McCain’s final Washington tribute – Clay Aiken was spotted at Senator John McCain’s funeral in Washington DC on Sunday. Clay is good friends with McCain’s daughter, Meghan McCain. Clay sang at her wedding. Meghan spoke at the service: “We gather here to mourn the passing of American greatness. The real thing, not cheap rhetoric from men who will never come near the sacrifice he gave so willingly, nor the opportunistic appropriation of those who lived lives of comfort and privilege while he suffered and served.” – Read more at Politico
American Idol auditions took place in Albuquerque, Charlotte and Seattle on Friday. The bus was in Boise on Sunday.
‘American Idol’ auditions kick off in Charlotte – Hundreds of people flocked to Charlotte Friday morning to take their shot at becoming the next “American Idol.” A line started to form before ABC11 crews arrived on scene at 6 a.m. – and it was massive. – Read more at ABC11.com
‘American Idol’ hopefuls get jamming in Old Town – As the sun rose Friday, there was a wave of positive energy in Old Town. Hundreds of hopefuls patiently waited in line for the opportunity to audition for the ABC reality singing competition series “American Idol.” “How many other shows travel to find contestants?” McCosker asked. “I’m quite blessed to be a part of this huge audition tour across the country. I’m always coming back for the talent.” – Read more at AlbuquerqueJournal
Hundreds line up in Bellevue to audition for ‘American Idol’ – If you remember the “American Idol” of years past — when judges Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul barely tempered Simon Cowell’s bitter critiques of contestants who couldn’t hit a single note, or when judge Steven Tyler complained that producers pushed him to be mean — you might be surprised to hear it described as a feel-good show. “People need something uplifting,” said Katie Fennelly Watkins, senior supervising producer for “American Idol.” “We’ve been embracing that this past season.” – Read more at Seattle Times
Maddie Poppe & Caleb Lee Hutchinson Reveal How They Plan To Keep Their Relationship Strong – “Well, gosh, love will keep us together. No, I don’t know. I don’t really … I don’t fear about that because the way has been made thus far and, no, I mean it’s not like if I don’t see this girl for a week I’m giving up, you know what I’m saying?” Caleb sweetly replied. “No, I’m not worried about it. She’s going to make moves, I’m going to makes and we’ll make them together. I ain’t worried about it.” – Read more at Hollywood Life
Fun podcast. Maddie hints she may show up on an award show soon. (CMA awards?)
Jennifer Hudson at women’s conference: ‘We have no choice but to keep on going’ – She still lives in Chicago, though most assume she’s fled for Los Angeles. Among women who have shaped her: her mother — murdered on Oct. 24, 2008, along with her brother and nephew. And Aretha Franklin, at whose funeral she sang on Friday. “Chicago has shaped me in many ways, which is why I still live here to this day. People are always like, ‘You live in L.A.? You live in New York?’ I’m like, ‘No. I live in Chicago,’” Hudson told an audience of about 800 women at last weekend’s Create & Cultivate conference, at House of Vans in the West Loop. – Read more at Chicago Sun Times
Scotty McCreery’s Fans Got Him a Sweet Wedding Present – The American Idol winner tells Taste of Country that he and wife Gabi were registered at popular wedding stores Bed Bath & Beyond and Target, and a group of fans decided to take it upon themselves to purchase one of McCreery’s now-favorite household items. “I think my favorite gift is a Roomba, a little vacuum that goes by itself like a robot,” he chuckles. “[Gabi is] working, she’s a nurse, and I’m on the road, and so the thing keeps the house clean. That thing’s been great. I think about five or 10 fans went in together and got that for us. It was really nice. They got us a lot of cool stuff.” – Read more at Taste of Country
Daughtry to perform at Athletic Club – “At the time I was playing in clubs,” he continued. “It was also before YouTube was a huge thing; it was before people could get their music out online in such a big way in front of a massive audience. So I felt like I was spinning wheels. I was like, well, no record labels are beating down the door coming to see us in North Carolina, so what do I have to lose by going on the show? I was thinking I’d get on there for a couple (of) weeks — see if I got on there at all — and maybe get a few gigs and be able to support myself playing music. But obviously, it turned out much better than that.” – Read more at Bend Bulletin
Self-esteem, not perfection, the goal for former ‘Voice’ contestant Madilyn Paige – “I knew I wanted to put out music that was relevant and current sounding, but that had a good, positive message that could help people,” Paige said of the album that was almost three years in the making. At only 21, Paige already has plenty of experiences to write about. At the age of 16, she joined team Usher and began her journey on the sixth season of NBC’s “The Voice.” She advanced to become a top-20 finalist on the Emmy Award-winning singing competition, and her self-titled debut EP was released soon after in early 2015. Paige also auditioned and received a golden ticket for the 15th season of “American Idol,” but was later eliminated during Hollywood Week. – Read more at Deseret News
