Clay Aiken performs at Wild Horse Pass Casino in Chandler, AZ.
Kimberley Locke performs at A Holiday in the Heartland in Milwaukee, WI.
Phil Stacey performs at West Side Baptist Church in El Dorado, AR. via American Idol
Scotty McCreery and Keith Urban perform on the CMA Country Christmas special, tonight on ABC 9/8c pm. Jennifer Nettles hosts.
Kris Allen performs an online StageIt show tonight at 8 pm ET. Buy your ticket HERE.
Skylar Laine home for ‘Country Christmas’ in Brandon – “American Idol” finalist and Brandon singer Skylar Laine will close out a whirlwind year with a Friday night concert in her hometown, joined by friends for an encore performance of her “Country Christmas” show. The upcoming 2013 could be best described as a year of options, choices and forks in the road for the young country singer, who’ll turn 19 Feb. 1. Her holidays have been well-seasoned by events and appearances, including flipping the holiday lights at Graceland and national anthems at the Egg Bowl and, this past Sunday, a Saints game. A pair of Dec. 1 shows at Jackson Academy Performing Arts Center were her first big concerts by herself. – Read more at Clarion Ledger
Pizarro: ‘American Idol’ finalist to perform at CreaTiVe Awards in San Jose – Expect a few new faces at this year’s CreaTiVe Awards, which will honor the best in local video productions at a red carpet gala on Jan. 5. The big name is “American Idol” finalist DeAndre Brackensick, who’ll be presenting an award and performing at the gala. Another presenter is Doug Stanley, the Emmy award winning executive producer of “The Deadliest Catch.” Darla Anderson, a Pixar producer, won’t be able to attend but is sending along a video message. Tickets to the CreaTiVe Awards Gala at the California Theatre are available online at www.creatvsj.org. Tickets are $20 for students, $50 for finalists, $75 general admission and $100 for VIP admission, which includes a special reception. – Read more at Mercury News.com
Blake Shelton Convinced Kelly Clarkson’s Fiancé to Pop the Question – The music scene is all smiles since its adorable Kelly Clarkson announced her newest accessory this week: an engagement ring! But it turns out the commitment came with a little arm-twisting of her husband-to-be, Brandon Blackstock. Blake Shelton, who is managed by Mr. Blackstock, tells Hollyscoop exclusively that he urged Brandon to pop the question to Kelly. “I told Brandon, man you need to grow up and you figure out that you need to marry this girl,” says Shelton. Not only that, but Shelton also threw in a sweet incentive for the couple: Playing at the wedding! – Read more at Hollyscoop
Andrew Garcia covers “Little Things” by One Direction
The Season 9 American Idol alum covers the 1D hit.
How to make Jennifer Hudson’s Mom’s Pound Cake
Jennifer almost gets a face full of flour!
Mandisa: A Singer Waits For Signs That ‘It’s Christmas’ – ” ‘Little Drummer Boy’ is often a very somber song. I think the meaning gets lost,” Mandisa tells NPR’s Steve Inskeep. “The fact of the matter is that we all have gifts and talents, and God wants us to use those to really just worship him. And for this little boy … he couldn’t sing, he probably wasn’t a great preacher, but he could play the mess out of some drums.” – Read more at WBAA
Covington’s Bo Bice talks about his new gig on Broadway while gift wrapping – He said he didn’t ask for the Broadway gig. It came to him. He had no thought about theater, having never done it before. But he’s game to try. And he said he got a classy congrats from fellow season four rocker Constantine Maroulis, who was nominated for a Tony for his role in “Rock of Ages.” He will start rehearsals in January and will start in March. He also has a gospel album coming out.
Read more at AJC.com
The Voice’s Adam Levine Threatens Blake Shelton: “It’s On in Season 4!” – When Blake teases that “he’s already dreading season four,” Adam issues quite the threat! “Your ass is f–king grass. It’s f–king on,” he promises. “It’s a bloodbath next season. I’m talking your tall country ass down!” Of course, their fight ends in laughs and with Blake confessing he didn’t hear anything his fellow coach said as he was too distracted by his bowtie! – Read more at EOnline
Tate Stevens and Mentor L.A. Reid: ‘Country Music is Ready for an ‘X Factor’ Champ’ – “What I’ve noticed is the more country the songs are, the more confident Tate is,” said Reid. “Because I didn’t have a background in country music, I always made decisions that were a little more pop-leaning for him — and I may have gotten him in trouble early on, but once I started to understand that the more country, the better, we sort of hit our stride. I’m really proud of him.” – Read more at Hollywood Reporter
‘X Factor’s’ Simon Cowell on Fifth Harmony: ‘They Remind Me of One Direction’ – “To perform as they did tonight, it’s incredible. They looked like proper pop stars. … I don’t think we could have done any more.” Now the question remains: will it be a squeaker or a slam-dunk? And if they don’t win, would that be so bad? Look at One Direction. “I think there’s a gap in the market for a girl group like his,” added Cowell. “They remind me of One direction in terms of their personalities, they’re fun to work with, hard-working, opinionated — that’s what you want in a group.” – Read more at Hollywood Reporter
Backstage at X Factor: L.A. Reid “Regretting” His Decision to Leave – “[I] came into this knowing that it wasn’t gonna become my life,” continued L.A., who insisted he and Simon Cowell would continue to work together behind the scenes. “Simon and I are really good friends, and he knew at some point I needed to get back to work.” What will he miss the most about the X gig? “The talent,” he said without hesitation. “Watching people come in an unknown and walking away famous, [and] some of them walking away real stars—that’s the greatest feeling in the world.” – Read more at EOnline
Simon Cowell Calls Sandy Hook Tribute the Hardest Thing He’s Done on TV – It takes a lot to bring out Simon Cowell’s softer side. But the normally acerbic X Factor judge choked up Wednesday night as he introduced the show’s emotional tribute to the Sandy Hook shooting victims – in what he later said was an extremely difficult moment for him. “I would say it was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do on TV in my life,” Cowell, 53, said after the show, in which Carly Rose Sonenclar, Tate Stevens and Fifth Harmony made their final performances of the season. – Read more at People.com
