Can Social Media Predict American Idol’s Winner?
Social media analysis firm Biz360 is once again tapping into blogs, Twitter feeds, Facebook posts and a range of other social media data to try to determine who will win the popular singing contest, where viewers vote for their favorites. Once per week, starting on April 7, they will predict which of the contestants will be voted off.
Biz360 tried this last year too, and it didn’t work perfectly. With the race neck and neck between contestants Adam Lambert and Kris Allen right up until the end, they went with Lambert. Lambert came in second.
American Idol’s Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard Reunited!
Season-two finalists Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard—does it even matter anymore which one was crowned the winner?—are heading out on a 17-city North American tour. And they’re calling it “Timeless” because, well, it totally is.
The two begin reliving their glory days July 23 in Asheville, N.C., and are plotting numerous duets and covers of classics from the past five decades.
“I couldn’t ask for a better tour mate, ” Clay says in a statement. “To be able to share the stage with him again is so exciting…He inspires me daily and I think that respect and admiration will truly be reflected in our show.”
“It is truly a blessing and an honor to be on the stage with my friend, ” Ruben says.
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Top 10 best-selling ‘American Idols’
LOS ANGELES – Over its eight seasons, “American Idol” has turned dozens of amateur singers into superstars. Kelly Clarkson went from blushing 20-something with a big voice to international sensation thanks to her top spot on the show, while the quiet but commanding Carrie Underwood scored Grammys, country music accolades and millions of album sales after winning the crown.
Plenty of formerly undiscovered singers have gone far even without winning the competition too, like season two runner-up Clay Aiken, who went from chart topper to Broadway star. Who could forget Chris Daughtry, the shaved-headed rocker, who went on to front his own ensemble and win the hearts of millions.
Darius Rucker: Some ‘Idol’ Hopefuls Can’t Sing
As a successful country singer and Hootie and the Blowfish frontman, Darius Rucker certainly knows what it takes to make a hit record.
But the CMA Award winner, 40, who is a married father of three, thinks some early American Idol contestants are fooling themselves when they think they can actually sing.
“We watch American Idol religiously, ” he tells me during a March on Stage event benefiting Musicians On Call held at Hard Rock Café Nashville. “I love the people who are good, and I love the people who aren’t good. We’ll sit there with the family and we’ll watch it.”
Adam Lambert Says ‘Unplugged’ Covers Let Him ‘Play With The Melody’
Adam Lambert took the dance-floor-friendly tracks from his debut album, For Your Entertainment, and gave them the acoustic treatment for “Unplugged.”
For the special, he performed “Whataya Want From Me, ” “Down the Rabbit Hole, ” “Broken Open” and “Music Again.” He also did an acoustic version of his “Idol” fan favorite, “Mad World.”
“It’s something new, ” he said of the stripped-down tunes. “When we created the songs, we actually started on the computer, so doing it unplugged, this is the first time for that. It actually allows you to play with the melody even more.”
Adam Lambert Answers The 15 Questions We Ask Everyone
Adam Lambert one of our favourite American Idol contestants ever* so whilst he was swanning about in the UK being all cool and promoting his amazing new album For Your Entertainment, we caught up with him to ask the 15 Questions We Ask Everyone.
*(just for the record we do heart David Archuleta quite a lot too)
‘Idol’ contestant spurs interest in Cape artist
Ever since Siobhan Magnus of Marstons Mills hit the big stage of “American Idol” sporting an Edward Gorey tattoo, sales of the dark stories and illustrations of the late Yarmouth Port author have spiked.
“I got a fax from one of the trustees of the Gorey estate and he checks the sales of Gorey books every day and says the figures have jumped a great deal, ” said Rick Jones, curator of the Edward Gorey House Museum.
Jones said there are three million items listed on Amazon.com, the largest bookseller in the world, and Edward Gorey books have always ranked in the top 20, 000 to 22, 000 books on the popular Web site.
Update: West Virginia police are investigating nonexistent Lady Gaga/Adam Lambert concert
Police are now investigating the curious case of the West Virginia Lady Gaga/Adam Lambert concert that never was to be. Martinsburg, W.Va., hairstylist Luke Loy managed to sell 109 tickets at $100 each for the alleged show at a county park near Harpers Ferry before reps for both stars denied they had anything to do with it. The Martinsburg Journal reports that Loy was working with a promoter, Dean DeSana, with previous fraud convictions; however, DeSana told the paper that he himself was conned by a California-based group that falsely claimed it booked the entertainers.
Danny records “The Gokey Pokey”
Danny Gokey’s version of Joe Cocker’s “You Are So Beautiful” eliminated him from the “American Idol” finals last May, but he’s certain, this time, he has a cover song that will shoot him — and his new spectacles — straight to the stars.
