Idol Ruben Studdard Obtains Marriage License
Second-season American Idol champ Ruben Studdard obtained a marriage license Monday in Alabama, PEOPLE has learned.
Studdard, 29, arrived at the Shelby County Probate Office in Birmingham with fiancà ©e Surata Zuri McCants, 30, just before noon, filled out the paperwork and walked away with their license, an eyewitness says. Studdard is a Birmingham native.
“They looked really happy, ” says the eyewitness.
‘American Idol’ Wedding News
One thing that Kristy Lee Cook and Syesha Mercado won’t be able to take with them on the “Pop-Tartsà ¢’ž ¢ Presents American Idol Live! Tour 2008” tour is their fiancà ©s. There is a no-family-members-allowed-on-the-tour-bus rule.
But that doesn’t mean that the songbirds will have to go the entire summer without seeing their intendeds.
“They can meet up with us at different cities, ” Syesha tells ET. “I am sure we are not going to have a lot of time to spend with them, but we will get to see them.”
Idols Prep for Tour
Now that the stress of competing on American Idol is over, all of the top 10 finalists are looking forward to hitting the road and connecting with fans!
…Competition aside, no judges, just the fans who bought tickets because they want to hear the music, Brooke White tells OK!. …Were ready to connect with them and do what we love.
The American Idols Live! Tour presented by Pop Tarts kicks off July 1 in Glendale, Ariz., wrapping up Sept. 13 in Tulsa, Okla.
‘American Idol’ Top 10’s Tour Secrets
David Cook, David Archuleta and the rest of the “American Idol” Top 10 are heading out on the 49-city “Pop-Tarts Presents American Idols Live! Tour 2008, ” this summer and will be spending almost three months on a tour bus. So what will they be bringing along with them to help them pass the time? “The Insider” knows!
Interview: A Conversation With American Idol’s Michael Johns
With a record breaking television finale, American Idol, has proved it remains just as popular as ever. The top two contestants, David Cook and David Archuleta, brought in an impressive 97 million votes from the show’s viewers. Season seven of American Idol boasted several popular contestants aside from the two David’s, which promises to make for an entertaining summer tour.
I had the opportunity to speak with one of these contestants while tour rehearsals were underway in Los Angeles.
Michael Johns’ Mustache Dreams
All of the American Idol finalists change their look over the course of the competition, but the newest look belongs to Michael Johns, who is growing a mustache these days.
…Im bringing it back, the singer tells OK! of his look. …What the ascot didnt do for me Im sure the ‘stache will. I just go with the flow and the flow said ‘grow a mustache, ‘ so I did.
Tough Blake: Labels show little patience for slower-selling Idols
So Blake lets the world know he’s been dropped from the happy BMG Idol family. (Good summary here from the always-exemplary Rodney Ho in Atlanta.) The pattern continues: It’s getting tougher out there.
Another pattern that this news reinforces: The curse of the runner-up. Of the first six second-place finishers (all of whom were signed by BMG labels, the first five to RCA, Blake to Arista), just one still has a deal in place. Justin, Diana, Bo, Katharine, Blake — all gone. Clay’s still on RCA, though his sales have slumped. Archuleta, beware — the odds are not with you.
Tune in … “BET AWARDS ’08” – ‘The Hottest Ticket on Television’ – Premieres Tuesday, June 24 at 8:00 P.M.*
NEW YORK, June 23 /PRNewswire/ — Rihanna, Ne-Yo, Keyshia Cole, Usher, Lil Wayne, Alicia Keys, Chris Brown, Kanye West, Nelly, Marvin Sapp, and Young Jeezy are all on board to perform at BET AWARDS ’08. In addition, LL
Cool J, Samuel L. Jackson, Ice Cube, Terrence Howard, Jennifer Hudson, Gabrielle Union, Mary Mary, Lauren London and Kevin Hart will be on hand as presenters, and Jill Scott will perform a special tribute to legendary R&B icon Al Green, who is receiving BET’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Quincy Jones, celebrated producer/arranger/composer, is also being honored this year with BET’s prestigious Humanitarian Award for his outreach to young African-Americans through the Listen Up Foundation. Hosted by actor and comedian D.L. Hughley, BET AWARDS ’08 premieres live from Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium on Tuesday, June 24 at 8:00 p.m.*
Annual Vallejo Outreach event offers resources and family fun
Organizers said the 14th annual Vallejo Outreach saw fewer crowds than normal this year, most likely due to the sweltering heat.
At one end of the field, local amateur singers belted out their favorite tunes in the “Vallejo Idol” singing competition.
Later in the day, a real “American Idol” star, Mandisa, took the stage for a free concert.
“We were so excited when we heard Mandisa was going to be here, ” Johnson said. “It’s great we are having big names coming here to perform.”
