Enjoy!
Kris Allen played a gig last night at the BB Kings Blues Club in the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, ahead of his appearance tonight with Allison Iraheta on the FOX New Years Eve special (starts at 11 pm).
After the jump, check out Kris performing the self-penned “Red Guitar” for the very first time in front of an audience.
Please check it out! He did very well! I’ll add videos to this post as they appear today.
In this video with the folks at Pechanga Resort and Casino, David Cook reminisces about the tour he just completed, his New Years resolutions, and a look ahead to 2010.
With his Idol win behind him, David considers the next album “make or break” for his career, leaving him both excited and nervous.
As far as the songs David is currently writing for his next album, he says to expect tunes that are a little more uptempo and musically urgent with lyrics that are tongue in cheek–with a little more “spit and vinegar.” The band hasn’t nailed down a producer yet.
David performed at the San Diego casino last night, and is set to ring in the New Year at Pechanga tonight. His set starts at 10:30.
Fox Nixes Arbitration in TWC Retrans Fight
The Fox/Time Warner carriage dispute will not go to a binding arbitration before the FCC.
TWC chairman and CEO Glenn Britt and News Corp. president Chase Carey each sent letters Wednesday to Sen. John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communication, Technology and the Internet.
First, Britt agreed to the arbitration suggested by Kerry in his Dec 22 letter to the two media executives that urged them to find a way to keep Fox on TWC beyond Jan.1. But several hours later, Carey sent his own letter to Kerry, declining to participate in arbitration proceedings.
Despite the verbal salvos, the two sides continue to negotiate in Los Angeles, with TWC’s team led by exec vp and chief programming officer Melinda Witmer and News Corp.’s group headed by Mike Hopkins, president of affiliate sales and marketing for Fox Cable Networks.
However, the companies remain far apart as News Corp. is said to be holding firm to its demand for $1 per subscriber per month fee, while TWC’s counter offers are believed to be under 50 cents.
Kris Allen has double duty in Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve
There are myriad music options in Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve, from The Black Eyed Peas at LAX to Christina Aguilera at Tao to Maroon 5 at the Palms to 50 Cent at Pure to Robin Thicke at the Bank to the John Mayer Trio at The Joint. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
American Idol winner and Conway, Arkansas’ hometown hero Kris Allen performs tonight at midnight(!) at the new B.B. King’s Blues Club in The Mirage, taking him into the first few hours of New Year’s Eve, then the 24-year-old hits the stage again for Billboard’s New Year’s Eve Live! on Fox, joining Sean Kingston and his American Idol alumnus Allison Iraheta.
Kris spoke with me on the phone a few hours ago after being delayed at McCarran Airport amid the New Year’s Eve onslaught into Las Vegas.
Adam Lambert, Usher, More Stars Share Their New Year’s Resolutions
“American Idol” star Adam Lambert is going to try to keep things in perspective in 2010. “I think my New Year’s resolution is just to stay positive and enjoy the moment.”
Kris Allen’s Mom Sends A Belated Christmas Gift
Christmas came late thanks to the insanity of the MTV mailroom around the holidays. But boy, did Santa come through big time!
Although it was delivered a week ago, today I finally received a magical package from the North Pole. And when I say the North Pole, I really mean Arkansas.
Kris Allen’s adorable, beautiful, witty, hilarious, amazing, irresistible, phenomenal, Nobel Peace Prize-deserving perfect mother sent me my very own PajamaGram after catching a silly subliminal message about jammies in a recent “Kris Allen Outtakes” video. Enclosed with the Christmas-themed pajamas? A card that read, “Because you asked nicely.”
Naughtie Behavior | The Decade in Music
We All Got Reality-Checked If you were mildly telegenic and could do a few trills and glissandos then you, too, could be on American Idol. That said, Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood’s platinum records were impressive; Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Jordin Sparks and Taylor Hicks not so much. More telling was the success of the also-rans: the Oscar-anointed Jennifer Hudson, the mom-approved Clay Aiken and the glitzy gay provocateur Adam Lambert — all more winning than the winners. And thank goodness for Susan Boyle, who proved you could rack up sales with just a lovely voice and a YouTube following.
