‘American Idol’ tryout to be held in Orlando
Aspiring singers in Florida are preparing themselves for the Holy Grail of singing competitions next week. That’s when “American Idol” producers are holding auditions in Orlando ‘†Thursday, July 9, at Amway Arena. It’s all part of the hit reality show’s ninth season, which will start airing next January.
Janet Jackson Makes Emotional Tribute at BETs
LOS ANGELES ‘†Some of the biggest stars on the planet turned back into gushing Michael Jackson fans at the BET Awards, donning single gloves, swapping stories about their idol and singing The King of Pop’s standards. One person who perhaps knew him best, though, brought the night into perspective: his sister.
“To you, Michael is an icon, ” a somber Janet Jackson told the crowd at the end of Sunday’s show. “To us, Michael is family and he will forever live in all of our hearts.”
It was a stirring emotional climax for a telecast that was completely revamped to recognize the legacy of Jackson, who died Thursday at age 50. For the most part, it was a joyous wake.
More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…
Direct from the teen-pop factory
Stars like Demi Lovato and David Archuleta aren’t born, they’re made. And some, it seems, are made better than others. Agganis Arena pitted ‘American Idol” against Disney on Friday, and the message was clear: Simon Cowell may be Mr. Mean, but you don’t mess with the Mouse.
Last year’s ‘Idol” runner-up Archuleta made his big entrance by posing in silhouette and then waving awkwardly to fans before the lights came up, thus ruining whatever coolness he was shooting for in the first place. Expressing a vulnerability that spilled over into needy ingratiation, he was incapable of doing anything without an intense, earnest effort, even when he just aimed for ‘casual.”
Reviews | Michael Johns, Incubus, Regina Spektor and more
Aussie Michael Johns couldn’t parlay his photogenic stage presence and facility for turning old Dolly Parton and Queen tunes into fresh, soulful laments on American Idol into better than an eighth-place finish in 2008. Even Jason Castro finished four positions higher. Bad voters!
Yet Johns, along with fellow Season 7 finalist Brooke White (fifth place, with a fine post-Idol album of her own due July 21) both prove what has become an Idol truism: Winning only means you have to sing the cheesy pop song Idol producers scrounge up for you. The real winners tend to be the also-rans who have been able to craft distinctive music that transcends Idol’s pre-fab formula.
Can Cowell back a global winner?
The creator of Britain’s Got Talent is planning a new joint venture with the retailer Sir Philip Green. Maggie Brown examines what the partnership might involve and its potential impact on the future of ITV
There was no better testament to the superstar status of Simon Cowell than to watch the crowds milling around the ExCel stadium in London’s Docklands on a balmy evening last week. Inside, scores of hopeful contestants for the autumn series of The X Factor auditioned in front of a 2, 000-strong audience.
Sir Philip Green: man with a fine attention to retail
The forthright billionaire boss of Top Shop and BHS worked his way up from an apprenticeship in the rag trade. Now the man the City loves to hate plans to go into the entertainment business with his friend Simon Cowell.
It could be a plan dreamt up over cocktails on Sir Philip Green’s yacht, Lionheart, or during a long lunch at Sandy Lane, the exclusive Barbados resort where Green and his friend Simon Cowell escape for a few weeks every year. The retail mogul and the American Idol judge are poised to unveil a multi-billion pound entertainment venture – reportedly called Greenwell – that will create new hit shows and sell them around the world.
Traveling with the Stars: Samantha Harris
Dancing With the Stars co-host Samantha Harris is keeping herself busy during the ABC show’s summer hiatus. From July 7 to Aug. 17, she’ll star as Roxie Hart in Broadway’s Ambassador Theatre production of Chicago. She’s also a correspondent and occasional anchor on The Insider. Harris, 35, shares her travel highlights and tips with USA TODAY.