Today Idol headlines after the jump ¦
Abdul tape on internet
….The AP was attempting Friday to reach a publicist for Abdul.
In a statement posted Thursday on TMZ, the singer-dancer said she was …deeply hurt and extremely disappointed that the call went public.
…This is not only illegal but also highly unethical, Abdul said. …While I dont feel a need to justify or explain my conversation, even as a public figure I do feel my privacy has been violated and find this action to be unacceptable….
Pop idol Si snaps up Elvis rights
POP Idol creator Simon Fuller yesterday agreed a £657million deal to take control of the image rights to music ultimate icon ‘ Elvis Presley.
The 47-year-old headmaster son is to buy US firm CKX, which also owns rights to boxing legend Muhammad Ali and manages Hollywood stars like Billy Crystal, Robin Williams and Woody Allen.
Mr Fuller, who manages David and Victoria Beckham and has a £450million fortune, sold his management company 19 to CKX two years ago.
CKX owns the rights to the Pop Idol and American Idol formats created by Mr Fuller ‘ and manages the stars he nurtured, including supermodel Claudia Schiffer and the Spice Girls….
40 ago today:The Beatles’ ‘SGT. PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND’
…37. It took awhile to become definitive. The recording sessions lasted 129 days, or about four months, or about the length of the American Idol season. Which leads to … 38. A bad segue! But last week, American Idols past and present gave tribute to the album on the show’s sixth season finale, which was sweet and slightly horrific all at the same time…
5, 812 votes for Jordin
Our family has been following Jordin Sparks since we first saw her perform during a Friday night kids’ talent show at Mr. Lucky’s, alongside my own grandchildren. Jordin was a cheerful, vivacious 12-year-old who was kind enough to give this great-grandma a debut CD.
We all just knew she would be famous! Her voice was amazing and she had a great personality. During these last few months on American Idol, I am proud to say that I voted 5, 812 times. Yes, I kept count!
Amid all the negativity that our young people see day in and day out, Jordin brings a breath of fresh air to old and young alike. We are all proud of you, Jordin, and we hope The Republic will continue bringing us coverage on our idol!
Jordin’s oldest fan (80-year-old great-great grandma)…
Wal-Mart Slows Expansion Plans
If Ryan Seacrest asked each year’s American Idol winner the first thing they would do after winning the contest, the answer would be “I’m going to Bentonville, Ark., to sing at Wal-Mart’s annual shareholder meeting!”
Following in the steps of previous winners, recently crowned Idol Jordin Sparks (who said she shops at Wal-Mart) gave her first performance since winning before a cheering crowd of thousands of Wal-Mart employees and shareholders gathered at the Bud Walton arena at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville….
Punch LaRussa for World’s Sexiest Vegetarian
…But where there is darkness, my friends, you shall soon find light. PETA currently has LaRussa on its ballot for….World’s Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity!
Among the more than 200 sizzling celebs who are vying for this year’s titles: country music sensation Carrie Underwood; ravishing redhead Bryce Dallas Howard; sexy starlet Alicia Silverstone; King Kong leading lady Naomi Watts; Live Free or Die Hard hottie Maggie Q; House beauty Lisa Edelstein; Walk the Line’s dashing “Johnny Cash, ” Joaquin Phoenix; Hollywood heartthrob Casey Affleck; hero for animals Milo Ventimiglia; American Idol crooner Ruben Studdard; actor and 30 Seconds to Mars vocalist Jared Leto; Good Charlotte hottie Benji Madden; and dapper emcee Common.
I don’t know about you, but if LaRussa finishes behind Ruben Studdard or Benji Madden, I’m going to have to demand a recount.
Elvis Has Left the Stock Market
CKX Inc., which has licensing rights to the King’s Graceland estate and American Idol, goes private in a $1.3 billion deal
Capitalizing on the great success of the hit TV show American Idol and its music sales, as well as enjoying the rights to Elvis Presley’s Graceland estate, CKX Inc. (CKXE) said it would be taken private by its CEO in a $1.33 billion buyout. The shares jumped 35% to $14.40 during trading on the Nasdaq June 1 on the news……..
Classic Clip: CANNIBAL CORPSE Hits German Version Of ‘American Idol’
A video clip of a death metal fan auditioning for the German “American Idol”-style singing contest TV show “Deutschland sucht den Superstar” (“DSDS”) with a unique rendition of the CANNIBAL CORPSE classic “I Will Kill You” is available for viewing at YouTube.