A decade of Idol-worthy albums
American Idol has been serious business since it debuted in 2002 — for the music industry and for fans. Favorites are ferociously defended, even if album sales don’t always reflect the devotion.
That’s why this list — the 10 best albums from Idol singers of the past decade — was tricky. I redid it a few times, left out a few initial inclusions (Daughtry, Fantasia) and ignored some commercial giants (namely Carrie Underwood, whose trio of discs boast killer singles but are weighed down with truly awful filler).
I avoided repeating artists, except for one unavoidable instance. You’ll see soon enough. And it seems most of the better stuff was in the latter half of the decade.
Best TV Episodes of 2009
11. “Final Four Perform,” American Idol (May 5): It certainly wasn’t the best performance night of Season Eight, but it was the most memorable, as both Kris Allen and Adam Lambert showed off the styles that would make them the ultimate finalists, the terrific Allison Iraheta got a rocking swan song, and Danny Gokey provided the season’s viral disaster with an Aerosmith cover from hell.
Prostitution Whores: Movieline’s Year in Reality Television
American Idol
We can agree that the eighth season of Idol was the finest one in years, but many can’t decide who deserved to win. All I know: 1) Kris Allen loves Independence Day, and that is adorable; 2) Adam Lambert loves wearing sidewalk-chalk colors, and that is something; 3) Kris and Adam both love Michelin Man suits, and Anoop Desai thinks that’s hilarious.
New Year’s Eve celebrations to get mild weather
The expected 40,000 revelers at the First Night Raleigh celebration will get mild weather – and be able to see the acorn drop not once, but twice.
In the newly opened City Plaza on Fayetteville Street, a 1,200-pound steel and copper acorn will drop twice to mark the new year – once at 7 p.m. for children and again at midnight for adults.
American Idol’s Anoop Desai, along with WRAL’s Kelcey Carlson and Ken Smith, will be LIVE at First Night Raleigh in WRAL’s extended 11 p.m. news.
Belting voices reign supreme in ‘Dreamgirls’
In fact, this is a cast that stands and delivers, but too often at one volume level — loud. An unfortunate exception was an opening-night glitch that left Mercado’s Deena without a microphone in the first performance of the Dreams’ theme song. There also were problems with blinding lights that forced many of us in the front rows to shield our eyes at times.
Mercado soldiered on through the short silence and eventually was able to show off her voice with “Listen,” her second-act duet with Angela that comes from the movie version and was written as a showcase for Beyonce.
Review: ‘Dreamgirls’ filled with misery
Lead performers Moya Angela, Chaz Lamar Shepherd, Chester Gregory, Syesha Mercado, Adrienne Warren, Trevon Davis and Margaret Hoffman are all spectacularly voiced and passionate. Their emotions come through loud and clear yet, it’s often difficult to discern the specific lyrics. You find yourself wondering how a show can be so loud and yet unintelligible.
FOX CLAIMS 4TH QUARTER VICTORY FOR FIRST TIME IN NETWORK’S HISTORY
Bests CBS by +6% In Adult Demo To Rank No. 1, Gains +14% Year Over Year
Marking a first in the network’s history, FOX has won the Fall season among Adults 18-49. Averaging a 3.3/9, FOX outperformed its nearest competitors by +6% in the adult demo, +35% among Adults 18-34 and +50% among Teens. In addition to dominating the quarter by placing first during seven of the season’s 14 weeks the most Fall weekly wins ever for the network FOX is the only major broadcast network to post a year-over-year gain in the key Adults 18-49 audience this Fall:
American Idol stars dominate Top 10 Theme Park Photos of 2009
Everyone can give a thumbs up or down to any photo in our gallery. As you’ll see below, our American Idol pictures were very popular by visitors to our online gallery. Here are the top 10 photos from 2009 that received the most thumbs up (and least thumbs down). Click on any of the photos to pop open a larger version.
