Chart Beat Wednesday: Carrie Underwood, Kings Of Leon, Miley Cyrus
CARRIE ON: Carrie Underwood collects the highest debut by a female artist this year on Country Songs, as “Cowboy Casanova” ropes a No. 26 start. Among all acts, Underwood’s new hit ties Brad Paisley’s “Then” for the year’s second-best bow on Country Songs. Kenny Chesney’s “Out Last Night” began at No. 25 on the April 11, chart.
Dating to the conversion of Country Songs to Nielsen BDS-monitored data on the chart dated Jan. 20, 1990, “Cowboy Casanova” logs the fifth-best entrance for a song by a female artist. And look who has the highest:
Idol sales: Jason Castro makes his debut
Better late than never, it’s the weekly sales numbers! No major developments this week — the biggest news is that Jason Castro’s Let’s Just Fall in Love Again makes its debut among the most-downloaded tracks, according to Nielsen SoundScan, selling nearly 23, 000 copies. The rest you can find after the jump.
The Farr Side: ‘Idol’ stars shine on stage at Van Andel
The Giraud Squad was in full force Sunday night at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids as Kalamazoo’s own Matt Giraud made his ‘American Idols Live’ appearance.
It was obvious he helped fill the seats despite the sluggish economy. But, he wasn’t the only draw. Being a people watcher, I saw ‘Gokey Grandma’ T-shirts, homemade Adam Lambert attire and signage, and more fedora hats than I’ve ever seen. It was also pretty cool to see some local fans at the show, too.
More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…
Allison Iraheta enjoys life on the road with ‘American Idol’ tour
The “American Idol” life has been good to Allison Iraheta.
On TV, the redhead finished fourth in the eighth season of Fox’s popular show.
On tour, Iraheta has been to places she’s only dreamed of while growing up in Los Angeles. The American Idols Live! Tour stops Monday at the Onondaga County War Memorial in Syracuse.
In the recording studio, she’s working on her debut CD.
Fantasia Talks Life, Love & Reflects on her Future with News 2’s Tracey McCain
Greensboro, NC – We’ve watched her sing her way to the top spot on ‘American Idol’ and go on to even greater things; now Fantasia Barrino is headlining her very first musical.
The High Point native told our Tracey McCain in an one on one interview, despite her hectic life on the road, she still considers herself a hometown girl. Barrino often visits her grandmother, nieces and nephews, who all still live in High Point. One thing she can’t resist: “Grandma’s cooking! You don’t get food like that on the road, ” said Barrino.
Taylor Hicks Isn’t The Only One Getting Them Squirming In Their Seats At Grease
When Taylor Hicks descended from the heavens (from above a burger bar) in the national touring production of Grease at Hobby Center Tuesday night, the roar from the crowd was like the landing of the Beatles on American soil. Several ladies (sorry, didn’t see any guys do this) jumped out of their seats and danced to his number.
And the American Idol winner from Season 5 did a perfectly fine job. His voice was strong, the silver glitter in his suit matched his hair and his sense of humor came out throughout the “Beauty School Dropout” number.
TUTS’ Grease is completely silly but fun
No, T-birds and Pink Ladies. It is none of the above. The most brilliantly awesome moment comes when American Idol winner Taylor Hicks, dressed in a sparkling suit, pops out of a huge ice cream cone, croons Beauty School Dropout, reaches into his pocket and pulls out a harmonica. Best theater moment ever.
OK, not really. But Hicks’ wacky, is-he-serious? cameo is the only time Grease captures any sense of whimsy and elicits more than a mild grin. It’s a random, ridiculous moment, capped by Frenchy’s midscene ‘I voted for you!’ confession.
Taylor Hicks excited about Biloxi show
Sept. 11 probably isn’t the easiest day for an entertainer to take the stage, but Taylor Hicks says he’s excited about any date that finds him performing on the Gulf Coast.
“I’m really excited about getting back down there, ” the singer says of his upcoming appearance Friday at Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi. (Tickets for the 8 p.m. show in the Beau Rivage Theatre are $19.95 and up. Call 1-888-566-7469 for information or to order.)
“There’s a lot of significance to that date, ” Hicks says. “I think I will handle it differently.”
Former ‘American Idol’ contestant Alexis Cohen was legally intoxicated at time of N.J. hit-and-run
SEASIDE HEIGHTS — A former ”American Idol” contestant was legally intoxicated when she was fatally struck by a car in Seaside Heights, authorities said today.
Ocean County Prosecutor Marlene Lynch Ford said the results of Alexis Cohen’s toxicological testing after the July 25 incident showed she had been drinking alcohol that night.
Deputy Chief Michael Mohel, a spokesman for Lynch, said her blood alcohol reading was a level where she would have been considered legally intoxicated.
‘The Beatles would have failed X Factor’, says Simon Cowell
The 49 year-old pop mogul said drummer Ringo Starr would not have made the grade during the gruelling auditions for the ITV reality show.
Speaking to actress and fellow Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden, Cowell said that only Paul McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison would have ticked all the boxes.
As a result, he admitted, the Fab Four would have failed to get through the early stages in their orginal form.
