PUFF DADDY AND THE FAMILY AND “EMPIRE’S” TIMBALAND, YAZZ AND JUSSIE SMOLLETT TO RING IN THE NEW YEAR ON “PITBULL’S NEW YEAR’S REVOLUTION” LIVE THURSDAY, DECEMBER, 31, ON FOX – Featuring an epic performance by Puff Daddy and the Family, PITBULL’S NEW YEAR’S REVOLUTION – airing LIVE from Miami on Thursday, Dec. 31 – will be co-hosted by Terry Crews and Wendy Williams. In addition to Pitbull performing his chart-topping hits, the celebration will feature EMPIRE’s Timbaland and Yazz – sharing the stage for the first time on television – as well as Jussie Smollett, performing songs from the Golden Globe- and Grammy Award-nominated series. The LIVE event also will feature performances by Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, Prince Royce, Austin Mahone, R. City, Pia Mia and the legendary Earth, Wind & Fire. Shot live from Miami’s Bayfront Park, the show kicks off on New Year’s Eve between 8:00-10:00 PM ET live (MT/PT tape-delayed). Then, following local news, PITBULL’S NEW YEAR’S REVOLUTION returns from 11:00 PM-12:30 AM ET live (CT/MT/PT tape-delayed) for the final countdown to the New Year. – via FOX PR
‘American Idol’ MYSTERY winner to sing at Mayor Eric Jackson’s Christmas party – TRENTON >> Mayor Eric Jackson has a top secret performer for his second annual Christmas bash. “We’re featuring an ‘American Idol’ who will be the special guest for us this year,” Jackson said Wednesday. “We’re looking to take it up to the next level.” But the first-term mayor will not say who the singer is for the free event on Saturday, except to hint that he or she was a winner of the show. “If I announce who it is, they will attract a Philly, Newark, New York and a regional audience that will particularly block out Trentonians from being in the room,” Jackson said, anticipating a sellout of the 1,800-capacity Patriots Theater at the War Memorial. “It’s a person who will draw.” – Read more at Trentonian.com
Donald Trump Bests NBC’s ‘The Voice’ Season Finale On Twitter – In this country, tweets about the TV event were sent by 490,000 people and seen 307 million times (Twitter TV Impressions), Nielsen said. That handily beat NBC’s reality singing competition series The Voice, which ranked No. 2 on Twitter, according to Nielsen’s TV tally. The show last night named the winner of its latest edition, about which tweets paled in comparison: sent by 88 million people and seen 12 million times. – Deadline
‘The Voice’: What’s Next for Emily Ann Roberts, Barrett Baber and Jeffery Austin? – The 17-year-old from Knoxville plans to go for a Dixie Chicks vibe. “They are that perfect mix of country and bluegrass and that’s exactly who I am. So I would definitely have tons of bluegrass influences but it will be a solid country album.” Baber, also from Team Blake, has big plans, revealing he’s excited about the doors “The Voice” has opened for him. He continued, “What he has done for me is hooking me up with his booking agent, and we started to talk about booking some bigger shows and really starting to develop into an enterprise so I can help take care of my family. I think the time for that is coming… I’ve got his email and I know that I can ask him anything and that will be super valuable moving forward.” Jeffery Austin, Gwen Stefani’s finalist, is “figuring life out.”
I’m going to be moving to L.A. I’m going to be pursuing a bunch of different opportunities and really hit the ground running. The real work starts after the show… as much as this exposure and opportunity has been really great for us, the music industry doesn’t just hand you things, so you have to really work for it, so I will continue to work for it after this.” – Read more at Extra
‘American Idol’ Alum Jessica Sanchez Returns With ‘Christmas’ EP – American Idol Jessica Sanchez has been an awful good girl and is giving her fans a present for the holidays in the form of a new yuletide EP, Christmas With Jessica. “I have always wanted to do a Christmas album and covers,” Sanchez tells Billboard. “It’s just a gift for my fans because I love them.” Recorded in just two days, the independently-released six song EP includes Sanchez wrapping her soulful vocals around the Eartha Kitt classic, “Santa Baby,” a jubilant “Joy to the World” and a soaring version of “Ave Maria.” The record, produced by James Daniels and executive produced by LA Mic Studios and Wise Owl Media Group, celebrates the 20-year-old entertainer’s love of the season. – Read more at Billboard
Pentatonix on Their Super-Popular Christmas Album: “We Lucked Out” – Even though it came out last year, That’s Christmas to Me by Pentatonix continues to be one of 2015’s most popular holiday albums. In fact, it’s currently #1 on Billboard’s annual holiday chart and “Joy to the World,” a song from the new expanded version of the album, is getting plenty of airplay. Why are the group’s takes on classic Christmas tunes so popular? According to Pentatonix, all it takes is good promotion…and some luck. “It was one of our first big releases on a major label, so we obviously had them to help promote it and stuff,” group member Scott Hoying tells ABC Radio. “And then we also had a successful video on YouTube, ‘Mary, Did You Know?’ and it went really viral and, I think that kind of got the album out there.” – Read more at ABCNewsRadio
The Voice Winner Jordan Smith Today Show Interview
Keith Urban Mourns Dad Bob Urban at Funeral: “I Loved Him So Much” – Hundreds of people attended a memorial service for him at the Gregson & Weight Chapel in Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland in Australia, where Keith grew up. “I am so deeply grateful that Dad is not suffering anymore,” The Daily Telegraph Australia quoted the singer as telling mourners. “I loved him so much and did not want him to suffer like he was towards the end…he now has given me all the peace that I need to create this new spiritual relationship with my father.” – Read more at EOnline