Idol Producers heading to Birmingham to shoot Season 10 promos with Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks
LA producer, Golareh Safarian has been keeping twitter peeps informed as Idol makes their way across the country to shoot promos with each of the 9 Idol winners. They’ve finished with Lee DeWyze, Jordin Sparks and David Cook, now it’s on to Birmingham and Taylor Hicks and Ruben Studdard.
@GSafarian: Alright! 3 down, 6 to go! Next up: Alabama 2 shoot Taylor Hicks & Ruben Studdard. But 1st, off 2 LA 4 48hrs! Home sweet home!
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More Headlines after the JUMP…
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@Idols Now: TRENYCE in rehearsals for “Thriller – Live” in London’s West End. She makes her debut in the show on Tuesday Sept 21. Follow her: @trenyce
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J. Lo cashing in on ‘Idol’
My main ”Idol” source insists those ”diva” stories about Lopez making outrageous personal demands ”is all a bunch of bull—-.”
Ryan Seacrest was a huge booster of ”Plan J. Lo.” Ditto for the returning executive producer Nigel Lythgoe. Both of them see Lopez’s star power and edgy, no-nonsense personality, tinged with a frequently ”wacky” sense of humor reminiscent of Paula Abdul, as making her a perfect choice for the judging panel. Read more at the Chicago Sun Times
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Scott MacIntyre plays for Tea for Tots:
The annual Lighthouse of Pinellas’ full-catered lunch with entertainment and motivational speaking by season eight American Idol finalist Scott MacIntyre. MacIntyre will sing, play piano and share the story of his musical success after starting to play piano by ear at age 3. Benefits the Lighthouse of Pinellas Children’s Programs. 11:30 a.m. $50. Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 N McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater. (727) 544-4433, ext. 241; www.lighthouseofpinellas.org.
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‘Cowboy Casanova’ writer named ASCAP’s country songwriter of the year
Brett James, one of the writer’s of Carrie Underwood’s Cowboy Casanova, was named ASCAP’s songwriter of the year at the performing rights organization’s Country Music Awards, held Tuesday at Nashville’s War Memorial Auditorium.
Also winning awards:
Best Days of Your Life (ASCAP writer: Kellie Pickler)
Didn’t You Know How Much I Loved You (Chris Lindsey)
Temporary Home (Zac Maloy)
Read more at USA Today
See a video of Kellie Pickler and Bucky Covington on the Red Carpet
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Local writer plays for Nashville radio execs (and writes songs for Kellie Pickler
NASHVILLE, Tenn/ — Sumter County native and country singer/song writer Brent Cobb was recently invited to play for The Tennessee Association of Broadcasters (TAB) at the organization’s annual convention in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Cobb joined another buzz worthy song writer, Charlie Worsham of Grenada, Miss., to perform for the crowd of radio executives. Cobb is a writer for Carnival Music, an independently owned music publishing company owned by Travis Hill and Frank Lidell.
Former American Idol contestant and Nashville recording artist Kellie Pickler has recorded two songs that Cobb has co-written. “If everything goes right they should be on her new album, ” Cobb said. Pickler has recorded the songs “Dear You” and “Rockaway” in sessions for her latest album that is being produced by Lidell. The song “Go Outside and Dance, ” written by Cobb and fellow Carnival writer Adam Hood, has also been recently recorded by the Ely Young Band.
Read more at Americus Times Recorder
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In the Heights – Review
American Idol winner Jordin Sparks’ Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning musical, In the Heights, is sure to please her many fans, but is not an unqualified success. It’s also not the only uneven performance in the show, which continues an open run at the Richard Rodgers Theatre.
Sparks knows how to put across a song, and sounds great doing it. Her voice quavers with emotion in certain moments, while at others she’s able to belt the notes to the rafters in a joyous explosion of sound. However, she seems less sure of herself when not singing. She stands awkwardly, and Nina’s romance with Benny (Clifton Oliver) suffers from a lack of chemistry between the two performers.
Read more at Theatermania
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BWW TV Special: Jordin Sparks in IN THE HEIGHTS! (TV Content)
The 2008 Tony and Grammy Award-winning Best Musical In The Heights welcomed platinum recording artist and 2007 “American Idol” winner Jordin Sparks on August 19th, making her Broadway debut as Nina Rosario at Broadway’s Richard Rodgers Theatre (226 West 46th Street). Sparks will play a limited 12 week engagement through Sunday, November 14, 2010. To celebrate Jordin’s official opening in the show, we’ve got the show’s new official production footage featuring her, Kyle Beltran and the rest of the IN THE HEIGHTS cast!
