Today Idol headlines after the jump ¦
‘Idols Live’ tour now facing empty seats
At the halfway point of the 2007 American Idols Live tour, ticket turnstiles are, to an alarming extent, standing idle.
Reports of attendance and gross receipts for the first 30 of the 57 shows scheduled for the tour, as recorded by Billboard Boxscore, show this year’s crop of 10 Idol finalists is falling short of last year’s concert performance…..
Kelly Clarkson coming to Paramount Theatre Nov. 12
The O.G. American Idol, Kelly Clarkson, is coming to the Paramount Theatre Nov. 12. No details on ticket prices or an on-sale date. Also no word if Bothell’s American Idol, Blake Lewis, will make a cameo during her set, or, perhaps, even open for her.
Keeping the sound alive
Florence native among hall of fame inductees
…This year, artists scheduled to perform are Randy Owen, Kristofferson, Percy Sledge, Eddie Floyd, The Commodores, The Thrasher Brothers, Cleveland Eaton and Clarence Carter.
Also expected to appear is 2006 “American Idol” winner Taylor Hicks, of Birmingham, and 2007 “Nashville Star” winner Angela Hacker, of Muscle Shoals…
‘Temptation’ isn’t tempting
MyNetwork offers a prime-time peek at the syndicated game show “Temptation” (8 p.m., WNYA, Ch. 15). Hosted by the brash Rossi Morreale, it offers a low-octane mix of easy questions and home-shopping style plugs for various products.
During the course of the game, the questions stop and players will be asked to spend some of their winnings on a product.
“Temptation” will feature three blasts from the “American Idol” recent past, including contestants Justin Guarini, Kimberly Caldwell and Mikalah Gordon.
American Idol’ camp preps teens for the big stage
…Few performers know that sentiment better than past “American Idol” contestants, seven of whom visited the camp, helping teach the two sessions. Campers were also taught by a group of experts Luther pulled in, professionals she relies on for many of her projects. They lived with the campers during the 10-day sessions. Some even brought their own children.
A quick glance at the campers’ cafeteria tables formed a sea of “American Idol” blue. All staff and campers were required to wear laminated ID tags around their necks. Many campers also chose to wear Idol Camp T-shirts and caps.
After six seasons, “American Idol” remains the most-watched show on TV. More than 74 million votes were cast to decide the latest victor, Jordin Sparks.
It wasn’t quite as hard to get into Idol Camp, although officials declined to release the number of applications. This year, each session had 150 campers who paid $2, 900 per session. The application costs $35 and includes an essay, not an audition tape.
“I didn’t want the most talented kids, ” Luther said. “What I wanted to identify was kids that were the most passionate about being in the arts.”
She got some of each….
Hosting a TV Show: C’mon, How Hard Can It Be?
Ryan Seacrest is getting ready to host the Emmys and the Super Bowl, in addition to American Idol. And he’s just one of hundreds of TV hosts out there right now. Cooking shows, real estate shows, dog shows and celebrity news shows ‘ they all need hosts, too.
But what for? Is Seacrest just a pretty face, or do he and all the other hosts of all those other shows actually have talent? The answer, believe it or not, is that there’s an art to hosting a TV show…….
Twins’ secret: A second ‘Idol’ audition
OK, here’s the deal.
The Brosmer twins ‘ Harrison High School seniors Jordan and Jared ‘ can’t talk about it, and neither can their mother, Barbara. But it’s a badly kept secret that they’re returning to Atlanta on Oct. 8 for the next round of “American Idol” tryouts.
Friends say the two 17-year-old singers were among 200 (out of 10, 000 hopefuls who tried out at the Georgia Dome in mid-August) to advance to the next level. They’ll now audition in front of the Fox Network show’s executive producers….
Beyond American Idol: Mandisa Beauty one of the year best
ITS BEEN just over a year since Mandisa shot to instant fame. Millions of viewers were captivated by her bubbly personality and powerhouse vocals, as she sang her way into the final rounds of American Idol. After the Idol concert tour, she recorded this debut album. She also wrote Idol Eyes , a book about ‹Faith, Fat and Fame ‘ telling women they can be beautiful at any size, and that self-esteem comes only when they accept themselves as unique, much-loved creations of God…….
