McCain is winning as ‘SNL’ host
John McCain wasn’t as much of a draw as his running mate Sarah Palin, but his appearance on last night’s Saturday Night Live still helped the late-night show soar to new heights. The installment that featured a special appearance by McCain and his wife Cindy ‘ along with Tina Fey as Palin and host Ben Affleck ‘ averaged a 9.0 rating/20 share in 56 local markets metered by Nielsen. That’s the second-highest performance in overnights for SNL since December 1997, second only to Palin’s appearance on Oct. 18 (10.7/24) which featured Josh Brolin as host. Last night’s telecast opened with McCain and Fey’s Palin hosting an infomercial for QVC. Unlike Palin’s appearance from two weeks back, McCain made a lot more jokes at his own expense, as well as his competitor’s. American Idol winner David Cook was the night’s musical guest.
What’s up with Bo Bice?
I recently had a chance to interview Season 4 runner-up Bo Bice as part of a promotion for American Idol Rewind, which is covering both Seasons 3 and 4 this year.
Bo is one of my favorite Idols, and it was cool to have a chance to find out what he’s been up to and what his plans are for the future. You can read the entire exclusive interview here.
During our interview, Bo told me his next CD will be a compilation of live performances, appropriately titled I Love the Road. The album will be available for presale December 1 on www.bobice.com. It is expected to be released before the end of the year.
More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…
David Cook: ‘I’ve Won The Lottery of Life’
“It’s going great, ” David, 25, tells OK!. “Next to all the craziness that’s my life right now, she’s been an absolute anchor. I keep saying that as long as I don’t do anything to screw it up, we’re going to be together for a bit.”
“I may have hit the lottery with life this past year, ” David says. Meanwhile, David’s fulfilled another dream by performing on the Nov. 1 episode of SNL. “Having any connection to that show, ” David says, “you can’t take that away from me, ever.”
David Cook shows big time skills on ‘Saturday Night Live’
The king of Blue Springs got a coveted stamp on his celebrity passport on Saturday: David Cook was the musical guest on …Saturday Night Live.
And it wasnt just any episode. It was the last one before the presidential election and the end of a campaign that has brought …SNL a ton of viewers and newfound respect. Plus, John McCain was a special guest, adding even more hype to the show.
PHOTO CALL: Clay Aiken Leads Current Cast of Tony-Winning Spamalot
Clay Aiken and Merle Dandridge currently star in the 2005 Tony Award-winning Best Musical Monty Python’s Spamalot, which will close on Broadway Jan. 18, 2009.
The musical will have played 35 previews and 1, 582 regular performances at the Shubert Theatre when it ends its run.
Rock and Comedy show goes on despite rain
Blackanthem Military News – Bo Bice and his band start their set in the FOB Delta MWR Theater Room in Halloween masks.
FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELTA, Iraq – Soldiers on this FOB who braved the rain and mud were treated Halloween evening to tunes and laughs.
Bo Bice, best known from season four of “American Idol, ” and Jackie “The Jokeman” Martling, best known from “The Howard Stern Show, ” are touring Iraq as the “Rock and Comedy Tour” sponsored by Stars for Stripes.
Bice echoed the sentiment. After being “raised Marine” – his father and brother were both in the Marine Corps – Bice also struck up a friendship with the widow and daughter of Staff Sgt. Jimmy Arroyave, a Marine who died in Iraq.
The mother had taken her daughter to an American Idol concert and wrote Bice a letter saying his music had helped her get through her father’s death. Bice said he called them to say thank you, and after they spoke a few times the mother and daughter sent him a bear made out of Arroyave’s uniform.
Bice said he kept the bear in his studio while recording the song “American Blood, ” which he dedicated to service members who have died in the war on terror.
“This is a life-changing experience, ” said Bice, introducing the song. Currently on his second tour for deployed troops, he said he’d come back as often as he’s allowed. “I can’t wait to come back next year.”
Celebrities rally for Obama in Fort Myers
Fort Myers – American Idol singer Vonzell Solomon as well as TV personality Judge Glenda Hatchett laced up their sneakers and pounded pavement in Fort Myers Sunday evening.
The twosome, as well as dozens of other supporters are trying to convince undecided voters to vote for Obama on Tuesday.
Review: Carrie Underwood at the Erwin Center
Elvis and Priscilla were there. Betty Boop and Marilyn Monroe, too. I even saw a few dozen Tony Romos. Carrie Underwood Halloween night concert at the Frank Erwin Center brought out more characters than an …American Idol audition.
There may have been more costumes than cowboy hats in the audience, but …Idol country queen stayed true to form. Her powerhouse pipes were spectacular and her dazzling stage presence could be felt all the way up to the top row of the mezzanine.
Three-time Grammy winner to perform at Pan Am
Carrie Underwood will perform at the Pan Am center at 7:30 p.m. tonight. The popular country quartet Little Big Town will be the opening act.
You may remember Carrie Underwood from the fourth season of American Idol. After winning over some pretty rough competition, Underwood proceeded to become a multi-platinum selling artist and has won three Grammy awards, as well. She’s had several number-one hits on the Billboard Country Charts, including “Before He Cheats, ” “Jesus Take the Wheel” and “Wasted” (all from her first album Some Hearts). Her current single, “Just a Dream, ” is #21 on the Billboard Country Charts.
