll out of this comeback album has been a campaign worthy of a World War II invasion plan. In drips and drabs, slowly we have been given glimpses first of the name of the single, then the name of the album, then a release date, then the testimony of expert witnesses who had been granted a glimpse of the prodigal album and dubbed it a return to form and then the cover art (at top).
Headlines: Clay Aiken Finishes Spamalot, Martin Moran Takes Over
Clay Aiken played his last performance as Sir Robin in Spamalot on January 4. After taking his final bow, the American Idol alum and pop star was seen standing atop the marquis at the Shubert Theatre, waving goodbye to a crowd of fans on West 44th Street. Spamalot is set to close on January 11, with Martin Moran taking over as Sir Robin for the final shows.
After placing second in the second season of American Idol, a coup that turned him into a platinum-selling recording artist, Aiken made his Broadway debut as Sir Robin on January 18, 2008 and finished his run on May 4 before returning to the role again on September 19. In between, Aiken released his fourth album, On My Way Here, and became a father to his newborn son, Parker Foster Aiken.
Even Paula Abdul could put out an album this year!
March:
» Kelly Clarkson, TBA ‘ Not much is known about the original “Idol” star’s next one, other than the provocative lollipop-licking cover for the first single, “My Life Would Suck Without You, ” and a heavy dose of help from pop maestros Dr. Luke and Max Martin.
Spring and beyond:
» Paula Abdul, TBA ‘ The “American Idol” judge has been threatening to release her first new album since 1995 for over a year.
» Josiah Leming, TBA ‘ Last season’s “American Idol” crying boy will drop his heart-on-sleeve full-length debut.
New Idol music coming in 2009
Season 1 winner, Kelly Clarkson is back with her fourth album, tentatively called Masquerade, due out March 17. The first single, “My Life Would Suck Without You, ” will be released to radio January 19.
Kelly’s gone a bit more pop with this on
Season 6’s Melinda Doolittle’s first CD, Coming Back to You, drops February 3. Her single, “It’s Your Love, ” will be out January 20.
Antonella Barba Graduates College, Prepares To Hit Recording Studio
Antonella Barba checked in with fans on her blog at MySpace on Thursdsay (January 1), discussing her graduation from Catholic University of America in Washington, DC and her plans for 2009, which include hitting the studio with Interscope/ Aftermath Producer and aFam Records CEO, Bernard Edwards, Jr AKA Focus. The ‹American Idol season six semi-finalist tells readers:
Woman not on ‘Idol, ‘ not from Huntsville
Former model says it’s likely a case of mistaken identity
In a crazy case of mistaken identity that can be attributed to the obsession of Fox’s “American Idol, ” Huntsville-area model Stephanie Britt says she’s not the girl Internet Web sites are saying could be among the top 50 contestants for the upcoming season.
Britt, 30, told The Times Monday night by phone she was notified by a friend Monday her name had been mentioned in published reports as being on “American Idol.” A quick search of the Internet also discovered her name and pictures on “Idol” spoiler Web sites like Joes Place, Vote for the Worst and mj’s big blog. She was also contacted by a Times reporter via her MySpace page.
“First of all, I don’t live in Huntsville, ” said Britt, who requested her real city not be named. “I put that on my MySpace page because I didn’t want people to know where I live.
“I got a call from a friend today who said, ‘Can you sing?’ and I said, ‘Ah, no, I can’t sing.’ I said, ‘What are you talking about?’ Then, he sent me this article. It’s not me.
Paula Abdul Is Distracting
But RAH! was one big epic fail. Abdul said she chose the teams that competed because they were underdogs who never really had the chance to shine. What that really meant is that they are bad. So bad that they couldn’t even do choreography from the Opposites Attract video which is basically standing in place, talking to an animated cat.
Which brings me to my next point…of all the videos that Paula could have had the squads learn choreography from, she used Opposites Attract TWICE. No Straight Up, no Cold-Hearted Snake.
