Tonight on America’s Got Talent it’s Part 3 of the Judge Cuts with guest judge George Lopez. Seven acts out of 20 will move on to the live shows.
James Durbin Talks ‘Riot on Sunset’ Album, ‘American Idol’ Finale + More – I know you’re proud of the songwriting on this disc. We often ask about musical influences, but I’d be curious to know who influenced you as a songwriter both coming up and during the album process. Well, Guns N’ Roses of course, Aerosmith. Steven Tyler’s an amazing songwriter with Joe Perry. Paul McCartney, John Lennon. But those are obvious ones. As I was making this record over the past year I got pretty obsessed with the Backyard Babies from Sweden, Hardcore Superstar, also from Sweden. Michael Monroe from Finland. He was in Hanoi Rocks. Aerosmith, My Chemical Romance. I’ve just been trying to listen to something that has a little bit more live production and things that are a little bit more real. There may have been a point in the record where I sang a wrong note and it may have been a little flat or a little sharp and I didn’t really want to go out and fix those things because that’s what came out and the rest of the performance is solid. So if that’s what comes out in the studio, that’s probably what will come out live and why should people be robbed of me, you know. Where we needed to fix things, we did. But for the most part, it’s true. – Read more at Loudwire.com
Michigan’s musical powerhouse, Laith Al-Saadi, talks life during and after “The Voice” – In March, Laith Al-Saadi rocked American audiences on NBC’s The Voice with his audition. And it didn’t stop there. As a member of Team Adam, the Michigan native continued to a fourth place finish. Returning to his home of Ann Arbor, Al-Saadi joined us to discuss his success on The Voice and his future as a musician. – Listen to the interview at MichiganRadio.org
Phillip Phillips interview: New album, ‘American Idol’ and how ‘I’m just me and that’s all I can be’ – It’s been four years since Phillip Phillips commanded the national spotlight by winning “American Idol.” And the unassuming boy-next-door appeal that made the Georgia native such a hit on “Idol” is still very much in evidence when Phillips checked in from the road to talk about the co-headlining tour with singer-songwriter Matt Nathanson for which he had to set aside putting the finishing touches on his third full-length release since winning “Idol.” “I’m just me, and that’s all I can be,” Phillips says. In fact, the reason he and Nathanson have hit it off so well, he figures, is that they’re “both pretty normal people.” – Read more at AZCentral.com
American Idol Contestant and Acclaimed Singer/Songwriter Crystal Bowersox Visits Camp Tamarack in Sisters – Crystal visited with Lisa Carton, KBNW News Radio morning show co-host, to speak about her new role as a Type 1 Diabetes Ambassador for Lilly. Crystal’s ambassadorship is one more way Lilly Diabetes, who has donated $31 million in medication, scholarships and educational materials since 2001, supports diabetes camps. – Listen to the interview at My Central Oregon.com
When Songwriters Retreat: Singers Struggle Through Creative Process – Jason Castro paced through the grass with his guitar. He strummed and hummed as if he was in a trance. He paused to sip some beer that rested on a picnic table. Then kept walking. “Who are we talking to?” he asked. This is what his songwriting process looks like; at least for the week he was in Bridgewater. He and about a dozen other musicians, mostly from Nashville, were here for the second annual songwriters retreat at the Ottauquechee Farm last week. Charlie Peacock, who produced several of the artists’ songs, was the curator. He put the artists in songwriting groups hoping they’d come out with the next radio hit — or something, anything good enough for an album. – Read more at The Vermont Standard.com
Kelleigh Bannen Dishes on Performing With ‘Gracious’ Carrie Underwood – Bannen was heading to ACM Lifting Lives Party for a Cause when she got an email invitation from none other than the “Church Bells” singer, who gave her an offer she couldn’t refuse. “I didn’t know that was going to happen,” Bannen explains of the invite. “We were playing the festival that they do (Party for a Cause) which is a really incredible thing to be a part of anyways, part of the ACM Lifting Lives organization. On the plane, I was siting next to my manager I guess and it was like, ‘Hey we just got this email from Carrie’s team’ and it was Carrie is wanting to invite all the girls that are playing … to come out and sing ‘Before He Cheats.’” – Read more at Taste of Country
‘The Voice Australia’ Host Calls for Muslim Immigration Ban Down Under – The Voice Australia and daytime TV host Sonia Kruger on Tuesday defended comments she made the previous day on the Nine Network, calling for Australia to put a halt to Muslim immigration. In the controversial comments made on Nine’s breakfast TV show, Today, Kruger, who has also hosted Big Brother and Dancing With the Stars in Australia, said: “Personally, I would like to see it [Muslim migration] stop now for Australia.” “I want to feel safe, as all of our citizens do when they go out to celebrate Australia Day, and I’d like to see freedom of speech,” she said. – Read more at The Hollywood Reporter
The Voice 8 runner-up Meghan Linsey About to Announce Big News
I've been taking LOTS of acting lessons! I wonder what for??? Hmmmm… BIG news coming soon! ?
— Meghan Linsey (@meghanlinsey) July 19, 2016
American Idol’s Haley Reinhart F is Family Table Read
Haley Reinhart is back for a second season of the Netflix animated series, F is for Family. She plays the middle kid, Billy.
