Today Idol headlines after the jump ¦
Beautiful day for a Bash
…The audience was a little subdued until “American Idol” star Bucky Covington brought fans to their feet about halfway through the day…
DRAMA QUEEN
PAULA ABDUL JUGGLES FAME, TEARS, RED CARPETS, TINY DOGS AND MORE TEARS IN HER WACKY REALITY SHOW
As revealed on the new Bravo “reality” show, “Hey Paula, ” it takes a quartet of underlings to keep her celebrity high-wire act going. There’s Daniel, the patient hair and makeup artist who takes four hours to get the “American Idol” judge ready to attend the Grammy Awards. There’s Kylie, her stylist, who, tragically, doesn’t pack the sweat pants Abdul wants to change into after the awards show when she dashes to the airport for a flight to Philadelphia where she will hawk her jewelry on QVC. There’s Courtney, her assistant, and finally, there’s Jeff, the publicist, who’s there when his very sensitive client regularly bursts into tears and sometimes breaks into a grin. When she warns, “I don’t want to be in a bad mood, ” he knows it’s time to do battle.
Are you napping yet? ……
Jessica Simpson New Pal Kellie Pickler: John Mayer Hit on Me!
American idol honey Kellie Pickler and former John Mayer sweetie Jessica Simpson have developed into BFF’s reports the National Enquirer. And with that Jess has been poring her heart out to Kellie over the break up, a source cited by the magazine claims. The problem in the relationship, according to the source was John’s jealousy and Joe Simpson…….
KELLY CLARKSON: “MY DECEMBER”
After the Page Six stories about the power struggles surrounding Kelly Clarkson’s third record, “My December” – from Clive Davis’ demand that it be less rock and more pop to her summer tour going kaput – the album finally arrives Tuesday without a hitch. After listening, you have to wonder what all the bitching was about. It’s hardly the worst CD an American Idol has released (that dubious honor goes to Taylor Hicks). As Simon might say, “December” is “just OK.” ….
Former `Idol’ hits the stage in `Color Purple’
LaToya London was on one of the hottest seasons of “American Idol, ” where she finished just under Jennifer Hudson, Diana DeGarmo and winner, Fantasia Barrino.
While Hudson won an Oscar in “Dreamgirls, ” and DeGarmo and Barrino both made Broadway appearances, London is not far behind her past “Idol” mates.
Today, the 28-year-old portrays Nettie in the North American tour of “The Color Purple, ” which is playing in Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre through Sept. 2. She began the show in April and is contracted for a year. The play will tour through 2010 nationally and abroad according to London…..
Enjoy Greek food, fun, music at Opa! Fest
Would you like to spend “A Night In Athens, ” but donUt have the time or money to travel over the Atlantic Ocean?
Opa! Fest 2007, which concludes 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. today in Troy, lets thousands of Oakland County residents explore the music, dancing, food and more that make up Greek culture — and catch a concert by an “American Idol” finalist…
What on Sunday Night
8 P.M. (CMT) CROSSROADS As the country first …American Idol, Kelly Clarkson waxed poetic about her own idol, Reba McEntire, near right with Ms. Clarkson, the first female country artist to sell five million copies of a single album since Patsy Cline. Tonight, in this concert special taped Feb. 22 in Nashville, the women engage in a little mutual admiration in numbers like …Walkaway, …Since U Been Gone, …Fancy and …Because of You, a single from Ms. McEntire …Reba Duets album, to be released in September.
Memphis grooves to its own soundtrack
…A partnership that includes Simon Fuller, a co-creator of “American Idol, ” has paid Lisa Marie millions for the rights to use Elvis’ and Graceland’s names and likenesses. Although she still owns the house, they are buying up land around Graceland, and there’s fear, some locals told us, that the quiet neighborhood could become more of an amusement park or worse — if hotels blossom here, people might stay just in this area and miss the whole history of blues, soul and rock as told along Beale Street and at Sun and Stax studios…
Taking a stand for her ‘December’
To update a phrase from eternal chick flick Dirty Dancing, nobody puts Kelly Clarkson in a corner………
Technology forces networks to rethink schedules
…The breaks weren’t the only reason for the missing audience. “American Idol” stole viewers from everyone.
Still, don’t expect to see that trick again. ABC will hold back “Lost” until midseason and run it straight through into May. Even more creative is NBC’s plan for “Heroes.” It’s creating a semi-spinoff called “Heroes: Origins, ” which will be a separate six-week series existing in the “Heroes” universe, and eventually, it’ll send a character to the mother show.
If there is any good for viewers in this whole mess, it’s that networks are looking for that kind of inventiveness….
Television Review
Reba and Kelly strike right chord
If you think Kelly Clarkson looks like she’s needed a friend lately, you can relax. She has found one: Reba McEntire.
McEntire, one of the most successful country artists of modern times, joins Clarkson, the “American Idol” winner who has been all over the charts in the past five years, for a CMT production of “Crossroads” (airing tomorrow at 8 p.m.) in which they sing a bunch of familiar songs together and then, between songs, sit down and chat.
It will come as no surprise to fans of these two American Sweethearts that they can harmonize on popular anthems as if they were born doing it, or that when they talk they sound like the Nashville branch of the mutual admiration society….
Original Idols impress fairgoers
Acts like Leif Garrett, Barry Williams put on ensemble act
…In all, these “Original Idols” surpassed anything you’re likely to hear on “American Idol.” Indeed, Simon Cowell would’ve approved.
Red, white and soul
Fans will come from across the country to see “American Idol” winner Taylor Hicks at the Spartanburg Community College Foundation’s Red, White & Boom celebration Friday. People from 25 states have purchased tickets, and the Marriott has already booked the block of rooms set aside for Red, White & Boom attendees….
Powerhouse Evans rocks fest while Hicks leaves festgoers frustrated
If Taylor Hicks wasn’t what fans at Country Fest wanted to hear, Sara Evans surely was.
While Hicks, a proclaimed man of soul, set up Sara Evans – the headliner, he couldn’t compete with her fan base or powerful vocals….
