Happy Birthday David Cook
A self-declared “Word Nerd, ” it’s not surprising that David Cook is able to express his thoughts on his CD, his career, and life in general. As he puts it on his official web site, “There a lot I havent shown the world, just as far as who I am and what Im about. I have several layers as an artist and those layers are out there on this record. I dont see myself ever writing an autobiography; Im just going to let the music speak for itself.
Ramiele comes home for special concert
MANILA, Philippines’ Ramiele Malubay, the pint-sized (411) Pinay singer with a powerful voice, who made it as one of the Top 10 finalists on the top-rated talent show, …American Idol, has come home to perform in the concert, …The Idol Experience: Ogie Sings wth the Idols, today and tomorrow at 8 p.m. at the Aliw Theater. Also in the show are GMA-7 …Pinoy Idol Top Three, Ram Chaves, Jayann Bautista and Gretchen Espina.
Ramiele will be in town for the next three months to explore her options, as far as joining the local entertainment scene is concerned.
More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…
Teen Takeover! The Year’s Hottest (and Youngest) Stars
DAVID ARCHULETA
Age: 17
Though he was the runner-up to American Idol season 7 winner David Cook, the quiet teen with the big voice has a rabid fan base ‘ dubbing themselves “Archies.” “It’s pretty cool, ” says the singer, who recently released his self-titled debut album and first single, “Crush””. “People put the time and effort into making signs for you with your name and pictures on it! I do appreciate it.”
Happy Birthday David Cook
Dec. 20, 2008 ‘ David Roland Cook, who won Season 7 of …American Idol (Season 8 begins Jan. 13 on Fox), turns 26 today. He will perform on the Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade airing at 9 a.m. Dec. 25 on ABC. His Nov. 1, 2008 appearance on …Saturday Night Live will be rebroadcast Dec. 27 on NBC. Best wishes to David and everybody who shares this special day with him.
MSG On The Road To New Original Series
MSG will unveil a new franchise this Saturday, giving viewers a peak inside the recent Z100 Jingle Ball concert.
Road to MSG: Z100 Jingle Ball will premiere Dec. 20 at 8 p.m., capturing the behind- the-scenes action of the performance held at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 12.
The network cameras captured David Archuleta, Brandy, Jesse McCartney, Ne-Yo, Paramore, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Leona Lewis and Rihanna, among others, as they arrived in New York for the gig. Fans that want to see more of MSG extensive coverage, including photos and video, of Z100 Jingle Ball can also check out www.msg.com/jingleball.
Buzzworthy Battle: David Archuleta ‹Crush Vs. Paramore ‹Crushcrushcrush
I know that to hardcore Paramore and Archuleta fans, asking which is more crush-worthy ‘ David Archuleta …Crush or Paramore …Crushcrushcrush ‘ is like asking which is better ‘ six baby kittens mewing silently because they cant even really mew yet, or a jolly panda nuzzling a little chickadee: both are awe-inspiring, and you JUST CANT STOP SINGING BOTH ¦ songs, not the baby kittens and panda/ chick combo.
OR, do we just close our eyes, wish real real hard, and hope that that small intersection of David Archuleta AND Paramore fans forms a super force and creates one mega …Crushcrushcrush ¦ crush force that simply cannot be effed with?
By the way, here a handy visual of what that intersection looks like:
Ramiele Malubay of ‹American Idol fame: Small girl, big voice
SMALL GIRL, BIG VOICE ‘ That Ramiele Malubay, 21, another Filipina who made it to ‹Americal Idol, after Jasmine Trias and Camille Velasco. Ramiele stands at 411, but what a big and powerful voice she got, wowing ‹American Idol judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson.
“You definitely got a big voice for a very cute, small girl, ” enthuses Randy. To which the usually acidic Simon and Paula agree. “Arent you cute, ” he says. “Youre adorable, ” she says.
Catching Up With Melinda Doolittle
It was obvious on season six of American Idol that Melinda Doolittle was not one to complain about much, but the fact that she gets her best sleep on the bunk in her tour bus is still a tad shocking! It’s a good thing, too, as Melinda is on the road a lot these days. In fact, she wraps up her Christmas tour with Michael W. Smith tonight. This is actually the second Christmas tour she’s done with Michael, as well as the Michael W. Smith Cruise 2008, during which she and Jordin Sparks sang a duet. Melinda calls Michael “really supportive” and “such a veteran, ” and admits that working with him has been a wonderful learning experience for her.
Carrie Underwood …Dream a Much Needed Wake-Up Call
This just in from the random-but-awesome Carrie Underwood files. A breathtaking picture of Underwood performing her war widow tribute …Just a Dream. The caption describes Underwood single as …top-notch tear-jerking melodrama. And they are right about that and about the vivid imagery in the video when Underwood goes from new bride to grieving wife of another military casualty. But they also manage to squeeze in a jab at American politics for allowing our hopes in the president-elect to distract from our struggles in Iraq. So kudos to Underwood and her label for releasing a song that reminds Americans what really going on over there while were all busy celebrating Obama over here.
Fox execs speak ‘ on ‘American Idol, ‘ ‘Dollhouse’ and more
Channel Island: You’re changing “Idol” at a crucial time for the show. Last year the ratings were off, and the show’s headed into Season 8.
Liguori: Last year we were down 9%. But toward the end of the season, our ratings were every bit as strong as they were the year before.
Reilly: Down 9% on a 7-year-old show: That becomes a headline about decline. But very few shows that age can remain that strong.
Liguori: Kara (DioGuardi, the new fourth judge) is someone who is adding a new dynamic. She can certainly go toe-to-toe with Simon Cowell on a musical basis, given her experience. We have a bit of a dynamic of girls versus guys (among the judges). Having seen her in action, she really brings her game and causes everyone else to raise theirs.
