Clay Aiken, T.R. Knight to Present at GLAAD Awards
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation just added two presenters to its 20th-annual Media Awards celebration: Clay Aiken and T.R. Knight.
Aiken will present the Excellence in Media award to Tyra Banks, recognizing her commitment to featuring lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people on both her talk show and America’s Next Top Model. Knight will present the Vito Russo Award to Suze Orman, the best-selling author and CNBC financial guru.
New ‹Idol rule doesn’t save departing singers
A new rule revealed Wednesday gives the …American Idol judges the power to save one singer voted off by the fans, but that wasnt enough to keep the first two finalists from getting the boot. Jasmine Murray and Jorge Nunez were sent home, reducing the number of contestants to 11.
OBJECTION OVERRULED
FOR the first time in “American Idol” his tory, the judges have the power to change America’s vote.
The new rule, revealed on last night’s results show, gives them veto power, to be used only once during the competition, to save an eliminated contestant.
The new rule, revealed on last night’s results show, gives them veto power, to be used only once during the competition, to save an eliminated contestant.
More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…
Jasmine Murray, Jorge Nunez fall in double elimination
The children of …American Idol eighth season experienced their first taste of entertainment mortality Wednesday night after a rare double elimination, which brought to an end the …Idol careers of Jasmine Murray and Jorge Nuà ±ez.
The two were eliminated in an episode that featured the unveiling of a new rule in the …Idol competition, granting the judges veto power over any elimination. As explained by host Ryan Seacrest, the judges will have a …save option that they may exercise once for each contestant, if the judges unanimously agree that a singer deserves another chance. When the save is invoked, no contestant will be eliminated that week, with the following week then seeing a doubly suspenseful double elimination. The rule will be in effect until the season Top 5 week.
The Rushfield Review: The Angel of Death comes to the Idol stage
They entered the Idoldome tonight as giddy teens and twenty-somethings, but after their first American Idol elimination night they walked out a little older, a little wiser and one giant step further down the road that will ultimately, before this season is done, reshape each one of these young warriors and their lives beyond recognition.
It is a coming of age rite each season young dreamers must undergo; a maturation process administered at the hands of Angel of Death Seacrest.
Phil Stacey blog: Idol’s first to fall
Jasmine Murray and Jorge Nunez have become the first to officially be voted off “American Idol” this season after Ryan announced the new “save” tweak in the rules. The judges now have the opportunity to unanimously “save” any one Idol voted off before Top Five Week, resulting in no one going home. If someone is saved, the following week two singers will end up on the chopping block.
‘American Idol’ recap: Two Birds, One Show
Week one of the Idol season 8 finals has come to a close, and I’m thrilled to report that the public did exactly the right thing, sending ”package artist” Jasmine Murray to the arms of her genetically blessed family, and ending the ”journey” of loveable but vocally outclassed Jorge Nuà ±ez. And, naturally, the show’s producers have rewarded American Idol voters’ good taste by…forcing ’em face down on the hood of a car and cuffing their collective hands behind their backs?
American Idol: What You Didnt See
If you’re shocked that Anoop Desai didn’t get the ol’ heave ho on tonight’s American Idol elimination, don’t be. He’s got something on his side: the admiration of young voters (who know how to use a telephone).
“I like him because he seems nice, ” said 10-year-old Nathan from Long Beach. Awwww.
We got a golden ticket to tonight’s taping and noticed that out of all the kids with handmade signs for their favorites, nearly half were for frontrunner Adam Lambert (no surprise there) and the other half were for, yep, Anoop. What? No signs for Danny, Alexis, or Lil Rounds? Nope.
American Idol Adds an XFactor
Last night’s American Idol opened the competition’s not-quite-semifinal, not-quite-final round, with the 13 singers who were selected as this year’s spotlighted contestants making their way through the songs of Michael Jackson. While Paula Abdul was only interested in seemingly tipping the producers’ hand, telling both Danny Gokey and Adam Lambert that they were shoo-ins for the finale, Simon Cowell took some time to foreshadow a twist to the proceedings, one that will be fully revealed during tonight’s double-elimination episode. What could it be? Alas, it probably won’t involve bringing back Ju’Not Joyner.
American Idol: The Contestants Step Out of the Shadows, and Into More Shadows
And so the final 13 begins. With both bangs and whimpers. There were some pleasant surprises (go Kris Allen!) and some predictable disappointments (fail, Danny Gokey). Let’s discuss further after the jump.