Top 10 theme park videos of 2009
Number 5
David Cook Sings at Walt Disney World’s American Idol – 135,000+ views
Number 3
American Idol Kris Allen sings “Heartless” at Disney World – 388,000+ views
These 8 songs are the last of the tunes from the pre-concert VIP sessions Kelly Clarkson performed for fans during her just-completed “All I Ever Wanted” tour.
Thanks to Anne Chantal for uploading these awesome tunes, and thanks also to the peeps who recorded them. The entire collection can be found at annechantal1. Or check out my collection HERE.
I’m Not the Only One – NEW SONG
So He Says – New Song
I Need you – NEW SONG
The Climb – Miley Cyrus Cover
When It Don’t Come Easy – Patty Griffin Cover
Mary Jane – Alanis Morissette Cover
Never Loved a Man – Aretha Franklin Cover
Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee Cover
Fox411 reports that the reason Constantine Maroulis has been seen canoodling around NYC with reality “star” and “heiress” Tinsley Mortimer, is due to the contract he signed to be Tinsley’s boyfriend for the duration of her next reality project, “Empire State” for the CW set to debut in 2010. That’s right, for the time being, Constantine is getting paid to be her fake boyfriend. I think there’s another word for that? Heh. FOX reports that while Constantine couldn’t be happier, his peeps are less than enthused. via FOX.
Idol judge, Ellen DeGeneres and Project Runway’s Tim Gunn have been named Peta’s Woman and Man of the year. “Tim Gunn and Ellen DeGeneres show us that one person really can make a difference in the world by rejecting cruel deeds in favor of compassionate acts,” says PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk. Both honorees made “an exceptional effort to place animal rights issues before a large audience.” via US.
In other PETA News, Carrie Underwood–along with Tyra Banks, Oprah Winfrey, and First Lady Michelle Obama–is featured in an anti-fur banner for the animal rights organization that will be placed at Metro stops in the Washington, DC area. The banners were unveiled today. via PETA.
And, in other Carrie Underwood news, her new fiance, Mike Fisher lost his bid to be on the Canadian Olympic hockey team. Sads. Oh well, that’s more time to plan a wedding! Although I’ll bet Carrie would have looked cool rinkside in Vancouver next year… via US
Bucky Covington presented a check for $25,000 to the Tennessee chapter of the Arthritis Foundation prior to his December 29 concert at the Hard Rock Cafe in Nashville. The funds came from his winnings from his appearance on Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader earlier this year. Bucky is set to play a New Years show at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem NC tomorrow night.
Congrats to David Cook’s Team for a Cure: They raised $30,000 for the Washington DC Race for Hope. Proceeds go to help fund the fight against brain cancer–a charity close to David’s heart as he lost his brother Adam to the deadly disease earlier this year. via braintumorcommunity.org via Zap2it.
More from the glut of videos taken at the Z100 Jingle Ball in New York City on December 11.
Here, Kris Allen tells Billboard Magazine that he’s planning to tour beginning in February. (Reportedly, Kris will be performing two shows in the Philippines on February 5 and 6.)
Also, Kris remembers his best moments of ‘09 and talks about his new self-titled record.
Here’s Part 2 of the video series Anoop Desai taped with WRAL Raleigh’s entertainment editor, Kathy Hanrahan covering entertainment highlights of 2009.
In the latest video, Anoop and Kathy discuss the year’s scandals, including all the usual suspects: Jon and Kate, Balloon Boy, Kanye West and of course, Tiger Woods.
I don't think Anoop cares whatsoever about Celebrity Gossip but he did a good job at acting like he did care.
I’ve also posted Part 1–a discussion of 2009’s celebrity deaths–in case you missed it…
Anoop will also be on hand to bring in the New Year with WRAL, covering Raleigh’s First Night celebration for the TV station.
