Allison Iraheta: The ultimate interview, Part Three
Iraheta2 In the third part of this four-part interview, “American Idol” finalist Allison Iraheta talks about her experience on the show. Read Part One here. Read Part Two here.
The Tweet Beat
Spencer Pratt, Adam Lambert, Diddy And More In The Tweet Beat
Let MTV News’ Jim Cantiello take you on a wild ride around the Twitterverse.
More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…
Adam Lambert Songwriter Says Debut Mixes Fall Out Boy, Kylie Minogue
Kevin Griffin made a name for himself in the ’90s with Better Than Ezra, but these days, when he’s not busy working with the band and releasing new music, he’s writing with some of the biggest names from “American Idol.”
He’s worked with everyone from Jason Castro to David Cook and David Archuleta, and this time around, he’s written some songs for Kris Allen and Adam Lambert for their top-secret, highly anticipated debuts, both out this fall. He’s hoping the songs he submitted for Lambert make the final cut.
Matt Giraud is hoping to strike while the ‘Idol’ is hot
GRAND RAPIDS — With the final two weeks of a 50-city tour winding down, Kalamazoo’s Matt Giraud is gearing up for life after “American Idol.”
Giraud finished fifth in the eighth season of Fox’s hit TV show and is one of 10 finalists on the “American Idol Live” tour, which stops at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids Sunday. During a phone interview from Chicago, Giraud said the top item on his agenda once the tour wraps Sept. 15 is to get into the studio and start making a demo.
This final stretch is a golden opportunity for Giraud to capitalize on the spotlight before the bright lights of the Fox and “American Idol” machines dim. After all, there is a long list of finalists — some of whom finished higher than Giraud — whose career never materialized after the show.
Adam Lambert dines with family at SUSHISAMBA rio
Adam Lambert took advantage of his day off from the “American Idols Live” tour on Thursday by staying in Chicago an extra day and having a quiet dinner at SUSHISAMBA rio (504 N Wells).
Unlike the previous night at the Allstate Arena, where fans squealed for the “American Idol” runner-up, Lambert went mostly unnoticed as he dined with his parents and cousin at the River North restaurant. This probably had more to do with the fact that the majority of the people there were hanging out at the bar upstairs and didn’t see him.
Cassidy Haley’s tweet success
Adam Lambert tweeted a brief sentence – “My friend Cassidy just shot this great video …” – then went about his post-“American Idol” business (touring the country, recording with superproducer Max Martin). Lambert also included a link to Haley’s music video for the stomping electro-pop tune “Whiskey in Churches.”
What happened next was the stuff of star-making dreams. The video earned 10, 000 views in a single day and is now past the 45, 000 mark. Haley’s Twitter followers instantly shot up from “under 500” to 1, 700 this week.
Photo Coverage: The Cast Of ‘TOXIC AVENGER’ Sample Serendipity 3’s ‘The Hot Toxic Love Sundae
Serendipity 3, the landmark NYC dessert emporium teamed with the Off-Broadway hit, The Toxic Avenger, to create a sundae “so toxically delicious it will turn you green with envy – The Hot Toxic Love Sundae!”
On Thursday, September 3rd, cast ‘Toxic Avenger’ cast members Nancy Opel, Diana DeGarmo and Jonathan Root visited Serendipity 3, 225 East 60th Street (between 2nd and 3rd Avenues) to sample the “dangerous delight” and BroadwayWorld.com’s cameras were there.
Blake Lewis: Behind the Beatbox
The success stories of ‘American Idol’ are hardly limited to the eight season winners – some of its biggest stars, like Clay Aiken and Chris Daughtry, didn’t leave the show with top honors. Now season six runner-up Blake Lewis is poised to join the ranks of superstar ‘Idol’ alum with his sophomore effort ‘Heartbreak on Vinyl, ‘ and we have the honor of debuting behind-the-scenes footage of Lewis and famed producer Dave Aude. We spoke to Lewis exclusively about the recording process, the video for his new single ‘Sad Song, ‘ and his thoughts on Ryan Seacrest’s salary.
