Idol Headlines for 05/17/12

Mary J. Blige gave Joshua Ledet props on twitter last night after he performed her song “No More Drama”, “Joshua @JLedetAI11, you Killed No More Drama!! I felt you!! I always feel you!!! Congratulations!!!”

Kelly Clarkson, Cover Drive announce UK arena tour – The US singer, who released her fifth album Stronger last year, will play five shows in October. The gigs start at Manchester Arena on Friday 12 October, before heading to Birmingham, Glasgow, Sheffield and London. Tickets go on general sale on Friday 18 May. – Read more at The BBC

Contestants? It’s TV talent judges basking in fame, cash – These days? Not so much. It’s the celebrity judges who are raking in the cash and using TV contests not only as a way to re-launch a fading career, but to further boost a thriving one. For music stars in an era of weak record sales, the trend spells victory for their bank account, but for fans and the music industry always hungering for a new star, it’s a loss. And for TV networks, the once cheap-to-produce shows are ever more expensive, yet they don’t always pay off in bigger audiences. – Read more at Reuters

American Idol Backstage Scoop: Why Wasn’t Anyone Talking About Jennifer’s Possible Exit From the Show? – “I feel really good about tonight,” Joshua told us. “I was so nervous going up and performing my songs. I was nervous going up there to perform three songs that I had to learn the lyrics to, and just bringing that all onstage was kind of tough. Steven saying Jessica could be the last one standing, I think he was legit because she’s amazing. I want to win, but at this point we’re all winners. I’m not saying I don’t care, but I would be just as happy to see one of my friends win, Jessica or Phillip.” – Read more at EOnline

‘American Idol’s’ Joshua Ledet Amps Up the Drama for Final Top 3 Performance: ‘I Let Everything Go’ – We lost track of how many standing ovations Joshua Ledet has had since the start of season 11 but it’s somewhere between 15 and 20. And Wednesday’s Top 3 performance show was no different. Starting with Etta James’ “I’d Rather Go Blind,” chosen by Randy Jackson, Ledet went for message in song two, John Lennon’s “Imagine,” then pushed the showmanship to the max with Mary J. Blige’s “No More Drama.” In the end, there was plenty, but Ledet left it all on the stage, then talked to THR about how the night played out.- Read more at Hollywood Reporter

‘American Idol’s’ Phillip Phillips on Having to Dress Up for the Finale, Being Compared to Springsteen – Does it get any better than Wednesday night for Tennessee’s Phillip Phillips? He nailed the Four Seasons’ “Beggin,’” as chosen by judge Steven Tyler, gets compared to a “new age Boss,” as in Springsteen, then may have clinched the competition with a downright swoony “We’ve Got Tonight” by Bob Seger. Phillip certainly seemed pleased with his performance following Wednesday’s show when he stopped to answer THR’s burning questions… – Read more at the Hollywood Reporter

‘American Idol’s’ Jessica Sanchez Shows No Fear; Takes on Aerosmith, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson – essica Sanchez’s top 3 songs were ambitious and then some. Starting with Mariah Carey’s “My All,” chosen by judge Jennifer Lopez, then onto her pick of Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” and finally Jimmy Iovine’s choice of Jackson 5’s “I’ll Be There.” The 16-year-old hopeful recounted the night with THR moments after the credits rolled… – Read more at The Hollywood Reporter

Adam Lambert on Music Biz Mistakes, Triumphs and One ‘Ballsy’ Request for Exec Producer Credit (Q&A) – Adam Lambert is widely regarded as one of the most successful contestants to come out of American Idol. In that sense, he defies the odds. After all, so many alums of the No. 1 Fox show fizzle as quickly as they skyrocketed to fame. But Lambert, now 30, has cultivated a loyal fanbase that he’s carried with him every step of the way since his 2010 debut, For Your Entertainment, and he’s counting on those so-called Glamberts to catapult him to the top of the Billboard album chart next week, when Trespassing, Lambert’s new album, is expected to debut in the No. 1 spot selling in the vicinity of 80,000 units. – Read more at Hollywood Reporter

A year after his unforgettable Durbin Day concert, Santa Cruz’s James Durbin returns home for a more relaxed and original live show at the Beach Boardwalk – So, do you remember where you were on May 14, 2011? n For about 30,000 Santa Cruz County residents, that question is a gimme. That day was, of course, Durbin Day, a singular event in Santa Cruz’s history, a sudden thunderclap of national celebrity, live music and hometown pride, all carried on the shoulders of a young man who, six months earlier, was struggling to make ends meet by delivering pizza.He is James Durbin, the otherworldly talented 23-year-old Santa Cruz singer who exploded into national consciousness a year ago on Fox’s highly rated “American Idol.” – Read more at Santa Cruz Sentinel

Jennifer Hudson Murder Jury Finds Her… Incredibly Famous! – Jennifer Hudson batted 1.000 with the jurors on the William Balfour murder case … because every single one of them admitted they knew who she was BEFORE the trial began. TMZ obtained the juror questionnaires — filled out by all of the prospective jurors before they were empanelled on the jury to determine the fate of the man accused of murdering Hudson’s family. Of the final 12 — 5 of the jurors admitted they had seen Hudson in “Dreamgirls” … and 6 said they recognized Jennifer from her days on “American Idol.” – Read more at TMZ

Simon Cowell takes a swipe at ‘The Voice,’ says it rips off ‘The X Factor’ – LONDON — TV talent show supremo Simon Cowell has unleashed on new rival “The Voice” — calling it a “bad copy” of “The X Factor” — while admitting the hit show is a threat to his own stable of programs.

In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s “Today” program, Cowell said the new BBC show was very similar to his. “The Voice,” which first aired in the Netherlands and is now a hit in the US, Britain and Australia, involves its contestants being mentored by one of four judges as they seek to win judges’ and viewers’ support and progress through elimination rounds. “I see a lot of shows trying to rip us off and you can’t do that. If you try and rip somebody off it always looks like a bad copy,” Cowell said. – Read more at My FOX

About mj santilli 34842 Articles
Founder and editor of mjsbigblog.com, home of the awesomest fan community on the net. I love cheesy singing shows of all kinds, whether reality or scripted. I adore American Idol, but also love The Voice, Glee, X Factor and more!