Today Idol headlines after the jump ¦
Fans turn out to worship their Idols
Among the big news from singers on the tour: Phil will quit his day job
Phil Stacey is getting out of the Navy as soon as the American Idols Live tour is over. Jordin Sparks is not as tall as you think. LaKisha Jones is tiny and wears a heavy coat and scarf, even on an absurdly hot Jacksonville afternoon.
That was some of the information and observations that came out as some of the American Idol performers met with the media Sunday afternoon before their concert at Veterans Memorial Arena….
Fun, energy rule Arena for Idols’ visit
But a too-long break let the mood fall beyond the simmer-down stage.
Those who wanted to see the American Idol finalists up close, singing and having fun, got their wish Sunday night at Veterans Memorial Arena. Those who think the show is dragging pop music further down a commercial hole, well … they probably weren’t there anyway.
The truth is, it was a fun evening. There was nothing edgy about it, of course. It is American Idol. But the enthusiastic audience came to see the 10 performers they followed this season on the TV show. What they got was a fast-paced, high-energy show. Not enough Melinda Doolittle or LaKisha Jones, too much Chris Richardson. But fun nevertheless……
A boy band, a girl group and a moonwalking Sanjaya
…Sanjaya Malakar, in a slicked bob, is Ike to Doolittle’s Tina on Proud Mary. He’s swiveling his hips to shrieks.
There are huge cheers for the local, Stacey, as he launches into Blaze of Glory…
Nickelback hits all the expected notes
…Daughtry may be best known for his stint on “American Idol, ” but that will soon be little more than a footnote in his career. This guy can sing and he knows what it means to rock.
Vocalists strive to polish for ‘American Idol’ auditions
Katie Knott wants to be the next “American Idol.”
The 24-year-old Omahan is a casual singer, belting out songs with her mom and friends. A hairdresser, she has no formal singing background – no roles in musicals, no stints in a band – but the friends and mom all think she has what it takes to compete on America’s top TV show.
Just to be sure, Knott went looking for help, someone who could polish up her natural talent and make her sparkle during “American Idol” auditions Aug. 10 in Omaha….
Will Andrew Lloyd Webber be the next Simon?
Will Simon Cowell meet his match? The buzz is that another mega-producer Brit wants to go head-to-head with Cowell on U.S. turf.
Andrew Lloyd Webber, the man behind the hit musical “Phantom of the Opera, ” says that he has been swamped by offers for an American TV show and adds that he has a …major announcement to make in the next few weeks.
…The thought of spending three months in the U.S. is not necessarily what I want at my age, the 59-year-old told the London Daily Mail. …On the other hand, it a fantastic opportunity. If it the right offer, I think I will say yes…..
ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL 2007: Sunshine Anderson Still Shining, Expecting Marriage and Baby Carriage
Fresh off the heels of touring with platinum-selling R&B crooners Brian McKnight, Joe, and ‘American Idol’ winner Ruben Studdard, hip-hop soul singer Sunshine Anderson was welcomed with open arms during her enthralling performance last night at the 2007 Essence Music Festival….
Ex-baseballer Rhoden set for American Century Championship
…Annually, the American Century championship features big-name sports and entertainment celebrities, including Michael Jordan, Donald Trump, Elway, Ben Roethlisberger, Taylor Hicks, Matt Lauer, Dennis Quaid, Charles Barkley and 70 other sports and entertainment stars…
Tips on saving shows by mail
… Since it’s a new trend to bombard network executives with insider props from TV shows whenever something is on the verge of cancellation, here are suggestions for what to mail in to save certain series on the bubble…
* “American Idol” – Millions of unsold CDs by Katharine McPhee (or anyone else who finished in second place)…
A Cinderella story for Disney Music Group
For more than a decade, Walt Disney Co.’s Hollywood Records was an industry joke.
Now, it and Disney’s other labels are having the last laugh at a time when the rest of the beleaguered music industry has little to smile about.
Last week, 14-year-old Miley Cyrus bested “American Idol” star Kelly Clarkson with “Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus, ” which debuted at the top of the Billboard 200.
That album’s success makes for something of a trifecta for Disney Music Group. Last year, Disney’s Nashville label had the nation’s top-selling artist in the superstar country band Rascal Flatts. It also scored the top-selling CD with the soundtrack for the Disney Channel’s “High School Musical” phenomenon, which sold 3.7 million copies…..
State anti-litter campaign aims to pick up the pace
…PALS is marking its anniversary with some rare publicity: a 30-second public service announcement by “American Idol” Taylor Hicks with the slogan, “Don’t Drop It on Alabama.”
Osborn hopes the television and radio spots, which began airing in June, will renew interest in the campaign…
