Headlines: David Archuleta Set for LoveLoud, Clay Aiken Wins Labor Fight

THE VOICE’s Wendy Moten to Perform at Birdland Jazz Club – BIRDLAND JAZZ CLUB will present Nashville vocalist Wendy Moten – best known for her 2021 run on NBC’s “The Voice” – in a special concert on Monday, May 16 at 7:00 PM. Her show will include songwriter Richard Whiting hits including “He’s Funny That Way,” “My Ideal,” “Miss Brown,” and “Too Marvelous For Words.” Ms. Moten will also perform the Janis Ian classic “At Seventeen,” Paul Simon’s “Still Crazy After All These Years,” and “Over The Rainbow, “one of her most popular songs from “The Voice.” – More information at Broadway World

‘American Idol’ finalist Francisco Martin pens song for Miss Universe PH pageant – Francisco Martin, the Filipino-American finalist of “American Idol,” wrote a song for the 2022 Miss Universe Philippines pageant, and is set to perform his own composition during the final program to be staged at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on April 30. The opportunity came about when talent manager Carlo Orosa reached out to his parents. The Martin couple, who come from Nueva Vizcaya and Ilocos Sur, then referred Orosa to the singer’s manager in the United States, Martin shared with a select group of media scribes in an intimate gathering at Okada Manila in Parañaque City on April 26. And to ignite some inspiration for his songwriting, Martin browsed pageant videos online. His exploration resulted in an upbeat ditty, something he has never been known for, being attached to slow, acoustic sounds. Martin titled his song “Stay,” which he said will give his fans “a very different experience.” – Read more at Inquirer.net

Francisco also said about the song “I hope that everyone kind of listens to the song and feels good about themselves and dances around,” he told The STAR. “It is a very love-y kind of pop song. I put in a lot more tempo, which is different from my previous sounds, which is more acoustic and slow. And I’m very excited to showcase that for the first time. It’s like they never heard this type of music from me before. We’re really excited to show it.” – Read more at PhilStar

Clay Aiken Wins Compensation Fight With Broadway Christmas Show – The production company behind a Broadway Christmas show featuring former American Idol contestants owes $60,000 to singer Clay Aiken and his team, a Manhattan federal judge said, confirming an arbitration award favoring the Actors’ Equity Association labor union. RC Christmas LLC admitted in arbitration that it breached agreements with Aiken and the union, and it made no effort to contest the arbitration award in court, Judge John P. Cronan of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York said. Cronan entered a judgment of $80,301 against RC Christmas, which includes $60,000 owed to Aiken’s team, an additional $15,348 to the union, and reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs. The ruling is fallout from “Ruben and Clay’s Christmas Show,” a 2018 limited-run Broadway production reuniting former American Idol contestants Aiken and Ruben Studdard. – Read more at Bloomberglaw.com

Now in the ‘American Idol’ Top 10, Leah Marlene’s arrow is still rising = NPR Illinois recaps two interviews they conducted with Leah Marlene, in 2018 and 2020 before she competed on American Idol. Marlene was a senior at Normal West high school during her first WGLT interview in 2018. By then she was already a veteran area performer and had recorded a few singles. In the time, she had just recorded her first EP, titled “Arrow,” which she called her opening statement. It was an impressive debut, but two years later, she characterized that first album this way: – Read more at NPRIllinois.org

Fritz Hager III talks chasing dreams, advancing on American Idol – Fritz talks with his hometown ABC affiliate in Texas “He’s made his way into this season’s Top 10, so now American Idol contestant and Tyler native Fritz Hager III is preparing to sing his heart out to keep his journey going. Hager took some time Thursday afternoon to speak with East Texas Now’s Devyn Shea about the importance of taking risks when chasing your dreams and how much he’s appreciated the outpouring of support as he competes. – Watch the video at KLTV.com

Randy Jackson Reflects on ‘American Idol,’ Admits Show ‘Missed a Little Bit’ by Eliminating Jennifer Hudson – Hindsight is always 20/20 DAWG. Truth is, Jennifer wasn’t QUITE ready for the big time in 2004. Fantasia deserved to win. “I feel like we missed a little bit on Jennifer Hudson, even though she’s gone on to do well,” Jackson, who originally judged Idol with Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul, told the publication. “I felt like we missed a bit on Tamyra Gray. Tamyra was such a great singer, and such a great talent. I always think there’s some that we miss on — I mean it’s tough, you’re not going to get them all. You only really need one per season.” – Read more at Billboard

Chayce Beckham Releases His Debut EP in the Hopes of Helping Others: ‘Music Saved My Life in That Way’ – “It’s really cool to get to go back and share my experience with some of the American Idol contestants and talk to them about just what I went through while I was there,” says Beckham, whose self-penned track “23” skyrocketed to the top of numerous viral charts shortly after his American Idol win over fellow contestant Willie Spence last year. “They always ask me, ‘How do you make the nerves go away?’ and I’m always like, ‘They never go away.'” Chayce hangs out with Luke Bryan and his friends, “I was fishing with Luke one day and he was like, ‘You got to stop singing that sad country music, you got to start writing some happy songs buddy,'” laughs Beckham, who had a hand in writing four of his EP’s six upbeat tracks. “And I was like, ‘You know what, you’re right. I agree with you.'” – Read more at People

Luke Bryan RAVES About ‘American Idol’ Top 10 – “American Idol” is officially down to the show’s top 10 and judge Luke Bryan told Access Hollywood that there’s “a lot of beautiful talent there.” Luke also chatted about winning the judges’ competition on Monday night’s episode and revealed why he keeps coming back to judge the singing competition year after year.

My COVID Diagnosis Sent Me Into a Mental Health Crisis – Howie was on “TMZ Live” Wednesday to talk about his new show “Bullsh*t the Game Show” … but before pitching his show, he opened up about his intense struggle with the virus … which he contracted during his first public outing — the Kids’ Choice Awards. – More at TMZ