Idol: Does the New Judge Want Paula Abdul’s Job?
There’s a new judge in town, and she’s not about to take any of Simon Cowell’s crap. Kara DioGuardi joins the table when the eighth season of American Idol hits Fox in January, and she’s prepared to make her voice heard, despite the major changes in the coming season. The new girl has spunk, but there’s a lot of speculation that this is just a tricky way to edge out Paula Abdul.
So does Kara want Paula’s coveted spot? Here’s what she tells us…
“Oh no. Why would I take her place?” Kara says. “She’s great. People love her, I’m hoping they like me. I’m not worried about taking Paula’s place, I’m trying to make sure people like me.”
Kelly Clarkson New Single …My Life Would Suck Without You Hits Radio January 19th
Kelly Clarkson will reportedly return January 19th when …My Life Would Suck Without You, the first single from her upcoming fourth album, hits radio. Rolling Stone got an early listen to a few tunes from the still-untitled disc (expected out March 17th) and can report they are, in two words, totally awesome. Reports that Clarkson was making a country record were incorrect ‘ the new album is stocked with primo pop hits reminiscent of Breakaway.
More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…
Dish Of Salt: Top 10 TV Quotes Of 2008
# 6 ‘ …First song, I loved hearing your lower register, which we never really hear. The second song, I felt like your usual charm was missing for me. It kind of left me a little empty.
— FOX …American Idol
Paula Abdul bizarre critique in a moment of confusion after she thought she saw contestant Jason Castro sing twice. He had only sung one song.
Kellie Pickler’s USO Tour: Loved the Troops, Hated the Toilets
Kellie Pickler just returned from a whirlwind USO tour of military bases around the world, and the exhausted country singer says she can’t shake two things from her mind.
“Seeing the faces of over 20, 000 military men and women (that is forever imprinted in my mind), ” Pickler writes in a new post on her MySpace blog. “And … the horrific endless sight of porta potties (that too is forever imprinted in my mind).”
Seriously, though, Pickler, 22, says the response from military personnel around the world ‘ the tour took her to Germany, Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo and England ‘ deeply impressed her.
Ten moments that shook ‘American Idol’ in 2008
To some (myself included), it was the greatest season in “American Idol” history. To others, it was sagging proof that the series was overdue for a reboot. We had controversies, surprises, tragedies, outrages and amazing triumphs, and in the end hints of big shake-ups in the year to come. Below is my list of the most earth-jolting moments that rocked the Idoldome in 2008. Which did I leave out? What were yours? Let us know in the comments section below.
Concert industry posts record year despite economy
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The stock market is in the tank, the plant is closing and the neighbor is losing his home … the perfect time to go to a concert, by one measure.
The concert business grossed just under $4 billion worldwide in 2008, the most ever for a year and up almost 13 percent over last year, according to Billboard magazine.
“Overall, it’s been a pretty good year for touring, ” said Ray Waddell, who covers the industry for Billboard. “I’d never say it’s recession-proof, but it’s resilient.”
In North America, the average box office gross was up 18 percent and the average attendance up 6.3 percent.
Bon Jovi’s tour was the year’s highest-grossing, based on the trade publication’s data from Nov. 14, 2007, to Nov. 11 of this year. It grossed $210.6 million and drew nearly 2.2 million fans.
Coldplay, Adele, Hudson to honor Neil Diamond
Coldplay, Adele, Jennifer Hudson and Josh Groban will perform at the 2009 MusiCares person of the year gala on Feb. 6 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. As previously reported, MusiCares, the charitable arm of the Recording Academy, will honor Neil Diamond at this year’s event.
Other performers include the Foo Fighters, who tend to appear at all Grammy-related activities, and country singers Tim McGraw and Raul Malo. Performing artists will tackle a selection from the Diamond catalog. The annual fundraiser, which is set for two nights before the Recording Academy hosts the Feb. 8 Grammy Awards, will be celebrating Diamond’s philanthropic work, which of late has involved donating funds to Hurricane Ike relief efforts in Texas.
“Black Nativity, ” Intiman Theatre’s annual gospel songfest
Intiman Theatre’s annual holiday production, the gospel songfest “Black Nativity, ” hasn’t taken a break due to the snowfall: It’s playing as scheduled at the Tony-winning Seattle Center theater. Part theater and part gospel concert, this year’s production of “Black Nativity” references the historic election of Barack Obama and has a guest list including the full Total Experience Gospel Choir; soul vocalist Choklate; gospel singer Jacquie Berg; and past “American Idol” contestants Karma Johnson and Sanjaya Malakar.
Friday’s 8 p.m. performance will celebrate the Rev. Samuel McKinney’s decade of performances in “Black Nativity.”
Ryan Seacrest’s Mom Wishes He Had Time for Romance
Ryan Seacrest’s search for the right partner continues ‘ only this time with the encouragement of his mother.
“I wish he had more time to date, ” Connie Seacrest tells Momlogic.com about her famous son, who also just happens to be the producer of the new NBC show, Momma’s Boys. “That would be wonderful for him ‘ and we’d stand a better chance for him to have a relationship. ”
As for any butting in ‘ or rather, assistance ‘ from Mom: “My rule is that you just observe and wait until they ask for your opinion, ” she says.
IT’S LUCKY NUMBER THREE FOR A NEW ROSTER OF CREWS AS MTV KICKS OFF SEASON 3 OF “RANDY JACKSON PRESENTS AMERICA’S BEST DANCE CREW” THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2009!
America’s Hit Reality Dance Competition Series Returns For An Eight-Episode Season Thursday, January 15, at 10 p.m. ET/PT (9 p.m. C)
NEW YORK, December 22, 2008 Fans who have been eagerly awaiting the return of “Randy Jackson Presents America’s Best Dance Crew, ” will have a very happy new year when MTV premieres Season 3 of the hit reality dance competition series on Thursday, January 15, 2009, at 10 p.m. ET/PT (9 p.m. C), in a special 90-minute episode.
Nine talented new crews will take to the stage as an awaiting national audience tunes in to see which ones have the best moves, the most heart and the swagger of champions. “America’s Best Dance Crew” will feature brand-new challenges all designed to make this the most physically demanding season yet. As crew choreography and teamwork are tested like never before, Season 3 promises to deliver more of the incredible stories and heart-stopping routines viewers have come to love, all culminating in a live season finale showdown.
Safety-first Sinitta puts on some astonishing headgear to jet-ski in the Caribbean with Simon Cowell
Eighties singer Sinitta and her ex Simon Cowell took to the water again yesterday as they continued their month-long paradise break.
However the cautious 42-year-old seemed determined to protect her assets and sported a rather odd sun visor that circled around her entire head.
While Simon didn’t even bother doing up his life-jacket and stood up on the jet-ski, Sinitta made sure she was well buckled up and didn’t try anything too risky.
Cowell, 49, is in Barbados for a month with Sinitta and her two children, Magdalena, three, and two-year-old Zac, whom she adopted with husband Andy Wilner last year.
