Danny Gokey’s ‘Days’ Starts Strong
Season eight American Idol finalist Danny Gokey claims the best first-week sales showing on Country Albums by a rookie male country act in 18 years, and the best opening week digital sum for any country newcomer, as “My Best Days” opens at No. 3 on the chart with 65, 000 copies sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The album also opens at No. 4 on The Billboard 200.
Gokey’s start is the best debut for a male country solo artist since Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Some Gave All” blew in with 90, 000 copies in June 1992, and bests fellow “Idol” alum Bucky Covington’s May 2007 self-titled debut, which started with 61, 000 units.
Gokey’s digital tally is 19, 000, and inks a new benchmark for first-week digital sales by a new country artist, previously set when Gloriana’s self-titled debut album sold 9, 000 downloads last summer.
Thursday’s TV Highlights: Katharine McPhee in ‘Community’
FAMILY DAY: Katharine McPhee guest stars in a new episode of ‘Community’ at 8 p.m. on NBC.
American Idol: Scott MacIntyre and Matt Giraud perform in this new episode when four more contestants are eliminated, revealing the 12 finalists (8 p.m. Fox).
Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Jennifer Hudson, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, George Strait, Taylor Swift And Sugarland Added to the List of Performers for ACM Presents: Brooks & Dunn — The Last Rodeo All Star Concert
ENCINO, Calif., March 11 /PRNewswire/ — The Academy of Country Music announced today that Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum, Jennifer Hudson, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley, George Strait, Taylor Swift, and Sugarland will perform at the television taping of the all-star concert special, ACM PRESENTS: BROOKS & DUNN – THE LAST RODEO on Monday, April 19, 2010 to air Sunday, May 23, 2010 at 8:00 PM ET/PT on the CBS Television Network from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The show will be produced for television by dick clark productions. Tickets are available now for the live concert event.
These country music superstars will join the previously announced performers Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban.
More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…
Idol Tracker Buzzmeter, version 9.0
With the Top 12 soon upon us, it’s a fitting time to announce the 2010 IdolTracker Buzzmeter panel. This is our pool of the country’s top “American Idol” pundits who will try and predict which Season 9 finalist will be going home after each performance episode; and on the last week, who will win. The tally, along with individual results, will be posted every Wednesday morning for all to see. Check out last year’s results here.
PHOTOS: We Are The Fallen’s “Bury Me Alive” Video Set Pics
After months of online buzz that has drawn both hard-rock fans and American Idol fanatics, new band We Are The Fallen is ready to rise. Led by Irish belter (and onetime Idol contestant) Carly Smithson and featuring former Evanesence rockers Ben Moody, John LeCompt and Rocky Gray, along with bassist Marty O’Brien, the band has been kept much of its music under wraps. But we have a special first look at the video for the band’s first single, “Bury Me Alive”. The video, co-directed by Kyle Newman (of 2008’s Fanboy) and wife Jaime King (yes, the model), will lead viewers through the grim ritual of burial, but with a vintage Victorian twist. Dig through the pics from the set of “Bury Me Alive”, take a listen to the single on the band’s site, and you’ll see why people are falling for them.
Adam Lambert: Simon Cowell didn’t appear to me during acid trip
Adam Lambert, 28, came second in the last series of American Idol. He then came out as gay and caused a stir with a saucy performance at the American Music Awards. Single For Your Entertainment and an album of the same name are released next month.
Jennifer Hudson — Monster Engagement Bling
Jennifer Hudson proudly showed off her Neil Lane diamond engagement ring to anyone who’d look yesterday at LAX.
The “Dreamgirl” has been engaged to her WWE wrestler fiance David Otunga, AKA “Punk” from the VH1 show “I Love New York 2”, since September 2008.
‘Community’: ‘American Idol’s’ Katharine McPhee joins the family
Katharine McPhee is guest-starring on “Community” Thursday (March 11), but had things broken a little differently you could have seen the former “American Idol” runner-up on an different NBC series this season.
McPhee tells Zap2it that earlier this season she talked with NBC about a role on “Trauma”: “It was after the show had already started to air, ” she says. “They were going to add a new character, and I was going to go to network and test for the part, but I really wasn’t ready to sign on for a show. … It just didn’t work out.”
