We are live blogging the ACM awards beginning at 8 pm. Watch for performances from Carrie Underwood, Cassadee Pope, Keith Urban and Blake Shelton. 8/7c PM on CBS.
The iHeartMusic Awards will be televised live on TBS, TNT, and truTV at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. We won’t be live blogging, but watch for a winners list after!
Backstage with Chris Stapleton, Chris Young, & Cassadee Pope At ACM Awards Rehearsals – We also caught up with Young and Pope, who are gearing up for the television debut of their hit duet, “Think Of You.” While they wouldn’t completely dish on what fans can expect from their performance, they did tell us that it will include an unexpected ending. “We’ve been telling everybody, there’s kind of a surprise thing going on in there,” Young shared. “A little sprinkle, that’s all I’m gonna say,” Pope added with a smile. Young concluded, “It’s something a little bit different than has ever been done before. We just wanted something that was just like an extra pop on the end of the performance. It’s gonna be great.” – Sounds Like Nashville
How ‘American Idol’ changed my life – Kelly Clarkson, the show’s very first winner way back in 2002, remains a top-selling musical artist — and, over the years, “Idol” has produced a steady stream of stars including Kellie Pickler, Clay Aiken, Carrie Underwood, Adam Lambert, Fantasia Barrino, Constantine Maroulis and Chris Daughtry. Jennifer Hudson, a Season 3 favorite in 2004-05, won an Oscar for her role in the 2006 movie “Dreamgirls.” To help celebrate the end of “American Idol,” The Post reached out to some past contestants and a judge, asking them to share their memories of the show — and what it meant and continues to mean to them. – Read more at The New York Post
‘American Idol’ Nick Fradiani says great songs create a superstar – Still, writing partnerships (with the likes of Jason Mraz, Nolan Sipe and Jaden Michaels) offered that next step he needed. The album’s first single, “Get You Home,” will show fans what they can now expect. “In the prime of the show – when it was reaching absurd numbers of people – it was important to get a record out right away,” Fradiani says. “The record industry was at a whole different place. At that point, you needed a record out within two months of your win. Now it’s different.” Philllips, who had a mega-hit with “Home,” represented a shift, he says. “Nothing against Phil, he’s a great artist, but songs right now are what make start-up careers. ‘Home’ made his career. – Read more at Madison.com
Q&A with Scotty McCreery – You’re releasing your first book, “Go Big or Go Home: The Journey Toward the Dream,” on May 3. Tell me about it. My goodness, I’m 22 writing a book. You know they advertise it as an autobiography. I like the word travelogue though because I’m still kind of young to be writing that. I got a lot of years left, Lord willing. It’s just experiences: where I’ve been, places I’ve seen, people I’ve met, the highs and the lows. We’ve been all over. So just the experiences and what I’ve learned from them. I’m excited about it. – Read more at News Observer.com
Kris Allen’s Car Crash Helped Him Make Better Music: Interview – You may remember Kris Allen’s hit “Live Like We’re Dying” from 2009—the track about living life to the fullest in case you suddenly lose it. But the American Idol Season 8 winner means it in the most personal sense. When Allen stopped by the Fuse studios, he told us about a car crash that made him rethink the way he led his life. Even though everyone was okay, he still spent a year re-learning guitar, but he only says it made him better. – See the Video at Fuse.tv
‘Dancing With the Stars’ Suffers More Genital Drama (Video) – Dancer Keo Motsepe is left grabbing his groin after a rehearsal mishap with Jodie Sweetin. OUCH Watch the video at The Wrap
‘American Idol’ Judges Predict Winner & Talk About Finale
Emblem3 Opens Up About Breaking Up – and Then Reuniting for a New Era: ‘We’re in Control Now’ – Emblem3 is back together and stronger than ever. “We’re in full control now,” Keaton tells PEOPLE. “We’re going to be as creative as we want to be.” “We immediately went into the studio after being off the show and started recording our next album with all of the biggest writers,” says Wes. However, E3 had their differences and decided to take a break, leaving fans heartbroken. In the process, their ties with SYCO and X Factor were also cut. – Noooo. One of the band members left, and the other two hobbled along – People.com