Celebrity Scandals 2009
Celebrity Deaths 2009
I’ve got the updated American Idol Season 9 schedule, just for you!
I added the guest judges to the schedule–the auditions begin and end with Victoria Beckham in Boston and Denver, Mary J. Blige in Atlanta, Shania Twain in Chicago, Kristin Chenoweth in Orlando, Joe Jonas and Neil Patrick Harris in Dallas, and Avril Lavigne and Katy Perry in Los Angeles.
Also notable: Tuesday’s premiere, the Boston auditions, is 2 hours. The next night, in Atlanta is 1 hr 15 minutes. Wednesday shows start at 9 pm beginning January 27 and stay that way, except for the Top 12 and Top 12 performance shows for both men and woman, which are 2 hours long.
The schedule FOX released only contains dates through the first week of the finals. I find it interesting that FOX describes the first performance show “Finalists Perform” and in the press release “The finalists will be revealed”, without mentioning numbers. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but could the producers have a twist up there sleeves? A wild card contestant, perhaps? Hm.
Access Hollywood is counting down it’s Top 9 of 2009, and Adam Lambert is #5 on the list. The video piece is a greatest hits, more or less, of the show’s Adam coverage in the past few months.
Adam is set to take the stage at the big the Gridlock New Years Eve Party at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles. His 40 minute set begins at midnight.
Check out the video now!
Ryan Seacrest Previews His ‘Rockin’ New Year’s Eve’
With 2010 just days away, Ryan Seacrest is dishing about his star-studded TV special, “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2010.”
“What happens is, the night before New Year’s Eve, Dick goes to sleep and he prays that it’s going to be miserably cold and wet for me, and I’m not kidding — he wants me to earn it! He’s been out there for some brutally cold New Year’s Eves,” Ryan says.
“What’s great about being in New York City in Times Square on New Year’s Eve is that no matter how cold it is, you’re packed with a million-plus people and the energy is unlike any other place in the world on that night,” he adds.
Lambert dominated local music scene
North County’s music scene grew and changed in 2009, but the biggest local music story of the year didn’t happen here but 100 miles to the north, where ex-North County resident Adam Lambert became a global pop sensation on Fox’s “American Idol.”
The 27-year-old Lambert moved with his family to Rancho Penasquitos when he was 1 year old. At age 10, the freckle-faced and red-haired Lambert began performing steadily in youth theater at Metropolitan Educational Theatre Network in Poway. By the time he graduated from Mt. Carmel High School in 2000, he’d become a regular at Vista’s Moonlight Amphitheatre (in youth and adult shows). He moved to L.A. in 2001, where he worked steadily in musical theater until auditioning in mid-2008 for “American Idol.”
Kris Allen, Allison Iraheta to perform on Billboard’s New Year’s Eve special
Last New Year’s Eve, Kris Allen had an explosive holiday, even though he had no idea 2009 would bring him huge fame, a recording contract, and the title of “American Idol” champ.
“I had a party at my house with like, 45 people there,” Allen said in a media conference call. “We all went to the roof with sparklers and someone’s pants caught on fire. That was pretty scary. I don’t think she ever came back to my house after that.”
Kris Allen & Allison Iraheta Talk New Year’s Eve & ‘American Idol’ Without Paula Abdul
As for the rumors that Simon Cowell may depart after the upcoming season, Allison and Kris say they can’t imagine the impact on the show if it loses two of the three original judges.
“Obviously, Simon’s a big watching point for a lot of people and they would have to replace him, but I really don’t have a clue,” Kris attempts.
What they do know is why they want to be in Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve performing on the Billboard show.
Music man
Mills and Allen have been playing music together for four years. The duo first met musically through Chi Alpha at the University of Central Arkansas. A year ago, they started writing and recording together.
Then this little thing called American Idol happened. Mills and Allen tried out together with Kris’ brother, Daniel, but Kris was the only one to pass through all the rounds of auditions, and the rest is history.
