By Gene Wilkey

My wife, Kathy, and I traveled to Nashville on Friday to see the AE10 concert. As it turned out, Friday’s entertainment was almost as good as Saturday’s. I will touch on that later, but first I would like to tell you about the big show. I will call this more of a report on the event than a review of the singers.

I recall some of the reviews from last year’s tour reporting as few as 5,000 people in attendance at some of the performances. We left our hotel 2 1/2 hours before the show, arriving at the entrance plaza of the coliseum at least two hours before the 7:00 show time and there were more than 5,000 people milling around in front of the venue. All of the local restaurants from completely skanky, to 5 star restaurants, were packed and had waiting list of an hour and a half or more. The signs were good that the turnout would be huge. The arena was set up in it’s maximum capacity configuration. It has triple deck fixed seating and the floor was filled with temporary folding chairs, with the stage in one end. Our seats were on the floor, right in the center, less than 100 feet from the stage. I would be surprised if there were 50 empty seats in the building. Reports of American Idol’s demised seem to be premature, if this is any indication.

The preshow consisted of videos of past Idols playing on the side screens of the stage. There were still people taking their seats at show time, so the start was delayed for maybe 10 minutes, but once underway we were in store for a very professional, seamlessly produced and executed show from beginning to end. All eleven performers gave excellent performance backed by a very tight five piece band. I don’t know if it is customary or not, but there were no backup vocalist. All of the backing vocals were provided by the Idols themselves with the exception of Scotty’s single where it sounded like tracks were used for the backing vocals. Haley, Stefano, and Pia performed backup duties more than anyone else, and they did an outstanding job. This year’s show utilized the talents of the contestants to create the overall show with less emphasis on how they placed in the competition, rather than the mini concert format, that counts down from tenth place to the winner, that I have read about from past years. As a Pia fan that moved on to support Haley after Pia was eliminated, I was very pleased with the outcome. Both girls had a lot of stage time. Some accounts of this are misleading because they don’t distinguish backup singing from any of the group formats; so for example, you may be left with the impression that Haley, Thia and Stefano were in a quartet with Lauren on “If I Die Young,” when actually they were sitting on stools at the rear of the stage singing backup.

The songs performed on the American Idol Season 10 Tour were:

The Girls – “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga”

This was a pretty typical group number. I don’t really care for this song, so it was just so-so for me, but it gets better.

Pia Toscano – “Empire State of Mind” by Alicia Keys & Jay Z

Pia stayed behind after the group performance to perform this song alone. This method of moving from one song to the next by leaving a performer on stage from the previous number, or adding an additional singer to one or more that are on stage, created a fast paced flow throughout the concert. I recall a similar method was used for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concert last year. It was apparent that a lot of time was spent in planning the flow and order of this show.
No surprises here; the lovely Pia doing what the lovely Pia does. She was in good voice, and even though her movements were very recognizable as Pia, she was a little freer and used more of the stage than what we have grown accustomed to. I think there were times where she was pushing her voice too hard, but it was a very nice performance overall.

Pia Toscano and Stefano Langone – “California King Bed” by Rihanna

Pia opened this number, singing the first verse and chorus alone. She was joined on stage by Stefano and the room began to heat up. The ladies in the audience cheered loudly, and it was on. Each sang their respective verses and then joined at the top of the high riser for a toe to toe shootout. They rejoined on the main stage for another shootout. Good stuff. Very dramatic. Both of them sang very well and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them do a duet or two in the future.
You Tube video from the Oakland performance of this song can be seen here:

Paul McDonald – “Maggie May” by Rod Stewart

If you never quite got Paul McDonald, You needed to see this performance. He was in his element here. The greeting he gave the audience, “what’s up Nashville” was met with the loudest cheer of the night; so far anyway. He offered a very good rendition of the Rod Stewart classic and didn’t look foolish on the big stage as he had on occasion during the Idol season. It was a more subdued Paul we saw on the tour stage than what we were accustom to seeing on TV. He even “sounded” good on this number that has become his go to song. He gave props to the band between verses and worked hard to get the crowd fired up before the finale chorus. He looked like a pro.

Thia Megia – “Who Says” by Selena Gomez

Thia finally found her comfort zone. She looked good on stage, very confidant and relaxed, and her movements had a smooth professional flow about them. Her voice was strong and clear with her characteristic tone and inflections, and she seemed to enjoy herself. She has a tendency to look more like Edy Gourmet than a teenage girl sometimes, but I think with time, she will develop her own style.

Pia, Thia, Haley & Naima – “Tightrope” by Janelle Monae

All of the girls worked well on this fast paced tongue twister. Each girl sang a portion of the lead vocals as they stood in a line across the stage dancing. Yes, Pia was dancing too! I’m giving the “Shake your booty” award to Haley, though Niama was a strong contender. Thia sang a little more of the lead than the others and seemed young and contemporary. She sounded very good and sometimes it was hard to tell if it was her or Pia singing. The handoffs from one lead singer to another and the switch up from lead to backing vocals was seamless and excellent. Niama brought a little bit of her island girl flavor (Stanton Island?) to her fist lead vocal but sounded more traditional R&B later in the song. The harmonies these four girls put together were outstanding. Their “woops” were very powerful and there is part of the song where the lyric is “high or low, high or low” where they reminded me of the harmony style of Sergio Mendes and Brazil ’66 or the Fifth Dimension. They had a great blend; very smooth. Haley wrapped it up with a very soulful last line. The girls should be extremely proud of this performance. It was top drawer and as professionally done as any group of singers could have done it.

Here is a video of this song on You Tube from the Philadelphia performance.

Stefano Langone – “Grenade” by Bruno Mars

Stefano opened the song at his keyboard where he remained through the first verse. His vocal was good; in fact, he could have been singing his own song. Stefano, like Paul, benefited from this live performance, big stage environment as compared to the fishbowl of TV. If he looked like he would explode any second, as he had on TV, you couldn’t tell it and his intensity didn’t overpower the room or the crowd like it seemed to on TV. It was a very good performance from Stefano. I recall Pia gave one of the best performances of Hollywood week when she and her group performed this song. I think it could make a nice duet for Pia and Stefano at some future date.

Stefano Langone and the Girls –“DJ Got Us Falling In Love.” by Usher

This was the same quartet of girls from the previous song; in fact, all of the girls except Lauren. They were performing backup duties here, but they did move around the stage using hand mics, which made them a bit more than traditional backup singers. Spoiler alert: If you have tickets for a future show you may want to skip the rest of this review. Poor Stefano was having wardrobe problems. I think it started when he pulled up his shirt tail a little to get some air. For some reason there was a high pitched roar in the room. Then he pulled it up again to wipe sweat off of his face and the same high pitched squeal filled the room. (Come to think of it, that sounded a lot like my wife that time) Poor boy must have been getting pretty hot trying to sing while swimming in a pool of estrogen and the next thing you know there was even more bare flesh “accidentally” revealed than at a Janet Jackson concert. My ears were suffering for it. For the ladies who missed it, Stefano looked like a Ken doll strutting around without his shirt.

Guys w/o Scotty- “Animal” by Neon Trees
The five guys got a big crowd reaction as each of them appeared from the steps at center stage and sang a few lines of the song. Stefano found a functional shirt for this number. Jacob didn’t get the love that the other four received, but a respectable crowd reaction none the less. This is another song that I didn’t like too much, but I can’t fault the guys for that.

