April 2007 News Archive (Page 5)

Idol Camp, the world's first performing arts camp based on American Idol, announced recently the first names of an all-star line-up of alumni tapped to appear at the summer camp this year.

Favorite Idol finalists Bucky Covington and Kimberley Locke will visit this one-of-a-kind summer camp for aspiring performers to share their talents and personal experiences. These rising stars will lend their expertise to mentor and inspire the young campers to soar beyond their expectations.

Other gifted Idol finalists scheduled to appear at this summer's Idol Camp include Vonzell Solomon, Jon Peter Lewis and Carmen Rasmusen. Additional talent is to be announced at a later date.

"This roster of exceptional Idol talent helps to reinforce our commitment to creating a unique American Idol experience while providing children with the ultimate performing arts education," says Donna Milani Luther, Camp Director. "All of these talented individuals have something special to offer our campers and we're looking forward to working with them this summer."

Enrollment into Idol Camp for this summer's sessions is still open to aspiring 12-15 year olds throughout the U.S. The deadline for applications is Wednesday, April 18, 2007.

Idol Camp begins on July 7th, 2007 in Northfield, Massachusetts, with the first of the summer sessions.

Gee, think Paris Bennett is bitter at all?

Last season's petite powerhouse phoned into the Tone E Fly Morning Show in Minneapolis today, and called American Idol "a joke." She said herself and a few other contestants are using the website VotefortheWorst.com to screw with the results.

"We want to see him [Sanjaya Malakar] win because it'll kind of prove that American Idol is kind of losing its taste," said Bennett, "It kinda isn't going for talent anymore and more for popularity."

The following review is courtesy of Entertainment Weekly ...

The day after Bucky Covington got the boot from American Idol, Sawyer Brown frontman/producer Mark Miller phoned him. He saw something we didn't: With the right songs, the North Carolinian with the throaty drawl could sell everything — from the cheeky to the weepy.

And he does, on Bucky Covington, his versatile debut. While we acknowledge his softer side, it's the tracks with teeth-grinding bravado bubbling below the surface (''Back When We Were Gods'') or boiling over (''The Bible and the Belt'') that make us believers. Sing those hillbilly blues, son. B+

She may have been voted off American Idol awhile ago - and she may have been dating Chris Richardson, according to rumors.

But Alaina Alexander might still have a solid career in front of her.

Here is a clip of the attractive singer performing in a club from early January. Would you buy a record from this artist:

Carson Daly admits he's addicted to American Idol – and its surprising breakout star.

"I'm just enjoying it now because of this whole idea that Sanjaya might win," Daly told People magazine Thursday at a party for the five-year anniversary of his show Last Call at Social Hollywood.

Daly is impressed by the style of Sanjaya Malakar more than his singing skills. No real surprise there.

"I think there's a lot of people like me that may not watch it every single week – or have a deep passion for American Idol – but now we're hooked," Daly said, "because of this idea that this guy's got a new haircut every day."

Daly also revealed his strategy for seeing the 17-year-old win it all. Asked if he had voted for Sanjaya, he replied: "No, I haven't, but I plan on it – repeatedly."

We're sure the ex-boyfriend of Jennifer Love Hewitt is not alone.

After Haley Scarnato was voted off American Idol after a lackluster performance of "Turn the Beat Around" on Tuesday's Latin night, the San Antonio native talked to reporters about short shorts, hair extensions and what it was like to work with J-Lo.

Is it true that you got Katharine McPhee's old hair extensions from last season?
Yes, that is true. I think it's cool. They can wash them, so it's fun. I think it's cool to wear the hair extensions of Katharine McPhee. She's Katharine McPhee!

What was Jennifer Lopez like in person?
She was great, she was so helpful. She was very warm and comforting. You could tell she really wanted to help us. She was so down-to-earth and I think everyone felt that way about her. I got to spend about 10 minutes with her. It was a great experience to hammer out the song and stuff.

