Friday, October 19, 2012

Jessica Sanchez is going in a NEW DIRECTION!!!!

It’s a done deal! The Season 11 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up, Jessica Sanchez, has closed a deal to recur on the best show on TV - Glee. There are no details on what role Glee executive producer Ryan Murphy might have in store for the 16-year-old California native or when she will first appear on screen. (Might she be the much-buzzed-about new love interest for Finn?!)

During her Idol run, Sanchez became an early front-runner on the strength of scorching Vegas-round renditions of “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” and “The Prayer,” followed by a spot-on rendition of “I Will Always Love You” on Whitney Houston night. Later, in a Top 7 week shocker, Ryan Seacrest revealed the girl who sometimes performed as her alter-ego Bebe Chez was the lowest vote getter, but the judges promptly vetoed America’s decision by using their sole “save” of the season. Sanchez then went on to steal the show during the Idol finale by virtue of a jaw-dropping duet with Broadway legend Jennifer Holliday on the Dreamgirls classic “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.”

Monday, September 17, 2012

CMA excitement is building

The 2012 CMA Awards are fast approaching on November 1st and the excitement for Country Music's Biggest Night is building.

One of the best parts of the evening is seeing the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood host the show with Brad Paisley. This will be the 5th year in a row we will be treated to her charming personality and looking beautiful in numerous glamorous costume changes.

The CMA nominations were recently announced and the most exciting category will be Female Vocalist of the Year. After the HUGE success of Good Girl, her debut single from Blown Away, it's no surprise at all that Carrie Underwood is once again nominated. This year she will be going up against none other that the Season 1 Miss American Idol winner, Kelly Clarkson in the same category! Kelly has enjoyed a lot of cross-over country music success with her singles Don't You Wanna Stay and Mr. Know It All getting a lot of airplay at Country Music radio.

Adding to the anticipation was the very fun three hour all-star concert that was on TV called the CMA Music Festival, Country's Night To Rock! It featured all of the biggest names in country music including many of the CMA nominees. Carrie Underwood was there to sing her current very powerful single, Blown Away. She also sang her classic hit, Last Name. The Season 10 Miss American Idol winner, Scotty McCreery was also there to join the party and sing a few songs for the fans. 

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Sparkle is #1

Sparkle, the feature film debut from Season 6 Miss American Idol winner, Jordin Sparks is in theaters now.

The soundtrack to the film features three new songs from Jordin, along with three covers from the original 1976 soundtrack. There's even a duet called Celebrate with Whitney Houston, who plays her mother in the film. Celebrate is a truly joyous pop dance anthem that would be a welcome addition to any music collection.

The soundtrack to Sparkle has been sitting at #1 on the Billboard Top Soundtracks chart for the past 4 weeks.

On the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart Sparkle had a peak position of #21.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Mariah Carey joins American Idol

Here is the official press release announcing the BEST NEWS EVER!!!!!

PLATINUM-SELLING GLOBAL MEGASTAR MARIAH CAREYJOINS AMERICAN IDOL AS NEW JUDGE


Mariah Carey, one of the best-selling female recording artists of all time, has joined AMERICAN IDOL as a new judge. A five-time Grammy Award-winning global superstar with more than 200 million records sold worldwide and more No. 1 songs than any solo artist in history, her 18 Billboard No. 1 singles (17 of which Carey wrote) rival all but The Beatles. Carey joins the judges' panel when AMERICAN IDOL returns in January 2013 on FOX.

"As a singer, songwriter and producer, it's going to be fun and rewarding to help find new talent and give back with AMERICAN IDOL," said Mariah Carey. "I'm currently in the studio working on my new album and its first single, 'Triumphant,' which will be out early next month. I can't wait to channel my creative energy as a part of this show which is a massive global phenomenon."

"We are proud to have one of the world's greatest-ever female singers join our show," said IDOL creator and executive producer Simon Fuller. "Mariah defines the word 'Idol' and will inspire every singer that has the honor of performing in front of her."

"Mariah Carey is a global icon whose list of musical accomplishments is unprecedented," said Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO, FremantleMedia. "Having sold more than 200 million records worldwide, she's a true artist, ideally suited to identify and nurture AMERICAN IDOL's next great music superstars. We warmly welcome her to the IDOL family."

"Mariah Carey is the real deal. Not only is she one of the best-selling artists and performers on the planet and one of the world's most gifted vocalists, she also is a successful songwriter, record producer and actress," said Mike Darnell, President of Alternative Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. "She has a deep knowledge of music and a career insight that will make her a really amazing asset to our judges' table and to our contestants.

It's the dream of almost everyone who auditions for IDOL to sing like Mariah and we couldn't be happier to have her be part of the show."

