Winehouse, West Win Big At 50th Annual Grammys
Alicia Keys “dueted” with a vintage performance by Frank Sinatra of “Learnin’ the Blues” to kick off the 50th annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, but the real magic came from leading nominees Amy Winehouse and Kanye West.
Winehouse led the field with five wins, while West scored four. But both were shut out of the album of the year Grammy, which unexpectedly went to Herbie Hancock’s Joni Mitchell covers album, “River: The Joni Letters, ” in the biggest upset of the night.
Grammy Awards Light Up With Kanye West’s Future-Shock; Hit A Solemn Note With MC’s Tribute To Mother Donda
Already a multiple Grammy Award winner Sunday night (February 10), Kanye West lit up the show with a future-shock performance that was part swagger and part humble tribute to his mother. It was an early celebration for a night during which he won won multiple awards ‘ including Best Rap Album ‘ as did Foo Fighters, Amy Winehouse and Alicia Keys.
Leaders of striking writers accept studios deal
Membership to vote Tuesday on whether to end three-month-old walkout
LOS ANGELES – The Writers Guild of America moved swiftly Sunday toward a resolution of its three-month-old strike, with guild leaders deciding to recommend a tentative contract to members and ask them to vote on a quick end to the walkout.
By calling for separate votes on ending the strike and accepting the new three-year deal, the union cleared the way for the entertainment industry to return to work almost immediately.
More Idol Headlines After the Jump!
Writers strike left big winners, losers in its wake
The Writers Guild of America strike, which lasted three months, irrevocably changed the TV landscape. There were victims, of course, and not just in Hollywood. Faithful viewers were deprived of favorite shows, and new programs lost potential followings.
But in any war (and this was war), there are profiteers, too. During the past three months, some shows and personalities gained something from the strike.
Here’s a rundown of some of the strike’s biggest winners and losers.
MSNBC
Grammy Red Carpet: Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, Fergie Shine Bright
Kudos should unfortunately be taken from Daughtry, however, who proved that not all “American Idol” finalists have undergone a style evolution. Chris Daughtry may have been nominated for Best Rock Album, but that does not give him license to walk down the runway in vinyl. Or pleather. Or any fabric that indiscernible or offensive to the human eye. Swing and a miss.
Of course, everyone’s not always going to get it right, no matter how many hits they’ve gotten on the radio. While Carrie Underwood has broken out of her early country-girl days, her plunging Zuhair Murad floral number couldn’t seem to decide if it was classy or trashy. Sure, it came right off the runway of fashion week, but the runway and the red carpet are two very different things, and her dress clashed with just about everything.
Patrick Stump, Travis Barker And Even ‘Idol’ Blake Lewis Trade Licks At The Roots’ Pre-Grammy Jam Session
WEST HOLLYWOOD, California — “Ya’ll acting real industry right now, ” Roots’ drummer Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson joked to the crowd during a lull in his band’s three-and-a-half-hour performance on Saturday night. “If ya’ll were really in the industry, you’d be up at Clive Davis’ party right now.”
And he couldn’t have been more correct. For five years now, the Roots’ pre-Grammy jam session has been the most unpredictable, least industry party during the most industry week in Hollywood. And this year’s was no different. If anything, it was the most free-flowing and lively session yet. And it certainly ended later than ever before.
And the guest stars just kept on coming. The Roots then brought Bilal up to jam through a couple of numbers ‘ including the aforementioned take on Radiohead ‘ which unfortunately killed off the momentum Seal had built. Perhaps realizing that, Black Thought called hip-hop legends MC Lyte and Doug E. Fresh up to the stage, for a medley of old-school hip-hop hits (“Cha Cha Cha” and Slick Rick’s “La Di Da Di” being two of the standouts), which got the crowd back on their feet, and by the time 3 a.m. hit, Fresh, Thought and “American Idol” runner-up Blake Lewis were engaging in a beatboxing battle that blew the roof off the place.
Foo Fighters, Alicia Keys, Daughtry play pre-Grammy party
Lewis proves in her single that she can ride a slow-paced groove, and offers up just the right amount of vocal acrobatics to please an “Idol”-trained audience. But when she tackled “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, ” a song popularized by Roberta Flack, the young Lewis lacked the personality to give it anything more than a cabaret-like treatment.
But then the show soon took a severe turn for the worst. Daughtry was joined by Slash and Nickelback’s singer Chad Kroeger. The group of super-famous musicians butchered Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Born on the Bayou” with a gratuitous guitar solo, and also let its two singers, Chris Daughtry and Kroeger, get locked in some weird machismo battle for the most flamboyantly strained vocals.
The “Idol” train kept-a-rolling with Fantasia, who performed a cut from her role in Broadway’s “The Color Purple.” And while she has a bit of grit to her vocals, she wailed as if she wanted Manhattan to hear it.
Grammy Performances Meld Classic, Contemporary
Alicia Keys opened the telecast with “Learnin’ the Blues, ” a virtual duet with Frank Sinatra on a white screen in the background. The show then segued into Carrie Underwood embodying the bad-girl revenge anthem “Before He Cheats” while wearing a black cat suit and knee-high boots on a stage set with wrecked cars in the background.
Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban Among Grammy’s Early Winners
LOS ANGELES — Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley and the Eagles are among the early winners at the 50th annual Grammy Awards show taking place Sunday night (Feb. 10) in Los Angeles.
Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” was named best female country vocal performance. “Before He Cheats, ” written by Josh Kear and Chris Tompkins, was also named best country song.
Carrie Underwood On Her Grammy: ‘I Vote For Myself Often!’
Carrie Underwood picked up a Grammy Sunday night for her single, “Before He Cheats, ” and she revealed she had a hand in her win.
“I was only up for two [Grammys], but yeah, I vote for myself often, ” the blonde said backstage at the event. “I have no shame. I pay to be a member.”
Underwood said picking up her latest Grammy has been another exciting moment on her rise to fame since winning …American Idol.
“I think it all been such a whirlwind, ” she said. “It started so quickly and it never slowed down ‘ it amazing to think I ever ended up here, I dont know how it happened. But Im glad.”
Exclusive: Chris Daughtry’s Parents Speak on Son’s Success
Sandra and Pete Daughtry sat and watched the 50th Grammy Awards from the comfort of their Fluvanna County home.
Even though we may see a rock superstar on TV they just see their son.
“It’s amazing. Everybody says, how do you feel? It’s just like the feeling you have of any of your children achieving something, ” said Chris’s mother Sandra, “Every time I hear him on the radio I just turn the radio up. We want to try and catch every little thing on TV that we can.”
But when your son has hit records on the radio and music videos on MTV, it’s hard not sit back and think: Is this really happening?
Your next `American Idol’?
It’s Hollywood time on “American Idol, ” and at least two Carolinians will be there.
The Fort Mill brother/sister team of Michelle and Jeffrey Lampkin managed to stand out among the 100, 000 hopefuls who auditioned this year, earning two of the 164 “golden tickets” to Los Angeles. Those auditions begin airing Tuesday on FOX.
“Expect the unexpected, ” said Jeffrey, 25, a music minister in Newberry, S.C. “Hollywood’s going to be exciting.”
It’s unclear whether other Carolinians made it to the Hollywood stage — “Idol” is notoriously secretive. And because of “Idol” contract restrictions, the Lampkin siblings can’t say how they did or whether they made it to the top 24, when viewers get to start voting.
American Idol: Murray teen travels to Hollywood for the hit reality show
Sixteen-year-old Murray High School student David Archuleta went from national singing sensation and winner of television’s “Star Search” five years ago to a boy who couldn’t chirp a note due to an underdeveloped vocal cord.
But despite that – maybe because of it – the teen with the big voice is roaring back on a different national stage: He’s going to Hollywood for the newest season of “American Idol.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s in the top 10, ” said David’s vocal coach, Dean Kaelin. “David’s going to do great.”
Garrett couple wed on live TV show
Kim Knigga wanted a Garrett woman …to feel like a princess on her wedding day.
…Live with Regis and Kelly granted that wish Friday when Kacy Hardenbrook and her fiance, Jordan Edsall, were married live on the national television show.
Jordan Edsall escorted his mother and grandmother down the aisle as American Idol winner Taylor Hicks sang …The Right Place. Hicks also performed at the wedding reception.
‘Idol’ Week 4: Power Rankings
1. Kristy Lee Cook
Gorgeous Oregonian’s ”Amazing Grace” was the hands-down highlight of the American Idol audition season, and Internet backlash about her one-time deal with Arista Nashville hasn’t stopped her from scoring high in our weekly reader polls. (Last week: No. 1)
2. David Cook
Beat-down fauxhawk aside, this congenial rocker proved his smarts (studying Daughtry tapes before auditioning), fashion sense (rocking a cool argyle sweater vest), and vocal ability (delivering a unique take on ”Livin’ on a Prayer”) in one fab audition. (Last week: No. 3.)
Augusta County man will compete in American Idol
Since Colton Berry’s ecstatic face popped up briefly at the end of “American Idol” two weeks ago, friends and fans of the thespian-savant have been anxiously awaiting the start of the Hollywood round of the show Tuesday.
“American Idol” has been airing audition clips of hopefuls from across the country since Jan. 15. With those over, this week’s episodes will feature clips of contestants chosen by judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul. The judges will whittle down the competitors to 24 finalists consisting of 12 men and 12 women.
Can ‘Idol’s Jackson deliver auditions?
Jackson will take time out from “American Idol, ” TV’s No. 1 show, to promote heart health Feb. 29.
The “Idol” judge, a type 2 diabetic, will spend the day on a media blitz with Oakley resident Harry Moore, also a diabetic. Moore, 58, taped a national public service announcement with Jackson and two other diabetics in November in Los Angeles for the American Heart Association’s “Heart of Diabetes” campaign (www.iknowdiabetes.org).
Reba and Kelly rock Wright State
Sometimes seemingly odd collaborations can turn out harmonious results.
That was certainly the case recently at Wright State University’s Nutter Center in Dayton when a sold-out crowd of 9, 694 caught the “Two Worlds, 2 Voices, 1 Stage” tour featuring country music icon Reba McEntire and original “American Idol” winner Kelly Clarkson.
The pairing may seem odd, but the connection between the two began years ago when Clarkson was in the sixth grade and a friend turned her onto McEntire’s music. After Clarkson won “American Idol, ” McEntire made a guest appearance on the show to surprise Clarkson and perform with her. A friendship was formed, and last year, they performed on CMT’s “Crossroads” together, sparking the idea of a tour.