When Allen came back to Little Rock in July for the Idols Live Tour, he talked to Mills about the possibility of joining his band.
Simon Cowell on “American Idol”: Who Could Replace Him If He Leaves?
If “Idol” bigwig Cowell chooses to go, his departure would raise the issue of if anyone could — or should — take his place as “head” judge. After a wave of criticism from some “Idol” watchers over the decision to bring in music-outsider Ellen DeGeneresto fill Paula Abdul’s vacant seat, replacing Cowell will be a tough sell to the show’s fans and critics. The person sitting at the end of the table would need to know the music industry inside and out, not be afraid to tell someone when they’re bad, and have some track record with launching new artists into superstardom.
Was that mold broken with Cowell, or is there someone out there who can take his place? Speakeasy has a wishlist.
Simon Cowell, music industry destroyer? The ‘Grinch’ fires back at critics
It’s hard to deny that many, many people share Simon Cowell’s taste in music. Just look at the millions of CD sales Susan Boyle has been racking up. Yet along with this immense popularity, Cowell is also one of the most vigorously loathed figures in pop culture today. The man himself attempts to reckon with these contradictions in this week’s cover story of the venerable British music mag NME under the headline “THE GRINCH SPEAKS.” Read on after the jump for some of the most outrageous revelations in the NME interview, including Cowell’s views on La Roux, Eminem, Oasis, Animal Collective, and more.
TV’s biggest local and national stories of 2009: Real Housewives, Adam Lambert, Kevin Gillespie
Paula Abdul announced her departure from “American Idol” with a Tweet. CNN’s Rick Sanchez lives on Twitter. Local TV stations now offer Twitter updates.
So in honor of the Twitterverse, here are notable local and national TV stories of 2009 in no particular order — in 140 characters or less.
Autopsy on Avenged Sevenfold’s Sullivan Inconclusive; Tributes Pour In For “The Rev”
Even a pair of former American Idol stars tweeted on Sullivan’s passing: Chris Daughtry wrote, “People are dying far too young these days…very sad news about ‘The Rev,’” while David Cook tweeted, “Thoughts to friends and family of The Rev, drummer for Avenged Sevenfold. Dead at 28. Sad news.” Similar messages were tweeted by members of Puddle of Mudd, My Chemical Romance, Good Charlotte, Shinedown and more. “Really sad news, Jimmy ‘The Rev’ Sullivan has died,” Slash wrote. “This is a tragic turn of events, he will be mourned by many.”
The peeps who booked David Cook and David Archuleta in Manila last year, are announcing via twitter, that Kris Allen will be performing two dates in the Philippines in February.
According to the Music Management Intl. twitter, Kris Allen and the dance group Jabbawockeez will perform in Cebu on February 5, 2010 and McKinley Hill Concert Grounds in Manila on February 6.
David Cook, David Archuleta, Michael Johns, Taylor Hicks and Elliott Yamin are some of the Idols who have headed to the Philippines to perform after their Idol runs.
I don’t know if this gig is set in stone, but I’ll post more news when it’s available.
Carrie Underwood is set to appear on the People’s Choice Awards, airing on CBS January 6. Carrie is up for Favorite Female Artist. If she’s appearing, there’s a good chance she won in her category. Kris Allen, Adam Lambert, Daughtry, Susan Boyle and American Idol are also up for awards. AINOW.org is reporting that Kris won’t be attending the ceremony. No word yet on any of the others.
Matt Giraud is stoked! Last night he tweeted “Just got done with the first rehearsal with my NEW BAND!! Wow. These guys are incredible. Finally hearing how my songs sound with a band!” Matt is getting ready to fly out early tomorrow morning to Oklahoma, where he’ll be singing the National Anthem before the Oklahoma City Thunder basketball game on New Years Eve.
