David Cook performs on Live with Regis and Kelly
Lee Dewyze performs at the Gramercy Theater in New York City
Casey Abrams’ ‘American Idol’ chutzpah
Singer and multi-instrumentalist Casey Abrams was the one for Jews to watch during the 10th season of “American Idol.” His reddish-brown beard was the constant butt of jokes on the show and the most talked-about “Idol” hair growth since Sanjaya Malakar. (Remember Malakar from the sixth season? His frizzy up-dos put Jew-fros to shame). For a pre-performance sketch about Abrams, fellow finalists donned a fake beard piece and blew into a red melodica while klezmer music played in the background.
Read more at Jewish Journal
Ryan Seacrest Behind the Scenes at yesterday’s St. Louis Auditions
Read more at RyanSeacrest
David Cook: the Beatweek interview – inside This Loud Morning and more
David Cook managed to score himself a couple of hit songs his first time around. But for record number two he wanted a more cohesive album and he wanted to get deeper into the writing process, and if it took him nearly three years to get the goods into the hands of his audience, then so be it. The resulting album This Loud Morning offers overarching themes, grandiose soundscapes, songs that flow into each other, and of all things, a plot woven around circadian rhythms. Released today, fans are already declaring the album worth the wait. ??In our Beatweek interview we spoke with David Cook at length about This Loud Morning, what was going on behind the scenes all that time, and a little trip down memory lane to the days back when he was winning American Idol.
Read more at Beatweek
The Word: Cook plans to tune in to ‘The X Factor’
David Cook, winner of the seventh season of “American Idol, ” knows who buttered his bread back in 2008.
“I might tune in — [show] a little old-school support, ” he said when we asked him if he’ll be supporting his past judges, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell, in their new venture, “The X Factor.” “I think Simon and Paula both were a huge part of the ‘Idol’ process for me; Paula was a big champion of mine, so I’m sure I will support.”
Read more at Metro.us
Exclusive: First interview with David Archuleta after leaving record label
Leaving Jive Records was a freeing experience, said Archuleta. “Since ‘American Idol’ I never had the time to think about what decisions need to be made, ” he said. “I thought [leaving] was a great opportunity. A great new door had opened.”
Archuleta said that he has talked to other record labels since then, but has resisted the urge to sign with any of them. “The goal this year is to take the time I need to know what I want to become.”
Too often in the past, he said, producers would give him songs that didn’t fit his vision or voice. “I want to make my voice come through more, ” Archuleta said. “I want to do songs that are more vocally driven, so I can be emotional.”
Read more at Salt Lake Tribune
Casey James is playing the waiting game
Four hundred and six days (and counting) have passed since Casey James was eliminated from the ninth season of American Idol.
He finished third, behind Crystal Bowersox and eventual winner Lee DeWyze.
In the span of those 9, 744 hours (and counting), Bowersox and DeWyze have released their debut albums, to decidedly underwhelming sales figures: about 193, 000 copies for Bowersox’s Farmer’s Daughter and 141, 000 for DeWyze’s Live It Up.
Read more at dfw.com
Diana DeGarmo proving her cynics wrong with prolific stage career
TORONTO – “American Idol” Season 3 runner-up Diana DeGarmo says she relates well to the struggles of her character Doralee Rhodes in “9 to 5: The Musical, ” a role made famous by Dolly Parton in the hit 1980 film.
“Being somebody that’s misunderstood I can definitely recognize within myself, ” DeGarmo said ahead of Wednesday’s opening of the musical at the Toronto Centre for the Arts.
Read more at Brandon Sun
Is ‘Idol’ Thinking About Life Without Jennifer Lopez?
“Right now the star of ‘American Idol’ is Steven Tyler, ” an insider source tells me. “Everyone thought after Simon announced he was leaving that [Lopez] would fill the void. How wrong were they? It’s all about Steven, who’s already signed on for season 11.
Jennifer, who currently earns a reported $12 million for her one-year deal with ‘Idol’ — a touch below the $35 mil Simon earned — needs to ask herself how much her contribution to the show is really worth.
Read more at Popeater
‘The Voice’ Final Performance Show: 10 Behind the Scenes Secrets
This is what we love about attending The Voice every week: The fans. We know that sounds corny, but we really do. Here you have a group of journalists watching a show live and seeing some very talented current and possibly future music stars and we have to admit that we can get jaded. At The Voice, the live audience makes that tough to do.
So, here’s a huge thank you to the fans with their “Team [fill in your favorite]” t-shirts, their awesome coordinated group yells of “I love you, [fill in your beloved coach or performer]” even when the audience warm-up guy asks that they not do that.
Read more at THR
Janney gets ‘Struck by Lightning’
Allison Janney will star with Chris Colfer of “Glee” in the indie coming-of-age comedy “Struck by Lightning, ” directed by Brian Dannelly (“Saved”).
Colfer’s script opens with Colfer’s character being struck and killed by a bolt of lightning; flashbacks will chronicle his exploits as he blackmails his classmates into contributing to a literary magazine he’s publishing. “Lightning” will be Colfer’s bigscreen debut (Variety, Dec. 7) and will be shot during Colfer’s summer hiatus from “Glee, ” starting July 11 in L.A.
David Permut is producing alongside Rob Aguire and Evil Media Empire’s Mia Chang. Colfer and his manager Glenn Rigberg will exec produce with Jason Michael Berman.
Read more at Variety
EXCLUSIVE: Go Behind the Scenes with Jennifer Lopez for Love & Light
Jennifer Lopez is gearing up for her weekend appearance on HSN — check her out Saturday at midnight, noon and 9 p.m. — but in the meantime, she’s been busy shooting ads for her new fragrance, Love & Light. PEOPLE’s Most Beautiful Woman recently got extra-glamorous for the campaign — and we have a sneak peek! In these behind-the-scenes shots, Lopez flashes her famous gams, posing seductively in a silk wrap dress.
See the photos at People
