As previously mentioned here, Ryan Seacrest is in early talks with NBC to develop a music show at some point down the road.

However, at this time, he doesn’t plan to host the new show nor does he want to compete with American Idol. He is under a $15 million a year contract with American Idol until 2012, which means that his Idol contract will expire next season.

This lucrative, multi-faceted contract also bars him from appearing on any other broadcast network until 2012, which makes absolute sense.

Billboard.Com and the new York Post had plenty to say about Ryan.

He has his own productiom company, Ryan Seacrest Productions, which has developed current shows on E!, such as four from the Kardashian franchise, “The Dance Scene”), ABC (“Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution”) and TLC (upcoming “I Kid,” hosted by Brad Garrett).

However, his new musical show is 1 of 20 still under development. I am very interested to see where Ryan takes this show. I am huge fan and great admirer of his strong work ethic. He Is relentless and loaded with ambition. I wish him the very best in his new endeavors as a producer.

Are you happy for Ryan? Do you think he will maintain as high a level of success behind the camera as in front of the camera? Can American Idol survive all of these new reality- based competitions?

Looks like Ryan Seacrest is planning to follow in Simon Cowell’s footsteps and fly the coop.

According to the New York Post, Ryan is planning to produce a reality-based performance show that will focus on artistry. He is presently in negotiations with NBC which is slowly morphing into Fox.

Ryan was quoted as saying: “”It is self-contained episodes. It is a bit more fun. It’s not contestant competitive. It’s artist competitive.”

I don’t know what that means exactly, except that it could possibly focus on the development of the artist over the course of the competition.

It might be interesting to take someone who is very green, yet talented and watch them emerge as a true artist with the assistance of quality mentors and musicians.

Isn’t that what Simon Cowell’s X-Factor does and plans to do when it debuts in the USA in the Fall of 2011? I don’t know about you, but it’s getting mighty crowded in the performance-based reality show arena.

Does this mean the end of American Idol? Is this why Pia is getting free rein with her recording career? Make a pile a money and close up shop? It certainly looks that way.

The next four weeks of American Idol might just be the last four weeks. I can’t envision this show without Ryan. He is the bonding factor that keeps this show running smoothly each week.

Will you miss the show if it sails into the sunset? Do you think Ryan is going to be a success beyond Idol?

Last evening, I was extremely surprised with the premiere of American Idol. It was a well-paced, intelligent evening of pure entertainment.

Returning judge, Randy Jackson, was a comforting presence alongside new judges, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler. All three judges displayed just the right amount of tact, humor, empathy and professionalism when dealing with the contestants.

Ryan Seacrest‘s involvement was just wonderful. He had a very genuine approach to the singers and their family members and connected to their journey with honesty and encouragement.

Case in point: his approach to the tragic story of 16-year-old singer, Travis Orlando. As mentioned by Randy Jackson, Ryan became misty-eyed upon learning about Travis’ success at receiving a gold ticket to Hollywood. Travis’ story touched him in a monumental way. I know I felt his pain. What a tough road this young man endured with his family.

Travis’ story reminds all of us that American Idol can be the start of a new and exciting life for so many singers. To be born with a prolific talent is a gift from God that should be shared with millions and American Idol is a strong vehicle toward achieving this reality.

Tonight’s show focuses on the New Orleans auditions. I can’t get enough of this show this season. That has to be a good omen, correct?

Randy Jackson, Steven Tyler, Ryan Seacrest, Jennifer Lopez and Jimmy Iovine on

Can returning American Idol producer, Nigel Lythgoe, breathe new life into the rapidly dying American Idol format?

Well, according to this article, it looks like the 10th season may be everything that the viewers have hoped for and more.

The most intriguing new change to the show’s tired format was the revelation that the singers could stay true to their individual genres throughout the entire competition. Now, that’s huge!

This news was a bit of a deja-vu

moment for me. A few years ago, I had suggested this idea via this blog and it sort of fell on deaf ears.

