Adam Lambert Reveals His Favorite Albums And Songs Of 2009
If there’s a poster boy for success in 2009, it’s probably Adam Lambert. Over the course of 12 months, he went from unknown L.A. theater kid to #3 on MTV News’ Man of the Year list. His personal life filled the tabloids, his performances riled up the censors, and his talents ‘†not just as a singer, but as a showman ‘†won him millions of devoted fans.
More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…
Ellen Gray: What was nice and naughty about 2009
The emergence of 47-year-old Susan Boyle, a woman from a small village in Scotland, as the first YouTube superstar, as her appearance on “Britain’s Got Talent” spread around the globe in the time, it seemed, that it took her to sing “I Dreamed a Dream, ” a clip of which can still make me tear up. Verdict: Nice.
* The sad, and occasionally frightening, aftermath of Boyle’s sudden stardom, in which the darker side of celebrity was starkly illuminated as the socially awkward singer became fodder for the tabloids and Boyle’s dream briefly appeared in very real danger of dying (though a recent TV Guide Network special on the singer attracted a record number of viewers to the channel). Verdict: Naughty.
* “American Idol” runner-up Adam Lambert’s eyebrow-raising performance at ABC’s broadcast of “The American Music Awards” might not have earned him any points with Santa, much less with the parents of some of the kids who championed him on “Idol, ” but it’s the network’s decision to disinvite him from “Good Morning America” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live” that seemed disingenuous, given his (admittedly pretaped) appearances with ABC’s Barbara Walters, first as one of her “fascinating” people and then on her daytime talker, “The View.” Verdict: Lambert might have been a little too eager to fly the “Idol” nest, but ABC shouldn’t have tried to have it both ways. Naughty.
A year when reality TV became part of our reality
Reality TV has been around for a decade, but this year the genre seemed to seep into our popular culture in occasionally uncomfortable ways. It also gave birth to some of the year’s biggest stars: Golden-voiced Susan Boyle, who warmed middle-aged hearts everywhere, and Adam Lambert, who warmed some of them.
More legal trouble for Rapid City’s former “American Idol” contestant
Former “American Idol” finalist Jamie Paul Koehler was back in front of a camera Monday, but his latest appearance is not a path to fame and fortune.
Koehler, 33, was arrested Saturday and charged with driving under the influence and spent the weekend in the Pennington County Jail. He appeared in magistrate court via the jail’s video conferencing system. His bond was set at $750 for first offense driving under the influence, but he is also being held for violating his probation.
Koehler pleaded guilty to felony grand theft in February. He was placed on five years probation and given credit for serving 78 days in jail. Koehler was accused of stealing several thousand dollars from a family member.
Koehler became well-known in the area after finishing in the top 44 performers on the televised “American Idol” musical competition in 2005.
‘American Idol’s’ David Cook celebrates his birthday with cookie dough
“American Idol” winner David Cook celebrated his 27th birthday in Kansas City on Sunday (Dec. 20).
He sang the National Anthem at the Kansas City Chief’s game and cheered on his home team as they played the Cleveland Browns.
Later, his friends and family surprised him in his suite at the stadium by singing Happy Birthday and presenting him with a Cold Stone ice cream cake in his favorite flavor: Cookie Dough.
Gotta be tough to have a birthday so close to Christmas. Go ahead and pig out, David.
Toby Keith Named Billboard’s Top Country Artist of the Decade
Toby Keith has been named Billboard’s top country artist and songwriter of the decade. Keith came in third on the list of artists on the decade’s all-genre Billboard 200 chart, with Eminem at No. 1 and Britney Spears at No. 2. In descending order, Keith is followed in the country artist category by Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts and George Strait. Following Keith in the country songwriter category are Alan Jackson, Craig Wiseman, Brad Paisley and Jeffrey Steele. Billboard has also recognized Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban for their accomplishments during the decade.