Blake Lewis is working on some new music. He tweeted today, “Just finished writing a song with my friends @samshrieve and Rachel Taylor of He Is We. Great song, now its time…”
Clay Aiken blogs on the current state of the African nation Somalia as Unicef Ambassador for Huffington Post. Last year, Clay spent five days in northwest Somalia.
He reports that while the situation there is still grim, it’s not without hope. via ONTD_ai.
Progress in Somalia Despite Difficult Circumstances
This past November, while we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a grim milestone was reached in the east African nation of Somalia. The conflict and instability which has characterized that nation for the past 20 years has produced a generation in its central southern province that has never known peace.
In this season of peace and goodwill, this jarring reality should spur us to action so that future generations are not lost.
The mere mention of Somalia conjures in the mind of everyday Americans a place where lawlessness reigns. Indeed, the perception is that no other country has done more to place the issue of maritime piracy at the forefront of our minds and within our headlines.
While this may be true…it’s certainly not the whole story.
There are, however, glimmers of hope. For one, the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) has made overtures to place the well-being of children on its emerging social service agenda.
One significant achievement the country boasts is that it has remained polio free since 2007. Also, despite a prolonged drought affecting over 1.4 million, including 700,000 children, there is visible evidence of declining malnutrition rates. This year, in fact, UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) have reported that they’re on track to reach up to 50,000 severely malnourished children — more than double those reached in 2008.
In addition, through the Child Health Days initiative, UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) were able to deliver low-cost, high-impact health packages this year to over one million children under the age of five. These interventions included immunization, vitamin A supplementation, de-worming tablets and oral rehydration salts to combat diarrhea caused by contaminated water.
The Idols are keeping busy over the New Years holiday, with various TV appearances and live appearances.
On New Years Eve, Adam Lambert will perform a 40 minute set at the New Year at the Gridlock party, at the Paramount lot in LA. Kris Allen and Allison Iraheta perform on FOX’s Billboard’s New Years Eve Live show in Las Vegas, and in New York City, Daughtry rings in the new year, performing 4 songs in Times Square.
Plus, David Archuleta performs at the Sun Halftime Bowl, and Matt Giraud sings the National Anthem and performs two songs–”Let’s Get it On” and a tune from the movie Top Gun–at halftime at the Oklahoma City Thunder basketball game.
David Cook performs at the Penchanga resort in San Diego and it’s New Year’s Howlin Eve with Bucky Covington in Winston-Salem, NC.
On New Year’s Day, Jason Castro rides in the FOX 4 float in the Comerica New Years Day parade.
For more information, check out the Idol’s full schedule for the next few days.
Tuesday December 29
Wednesday December 30
Thursday December 31
Friday January 1
Actually, this particular poll was less useless than most–Constantine got some pretty nice coverage on the Broadway.com site today. Check out the blog post HERE.
Plus, he got to film a little video, basically giving the acceptance speech he didn’t get to give when he lost this year’s Tony nomination for his role as Drew in Rock of Ages to the cute little stars of Billy Elliot.
Check it out!
Jason Castro, back home with the family in Texas for the holidays, had quite an adventure last night.
His car was re-ended by a dude who did not stop. Jason took off in hot pursuit of the perp, and with help from the local cops, trapped him in a trailer park.
Jason tells the story, via twitter:
"tonight i got rear ended and the person didn’t stop so i chased him and wound up trapping him in a trailer park. crazy annoying.
he lost me in the trailer park. it was a green 90s chevy truck single cab short bed with ground effects. he must live in the neighborhood bc
there’s only one way out of that neighborhood and cops came after me and monitored the exit. so annoying. my little hybrid was too slow!
tonight was kind of fun though… haha you should’ve been there!
for the record i did call the cops… they backed my up like within 2 minutes. they were awesome!
ive also had a sore throat for the last 4 days… all this and its still been an AWESOME WEEK HOME! wouldn’t trade it for anything"2009 In 60 Seconds: Relive Lady Gaga’s Breakout, ‘New Moon’ Fever, More
At least that’s how MTV News’ Jim Cantiello sees things, and he should know, because he spent the year summing up just about every major event — from the inauguration to “American Idol” and the VMAs — in, you guessed it, 60 seconds or less.