Idol Week Monday: EXCLUSIVE Behind-The-Scenes Backstage Pass – Murtz Jaffer Interviews Debra Byrd (Mystery Idol #1)
On Sunday, I talked to the vocal coach for both American & Canadian Idol, Debra Byrd. She talked to me about what she does every week with the contestants, how she doesn’t play favorites and even talks Sanjaya with me (which is always a good sign!). She was the first “Mystery Idol” that I interviewed…..
American Idol Countdown Week Tuesday: #8 – Murtz Jaffer Interviews Haley Scarnato
There is no question that Haley Scarnato is the most beautiful woman that I have ever interviewed and I was happy to find that her personality is just as radiant. Scarnato talked about the role that looks played on American Idol and her plans for an upcoming country album when I talked to her before the Idol concert in Toronto….
American Idol Countdown Week Monday: #9 – Murtz Jaffer Interviews Gina Glocksen
Gina Glocksen finished in 9th place on American Idol and I had the chance to catch up with her before the Idols took to the stage at the Toronto stop of the American Idols Live Tour. Gina discussed her recent engagement and what her new album is going to sound like….
American Idol Countdown Week Sunday: #10 – Murtz Jaffer Interviews Chris Sligh
It was a pleasure getting a chance to talk to Chris Sligh before he performed on the Toronto leg of the American Idols Live! tour. He opened up about his strategy before the show and discussed what he has planned for the future…
…. Yeah, in fact, I have a portable studio set here. I take it to the dressing room and work on stuff. Working on the demos that are going to be the base tracks for my record. I am going to be going into the studio as soon as this tour is over. Next week, I am signing with my management and then next month, I will be signing with my record label. I have got nine record labels after me, so I just have to choose which one is the best fit. You know? It’s been a fun road and it’s opened up a lot of doors so I am excited!…
Excitement builds for tournament
…One of the celebrities expected to attend the tournament is Taylor Hicks, who won the American Idol competition two years ago. Hicks is expected to take part in the pro-am event on Sept. 26.
The tournament will be shown live on the Golf Channel throughout the four-day event.
Drunk Driving Hazards Keep Kelly Clarkson Indoors
Kelly Clarkson has found the perfect way to avoid being caught drinking and driving in Los Angeles – she has a pub in her own house. Unlike Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, the American Idol winner and former cocktail waitress, 25, shuns the club circuit in favor of a quiet drink with friends in the comfort of her own home…….
Seacrest — Unbrotherly Love
It’s called the “City of Brotherly Love” — but Ryan Seacrest had little love for the latest round of “Idol” auditions held in Philadelphia.
TMZ cameras caught the “Idol” host before his jog outside the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in NYC on Sunday — sporting an iPod and an inconspicuous Ed Hardy hat. When asked about the upcoming season of the juggernaut that is “American Idol, ” Ryan said they “weren’t great … for 20, 000 people, we only found a few good ones.” Is that a change?…
“American Idol’s” Sarah Burgess Inks Record Deal, Records First Single
Best remembered as the auditioner whose father didn’t know she had snuck out to New York, only to be awarded Idol’s Golden Ticket to Hollywood, Sarah Burgess made a connection with the American public with her story of determination in the face of resistance from those not as convinced. After an emotional audition and tearful aftermath, a bond had been forged between the viewers and an emerging artist. In the months that followed, Sarah was interviewed on almost 100 radio and TV stations to relate her resonant story………..
Yamin show at The NorVa now Nov. 11
How many times can Elliott Yamin’s concert at The NorVa be changed before the Yaminions stage a revolt?
We’re about to find out.
For the fourth time since May, Yamin’s scheduled show at the venue has been bumped around, usually because of his ever-expanding list of appearances. The concert, previously set for May 20, Aug. 8 and Nov. 10, has been bumped a day to Nov. 11. Singer-songwriter Bright Eyes is now booked for Nov. 10. Tickets purchased for any of those dates will be honored, and The NorVa promises the show will not change again…
Can Music Big-Timers Fix Sagging Sales?
…However, music industry executives note that this year’s roster of superstar releases has been particularly thin.
“What happened was the industry got off to a slow start in 2007 given the fact that it was a fairly lackluster new release schedule, ” says Anderson. “The real success stories were somewhat few and far between.”
But even CDs that seemed destined to be strong sellers weren’t the smashes that people had hoped for, including ones by T.I. and Kelly Clarkson, who had respectable but not stellar sales. The top-selling album of the year has been the band Daughtry’s self-titled release, which, according to Nielsen SoundScan, has sold 1.9 million copies. At that pace, there might not be an album that sells more than 3 million this year…