As previously reported, a hilarious video clip of a black metal fan performing the NAGLFAR track “The Brimstone Gate” on the Austrian TV show “Starmania” can be found at this location. The lyrics to the song are as follows:
¦I have seen the most beautiful light
Since my birth it’s been possessing my mind
I’ve lashed myself, I have opened my veins
Cursed my blood in grief
As a shadow of death, the reaper from the tales of past
I’ve been lurking in the shades of Thy creation ¦
‘Sgt. Pepper’s lasting power
…”I don’t think there is any historical parallel, ” said Tim Riley, author of Tell Me Why, a song-by-song take on the band. “When the Beatles were out there, I don’t think there was anything like it. The things that come closest only illustrate that. Star Wars sort of hinted at it. Today, what’s going on with American Idol is similar. It’s like everyone knows, everyone’s in on this story. . . . But it doesn’t even come close to what was going on with the Beatles.”
The music was central, of course. But the excitement went beyond the songs…
Paris Bennett loves her queens
For such a tiny person, Paris Bennett has plenty of spunk, voice and charisma — and she also has plenty of love for her LGBT fans….
Atwood Stadium to host LaKisha on June 9
LaKisha Jones has been to Atwood Stadium before, but doesn’t remember it much.
“I went there years ago. One time. I don’t even remember it, ” the “American Idol” star said Friday.
Bet she’ll remember her next visit there.
The 27-year-old Flint native will be the guest of honor at a homecoming rally at 5 p.m. June 9 at the historic stadium at 701 W. Third Ave. in Flint’s Carriage Town district.
The event will be free to the public and will include speeches and performances by various entertainers, including Jones, who says she’ll sing “one or two selections from the show.”…
Michigan’s ‘Idol’ star will be honored in Lansing, Flint
LaKisha Jones may not be America’s idol, but many still consider her one of Michigan’s brightest stars.
The Flint native will be honored June 11 at the state Capitol in Lansing. The noon celebration will feature remarks from Gov. Jennifer Granholm and performances by Jones and the youth choir from her Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church.
“Everyone in Flint and the entire state of Michigan is extremely proud of LaKisha for her hard work and her tremendous talent, ” said state Rep. Brenda Clack, a Flint Democrat who is hosting the event……..
Report: Clive Davis/Kelly Clarkson dispute causing internal RCA strife
The nastiness caused by RCA chairman Clive Davis and original American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson’s feud over the musical content of her upcoming third album “My December” has apparently begun to spill out from within Sony BMG, RCA’s parent company……
ABDUL ‘NOT SUFFERING’ FROM ADDISON’S
LATEST: American Idol judge PAULA ABDUL has denied she is suffering from Addison’s, despite discussing the adrenal disease on a leaked conference call with her management……
June Music Preview – What To Get Excited About
…Kelly Clarkson, My December, June 26 ‘ The most legit thing to come out of American Idol (dont know if that good or bad) is back with an album on which she wrote or co-wrote every song. In related news, Justin Guarini is bussing tables at a Denny in the Valley…
Abdul Upset Over …Unethical Press Leak
…The conversation, which was first leaked to the New York Post and later posted on YouTube, involved Abdul breaking down while discussing her health problems and allegedly nasty treatment by an ex-publicist. Among other issues, Abdul mentioned her exhaustion and discontent after the ex-publicist in question had referred to her as a …whining bitch that was …too old for the cover of OK! magazine.
…Ive been going through tremendous amounts of a difficult time, Abdul had said in the conversation.
However, Abdul appeared optimistic at an event in New York Thursday night, claiming, …Im doing fine. Im a fighter.
Young crowd reveres ‘Idol’
Imagine, if you will, a combination of elements from “Bye, Bye Birdie, ” “A Chorus Line, ” “Fame, ” “The Breakfast Club” and “High School Musical” – with a higher quotient of sexual humor.
Further imagine such elements mixing in a story on the social effects of Clay Aiken and you pretty much have a fix on “Idol: The Musical.”
The work, with music and lyrics by Jon Balcourt and book and lyrics by Bill Boland, from a concept by producer Todd Ellis, had a first performance Friday before a highly reactive and appreciative crowd.
“Idol” is about an improbable group of high school seniors, evidently bound together by their worshipful devotion to “American Idol” second season second-placer Clay Aiken….
