October 2007 News Archive (Page 2)

Just in time for the holidays, Sabrina Sloan is coming out with her debut CD.

It's actually a duet with fellow American Idol contestant Sundance Head. Below, Sloan talks about the album, and her musical background in general:

“I played for about eight years at concerts and competitions. . . . I use that to write songs now. I definitely feel that I could have been much better than I am if I’d kept at it, but being able to read music, to really have a music theory background, is really important in helping me in my career.”

In addition to using the piano to help write songs, Sloan relies on her life experiences.

“I write about love, I write about pain, and whatever I’m feeling. I’m working on kind of an inspirational song right now because I’ve been doing a lot of charity events, so I wanted to write something that was appropriate for that—that compliments people reaching out for each other.”

Great timing by Entertainment Weekly: the fun magazine has Carrie Underwood on its cover this week, always apt if you're an American Idol or country music fan.

But especially appropriate these days, as Carrie is in the news a lot for dating Gossip Girl star Chace Crawford.

That relationship wasn't covered in the interview. But the following was...

Some Hearts had a handful of pop songs, while Carnival Ride absolutely sounds like a country record the whole way through.
The first one definitely had a different purpose to serve. I'd gained a big following from Idol of people who were not all country-music listeners. I want to be a country artist in a country world with country fans. We had to figure out a way, even if they're not country-music fans, to make them country-music fans.

You co-wrote several songs on this record, compared with only one the first time.
I'm so new at the writing game that I just wanted to see what I could do. I'm not sure if I could sit down and write a whole song by myself. A lot of people write throughout their lives and then if they get a record deal, they have material. I never thought I'd be in the position I'm in now. So I never tried to write.

Have you ever had singing lessons?
Years ago I got together with a voice coach briefly and I hated it, because I felt like they tried to change things that, like, would make me me, you know? There's been a lot of growth over the past two years. I think I sound different now. I've gotten a lot more practice and everything's just gotten easier.

Like, notes that I could barely hit for the first album — like, ''Oh my gosh, this is gonna kill me'' — are a piece of cake now. We're on to new notes now that are way in the stratosphere. On [Carnival's] ''All-American Girl,'' the high note is the highest I've ever hit.

Continue Reading...

Last week, Paula Abdul opened up about Simon Cowell and his new nickname for his traveling buddies as the group embarks on the latest round of American Idol auditions.

“He [now] calls Randy and I ‘Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum.’ I’m Dee, Randy’s the Dum!” Abdul told People.

She says Cowell came up with the unflattering name during the audition process for the show’s upcoming season, which recently wrapped up.

“What’s happening is Randy and I have been agreeing on the talent as he disagrees,” says Abdul. “He thinks we don’t know what we’re talking about, and the truth is Randy and I do know what we’re talking about. It’s Randy and Paula against Simon. I’m on the winning side!”

Overall, of course, Abdul confirms that she and Cowell are getting along.

“In the past couple of cities we’ve had no arguments. He’s still pestering me like hell, but we get along pretty well.”

What's Randy Jackson's take on his insulting sidekick? He sums up Cowell’s attitude by saying: “He’s cranky.”

But the bright side is that the audition process has been “really, really good, I must say,” Jackson admits. “You still get the crazy buffoonery going on, but for the most it’s been pretty good. I would say somebody with skin and teeth is definitely going to win!”

We can't wait to see who that is.

To paraphrase the narrator of The CW show, Gossip Girl:

Spotted in New York City October 12: Chace Crawford and American Idol star Carrie Underwood, who dined togetherat Nobu, then hit hot spot Marquee to sip champagne and smooch in a secluded booth.

“They were all over each other,” an eyewitness told Us Weekly.

As we reported yesterday, it certainly appears as though Underwood has ended her relationship with Tony Romo - and latched on to this Gossip Girl star.

Sunday night, Carrie and Chace held hands during a double date with Crawford’s costar Ed Westwick at Italian eatery Del Posto.

And Underwood even told People magazine she considers the actor to be "really cute," adding:

"I've met him and he seems like a really nice guy. He's got cool hair, he's a nice height and he just has beautiful blue eyes."

Clay Aiken is coming to Broadway.

The American Idol second-season runner-up will play the role of Sir Robin in Monty Python's Spamalot, making his debut in the Tony Award-winning musical on January 18 at the Shubert Theatre.

"I really couldn't have asked for a more wonderful group of people to work with," said Aiken. "Let's not lie, the chance to work with legendary creative minds like [Spamalot director] Mike Nichols and [Spamalot co-author] Eric Idle is, on its own, a reason to jump at this opportunity. But, that's not all.