Read more at Broadway World
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Country Singer Carrie Underwood’s Sweet Success
But Carrie Underwood breezes in exactly on time, dressed in a bright-blue hoodie, skinny jeans, and glittery ballet flats. Her punctuality is especially impressive given that her concert the previous night was about 120 miles away, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. At midnight, Carrie hopped back on her tour bus and arrived in New York City at two in the morning, then woke up at five for an appearance on The Early Show before heading to her Women’s Health cover shoot.
Watch a behind-the-scenes video of Carrie at her Women’s Health photo shoot HERE.
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Jennifer Hudson drops by Good Morning America for Weight Watchers Lose for Good
via JHud Daily
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Why Jennifer Lopez on ‘American Idol’ could be a good thing
So Jenny from the block is joining “American Idol” after all?
After the singer-actress’ initial deal with Fox’s singing juggernaut was said to have crashed and burned — the word in the blogosphere is that her demands reached (gasp) diva proportions — Jennifer Lopez has reportedly finalized a $12-million deal to sit at the judge’s table, which is only a quarter of the way occupied (Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler is supposedly joining and the panel will revert to three judges) for the show’s upcoming 10th season.
Read more at the LA Times
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DioGuardi wins NY GOP nod for Sen. Gillibrand seat
NEW YORK — Joseph DioGuardi has won a three-way Republican primary election in a bid to unseat Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York.
The former congressman from suburban Westchester County faces a Democrat with a wide lead in the polls and far more campaign cash.
The win is a turnaround for DioGuardi, who had to petition his way on to the ballot after failing to muster enough party support at the state convention.
Read more at the Associated Press
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‘Dancing With the Stars’: Audrina Patridge will cha cha to Katy Perry
While visiting “Lopez Tonight” on Tuesday (Sept. 14), reality star/burger pitchwoman Audrina Patridge let something slip. She will take to this season’s “Dancing With the Stars” floor for the first time performing a cha cha to the delightful strains of Katy Perry’s “California Gurls.”
OK, she didn’t exactly let it slip. She and her ballroom pro, Tony Dovolani, showed off their cha cha skills for the studio audience.
Read more at Zap2it
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Stand Up to Cancer Announces More Than $80 Million Pledged So Far in Connection With September 10 Fundraising Special
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Stand Up To Cancer today announced that in connection with the September 10, 2010, simultaneous commercial-free telecast, more than $80 million has been pledged so far to accelerate ground-breaking research and bring new treatments to patients as quickly as possible. The telecast is available online at www.su2c.org/2010show. Donations can continue to be made online at www.su2c.org and at 1-888-90-STAND (78263).
Read more at PRNewswire
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Three of America’s Got Talent 5’s four finalists were discovered by producers online
Of America’s Got Talent’s final four, three of them didn’t show up to the auditions: two were recruited by the show’s producers, who found the performers online, while one came from the YouTube auditions.
Only Michael Grimm stood in line to audition, having been rejected last year. Fighting Gravity “was discovered virally, after five original group members performed at a campus talent show”; Prince Poppycock, aka John Quale, was discovered after “AGT producers found a Poppycock performance on the Internet and encouraged him to audition”; and Jackie Evancho was one of “12 performers selected for an August show based on YouTube video submissions, ” USA TODAY reports.
Read more at Reality Blurred
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So You Think You Can Dance Season 8 Auditions Begin Wed October 13 in Oakland CA
FOX has ordered an eighth season of the original dance competition show, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, and auditions for the new season will begin Wednesday, Oct. 13 in Oakland, CA, at the Paramount Theatre of the Arts. The show will continue its search for America’s Favorite Dancer on Monday, Nov. 15 at the Howard Gilman Opera House at BAM in Brooklyn, NY. Additional audition cities, dates and venues to be announced. For the latest updates, visit www.fox.com/dance.
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‘Dancing With the Stars’: Steve-O pulling for the Hoff; Audrina and The Situation talk training
You know what’s been missing from your morning? Season 8 contestant Steve-O’s take on Dancing With the Stars season 11! Obviously. When EW asked the Jackass star after the VMAs who he’d like to see win, Steve-O said “David Hasselhoff all the way. I was rooting for The Situation. But I went up and introduced myself to him tonight and he was too cool for me so f— that guy.
Read more at Entertainment Weekly
