The Voice s7 alum, Luke Wade, signed by Fleming Artists “I am very excited to announce that I have been added to the @FlemingArtists roster! Keep an eye on http://lukewademusic.com for tour dates!” Via Luke Wade’s twitter
IGGY AZALEA, BASTILLE, JASON DERULO, PENTATONIX AND RIXTON JOIN THE NEW YEAR’S CELEBRATION FROM THE BILLBOARD HOLLYWOOD PARTY – Iggy Azalea, Bastille, Jason Derulo, Pentatonix and Rixton join the biggest music celebration of the year on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2015.” Fergie hosts the Billboard Hollywood Party and also performs along with previously announced performers Charli XCX, One Direction and Meghan Trainor. With over 38 performances and 5 ½ hours of music, programming for “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2015” begins at 8:00 pm ET/PT on ABC Television Network. As previously announced, Jenny McCarthy will be live from Times Square where Taylor Swift, Florida Georgia Line, MAGIC! and Idina Menzel will perform for over one million fans. Special remote performances from Nashville will include Gavin DeGraw and Lady Antebellum with Elton John also performing from Brooklyn. – From dc Productions press release
KENNY CHESNEY TO PERFORM ON FIRST-EVER AMERICAN COUNTRY COUNTDOWN AWARDS – SANTA MONICA, CA. (December 10, 2014) — Kenny Chesney, the only country artist in Billboard’s Top 10 Touring Acts of the Last 25 Years, will perform on the inaugural AMERICAN COUNTRY COUNTDOWN AWARDS airing live from Nashville’s Music City Center on Monday, December 15 (8:00 – 10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX. Chesney, deemed “the People’s Superstar” by The Los Angeles Times, will perform his latest single, “Til It’s Gone,” before receiving the Groundbreaker Award for innovation, excellence and expanding the country music genre. The award will be presented by actor/producer/writer Vince Vaughn. – From dc Productions press release
Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, Harry Connick Jr. Dish on Idol
“We’ve got a very unusual, eclectic group. I think there’s a lot of artists in this group. It’s not just singers. It’s people who are very individual,” said Keith.
Harry explained, “This year is different than last year because last year had a huge amount of talent, but this year the talent isn’t only vocal but preforming wise too. These kids are ready to put on a show which is important this year. We didn’t have as much of that last year. ”
Via Extra
‘Voice’ participant Mann brings twist to ‘Phantom of the Opera’ at Straz – A new tour of “The Phantom of the Opera” opens Wednesday at the David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts. The Tony winner will stick around until Jan. 4 (with a special New Year’s Eve Masquerade Party planned as a extra event). “The Phantom is an edgier character, more like a real person that a romantic mysterious creation,” says Chris Mann, a singer who rose to fame on the 2012 edition of NBC’s “The Voice,” and who is the tour’s Phantom. – Read more at The Tampa Tribune
Carrie Underwood Unveils first Look at her Clothing Line Calia
And the six-time-Grammy winner wasn’t just going to attach her name to products. The singer was hands-on, picking out patterns, materials, and sharing her likes and gripes about workout gear with the Dick’s team. One caveat of typical exercise clothes, in Underwood’s eye, is that they’re not designed with women’s bodies in mind.
“So often I’ll put on a pair of capri pants or something, and I’ll be like, ‘Oh, this was made by a dude,'” she said.
Check out coverage of the event at the NY Daily News
Preston to join Symphony NH for holiday program – A back-up plan was never in the cards for Mont Vernon native Alex Preston, who started playing music when he was four years old. “If you want to do something, just do it,” says the now 21-year-old singer songwriter, “You can’t have something else as a back-up plan. You can’t give yourself an out.” – Read more at Cabinet.com
Celebrate the holidays with ‘American Idol’ alum Kimberley Locke at the Danbury Palace on Saturday, Dec. 13 – Labeled the “Queen of Christmas” by Billboard Magazine, she’s reportedly the only recording artist to enjoy a No. 1 Christmas song for three consecutive years. Her holiday hits include “Up on a Housetop,” “Frosty the Snowman” and “Jingle Bells.” Last year her remake of Freda Payne’s “Band of Gold” was in Billboard’s Top 50 Dance Songs of the Decade. And aside from performing, she teaches master classes in Manhattan and at A Common Ground in Danbury. – Read more at Stamford Advocate
Romantic Teen Comedy ‘Seoul Searching’ co-starring Heejun Han Set For Sundance Festival – “Seoul Searching,” a film about coming to terms with your Korean heritage, is set to premiere at the Sundance Film on Jan. 22 in Park City, Utah. The teen romantic comedy set in the 80s features both Korean-American and Korean actors.When casting “Seoul Searching,” Lee sought both Korean-American and Korean stars. The film stars Justin Chon, who appeared in “21 and Over” and played a regular character in the “Twilight” film series. Chon plays Sid Park, a character that is based on the young director Lee. “Seoul Searching” also stars Jessika Van, who appeared in MTV’s “Awkward. Korean actor Cha In Pyo plays Mr. Kim, the teacher that Sid turns to for advice. The other actors in the film are Heejun Han, Teo Yoo, Esteban Ahn, Rosaline Leigh, Sue Son, Crystal Kay, Uatchet Juch, Nekhebet Juch. Lee discovered some of the actors in the film through Facebook and YouTube auditions. – Read more at KDramaStars
Burke in, Peta out as ‘Ballroom With a Twist’ lineup changes – Professional dancer Cheryl Burke, a two-time winner of the Mirror Ball trophy on “Dancing With the Stars,” is part of a lineup of dancers added to the “Twist” tour stop in Appleton. The additions also include “DWTS” dancers Anna Trebunskaya and Dmitry Chaplin. The additions, though, come with some notable subtractions. Due to other “DWTS” commitments, previously announced Sharna Burgess, Val Chmerkovskiy, Emma Slater and Peta Murgatroyd will not be in Appleton, the PAC announced. Murgatroyd was the dancer who teamed with Donald Driver to win the Season 14 trophy. This is all about that copyright lawsuit from BBC and the current DWTS tour. Dancers under contract with DWTS are banned from Ballroom with a Twist – Post Crescent.com
‘The Sing-Off’: Watch Patrick Stump Try to Fill Ben Folds’ Shoes (Exclusive) – Sitting in for the four-time judge on NBC’s a cappella competition is Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump, and in The Hollywood Reporter’s exclusive clip, he knows he has big shoes to fill. “Shoot! How do I fill those?” he says of following Folds, who is currently on tour. And why was he picked for the gig? “They got the other nerdy rock star that they could find!”
Read more at Hollywood Reporter
ABC Family Orders Transgender Docuseries Produced by Ryan Seacrest – ABC Family is continuing its push into the unscripted arena with a big swing. The Disney-owned cable network has handed out a straight-to-series pickup for My Transparent Life, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. The docuseries, from Ryan Seacrest Productions, centers on a teen named Ben who learns his parents are not only getting a divorce, but also that his father is becoming a woman. The series will intimately follow Ben, his family and friends as they support each other through the unexpected journey and watch Charlie slowly become Carly, as she experiences the many stages of her transition from male to female. The show is described as a generational story of a loving family and circle of friends, supporting each other through the unfamiliar and unexpected situation. – Read more at The Hollywood Reporter
