Lumberton’s Michael Simeon is a contender on this year’s ‘American Idol’ – Simeon — he dropped the Smith for his stage name — grew up around music. Around the age of 10, he’d make up humorous songs to amuse his parents, Mason and Linda Smith, and siblings Mase and Marika. He learned to play the guitar at 7, drums at 11 and piano at 14. He took up the violin at 9, but by the time he turned 14 he’d given it up. Simeon recorded a few original songs in 2009, and began auditioning for music shows the next year. His first rejection came in April 2010, after an audition for the Disney Channel. He didn’t give up, though, and three months later, auditioned in New Orleans for “American Idol.” He didn’t make it onto the show. – Read more at Sun Herald
Reality Check: Does Idol Want a Guy to Win (and Which Girls Could Stop Him)? Plus — We’re Tired of ‘I’m Tired’!
Read more at TV Line
Pharrell’s ‘Happy’ is going to be a picture book – Pharrell’s “Happy” is already a Grammy-winning (and Oscar-nominated) song, and now it’s becoming a children’s book: The singer has an agreement to make four picture books with Penguin Young Readers, beginning with one titled Happy. “I’m humbled by the global success of ‘Happy,’ but especially in awe of the song’s young fans,” Pharrell said in a statement. “My collaboration with Penguin allows me to continue a dialogue with these children in a fresh, new way. We’re both committed to feeding the curiosity of young minds with imagination.” – Entertainment Weekly
Chris Soules’s Bachelor Blog: Which Hometown Date ‘Disturbed’ Him? – Talking to her family, I realized very quickly that I didn’t really know the real Jade. They kept calling her a “free spirit,” and her brother even called her a “wild mustang.” I’ve said before that I want some edge in my future wife. I love to unleash and let go and have fun. But that was basically the opposite of the Jade I’d seen up until that point. The Jade I knew was quiet, shy, almost meek. I was intrigued by what her family was saying, but almost disturbed by the fact that the Jade I knew was so different from what they were describing. I was also a bit disturbed by her brother Zach’s concern about Jade’s willingness to move back to a small town. I hadn’t really questioned that about Jade, but I started feeling like there was this whole side to her that I didn’t know about. – Read more at People
The Hot 10: Katie Stevens
American Idol season 9 alum, and star of MTV’s Faking It, Katie Stevens, spoke with Maxim about girls with curves and being a little spontaneous. – Read her interview at Maxim. Check out the photo below.
BlackBerry Ltd files new complaint against Ryan Seacrest’s Typo keyboard case for iPhones – TORONTO — BlackBerry ratcheted up its fight with Ryan Seacrest’s Typo Products LLC, filing a new complaint that alleges that the company’s new keyboard case for the iPhone also infringes on its patents. Last March, the Waterloo, Ontario-based smartphone pioneer won an injunction against the first iteration of the Typo case made for some of Apple’s iPhone devices. BlackBerry is now seeking another injunction to halt sales of the redesigned Typo 2 case as well. BlackBerry, in a new complaint filed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on Monday, alleges that the company’s redesigned Typo 2 case for the iPhone 5, 5s and iPhone 6 models, also infringe on its patents, disputing the start-up’s claims to the contrary. – Read more at Financial Post
