Carrie Underwood announces new tour; Josh Turner opens
Touring with Keith Urban apparently did not satisfy Carrie Underwood’s touring jones because she now is launching a separate tour in February as well with Josh Turner as the opening act. The tour will consist of more than 30 shows and hit the road in February in the northeast as the “Carnival Ride Tour.”
Underwood will also co-headline dates with Urban on the “Love, Pain & the whole crazy Carnival Ride Tour, ” starting Jan. 31.
Judge Gives Ex-American Idol Contestant Sierra Rehab
The Hillsborough County courthouse hosted its own version of a reality program this morning, complete with a gruff judge, big-name lawyers, a dramatically tearful would-be starlet and a celebrity doctor.
At the end of the half-hour hearing, Circuit Judge Daniel Perry agreed to send former “American Idol” finalist Jessica Sierra to a yearlong stint at an in-house drug treatment facility in California, followed by three years of probation. He was not quiet about his reservations, however.
“I don’t want this to be some sort of stepping stone for her to have some sort of a career as a recovering addict, ” Perry said. “I don’t want her giving interviews. I don’t want her on TV. I don’t want anybody glamorizing the fact that she’s a drug addict. I’m over that.”
Ain’t Misbehavin’ Tour, with “American Idol” Stars Studdard and Davis, Will Begin in November
A spokesperson for Big League confirmed to Playbill.com Jan. 7 that “American Idol” winner Ruben Studdard and former “American Idol” contestant and Rent star Frenchie Davis will head the cast of the tour, which will kick off Nov. 14, 2008, and continue through mid-May 2009. Among the many cities the tour will play are Boston, MA; Los Angeles, CA; Wilmington, DE; Birmingham, AL; Salt Lake City, UT; Pueblo, CO; Erie, PA; and Hays, KS.
Additional casting and cities will be announced at a later date.
More Headlines After the Jump…
McEntire, Clarkson Sharing Band On Tour
Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson’s upcoming “2 Worlds 2 Voices Tour” will find the pair joining forces to share one band, one stage and plenty of hits.
The 15-city tour, which will include stops in Louisville, Indianapolis, Norfolk, Va., and Winston-Salem, N.C., will kick off Jan. 17 in Dayton at Nutter Center and wrap Feb. 16 at Kansas City’s new Sprint Center.
McEntire tells Billboard that the tour, and Clarkson’s appearance on her recent “Reba Duets” album, is the result of a successful CMT “Crossroads” collaboration. “We had such a good time together, ” she says. “Kelly and I were disappointed because it was over so fast.”
Clay Aiken’s Golf Tournment, Part 2: It’s the Clay and Wayne Show!
Former US Open and British Open golfer Wayne Player, son of legend Gary Player, may not have had the career his dad did. But during this morning’s golf clinic at Mirasol’s “Golfing For Inclusion, ” he’s proven to not only have a heck of a swing, but to be an energetic, theatrical teacher that might make him the Professor Harold Hill of golf (“He’s the golfing man, and he gives golfing lessons to the swells in town!”)
For about 30 minutes, Wayne gave some pointers on golf, some ruminations on growing up in the light of his father, and made Clay Aiken his second banana. He also demonstrated how to properly aim a swing by not knocking off the head of our good friend and Clay fan Pam Bassett, who he had stand nervously behind him as he swung.
Part 2 – Palm Beach Post Part 3 – Palm Beach Post Part 4 – Palm Beach Post
‘American Idol’ Alum Jessica Sierra Sentenced To One Year In Rehab For Club Altercation
Pinsky said that Sierra had already completed her portion of the “Rehab” show before the December arrest, and he described her as a “courageous” patient, who had been “on the street” doing drugs before she sought treatment. He also said the singer, who is pregnant with her first child by a man she has only described as “a rapper, ” made some “very poor choices” during her drug-using phase, including a video the paper said he described as “symptomatic of her addiction.” Pinsky and Sierra reportedly discuss the video ‘ which TMZ has reported is a sex tape ‘ on the show.