Idol Worship: Best To Worst Of Michael Jackson Night
We called it last week, and to our delight, there will be a double elimination in the Top 13. And while we didn’t expect it so soon, in a way, Michael Jackson was a fitting choice for season 8’s official opening night, making it all the easier to weed out weaker contenders ‘ you know, the ones who can’t handle the King of Pop’s falsetto or can’t re-imagine such classic songs or simply pick the wrong ones (ahem, Anoop Desai). That said, there were a few bright spots on Tuesday night, chief among them: Matt Giraud, Allison Iraheta, Alexis Grace, and, as much as it pains us to admit it, Adam Lambert. But between the new non-sex line phone number, the awkward judges’ entrance and the fact that nobody ‘ nobody! ‘ attempted “Rock With You, ” we were thoroughly befuddled. Who should stay and who should go? Our best to worst Top 13 ranking below…
Spotted At Idol: Elisabeth Hasselbeck, The Beckham Bros., Chikezie & More
Elisabeth Hasselbeck, in Los Angeles this week to shoot her daytime talk show The View, was one of the first celebs to take her seat in the audience. Dressed in an eye-popping lime green jacket, Hasselbeck was all smiles as she signed the back of several Idol tickets for fans.
Will ‘American Idol’ Phone-Number Snafu Sink Alexis Grace?
It began on Saturday, when Jim Hellriegel, the owner of DialIdol.com, was testing the numbers for the opening round of the “American Idol” top 13. It quickly spread to various “Idol” fan sites, gathered steam when Ryan Seacrest Twittered about it on Tuesday morning, then came to a head on Tuesday night’s “Idol” broadcast.
InStyle
(InStyle) — Week after week, contestants on “American Idol” face scrutiny from judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi, not only for their song choices and performances, but also for their outfits.
It’s no wonder: the right wardrobe choices have been instrumental in the success of past “Idols, ” like Carrie Underwood, who went from girl-next-door to red-carpet stunner after undergoing a post-‘Idol’ makeover.
American Idol: Why Change the Bloody Rules
Well, what do you think of this latest rule change? Or do you think of it at all – after only 10 or so hours of possible rumination? Me? I think it stinks most foul. It’s unnecessary. It smacks of elitism. By God, this is anti-DEMOCRATIC. Leave it to a Brit to come up with this… You’d think the Queen herself had a role in this one. “Let them eat cake, those American peasants… They’ll watch anything over there…We can change the rules because we ARE the rules…”
Scott MacIntyre fans say ‘American Idol’s’ first blind finalist doesn’t need your pity vote
Guess what America ‘ Scott MacIntyre doesn’t need your pity vote.
So if you called in last night to cast a vote for “American Idol’s” first blind finalist, it better be because you loved his rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Keep the Faith.”
So says, Soula Antoniou, president of a non-profit which promotes programs for artists with disabilities and who worked with MacIntyre in 2008.
‘American Idol’ contender Matt Giraud = Taylor Hanson?
American Idol finalist Matt Giraud might bear an uncanny resemblance to Justin Timberlake, but last night’s performance of Michael Jackson’s ”Human Nature” channeled another late-’90s pop star: Taylor Hanson. If you haven’t listened to Hanson since ”MMMBop” you might be taken aback by the comparison, but if you’ve heard the JoBros predecessors live any time in the past five years, you know it’s totally apt: the perch behind the piano, the growly edge to his soulful voice, the riffing at the end of each line, and even the phrasing. Plus, they both know how to rock a scarf.
Cook makes the most of ‹Idol afterglow
Just over a year ago, David Cook was living in Tulsa, tending bar to pay the bills and playing in a band to keep his musical dream alive. But it was slow going. After a year of playing gigs in bars, hed sold just 1, 000 copies of his first record.
Then he reluctantly tried out for …American Idol. You know the rest of the story, and Friday, 2, 400 people will pack the the Seneca Niagara Events Center in Niagara Falls to hear his music. The big room sold out quickly, says Jillian M. Fiorella, publicity manager for the Seneca Gaming Corp.
411 Music Interview: Taylor Hicks
411’s Joshua George sits down for an exclusive interview with Taylor Hicks, winner of American Idol Season 5 and the Teen Angel in the Broadway production of Grease.
You may recognize this gray-haired wonder from American Idol Season 5 where he won the title from fellow competitors Chris Daughtry, Katharine McPhee, and Elliott Yamin, but these days, Taylor just likes bringing the soul and blues to listeners all over the globe. He’s getting ready to release his new CD The Distance and I had a chance to ask him a few questions… Thankfully he answered them.
You can either listen to the interview in our 411 player, or just read the transcript below.
‘American Idol’ Muscial Doppelgangers
Matt Giraud is a good contestant, there I said it. I just find him a tad bit boring, a lot like Michale Buble. They can actually rock a leather jacket and a blue under shirt in the same boring way.
