The last day of Providence Rhode Island X Factor auditions are today. I plan on sitting in the audience, so watch for my tweets! I’ll also be taking notes and will write up a report afterward.
Kelly Clarkson, Casey James, and Kellie Pickler are set to play the big Summerfest festival in Milwaukee, WI tonight.
Lauren Alaina Announces Carrie Underwood-Penned Song As Next Single – “It’s amazing to have an artist like Carrie Underwood, whom I look up to so much write my single,” beamed Alaina. “Kelley, Ashley, and Carrie all did a wonderful job writing such an incredible song. I feel so honored to be able to bring to life the beautiful story within the song.” “It’s so wonderful when a song you had a hand in writing finds the perfect home,” said Carrie Underwood. “Lauren’s voice tells the story of ‘Eighteen Inches’ beautifully. What an incredible talent!” – Read more at CMIL
American Idol Alum Booted For Stripper Past In Talks For Chippendales Gig – American Idol alum David Hernandez could be joining Joey Lawrence and Jeff Timmons as a member of the Chippendales, RadarOnline.com has learned. The Arizona-native was booted from the seventh season of the hit Fox show because of his stripper past, but according to Celebrity VIP Lounge he could be returning to his roots and stripping down to his skivvies. The site says his gig isn’t set in stone yet, but David, 29, is currently negotiating a spot in the Las Vegas show. – Read more at RadarOnline
Will J. Lo Leave ‘American Idol’?: Hopefuls Weigh In On Replacements – After rumors that Jennifer Lopez may not return for a third season, “American Idol” hopefuls in Newark, New Jersey, were abuzz over the weekend with the one question nobody could answer: Will Lopez be back? And it was not just the “Idol” hopefuls in the dark; host Ryan Seacrest was not able to shine any light on the subject matter either. “I haven’t heard anything about that officially,” Seacrest told MTV News on Saturday. “I will probably find out a minute before anyone else.” – Read more at MTV
James Durbin: ‘You have to break through and kick ass’ – Q. Are you working on a new album right now? And what kind of music will it have? James: We are going to start working on the next record in September. We’re all bringing together our song ideas and jamming on new things. As far as the style of music, I’d love to say what I’d love to do, but I don’t want to jinx it. That all can change once we get in the studio. If the energy’s flowing, and that’s where’s its going, then that’s where it will end up. But the producer is amazing. He’s a guy I’ve written with before, written one song in particular off the first record, “Memories.” Just really looking forward to it. I definitely have my goal of where I want to go. The first record was thrown together really quickly, so we’re gonna take it a little slower, and now I have my band. We’re really keen on working together and writing together. Gonna be in Nashville for a month and a half, living in Nashville, while we write and record. Q. So you’re going to begin working on it in September? James: Yes. From September 1st on.- Read more at Life-Is-Awesome
Michael Lynche, ‘American Idol’ Finalist, Talks Debut Album, 90-Pound Weight Loss And Fatherhood – Two years after appearing on “American Idol” as a finalist, Michael Lynche is gearing up for the release of his self-titled album on August 14. In the midst of recording his forthcoming opus, Lynche welcomed the birth of his second child, Kingston Michael, and more recently debuted on Billboard’s Adult R&B charts for his single “Who’s Gonna Love You More.” – Read more at Huffington Post
Colton Dixon and Phillip Phillips attended the Spiderman premiere last night in Los Angeles
Colton tweeted, “Sorry to say, I did not meet Emma stone. And quite upset about it. However, the movie was amazing…Hugged Martin sheen though. Pretty swell!” Philllip met Martin Sheen too, and there is photographic evidence! “Had a great night at the spiderman premiere. Got to meet Martin Sheen. Pretty awesome! pic.twitter.com/z8A3gl5l”
Phillip Phillips: It’s ‘go, go, go’ time – First things first. What superpower would Phillips like to have? “Shooting a web and swinging across the city and climbing a wall is pretty awesome,” he said. “It’s kind of tough to beat. You could be super strong or invisible but that’s pretty awesome to be able to climb as high as you want to.” The laid back singer said “rehearsals are going well,” for the Idol tour, which kicks off July 6 in Detroit (Colton Dixon was nearby on the carpet as well). – Read more at USA Today
Adam Lambert and Matthew Morrison at The 14th Annual White Tie & Tiara Ball to Benefit Elton John’s AIDS Foundation
The party took place in London last night, where Adam is preparing for a series of concerts with Queen.