Single reviews – Daughtry – Home (Sony BMG)
IT doesnt happen too often that an American Idol reject gets heard of over on this side of the Atlantic – especially as we have a healthy crop of our very own languishing in Z-list circles- but Chris Daughtry early exit from the TV talent show couldnt have worked out better for him.
Taking cues from such over blown power-balladeer rockers as Creed and Matchbox Twenty, ‹Home – whilst being entirely derivative, overly glossy and soulless – has the kind of unifying chorus that hard to ignore, whilst cynically lending itself too easily to teary montage clips.
American Idol 101: Frequently asked questions
In just one week, “American Idol 7” will debut, ready to capture the nation’s attention once again. The No. 1 television show in the country generates big ratings and tons of questions ‘ from how much contestants are paid to why producers insist upon selecting bad singers year after year.
FOX isn’t always forthcoming about its top show ‘ most likely because that silence keeps people talking and guessing ‘ but from past contestants, media reports and other sources, there are many answers.
Here, then, are the most frequently asked questions about “American Idol.”
The Year in Dropped Artists
As a sort of companion piece to the news that Taylor Hicks and Ruben Studdard had been dropped from J, Entertainment Weekly’s Hollywood Insider blog ran a list of acts that had been dropped by/defected from major labels in 2007 last week. Frankly, I’m surprised that it isn’t about a mile longer, even though it does run the gamut from on-to-better-things artists (the White Stripes, Radiohead) to bands that seem to have hard luck follow them wherever they go (Mooney Suzuki, Blood Brothers). Full list after the jump.
THE WHAAA? It’s not about the list per se, but the comment section of the EW post has turned into a kinda crazy-ass pissing match between JC Chasez fans and Bo Bice diehards. I mean I loved “Until Yesterday” probably more than anyone else, but really?
“Dreamgirls” coming to Raleigh
RALEIGH — The North Carolina Theatre kicks off its 25th anniversary season with the spirit of Motown. …Dreamgirls is coming to Raleigh this month.
The lead in the show, Quiana Parler, talked to anchor Tracey Early about her character and working with Clay Aiken. View the video for this interview.
Idols for Rent – TV talent show a stepping stone to legit theater
…American Idol can take you to the top of the Billboard charts – or to the bottom of the gossip pages (Season four Jessica Sierra had a big 2007: She was arrested twice, released a sex tape and is pregnant).
But Anwar F. Robinson and Heinz Winckler are content staying in the spotlight by simply paying their dues. Robinson, who made it to the top seven in …American Idol season four, and Winckler, who won the top prize on …M-Net Idols, the South African equivalent of …Idol, are hitting the stage as Tom Collins and Roger Davis in the national tour of the Broadway musical …Rent, which returns to Boston for a weeklong run at the Wang Theatre starting Tuesday night.
The most commented on Ear Candy posts of 2007
It seemed like in 2007 if any local blog, newspaper, magazine, newsletter, etc. wanted to get readers all it had to do was type two words: Blake Lewis.
The boy from Bothell almost dominated Seattle’s music news in 2007 in a typical Seattle fashion that harkened memories of the grunge days. He went from a virtual unknown throughout the past five years or so (although Ear Candy will continue to brag about knowing Blake way back when) to a relative overnight sensation thanks t o the help of the national media.
He worked hard, deserves the attention and should continue to be a unique bright spot on the Seattle scene. Given his Maroon 5-meets-Keane-meets-Lupe Fiasco style of music, things can only go up for Blake.
He’s Very Friendly
Blake Lewis has brunch with some heterosexually impaired friends in LA on Sunday.
The American Idol alum hit up Dough Boys Bakery for some grub and good times with the guys.
Blake’s album was released recently. You probably hadn’t heard.
Human rights guy wants B96 DJ to Tone it down and Fly right
Tone E. Fly can’t say that out loud, but the B96 DJ might be thinking it. On Wednesday he’s scheduled to explain, in a forum not of his choosing, why he called “American Idol” alum Paris Bennett “a dumb [b-word].”
St. Paul’s Human Rights Department head Tyrone Terrill confirmed Monday that he is having a meeting with “community leaders, ” B96 GM Steve Woodbury and Fly, whose bills are addressed to Anthony Distasio.
