Simon Cowell Gambling on Internet Vegas Talent Show
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – British TV and record producer Simon Cowell, one of the most successful entrepreneurs in British and U.S. show business, is planning to bring his “The X Factor” talent show to Las Vegas in a global pay-per-view Internet venture.
Cowell, 50, best-known as the acerbic judge on America’s top-rated TV singing contest “American Idol”, told the British version of GQ magazine he had partnered with British retail billionaire Sir Philip Green on the new “X-Factor”.
The pair said they are in negotiations with the chief executive of a major hotel-casino venue in Las Vegas to find a permanent home for a new version of the show.
Simon Cowell: Ellen DeGeneres ‘Nervous’ About ‘Idol’
“It’s her story… so you hear it all in her words, ” Cowell says via Skype. “It’s fascinating seeing it through her eyes.”
The “American Idol” judge calls Boyle a “great underdog story… it’s like a Hollywood movie. You couldn’t have written this script better.”
Cowell also dishes about Ellen DeGeneres joining “American Idol” this January.
“She’s going to be very different than Paula, ” he says. “I think she’s probably quite nervous… She’s smart, but make no mistakes: this will be a very different kind of show than what you’re used to.”
So will DeGeneres sit next to Cowell at the judges’ table?
“Obviously, everyone wants to sit next to me, ” Cowell jokes. “I am thinking about pulling names out of a hat!”
American Idol Finalists Hit The Road With Their Holiday Concert Tour, Launches 12/2
“American Idol” finalists Michael Sarver (Season 8), Alexis Grace (Season 8) David Hernandez (Season 7) and Gina Glocksen (Season 6) will be entertaining the masses once again as they embark on a Holiday Tour, which launches December 2, 2009 in Lakeland, FL and will make stops in 12 cities across the U.S!
The American Stars in Concert for the Holidays tour will feature a combination of four of the top twelve finalists from Seasons 1 through 8 who will take to the stage for an exciting night of solo, duet and ensemble performances. This production will be a great way to see and hear the Idols up close and personal, in an intimate theatrical setting. Audiences will get a chance to relive their favorite former Idol moments as these talented artists perform an array of holiday favorites.
More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…
LL Cool J primed for Grammy nominations concert
The Black Eyed Peas will have a little digital help from their friends when they perform “I Gotta Feeling.” At one point during their routine, a video of folks singing along ‘†including celebs like Chris Daughtry and Seth Green ‘†will blast on a flat-screen behind them.
Launched last year instead of a pre-dawn press conference, the nominations special, which will air on CBS, is the Recording Academy’s prime-time opportunity to announce top nominees from over 100 categories. The 52nd annual Grammy Awards ceremony will be held Jan. 31 at the Staples Center.
Oscars snub Miley Cyrus again, plus Adam Lambert
That means Adam Lambert can’t be nominated for crooning “Time for Miracles, ” which he sings in “2012.” He doesn’t share co-writing credit. But that doesn’t matter anyway because “Time for Miracles” isn’t eligible for Oscar consideration ‘†it wasn’t written specifically for the film.
Susan Boyle’s Debut Smashes U.S. Chart Records
Susan Boyle is officially a worldwide phenomenon. After breaking the record for the fastest-selling debut album in U.K. history, Boyle has conquered American shores as well with I Dreamed a Dream.
With more than 700, 000 in sales, according to Columbia Records, Dream will not only claim the biggest debut of 2009 in the U.S. when it charts next week ‘†beating out the 608, 000 for Eminem’s Relapse ‘†but she also nabbed the highest debut ever for a female solo artist on the Billboard 200 in the Soundscan era. The previous record was held by Ashanti’s self-titled 2002 debut, which sold 503, 000 in its first week.
Since its release last week, Boyle’s album has sold almost 3 million copies worldwide and hit the #1 spot in Australia, Ireland, Canada and New Zealand. By the time of its official release, it had also become the biggest pre-order in the history of the Amazon.com music store and, according to Columbia, broken pre-sales records on QVC and Barnes & Noble online.
Susan Boyle to her bullies: ‘I’m all grown up’
A huge crowd stood in the New York morning chill, cell phones and camcorders held before misty eyes to record a simple woman dressed in simple clothes singing familiar songs in a voice that penetrated deep into the spirit.
Susan Boyle, seven months removed from her now legendary debut on ‘Britain’s Got Talent, ‘ is no longer the shy and dowdy woman who walked on the stage that fateful night to smirks and sneers ‘†and left to a thunderous standing ovation.
Review: Allison Iraheta’s Just Like You
It’s rare a fourth place finisher releases a better album than the winner, but this is probably the best Idol artist album all year (Archuleta, Allen, Lambert, etc.)
To be completely honest, I thought this was going to be a review I’d have to endure – not enjoy. But the music just feels raw, natural…honest.