Reba, Kelly mesh talent at concert
On Friday, the Bryce Jordan Center hosted two generations of superstars.
Billed as simply “Reba + Kelly” for their “2 Worlds, 2 Voices” tour, country legend Reba McEntire and American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson performed a two-hour set of duets on Halloween, trading verses and teaming up for the choruses on most of the songs. They played an almost equal selection of songs from both of their catalogs.
The combination of Clarkson’s technical ability and McEntire’s emotional performance made for a surprisingly good show, though it was already clear Clarkson is a step above her American Idol peers.
The Girls Are IT
Carrie Underwood will co-host the CMA Awards with Brad Paisley. Along with Underwood, so far the following IT girls are set to perform: Kellie Pickler, Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, Jennifer Nettles, and Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum.
She’s a double IT plus because she is Carrie Underwood. The three-time Grammy winner recently unveiled her own wax figure at Madame Tussauds in New York.
Kristy Lee Cook became an IT with her recent Opry debut.
Mourners celebrate lives of slain Hudson relatives
Mourners in Jennifer Hudson’s childhood church Sunday listened as the second-grade teacher of the entertainer’s slain nephew read aloud from journals written by his classmates ‘ including one who lamented that Julian King didn’t live long enough to become president.
With three of Julian’s classmates standing by her side, Carmen Williams of Gunsaulus Scholastic Academy remembered the 7-year-old as a smart boy who liked to tell knock-knock jokes.
“When Julian raised his hand, he had that enthusiastic light in his eyes, and he always ‘ always ‘ had the right answer, ” Williams said.
Crime scene too much for Jennifer Hudson
As Jennifer Hudson stayed sequestered in her grief Sunday night and other family members attended a memorial service for three murdered relatives at her childhood church, New York friends told us Hudson has not been able to go inside the home where the tragic killings took place.
Shari Sweat, a cousin, told the assembled mourners at Pleasant Gift Memorial Baptist Church that Hudson mother Darnell Donerson, or …Doll as she was known, had voted just before she was fatally shot with her son Jason. Their bodies were found Oct. 24 at Donerson house, and that of Hudson 7-year-old nephew Julian King three days later in Jason Hudson vehicle.
EXCLUSIVE: Andre Leon Talley: Jennifer Hudson Is “Doing Very, Very Well”
Jennifer Hudson is “staying close to her family” right now, says Vogue editor (and pal) Andre Leon Talley.
“She is doing very, very well. She’s very strong, ” he told Usmagazine.com Friday at Bette Midler’s New York Restoration Project’s annual Hulaween gala in NYC.
“I think that she has such strength, ” said Talley, who has been e-mailing the Dreamgirls star, whom he dressed for the 2007 Oscars. “There’s so much strength within her that she’s going to be OK. The message that she sent to me is that she appreciates all the messages of love that come from all the fans.”
Idol Chartwatch, November 4: Carrie Gets a Holiday Boost
Carrie Underwood’s Carnival Ride got a nice bump on the charts this week as a result of the release of a special holiday edition of the album exclusively through Wal-Mart. The new release includes the original album, plus a second disk with five holiday songs. Carnival Ride sold 12, 000 new copies last week, moving up from #58 to #37 on the Billboard 200 and from #12 to #7 on Top Country Albums. The CD is approaching 2.4 million total sales in the year since its release.
AMERICAN IDOL – COWELL EYES POLITICAL MOVE
AMERICAN IDOL judge SIMON COWELL has been so inspired by the theatrics of the U.S. election campaign, he plans to change the way British politics is covered.
The music mogul has been fascinated by the lead up to Tuesday’s (04Nov08) vote, admitting that Americans have a talent for bringing glamour to politics and making high-brow debates accessible to the public.
And Cowell is determined to change the way political messages are delivered in the U.K. – insisting he could create a TV show to help revitalise Britain’s “tedious” political culture and lure a new generation of voters to the ballot boxes.
Help from the X: Simon turns to old flame Sinitta for support after Terri split
Simon Cowell has turned to his former flame Sinitta for comfort after splitting with girlfriend, Terri Seymour.
The millionaire music mogul, 49, appears to be ‘closer’ than ever to the singer, following the break-up of his six-year relationship. On Saturday Sinitta accompanied Cowell to the rehearsals and filming of X Factor together.
The pair were even spotted slipping out of the studio at regular intervals together during ad breaks.
Cowell confirms Spears for X Factor
Rumours have been circulating for weeks that fallen pop princess Britney Spears is to appear on the X Factor and Simon Cowell has finally spilled the beans and confirmed it is true.
The Womanizer singer will blow the audience away with a performance on the talent show on November 15, according to the News Of The World.
Now that Britney is making a comeback after years of personal hardships, Cowell said he is very excited about her coming on the show.
‘SYTYCD Live’: Just Like TV, Only Almost Better
But then I heard that the SYTYCD show was three hours long as well. With an intermission. And it wasnt starting till 9 p.m.
Despite my love for SYTYCD performers Twitch, Will, Katee, Courtney, Gev, Mark and Joshua, I just wasnt sure I could do it.
Luckily, they put on an excellent show. Still, at two hours, 30 minutes, it was way too long.
