Michael Jackson Tribute Announced
GRAMMY winners Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Smokey Robinson, Carrie Underwood, and Usher will join together, along with the voice of Michael Jackson, in a moving tribute to Jackson at the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards on Sunday, Jan. 31. This very special GRAMMY Moment will feature the never-before-seen 3-D mini-movie for “Earth Song” that was created by Jackson as the centerpiece of his much-anticipated This Is It tour, but was never seen by the public prior to this GRAMMY performance.
The 3-D film was created to support the performance of “Earth Song, ” an original composition and a No. 1 hit for Jackson. The song has a strong theme about the future of the planet, and Jackson saw it as a unique opportunity to deliver a message to millions of people who would have seen him on tour.
U2’s The Edge Talks Haiti-Benefit Collaboration With Jay-Z
A once-in-a-lifetime collaboration between Jay-Z and U2’s Bono and The Edge will take place at a London venue during Friday night’s “Hope for Haiti” telethon, which airs at 8 p.m. ET/PT on MTV and other networks.
The supergroup will join a lineup of superstars for the show that includes Justin Timberlake, Coldplay, Alicia Keys, Bruce Springsteen, Wyclef Jean, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Shakira, Sting, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, Dave Matthews, John Legend, Stevie Wonder and Taylor Swift.
Randy Jackson Says ‘Idol Gives Back’ May Benefit Haiti
After taking a year off in the midst of the economic crisis, the “Idol Gives Back” charity event is back on for this year and “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson told MTV News on Tuesday (January 19) that the focus will likely shift to Haiti in light of the devastating earthquake that hit the Caribbean nation last week.
“I’m sure we’re going to really address that, because it’s just a catastrophe, ” said Jackson, who is excited that the “Idol” fundraiser is coming back. “I can’t believe what’s going on down there. I love that MTV is joining in doing this telethon. I think it’s amazing and I’m trying to lend my support. I’ve given and everyone I know has given and is trying to help out. I’m sure we will definitely address that.”
More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…
Adam Lambert, Kris Allen see weekly album sales gains
Recorded music sales have started to level off this year. In fact, Kris Allen and Adam Lambert both saw sales increases this past week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Adam increased his week-to-week sales of For Your Entertainment by slightly more than 1, 000, while sales of Kris Allen’s debut were up 13 percent.
Carrie Underwood Surfing Into Film Role?
Although the news is unconfirmed at this time, it appears Carrie Underwood could be making waves in a new film set to begin production on Jan. 25 in Oahu, Hawaii. The film, titled ‘Soul Surfer, ‘ is a biopic of professional surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm in a tiger shark attack at age 13 while surfing at Hanalei Bay.
Ryan Seacrest’s Alleged Stalker to Stand Trial
Ryan Seacrest’s alleged stalker has been ordered to stand trial for his alleged menacing actions toward the “American Idol” host.
25-year-old Chidi Uzomah allegedly violated a restraining order — by showing up to Seacrest’s workplace with a knife in his pocket last year.
Uzomah was charged with felony stalking and disobeying two court orders — both misdemeanors.
Fox was ready to pay anything for Simon to stay
If it were up to Fox, they would have played a game of Simon Says with Simon Cowell, and the “American Idol” judge would have stayed in place beyond this season, according to sources.
“The ‘American Idol’ people were desperate for Simon to stay, ” a show insider told Life & Style magazine. “They told him to name his price (to stay), but he still walked away.”
Exclusive Interview: Anoop Desai on New Album, ‘Idol’ Judges
2009 was a big year for Anoop Desai. After finishing sixth on American Idol, he toured the country with the show and started working on his music. Now in 2010 he’s ready to take things to the next level, with a new album and new aspirations.
We spoke to Anoop about his songwriting and first album, what it’s really like to be on American Idol, and his thoughts on Paula Abdul, Ellen Degeneres and Simon Cowell.
Listen to the full interview:
Marriott Launches 12 City Promotional Tour To Boost Travel To Hawaii
Honolulu, HI (PRWEB) January 20, 2010 — Marriott’s Spirit of Aloha Tour, a month long traveling road show that will bring the vibrant sights and sounds of Hawaii to a dozen U.S. cities, launched yesterday with a traditional Hawaiian blessing at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix followed by a visit to the Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
After the blessing, the first stop for the road show was Phoenix Children’s Hospital, where Jasmine Trias of American Idol fame and dancers and musicians from the Polynesian Cultural Center entertained young patients, their parents and staff.