Iraheta, 17, says one of her main influences is Janis Joplin. She puts on her best Pearl in songs like Pieces, Still Breathing and No One Else…but I tend to hear more of an angry version of Kelly Clarkson with some Veronicas laced in more synth-based tracks ‘ new single Friday I’ll Be Over You. Her favorite artist is P!nk, which explains the hair. And of course, she makes all of this her own.
Allison Iraheta
This magenta-haired American Idol veteran swaggers like a teenage Pink on her debut: Her overlooked single “Friday I’ll Be Over U” is Scandinavian-designed punk-pop perfection, and “Robot Love” turns Gary Glitter’s “Rock and Roll Part 2” riff into something fresh. But on ballads like “Scars, ” Iraheta sounds so much like Pink that it’s distracting. More disturbing are some of the lyrics: “Beat Me Up” takes the S&M theme of Britney’s “…Baby One More Time” into domestic-violence territory.
Photoshoot with Adam Lambert, Autostraddle’s Sexiest Man of 2009
Robin dishes out more Adam Lambert eye candy from her photoshoot with one of Autostraddle’s favorite people/performers/rockstars. Also; we’ve got video from Adam’s December 1st appearance on ‘Ellen.’ !
Adam Lambert Says His Fans Sometimes Go ‘Too Far, But I Love It’
Adam Lambert has really devoted fans, and that’s perfectly fine by him. The “American Idol” runner-up isn’t at all weirded out by the attention his devotees lavish on him everywhere he goes these days.
“They’re amazing, ” Lambert told MTV News. “I’ve seen it go too far, but I love it.”
Lambert added that he loves seeing his fans show up to concerts dressed as him and excited to see him live. “Yeah, it’s passionate, ” he said. “It’s great to have something you believe in that much. I’m an intense person, so I think I need intense fans.”
Adam Lambert Got Peed on in Public!
He’s already been crapped on (by this very blog, in fact–though I did it with love) and yesterday it was reported on various sites that Adam Lambert was urinated on in front of a paying audience!
The controversial singer was sitting in the front row at the downtown club the Box when a tranny performer onstage let forth a spray of wee-wee which hit him and no doubt mussed up his frosted makeup and luxurious, shiny hair.
It turned out it wasn’t real pee–probably something like Gatorade, which they used in those old 550-PEEE commercials, as only my own inquisitive mind happens to know.
Soul shaking
AUGUSTA, GA ‘ When Charlie Wilson and Fantasia Barrino hit the stage in Augusta, don’t be surprised if the spirit hits you and their music lifts you.
They’ll bring their high-energy aura to the James Brown Arena for the Holiday Jam Fest 2009, and it’s destined to bring down the proverbial house, along with shaking some souls.
As headliner, Wilson said he anticipates the Augusta tour stop, mainly for the honor of ‘hanging out in James Brown’s town.’
Savvy & Mandy: Merry Christmas With The Masseys
Savvy and Mandy cuddle up to brothers Kyle and Christopher Massey during the 2009 Hollywood Christmas Parade held on Sunday evening (November 29) in Los Angeles.
The singing sisters performed a few holiday songs during the opening of the parade with the Masseys and American Idol alum Ace Young (pictured below
Melinda and Phil Join Scott Hamilton
Two of Season 6’s stars, Melinda Doolittle and Phil Stacey, will sing on the same stage again. They’ve been invited to perform as special guests in figure skater Scott Hamilton’s Holiday Concert on Ice. The event will take place on December 29 at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, New York. Scott will perform with many of his friends, including Ekaterina Gordeeva, Steven Cousins, Kimmie Meissner, Patrice Lauron and Marie-France Dubreuil, but Melinda and Phil will be the only musical guests in the house.
TWISTED SISTER, STRYPER To Perform At NYSE’s Christmas Tree Lighting Event
TWISTED SISTER (minus vocalist Dee Snider), STRYPER and COLLECTIVE SOUL will perform at New York Stock Exchange’s 86th Christmas tree lighting beneath the NYSE faà §ade (Broad Street between Wall Street and Exchange Place) in New York City on Thursday, December 10, 2009 between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. The event is open to the public.
The NYSE’s tree lighting, a custom since 1923, is believed to be the city’s oldest.
Headliners TWISTED SISTER will perform with Constantine Maroulis, Kerry Butler and James Carpinello from the cast of the Tony-nominated smash hit musical comedy “Rock of Ages”. Dee Snider is NOT performing ‘†he has prior commitment and the band decided to do this with their “Rock of Ages” buddies.
‘American Idol’s’ Ryan Seacrest prompts ’12 Days of Giving’
Oprah Winfrey will have a 12 days of gifting treat, but Ryan Seacrest is proposing something a little more altruistic.