American Idol’s Blake Lewis to Perform at 2009 Beach Tennis USA National Championship
NEW YORK, Sept 04, 2009 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Beach Tennis USA(R) (BTUSA), the organization responsible for launching the pro sport of beach tennis in North America, today announced that Tommy Boy Entertainment Recording Artist and American Idol runner-up, Blake Lewis, will be performing at the 2009 Beach Tennis National Championship in Long Beach, New York on Labor Day Weekend. Also scheduled to perform are Pulse 87.7 FM artists Kaci Battaglia and Sylvia Tosun. All the musical acts are scheduled to perform Sunday, September 6, at 4:00 p.m. The National Championship tournament, which is the final event of a 10-city tour, will be held Saturday and Sunday, September 5 and 6 and will be taped for national broadcast on Tennis Channel. The event site is located on the beach at Riverside Boulevard near the Boardwalk in Long Beach, New York.
Travels with Kellie
Who would have thought a sixth-place finish on ‘American Idol’ would launch Albemarle’s Kellie Pickler so high?
This year alone, the sweetheart of Season 5 (in 2006) has co-hosted ‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’ and scored her first Top 10 country single for ‘Best Days of Your Life, ‘ a track she co-wrote with current tour mate Taylor Swift.
Swift and Pickler, who became BFFs while opening for Brad Paisley’s tour in 2007, play Time Warner Cable Arena on Saturday. The Observer caught up with Pickler on a recent August morning and got her to dish about a range of topics, including:
Kelly Clarkson’s band takes song ‘Walk Away’ literally
‘American Idol’ singer Kelly Clarkson’s band was at a small bar in Emmaus on Thursday, but it wasn’t to play a show.
Seven members of the nine-member band ended up walking into Vera Cruz Tavern on Main Street in Emmaus after their bus broke down just off the Pennsylvania Turnpike, less than a mile from the establishment, two bartenders said.
“We saw them walking down the road with suitcases and stuff, and one of the customers opened the door and waved them in, ” bartender Barb Angstadt said. “They said, ‘We’re with the band and we broke down.’ ”
Vermonters celebrate ‘Idol’ anniversary with Kelly Clarkson at fair
ESSEX JUNCTION ‘ Kelly Clarkson seemed genuinely touched at the fan who held up a sign Friday night congratulating her on her seventh anniversary; Clarkson won the very first ‘American Idol’ competition on Sept. 4, 2002, seven years to the day before her show at the Champlain Valley Fair.
Clarkson was so affected that she told the crowd of not-quite-5, 000 fans that she thought about nothing but her anniversary as she sang the next song, a cover of ‘Some Guys Have All the Luck’ (technically she sang ‘Some Girls Have All the Luck’ and though she introduced it as a Rod Stewart song I think of it as a Robert Palmer song that Rod Stewart covered).
EXCLUSIVE: American Idol’s Jim Verraros and Boyfriend to Marry SundayEXCLUSIVE: American Idol’s Jim Verraros and Boyfriend to Marry Sunday
The bells will be ringing this weekend for American Idol season one contestant, Jim Verraros and his partner Bill Brennan.
The couple are holding a lavish wedding Sunday, in Chicago Illinois, and although the ceremony won’t be legal, as Illinois does not recognize same sex marriage, they are sparing no expense on the long awaited nuptials.
Verraros and Brennan are having a vintage Hollywood theme to the wedding holding a formal, outdoor ceremony with a garden party atmosphere. Verraros says, “We wanted to do this wedding as if it were legal. The fact that the state of Illinois doesn’t recognize gay weddings wasn’t stopping us. Quite the opposite.
“We decided to do it to draw attention to the fact. Hopefully things will change in the near future.
Brooke White
Amidst the hundreds of R&B hopefuls that ‘American Idol’ seems to produce every season’â€many of whom are more prone to howling than singing’â€the show has proven it can unearth a few gems as well. In Season 7, that gem was Brooke White, who, although placing fifth in the overall competition, brought new life to the show with her folksy yet sophisticated vocals and self-accompaniment. With these tools at the ready and a much larger following in tow, White has delightfully crafted her second album (the first since her American Idol appearance), ‘High Hopes and Heartbreaks.’