A Dinner for Badgley and Mischka… Carrie Underwood on Stage…
CARRIE ON STAGE: There won’t be any telephone-shaped hairpieces or Kermit the Frog minidresses for Carrie Underwood when the singer takes the stage during her “Play on Tour, ” which kicks off today in Reading, Pa. Instead, the “American Idol” winner and country superstar will wear a series of slightly more refined — though still dramatic — looks by costume designer Soyon An, who won an Emmy for the beaded numbers she whipped up for contestants on “So You Think You Can Dance.”
An’s ensembles for Underwood include a button-down shirt paired with a full-length fringe skirt bejeweled with Crystallized-Swarovski Elements and a strapless gown with a bottom that detaches midperformance to become a playsuit.
Back in the glare
Syesha Mercado is catching her dream.
With a debut album on the way, the onetime “American Idol” finalist is keeping herself in the spotlight, in the glamorous role of Deena Jones in a production of “Dreamgirls.” It has been nearly two years since she was dismissed from “Idol, ” an experience Mercado said prepared her well for the show business career she is now enjoying, as part of a touring company of the Broadway classic.
‘Idol’ favorite Jason Castro to seranade Manila and Cebu fans
This month, get mesmerized while Jason Castro belts out colorful summer lovin’ tunes in Manila! His Filipino fans are in for a sweet summer and post-Valentine treat from Warner Music Philippines and the Ayala Malls when Jason serenades his Manila and Cebu fans on March 18 at Trinoma, March 19 at Glorietta 5, March 20 at Ayala Center Cebu, and March 21 at Market! Market!
Cast of BALLROOM WITH A TWIST to Offer Master Class; Announce Dance-Off Contest, 3/18
The cast of Ballroom With A Twist, conceived and choreographed by Dancing with the stars Louis van Amstel, including American idol Singers David Hernandez and Treynece as well as Allsion Holker from So You Think You Can Dance, will offer a Master Class to local dance enthusiast. There will also be a dance off with the cast, in which the winner will not only receive two free VIP Tickets, but the opportunity to appear on stage in the production of Ballroom with a Twist at the Parker Playhouse Theatre.
The master class will be held on Thursday, March 18th, 2010 – 8:30pm -10pm at the Goldcoast Ballroom – 1415 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek – 954-979-0770.
Disney Channel, Disney XD Present Programming Plans For 2010-11
“Phineas and Ferb: Across the Second Dimension” – The #1 animated series for the past two years among Kids 6-11 and Tweens 9-14 has inspired a television movie to premiere in summer 2011 on Disney XD and Disney Channel. In the movie, Phineas and Ferb discover that their beloved pet platypus, Perry, is really a secret agent who battles the forces of evil daily. The boys team up with Perry on a grand adventure through a parallel universe where they must ultimately thwart an even more evil version of Dr. Doofenshmirtz. The feature-length movie is another boon for the animated comedy which will also lead an all-summer 2010 initiative on Disney XD and Disney Channel, including an hour-long episode guest starring Clay Aiken and Chaka Khan. The series continues to create opportunities for other Disney lines of business: the “Phineas and Ferb” characters are at Disneyland Parks and Resorts, Disney Consumer Products debuted a toy line at Toys R Us, and “Phineas and Ferb” is a top selling apparel line at Walmart and Target. Other items include books and comics from Disney Publishing, the #1 Nintendo DS game at Game Stop and BestBuy from Disney Interactive Studios, episode compilation DVDs from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment and a soundtrack on Walt Disney Records which ranked #10 on the Billboard children’s album chart for 2009.
Is The iTunes LP Sinking?
Has the iTunes LP performed sluggishly in its first few months on the market? GigaOm’s Paul Bonanos took a hard look at the digital album format and found record label disappointment over sales so light they may not cover developer costs that can run upwards of $60, 000 per title.
When the iTunes LP format was launched in September 2009, it was touted for its ability to offer a deeper experience with album artwork, lyrics, videos and other media. Wrote Bonanos:
Six months later, however, iTunes LP doesn’t prompt much consumer recognition, and none of the industry sources with whom I spoke said they viewed it as being anywhere close to game-changing from a format perspective. Rather, it’s considered more of a curiosity.
Sensitive Simon Cowell shows his soft side as he comforts fellow American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi
He may sometimes come across as Mr Unemotional but Simon Cowell really does have a soft side.