DECEMBER 21, 2009, 3:07 pm
Kelly Clarkson has joined the fight to help save music education in schools by becoming a VH1 Save The Music Ambassador for 2009-2010. VH1 Save The Music helps raise money and awareness to fund music education programs for children in public schools all across America. Click here to learn more about VH1 Save The Music and see how you can make a difference!
The 42 most memorable pop music moments of 2009: Part I
Best comeback we wish never had to happen: Kelly Clarkson fought for herself as an artist with ‘My December, ‘ a dark, raw 2007 album that didn’t please the suits involved in her career. Relatively modest sales further dampened her efforts at independence. Two years later, Clarkson had made up with her higher-ups, and she returned with ‘All I Ever Wanted’ — a confectionary effort that paired her with such reliable hit makers as Ryan Tedder and Max Martin and produced one of her biggest singles, ‘My Life Would Suck Without You.’ It would have been a sellout, except that Clarkson’s defiantly optimistic, sassily independent voice and spirit still ran the show — and as the season-closing number on the very Clarkson-esque television show ‘Glee, ‘ ‘My Life’ became an unlikely anthem for an imperfect year.
‘All Shook Up’ about New Year’s Eve choices
But you won’t have to wait until New Year’s Eve to see KIMBERLY CALDWELL, an American Idol second season contestant from Katy. She’ll be at MO’S … A PLACE FOR STEAKS inaugural holiday party Wednesday. Complimentary champagne and hors d’ouevres will be served from 4-6 p.m., with live music beginning at 8 p.m. Mo’s is at 1801 Post Oak Blvd. (77056) in Houston.
Ms. Caldwell appeared on Star Search, where she won five times, the most for a junior vocalist on the original version. At age 12 Kimberly appeared on stage in ‘Country Tonight’ in Branson, Mo. Later, she became a tour member of ‘Idols Live!’ and a correspondent for Fox Sports Network and for TV Guide Network.
Her debut album ‘Without Regret’ will be premiered at Mo’s early next year.
Susan Anton, Leslie Jordan, Maureen McGovern, Rita Moreno, et al. Set for All You Need Is Love 2 Benefit Concert in SF
Susan Anton, Leslie Jordan, Maureen McGovern and Rita Moreno will be among the stars of Help Is on the Way’s All You Need is Love 2 on February 8 at 7:30pm at Marines Memorial Theatre in San Francisco. David Galligan will direct this benefit concert, which will raise money for STOP AIDS Project and Aguilas. Bill Keck and Richard Berent will serve as musical directors.
Also scheduled to participate are David Burnham, Tim Hockenberry, Nick Lazzarini, La Toya London, Maria Muldaur, Kim Nalley, Carly Ozard, Jeanie Tracy, and Tracy Wicks. Other performers will be announced at a later date.
London calling: La Toya brings some glitz home for the holidays
SAN FRANCISCO ‘†Showbiz is hard work, so you can’t blame a girl if she indulges in some occasional pampering.
By the time singer La Toya London calls in for her interview, she’s settled into a well earned mani-pedi treat while still taking care of business. ‘I try and take care of myself, ‘ she says while sipping a raw juice concoction of ‘beets, carrots and spinach! Mmm!’
Born in San Francisco and raised in Oakland, London made her mark in the third season of ‘American Idol, ‘ rising to fourth rank before being eliminated.
‘Simon [Cowell] called us the ‘three divas, ” she says, referencing co-contestants Fantasia Barrino, the winner that season, and later Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson.
‘Dreamgirls’ is stunning, but lacks grit
There’s a moment in the national tour of “Dreamgirls” currently running at the Hippodrome Theatre that perfectly captures the mingling of Motown and money that is the musical’s main theme.
In “Steppin’ to the Bad Side, ” inventively choreographed by Shane Sparks, the stage goes dark, and a group of African-American men don glow-in-the-dark Stetsons and suitcoats and carry briefcases outlined on the front with fluorescent tape.