On TV, “Project Runway” crashed, and Jay Leno dropped an atomic bomb on prime time when his five-nights-a-week talker sizzled for a few days and then flopped faster than an “American Pie” sequel. But the big news, of course, was “American Idol,” where new judge Kara DioGuardi didn’t totally ruin the show (but didn’t really add anything either) and sometimes made it run way over schedule. The soft-spoken kid from Arkansas, Kris Allen, won out over season-long favorite Adam Lambert, the flamboyant crooner who has since announced the obvious (he’s gay), shocked middle America at the AMAs (think men on leashes, man-on-man kissing) and beat his rival on the Billboard charts. Oh, and loopy judge Paula Abdul left the show, announcing her departure on — wait for it — Twitter, of course.
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1628796/20091223/story.jhtml
Fans ready to see Simon Cowell go
Simon Cowell is leaving “American Idol” — but does anyone really care?
Although Cowell’s departure comes at a critical time for the show — “American Idol” has been steadily losing viewers since it hit its peak in the first weeks of Season 6 in January 2007 — the news, oddly enough, has barely caused a ripple in the online “Idol” universe.
Adam Lambert: Super Skincare!
Adam Lambert and a pal pick up some skincare products at Ole Henriksen Skincare in Los Angeles on Sunday (December 27).
The 27-year-old entertainer will be performing for New Year’s Eve, but unfortunately, you’ll have to see him live to watch him! He recently tweeted, “unfortunately Gridlocked NYE will NOT be filmed/televised/streamed. It’s a LIVE event only. Hope to see you there!!”
http://justjared.buzznet.com/2009/12/28/adam-lambert-super-skincare/#ixzz0azVzaJOe
10 most important works of the decade: No. 4, American Idol
I asked Kris Allen, the 2009 American Idol, why people like the show so much.
“I think the beauty about American Idol is that it takes people that they can relate to, that maybe acts like a friend of theirs, or has the same job or something like that, and makes them into rock stars or country stars or pop stars,” said the 24-year-old from Conway, Ark.
2009’s most popular reality TV stories and shows
As 2009 draws to a close, here’s a look back at the most popular pages on reality blurred over the past year, as determined by the popularity of individual stories and show-specific archive pages.
While Marcus Lehman’s penis was the most popular story last year, it was curiosity about what Adam Lambert does with his that was this year’s most read story on reality blurred. In fact, four of the top five stories were about what reality TV stars do with their penises, so while accusations I’m crotch-obsessed may be true, I’m in good company with the rest of the world.
http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/reality_blurred/2009_Dec_28_most_popular_2009
CUP: Country Stars, Racers Team Up Again
The Fifth Annual Sprint Sound & Speed Presented By SunTrust is scheduled for Jan. 8-9 in Nashville, with a lineup that includes Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Greg Biffle, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer, Michael Waltrip and other NASCAR stars.
On the evening of Jan. 8, there will be live country music shows on the historic Opry’s Ryman Auditorium stage at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Featured performers will include Hank Williams Jr. (9:30 p.m. show only), Danny Gokey, Jason Michael Carroll (7 p.m. show only) Chris Young, a special performance from NASCAR’s Kyle Petty and his band, as well as addition artists t/b/a.
http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/cup-country-stars-racers-team-up-again/
Danny Gokey sings at Lambeau
GREEN BAY – Milwaukee-native Danny Gokey sang his way into the hearts of millions of viewers on American Idol this year. Sunday, people put their hand on their hearts while he sang the National Anthem at Lambeau Field. Gokey is on a promotional tour for his soon-to-be released first album. His first single, “My Best Days are Ahead of Me” is already available online.
