Is the next American Idol star somewhere in this line? – A seemingly endless line of hopeful singers, their proud parents, and best pals snaked along Convention Center Boulevard in the early morning of Thursday (Sept. 14), as contestants waited for a chance to audition before the producers of the American Idol television talent show. They’d come from New Orleans and all the satellite towns around it, plus from as far away as Washington DC, Arkansas, and Nevada. “We’re here in New Orleans and, you know, New Orleans never disappoints,” said Senior Supervising Producer Patrick Lynn. “It’s a music town so we expect really good talent out of this city and we usually get it. There’s a reason we come down to New Orleans so often on American Idol.” – Aaand….the American Idol Bus Tour ends – Read more at NOLA.com
CMT Adds “Pickler & Ben” to Morning Line-Up – CMT today announced it will add “Pickler & Ben” to its morning line up. The new daytime television show features the best in lifestyle and entertainment. Beginning Tuesday, Sept. 19 at 9 a.m. Eastern Time, CMT will re-air the new Nashville-based talk show as part of its daily morning line up. Executive produced by Grammy Award-winning super star Faith Hill, Lisa Erspamer and Jason Owen, “Pickler & Ben” will be hosted by country music and CMT star Kellie Pickler and Emmy Award-winning television personality Ben Aaron. The addition of CMT catapults the series from 38 local television markets at launch to national distribution, reaching CMT’s 74 million households. – Read more at FutonCritic
Katharine McPhee disappears in The Lost Wife of Robert Durst trailer – The Jinx subject Robert Durst is once again getting the small-screen treatment in The Lost Wife of Robert Durst. EW has the exclusive first trailer for the Lifetime original movie, which stars Daniel Gillies (The Originals) as the titular New York real estate scion and Katharine McPhee (Scorpion) as his first wife, Kathie, who went missing in 1982. – See the Video at People
Scorpion: See Walter and Paige celebrate sex with a musical number – The new season of the CBS tech-drama opens with a joyous musical number, and the above clip is your first look at it. Picking up literally the morning after the finale — which, in case you forgot, ended with Waige finally becoming a thing — the season 4 premiere begins with Paige asking our favorite genius how he’s feeling. Alas, words aren’t enough for Walter — so cue the music! – More at ew.com
Phillip Phillips Talks New Music and ‘American Idol’ Reboot – Phillip Phillips is back! “Extra” Senior Music Correspondent Adam Weissler sat down with the “Miles” singer to talk about his new music and why he took a three-year hiatus. – Via Extra
Carrie Underwood on Opportunities for Unknowns – And Carrie Underwood, the winner of the show’s fourth season in 2005, seems glad it is coming back. “I love it when there are things out there that give people like me a chance,” Underwood told Hollywood Life. “Any shows like that that give an unknown an opportunity, I think is a really great thing.” – Read more at CMT.com
Kelly Clarkson is excited about her MixFest gig – “Boston, even going to sporting events there, is like going to sporting events in Texas. Everybody is full-on proud that they’re from Boston. Same thing as Texas. I love that about the city.” Clarkson said she almost lived in Boston when college was still on her agenda. “I fell in love with it when I was in high school because I almost went to Berklee. That was one of the schools I was really looking to go to — before I just decided to live on a mattress and move to California.” – Read more at Boston Globe.com
‘Dancing With the Stars’ Road to 25 Seasons: Casting Key to Broad Appeal – The casting has therefore become key to “Dancing.” It is the ever-evolving group of celebrities who go on aspirational journeys and learn new skills that not only wipes the slate clean each season, offering fresh challenges for the producers and the professional dancers, but also allows the audience to connect with the show on a deeper level. “It’s people’s backstories — people’s lives — that drive a lot of interest, and we take a lot of time and care to think about who has an interesting story that people can relate to,” Forde says. – Read more at Variety
AGT Winner Grace VanderWaal Finally Gets Her Over-the-Top Treehouse: See Her Sweet Reaction to the ‘Boho’ Space – Although she asked for just one sky-high retreat, Nelson actually crafted her two mini hangouts to enjoy. This “clubhouse” features a kitchenette, loft and plenty of seating areas (hello, swinging chair!), while across a bouncy bridge in another set of trees sits a window-walled art studio. – Read more at People.com
Lindsey Stirling Talks Joining ‘Dancing With the Stars’ & Shares First Holiday Album Track: Premiere – “To be honest, when I was on America’s Got Talent, I remember thinking, ‘I will never do reality TV again,’” Stirling says. “But it’s very apparent from the times I went [to DWTS] and was a guest performer that it’s kind of like a family environment.” Stirling has already found friends among her competitors in singer-songwriter Jordan Fisher, of Hamilton and Grease: Live, and Drew Scott, one-half of HGTV duo The Property Brothers. And she says her rehearsals with professional dance partner Mark Ballas have been filled with just as many challenges as laughs: “You can make fun of me if you want, but I’m trying to learn this ballroom walk,” Stirling explains, “and it just turns into laughing.” – Read more at Billboard.com
‘AGT’s’ Evie Clair and Family Gather to Say Final Goodbye to ‘Sweet Daddy’ – “America’s Got Talent” contestant Evie Clair, 13, paid tribute to her dad, Amos Abplanalp, in a heartbreaking Instagram post as he was laid to rest on Wednesday at Mesa Cemetery in Arizona. Amos, 42, passed away last Thursday after a battle with lung cancer. Clair shared photos from the funeral, along with the caption, “Very beautiful ceremony for my sweet Daddy. ‘God be with you ’til we meet again.’” – Read more at Extra