Cassadee Pope to perform national anthem at Pennzoil 400 on March 3 – Country recording artist Cassadee Pope will perform the national anthem prior to the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 3. Pope independently released her second album, “Stages,” on Feb. 1 and is set to embark on a 29-show national tour on March 9 that will include GIRL The World Tour shows with Maren Morris, then quickly jump to headlining the CMT Next Women of Country Tour with Clare Dunn and Hannah Ellis. – Read more at AmericaJR.com

Katy Perry says being a judge on ‘American Idol’ makes her “feel like a good person” – American Idol returns to ABC this Sunday night, and there’s no doubt that this season’s crop of contestants will benefit from the advice of judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. But as Katy explains, the benefits she receives from the contestants are just as important. “To be able to pay it forward by caring…I care so much about these kids,” she says of judging. “I mean, I’m just so encouraged by these kids. And it makes me feel like a good person while doing it, so I love it!” – Read more at ABCNewsRadio

Get ready for “next level stuff,” Luke Bryan teases, as “American Idol” premieres Sunday on ABC – “I think last season was kind of everybody’s training ground,” Luke tells ABC Radio. “It was a new network, new judges. The first year, you know, maybe all of America would’ve been somewhat reluctant to fully jump on board.” “But I think what I noticed is as the show caught its stride,” he adds, “and we got into live shows, me and Lionel and Katy and even Ryan, we just started really having fun with the show.” Luke even believes the contestants are better in season two. – Read more at ABCNewsRadio

Ryan Seacrest Says ‘American Idol’ Judges Are ‘Closest’ Group in Show’s History

Obviously, Extra sat on the footage for several weeks (The judges headed to Hawaii for the Showcase/Top 20 performances in January)

The American Idol Judges Talk About the Talent That Comes from the Show

Local Music Artist Competes In American Idol – Laney Meredith has been impressing audiences with her singing since elementary school. Those audiences have grown as her music and opportunities have also grown, and the 20 year-old singer/songwriter from the Pig community has climbed another rung on her musical ladder as she is now a current contestant on ABC’s American Idol. The journey to compete on the hit show isn’t one that just began. You actually have to go back to last season, where she had a private invitation to audition in Nashville, in front of a few producers from the show. The connection with her Nashville vocal coach and other experiences helped her land what was known as a “VIP Audition,” with 9 other contestants. After everyone did their thing, only two of the ten were asked to stay for more competition while Laney and the others went home. She thought that would be both the beginning and end to her American Idol experience; however, she was shocked when they called back a year later. She answered the call with caution, while being giddy at the same time. – Read more at EdmonsonVoice.com

American Idol Star, Caleb Hutchinson, Performs At State Capitol – Paulding County’s own “American Idol” star, Caleb Hutchinson, visited the Georgia House of Representatives last week and sang them a tune. The Paulding delegation welcomed him with open arms, including: Representatives Kim Alexander, Micah Gravley, Joseph Gullett and Martin Momtahan. Mothman, who introduced Hutchinson, said, “Caleb started his music career early, when he won his first competitive talent show in seventh grade, and he hasn’t slowed down since. In addition to “American Idol,” he has appeared on the television show, “The Voice,” and has opened for singers like Bo Bice, Gene Watson and Jimmy Fortune. – Read more at Patch.com

‘American Idol’ Finalist Gabby Barrett: Behind the Scenes of ‘I Hope’