“Marriott is a longtime corporate supporter of the Children’s Miracle Network, ” said Tatum. “We’re happy to bring our aloha to these kids and plan to do the same at a number of other hospitals during the tour.”
Jackson wants ‘Idol’ focus on talent, not judges
It seems as if all the buzz about “American Idol” has been on the status of the judges and not the talent, and Randy Jackson says that needs to change.
“A lot is being made about us and what we do, how we judge, who’s on, who’s not on, what’s happening, all of that, ” he said in an interview Tuesday.
“It’s really about those contestants, really. They’re going to go on because it’s them taking the rocket ship to try and get their fame started … I mean, so much is being made about us or whatever.”
Kara DioGuardi on Simon: “He Will Be Missed”
Sad face for Kara DioGuardi!
The American Idol judge says the singing competition show won’t be the same without Simon Cowell.
“He’s a huge part of the show, ” DioGuardi told us at Warner Bros. and In Style magazine’s Golden Globes party. “He’s got one of the best personalities ever on a television show. He gets away with saying things that no one could get away with.”
Kara DioGuardi: The Reality Rocks Interview
I recently had the chance to chat with Kara about her challenging first Idol season, the exciting developments in store for Idol season 9, and what else she’s got going on in her very busy career, including a Folger’s jingle-writing contest. And she was refreshingly forthcoming–proving that when it comes to Kara DioGuardi interviews, there are no boundaries.
‘Idol’ finds only 13 to advance in Chicago
“Idol” host Ryan Seacrest reported that 12, 000 hopefuls auditioned in Chicago over a two-day period, with only 13 making it to the next round. Those may seem like long odds, and a good reason for parents to get their kids to do homework instead of working on their voices.
However, that’s nothing new for that city. After all, it’s about the same odds as the Cubs winning the World Series, and there were a number of contenders who emerged from the Windy City auditions.
‘American Idol’ heads to Chicago
“American Idol” goes to Chicago which show host Ryan Seacrest calls President Obama’s hometown, so he can rattle off comments like “his influence has been felt all over the country” and the 12, 000 wannabe Idolettes who showed up to audition can be made to shout “Yes We Can” in unison.
Curley Newbern auditions in Chicago for season nine of ‘Idol’. (Fox)
Shania Twain admits right off the bat she once wet her pants auditioning, and ‘Idol’ Kara DioGuardi says she loves Twain so much she stalks her, either of which already makes Twain 20 percent more interesting already than this season’s two other Pretend Paulas to date Posh Spice and Mary J. Blige.
‘American Idol’ Stays Aggressive In Chicago
Last night, ‘American Idol‘ went to Chicago, a city that apparently had a lot of turnout — some 12, 000 people turned out for the initial cattle call last summer — but little talent: Of those multitudes, only 13 hopefuls qualified for the Hollywood round. Perhaps this frustration is why the producers decided to once again go negative from the show’s opening moments, which showcased a barrage of hopefuls getting angry over their rejections in bleep-worthy ways.
‘Idol’ Chicago Auditions: Jim Is Not Impressed
Our MTV News “Idol” expert is reminded of why he hates audition episodes.
‘American Idol’ recap: Breaking Windy
But before I get to kvetching, or perhaps in place of that, let’s talk about the handful of undeniably excellent performances we saw this evening — especially because if you’ll recall, season 8’s very worst audition episode (from San Francisco) brought us none other than eventual runner-up Adam Lambert. So maybe John Park or Charity Vance or Keith Semple is on the brink of becoming a future Guest of Oprah and International Instigator of Rabid Fan Squealing. Stranger things have happened. And the eight talented kids shown scoring Golden Tickets tonight — plus the quintet the producers chose to keep chyron- and music-free — shouldn’t have to pay the price because they were surrounded by fame-mongers who had me fantasizing about stuffing them into oversized bin liners and hurling them against a wall.
