Headlines: Simon Cowell New Judges Gig, Luke Bryan Docuseries Coming

Simon Cowell Set for ITV Musical Game Show ‘Walk the Line’ – Simon Cowell will be lead judge on new musical game show Walk the Line that U.K. TV giant ITV has ordered. The six-part series will debut on ITV and its streaming service ITV Hub later in the year, “offering musical variety acts a chance to win a life-changing prize pot.” Said ITV: “But to win the money, talent alone isn’t enough – the contestants will need nerves of steel.” That is because the top two performers of each evening “face a nail-biting decision in their bid to be crowned champion – to either ‘cash out’ with a tempting cash prize or walk the line and play on. – Read more at Hollywood Reporter

‘Luke Bryan: My Dirt Road Diary’: Premiere Date & Trailer For IMDb TV Docuseries On ‘American Idol’ Judge – IMDb TV is inviting Luke Bryan fans to crash his party this summer. Amazon’s streamer has set an August 6 premiere for Luke Bryan: My Dirt Road Diary, a five-part docuseries about the country star and American Idol judge. “The devotion and support of my fans are the reason I have made it this far in my career,” Bryan said. “Life can be tough, and the past 15 months have been very difficult for everyone. I hope in sharing this raw look into my life that it may be an encouragement to others. Through the heartaches, triumphs can come.” – Read more at Deadline

‘Voice’ Winner, Philly Native Cam Anthony to Kick Off Wawa Welcome America Concert – Anthony will perform with the Philly Pops to start the show, which will also feature pop artist Bebe Rexha and rapper Flo Rida as the headliners. The 2021 concert will take place on Sunday, July 4, at The Mann Center for Performing Arts in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park. The entire event will be televised on NBC10 and streamed on the NBC10 apps and website. The move to The Mann from the concert’s typical home in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway allows for proper social distancing as our community continues to fight COVID-19. Though the 2021 concert will be ticketed, it will still be free to the public. Those wishing to attend the concert can win tickets through a drawing developed by Wawa Welcome America. (Enter the drawing here.) Tickets will be available on June 19. – Read more at NBCPhiladelphia

Journey Release First New Song in Decade, ‘The Way We Used to Be’ – Veteran rockers Journey released their first new music in a decade on Thursday (June 24), “The Way We Used to Be,” which features the band’s revamped lineup. The wistful track was accompanied by an animated video featuring a cartoon couple dealing with the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. The track is the band’s first new music since their 2011 album Eclipse, and the debut by a refreshed lineup featuring veteran members Neal Schon (lead guitar, backing vocals), Jonathan Cain (keyboards, backing vocals), Arnel Pineda (lead vocals) and Randy Jackson (bass), and new members Narada Michael Walden (drums) and Jason Derlatka (keyboards, backing vocals). – Read more at Billboard

Gabby Barrett Has Second Thoughts About Blockbuster Hit ‘I Hope’ and Those Deliciously Nasty Lyrics – Would the Gabby Barrett of today – oh-so-happily married and blissing out on new motherhood – even be capable of releasing what is now everyone’s favorite hater song, “I Hope”? One of her co-writers, Zachary Kale, asked that question in his remarks at the song’s No. 1 party on Wednesday evening in Nashville, and he answered it with assurance: “Absolutely not. I don’t think she would at all.” Indeed, Barrett later affirmed Kale’s opinion in an interview with PEOPLE. “I’d definitely write ‘I Hope’ differently, for sure,” the 21-year-old hitmaker said. “And then I hope you’re … blessed’?” she submits, before dismissing that idea with a laugh. “I don’t know – something less angry!” – Read more at People

Catching up with Cassadee Pope: ‘What The Stars See’ -On her new single, she said, “That was my first Zoom writing session actually. I was really nervous about writing on Zoom. It took place in April of last year. The night before, it was a starry night and I looked up and thought that they have a great perspective up there, and they see everything. It clicked for a song idea.” “I wrote it with Lindsey Rimes and Jake Rose, and I went in the studio with my band in December to cut it. I was really excited that Karen Fairchild and Lindsay Ell agreed to be on it,” she added. “The collaboration aspect makes this song extra special, and it came together great.” – Read more at Digital Journal

Texas Hill Discuss Serene Track, “Neon Heart,” Ahead of Acoustic Album -“‘Neon Heart’ was a song written by a good friend of ours,” Boyd explained. “When he brought this song to me I was like, ‘Man, the song has a really really cool vibe to it.’ And I really liked the sentiment that it was about this guy messing up and just embracing it. The guys liked it, so we started working on it and we flipped it around a couple of different times.” “When I heard it, it just had a timeless vibe to it,” Wakefield chimed in. Pre-save the acoustic album here. – Read more at American Songwriter

About mj santilli 34832 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!