American Idol runner-up, Kree Harrison, has been added to the Opry Team for the Annual Celebrity Softball Challenge set for June 8, 2013, 9 a.m. at Greer Stadium, Nashville, TN. The game is an annual event during the CMA Fest weekend that raises funds to benefit cancer charity, City of Hope. Her teammates include Ayla Brown. She’ll face off against Season 10 alums, Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina playing on Team After Midnight. Via CityofHope.com
Casey James will host the Casey James 2013 Frisbee Golf Tournament Benefiting Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt on Wednesday, June 5 in Nashville. The event will be held at The Fontanell and will include a round of Fisbee Golf with Casey and special guests, as well as a breakfast and meet and greet with fans. – Read more at Music Row
Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley sing their hit “Remind Me” in his Brad Paisley Spins the Wheelhouse Live in Vegas special set to premiere on 5/29 on Great American Country. – Via Broadway World
‘American Idol’ Isn’t Dead …Yet – Ratings are in a free fall. The judging panel was a $40 million bust. Viewers are exasperated over predictable themes and performances. Culture blogs are flooded with obituaries for American Idol. Confetti rained on Candice Glover Thursday night as she tearfully warbled her coronation song, winning the 12th season of the veteran singing competition. But was she singing at its funeral? – Read more at The Daily Beast
‘American Idol’ Needs To Start From Scratch, Experts Say – The confetti has been swept up, the tiara placed on the head of winner Candice Glover and hope once again restored that “American Idol” might have found its next Carrie Underwood or Kelly Clarkson. Now for the hard work. Let’s face it: Season 12 was a bit of a mess. The talent was lackluster, the attempt by producers to guarantee the first female winner in six seasons was obvious and the uncomfortable tension between high-priced judges Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj often made the show hard to watch. – Read more at MTV
Tim McGraw Critiques Keith Urban’s ‘Idol’ Judging Skills – Now that Keith Urban has completed his first — and possibly only — stint as a judge on American Idol, the question loom: Will he return for another season? “I’ve known Keith forever so I just think he’s just one of the greatest, coolest guys in the business,” McGraw tells The Hollywood Reporter. “I think he’s doing great. He’s way more diplomatic than I think I could ever be. He’s really a nice guy.” McGraw, who resists the idea of joining the Idol panel because he’s not one to sugarcoat criticism, says Urban “knows what he’s talking about, which is the coolest thing.” – Read more at The Hollywood Reporter
Angie Miller and Adam Lambert
“Absolutely LOVED singing with and getting to know @adamlambert!! Such a genuine, great guy!!! #trueartist pic.twitter.com/7X8GtB9oGz” Angie Miller tweeted about her American Idol duet partner. Adam posted a black and white version of the photo on instagram with the caption “@angieAI12 and I givin drama”
Speaking of Instagram, American Idol has one now Check out their latest photo featuring the American Idol Top 12 at Thursday’s finale:
‘American Idol’ Judges Come w/ An Expiration Date – Just how replaceable ARE “American Idol” judges? According to “Idol” champ Taylor Hicks … SUPER DUPER REPLACEABLE. Taylor was out in L.A. on Friday when our photog asked the season five winner the only interesting thing left to ask about “Idol” … is it time to replace ALL the judges? Randy Jackson — the last remaining original judge — made his exit after the season finale, and it’s been reported that newbie judges Nicki Minaj, Mariah Carey and Keith Urban are all on the chopping block. But Taylor is unfazed by the “A.I” shake up and believes the “revolving door” of judges COULD be a way to save the slowly dying show. Read more at TMZ
Eyewear Commercial with Danny Gokey
Posted on Danny Gokey’s You Tube channel– a new eyewear commercial for Wisconsin Vision Center.
Catching up with Heejun Han
Well. Alrighty then.
Randy Jackson’s post-‘American Idol’ project: A Ukrainian pop princess – Randy Jackson sent a ripple of surprise through the airwaves last week when it was officially announced that, after twelve seasons, his tenure was “American Idol” was over to focus on “other projects.” And FOX411’s Pop Tarts column has exclusively learned that one of those other projects is young Ukrainian pop princess, Mika Newton, who is attempting to crack the U.S. music market. “I’m excited to be working with Mika,” Jackson told us. “She is unbelievably talented.” Read more at FOX News
News: Nicki Minaj Video Deemed Too Risqué to Premiere on American Idol – All the American Idol judges performed on Thursday night’s finale… except for Nicki Minaj.
On a night chock-full of performances, including Korean pop sensation Psy and Aretha Franklin via satellite, the “Superbass” singer’s absence from the stage was conspicuous. The omission wasn’t a snub though. “I had already committed to the Billboard Awards to perform my single [‘High School’], and so I wasn’t allowed to perform it on Idol and perform it on Billboard [both],” Minaj explained to reporters after the finale. It’s not her first disappointment when it comes to the single. “I was supposed to premiere my ‘High School’ video on Idol but they said it was too risque,” Minaj said. “Anyway.” – Read more at SeattlePI.com
American Idol Backstage: Nicki Minaj Agrees “The Right Woman Won” – Last night Candice Glover was crowned as the new American Idol over Kree Harrison, and judge Nicki Minaj heartily agrees with the choice the country made. And she reveals that she knew before the finale that Candice would be the winner. “The best woman won. Her voice surpassed everyone’s expectation,” she told us backstage after the show. “When we saw her story last week, when she took us home with her, I think that really signed the deal for her because you were rooting for someone like her to win. I’m just excited to have been a part of it.” – Read more at EOnline