Idol Headlines for 4/16/15

NEW Presenters for the Academy of Country Music Awards Set for Sunday April 19 0n CBS – Hall of Fame Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman, 2 BROKE GIRLS star Beth Behrs, Clint Black, Lee Brice, Kelly Clarkson, Brett Eldredge, Brantley Gilbert, Mickey Guyton, Hunter Hayes, Miss America 2015 Kira Kazantsev, Taya Kyle, Dr. Phil McGraw, Justin Moore, “Entertainment Tonight” host Nancy O’Dell, Thomas Rhett, Dallas Cowboys All-Pro quarterback Tony Romo, Darius Rucker, Steven Tyler, Keith Urban, Sofia Vergara, Reese Witherspoon, Dallas Cowboys All-Pro tight end Jason Witten, Trisha Yearwood, Dwight Yoakam, Alabama and Big & Rich will be presenters for the 50th ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS. The ceremony, co-hosted by Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton, will be broadcast LIVE from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, April 19 (8:00-11:30PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network. Keith Urban and Blake Shelton will also perform – Via CBSPress

Carrie Underwood pens Audra McDonald’s Time 100 Writeup – Beautiful. Intelligent. Extraordinarily talented. These are just a few words that describe the incomparable Audra McDonald. She has acted on television and in movies, graced theater and concert stages and given a gift to countless fans with a voice that I can only describe as being blessed by God. Audra has accomplished incredible things in her career. She’s won more Tony awards than any other Broadway performer, most recently for playing Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill. But I feel the greatest legacy she will leave behind lies in the works she does for others. Never afraid to stand up for what she believes, Audra is a strong voice speaking out for humane treatment of animals, dignity for the homeless and marriage equality.

Pickler’s appearance may be biggest ever for Red Cross – NORMAL — If Kellie Pickler’s appearance Wednesday night didn’t result in the most successful American Red Cross of the Heartland Evening of Stars ever, it will be a close second. The 22nd annual Red Cross fundraiser — featuring the popular country music singer/songwriter as its keynote speaker and performer — was a sellout with about 900 attendees at the Marriott Hotel & Conference Center in uptown Normal, said Lyn Hruska, Red Cross regional chief development officer. While Hruska didn’t have a final figure Wednesday as to how much money the event raised for the Red Cross, she said it will be about $200,000. – Read more at Pantagraph.com

This Is How Katharine McPhee Is Spending Her Hiatus From Acting – Ask any starlet in town: Scoring a series regular role on a hit TV show is a lot like winning the lottery. And the good news is the riches that arrive with TV stardom come complete with a much-deserved summer break. So when we snagged some face time with Scorpion star Katharine McPhee on Tuesday night inside Giuseppe Zanotti’s well-heeled bash to toast his newly expanded digs on ever-chic Brighton Way in Beverly Hills, we just had to find out how the fresh-faced star is spending her hiatus from the CBS show. (Luckily, our chat came before Beyonce showed up, affecting our concentration.) – Read more at The Hollywood Reporter

Catching up with Taylor Hicks, an American Idol winner – “It was the 10-year overnight success story. I started out in small clubs and road houses in Alabama. For 10 years, I really worked hard to find that one break, and luckily during the time of Hurricane Karina and with a Southwest Airlines ticket, I was able to be at a place where Idol was auditioning, and the rest is history,” Hicks said. His coronation song, “Do I Make You Proud,” was a No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. “That song has a lot of meaning,” he said. “It is still being played in radio stations in Indonesia. I am fortunate that many people still enjoy it.” He continued, “I am actually celebrating my one decade anniversary in show business. It is unbelievable, and it sneaks up on you.” – Read more at Digital Journal

Survivor host Jeff Probst says ‘I don’t see a spot on the jury for quitters – ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Jenn said “I’m not a quitter,” yet campaigned to be voted out. Is it just semantics, or is there a genuine difference? JEFF PROBST: Not in my book. But I’m fairly hardcore on that one. Others may feel differently. I don’t know that I really fully understand who Jenn is, so I’m just guessing with this answer, but I think Jenn may see herself not so much as a quitter—but more of a “giver upper.” As in, “This is frustrating to me, I give up.” And if that’s the case, then I still put that in the quit category, but that’s only based on how I see the world. I love Jenn on the show. She embodies my version of the “No Collar.” She’s a fighter with principles and she’ll make your life hell to prove her point. But if she has your back, she’ll kill for you. I dig it. – Read more at Ew.com

About mj santilli 34829 Articles
Founder and editor of mjsbigblog.com, home of the awesomest fan community on the net. I love cheesy singing shows of all kinds, whether reality or scripted. I adore American Idol, but also love The Voice, Glee, X Factor and more!