Idol Headlines for 05/18/09

‘Idolatry’: Goodbye, Danny! Hello, Kris-Adam finale!

Well, it finally happened. America put the ‘Go’ in Gokey. (Every time I hear/say that, my brain automatically flashes to John Goodman’s voice saying “America runs on Dunkin.” Why?) In this week’s two-part installment of Idolatry, my cohost Kristen Baldwin and I discuss why American Idol voters finally gave the boot to Danny Gokey, and why we’re squealie excited for Tuesday night’s Adam Lambert-Kris Allen showdown. There’s bonus Anoop, bonus blue nail-polish, and champagne for everyone! Okay, I won’t lie: Kristen hogs the champagne all for herself. Press play below and enjoy!

Entertainment Weekly

Lambert-Allen matchup may be a wacky ‘Idol’ finale

The final “American Idol” performance episode could be the weirdest concert ever televised.

In one corner, there’s over-the-top Adam Lambert, the dominating presence who transformed Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” into a sitar-infused spectacle and tackled “Whole Lotta Love, ” the first-ever Led Zeppelin tune performed on Fox’s “Idol.” From the outset, he’s been the ambiguous rocker next door, most comfortable ‘  but not scary ‘  in eyeliner and studded leather.

Then, there’s Kris Allen, always at home in jeans with his guitar. The only fashion risk he’s taken is that smidge of blue nail polish spotted on his thumb during a visit home to Conway, Ark. Allen garnered the most praise with his daring song choices, like singing “Falling Slowing” from indie musical “Once” and reinventing Kanye West’s robotic “Heartless” as a wistful singer-songwriter joint.

SF Gate.com

“Idol” without Simon could prove turnoff-poll finds

LOS ANGELES, May 18 (Reuters) – Fans of “American Idol” are as obsessed as ever after eight seasons of the TV talent show, but life without judge Simon Cowell could be a turn-off, according to a poll released on Monday.

New judge Kara DioGuardi gets a lukewarm rating in the AOL Television poll with 44 percent of the 233, 795 votes cast judging her “awful” and 30 percent rating her “just ok.”

And in a season that has seen speculation over the sexual orientation of finalist Adam Lambert, 59 percent of those polled said they would vote for an openly gay contestant.

Reuters.com

Power List: The New Reality

1. Simon Cowell
Principal, Syco Television

Yes, him.

The most influential person in reality television isn’t merely the most galvanizing performer on America’s top-rated program. He’s not just the highest-paid primetime TV personality and a successful producer in two countries. And he’s certainly not, as he described himself during a moment of humility before a recent taping of “American Idol, ” just “a judge on a bloody talent show.”

Cowell tops this list because only he knows the answer to the most tantalizing question in reality TV: What will Simon Cowell do next?

His contract is up after next season of “Idol, ” and Cowell, 49, is not shy about his willingness to leave.

Hollywood Reporter.com

Top 36 Contestants Aren’t Fans of Adam Lambert

Honestly, can you blame them? American Idol threw many people under the bus this year, almost double the normal amount of cannon fodder. The contestants who were cast aside by the Idol machine twittered about this season’s finale:

Vote for the Worst

Discovery World Raises Money for Danny Gokey’s Sophia’s Heart Foundation

WITI-TV, MILWAUKEE – American Idol’s Danny Gokey may be out of the competition, but he is still a winner in the eyes of many Milwaukeeans. Gokey hopes to become more active in the foundation he created in memory of his late wife, the Sophia’s Heart Foundation. Saturday, Discovery World ran a special that helped raise money for the foundation. FOX 6’s Justin Williams explains.

FOX 6 Now

More tidbits about Danny Gokey

“American Idol” had played up the fact that Danny Gokey suddenly lost his young wife last summer. Gokey has admitted he’s noticed and so has everyone else. While it’s obvious Sophia has inspired him, there is more to Danny Gokey.

Here are facts about Gokey:

–Gokey is a hugger. James Wagner, of Dr. Wagner’s Southridge Optical in Greendale, Wis., said Gokey had been coming to him for the last six years. Gokey would always say “God Bless you” and give hugs.

Chicago Tribune

Kris Allen’s life away from American Idol

The countdown is on. In just under 46 hours, Kris Allen will give his final American Idol performances on FOX16.

FOX16 has exclusive home video and pictures of Kris hanging out with his friends and family.

Forget about a backstage pass when you can have a front row seat to a living room jam session with the Allen family. The home video is of Kris hanging out with his family after finding out he made it into Idol’s top 36.

FOX 16.com

Side Dish: ‘American Idol’s’ Adam Lambert goes to Outback with his ‘boyfriend’

¢ “American Idol” finalist Adam Lambert wasn’t coy about his love life when he and other “AI” contestants got together the other night at Burbank’s Outback Steakhouse. Lambert called the dude with him “my boyfriend, ” says a spy. Also looking cozy at the dinner: Anoop Desai and Megan Joy Corkrey, who sources say are an item.

NY Daily News

Adam Lambert had a ‘Wicked, ‘ pre-‘Idol’ stage life

NEW YORK (AP) ‘  Before “American Idol” took over Adam Lambert’s life, there was “Wicked, ” not to mention “The Ten Commandments” ‘  yes, a musical version of the sand-and-sandals biblical epic.

The 27-year-old favorite to take the “Idol” crown next Wednesday had a professional musical-theater background before he ever sang for Simon, Paula and the rest of the show’s judges.

Lambert did two stints in “Wicked, ” the mammoth musical prequel to “The Wizard of Oz” ‘  joining the touring company in March 2005 and staying for six months, then opening in the extended Los Angeles production in February 2007 and remaining with the show until October 2008. For both engagements, he was a member of the ensemble and understudied the role of Fieryo, the show’s love interest.

Associated Press

Will Adam Lambert turn out to be a loser after winning ‘American Idol’?

If Adam Lambert wins “American Idol” this week, as expected, where will he be in several years? Touring America’s backwaters in old stage musicals like Taylor Hicks ‘  or else not doing much at all like Ruben Studdard? American Idol Adam Lambert 527839461 newsOr will Adam Lambert be seen collecting major awards at podiums like past champs Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson?

LA Times

STAGE TUBE: UPRIGHT CABARET SINGS: Adam Lambert – ‘Gotta Get Through This’

AMERICAN IDOL Top 2 finalist and former ‘WICKED’ cast member Adam Lambert continues to thrill audiences every week with his high-wire performances and soaring vocals.

The Los Angeles based Lambert found a creative “home” at West Hollywood’s Upright Cabaret at Mark’s Restaurant. BroadwayWorld readers will be familiar with that venue as ‘Upright’ founders and producers Chris Isaacson and Shane Scheel are current members of the BroadwayWorld.com “family” with their ‘WEST SIDE STORIES’ features seen right here on BWW TV.

Broadway World

Superfan is making use of ‘Idol’ time before the finale

To say that Marieann Porzelt likes …American Idol is like saying the Empire State Building is tall or that the Knicks have played poorly in recent years.

By her own admission, Porzelt, 52, a small-business owner in Bayside, is obsessed with the hit reality competition.

…Im a big fan. Were talking huge, says Porzelt. …I have two kids, but Im the die-hard ‹American Idol fan in the family. I watch every show, from the first to the last, including the auditions. I even have American Idol T-shirts, key chains and hats.

NY Daily News

American Idol airplay: A good week for the Dynamic Duo

David Cook Come Back to Me moves into the Top 10 of USA TODAY Mediabase-powered American Idol airplay chart this week, and Daughtry more than triples the spins for No Surprise, as the band new single leaps from #36 to #15.

AllenLambert_restricted Perhaps the more interesting story, though, is the play for this season last three contestants. Both Kris Allen and Adam Lambert had one of the more successful radio weeks of this season, with Kris Heartless picking up 22 spins and Adam’s One 18.

USA Today

David disappoints, David delights

…American Idol champion David Cook disgruntled some of his Filipino fans by excluding …The Time Of My Life in his Manila concert set list last May 16.

…The Time Of My Life was the coronation song of …American Idol Season 7 which Cook won. The song went as high as number three in the US Billboard charts and became an even bigger hit in Canada (#2) and in the Philippines (#1).

Instead, Cook performed a barrage of unreleased tracks from his self-titled album that left the crowd lethargic. Songs from …Analog Heart, an album he released during his pre-…Idol days, made the crowd even more listless.

…Were playing songs youve never heard before, Cook explained, noticing the lull. …Is that okay?

MB.com

A pre-finale interlude at Villa San Juliette

The problem with being a conqueror of the world, is that overseeing the world is such a huge task that it’s bound to cause some scheduling conflicts sooner or later. ¨  Thus did the bells toll Friday night for the reigning titans of prime-time television, “American Idol” Executive Producer Ken Warwick and former “Idol” EP, current “So You Think You Can Dance” creator, star and Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe. With four days to spare before the “Idol” finale and a week in a half to go until the “SYTYCD” season opener, both men found themselves urgently needed hundreds of miles away from Hollywood, in Central California ‘ Paso Robles to be precise, where the winery the two friends from youth jointly own, Villa San Juliette, was celebrating its coming out; its first debut dinner for a new vintage during Paso annual wine festival. The dinner is a requisite rite of passage for all would-be players on the region’s wine scene, and although it falls every year smack dab in the middle of “Idol” finale rehearsals, the call of duty could be ignored no longer by the fledging vintners.

LA Times

Kelly Clarkson, Black Eyed Peas Party Jersey-Style For Zootopia

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey ‘  At the Izod Center on Saturday (May 16), fans gathered for a night filled with pop music from Kelly Clarkson, Ciara, Jesse McCartney and the Black Eyed Peas, rock from the All American Rejects and hip-hop from Soulja Boy Tell’Em.

Keeping the girl power alive, Kelly Clarkson’s killer voice rocked the room with “Since U Been Gone.” The set included lots of new songs off her new album, All I Ever Wanted, peppered with older hits, like “Miss Independent.” Before “I Do Not Hook Up, ” Kelly listed her exceptions to that rule: Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe. “Walk Away, ” “Already Gone” and “If I Can’t Have You” also were fan favorites leading up to her finale “My Life Would Suck Without You.”

MTV

Kelly Clarkson, Flo Rida, Black Eyed Peas: Something for everybody at Zootopia

For music fans with eclectic but mainstream tastes, Z100’s annual Zootopia concert really does represent a utopian ideal.

Z100 (WHTZ, 100.3 FM) is a Top 40 station, and Zootopia participants are chosen on the basis of their popularity, not their genre. Over the past decade, everyone from Bon Jovi to Jay-Z has performed at Zootopia concerts, and the bill for this year’s show, which took place at the Izod Center in East Rutherford on Saturday, ranged from rapper Flo Rida to pop-punk group the All-American Rejects and teen-pop idol Jesse McCartney. These three and the other four acts on the bill — the Black Eyed Peas, Kelly Clarkson, Ciara and Soulja Boy — currently hold nine slots in Billboard magazine’s Top 40 singles chart.

NJ.com

Kelly Clarkson Heads Out for New Summer Tour

Kelly Clarkson has a new tour in support of her new album, All I Ever Wanted. On select dates, Eric Hutchison will be opening up for Clarkson.

The 17-city tour starts on July 3, at the Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino in Indio, California. The tour will end on September 12, at the Allegan County Fair Grandstand. Most of the dates are at county fairs.

The ticket prices start around $40.

Aside from her new tour, Clarkson will also be a part of the T-Mobile Sidekick and Grammy Tour. Clarkson will be joined with artists like Common, Estelle, Lady GaGa, Leona Lewis, LL Cool J, Katy Perry, N.E.R.D., Natasha Bedingfield, and Gavin Rossdale. Tickets for these events can be picked up through select T-Mobile retail locations. Details can be found on their Web site: http://www.sidekick.com/grammy_home.aspx.

The Celebrity Cafe

Why Melissa Rycroft won’t win ‘Dancing With the Stars’ – and why Shawn Johnson will

Melissa Rycroft is going to get jilted again.

The woman who won, then lost “The Bachelor, ” when her fiancà ©, Jason Mesnick, asked for his ring back, is going to see her chance at winning ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars'” glittery disco ball trophy go to the squeaky-clean gymnast.

This should be gold medalist Shawn Johnson’s shining hour.

Rycroft came to the show on short notice and immediately won the hearts of fans and judges because they felt she had been wronged. And she danced very well.

NY Daily News

‘Dancing With the Stars’: Kristi Yamaguchi sizes up the finalists

She high-stepped her way to the Season 6 crown of “Dancing With the Stars” with the show’s highest scores ever. So who better to call upon to size up this year’s finalists than Kristi Yamaguchi?

But don’t expect a final prediction from the Olympic figure-skating champ. She insists it’s simply too close to call.

“I literally have no idea who’s going to win, ” says the Fremont native, who now lives in Alamo. “It’s one of the tightest races they’ve ever had and they’re all so good. I’m just glad I’m not competing this season.”

Here’s her scouting reports on the final three couples:

Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani

Mercury News

Gilles Marini Wants to Win ‘Dancing with the Stars’ for His Kids

Gilles Marini tells ET that he and his pro partner Cheryl Burke are bringing their A-games to the “Dancing with the Stars” finals tonight, so Gilles can bring home the mirrorball trophy to his son and daughter!

“My kids are really hoping for their dad to go all the way to the end, ” the French hunk tells ET. “It’s magical every time you go home, [you’ve got] those two little bodies saying, ‘Aw, Daddy, you were great on TV.’ Y’know, this is the precious moment for me.”

ET Online

About mj santilli 34830 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!