Cheerios Rule at Glee Theme Party
The bash was held at a mid-sized Culver City school, which for the night became the show’s William McKinley High, rife with “Join Glee Club” and “Cheerios Rule” signs, re-creating the show’s cheerleader vs. accapella singers rivalry. The staging of that division however, hit the roadblock of there being no obvious costume to signify accapella singing. Thus, hostile as it might have seemed to the show’s characters , the premiere staff was clad entirely in cheer and football costumes, starting with a recreation of that most precious of scholastic traditions, the Cheerleader Car Wash, featuring mini-skirted Cheerios sponging down a Chevy Equinox SUV – the show’s major sponsor.
Dancing’s Tom DeLay: He’s No Gilles Marini, But…
It’s not every day I get to talk to Tom DeLay about his waistline.
But I did just that when the former Republican Congressman called me from Sugar Land, Texas, where he and Cheryl Burke have been rehearsing for his upcoming spin on season nine of Dancing With the Stars.
The 62-year-old ultraconservative politico said he’s ready for some of the show’s signature costumes.
‘Glee’ Cast Reveal Their Favorite Covers From Show’s Debut Season
Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline, ‘ Kanye West’s ‘Gold Digger’ and songs by the Rolling Stones, Lily Allen and Queen ‘†the cast of Fox’s new musical dramedy Glee cover ’em all this season. In the new issue Glee ‘†a cross between High School Musical and The Bad News Bears ‘†hits our list of the best reasons to watch TV this fall. Watch the clip above to find out which tracks the cast were most psyched to sing ‘†and get a taste of star Matthew Morrison’s rapping skills before his rendition of Kanye West’s ‘Gold Digger’ airs on the show (which premieres tonight!).
‘Glee’ Cast Hits High Note at Show’s Premiere Party
Jessalyn Gilsig — who plays the nagging wife to the high school Glee Club teacher– tells ET, “We’re just making the show that feels true to us and that’s what people responded to in the pilot, so I think we feel confident going forward.”
“Glee” cast member Matthew Morrison — who plays Glee Club teacher Will Schuester — is excited to share his passion for musical theater with a television audience. He says, “I love coming to work and getting to sing.” The show has challenged him to “flex some different muscles” vocally and do a rap number.
Maksim and Karina: What Went Wrong?
For many in show biz it’s the time spent apart that kills a relationship. But for Dancing With the Stars pros Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Karina Smirnoff, who split last weekend, the opposite proved true.
“They both knew when they had been spending more time together recently things weren’t going so well, ” a source close to Smirnoff tells PEOPLE. “She’s not devastated but it obviously hurts, she’s angry. She’ll always love him and respect him but she always knew in heart of hearts from the beginning of their relationship that he wasn’t the one for her.”
‘America’s Got Talent’ recap: The 10 finalists are set
Took them long enough! Fully two and a half months after the very first of this season’s Hoffisms and our introduction to a little group called The Voices of Glory, we’ve arrived ‘†FINALLY; MERCIFULLY ‘†at the hallowed finals of this never-ending talent competition. The Top 10 has been named!
Like I suggested in yesterday’s recap, the five chosen to advance from this second crop of semifinalists were a fairly predictable bunch: Hairo Torres, Recycled Percussion, Barbara Padilla, and Lawrence Beamen were a lock from at least the quarterfinals, and proved that America isn’t always making poor decisions. And Drew Stevyns, someone whose Daughtry-style rock I figured couldn’t match up with EriAm’s age and mass appeal, was a welcome choice to round out the group. Welcome to the finals, guys.
‘So You Think You Can Dance’ recap: No Tapping Out
Hello SYTYCD fans! Remember me? Well, like everyone’s favorite televised dance competition, I’m back! But something’s not quite right here, huh? What is it? Well, my name isn’t Adam B. Vary. And let’s face it: SYTYCD without Adam is kind of like Cat without her foppish wardrobe. Mary without her hot tamale scream. Nigel without his patented ”Benny-Hill’s-got-nothing-on-me!” perviness. But hopefully my 13 years of ballet training will serve me well, and make up for our former recapper’s absence this season.
‘So You Think You Can Dance’: More like ‘So You Think You Can Tap’?
“So You Think You Can Dance, ” don’t let me down: I have very high hopes for you this season! Not only do I expect a blockbuster of a season to improve upon this summer’s, for many people it’s the first time tuning in, as the show’s never appeared during the fall before, so I hope it delivers an especially strong showing.
For an audition show, the premiere had the goods. Sure, there were a few weirdos such as Cole Clemens, who narrated the music to his own odd contemporary dance, and Christopher Aguilar, who danced the female parts to a medley from “Chicago, ” but, mercifully, the oddballs were kept to a minimum and a lot of talent was already displayed.
Michael Jackson ‘This Is It’ Trailer To Premiere During VMAs
Though Michael Jackson is gone, the King of Pop will be front and center during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday. Not only will his sister Janet make a musical tribute to her brother with a special appearance to help open the show, but we can now reveal that viewers will get their first look at the MJ documentary “This Is It” during the live broadcast, when the trailer premieres on MTV.
Drawn from more than 100 hours of behind-the-scenes footage and produced with the full support of Jackson’s family, “This Is It” chronicles the last three months of the superstar’s life as he sought to stage a series of 50 sold-out comeback concerts at London’s O2 arena. The documentary shows MJ developing the show and rehearsing a number of songs during his final days. “This Is It” is directed by Kenny Ortega, Jackson’s creative partner and the director of the planned O2 stage show. Sony Pictures plans to release the film in theaters for a limited two-week engagement, starting on October 28.