Did you get to meet Marc Anthony at all?
Yes, I did. That was really cool. He's so nice. He loves her, he just adores her and that's really great to see. They just look really happy.

In retrospect, do you think that not responding to Simon's criticism was the right move?
That's not who I am. On national TV I still want to stay in that frame of mind that you have to respect him. He is Simon Cowell. It does hurt a little bit, but you just try to brush through it.

The judges gave you conflicting advice week after week. How did you adjust?
Well, if I was going to be here next week I was going to wear a choir robe! I was going to be fully clothed. You just take it for what it's worth and try to brush it of and know that you still have to perform.

When Simon first commented on the way you looked, did you think about changing it at all?
I never really changed my look since Hollywood week. I showed my midriff and stuff. I want to stay true to who I am. It's fun to dress up and play the part of the week. With Latin week it's more of a sexier vibe. I don't think I wore less clothing than before. I just did the same thing. It was going to happen eventually, I figured. I got a good vibe from the judges and I didn't really get that before.

Does it bother you that you got eliminated before Sanjaya?
No. Sanjaya Malakar is a great personality and he's got a great energy backstage and onstage and I think he did a great job this week and I hope the best for him and all the other contestants.

How did the shorts idea first come up?

I thought about the shorts because it's a more upbeat kind of song and it would be comfortable to wear. And [stylist] Art just molded it together for me.

What's next for you?
I would love to get a record deal – that would be a dream come true, but I'm up for anything. I'll try anything, so we shall see.

Someday, American Idol Worship will gain backstage access to our favorite show. But for now, we turn it over to TMZ.com, the celebrity gossip site that enjoyed just such an honor Tuesday night ...

After going through metal detectors, checking our cell phones/cameras at the door, and depositing our gum into the CBS Studio page's blue cup (no gum chewing allowed on camera), TMZ was ushered to our seats. Celebrities in the audience included Eva Longoria, Sharon Osbourne, J.Lo BFF Leah Remini, and most interestingly, 80s TV bad girl Donna Mills.

Remini brought some of her tough Brooklyn girl edge to the Idol set, as staff made an entire row get up and move so she and her hubby, Angelo Pagan, could sit on the aisle. When a page tried to get Leah to dispose of her gum, she shot him an evil death-ray look that sent him cowering back to his post. The power of Xenu!

Booted Idol hopeful, curly-haired Chris Sligh entered the studio and the crowd roared with applause and cheers.

Sligh must be a huge fan of King of Queens, because he made a beeline for Remini and introduced himself. Pre-teen fans roamed the set asking for autographs from ex-Idols like Sligh, Alaina Alexander (who traipsed around in trollopy red five-inch heels), and Season 5 diva, Mandisa, membah huh? Some Fanjayas even approached Sanjaya Malakar's sexy sister Shyamali for her John Hancockakar!

Just prior to going live, judges Simon, Randy and Paula entered the studio while high-fiving fans with their burly bodyguards in tow. When they weren't on camera, guards never left their sides - never underestimate those menacing soccer moms! Say what you will about Ms. Abdul, but the foil-wrapped woman made it a point to go up to fan after fan during commercial breaks, while Randy and Simon waved from their perch.

Last night's Akon performance was not live. The studio audience watched a pre-taped performance on a screen, just like everyone at home. Before J.Lo's performance, Longoria chatted up Remini and her husband, while Simon and newly-named America's Got Talent judge, Sharon Osbourne, kibbitzed on the side. Taking bloody notes?

Everyone was on their feet when Jennifer appeared on stage and sang her new Spanish-language single "Que Hiciste?" The fiery performace filled the studio with so much smoke, that production staff scrambled to air out the set by the end of the next commercial break. Muy caliente!

When Ryan Seacrest revealed that Phil Stacey was safe, Sanjaya's mom and sis let out cheers. Apparently, they weren't Haley Scarnato fans either!

Continue Reading...

