Tonight, Survivor continues on CBS. 8/7c PM. Plus, Nashville airs on ABC at 10/9c PM.
Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss Joins ‘Magic Mike XXL’ Cast – Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss has joined the cast of “Magic Mike XXL.” The dancer and actor best known for the “Step Up” franchise announced his involvement in the film on Wednesday’s episode of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” “I met with Channing Tatum, and he asked me to join the cast of ‘Magic Mike 2,’” Boss told DeGeneres during his appearance (above). Boss suggested he’d be playing a stripper, because he said he’s “not nervous” about “wearing less.” “There’s this other element. I have to get waxed,” Boss said. “I’m really nervous about that.” “Oh, it’s going to hurt,” DeGeneres joked. – Read more at The Wrap
Hillsong United, Nashville artists win at Dove Awards – Rock and hip-hop, Southern gospel and teenage pop all rang out from same stage in Nashville on Tuesday night, as the 45th annual Gospel Music Association Dove Awards returned to Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena. Longtime Nashville-area resident Mandisa took home the award for pop/contemporary album of the year for her fourth album, “Overcomer.” The “American Idol” alum had to run back onstage, shoes in hand, after a high-energy performance of the title track. “I am very thankful for this,” she said. “I think back to eight years ago, and ‘American Idol,’ and I was convinced that I was being kicked to the curb. I didn’t know what to do, but I’m a living witness, if you seek first the kingdom of God.” – Read more at The Tennessean
Melanie Martinez Loves ‘American Horror Story’ So Much She Wrote A Song For ‘Freak Show’ – “I think the hardest thing [after the show] was to get the people who listened to me to understand that I’m a songwriter,” Martinez says. Among the many to notice Martinez’s unique style were those at FX’s hit show, “American Horror Story.” Another track on her EP “Carousel” recently scored airtime on the first trailer (below) for “Freak Show,” the show’s fourth season, which premieres Oct. 8. For Martinez, the placement was a dream come true. “AHS” is “absolutely, hands-down” her favorite show. (Martinez is a Jessica Lange fan, in particular. “She’s nuts,” she said of Lange.) – Read more at Huffington Post
Cable’s Pop Unveils Programming Lineup For 2015 Launch – SING IT ON (Working Title) From the company behind “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance,” SING IT ON is the real-life “Pitch Perfect” only with steeper competition and higher stakes. This docu-series follows the world of collegiate a cappella groups across the U.S. and their journey as they prepare for and compete in the top a cappella competition in the country, the ICCA (International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella). SING IT ON is produced by CORE Media Group, with Jennifer O’Connell and Teri Wagner Flynn serving as Executive Producers. Jenny Ramirez, Glenn Stickley and Amanda Newman serve as Co-Executive Producers. – Read more at Variety.com
Phillip Phillips and the SYTYCD Dancers
Phillip Phillips posed with the SYTYCD dancers backstage. The SYTYCD tour played San Antonio Monday night, while Phillip was in town for his own gig the following night.
‘American Idol’ winner and ‘Home’ singer Phillip Phillips to play at A&M – “It was a little confusing,” he says of the song’s ubiquity. “I played shows all the time, and sometimes it would be for 50 people, sometimes a couple hundred people. But then, when it’s several thousand people singing your songs, it’s a little overwhelming because you don’t know how to take it. It took me a minute to really understand — ‘Oh, OK, I don’t have to sing every word of the song. I can let them have a good time singing it, too.'” – Read more at The Eagle
Christian Music Business Diversifies Into Film, Television and More to Battle Declining Sales – American Idol alum Danny Gokey recently scored his first No. 1 Christian hit with “Hope in Front of Me.” He’s excited about being part of the faith-based music community and optimistic about the genre’s future. “The reason is because people want hope,” he says. “People are searching for more, and that never really gets old. You never have too much hope where people don’t need it. There’s almost always a lack of it. So when people are tuning into our stations, which play hopeful music, it connects them right away. I’m just glad to be a part of it because I’ve always wanted to mix hope and entertainment. That’s always been my thing.” – Read more at Billboard.com
Former Executive at ‘American Idol’ Parent Facing Jail for Fraud – A former senior executive at the TV production company behind American Idol and The X-Factor is facing a jail sentence for fraud. Ian Ousey pleaded guilty at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court to stealing almost £225,000 ($360,000) from London-based production company FremantleMedia, which owns the rights to the American Idol, X-Factor and Got Talent entertainment brands. According to The Times in London, Ousey of Ascot, Berkshire, admitted submitting false invoices for a four-year period between 2008 to 2012, while employed in the role of FremantleMedia’s Chief Financial Officer. The newspaper states that the 51-year-old exec first began taking money from the Bertelsmann-owned company when he faced missing a payment on Portuguese holiday home and risked losing the property. Ousey’s deception was discovered after bosses questioned his use of the company credit card to book overseas flights. – Read more at Billboard.com
Aiken Unloads North Carolina Mansion – Shortly thereafter, we’ve only just learned from The Bizzy Boys at Celebrity Address Aerial, Mister Aiken sold his mansion outside Durham, NC, for $1,590,000, far less than the $2.7 million he wanted for the place back in 2011. Our research shows Mister Aiken purchased the gated, 6.93-acre suburban estate, located at the back of a gated enclave of similarly sized homes between Durham and Raleigh, in April 2006 for $2,361,000. That means, according to a couple of quick calculations on Your Mama’s trusty bejeweled abacus, Mister Aiken endured a pretty darn hefty $771,000 beat down to his pocketbook, not counting improvement costs, upkeep expenses and real estate fees. – Read more at Variety