Braintree High School graduate tells his ‘American Idol’ story
Ryan Seacrest was friendly, Randy Jackson was encouraging, Kara DioGuardi thought he was cute, Victoria Beckham wanted to give him a coveted “golden ticket” to Hollywood, and Simon Cowell expressed a lack of enthusiasm for musical theater.
If, like millions of others last week, you watched the two episodes that “American Idol” devoted to chronicling Boston-based auditions for the highest-rated show on television, you may have seen a brief appearance by Michael Ryan, who graduated from Braintree High School last year and is now attending Pace University in New York, but what you saw wasn’t exactly what happened, according to Michael.
ETA:
Katharine McPhee ‘Codependent’ on Her Chihuahuas
Katharine McPhee doesn’t have any biological children yet, but her four-legged friends keep her busy. The former ‘American Idol’ runner-up brings her Chihuahuas with her wherever she can take them, much to her husband Nick’s bemusement.
“Yeah, sadly, I’m codependent on them, ” she tells PopEater. “Sometimes [my husband] rolls his eyes when I say, ‘The dogs are coming, right?’ I finally just overheard him saying to somebody, ‘It’s a little bit of a security blanket for her, ‘ and I thought, ‘He’s probably right.'”
Katharine McPhee Opens Up About Bulimia Battle, Depression
Katharine McPhee opens up about her 7-year battle with bulimia in the February issue of Shape magazine.
“The more I focused on my weight, the worse my bulimia got, ” says the American Idol runner-up, 25. “Now I’m more easygoing. I stopped fighting myself and became more forgiving of my body. Ironically, the weight came off naturally through exercise but no dieting.”
See which American Idol stars are married or engaged
McPhee says she no longer pays attention to how many pounds she weighs.
Kara DioGuardi Doesn’t Care About Her Wrinkles
Kara DioGuardi thinks women in Hollywood need to stop fixating on the way they look.
“It’s so important, especially as women, to find a passion in your life, ” the American Idol judge says in an episode of The Bonnie Hunt Show to air Wednesday. “Accomplish something outside of your looks.
“I’m almost 40, and this December, I looked in the mirror and I got real close, and I was like, ‘Damn, I’ve got some lines!'” continues DioGuardi, who hits the big 4-0 next December.
She doesn’t mind her imperfections though.
‘American Idol’ Alum Ayla Brown Benefits From Father’s Senate Win
Ayla Brown didn’t win “American Idol” back in season five, but she could have another shot at stardom following her father’s victory Tuesday night. Scott Brown became senator-elect of Massachusetts in a special election to fill the late Senator Ted Kennedy’s seat for the remainder of his term. In a shocking upset, the Republican candidate defeated Democrat Martha Coakley in the staunchly blue state of Massachusetts.
Ayla, 21, campaigned at her father side for the duration of the election season, and some speculated that having her familiar face in public appearances and TV commercials was the state senator’s equivalent of a celebrity endorsement. But judging by the number of people searching on Ayla’s name Wednesday morning (January 20), the aspiring musician is now benefitting from her dad’s big win.
Glee’s Jane Lynch: In “Vogue” With Madonna
Memo to Jane Lynch: Strike a pose, there’s nothing to it!
Ms. Sue Sylvester Lynch is going to be performing the dance classic “Vogue” in Glee’s highly anticipated all-Madonna episode.
“I’m going to be singing the song and doing a video for it, ” Lynch told me at the Golden Globes. “It’s going to be so much fun!”
A couple of Lynch’s costars also intimated what they’ll be doing come Madonna time…
“How about ‘Holiday’?” teased Jessalyn Gilsig, who plays Terri Schuester, declining to give a definitive answer.
Jayma Mays, aka Emma Pillsbury, laughed, “Evita! I want to do all the numbers from Evita!”
Kara DioGuardi on Heidi Montag: I Want to Give Her a Hug
Kara DioGuardi is not giving Heidi Montag’s decision to have 10 cosmetic surgeries in one day high marks – but mostly she feels sad for the reality star.
“First of all, I just want to give the girl a hug, ” the American Idol judge said on The Bonnie Hunt Show” Wednesday. “I don’t know what’s going on.”
DioGuardi, who is used to advising young people with dreams of stardom, says the Hills star was doing just fine before she went under the knife.