In terms of making tweaks to, let’s call it the Top 36 [contesants], it’s a little bit of going back to the future. We’ve done that in the past, and it really has worked. It somewhat heightens the drama around those Hollywood episodes.
Website discovers the ultimate Idol song choices
We in the Idol-research field have long sought ways to scientifically crack the code of America’s leading TV show – to mathematically determine who will win and who will be wrapped in Angel of Death Seacrest’s icy embrace. But a new technology has put science in the hands of contestants, letting them take the guess work out of those troublesome song choices.
According to a newss release put out by TheFilter.com a music-recommendation engine backed by Peter Gabriel, the site — which takes reader preferences and uses them to predict what similar music they might enjoy — has analyzed, combined, tabulated and determined the perfect list to win over the hearts of the four judges. As explained in the release:
Stars’ Most Regrettable Moments
American Idol’s top 5 contestant Jason Castro had performed the first of two songs during a Neil Diamond-themed episode in April when Paula Abdul told him, “The second song, I felt like your usual charm was missing for me. It kind of left me a little empty and the two songs made me feel like you’re not fighting hard enough to get into the top four.” Oops! Later, she called the gaffe “an honest mistake.”
L.A. Unleashed – latimes.com
Paula Abdul Former pop queen and current “American Idol” judge Paula Abdul has never been among the first celebrities to spring to our minds when we think of animal activism. (She’s no Emmylou Harris, is all we’re saying.)
Imagine our surprise, then, when we learned that Abdul has signed on as spokesperson for the American Humane Association’s Pet’s and Women’s Shelters (PAWS) program.
American Humane quotes Abdul, “The relationship I have with my dogs is not only very special to me, but also a great source of comfort and peace of mind…The PAWS Program is a critical way of providing a transition for abused women and children into a safer and better life. I feel privileged to be involved with this extremely important and necessary program.”
Would Simon Cowell’s departure from American Idol hurt CKX?
It’s just weeks away — a potentially big change for the television show that transfixes America. But how many people would watch it if the show’s superstar decided to take a hike? That’s not just a troubling question for viewers of the show but for investors in the stock of the company that licenses it around the world. What show am I talking about? American Idol. Which star is thinking of leaving? Wait for it — Simon Cowell. And what stock could take a beating if he leaves? CKX Inc (NASDAQ: CKXE).
Simon Cowell is thinking of leaving American Idol. According to MSNBC, Simon said “I’ll make a decision about (whether to stay with the show) next year.” Why would Simon leave? He claims it’s not personality conflicts but the workload and his belief that the show could keep those demands going “for another 10 years.” But if Simon leaves, would the show be as popular? Could the producers find someone else to be the harsh voice of reality?
Simon Cowell: Buxom Brunette
Simon CowellSimon says … go topless.
While relaxing on a hotel balcony in Barbados on Friday, Simon Cowell took time out to air out his hairy man-boobs.
Don’t judge.
Cowell rakes in £250, 000 per day from Hallelujah
X Factor supremo Simon Cowell will have three reasons to say “Hallelujah” this Christmas.
According to a report in the Daily Mail, the music mogul is not just earning the hefty profits from Alexandra Burke’s version of the Leonard Cohen song, his music company owns the rights to Cohen’s original recording and the version by Jeff Buckley.
All three versions of the song are expected to top the Christmas charts and some have predicted that the song will clinch the top three places.
Simon Cowell’s company SyCo Music is reportedly earning £250, 000 per day in royalties from the three recordings.
Jeff Buckley: A singer with the real X Factor
Should the unthinkable happen, and a grassroots campaign by Jeff Buckley fans disrupt Simon Cowell’s efforts to again secure a Christmas number one, BBC Radio 1 will be forced to deal with a tricky issue of protocol. Normally, the station interviews chart-topping artists before playing their winning song (even when Bob the Builder won, Neil Morrissey stood in). But Buckley would be sadly unavailable for selection.
The supremely gifted singer, whose haunting rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” has reignited public interest in the pop charts, died in a swimming accident on 29 May, 1997. He had completed just one studio album, and was on the verge of major celebrity when his life was cut short.
It’s the war of the whirled Global ‘Dance’ pros compete
“Superstars of Dance” executive producer Nigel Lythgoe (who also produces Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance”) says his latest project “isn’t just another dance show.”
“There has never been a show like this anytime, anywhere in the world, ever, ” Lythgoe told reporters this week.
“Superstars of Dance, ” premiering on NBC Jan. 4-5 at 9, is built on professional dancers from eight nations competing in front of a panel of world-class judges. Grouped together as teams, duets and soloists, the dancers will perform the styles of their country, including ballet, hip-hop, ballroom and much more.
“Lord of the Dance” Michael Flatley and former MTV VJ Susie Castillo are the hosts.
“I’m kind of glad I’m not judging because it’s an intense competition, ” said Flatley. “But being able to represent all these different countries in such a classy way and such a colorful way is very exciting for me.”
‘Dancing’ tour takes its toll on stars
This year’s “Dancing with the Stars” tour has barely started, but already its bruising demands were taking their toll on veteran “Stars” performer Cheryl Burke.
“The schedule can be tough, ” said the first two-time “DWTS” champion, who’s been with the show for six of its seven seasons. “Half the time we don’t even know what day it is.” Burke and her 13 fellow tour dancers hit the hay when the sun shines. “That’s our only time to sleep. It’s impossible to sleep right after the show because of the adrenaline rush afterward.”
The 2008-09 “DWTS” tour, which visits 38 cities before winding up on Feb. 8 (it comes to the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Dec. 27), includes celebrities such as former ‘N Sync member Lance Bass, Olympic sprinter Maurice Greene and Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin.
