Headlines: Lee DeWyze, Carrie Underwood and More

Tonight on American Idol, more “fan favorite” American Idol alums return to perform with more Top 24 contestants. After, FIVE singers will be eliminated from the competition by the judges. FOX 8/7c PM.

Caleb Johnson Kicks off a Pledgemusic Campaign

Like many reality show alums before him, American Idol season 13 winner, Caleb Johnson has kicked off a Pledgemusic campaign.

Rayvon Owen Set for the Anthem

American Idol season 14 alum, Rayvon Owen hits the basketball court in LA tonight to sing the national anthem before the Clippers game.

The Voice 11 Casting Heads to Philadelphia

If you are auditioning, don’t miss the concert!

‘American Idol’ Alums Jordin Sparks, Daughtry & More on Coming Home to Duet With Season 15 Singers – Sparks experienced a “full-circle moment” because Torres and Harmon are both performing songs she is associated with: her hit single “No Air” for the former and the Bee Gees’ song “To Love Somebody” that she performed on top four week with the latter. “It’s crazy to be dissecting things that I did,” adds Sparks. “Now I have to tell somebody else how I looked at it and ask them what it means to them. That’s why music is so amazing, because the experience is so different. You’re listening to the same song but the person sitting next to you is having a completely different experience than you are.” – Read more at Billboard

Sound Check: Singer-songwriter Lee DeWyze is living life beyond “Idol” – “I’ll always be attached to ‘American Idol,’” DeWyze, 29, acknowledges by phone from his home in Los Angeles. “That doesn’t bother me. In fact, I’m proud of it. I’ll always be appreciative for the show and the fans. It’s a shame that sometimes I have to almost apologize for it, like ‘I know I won this show, but don’t pay attention to that. I’m a REAL songwriter.’ “That’s kind of stupid to me, but I get it. The public views it like ‘American Idol’ creates these artists. Real artists don’t go on the show. But the truth is I was writing songs before ‘American Idol,’ and I’m still writing songs now. What I hang my hat on is not ‘American Idol.’ It’s on my songwriting.” – Read more at the Oakland Press

Carrie Underwood: See Backstage Photos of ‘The Storyteller Tour’ – Carrie Underwood is currently in the midst of her Storyteller Tour, her first trek to employ a 360-degree in-the-round stage. The production and choreography that goes into presenting the concert, with all its hydraulic lifts, set pieces and moving parts, requires Underwood to have laser-like focus onstage. In this behind-the-scenes gallery, she shares a glimpse of how she prepares for each concert stop and what went into planning the tour. “You have ideas and feel your way through it. Sometimes something can seem like a great idea on paper and once you get out there, you’re like, ‘Eh, that didn’t really work or that was weird,'” Underwood tells Rolling Stone Country. “But we wanted to make sure everybody got a great show, no matter where they were. That’s super unique about being in the round. It maximizes interaction with the audience.” – See the photos at Rollingstone.com

Charles Grigsby: Journey from Northeast Ohio to American Idol – Charles Grigsby says he learned to perform under intense pressure. He remembers forgetting the words to a song during his audition, but that his ‘improvisation’ impressed the judges so much that he was allowed to continue in the competition. He has performed locally and around the world since leaving Idol. He currently lives in Chicago where he joined a church and was baptized. Grigsby says “knowing the Lord” has made him a better person. – See the Video at FOX 8.com

From Idol to the IDF: Former American Idol contestant joins the Israeli army – former contestant on the hit reality television singing competition American Idol is coming to Israel to join the IDF, Channel 10 reported Wednesday. Brett Loewenstern became a contestant on the show’s 10th season at the age of 16 and advanced to the latter stages of the contest. He was eventually voted off after making it to the top 24 in the competition. Now, six years later, the Boca Raton, Florida native is sojourning to the Holy Land in order to join the ranks of the IDF and reacquaint himself with family he has residing in Haifa and Beit Shemesh. He later posted, “So the time has come for me to fulfill a dream I’ve had for many years and become an Israeli citizen … To anyone whose ever wanted to do something beyond themselves, my best advice to you is to always go for it, even when it seems too big because you never know what could be. Cheers America, it’s been real. Israel here I come!” – Read more at Albawaba.com

About mj santilli 34829 Articles
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!