Blake Lewis: ‘Idol’ Runner-Up
…”I’m so completely satisfied coming in second on this show, ” he admits. “I would have been completely satisfied coming in fourth, or fifth, or sixth. I always felt that my art wasn’t as mainstream as most people. My coming out of Seattle, being more of an eclectic artist, and into, definitely, more independent and underground music … so just coming on this show, I just gave it my all, and I wound up at two. And that’s huge.”…
Hicks show packs in energy, hometown appeal
The star: Taylor Hicks, Hoover native, 2006 “American Idol” winner and gray-haired soul singer.
The backing group: The Little Memphis Blues Orchestra, Hicks’ Birmingham bandmates. It included Brian Less on keyboards, Mitch Jones on bass, Zippy Dieterich on drums and Jeff Lopez on saxophone. A guest guitarist stood in for an absent Sam Gunderson.
The place: Alabama Adventure in Bessemer…
…The Kodak moment: Hicks, who’d been sweating profusely throughout the show, changed his shirt backstage before the encore. He bounded out to sing a huge crowd-pleaser, “Sweet Home Alabama, ” with the buttons done up crooked. Fans received a teasing glimpse of Hicks’ chest as he redid the buttons, tucked the microphone under his chin and kept on singing.
Jordin Sparks Visits PEOPLE!
The brand new American Idol still seemed a little stunned by all that’s happened since she won the biggest reality competition on the planet. But the bubbly 17-year-old, as charming in person as she was on Idol, was delighted to answer questions at the PEOPLE offices in New York. What will her album be like? Has she adjusted to fame? And did she get to keep the Badgley Mischka dresses she wore in the finale? Watch the clip and find out!
Paula Abdul Opens Up About Her Health
Paula Abdul, who said Thursday she is “deeply hurt” that a phone call with her reps was leaked to the press, opened up to PEOPLE about how she’s doing…….
It not over…yet
…American Idol finalist Chris Daughtry at Headliners, Tuesday
Looking at the line of eager and faithful Daughtry fans snake through the Headliners parking lot and down Gervais Street two hours prior to Tuesday scheduled door opening, I had this thought: …Where were all of you people and your cell phones the night Chris Daughtry was voted off ‹American Idol?
As the night wore on, however, it became clear to me that despite what happened on that fateful night in season 5, and perhaps because of it, this crowd was determined to show up in force….
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Names 2006 American Idol Finalist and Recording Artist Elliott Yamin As Role Model and Advocate to Help Move Research To Reality
…At Children Congress, Yamin first official advocacy work with JDRF, he will join 150 child and teenage delegates from all over the U.S. – all diagnosed with type 1 diabetes – in a song performance on the Capitol Lawn on June 18. The …Promise to Remember Me song and the year-long …Promise to Remember Me campaign which follows shortly after Children Congress, is a plea for Congressional Members to provide increased National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for diabetes research….
Local teen will learn how to be an ‘Idol’
…Being accepted was a stroke of last-minute luck for Dylan. Desperately wanting to apply, he mentioned it to his mom, Ronda. She was a bit hesitant at first, especially because the tuition was almost $3, 000. But after watching interviews with accepted campers on “The Today Show, ” Ronda agreed to let her eager son fill out the necessary entry forms online and submit a video…
…He said he hopes to use this to his advantage, as a way to prepare himself for a desired encounter with the television show.
“It’ll be a great experience, ” he said. “It’s always been a dream since ‘Idol’ started to be on ‘American Idol.’ Now at ‘American Idol’ camp, hopefully I’ll learn what to expect when I try out for the show when I’m 16. I’m a big fan of the show and I never miss it. I’ve always wanted to be on there.”
Not only will Dylan learn tips and tricks from experts in the industry, he’ll come face to face with former ‘Idol’ finalists such as Ace Young, Bucky Covington and Kimberley Locke. “I look forward to meeting past contestants, ” he said. “They’ll probably talk to us, and it will be exciting to see what they had to say about there experience on the show.”….
Oregon State Fair unveils lineup
Chris Daughtry and All American Rejects to perform
Nine big-name concerts will headline the Oregon State Fair in Salem this summer, including Heart, “American Idol” contestant Chris Daughtry and The All-American Rejects.
The evening concert series for all ages, held at the outdoor L.B. Day Amphitheatre and the indoor Pavilion, kicks off with rock ‘n’ roll band Heart on Aug. 24 and ends with country singer Craig Morgan on Sept. 2.
Concert tickets, which range from $20 to $35, for Heart, The All-American Rejects (Aug. 27), pop singer Jesse McCartney (Aug. 29), country singers Josh Turner and Keith Anderson (Aug. 31), and Daughtry (Sept. 1) will be for sale starting June 16….