Worst of all, Abdul is just one big distraction. This isn’t news, we’ve all seen her judge performances that never happened on Idol and threaten to squeeze off David Archuleta’s head and hang it from her rearview mirror, but at least her Idol outbursts are cushioned by Simon Cowell’s knowing looks. On RAH!, everyone acted like her crazy eyes and non sequiturs were completely normal.
Puttin’ On the Glitz
If Sunday night’s premiere of “Superstars of Dance” is any guide, you’ll need a strong stomach — and preferably an empty one — to watch the rest of the series. NBC’s foray into the realm of dance competition might not exactly feature “superstars, ” but where the dancing falls short, you can count on swooping, swirling and dizzying camerawork to sustain a blinding onslaught of glitz.
Glitz is the real star here, and it’s no wonder producers Nigel Lythgoe and Simon Fuller, of “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance, ” have troweled on so much of it. There’s little else to sell this series.
‘Superstars of Dance’: Viewers liked it, but critics …
Many on the dance watch (“America’s Best Dance Crew, ” “So You Think You Can Dance, ” “Dancing With The Stars”) were probably quietly hoping that NBC’s “Superstars of Dance” did well. The mixture of styles, the continuation of the love of dance, and even cheesy Michael “Lord of the Dance” Flatley helped the show’s Sunday preview get the network’s highest non-sports results in the time period since Feb. 17 among adults 18-49 and total viewers with a 3.1/7 in the 18-49 category (10.4 million viewers overall), according to NBC.
“Superstars of Dance” ranked No. 2 in the the time period among adults 18-49 and tied for No. 1 among men 18-49. It was going up against CBS’ “Cold Case” and “The Unit” and a rerun of Fox’s “24: Redemption” movie.
Dance Review: ‘Dancing With the Stars’ tour rates an 8 at American Airlines Center
For anyone who really loves the dance aspects of Dancing With the Stars, more so than the celebrity factor (“Who’ll be this season’s disaster star?”), the live tour is actually a lot more fun than the show. The version that came to American Airlines Center on Sunday night showcased the show’s professionals more than the stars, and rightly so.
The nonprofessional stars ‘ Toni Braxton, Maurice Greene, Lance Bass, Marlee Matlin and Cody Linley ‘ did their thing, and pretty well for the most part. However, I could have done without the two extended Braxton songs. We were there to watch them dance, not listen to her sing, and she wasn’t in her best voice; her staccato style on “Unbreak My Heart” made her sound uncannily like an album that was skipping.
Amberly working on debut album
Amberly Thiessen isn’t wasting any time getting her music career going.
After finishing Top 6 on Canadian Idol, Amberly headed to New York City and started working on her debut album.
“It’s been really busy. It’s crazy trying to get everything done before Christmas, especially an album, but it’s good, ” said Amberly, shortly before the holidays. “I’m really excited about it.”
She is working on the album with a couple of her friends, who own a studio in the Big Apple.
ETA:
Two Davids out of American Idol
It is American Idol (AI) time again. The eighth season of the phenomenal talent show unreels on Jan. 13. Of course, we will get it live. We will get it both ways, on Star World on cable and on Q-11 for free TV and like in the previous years there will surely be repeats two or three times that same day and replays on other days. That is how popular AI is among us Pinoys.
I am not surprised. American Idol is a blend of things we like to watch rolled up in one enjoyable reality package. It has glamour with big stars joining the fun. It is drama, lots of tears, fights and love-giving all around. It is funny, most contestants should go into comedy instead and judge Simon Cowell can be really witty. It is a musical, where we get to hear all those old songs we love. Best of all, although we cant vote, it is one of the most suspenseful competitions ever.
Clive Davis To Present Annual Pre-GRAMMY Gala On 2/7
SonyBMG Chief Creative Officer and three-time GRAMMY ® winner Clive Davis and The Recording Academy ® will present the annual Pre-GRAMMY Gala on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009, continuing the party that has been a Davis legacy for nearly 30 years. This exclusive, star-studded celebration – attended by artists and industry VIPs in music, film and television and featuring special musical performances – again will take place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., the evening before the 51st Annual GRAMMY Awards.