“It’s just a great reflection of where I’m at in my life,” Gokey said in an interview with FOX 11. “I really feel like a lot of people knew me on the show through the tragedy that I went through and it was a rough time in my life. But I kept the right focus and something good came out of something so tragic.”
http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/danny-gokey-sings-at-lambeau
Bucky Covington helping re-open Nashville’s Hard Rock Cafe
Bucky Covington will play a concert benefiting the Arthritis Foundation’s Tennessee chapter Tuesday at Nashville’s Hard Rock Cafe. Bucky’s concert is part of a series of shows leading up to the venue’s grand reopening. Bucky also will take part in the Hard Rock’s Guitar Smash reopening ceremony Wednesday morning, then he’ll play a New Year’s Howlin’ Eve show for 93.1 The Wolf in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Top stories in 2009: Growth, hope in a grim year
Giraud goes far on American Idol
Few had heard of the smooth-sounding, piano-playing crooner’s name before 2009.
But by the end of the year, Kalamazoo’s Matt Giraud won national fame by placing fifth on American Idol.
The hometown singer, who graduated from Western Michigan University in 2007, went on to perform in a 52-city tour with the other finalists from the hit Fox TV show, which included a stop at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids.
Giraud also is busy writing songs for a hopeful record deal.
But even with his acclaim this year, Giraud still turns up in Kalamazoo, like at a Western Michigan University football game or Monaco Bay, the dueling piano bar where he used to perform before his run on American Idol.
http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2009/12/top_stories_in_2009_growth_hop.html
Year in Review: top 10 albums and concerts
3 Melinda Doolittle, Coming Back to You (Hi Fi Recordings): What’s so great about Melinda Doolittle? She’s real. She’s soulful. She’s grown up. Put that together and you get a gloriously old-school R&B album that was all but criminally ignored. Somebody give her the attention she deserves.
10 Adam Lambert, For Your Entertainment (19/RCA): Love him or loathe him – and it seems as though there’s an equal number in both camps – the button-pushing American Idol runner-up made a super-fun, glam, pop-rock-dance CD bursting with pipes and personality. Now he needs to stop talking and keep singing. MARIO TARRADELL’S TOP 10 CONCERTS
A revamped ‘Dreamgirls’ hits Heinz Hall
“It was like ‘Boheme’ at La Scala,” director Robert Longbottom said by phone last week, just as “Dreamgirls” made its way to Baltimore before the national tour hits Heinz Hall tomorrow. “If there was a piece of musical theater that belonged at a specific venue, it was this. It really was thrilling.”
Q: Syesha Mercado as Deena, the girl who is elevated for her looks rather than her voice, is part of a young cast without a lot of musical theater experience. Was there a purpose in casting newcomers?
A: Syesha comes with a lot of skill and raw talent, but she hadn’t played a lot of parts. I prefer that because for all of the high-tech side of “Dreamgirls,” the performing side has to be absolutely naturalistic and raw. It’s a musical where you really need to live through these feelings. There are very few actors who can really turn that on in a manufactured way and be convincing. And if you’re just starting out and you’re passionate, the best thing is to really play it and feel it, which is another reason it’s so exhausting for these ladies. It is not only for stamina that I think they need to be young, but for the pathos of the piece. This is a universal story about those days, those early friends we make that we never replace, the heartbreak of losing some of them and finding redemption later on.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09362/1023612-325.stm
Rage Against The Machine campaigners deny Cowell job offer
The duo responsible for the campaign to make Rage Against The Machine’s `Killing In The Name’ the Christmas number one have denied that they received a job offer from Simon Cowell.
Tracy and Jon Morter began a Facebook campaign to stop The X Factor winner’s song from reaching the festive top spot because they were tired of the Cowell’s dominance on the Christmas charts.
Cowell told the Daily Mirror: “I offered them jobs at my record company."
http://entertainment.stv.tv/tv/146860-rage-against-the-machine-campaigners-deny-cowell-job-offer/
BTW, Today is David Archuleta's birthday! He turns 19 today. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARCHIE!