How to rock out properly
I want to be up front with you: I’ve been a closet American Idol fan for the past two seasons. Since the frenzy started, I was determined not to follow the crowd. More of the music industry making canned music with people who lip sync because they have acid reflux (a.k.a. tone deafness disguised by sex appeal). Not for me.
But the summer I came home after completing my undergrad, I had nothing better to do with my English degree than to watch the boob tube. David Cook had me not at hello, but at his raw musical talent, genuine personality, and his indie rocker emo sweep hairdo.
Dream big, ‘Idol’ singer tells Union students
As a young girl sitting in class at McAuliffe Elementary, Melinda Doolittle liked to dream big.
And most of her wildest dreams came true after she wowed judges and fans on the sixth season of “American Idol.”
Though she came in third, she got a record deal, performs nationwide and is living her dream.
So she returned to Union Public Schools this week to share her dreams with other kids.
So You Think You Can Dance With a Wacky Schedule and Nigel’s Fave?
It seems like just yesterday that Jeanine Mason was capturing our hearts’â€literally’â€on the fifth season of So You Think You Can Dance.
Lucky for us, her reign as America’s Favorite Dancer will be cut short when season six high-kicks-off next Wednesday on Fox.
Visits to the audition cities’â€including Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Phoenix and Salt Lake City’â€last through the Oct. 6 episode. Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and a revolving cast of choreographers will be perched at the judges table yet again. Vegas Week begins Oct. 7, with the green mile episode (where the Top 20 are chosen) arriving in your living room Oct. 21.
Simon Cowell’s Secret Shoe Fetish?
We know he digs the V-neck tees, but does Simon Cowell have an unhealthy’â€and possibly illegal’â€obsession with women’s footwear?
That seems to be the gist of small-claims court action against the prickly American Idol overlord by a would-be chef who claims her pricey kicks were swiped by Cowell and ex-girlfriend Terri Seymour.
Dancing With the Stars’ Health Watch: Everyone’s still standing!
DWTS-donny-osmond_lThe 16 contestants for Dancing With the Stars’ ninth season have all survived their first two weeks of rehearsal (despite this photo of Donny Osmond on the ground and Mark Dacascos’ much-publicized bruised sole). The celebs, who had various start dates from August 17 through August 21, were given training guidelines for the first time in the show’s history. Why? ‘When they do the show in the UK, people take it much more like it’s a bit of fun, but Americans are so competitive, ‘ exec producer Conrad Green told us when the cast was first announced. ‘Everyone comes into it, ‘Oh, this is a bit of fun, it’s a bit of fun’ ¦ Ohmygosh, look at his quickstep, it’s incredible! I’ve got to do better!’ We do spend most of our time encouraging people to just relax a little.’
Maksim & Karina: Dancing Over to the Emmys
Dancing With the Stars’ real-life sweethearts Karina Smirnoff and Maksim Chmerkovskiy are waltzing their way into the Emmys.
A source exclusively reveals that the husband-and-wife-to-be (they got engaged on New Year’s Eve) will be performing during the big awards show Sept. 20.
I know exactly what they’ll be doing, but I think I’m gonna hold off on telling ya too much so you can be surprised. I promise, however, it’s going to be fun.
The two have already shown us what kind of fancy footwork they could get themselves into…
Steel Magnolia ‘ ‘Keep on Loving You’
As past Nashville Star and American Idol contestants can attest, winning a television singing competition isn’t the same as winning a slot on ever-shrinking radio playlists, much less a long-term career in music. In fact, the very quality that often makes acts stand out on such shows’sounding polished and professional, like something you’d hear on the radio’can, ironically, hurt an artist’s prospects when it comes to winning actual radio play.
All of the sudden, these artists are launched into a new game where everything sounds as good as what you hear on the radio, but there’s only enough space for a fraction of it. Having proven their ability to fit in to the commercial scene, these acts are charged with the new task of differentiating themselves within that scene.