Millions of Americans watched last night as he gently consoled his fellow American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi after she was reduced to tears by a contestant.
He hugged her close after former American football player Michael Lynche moved DioGuardi and wowed the panel with his rendition of the Maxwell song ‘This Woman’s Work.’
Hey, Ryan, Talk to the Dress
RYAN, Ryan, Ryan. It’s Journalism 101: who, what, when, where and why, as in, “Who are you wearing?”
Did Ryan Seacrest, 35, let down the fourth estate — or at least the fashion slice of it — when he failed to ask that question while interviewing many of the arriving celebrities on E!’s pre-Oscar show last Sunday?
Yes, according to the bloggerati, many of whom were dissing him even as the two-hour show “Live from the Red Carpet: The 2010 Academy Awards, ” was being broadcast.
Lythgoe tabbed for Philanthropy Award
Nigel Lythgoe is set to receive the Philanthropy Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation.
Kudo is part of the College Television Awards, which recognizes work by students around the country in the fields of video, digital and film production.
Event, held April 10 at the Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood, will be hosted by “Dancing With the Stars” emcee Tom Bergeron.
Bravo teams up with Mia Michaels, Darren Star
Former “So You Think You Can Dance” judge/choreographer Mia Michaels could be getting her own show on Bravo.
Michaels will be the subject of a docuseries that’s in development at the cable network, which on Wednesday (March 10) announced a slew of new projects and the return of several current shows. The new projects also include a couple of scripted shows — including one from “Sex and the City” creator Darren Star — a new “Real Housewives” franchise and a pair of food competition shows.
Adam Shankman’s (conflicted) Oscar Twitter thoughts
Throughout awards season, this year’s Oscars co-producer Adam Shankman kept his nearly 55, 000 Twitter followers amused by sharing behind-the-scenes tidbits about working on the telecast, making up with enthusiasm what he lacked in punctuation and spelling.
It began in December: “Had dinner last night with Oscar cohosts steve martin and Alec Baldwin. Laughed so hard I almost passed out. This is gonna b goooood…”
“American Idol” Alum Scott MacIntyre Pulls “Heartstrings” On New Album
Los Angeles, CA, United States (CNS) – Scott MacIntyre inspired millions when the near-blind 24-year-old made it all the way to the Top 8 of American Idol’s season eight. He’s now the fifth Idol from that season to release a full-length album, “Heartstrings, ” which finds the classically trained performer taking a surprisingly radio-friendly pop-rock route.
“On ‘Idol, ‘ we did disco, Michael Jackson, country, and all this different stuff and we all tried to make it contemporary, ” MacIntyre said. “But once I got on tour, I started to move more towards where I wanted to be musically.”
“Heartstrings, ” which is available now on iTunes and on his website, finds MacIntyre leaning towards piano-heavy pop, experimenting for the first time with crunching guitars, heavy drums, and even some beats on the title track. “There’s moments where I pull back as well and have intimate moments, but I’ve always been captivated by sounds that really move you, ” he says.
EXCLUSIVE: Adam Lambert Gets “Unplugged”… and We’re On The Scene!
When you hear the name Adam Lambert, plenty of words come to mind. Glamorous. Larger than life. Talent explosion. Cod piece. But perhaps one word that has never been previously associated with Lambert is “Unplugged.” In fact, if there’s one thing the guy is, it’s “Plugged.”
So when our boss broke the news that Adam would be the first of many musicians to headline the resurrection of VH1’s Unplugged series, mere days before the actual taping, and that I would be the only member of the press allowed past the rhinestoned curtain, well… looks like someone unplugged my enthusiasm for life and living and simply being.
‘American Idol’ Experts Predict Who’s Going Home Tonight
This year’s “American Idol” top 12 will be revealed on Thursday night’s (March 11) show, but not before the final four semifinalists are shown the door. Unlike previous weeks, when it was fairly obvious which two guys and two girls would be leaving the show, the competition has finally begun to get tighter, and making the call this week is a bit harder.
The decision seems pretty clear, though, to MTV News’ “Idol in 60 Seconds” honcho Jim Cantiello. “Paige Miles blew it, ” he said of the singer who has been touted as having the strongest voice in the competition by the judges during the live shows after getting next-to-zero screen time in Hollywood. “For two weeks, we’ve heard the judges go on and on about her big voice. Then she finally tries to share it with America and chokes!”
