Headlines: John Legend Macy’s 4th of July, VMA’s Returning To Brooklyn

BLACK EYED PEAS, THE KILLERS, LADY A, JOHN LEGEND, TIM MCGRAW AND BRAD PAISLEY SET TO PERFORM DURING NBC’S 44TH ANNUAL ‘MACY’S 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS® SPECTACULAR’ – NBC’s annual “Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks® Spectacular” returns for a dazzling night of fireworks and star-studded musical performances with a two-hour live telecast starting at 8 p.m. The broadcast event will follow a series of weeklong surprise displays of the iconic fireworks across all five of New York City’s boroughs. NBC News’ “TODAY” anchor Craig Melvin will host the evening, which begins with a special performance by National Youth Poet L­­aureate Amanda Gorman. Black Eyed Peas, The Killers, Lady A, John Legend, Tim McGraw and Brad Paisley will take the stage before the fireworks begin. Spectators in New York City and from coast-to-coast will have a front row view to the unparalleled barrage of color, light and sound. An encore presentation will follow from 10-11 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. – Read more at NBCUMV

The VMAs Are Returning To Barclays Center — And Hitting All Five Boroughs In New York City – Yes, this year’s MTV VMAs will take place at the Barclays Center on Sunday, August 30, MTV announced today (June 29), aided by a quick shout-out from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo at his live video briefing. It’s the first time the show has hit the iconic Downtown Brooklyn venue since 2013. But this time, the action isn’t contained just to the arena, or even the borough in which it sits. For the 2020 show, the VMAs are going wide, featuring performances from various iconic locations throughout Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island, to honor the spirit and resilience of New York. The 2020 VMAs will be the first event to take place at Barclays Center since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the city. Of course, the virus is still very real, which means an added emphasis and focus on safety. The governor’s announcement came with the note of “limited or no audience.” – Read more at MTV.com

Kelly Clarkson, Elton John Help Project Angel Food Raise More Than $700,000 – In a sign of what may be seen as an emerging, successful alternative to expensive red carpet charity events, Saturday night’s two-hour Lead With Love: Project Angel Food Emergency Telethon, which aired live on KTLA 5, smashed its fundraising goal. The virtual event exceeded its $500,000 goal by nearly $200,000, totaling more than $700,000 during the all-star event, at very little cost to the Hollywood-based nonprofit Project Angel Food.- Read more at Variety.com

Adam Lambert, Teddy Geiger & More Get Real About Representation During LGBTQ Roundtable – Lambert’s charitable organization, the Feel Something Foundation, hosted their Pride Music Business Creatives Roundtable on Sunday, where Lambert and a slew of special guests spoke about discrimination in the industry, their own experiences with coming out, and much more. – Read more at Billboard.com

Watch Billy Porter, Cyndi Lauper, and More in This Megamix of Kinky Boots’ ‘Raise You Up’ – In honor of Pride, Tony, Grammy, and Emmy Award winner Billy Porter reprised his performance of “Raise You Up” from Kinky Boots alongside performers from the Broadway casts over the show’s six-year run, the national tour, and casts from the companies of the international productions in England, Germany, South Korea, Australia, Japan, and Canada in this new music video. The video features reunites Porter with original Broadway castmates Grammy Award winner Stark Sands, and Tony Award winner Annaleigh Ashford. Also making cameos are the musical’s Tony Award-winning book writer Harvey Fierstein, Tony and Grammy Award-winning composer-lyricist Cyndi Lauper, and Tony Award-winning director-choreographer Jerry Mitchell, including special appearances by previous cast members Wayne Brady, Jake Shears, David Cook, and Kirstin Maldonado. – Playbill

EXCLUSIVE: David Cook Interview – Congrats on your latest single, “Reds Turn Blue,” where were you when the idea for the song came about? The song was actually written back in October of 2019. I had wanted to write a song that personified my relationship with my anxiety disorder. That feeling of the downs always coming up quick behind the ups. The production instantly pulled me in, how do you know when a song is complete for you? In short, I don’t. I usually have to rely on someone else to let me know. I’ve gotten pretty good at adhering to a system where I’ll let others whose opinions I trust kind of lead me to the finish line. – Read more at StageRightSecrets

Maddie Poppe on her ‘Whirlwind’ career—interrupted by COVID-19 – The careers of music artists are on hold right now, due to COVID-19. That includes the career of Clarkville’s Maddie Poppe, winner of Season 16 of American Idol in 2018. Until just recently, Maddie has been back home in Clarksville, and like so many, waiting out the realities of the pandemic. The Steele Report talked to Maddie via Zoom for this week’s program. – Read more at KWWL.com

Jordin Sparks on Speaking Up About Racial Injustice and Police Brutality: ‘The Fear Is Very Real’ – In the past, singer Jordin Sparks says that she’s been hesitant to speak up about politics over a fear of being misunderstood. But in this moment, as the U.S. reckons with a culture of systemic racism in the wake of George Floyd’s killing in police custody, she says, “it’s past time for me to say something and I have to step up.” In a TIME100 Talks discussion with executive editor Dan Macsai, Sparks said Floyd’s killing hit home. “It’s different now, because the fear is very real when Dana leaves the house,” Sparks said, referencing her husband, Dana Isaiah. “I don’t want him to get pulled over. That fear is very real, and it’s very real for a lot of families across America.” – Read more at Time.com

Nigel Lythgoe Tells Ellen K About His New Podcast “Idol Memories”

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Founder and editor of mjsbigblog.com, home of the awesomest fan community on the net. I love cheesy singing shows of all kinds, whether reality or scripted. I adore American Idol, but also love The Voice, Glee, X Factor and more!