With a distinct five-octave vocal range, prolific songwriting and producing talent, Carey has defined the modern pop performance. As a singer/songwriter/producer, she has been recognized with five Grammy Awards, nine American Music Awards, Billboard's Artist of the Decade Award, the World Music Award for World's Best Selling Female Artist of the Millennium and BMI's Icon Award, to name a few. She has two consecutive and unparalleled Billboard Song of the Decade titles: "One Sweet Day" (with Boyz II Men); and "We Belong Together," further marking her massive presence on the charts since her 1990 song debut "Vision of Love." Mariah became the second artist in history and the first female performer to have a song debut at No. 1 with "Fantasy" (1995), the groundbreaking collaboration with O.D.B. of the innovative rap group Wu-Tang Clan. Carey's original holiday classic, "All I Want For Christmas is You," redefined its place in pop culture as one of the greatest holiday hits of all time when it reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts in 2011, 17 years after its debut. Carey's influential and stellar contribution to the music industry spans multiple genres and is showcased through a multifaceted hit catalogue as well as a long list of diverse collaborations.

Carey's ongoing impact transcends the music industry and has left an indelible imprint upon the world at large. She recently made a substantial mark in film with her critically acclaimed role as a social worker in Precious, the 2009 film based on the novel Push, by Sapphire. A Congressional Award recipient, Carey has generously donated her time and energy to a range of domestic and international philanthropic causes near to her heart, including The Fresh Air Fund/Camp Mariah (a retreat where inner-city children explore career development), Save the Music Foundation and Make-a-Wish Foundation, among several others.

Carey is currently in the studio, writing, recording and executive-producing her next album for Island Def Jam Music Group, with the lead single, "Triumphant."

AMERICAN IDOL has been the No. 1 entertainment program among Total Viewers for the past nine consecutive seasons. To date, IDOL alums have produced 349 No. 1 Billboard hits and garnered nearly 250 million iTunes downloads. Last year, Season 10 winner Scotty McCreery released his debut album, Clear As Day, which dominated the Billboard Country Albums chart and has gone platinum, selling more than one million copies. Season 11 winner Phillip Phillips' first single, "Home," which was released May 23, has been certified gold.

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Good Girl getting BETTER!

We already know that the video for Good Girl, the first single from the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood's album Blown Away has been honored with the 2012 CMT Video of the Year.

So Good Girl has taken its place as the best of the best, so how can it get even better? Well, how about by re-writing the record books at the CMT Top 20 Video Countdown!

This week Carrie Underwood and Good Girl have just spent their 14th week in the #1 position on the countdown breaking a 13 week record that has been held since 2010.

Who knows what huge successes are yet to come with Carrie Underwood and the outstanding collection of music, Blown Away? This is just the first single, but a teaser for the video for the title track has been released and it looks like it will keep the momentum going. I can't wait to see it!

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

An even bigger SMASH!!!!

The first season of Smash, starring the Season 5 Miss American Idol 1st runner up Katharine McPhee came to an end a few weeks ago. It was by far the best show on TV this season as it was packed with outstanding performances of amazing original songs. Smash easily rivals the all-around entertainment standard that has been set by Glee and I am looking forward to both of these shows coming back next season.

The anticipation for the return of Smash was recently heightened with the announcement that taking her place in the cast along side Katharine McPhee will be none other than the Season 3 Miss American Idol finalist and Oscar winner, Jennifer Hudson!!!! I mean seriously, this sounds too good to be true, but it has been confirmed in Entertainment Weekly!

How exciting it will be to have these exceptional Miss American Idol talents delivering new material to us every week on Smash. There is no premiere date set for the show's return, but it is not expected until January at the earliest. I seriously cannot wait!!!!! 

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Carrie wins Video of the Year!

The 2012 CMT Video Music Awards was a very fun night of great music and it was a virtual who's who of Miss American Idol winners and finalists.

Things got off to a great start when the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood walked away with the first award of the night. She won the CMT Collaborative Video of the Year along with Brad Paisley for their outstanding duet, Remind Me.

The next award then went to another Miss American Idol winner. This time it was Season 10 winner Scotty McCreery nabbing the CMT Breakthrough Video of the Year for The Trouble With Girls. Scotty also got the chance to sing his latest single Water Tower Town.

The Season 10 Miss American Idol 1st Runner Up, Lauren Alaina, was also nominated for the CMT Breakthrough Video of the Year for her very fun hit Georgia Peaches, but it seems like she is destined to finish behind Scotty when they go up against each other. In addition to taking the stage to perform Georgia Peaches, Lauren also provided commentary throughout the show regarding the Twitter activity of the fans favorite artists. It was no surprise that Carrie Underwood was at the top of the trending artists.

Season 9 Miss American Idol finalist Casey James was also on hand to perform his latest single and then the floodgates opened of Miss American Idol finalists and winners as presenters. Season 5 Miss American Idol finalist Kellie Pickler was in the house as a nominee for Female Video of the Year for Tough and she presented a CMT Buckle. The Season 6 Miss American Idol winner Jordin Sparks also graced the stage to present a CMT Buckle.

Then a pair of Season 11 Miss American Idol finalists, Skylar Laine and Colton Dixon, got one of the most prestigious honors of the night when they had the privilege of introducing the blockbuster, showstopping performance by Carrie Underwood. She exploded on stage singing the energetic jam Good Girl. She completely electrified the cheering crowd and the rousing number came to a powerful end as the arena was filled with golden glitter falling from the rafters.

Shortly after the amazing performance of Good Girl, the Supreme Miss American Idol's name was called to the stage to accept the biggest award of the night. Carrie Underwood and Good Girl won the CMT Buckle for the 2012 VIDEO OF THE YEAR!