On stage with his idols – RIA Novosti: What kind of music did you like in your childhood? Were you a fan of Queen? Adam Lambert: “Yes of course I was a fan of Queen. I discovered Queen a little bit later though, not in my childhood. I discovered Queen when I was in my late teens, early 20s.” What music inspired your career? “I have been inspired by a lot of different kinds of music. I’ve been inspired by classic rock and roll of the 1970s, I’ve been inspired by pop music that I grew up with in the ’90s, I’ve been inspired by electronic dance music more lately. I like all kinds of music. If it feels good, it feels good.” – Read more at the Moscow News
Cook is ready to shatter notions – “In all honesty, I really am at peace right now,” the 2008 winner of America’s most-watched singing contest said in a recent call from his new home state of Tennessee. Working now as an independent artist, fully controlling the artistic process, has made him “excited again about making music,” he said. “There were some points during the creation of this second record where I was questioning that a little bit. But now there is a renewed focus, renewed creativity. … I feel pretty comfortable in my skin at this moment.” – Read more at HonoluluPulse
Kelly Clarkson Talks Weight Loss, Being a Blonde – Kelly Clarkson has been undergoing some serious makeovers as of late, and at Thursday night’s Duets taping, Us Weekly got her to open up about her 30-pound slimdown. “There’s no secret!” the 30-year-old expressed to Us at the event held in CBS’ studio in Studio, City, Calif. “It’s just trying to eat a little better and work out a little more. But no matter what size I am I love performing no matter how big or little I am! I feel good.” – Read more at US
Interview: As the protege of Pharrell and Jermaine Dupri, Leah LaBelle Poised to become the Next R&B Superstar – When you’ve got Pharrell following your career for years and reaching out to work with you, and bringing Jermaine Dupri on board to help, there’s no doubt you’ve got a great thing going. That was the reality for Leah LaBelle, a former finalist on American Idol who sustained her career by making YouTube covers that eventually caught the eye of Pharrell. Now signed with L.A. Reid and Epic Records, and with Pharrell and Jermaine Dupri working together to craft the fresh sound on her debut album, Leah LaBelle is poised to blow up if she hasn’t already by the time you read this. YouKnowIGotSoul caught up with her on a recent promotional run in New York City and talked to her about originally linking up with Pharrell, the sound we can expect on her debut album, her lead single “Sexify”, the contrast between working with Jermaine Dupri and Pharrell, and much more. – Read the interview and watch the video at YouKnowIGotSoul
Jennifer Lopez, Enrique Iglesias May Unveil New Duet on Tour – Fans can count on seeing Jennifer Lopez and Enrique Igelesias sing together when their co-headlining tour hits the road next month. They just don’t know what the songs will be yet. “We’re planning it, definitely,” Iglesias told Billboard.com during a conference call with reporters to talk about the tour, which begins July 14 in Montreal and plays 26 dates before finishing Sept. 2 in Orlando, Fla., with Wisin Y Yandel opening. “Her show is so different to my show; that’s what I think is going to be the cool combination. That’s what I think fans are gonna appreciate. I think it’s unexpected, and I’ve already seen what her show consists of, and I think fans are really going to appreciate that. And definitely, if we can combine that at one point, both of us together, it’s gonna be fun for the fans.” – Read more at Billboard
Emmys 2012: ‘Glee’s’ Naya Rivera on Playing a Lesbian Role Model – Glee’s Naya Rivera not only fronted the show’s landmark 300th musical performance but made the production — an Adele mash-up — a poignant one as it represented a major moment in her character’s coming out process. Her public outing was a defining moment for the character and for Lopez, whose performance as the quick-witted cheerleader has been garnering Emmy attention for most of Glee’s third season. – Read more at Hollywood Reporter
Simon Cowell turns camera shy at American X Factor fuelling neck lift speculation – THE words “camera shy” and “Simon Cowell” have never before been used together in the same sentence but the brass-necked star has suddenly started shunning the limelight. He fuelled speculation that he’s had neck surgery by slipping in through a backstage entrance at the American X Factor auditions while the other three judges worked the carpet. Britney Spears, Demi Lovato and LA Reid posed happily at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island, while the elusive Simon was nowhere to be seen. – Read more at The Daily Mirror