The producers and creative folks I have had the chance to meet and work with so far have been unbelievably welcoming and wonderful. They've really made me feel at home already, and I haven't even started yet!"

The 28-year-old will appear in the musical until May 4.

"Clay Aiken is amazing beyond that glorious voice. Turns out he is an excellent comic actor and a master of character," said Nichols. "People will be surprised by his wide ranging talent, since the first impression is of great country charm and a singer to remember. This guy is not only a star, he is a lot more. We are lucky to get him for Spamalot."

It appears as though Carrie Underwood and Tony Romo are now a no go.

The latest rumors state that the American Idol champion is dating Gossip Girl actor Chace Crawford.

According to OK! magazine, these two were were spotted getting to first base last Friday at New York City club Marquee.

“They were canoodling all night and stayed until close,” admitted one witness.

Then, Saturday night, Underwood and Crawford were seen all around town: at Mario Batali’s Del Posto restaurant, the Soho Grand and the Rose Bar in the Gramercy Park Hotel.

At the Soho Grand, “they held court at their own private table, kissing and not leaving each other’s side,” the source added.

So, is this an upgrade over Romo? And do you watch Gossip Girl? Let us know!

Melinda Doolittle, a 1999 Belmont University graduate, will host and perform at the school's annual "Christmas at Belmont" concert.

The concert will be taped on November 19 and wil and air Monday, December 24 at 10PM ET/PT on PBS.

"I have a lot of wonderful memories from performing at Belmont," said the third-place finisher on this year's America Idol. "I was a part of Belmont Pops, University Chorus, Jazzmin, and Chadasha so I've been performing here for the longest time, even at the Commercial Music showcase. I'm really, really excited to be coming back for 'Christmas at Belmont,' to be given another chance to perform and also to host."

Over 400 students, the university's School of Music faculty and the Nashville Children's Choir are all scheduled to perform at the "Christmas at Belmont" concert, which will include everything from familiar carols to classical pieces.

"We are just incredibly pleased and excited to have Melinda hosting our 'Christmas at Belmont' this year," said Belmont's College of Visual and Performing Arts Dean Cynthia Curtis. "For those of us around Belmont who've known Melinda since she was a freshman, she has always been a complete pleasure to work with. What we saw as she participated in the American Idol process is really who she is: she's very humble and yet very talented as a musician and performer."

The original American Idol, Kelly Clarkson, kicked off her tour this weekend. USA Today was there to go behind the scenes of this crowd-pleasing event...

• The event: The official opener of Kelly Clarkson's fall tour, in support of her underperforming third album My December (which has sold 673,000 copies, compared with 5.86 million for its predecessor, Breakaway). Clarkson had canceled her planned summer arena tour back in June over disappointing ticket sales and after parting ways with her management. This time, she's performing in smaller, more intimate venues.

• The crowd: A diverse mix: teenyboppers, parents and their kids, plus Gen Y types … and Clarkson's recent duet partner, Reba McEntire.

• Stage setting: Very simple, with five screens that change color. Overall, the show had an intimate, direct feel.

•The kickoff: Intro music: AC/DC's You Shook Me All Night Long. First we saw a girl in a red dress on maroon steps, sitting down. The Gothic tableau mimicked the My December album cover. Then Clarkson appeared in a black tank and black pants singing One Minute to Love from the current album.

• The music: Mix of previous hits —Behind These Hazel Eyes, Miss Independent, Breakaway— and tracks from the current album: Sober, Don't Waste Your Time, Chivas, Be Still. She also covered Patty Griffin's Up on the Mountain, which she sang on the Idol Gives Back TV special.

• Audience reaction: They weren't responding nearly as enthusiastically to many of the December songs. But they were generally adoring of Clarkson.

• Onstage quotable: Introducing recent download hit Never Again, Clarkson said she gets made fun of because it's another song about a bad boyfriend. "I have to go through all the losers to get to the good one," she said.

• Memorable moment: Mega-hit Because of You, performed with the backing of just one keyboard — and the crowd singing along with every word. Clarkson's voice is highly impressive.

• Show closer: Since You've Been Gone stirred crowd frenzy and abruptly closed a shortish show.

Jordin Spark's first single, Tattoo, remains the top AmericanIdol weekly download, holding at number-22 on the digital songs chart and selling 33,000 units.

Her impressive total so far? 67,000.

Justin Guarini and Kimberley Locke didn't win American Idol - but that hasn't stopped a Texas outlet mall from asking these finalists to perform at its opening.

Justin and Kimberley will be entertaining discount shoppers at the grand opening of The Outlet Shoppes at El Paso on Friday, October 12. To add insult to injury, Kimberley's name is even spelled wrong in one instance below:

What's next, Bo Bice singing in the parking lot of a movie theater?