Naima Adedapo – “On The Floor” by Jennifer Lopez

I was very impressed with Niama’s rendition of J Lo’s current hit. I think she was better than “Ms Lo” actually. She did all of her familiar dance moves while singing and remaining on key. She managed to keep her breathing under control to support her vocal. It was very well done. Even though I’m probably not the target market for her current style, I still think there is a star in this girl trying to get out. She looked like a real pro every time she appeared on the stage throughout the show. Time will tell.

Pia Toscano – “This Time” *****

Well here it is; the much discussed single from Pia. I said before that I’m not crazy about this song but I have to say that it too benefited from the live performance. Pia must have felt like this could be a make or break performance for her and she delivered this song with all of the love and caring of a woman delivering her first child; without the pain or screams of course. You could see the seriousness of the expression on her face and the intensity of her delivery. It sounded better to me than the recorded version and was very good despite the flawed lyrics and dated style of the song. Pia’s trademark squat, wiggle and wave looks pretty good in person and I believe she is close to breaking the extreme chin lift habit that she had during the show. She did it occasionally, but not as much as before. Pia did her best with this song and I enjoyed her performance.

Lauren, Pia and Thia – “Firework”

Lauren began this song alone on the stage and was joined by Pia who sang a few lines, then Thia doing the same with Lauren completing the verse and taking them all into the chorus. This song was a little sleepy and none of the girls were carrying the song very well. You had to struggle at times to her them. It finally picked up in the final chorus but it was too late to change my overall impression of it.

Casey Abrams – “Smooth” by Rob Thomas and Carlos Santana

Casey was good on this up beat song, and his growling seemed appropriate for the number. The song started off very subdued with just Casey at the top of the stair under a spotlight playing his upright bass and singing. After the first verse, the tempo picked up with the other instruments coming in. He gave a very energetic stage performance and was well received by the audience. The highlight was the excellent guitarist from the Idol tour band coving the famous Carlos Santana’s guitar licks. He was very good.

Casey Abrams and Haley Reinhart – “Moanin” Art Blakey

I really enjoied hearing this great jazz classic again. I was a little disappointed that it didn’t present as well in this environment as it had on TV. The sound system and the acoustics of the large coliseum weren’t right for the intimate jazz number. It was hard to pick up the nuance of some of the lyrics, or hear them at all in some instances. There was no special dress or hairdo to set the mood for the song as there had been on TV. All that aside, it was one of my favorite songs of the night as well as for the whole Idol season.

Casey Abrams – Harder to Breath by Maroon 5
This song was pretty much like the TV performance.

Group Number – Minus Scotty – “Forget You”

The group did a great job of this off color pop hit by Cee Lo Green. I have seen the practice sessions for it on You Tube and hoped they would have performed it live in the same way. In practice, the group members were all close together and took turns with the lead vocals, swapping off in a very smooth and naturally flowing way. It was more of a jam session than a performance and you could see that they were having a lot of fun with it. In the stage version they all stood individually across the entire width of the stage behind mic stands. The performance didn’t seem to draw you in like the practice session had. Never the less it was very well done and an enjoyable lead into the intermission.

There was a brief intermission at this point. I went to the concession stand for drinks and saw one of my all time favorite Idols, Melinda Doolittle, who was sitting with the sound and camera guys in a roped off area behind us. If you have never seen her in person, I can tell you that she has the face of a star that stands out in a crowd. I had to go over and at least shake her hand and say hello. When I returned to my seat I said to my wife “oh yeah, I saw Melinda Doolittle while I was up.” She looked at me in disbelief so I sa
id, “Yeah, right back there.” As we were leaving after the show, I saw her again through a crowd of about 500 people and pointed her out to Kathy. She said we should go over and speak to her. Melinda was very gracious and posed with me for a picture. Her half of the picture looks good!
The show resumed with Lauren after the intermission. I think it was a wise move to have the second half bookended by Lauren, at the beginning, and Scotty, at the end, to split up the country artist and also to help define them as individuals.

Lauren Alaina – “Flat on the Floor” by Carrie Underwood

Lauren opened with this recent hit from season four winner, Carrie Underwood. She does a pretty good cover of Carrie, but her enthusiasm in delivering the song began to take it’s toll before the song had ended. She began to sound hoarse and strained by the last chorus.

Lauren Alaina – “Like My Mother Does” *****

This, of course, is Lauren’s single that we all heard during the finale. She was not in good voice but delivered her song as best she could. Lauren pushed her voice way too hard on the first song and sounded raspy after that. A rough wheeze could be heard over the microphone when she took the first breath for her second song. I hope she wises up before it’s too late.

Lauren, Haley, Thia, and Stefano – “If I Die Young” by The Band Perry

I think this was Lauren’s best song of the night because, not only do I like it better than the others, but it is less vocally demanding than the first two. She was also buoyed by the backing vocals of Haley, Thia and Stefano. The three performing duties as backup singers worked very well together on this song, particularly Haley and Stefano.
The crowd loved Lauren and cheered for her at about the same level as for the boys. This was also true for Haley, but less so for the other girls.

James Durbin – “Sweet Child o’ Mine” by Guns and Roses

James started his presentation from the rear of the main floor bringing the crowd to its feet with a continuous roar. I could have touched him as he passed very close to our seats. He had hit the “guy liner” extra hard for the show and had something hanging about knee length in the rear. I’m not sure if it was a tail or scarf. Add a toboggan pulled down to his eyes and an old flannel shirt and he was good to go. The girls really have to work much harder to prepare for these shows. Once on stage, no one is better at hamming for the crowd and aging on the cheers than James. I suppose he was in good voice; it was pretty hard to tell with the crowd noise and the type of songs he was singing. James was very well received by the crowd.

James Durbin – “Uprising” by Muse

One of James’ popular songs from the competition was brought out again for the tour. He did a good job with the vocals but James sounded better to me singing some of the pop songs in the group numbers where you could actually hear his voice. The crowd showed their love for James again and he was gone.

Jacob Lusk – “Never Too Much” by Luther Vandross

Jacob received a polite but unenthusiastic reception from the crowd. He was another performer who benefited from the big stage. His movements and facial expressions seemed more to scale in this setting than on TV. He delivered this song well and in a reasonably restrained manner.

Jacob Lusk with Pia, and Stefano – Or- “Jacob Lusk and the Pips” “You’re All I Need to Get By” by Marvin Gay and Tami Terrell

I actually enjoyed this R&B classic from Jacob quite a bit. This song builds to a crescendo toward the end and is a perfect vehicle for Jacob’s “enthusiasm.” Jacob did a good job with the lead vocals, working well with his backup singers, and was very entertaining on this song. What caught my attention, and what I enjoyed the most, was the excellent “Piping” from the Italian connection backing him up. Pia and Stefano were almost as good with their choreography and hand gestures, combined with backing vocals, as the Temps, Tops, Pips or Supremes. They were serious about it and not clowning around like young people often do when mimicking the classic R&B style of backup singing. I don’t know if Stefano has previous experience with this sort of thing, but Pia has done a lot of it with her band. Excellent job.

Haley Reinhart – “House of the Rising Sun”

I can’t get enough of this old blues standard, and rock classic, that became a big hit for Eric Burdon and The Animals in the early sixties. Like Eric and Siobhan Magnus before her, Haley made this song her own. This was the best song of the night for me, but I’m biased.
I am glad to hear that Haley has signed with Sony Interscope records. There were rumors for a few weeks but now it is official. She will be unique in this recording house that is predominantly hip hop. I hope they know what to do with her to reach her remarkable potential. That makes four so far from this season to get a record deal.

Haley Reinhart – “Bennie and the Jets”

Combined with her rendition of HOTRS, this was the best set, although “Moanin’” would come in second for me as a standalone performance. Neither “Bennie…” nor “Moanin’” were set up as well as they were on TV. “The Fabulous Baker Boys” start from the piano top that she used for “Bennie…” boosted the appeal of the TV performance, but she merely started off leaning on the short stairs in the live version.

At this point the band plays a big fanfare and a video presentation begins to roll on the main screen above the stage. It’s the familiar scene where Ryan Seacrest announced Kelly Clarkson had won the first season of American Idol. The video continued through the announcement of each year’s winner, culminating in Lauren and Scotty standing with Ryan, waiting in anticipation of this year’s results. When he said “the winner of American Idol 2011 IS,” Giant letters on the screen spelled out S-C-O-T-T-Y and it was time to lock ‘em doors and turn the light down low.

Scotty McCreery – “Your Man” by Josh Turner

As you might expect, the crowd roared with enthusiasm for the season 10 American Idol. The all American boy delivered Josh Turner’s modern classic with ease, wearing his old blue jeans and a tee shirt. He said he had been watching the show from the wings and thought he would never get out there.

Scotty McCreery – “Are You Going to Kiss Me Or Not” by Thompson Square

This was the second tune that Scotty had done to good reviews during the season that was offered to the concert audience. Scotty played his guitar and started the song seated in the dark. There were no surprises but maybe a few welcome changes to Scotty’s style are taking hold. I didn’t notice the exaggerated country accent that he had used through most of the season on the other songs but it was still present on this one. Also gone was the flute style side mic thing that he had become known for. He still snaps his head in the opposite direction now and then as if he is trying to catch a runner playing off base. I’m sure it will all smooth out over time.

Scotty McCreery – “I Love You This Big” *****

This is Scotty’s debut single that has done well on the country charts and has gotten good radio air play. I have seen a video for it as well. I’m not a big fan of this song. It seems a little silly to me, but compared to other coronation songs from past Idols, it’s not that bad. Scotty delivered it well and he was a big hit with the fans.

Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina – “When You Say Nothing at All” by Alison Krauss

Scotty and Lauren did a reasonably good job with this song. I think this song is too mature for them and I would much prefer Allison Krauss’ version or the original by the late, great Keith Whitley, but their rendition was a decent cover and received a good reaction from the crowd.

Scotty McCreery with Lauren, Thia, Pia and Haley – “Gone” by Montgomery Gentry

This was my favorite of the Scotty performances. He was backed by all of the girls except Niama on this song and they worked well together, Scotty opened the song from the platform at the top of the stairs and as he move forward toward the stairs the four girls appeared behind him. They followed him, moving as a group in a sultry slinky fashion, to several positions on the stage and finally to the front / center runway where they continued with the call and answer style of this high energy song. Scotty called and the girls answered in unison. It was a very good performance by all.

Entire Group: Medley “Here I Go Again” by Whitesnake, “Faithfully” by Journey, “Walk This Way” by Aerosmith, “Any Way You Want It” and “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin” by Journey.

James & Lauren – open with a few lines from” Here I Go Again.” Then Paul starts and is joined by Haley for the second line, then Casey comes on stage for the third line of the song “Faithfully” by Journey. It becomes a medley as Stefano & Naima join with “Walk This Way” by Aerosmith After that, the group is joined by Thia & Jacob and everyone sings “Any Way You Want It” and “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin” by Journey. It was a bit of a mixed bag. Of the bunch, James and Lauren were good and Paul, Haley and Casey did a very nice job. Steven Tyler’s gig seems to be secure though.

As you can see, the songs of the judges, and even one song by “The Voice” judge Cee Lo Green, were well covered during this concert. Hmmmm.

We had a great night of entertainment watching these young stars of tomorrow honing their chops on the big stage. It was good to see all of the families and mothers or fathers having a special night out with their daughters from about 8 to 15 years old. There were a lot of young adults and older folks as well. It was a well balanced and exceptionally well behaved audience that seemed to enjoy the show as much as we did. Buy your tickets early for next year’s show, and maybe we will see you there.

Concert pictures here:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/american-idol-live-tour-pictures-213069#1

Friday
When we go to Nashville we like to stop by a little country restaurant along the way called Marcy Jo’s Meal House for lunch. It’s a cool little place that is owned by country singer Joey Martin and her sister in law, Marcy Feek. You may have seen it a few years ago in an Overstocked.com Christmas commercial. Joey and her husband are the country duo Joey and Rory. They are real nice folks and the home cooking and fresh baked goods are out of this world.
We ate dinner Friday night at the lounge at our hotel. The guy performing in the lounge was a Nashville song writer / entertainer. Many of his friends had come out to celebrate his birthday. Among his group were five song writers, including him, and six professional country singers. Their combined credits included several number one records, one song on George Strait’s latest album and one of the song’s responsible for Faith Hill breaking into the big time, “Wild One.” All of the friend’s took turns joining the birthday boy on stage to sing or play guitar, piano or bass. Every one of them were good singers or musicians. They were very entertaining and it was a little bit of an education on how songs are written, in Nashville anyway.
Auditions for “The Voice” second season were being held in Nashville on both Friday and Saturday so many auditioners were staying at our hotel. Steve, the entertainer, offered an open mike to any of them that wanted to sing and many took the opportunity. One auditioner named Jeff caught my ear, so look out for him next season.

We went down stairs for a hamburger and beer and ended up staying until closing time for an evening of very good entertainment.

American Idol News

A superfan meets her ‘Idols ‘
Tulsa World – Tulsa,OK,USA
But even sweet-natured teen David Archuleta gets teased. Archuleta was holding a yellow rose that his publicist passed along “Is that for me? …read more

Ford Day Stories, Pictures, and Videos; Fan Stories Pictures from …
By Jenny
About eight of us came to her rescue and all at once shouted to him, “this is David Archuleta’s mom.” The look on his face was priceless. He said “oh sorry mom,” Lupe just smiled at him, she is stunningly beautiful in person. …Fans of David Archuleta – http://fansofdavid.com

‘Idol’ star Daughtry headed to ‘CSI: NY’
United Press International – USA
20 (UPI) — “American Idol” star Chris Daughtry will soon be back on US TV screens in a guest appearance on “CSI: NY,” People magazine says…read more

David Archuleta Releases New Music Video For Song “Crush”
AHN – USA
Los Angeles, CA (CNS) – Last year’s “American Idol” runner-up David Archuleta has just released his first music video for his song “Crush…read more

David Archuleta Unveils His New Music Video
People Magazine – USA
By Marisa Laudadio In the clip for his upbeat ballad “Crush,” Archuleta plays piano on a dock and strums a guitar as a group of fresh-faced teens frolic in …read more

Broadway News

Dolly Parton Warbles, Wins Starry Crowd at `9 to 5′ Premiere
Bloomberg – USA
22 (Bloomberg) — The thrilling Los Angeles premiere of “9 to 5: The Musical” will be hard to duplicate on Broadway, for reasons having nothing to do with …read more

Tix for Broadway’s White Christmas On Sale by Phone and Internet …
Playbill.com – New York,NY,USA
By Kenneth Jones Tickets for the Broadway premiere of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, playing the Marquis Theatre Nov. 14-Jan…read more

No Day But Today
Seattle Post Intelligencer – USA
RENT was filmed live during its final incarnation on a Broadway stage and is going to be a special movie event, coming to a theater near you…read more

Canadian Idol News

General Entertainment News

Jennifer Hudson: The ‘Dreamgirl’s’ Rise To The Top Still Feels …
Blackvoices – USA
By Jawn Murray, BlackVoices.com Those who have followed BV Buzz since its inception know I have a long history with Jennifer Hudson…read more

Dolly Parton loves her ’9 to 5′ gig
Los Angeles Times – CA,USA
In light of all this, it’s almost shocking that Parton’s only now coming to Broadway, decades after conquering both Hollywood and the crossover pop charts…read more

Television News

Cable Makes a Statement as Television Hands Out Its Emmy Awards
New York Times – United States
By EDWARD WYATT LOS ANGELES — The theme of the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday was a celebration of the Golden Age of television…read more

Late Night Political Humor
By iron –Jay Leno. “Due to the current crisis on Wall Street, President Bush announced just a few hours ago that he’s canceled a trip to Alabama. That’s true. Yeah, Bush said, ‘Under the circumstances, I didn’t think it was right to leave the …Political Irony – http://politicalirony.com

Late-night comics on Wall Street
Kansas.com – KS,USA
Jay Leno “I don’t think President Bush gets it. He doesn’t really understand these economic issues. Like today, he was asked if customers should be …read more

Politics

MCL NOTE: THIS BLOG SITE IS HYSTERICAL. A MUST-READ!
Late Night Political Humor
By iron -Jay Leno. “See, that’s the problem in this country. You see, Washington is out of touch with the common people. They have no idea what regular people are doing or thinking on a regular basis. You know, just this morning, I was telling …Political Irony – http://politicalirony.com

Kanye West and Other Stars Sing for Barack Obama
By TheInsider(The Insider)
Kanye West and Sheryl Crow are among the big names heard singing on a new CD that will raise money for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. They’re joined by Stevie Wonder, John Legend and other stars on “Yes We Can: Voices of a …
The Insider Featured News – http://www.theinsider.com

Crisis? What crisis?
Toronto Star – Ontario, Canada
Shares of Royal Bank of Canada shot up $3.44 (Canadian) to $51.43, while stock in insurance giant Manulife Financial Corp. jumped $1.53 to $36.87…read more

Obama Says If He Wins Florida, He Wins the White House
CBS News – New York,NY,USA
(MIAMI) – Barack Obama will be campaigning in Florida for the second day in a row today, making up for lost time during the Democratic primary, …read more

Special thanks to Wadahoot for this wonderful idea. I welcome your news items in the comments section below this article.

JENNIFER HUDSON – HUDSON STRUGGLED WITH OBAMA’S NATIONAL ANTHEM
Contactmusic.com – Ilkley,England,UK
Nerves and the Colorado thin air caught Oscar winner JENNIFER HUDSON off guard as she sang the US National anthem at the recent Democratic National …read more

American Idol News

American Idol’ Man Curse Strikes Again: Blake Lewis Cut Loose
MTV.com – USA
… somewhere out there, we hope, is a poker game in a smoke-filled basement featuring all the male “American Idol” ghosts of major-label-glory past…read more

David Cook Readies New Album And Launches Social Networking Site
KBS Radio – Trail,BC,Canada
American Idol winner David Cook is gearing up to issue his debut album on November 18th and has already launched a special social networking site to help …read more

David Archuleta Saddened By End of Idol Tour
People Magazine – USA
… signs for everyone,” he writes, adding that the “Dreadheads” – admirers of dreadlocked Jason Castro – “make some of the funniest, most unique things…read more

CNS Celebrity Blog Report: David Archuleta Writes About End Of …
AHN – USA
Los Angeles, CA (CNS) – David Archuleta, season seven runner-up of last year’s “American Idol,” is sad that the show’s live summer tour has come to an end…read more

Britney, David Cook join Beyonce, Kanye and 50 to crowd 4Q release …
Backstage Pass – Long Island,NY,USA
Britney Spears and David Cook staked their claim on increasingly scarce 4th quarter release dates yesterday, with Spears picking out her birthday, Dec…read more

David Cook’s Debut Album & Site
David Cook’s debut album will be released on November 18th, 2008 on 19 Recordings / RCA Records. Cook has teamed with Grammy winning producer Rob Cavallo (Green Day, Kid Rock) on the album. Today marks the launch of …American IDOL – http://www.americanidol.com/news/

American Idol Winner Hicks is the New Teen Angel
The Money Times – Mumbai,Maharashtra,India
by Madhavi Arora – September 16, 2008 – 0 comments American Idol winner, Taylor Hicks, makes a debut as “Teen Angel” in the revival of popular musical show …read more

David Cook Confirms New LP Release Date
AceShowbiz – USA
In an attempt to promote his upcoming LP, which will come out in November, David Cook launches official fans site and plans to make Kansas appearance …read more

Birthday surprise for Jennifer Hudson
Seattle Times – United States
Jennifer Hudson got a big surprise on her 27th birthday: an engagement ring. Hudson’s beau, David Otunga, popped the question while the pair were …read more

Broadway News

Arts, Briefly Theater Casting Notes
New York Times – United States
Constantine Maroulis, a contestant on Season 4 of “American Idol,” will be among the cast of “Rock of Ages,” a musical tribute to the 1980s, …read more

American Idol Winner Hicks is the New Teen Angel
The Money Times – Mumbai,Maharashtra,India
by Madhavi Arora – September 16, 2008 – 0 comments American Idol winner, Taylor Hicks, makes a debut as “Teen Angel” in the revival of popular musical show …read more

Canadian Idol News

General Entertainment News

Best Buy to acquire Napster to boost online music sales
Boston Globe – United States
NEW YORK – Best Buy Co., the largest US electronics retailer, agreed to buy Napster Inc., the pioneer of digital-music downloading, for $121 million as it …read more

Warner Music Group Announces Management Reorganization to Focus on …
CNNMoney.com – USA
Warner Music Group Corp. (NYSE: WMG) announced today a series of corporate management appointments, effective immediately, to further drive progress on the …read more

Pop News

Politics

Barbra Streisand and Barack Obama – like buttah…
Christian Science Monitor – Boston,MA,USA
With Barbra Streisand holding a fundraiser tonight for Barack Obama, could a Mike Myers cameo of “Coffee Talk” be next in line? …read more

Obama, Biden, Clinton kick up women outreach. Palin looms as …
Chicago Sun-Times – United States
… female Democratic Hillary Rodham Clinton backers are consolidating around Barack Obama, the Obama campaign is cranking up its pitch to women voters, …read more

How Canadians can help our Olympic athletes win
The Kingston Whig-Standard – Kingston,Ontario,Canada
TheWhig-Standardnotes in its editorial that the Canadian government instituted a payday for Beijing Olympic Games medal winners…read more

Special thanks to Wadahoot for this wonderful idea. I welcome your news items in the comments section below this article.

A warm hello to all the Tulsa, Oklahoma fans!

Well, the summer long American Idol Live Show has come to an end, but, for those of you attending the Tulsa concert, the party is just beginning.

I am sure you are in for quite a blockbuster this evening. It’s closing night and I expect that all the singers will be pumped, excited and quite emotional during the course of tonight’s program at the BOK Center in Tulsa.

It has been a personal thrill to offer critiques for the performances throughout this tour and an even greater thrill to have had the opportunity to meet the singers in Toronto.

I would like to extend a very strong and emotional thank you to my wonderful readers, especially those of you who have been so kind to provide me with video links and commentary through every stop of the tour.

My journey wouldn’t have been nearly as exciting were it not for your presence on this site each and every day. The sharing experience has been truly memorable and I am deeply indebted to all of you for your enormous show of support.

However, this is just the beginning. Personally, I am very excited to watch these singers establish their individual careers, so as to promote them in every way imaginable.

Of course, this will be a bittersweet farewell for all of them, but, undoubtedly, they will be relieved to finally have the time and luxury to refuel their bodies and spend time with their loved ones.

Although one curtain comes down, another will rise -and another after that one and so on. And we will be there to share every level of musical advancement with them.

Therefore, here’s to the future and here’s to happiness and good health to all.

And, for the last time this season, I am asking you to load this blog entry with performance memories and video clips. Your photos can be emailed to me at masterclasslady@hotmail.com

You can also email me at masterclasslady@hotmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Somedays, it just pays to drag yourself out of bed and start another busy, but mostly, uneventful day. And then, just like magic, one person’s thoughtful gesture can turn your day around and put an indelible smile on your face.

This is exactly what happened this afternoon when one of my readers, who goes by the pseudonym of Bizzee247, presented me with a special video surprise to commemorate our Masterclass Idol journey here on MasterclassLady.Com.

It is wonderful, creative tribute to all the singers and David Cook’s, heartrending performance of “Time Of My Life” just takes on a whole new meaning as the video moves forward.

Bizzee247 created such a sensitive and memorable portrait of all the singers, before and during the tour, and, you will note that she added some pictures from my concert/”meet and greet” experience in Toronto Ontario Canada.

Watch how she rhythmically matches the word “life” with both David Archuleta’s and David Cook’s picture on two separate occasions – Archie’s at the 2.46 mark and Cookie’s at the 3:00 mark. Brilliant!

This video experience gave me goosebumps and brought tears to my eyes. She fully captured the essence of this talented, diverse group of singers, truly the best we have seen from any season.

Thank you Bizzee247, from the bottom of my heart and from the depths of my soul for this beautiful, precious gift. I will cherish this always!

MCL NOTE: This video will be stickied at the top of my homepage for a week and a half and then very carefully moved to my MCL Sticky page for future enjoyment.

American Idol News

For All The Dreadheads! Woo!
Pick six: A half-dozen cool things in music
Minneapolis Star Tribune – Minneapolis,MN,USA
AP NewsAlert Jason Castro, Target Center. His covering Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” at the “American Idols Live” concert was hip, modern, unexpected and so …read more

‘Idol’ troupe presents seasoned show
Evansville Courier & Press – Evansville,IN,USA
Jason Castro had an apparent following among the young ladies in the audience who screamed excitedly. With his trademark laidback style, Castro sang well, …read more

Broadway News

Canadian Idol News

Canadian Idol: Theo Tams speaks about his win
National Post – Toronto,Ontario,Canada
He is everything that Canadian Idol viewers saw on screen all summer. Talking with Tams about an hour after he was crowned the Canadian Idol, … read more

New Idol wears crown with pride
Metro Canada – Toronto – Toronto,Ontario,Canada
But despite his obvious exterior poise, newly named Canadian Idol Theo Tams admits he is brimming with insecurity. “From my first audition, when I walked in …read more

General Entertainment News

Robert Kennedy Jr. Movie in Turmoil
FOXNews – USA
Michael Buble and Josh Groban are the Jack Joneses of today. If you’re in New York, don’t miss him. Jones turned 70 last January. He’s still partying like …read more

Obama to appear on ‘Saturday Night Live’
The Associated Press -
NEW YORK (AP) — Oh how things have changed for Barack Obama since he last appeared on “Saturday Night Live.” The Democratic presidential nominee’s campaign …read more

Pop News

For All The Dreadheads! Woo!
Pick six: A half-dozen cool things in music
Minneapolis Star Tribune – Minneapolis,MN,USA
AP NewsAlert Jason Castro, Target Center. His covering Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” at the “American Idols Live” concert was hip, modern, unexpected and so …read more

Politics

Obama’s Slightly Sharper Tone
CBS News – New York,NY,USA
I’m Barack Obama, and I approved this message because this year, change has to be more than a slogan.” In terms of the “edge,” there’s still an overwhelming …read more

McCain, Obama find common ground on national service
CNN – USA
McCain and Obama met at a forum on national service in NYC Thursday night WASHINGTON (CNN) — Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama showed Thursday night that …read more

For Barack Obama, Bill Clinton says he’ll do ‘whatever I’m asked’
Los Angeles Times – CA,USA
Obama will win and win handily.” Then again, she doesn’t over-commit herself. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has been pretty disparaging of Democrat Barack Obama’s …read more

In one mutual moment of peace, John McCain and Barack Obama mark 9/11
Los Angeles Times – CA,USA
John McCain and Barack Obama. A welcome respite as both marked, with the nation, those decisively unpeaceful moments of 9/11 that sure don’t seem like seven …read more

Special thanks to Wadahoot for this wonderful idea. I welcome your news items in the comments section below this article.

Hey Evansville:

Are you rockin’ ii out at the Roberts Stadium tonight with our fabulous group of Top 10 singers? If so, please come and share your links with us -photos, recaps, videos – we want all of the goodies. Yum!

You can also email me at masterclasslady@hotmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you!

American Idol News

10 American Idol finalists thrill a screaming coliseum crowd
News Sentinel – Fort Wayne,IN,USA
Johns finished with Aerosmith’s “Dream On,” the song that finished him off in Week 8 on the “American Idol” TV show, though it sounded pretty good to me…read more

Afternoon Archuleta Fix: Sales, Charts, Entertainment Tonight …
By Becky
24 22 DAVID ARCHULETA Crush 2690 2177 513 17.225. HAC: 36 31 DAVID ARCHULETA Crush 452 310 142 1.720. AC: 23 21 DAVID ARCHULETA Crush 204 149 55 1.348 (2 spins off from being #20 on AC). *Remember: The first number is the OLD rank and …read more

9/11: Diana DeGarmo at Go Arts Month event at Underground October 4
Access Atlanta – Atlanta,GA,USA-David Archuleta “Crush” is now up to No. 22 and showing strong growth on the top 40 chart, according to Radio and Records.. Daughtry’s “What About Now” …read more

‘Idol’ finalists talk about life on the tour
News Sentinel – Fort Wayne,IN,USA
A very laid-back Jason Castro said the tour has been “awesome.” Castro, who was humming between interview questions, said opening night was his highlight of …read more

Broadway News

Grease Revival Welcomes “Idol” Finalist Young Sept. 11
Playbill.com – New York,NY,USA
By Andrew Gans Ace Young, a finalist on the hit Fox TV singing competition “American Idol,” makes his Broadway debut Sept. 11 in the Tony-nominated Broadway …read more

MCL Note: A good reason to visit New York
Starry Lineup Set for Broadway on Broadway Concert
Broadway.com – New York,NY,USA
by Broadway.com Staff An all-star lineup, including Broadway powerhouse Bebe Neuwirth, has been announced for the 2008 Broadway on Broadway concert, …read more

Broadway: What’s on tap this fall
amNewYork – New York,USA
13 the Musical Penned by Jason Robert Brown (“The Last Five Years”), “13″ is the first Broadway musical where not only the cast, but even the orchestra, …read more

Canadian Idol News

Theo Tams Crowned Canadian Idol
ChartAttack – Toronto,Ontario,Canada
This year’s Canadian Idol is Theo Tams. The 23-year-old music student from Lethbridge, Alta., who watched the past five seasons of the show on television, …read more

Theo Tams will ‘Sing’ as the next Canadian Idol!
CTV.ca – Canada
“After Canada voted more than 33 million times this season … the next Canadian Idol is Theo Tams!” said host Ben Mulroney. Tams put his hands to his face …read more

Life after Idol just fine for Klippert
Medicine Hat News – Medicine Hat,AB,Canada
Billy Klippert has had his share of ups and downs since he left the Canadian Idol stage in 2003: He’s gone through a slew of band member changes, …read more

General Entertainment News

Barack Obama’s ‘SNL’ Season Premiere Surprise!
By TheInsider(The Insider)
Not only is Olympic champ Michael Phelps hosting, but Barack Obama is slated to make a guest appearance. People magazine says that Obama will fly in from New Hampshire to be “live from New York,” but the extent of his on-air involvement …
The Insider Featured News – http://www.theinsider.com

Nickelodeon and Broadway Across America Bring ‘Dora the Explorer …
Broadway World – New York,NY,USA
Nickelodeon and Broadway Across America are teaming up to bring “Dora the Explorer Live! Search for the City of Lost Toys,” starring the world’s most famous …read more

Hamlisch named pops conductor for Colo. Symphony
DENVER (AP) - Marvin Hamlisch has been named principal pops conductor for the Colorado Symphony Orchestra for two seasons starting in 2009-10.
Top Music News on AOL – http://music.aol.com/news/headlines

So you think you can impress these judges?
Toronto Star – Ontario, Canada
… manager behind the British Pop Idol shows and its progeny American Idol and Canadian Idol, and his partnering producer and SYTYCD judge Nigel Lythgoe…read more

Seattle Symphony music director stepping down
The Associated Press –
SEATTLE (AP) — Gerard Schwarz, who brought the Seattle Symphony to prominence as music director since 1985, is stepping down in three years…read more

Pop News

Daughtry brings gritty rock to Allegan County Fair
MLive.com – MI,USA
ALLEGAN — From the fifth season of “American Idol” to the fairgrounds of Allegan County comes rocker Chris Daughtry, backed by his band Daughtry…read more

The Twist’ is top song of Billboard Hot 100 era
NEW YORK (AP) - How’s this for a twist: Of all the No. 1 songs in the 50 years of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Chubby Checker’s “The Twist” ranks as the most popular single.
Top Music News on AOL – http://music.aol.com/news/headlines

Politics

Bill Clinton predicts Obama will win ‘handily’
The Associated Press – NEW YORK (AP) — Barack Obama and former President Clinton talked for two hours on Thursday, their first meeting in a White House race that had once bitterly …read more

Barack Obama on David Letterman
The Swamp – Tribune’s Washington Bureau – Washington,DC,USA
Barack Obama was worried about his declining poll ratings and such the Sarah palin phenomenon, you’d never know it from his appearance on CBS’s Late Night …read more

Obama calls on US to renew 9/11 spirit of service
The Associated Press -
11 attacks, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama called on Americans to renew “that spirit of service and that sense of common purpose” that …read more

Bill Clinton to join Obama
Los Angeles Times – CA,USA
From AP, From the Associated Press NEW YORK — Barack Obama revealed Wednesday that former President Clinton will campaign for him in the weeks leading up …read more

Special thanks to Wadahoot for this wonderful idea. I welcome your news items in the comments section below this article.

Three more concerts left-with two shows scheduled for the State Of Indiana – tonight and tomorrow!

Hey there Fort Wayne Idol fans:

I am posting this thread early today, so that you can come on and gab before the Idol concert tonight, scheduled to take place in the Allen County Memorial Coliseum.

As we approach closing night of this extremely memorable Idol tour, I am sure the singers’ adrenaline is surging through their collective bodies at full throttle. These performances will probably be even more spectacular than the previous, with tons of surprises in store for their fans.

So, please come back here and share your stories, post your video links and/or just reminisce on this magnificent Top 10 American idol tour.

You can also email me at masterclasslady@hotmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you!

American Idol News

Idols but not originals review
Wilkes Barre Times-Leader – Wilkes Barre,PA,USA
American Idol winner, David Cook bows to runner-up David Archuleta during the American Idols Live show at the Wachovia Arena Monday evening…read more

Broadway News

Teens leap into stardom on Broadway stage this fall
USA Today – USA
Despite those accomplishments — and the involvement of John, whose scores for The Lion King and Aida helped sustain enduring hits on Broadway — no one in …read more

Canadian Idol News

Alberta student Theo Tams crowned the new Canadian Idol
Globe and Mail – Canada
Also taking the stage were Idol mentor Jully Black, rockers Hedley and the remaining members of Canadian Idol’s Top 10. Meanwhile, Canadian Idol announced …read more

Alberta student wins Canadian Idol
CBC.ca – Toronto,Ontario,Canada
Finalist Mitch Macdonald says goodbye to Drew Wright, who was elminiated, as the new Canadian Idol, Theo Tams, looks on. (Canadian Press) The big-voiced …read more

Canadian Idol: Theo Tams is your new Canadian Idol
National Post – Toronto,Ontario,Canada
Theo Tams of Lethbridge, AB was crowned the season six Canadian Idol. Tams beat out Mitch MacDonald of Port Hood, NS Canadians voted more than 33 million …read more

Mitch MacDonald and Theo Tams will learn tonight if they are next …
The Canadian Press – TORONTO
TORONTO — The wait will finally be over for Mitch MacDonald and Theo Tams tonight when a winner is announced on “Canadian Idol.” It’s been almost two days …read more

General Entertainment News

Fashion Rocks Put MTV’s VMAs To Shame
New York Daily News – New York,NY,USA
Granted CBS’ Fashion Rocks special isn’t live but if that’s what it takes to bring the Video Music Awards back to some relevancy, let’s do it…read more

Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney among CMA nominees
NEW YORK (AP) – Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney and Alan Jackson are among the nominees for the 42nd Country Music Association Awards.
Top Music News on AOL – http://music.aol.com/news/headlines

Kenny Chesney Gets Seven Nominations to Lead Pack at This Year’s …
CMT.com – Nashville,TN,USA
Chesney and director Shaun Silva share a music video nomination for “Don’t Blink.” And while Chesney is nominated in seven categories, he also stands to win …read more

Ashton Kutcher, Tech Darling
BusinessWeek – USA
… finesse and stage presence were completely out of place at the TechCrunch50 conference earlier this week, but his appearance was the talk of the show…read more

‘America’s Got Talent’: Meet the First 15 Finalists
Entertainment Weekly – USA
(No, she’s never auditioned for American Idol or Nashville Star, which is a common question; they never came to Detroit looking for talent…read more

Pop News

Politics

President Clinton to hit campaign trail for Obama
The Associated Press –
NEW YORK (AP) — Barack Obama revealed Wednesday that former President Clinton, once the presidential nominee’s nemesis, will campaign for him during the …read more

Obama Defends Palin’s Children and Faith
ABC News – USA
Barack Obama, D-Ill. “Let me be very clear about this, and if there are members of the media who are listening, I hope they hear me loud and clear,” Obama …read more

Obama Campaign Sets Sights
Wall Street Journal – USA
By CHRISTOPHER COOPER and ELIZABETH HOLMES CHICAGO — For a view of Barack Obama’s Election Day strategy, look no further than his campaign-event calendar…read more

Canadian government boosts relief aid to storm-battered Haiti by …
The Canadian Press – TORONTO
TORONTO — Canada has committed to sending an additional $5 million worth of humanitarian aid to Haiti, where hundreds have been killed and thousands left …read more

Special thanks to Wadahoot for this wonderful idea. I welcome your news items in the comments section below this article.

Hard to believe that there are only four more shows left in this Top Ten American Idol Tour, including tonight’s performance at the Wachovia Arena.

So celebrate away and don’t forget to come back here and share your memories. Video links, photo links and personal recaps are most welcome in this Wilkes Barre, PA blog topic.

Let’s fill up that comment section below with some memorable pictures and recaps and, of course, video links to all the individual performances.

You can also email me at masterclasslady@hotmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Hello Rhode Island!

Just five more shows – one of them being in the lovely State of Rhode Island.

I am sure that the audience in the”Dunkin’ Donuts” Center (love that name and love that donut-ha!) will be moving and grooving to the rhythmn of our fabulous Top 10?

So, you need to share the goodies with us after the show ends. Just mosey on over to this site and add your recaps , video links and photo links. It’s time to share the wealth and, this time, we want to see and hear about all the singers.

This is an Idol friendly site, meaning we support and celebrate all of these gifted young vocalists, so let’s give all of them their Masterclass due as they move toward the end of this very exciting tour.

You can also email me at masterclasslady@hotmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Hey there Bridgeport!

As we approach the end of this exciting Top 10 tour, one can only imagine how bittersweet this must be for these talented young singers.

It’s been a long, hectic, but enormously exciting ride for these artists and, although many are anxious to take their dreams and elevate them to yet another level, it must be difficult for them to say farewell to their musical peers.

However, on the other hand, the intensity and drive of their performances should be pulsating at record rates – they want to leave their final mark on that stage. Therefore, I have no doubt that you will be experiencing something extremely exceptional in the Arena at Harbor Yard this evening.

So, please share all your performance memories, photo links and video links with us. We love all the singers very much, so, we hope to see and hear many performance recaps of tonight’s show.

You can also email me at masterclasslady@hotmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Jennifer Hudson Says She Still Watches ‘Idol’
Entertainment Tonight News – USASuperstar and former “Idol” contestant Jennifer Hudson tells ET’s Jann Carl that she made sure to watch “American Idol” while filming her new movie, …read more

Canadian Idol final two happy for ‘great start’ to careers …
The Canadian Press – HALIFAX
“There is all this buzz and before you know it, there’s going to be another Canadian Idol going on and we’ll be old news.” The guitar-playing carpenter from …read more

Multi-network cancer telethon donations top $100M
The Associated Press – That dollar figure reflects contributions from viewers of the telethon, “Stand Up to Cancer,” as well as money raised since late May, when the Stand Up to …read more

Daniel Radcliffe: ‘I Love Broadway!‘
People Magazine – USA
By Jessica Gold Haralson It’s only the second day previews for Broadway’s Equus, but Daniel Radcliffe has made it clear he loves his new home…read more

David Cook Talks About Pressure, David Archuleta And Writing Songs
Fashion.ie – Ireland
On the “American Idol” runner-up, the singer explained: “David (Archuleta) and I aren’t the same artist. He’s more pop and R&B. Comparing us, for lack of a …read more

Touring preps cast for future ‘Idols’ tour bringing in the energy
Evansville Courier & Press – Evansville,IN,USA
David Cook was the winner of the seventh edition of the popular show; he bested David Archuleta in the finals, grabbing 56 percent of the 97.5 million votes …read more

No Day But Today: Broadway’s Rent Sign Comes Down Sept. 7
Playbill.com – New York,NY,USA
By Kenneth Jones Rent, the landmark Broadway musical that melded a rock sound with story and character like no other musical before it, ends its 12-year run … read more

David Archuleta — Fans Raise $31000 for Standup2Cancer
By Rickey
This is a great thing that you have done in David Archuleta’s name, although I feel that we should continue to give even if David is not involved. Make a donation! David Archuleta blogs on MySpace about StandUp2Cancer.

Daniel Radcliffe Wows in First Broadway Performance
People Magazine – USA
Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe appeared in his first preview performance of the Broadway drama Equus Friday, earning raves from fans…read more

Rock group Heart says ‘Barracuda’ use is fishy
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The rock group Heart, angry that its ’70s hit “Barracuda” is being used as the unofficial theme song for Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin, is taking aim at the Alaska governor.
Top Music News on AOL – http://music.aol.com/news/headlines

FOXNews.com – Celebrities ‘Stand Up to Cancer’ in Historic …
Celebrities ‘Stand Up to Cancer’ in Historic Telethon, Cancer research advocates and more than 60 celebrities ranging from Jennifer Aniston to the US …read more

With an open house today and American Idols tomorrow, the Dunkin …
Providence Journal – Providence,RI,USA
BY RICK MASSIMO David Archuleta, left, and David Cook will be performing with the “American Idol Live Tour 2008” at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center tomorrow night …read more

“Idol” grad Pickler writes from the heart
Reuters – USA
That release was something of a rush job, completed while Pickler was on the “American Idol” tour. The new RCA album, Pickler says, is “a lot more ‘me’ …read more

American Idol alumna Mandisa preps for Disney World appearance …
Theme Park Rangers – Orlando,FL,USA
The former American Idol finalist — she finished ninth the season Taylor Hicks won — will sing at Night of Joy, a Christian music gathering, …read more

Behind The Scenes At ‘Stand Up To Cancer’
CBS 2 – Los Angeles,CA,USA
But most importantly, be sure to click on Stand Up To Cancer and donate today. This is a change we should all be voting for.

Stars ‘Stand Up to Cancer,’ offer hope
USA Today – USA
By Bill Keveney, USA TODAY LOS ANGELES — Entertainers not only gave their time to Stand Up To Cancer, Friday’s three-network, primetime fundraiser…read more

Stand Up to Cancer telethon takes over network TV
The Associated Press – The aim of Stand Up to Cancer is to raise funds for “translational research,” Ziskin said, which encourages scientists to collaborate rather than compete, …read more

Evening Archuleta Fix: New Blog from David; Thud-Worthy Concert Photos
By Jenny
Congratulations to us, and thank you so much for your hard work, Stacie and your team! AMAZING! Over 30000 for cancer research in the name of David Archuleta, who has been such a healing force in so many of our lives…read more at Fans of David – http://fansofdavid.com/

Stars Help Stand Up To Cancer Telethon Take Over Network TV
Access Hollywood – USA
The cast of the new “90210” hits the red carpet at the Nylon Magazine party to talk about their show being the highest rated premiere ever on The CW…read more

Hudson exceeds career expectations
Windsor Star – Ontario, Canada
Jennifer Hudson has learned to ignore what doubters say. She did so famously after American Idol judge Simon Cowell told her that “she was out of her …read more

Kanye West to Close Video Music Awards
New York Times – United States
The hip-hop star Kanye West will be the closing act at the 25th annual MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, The Associated Press reported…read more

American Idol’ stars rock Wolstein Center
The Plain Dealer – cleveland.com – Cleveland,OH,USA
Most performers toed a party line, all the more reason to give dreadlocked dark horse Jason Castro his due for tackling a few unusual selections in unusual …read more

Homegrown kids’ music quartet Imagination Movers hits the big time …
The Times-Picayune – NOLA.com – New Orleans,LA,USA
Disney will eventually broadcast the homegrown kids’ music quartet to more than 40 countries from South Korea to Spain. To promote the series, …read more

Broadway hit set for North east premiere
Sunderland Echo – Sunderland,England,UK
Musical fans are in for a treat when Broadway show Rent hits the UK – with the North East its first stop. Gareth Hunter, owner of Sunderland-based …read more

I welcome your news items in the comments section below this article. Special thanks to Wadahoot for this excellent suggestion.

MCL Pick Of The Day Discover the secret of slow
MSNBC – USA
I was in my car, tearing it up in hopeful duet with Canadian crooner Michael Bublé, when I noticed something interesting. Throughout “Come Fly With Me,” I …read more

Debra Byrd more than a vocal coach to Idols
CTV.ca – Canada
Every week during Canadian Idol’s live performance show, there’s someone cheering louder than anyone else from the sidelines. It’s Debra Byrd, Idol’s vocal …read more

Jennifer Hudson readies new album, two films
San Francisco Chronicle – CA, USA
Jennifer Hudson is cutting it close to the wire. The 2004 “American Idol” contestant has been working on her first album for a year and a half, …read more

Pavarotti to be remembered around the world
ContentType:Spot Development; ContentElement:FullStory; Breaking:True; ^By MARTA FALCONI= ^Associated Press Writer= Top Music News on AOL – http://music.aol.com/news/headlines

Fans line up to see “Rent” last time on Broadway
Reuters Canada – Toronto,Ontario,Canada
“Rent” was the first Broadway show to start the practice of selling same-day orchestra seats for $20 in a lottery that allowed die-hard fans, …read more

Reliving my ‘American Idol’ experience at Van Andel Arena
MLive.com – MI,USA
Then, one-by-one, in walked Michael Johns, Kristy Lee Cook, Carly Smithson, David Archuleta and Chikezie. Brook Taylor and Tommy Dylan of Star 105.7, … read more

Friday’s Talk Shows
Los Angeles Times – CA,USA
7 am KCBS 85940 Today Republican Convention; Michael Bublé performs; Gene Simmons; Joan Baez. 7 am KNBC 660501 Good Morning America Sally Field; …read more

Imagine a political convention, only with more Aerosmith tunes …
The Plain Dealer – cleveland.com – Cleveland,OH,USA
Before the concert, we caught up with “American Idol” champ David Cook and finalists Syesha Mercado and Jason Castro. Click on the links below to hear what …read more

David Cook Adds to Oprah’s Season Opener
MyFox Kansas City – Kansas City,MO,USA
American Idol David Cook showed up to sing “Time of My Life”, his single, to the athletes, according to Chicagotribune.com blogger Maureen Ryan. Read more

Taylor Hicks and his harmonica have made “Grease!’ groovy
The Birmingham News – al.com – Birmingham,AL,USA
Bice is nice (but we always knew that): Southern rocker Bo Bice might not be topping the charts, but he remains in the public eye. Even better, Bice is …read more

Michelle Obama: No More Kids for Barack and Me
By Associated Press
Michelle Obama says she and Democrat Barack Obama probably won’t have any more children because the presidential race is enough additional responsibility. “I think I’m done,” she told TV talk show host Ellen DeGeneres in an interview. …read more at America’s Election HQ – http://elections.foxnews.com

Tams tough to beat
Winnipeg Sun – Canada
That’s right — it’s time for the sixth annual Canadian Idol crowning. On Monday, Nova Scotia’s Mitch MacDonald and Alberta’s Theo Tams will have one last … read more

Oprah Presents the World’s Smartest Kids
Oprah.com – Chicago,IL,USA
They may look like ordinary kids…but what they’re getting ready to do on our stage will blow you away! Meet a 15-year-old who’s bringing down the house…read more

Special thanks to Wadahoot for this wonderful idea. I welcome your news items in the comments section below this article.

Hey there Cleveland Ohio Fans!

We are on the final leg of this exciting American Idol Top 10 tour. It’s been a long wait for the Ohio fans, but I know it has been worth it! I am sure the Wolstein Center is brimming with energy and enthusiasm for these enormously talent and diverse singers.

In fact, I can hear the cheering and hysteria from my home here in Canada. Well, actually, I will be able to hear your enthusiastic response if you take the time to add some video links to this Cleveland blog topic.

So, please share all your performance memories, photo links and video links with us. We love all the singers very much, so, we hope to see and hear many performance recaps of tonight’s show.

You can also email me at masterclasslady@hotmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Helloooo Grand Rapids, Michigan!

We know you are enjoying the Top 10 American Idol live show in the Van Andel Arena and hope that you have time to stop by and add some colorful recaps in the comments section of this blog topic.

So, please share all your performance memories, photo links and video links with us. We love all the singers very much, so, we hope to see and hear many performance recaps of tonight’s show.

You can also email me at masterclasslady@hotmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Helloooooo Green Bay, Wisconsin!

We are nearing the end of this very exciting Top 10 American Idol tour, so I am sure the singers will be “pulling out all the stops” to make the ending as exciting as the rest of the tour has been.

I am sure you are having a great time at the Resch Center and are snapping photos and taping videos so that the musical memories can live on for a very long time.

So, please stop by this blog and add your commentary and videos/photo links. Or you can email me at masterclasslady@hotmail.com

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Hey Minneapolis!

I am sure you will be pumped after the Top 10 Idol show at the Target Center this evening. This crop of singers have so much to offer and I know you will be walking away from this performance with many wonderful musical memories.

Also, the singers have a little over a week of performances left on this extremely busy tour season, so I am sure they are letting their adrenaline fly higher than ever now.

So , please take a moment and post your video links and/or recaps and or pictures in the comments sectiion below or you can email me at masterclasslady@hotmail.com and I shall add your info. for you.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Hey Kansas City!

You are the recipients of a American Idol Top 10 Idol show tonight and tomorrow. Hmmmm – I wonder how this happened? I wonder?

Could it be because of this guy right here?

David Cook, American Idol

Oh yes, indeed! This year’s winner – David Cook – hails from Blue Springs, Missouri, a 20-minute car ride away from the heart of Kansas City.

So call me crazy, but I think that the Kansas City fans must be extremely excited in anticipation of tonight’s and tomorrow’s show. This is a Cookie homecoming of sorts and what a great moment in time this must be for him and his family.

I look forward to hearing and seeing all the videos and recaps tomorrow and reviewing the performances of Cookie and the rest of the Top 10 singers.

So, please take a moment to add your thoughts, memories, photos and videos right hear in the comments section of this blog topic.

You can also email me at masterclasslady@hotmail.com. Looking forward to meeting all of you!