Caught in the Act!
The night before her album release, Kelly Clarkson and 12 friends popped into Koi New York. The singer and her pals laughed and enjoyed drinks and dinner. Clarkson ordered baked crab and rock-shrimp hand rolls and the yellowtail tuna tartare ‘ and she left her server a huge tip!
‘American Idol’ runner-up Bo Bice brings his show to Detroit
Detroit has a special place in the heart of fourth season “American Idol” runner-up Bo Bice.
“Detroit, we’ve had some consistently good shows there, ” Bice said during an interview from his Nashville home. “Detroit’s a beautiful spot. I love the Motor City. I’m a big fan of a lot of the bands there growing up. Mr. Nugent is one of my favorites. Then of course, Bobby — Kid Rock. I love him. Great guy. And Kiss is one of my favorite bands. Goodness gracious. They wrote one of the big songs for Detroit man. It’s a good spot. We love it.”
Where’s Kelly Clarkson’s place among ‘American Idol’ stars?
Kelly Clarkson’s new album is pretty darn good. But where does it rank in the pantheon of pop from previous American Idol stars? Herewith, my five best albums from folks who got their start having to sing while staring into Paula Abdul’s cleavage:
Kelly Clarkson Reveals Her Most Personal Song
“American Idol” ladies and song-writing buddies Kelly Clarkson and Kara DioGuardi sit down with ET to talk about Kelly’s “therapeutic” and personal writing style.
“I don’t like to bore people with my problems so I usually write it all out, ” Kelly says of writing her music. “It helps me get past things.”
The former “American Idol” winner just released her fourth album titled All I Ever Wanted this week.
The American Idol alum recaps the Top 13 performance episode. Watch it now!
Ever wonder how Justin Guarini looks while he’s staring into a webcam? Now’s your chance to find out…oh yeah, and you’ll also get his take on the Top 13 performance episode, featuring songs by the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Do you agree with Justin’s analysis? Hit the comments box to let us know!
Fisher leads Senators to fourth straight win
OTTAWA — With his girlfriend Carrie Underwood watching in a private suite with Mike Comrie’s girlfriend Hilary Duff, Mike Fisher scored in overtime to give the Ottawa Senators their fourth straight victory, a 3-2 decision over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday night.
Fisher’s goal came almost halfway through OT, at 2:38.
Since it was Underwood’s 26th birthday on Tuesday, Fisher could see the question coming from a mile away, but he didn’t duck it. It might have been the first time that he acknowledged in public that he and Underwood are an item. Usually he says “Hockey questions” only.
Being a dad, life on the road … ‘Its all good’ for Bo Bice
Since shooting to fame as runner-up on “American Idol” Season Four in 2005, Bo Bice has spent every minute living his dream. He’s loving life on the road and the chance to meet with fans across the United States while promoting his second album, “See the Light.” And all’s good on the family front, too, with two young sons – 3-year-old Aidan and 7-month-old Caleb – to keep Bice and his wife Caroline busy.
Simon Cowell goes for the Ex-factor as he teams up with former flame Terri
X Factor guru Simon Cowell proves you can stay friends with old lovers, as he teams up with ex-girlfriend Terri Seymour for Comic Relief.
The pair were filming links for the charity appeal in Los Angeles.
Simon and Terri laughed and joked during the filming session and appeared to thoroughly enjoy being back in each other’s company.
‘So You Think You Can Dance?’ Seattle auditions March 28
If our hometown contestants aren’t at least close to winning (Blake Lewis), they’re breaking our hearts (Jason Mesnick) or messing with our heads (Sanjaya Malakar).
On March 28, more natives will have a chance to make or break it on the small screen when the Fox show “So You Think You Can Dance?” holds auditions in Seattle.
“We are looking for fabulous dancers and great performers! All Styles! All Dancers!” screams the Web site. “Dress to impress……..Stand out from the crowd……..and show us what you’ve got!”
ETA:
Jim Cantiello’s Idol in 60 seconds…
Entertainment Weekly on the Scene
You’d think with both Kanye West and Kelly Clarkson (pictured) performing at last night’s American Idol results show, the behind-the-scenes action would at least be marginally less enervating than the completely predictable voting outcome, the most cringe-y group performance in Idol history, and the anti-climactic announcement of the new rule that will change the face of the show forever in the way that it very well may never been enacted at all. Not so much. While Kanye and Kelly did both get me grooving, I regret to inform you that there wasn’t much behind-the-scenery to chew on. But chew we must, and chew we shall, even if our jaws grow sore from all this metaphoric mastication.