Martina McBride will grace the American Idol stage next week, as the show goes country for a night.

In honor of that theme, here's a list of tour dates/locations for past Idols that would mostly fall into the genre of country music.

BUCKY COVINGTON
April 12 — Council Bluffs, IA, Horseshoe Casino/Whiskey Roadhouse
April 13 — Chicago, IL, Joe’s Sports Bar
May 5 — Cherokee, NC, Harrah’s Cherokee Pavilion
May 6 — Hershey, PA, Hersheypark Amphitheatre
May 26 — Zellwood, FL, Zellwood Sweet Corn Festival
May 27 — San Bernardino, CA, Branding Iron
May 29 — Solana Beach, CA, Belly Up Tavern
July 12 — Afton, NY, Afton Fair
July 14 — Altamont, NY, WGNA Country Fest
July 28 — East Falmouth, MA, Barnstable County Fairgrounds
Aug. 10 — Belpre, OH, Belpre Homecoming
Aug. 29 — Hickory, NC, American Legion Fair
Aug. 31 — Anderson, SC, Anderson Sports & Entertainment Center
Oct. 1 — Coshocton, OH, Coshocton County Fair
Oct. 13 — Maryville, TN, venue TBA

CARRIE UNDERWOOD
July 15 — Craven, SK, Country Jamboree
Sept. 8 — York, PA, York Fair

KELLIE PICKLER (appearing with Brad Paisley)
April 26 — Chattanooga, TN, McKenzie Arena
April 27 — Statesboro, GA, Paulson Stadium
April 28 — Columbus, GA , Columbus Civic Center
May 3 — Evansville, IN, Roberts Stadium
May 4 — Moline, IL, Mark Of The Quad Cities
May 6 — Champaign, IL, Assembly Hall
May 10 — Maryland Heights, MO, Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
May 11 — Bonner Springs, KS, Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
May 12 — Dallas, TX, Smirnoff Music Centre
May 17 — Bakersfield, CA, Rabobank Arena
May 18 — Mountain View, CA, Shoreline Amphitheatre
May 19 — Marysville, CA, Sleep Train Amphitheatre
May 22 — Vancouver, BC, General Motors Place
May 24 — Spokane, WA, Spokane Arena
May 25 — Ridgefield, WA, The Amphitheater at Clark County
May 26 — Auburn, WA, White River Amphitheatre
June 7 — Noblesville, IN, Verizon Wireless Music Center
June 8 — Cuyahoga Falls, OH, Blossom Music Center
June 9 — Mansfield, MA, Tweeter Center
June 10 — Darien Center, NY, Darien Lake Six Flags P.A.C.
June 22 — Grand Junction, CO, Country Jam USA*
June 22 — Greeley, CO, Island Grove Park*
June 24 — Albuquerque, NM, Journal Pavilion
June 29 — Chula Vista, CA, Coors Amphitheatre
June 30 — Devore, CA, Hyundai Pavilion of Glen Helen
July 1 — Phoenix, AZ, Cricket Pavilion
July 19 — Morristown, OH, Jamboree in the Hills

Continue Reading...

No, seriously. This is literally the case.

Reportedly, the name "Sanjaya" in Sanskrit means "victory." After last night's show - in which Haley Scarnato was voted off by viewers - everyone's favorite teensage singer is one step closer to fulfilling the promise of that name.

According to wikipedia, Sanjaya is also a character in the Hindu epic story Mahabharata. In that tale, he "is known to be brutally frank in his recital of the day's battle events and his own opinions."

Interestingly, many critics would agree that the words "brutal" and "recital" are perfect when used to describe Sanjaya Malakar.

Sanjaya Malakar may have the vote of fans that care more about personality than talent, but a different American Idol contestant owns the male side of things.

Indeed, Haley Scarnato has won over the hearts of those that want a little sugar with their vocal stylings. One onlooker below is really glad he bought tickets for a recent show: