X Factor USA LIVE auditions are happening NOW in Chicago! You can follow all the action at @TheXFactorUSA
Live from inside the Chicago auditions for #TheXFactorUSA… “by far the best audition we’ve seen so far.” — Simon Cowell
Inside #TheXFactorUSA Chicago auditions Simon compares the experience to speed dating, “you’ve got to feel a spark.”
Walmart Souncheck tweets, “Stay tuned David Cook fans: We’ll be on set with him Monday! Details to come.”
Glencliff High Wins Grammy Signature Enterprise Award
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Glencliff High School is getting a big honor and a check on Thursday night. The Nashville school is just one of 27 in the country to win a Grammy Signature Schools Enterprise Award.
On Thursday night, American Idol finalist Danny Gokey will present the school with a $5, 500 dollar check to help its music curriculum.
Read more at News5
Pro-Scotty McCreery radio forces speak up
After several country radio programmers got personal and ugly with their opinions about teen American Idol singer Scotty McCreery in Phyllis Stark’s Stark Country column Tuesday, several radio folks with differing opinions chimed in. And so did the fans.
“We were horrified at the personal attack on Scotty by the other folks in country radio, ” says Lisa McKay, the PD/station manager at Scotty’s hometown station, WQDR in Raleigh, N.C. (currently renamed Scotty 94.7). “It seemed at best inappropriate and at worst really mean-spirited.”
Radio consultant Joel Raab told Stark: “With all due respect to the anti-Scotty voices, I can say that country radio has an opportunity to gain new listeners by playing music from these American Idol finalists, especially if one wins the title. Of course, the music has to be there, but I think stations will miss an opportunity to expand our reach by being hyper critical of artists who have instant recognition.
Read more at Idol Chatter
Meet Tamyra Gray’s Daughter Sienna Marie
When Tamyra Gray gave birth to daughter Sienna Marie last July, the former American Idol contestant was shocked to find out that, “she looked nothing like me.” Gray and husband Sam Watters‘ first child together was definitely Dad’s twin.
“The only reason you’d know she was mine is if you were at the hospital, ” says Gray, 31, with a chuckle. But now, 10 months later, Gray says their daughter is “a good blend of both of us. She’s got his head with my face.”
See the photos at People
‘American Idol’ behind the scenes: ‘Idol’ coaches talk the Top 3 — EXCLUSIVE
HALEY REINHART — “What Is and What Should Never Be” (Led Zeppelin)
DB: She’s been wanting to do this song for a while, and Led Zeppelin does not clear [songs] on American Idol, except one time for Adam Lambert. There are certain artists that we know won’t clear their songs for Idol. It’s just that simple. But at this stage of the competition, we decided to take another shot. It happens on every season, like with Adam — he’s been on the show a while and people have seen him, people have seen Haley. The music supervisor, Robin Kaye, sent Robert Plant and Jimmy Page a clip of Haley singing and they said, “Yes, absolutely, we’d love for her to sing our song.” And that meant a lot to her. She was very honored because she really wanted that song. I was a little concerned because it’s not super-duper well known, but I thought that’s her fearlessness that the judges talk about. She took a huge risk and she said, “I know this song will work.”
She’s [played] it with her family before and said, “I would love it if my dad could play on this song — my dad can rip on this tune.” Haley made history by having her dad play on her song. That’s never been done on Idol before. There was a fairness issue. I think the counterbalance was that Ryan Seacrest spoke with Lauren’s mom and Scotty’s dad so that they all got equal face time.
Read more at EW
Haley Reinhart Is ‘The Bomb, ‘ Randy Jackson Says, Downplaying Feud
“Haley is the bomb. We love her, ” he said. “What’s funny [is] people say, ‘Well, you know, ‘Idol’ judges are all too nice.’ It’s really not true. So when I — because I’ve been dubbed as ‘the bad guy’ this season — when I didn’t like the first song she sang last week, people were all over me and J.Lo, like, ‘What? You guys are wrong!’ It’s hard to have an opinion in this world. I don’t mind getting booed; I just want a reaction.”
While he downplayed the idea of any lingering bad blood between he and Reinhart, Jackson wasn’t about to apologize for his criticisms of her, either. And, he argues, if anything, his comments helped save her last week.
Read more at MTV
Record-Setting 95 Million Votes Cast Following Last Night’s ‘American Idol’ Performance Show
An astonishing 95 million votes were cast following last night’s American Idol performance show – the third-highest number of votes in the show’s history and the highest total ever for a non-finale episode. Tune in tonight, Thursday, May 19 (8:00-9:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed), to find out who will compete in next week’s season finale.
Read more at TVbytheNumbers
Video: Nikki Reed, Idol’s Paul McDonald “Already Living Together”
Things are moving fast with Nikki Reed and Paul McDonald!
The American Idol castoff, 26, has moved in with his Twilight star girlfriend, 23. The duo of a couple months are “already living together in L.A., ” an insider tells Us Weekly.
Reed is trying to help McDonald land a record deal in L.A. and introducing him to her contacts in the music industry.
See the Video at US
Underwood Heading Down Under
Carrie Underwood will make her first-ever trip to Australia this summer to promote the June 10 release of Play On: Deluxe Edition in Australia and New Zealand. The special two-disc set includes her entire current album Play On, plus six of her previous No. 1 singles.
Underwood’s Australian visit will launch mid-June and will undertake a full promotional schedule while visiting Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane.
Soul Surfer, the film in which Underwood made her big screen debut, will be released in Australia later this month.
See the tracklist for the Australian release of Play On, and the rest of the press release HERE.
American Idol Backstage Report: Randy Travis Weighs In
“Scotty, to my ear, sounds almost identical at times to [country star] Josh Turner, ” says Travis. “But yeah, a few people have told me he sounded like me. I hear more Josh.”
And what about the other country kid, 16-year-old Lauren Alaina, who admits to struggling with the higher notes and sometimes chickens out instead of reaching for them at all? “I’ve heard her get to a high note and cut it off quickly, ” says Travis. “To me, that is a smart singer.
Who is his favorite on the show? Turns out it’s James Durbin. “I’m quite envious of where he can go to, vocally, ” says Travis. “I love it!”
Read more at SeattlePI
Taylor Hicks at FOX 25 News Boston
Taylor Hicks at FOX 25: MyFoxBOSTON.com
Blake Lewis: ‘Scotty Slayed It, Haley Sang From Her Soul’
I remember when I went home for my “homecoming celebration” during the Top 3. It was nuts! It was super intense coming home – seeing all these fans you reached week in and week out and finally getting the chance to meet them. Very surreal and exciting.
It looked pretty crazy for the contestants this year, too, but they really didn’t show much of them going home. They barely showed anything at all. Oh well.
Read more at TV Squad
‘Glee’ Star Chris Colfer Talks Politics on ‘Piers Morgan Tonight’ (Video)
Glee star Chris Colfer taped an appearance on CNN’s Piers Morgan Tonight, which airs Monday — and talked politics.
During his chat with the British host, Colfer — who plays gay glee club member Kurt on the Fox show — discussed meeting politicians who vote against gay rights, but want their photos taken with him.