Taylor Hicks
Frenchy’s got a new muse at Grease, and this time around, her guardian angel is a silver-haired crooner with rhinestone wings sewn into the pattern of his midnight blue suit. When a giant ice cream cone descends from the heavens at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, Taylor Hicks emerges to sing “Beauty School Dropout” in his Broadway debut. By now, audiences have gotten used to reality show winners turning up in musicals (Grease alone has four, with leads Max Crumm and Laura Osnes, Step It Up and Dance champ Cody Green and now Hicks, the season five victor on American Idol) and Hicks’ loyal fans, known as the Soul Patrol, are avidly cheering him on.
Sneak Peek: Jennifer Hudson – Spotlight
…Entertainment Tonight went behind-the-scenes of Jennifer Hudson new video for …Spotlight. The video, which was directed by Chris Robinson, will premiere tomorrow on BET.
Happy birthday, Randy Jackson!
The American Idol judge turns 52 today, and while, really, he’s just aiight for me, I figured I ought to give him the gift of a haiku anyway. Won’t you write one, too?
for me for you, dawg
a molten hot lava bomb
and a thesaurus
Randy Jackson Gets Creepy Birthday Gift from Simon Cowell
Randy Jackson celebrated his 52nd birthday party in Las Vegas over the weekend ‘ and what did fellow American Idol judge Simon Cowell get him?
“A barbaric-looking sword, ” says Jackson. “I don’t know what part of me he wants to cut off, but that’s a whole ‘nother thing.”
The acerbic Cowell wasn’t on hand at the bash Saturday at TAO Las Vegas to explain (though such stars as Rosario Dawson and Karina Smirnoff were there), and Jackson held hope that third judge Paula Abdul could do a little better.
Simon Cowell Gives Randy Jackson A Birthday Gift To Die For
Everybody knows Simon Cowell has a sharp tongue. Apparently he had a sword to match ‘ and he given it to Randy Jackson. For Randy 52nd birthday, Cowell presented his …Idol counterpart with …a barbaric looking sword, People reported.
…I dont know what part of me he wants to cut off, but that a whole ‹nother thing, Jackson said, who celebrated over the weekend at TAO Los Vegas.
However, Randy is hoping for a more functional gift from fellow …Idol judge Paula Abdul.
Simon Cowell grants one more ‘Chance’
The Simon Cowell-produced story of a rags-to-riches reality music star is moving ahead at Paramount.
The project, about the life of opera singer Paul Potts, has attached “The Bucket List” scribe Justin Zackham to pen the screenplay. It also has been given a name, “One Chance, ” based on the singer’s last-ditch effort to make a career in music by competing on the “Britain’s Got Talent” television show.
An amateur opera singer and mobile-phone salesman, Potts was riddled by a streak of bad luck when, on a lark, he auditioned for “Talent” in 2007. His on-air performances ended up bowling over audiences and judges, including Cowell. He went on to win the show and become a media and YouTube sensation, eventually going on a global music tour and releasing an album.
Vocal Ease: Singing on Competition Shows
One of the quickest ways for a singer to reach superstar status is to appear on a reality television competition show. Nashville Star, America’s Got Talent, and, of course, American Idol have launched substantial careers. But the process of getting there can be grueling and confusing. Here are insights into what to expect and how to get ready to move past the competition.
Piers Morgan is the Simon Cowell of ‘America’s Got Talent’
Being a smart aleck know-it-all might not be a passport to success in most circles, but it’s done wonders for Piers Morgan. The acerbic British judge on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” was hired for precisely those qualities.
It’s no accident that Morgan serves as the Simon Cowell of the talent show. It was Cowell who got him the job. “Simon rang me up and said, ‘Get on a plane to my L.A. home NOW, you’ve got an interview with NBC, and it’s 50-50. And if you do a good interview you may get this job.’ And my life changed completely, ” he says in a deserted bar in a hotel here.
Canadian Idol Recap: The Top 24 Perform Part I
I’m not sure how they will eliminate, so I will give my two picks from Monday and two from Tuesday night to go home as per years past when four at a time are eliminated until they have a top 10.
Ben informs us one of these 24 people will be our Idol, and he sounds pretty psyched that Canadian Idol starts. Right. NOW! The pink shirt isn’t quite working for him tonight. Farley’s shirt is a little too casual for him, I like his flashy, plucked from Don Cherry’s closet, attire that he usually wears.
Wow, my first thought when Ben walked over to the top 24 was just how much they’ve been Idolized already since their auditions. They all look quite different. And as Adam can’t describe his first week in one word, we start the performances.
Canadian Idol Recap – Monday June 23
(andPOP) – It time for the first group of 12 semi-finalists to perform live on Canadian Idol 6. Jake Gold tells us that unlike other years, the top 24 is mostly experienced musicians. Let find out who can deliver.
Lindsay Barr is up first. She wants to …come out of the ring running. A raven-haired pseudo-rocker, she sings …Burnin Love by Elvis Presley. She has a lot of energy while performing, but it mostly all bravado. The entire performance is very karaoke and the song choice does nothing for her. Jake echoes this thought with …the singing reminded me of some really bad bar singing. Zach adds, …It was a shining example of what not to do.