According to a press release, Gokey has recorded a version of the popular children’s song “The Hokey Pokey” and re-named it “The Gokey Pokey.” The 29-year-old former church music director’s publicist, Mary Maciejewski-Szczepanski, guarantees “The Gokey Pokey” is going to sweep southeastern Wisconsin.
Kellie Pickler Adds ‘Shabby-Chic’ Touch to Touring
Kellie Pickler has a new hobby, thanks to some new digs both on and off the road. The singer is playing interior designer! While Kellie is in the midst of decorating her newly-purchased home in Nashville, she’s also designing a new set of wheels.
“I’m trying to figure out what I’m going to do inside of the [tour] bus, ” Kellie tells The Boot. “When you build a bus, it’s very much like building a house … Where do you want the electrical sockets? What kind of sockets do you want? Do you want your light here or there? What kind of walls do you want? What kind of floor do you want? Picking out the tile. Picking out the carpet or hardwood. It’s just crazy, but it’s a lot of fun!”
Carly Smithson checks in from the road
Five shows into their first tour together, and Carly Smithson thinks We Are the Fallen sounds like they’ve been together forever.
“I thought it was going to take a month to get into it, because we hadn’t performed together before, ” says Carly, calling from Toronto, where We Are the Fallen will open for Finnish rock band HIM tonight. “We’re alive as soon as we come on that stage. You can see through the whole show, there’s just emotion pouring out of all of us.”
PHOTO: Jennifer Hudson appears at Boys and Girls Club
Singer and actress Jennifer Hudson gets hugs after posing for photos at the Valentine Boys and Girls Club in Chicago today. Hudson will be donating money to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America with proceeds from a coffee cup she designed a 7-11. Her visit, although a planned promotion, was a surprise for the young boys and girls from various clubs in the city. (Nancy Stone/ Chicago Tribune)
We Give A Damn PSA
“Give A Damn” is the theme of the campaign which will feature several celebs speaking out for equality. It officially launches on-line at giveadamn.org at 9 a.m. EST on Thursday, April 1st, but RadarOnline.com has an exclusive first look at the first PSA’s being released.
Celebrities taking part in the campaign include Elton John, Whoopi Goldberg, Cynthia Nixon, Sharon and Kelly Osbourne, Judith Light, Kim Kardashian, Clay Aiken, and Wanda Sykes –all proclaiming they “Give A Damn” about equality as they too publicly declare their sexuality, be it straight, gay or bisexual.
Daughtry rocks the BJC
About 5, 500 voices could be heard singing, “A long, long time ago” from the Bryce Jordan Center on Wednesday night as Daughtry sang, “Feels Like Tonight, ” on its first stop to State College.
Chris Daughtry told the crowd to sing along if they knew the words, and if they didn’t, “make it up, ” he said.
The crowd waited in anticipation as each member of the five-man band took their place on stage, their shadows revealed behind a white curtain. Just as they raised their hands, the curtain fell to reveal Chris Daughtry behind the microphone.
Simon Cowell Puts Heavyweight Atop Syco
The American Idol judge Simon Cowell has hired the ex-boss of the company which made Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? to run his new Syco Entertainment. Ellis Watson, who starts as CEO of Syco in a month’s time, is a heavyweight businessman (see below). So right at the top of his in-tray will be figuring out how Simon Cowell is going to be in two places at the same time next year. The X Factor is due to start on Fox in fall 2011 – just when the show begins on ITV over here. And so far, ITV says it’s not changing its date. Remember, this is a big deal for the UK channel, especially after the finale generated an unheard-of peak time audience of 19.3 million. My view is that ITV could give itself the best Xmas present ever by moving The X Factor to that week.
Kellie Pickler Talks ‘Chemistry’ in the Writing Room
Just a few weeks back, Kellie had the opportunity to write with legendary tunesmith Dean Dillon, whose credits consist of numerous George Strait cuts, including ‘She Let Herself Go, ‘ ‘Ocean Front Property, ‘ ‘The Chair, ‘ ‘Living for the Night’ and dozens more.
“I am a huge fan of Dean Dillon, ” Kellie gushes. “He actually wrote probably my favorite country song that has been out in the past five or six years, and that is Lee Ann Womack’s ‘Have You Seen That Girl.'”
Simon Cowell presents Susan Boyle with £4 million birthday present
The singer and runner-up on Britain’s Got Talent, who turns 49 on Thursday 1 April, was handed her first royalties cheque for her debut album I Dreamed A Dream.
Released last November by Cowell’s company Syco it became the fastest selling album in British history with more than 3.1 million copies bought in its first four weeks.