The “American Idol” host wants us to take part in 12 days of giving. Basically, it’s all about helping out a charitable cause in some way for 12 days straight, beginning Tuesday, Dec. 1, which happens to be World AIDS Day.
Besides spreading the word via Twitter and Facebook, what does Seacrest expect us to do? Buy a handcrafted beverage from Starbucks, clothes from the Gap, some hardware from Dell and something from Bugaboo. Portions of the sales from these (RED) partners will go to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa.
Being Simon Cowell will cost you £1, 118 per day: X Factor star’s daily spending revealed
It’s just as well he’s worth a couple of hundred million, because being Simon Cowell doesn’t come cheap.
With his high-maintenance grooming regime, designer wardrobe, exclusive holidays and penchant for fine dining,
the 50-year-old X Factor judge shells out more than £1, 000 every day just keeping up appearances.
This week it was revealed he has his hands waxed as well as his chest, at a cost of about £50 every four weeks.
It’s a drop in the ocean for the mega-rich mogul, but when you factor in the rest of his daily spending, it all adds up’ ¦
Simon Cowell plans global X Factor show
X Factor judge Simon Cowell plans to take the ITV talent show format to Las Vegas as part of a global internet venture, he has told GQ magazine.
The 50-year-old is teaming up with retail tycoon Sir Philip Green – who he says has “show business in his blood” – for the project.
Cowell said the pair planned to stage two shows a week which fans could watch online on a pay-per-view basis.
Will SYTYCD’s Mary Murphy Ever Stop Crying?
Mary Murphy is the So You Think You Can Dance judge who keeps on crying…and crying…and crying.
But her most recent tears have nothing to do with being moved by any SYTYCD contestant.
Murphy is set to make her Broadway debut next month in the ballroom show Burn the Floor. First up will be a one-night only gig on Dec. 22 benefiting a domestic violence center in her hometown of San Diego, followed by a monthlong run starting Jan. 12.
X Factor: Jedward to appear in The Simpsons
Fox, the production company behind the American animation series, is ‘taking a look’ at the brothers, nicknamed Jedward.
A spokesman told The Sun: “Castings are not something we can talk publicly about, but we are taking a look at the boys. We love anything Irish ‘ we set a whole show there last year. They are certainly charming and good-looking fellows.”
Edward said: “We would love to be on The Simpsons. John, Edward and The Simpsons ‘ we’re best friends with Bart!”
‘So You Think You Can Dance’: Rewriting the rules of chemistry
LegacyashleighContemp091130-0256 I am enjoying this season greatly, but the judges need to quit being so anxious to show their approval for this round of dancers — how many dream teams, favorite dances and power couples can there be? As one friend of mine says when she’s making fun of the judges’ comments, “Superlative! Superlative! Superlative!”
But snarks aside, it was a strong episode, partially because of the shake-ups: A lot of the new couples are very promising, and I for one really liked that the episode did without the “how we put the dance together!” packages before the performances: it was nice not being spoon-fed what the dances were “about.”
The Dizzy Feet Gala: Dance Gives Back
On Sunday, November 29, 2009, the Dizzy Feet Foundation hosted its first annual charity gala at Hollywood’s Kodak Theater. And as So You Think You Can Dance judge Adam Shankman worded it, “For dance reality junkies, this was like a Stones concert, man!”
The Dizzy Feet Foundation–an organization supporting arts education and the dance community–was founded by Shankman, SYTYCD judge/producer Nigel Lythgoe, Dancing With The Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba, and actress Katie Holmes…so naturally they had access to all the greatest dancers out there.
ETA:
Kelly Clarkson – Classy original ‘Idol’ a far cry from Lambert
It’s been nearly eight years since a teary-eyed Kelly Clarkson took the stage as the winner of the first season of ‘American Idol’ to perform ‘A Moment Like This.’
It’s been more than a week since a smoky-eyed Adam Lambert, Clarkson’s antithesis, took the stage of the American Music Awards for his controversial performance.
The contrast between the show’s first winner and its most recent runner-up highlights a TV program with a constantly changing legacy.
Sha’vonne Williams, lead singer of local band The Vibe, auditioned for ‘Idol’ in 2007 and says the show has taken a turn.
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Adam?
After Adam Lambert’s ‘any-crotch-goes performance’ on ABC’s American Music Awards, they said goodbye to his Good Morning America appearance the next morning. And that was just the beginning.
How do you solve the problem of Adam? You don’t. Fixing one only creates another. Putting him in a competition gets him scrutinized, putting him in the spotlight offends people, offending people loses him a gig, losing him a gig garners him another, white-washing the coverage sparks new outrage, and if all that were not enough, ABC books convicted felon, woman-beating Chris Brown, even moving him from GMA to prime-time 20/20, after firing Adam for kissing someone.