All those green rectangles suddenly take on a resemblance to old-fashioned box radios. No sooner does this observation register, then the men form a circle and start to spin. They snap open the cases, remove phonograph records and pass them hand to hand. They move faster and faster, forming a giant circle of colored light, while images of dollar bills and LPs are flashed into the five giant LED screens that form the set.
The effect is sinister – and stunning.
Rage Against The Machine: ‘We want Simon Cowell to host our Christmas Number One victory gig’
Speaking to NME.COM, Tom Morello confirmed the band were now beginning to make plans for the gig and have asked their rival to take part.
“We’ve invited him [Cowell] to be the presenter of our free show so we have to see how he responds, ” explained the guitarist. “I will say I heard Simon Cowell graciously called Jon [Morter] to congratulate him. Rage Against The Machine is waiting for our congratulatory call because we’re Number One.”
Rick Wakeman is a fan of Simon Cowell
Rock legend Rick Wakeman described this year’s Christmas number 1 as a ‘joke’ but admitted he was a fan of music mogul Simon Cowell.
Mr Wakeman said though the protestors might have won their Christmas battle, Cowell was still a winner.
He said: ‘I think Simon Cowell is very clever. He gears X Factor up to finish around Christmas time. I actually think he gives a lot of people what they want. I’m not a great fan of the programme but I am a fan of Simon Cowell.’
Shane Sparks fighting molestation charges that ‘wreaks of opportunism and exploitation’
Shane Sparks insists he’s an innocent man.
After being arrested Friday on eight counts of child molestation, Eonline.com reports that the “America’s Best Dance Crew” judge was able to post bail in the amount of $590, 000.
Since Sparks’ release from the slammer on Saturday, his attorney Steve Meister has delivered fiery messages proclaiming his client’s innocence against one woman’s accusations that Sparks molested her when she was underage back in 1994.
“The timing of these accusations is incredibly suspicious, ” the lawyer said. “It’s easy to make something up when it happened 15 years ago and there’s no evidence to support it.”
Glee and Breaking Bad top the Satellite Awards
The winners of 2009 Satellite Awards were announced on Sunday in Los Angeles, and when you look at the winners on the television side, you have to like the choices. Most of these shows and actors have been on our year-end “best” lists, and if I were to guess, I think you’ll see many of these names on the Prime time Emmy nomination roster.
The first thing that jumped out to me was Glee. The Fox musical dramedy was a winner in five different categories, including actors Jane Lynch, Lea Michele, Matthew Morrison and Kristin Chenoweth — for her guest role — recognized. And the show was named Best TV Series, Comedy or Musical.
ETA:
Can Ben Folds get his own TV show, please?
Last night’s finale of The Sing-Off brings the sad development that one of the show’s judges, Ben Folds, won’t be on my TV screen as much now. The show itself was borderline cheesy (but still enjoyable), but Folds himself was a revelation! He was hands-down the best judge I’ve seen on a competition show (EW’s Ken Tucker also loved him from the start). Folds offered the perfect combination of nice-guy genuinely rooting-for-everyone comments, knowledgeable technical advice (without sounding like a snob), and humor. I met him a few times when we both lived in Chapel Hill, NC and he was exactly the same in person ‘†impossible not to like.
David Cook’s Birthday Gift? An Ice Cream Cake!
“My 27th birthday was a great excuse to get a bunch of friends and family together, ” Cook tells PEOPLE. “The Kansas City Chiefs organization was more than accommodating, and were kind enough to have Cold Stone Creamery make a chocolate chip cookie dough cake for me.”
Beating Simon Cowell at his own game
Morter’s success highlights how downloads have changed the music charts in recent years.
“The technology is vastly different now and the rules are different as well for the charts. So strictly speaking any song that you pay for a download — over 40 pence [60 cents] I think — can be a single. So in theory anything can be a number one now if you push it.”