Now, we will be able to witness true growth in each artist, especially knowing that Geffen A&M Records Chairman, Jim Iovine, will be guiding the process each week.

Also, personal mentors will be assigned to each singers. How great is that?

And, speaking of mentors, there will be no guest mentors this season. Hallelujah!  In past seasons, the majority of guest mentors were only available to push their own careers and, as a result, exhibited limited interest in the singers.

I loved Harry Connick Jr., Barry Manilow, David Foster – you know, the true musicians who were wonderfully experienced and passionate in their quest to guide and foster young talent.

That being said, I have very little to add in terms of the new judging panel. It’s a “wait and see” situation and we all should be patient, giving them the opportunity to evolve as a team.

Is it January yet?

Nigel Lythgoe, Ryan Seacrest, Simon Fuller

 Well, the kitty-cat’s out of the bag  – not that it was ever in the bag for long.  The rumours have flown all over the internet.  

In fact, Nigel Lythgoe himself  inadvertently referred to American Idol during last week’s judging comments on So You Think You Can Dance.  It was one of those great “oops” moments that live television loves to capture for its viewers.   

And so, according to Ryan Seacrest’s Facebook page, Nigel Lythgoe will return as an executive producer of “American Idol,” television’s No. 1 series, joining executive producers Simon Fuller, Cecile Frot-Coutaz and Ken Warwick for the milestone 10th anniversary season of American Idol,  premiering January 2011 on FOX.  

In a press release, Nigel was quoted as saying:  

“Since we launched the original ‘Pop Idol’ in England, I’ve remained close with Simon Fuller. Working as executive producer on ‘American Idol’ for its first seven years not only was an inspirational journey into the heart of American pop culture, it opened my eyes to the untapped potential of the incredibly dynamic young people in this world. I have been able to continue discovering raw talent on ‘So You Think You Can Dance,’ which I co-created with Simon,” said Lythgoe. “’American Idol’ became a juggernaut of epic proportions, but to me it was always like home. I am elated and honored to be rejoining childhood friend and fellow executive producer Ken Warwick, and look forward to creating more magic.”  

So, there you have it, folks. I am pretty excited about this transition and feel that Nigel will point American Idol in the direction that we all wish for this show:  stronger focus on the singers.  

Greyson Chance experienced his first radio interview with Ryan Seacrest on the latter’s show earlier today. It was such a great interview and, considering that not even a month has passed since Greyson posted his video on YouTube.Com, I am astounded at the maturity and composure of this young man. In addition to being immensely talented, he is such a sweet, genuine young man.

A couple of weeks ago, Ellen Degeneres introduced us the 12-year-old phenomenon and was so impressed with this talented young man that she started her own record label -eleveneleven – and signed the young prodigy.

According to RyanSeacrest.Com

Four weeks, $10,000, 22 million YouTube views and a record contract later,Greyson Chance is nearly a household name and drawing comparisons to teen phenom Justin Bieber.

This is quite a story and we are all in for a terrific ride as we watch a young raw talent evolve into a huge star before our very eyes. This is truly Ellen’s version of  Simon Cowell’s new show, The X-Factor.  And I am sure this is only the beginning of Ellen’s new adventure into the A & R business. Knowing Ellen, the sky’s the limit!

I thought I would add a separate blog topic for this evening’s  star-studded 2-hour presentation of   Idol Gives Back

And you don’t have to wait until the show airs to donate to this extensive charitable cause.

With just a click,  you can donate now by visiting the Idol Gives Back website .

Two evenings ago on Larry King Live,  all the main players  of American Idol – Simon Cowell, Ryan Seacrest, Ellen DeGeneres, Kara Dioguardi and Randy Jackson -stated that they would be donating their salary for this week’s show to the Idol Gives Back Foundation.  Very nice.   

And what an evening this will be!  Scheduled to perform and/or appear are David Cook,  Alicia Keys, Carrie Underwood, Sir Elton John, Bill Gates, Kris Allen, Justin Beiber and many more.

 I will add more news as the information becomes available but, from all accounts, it is going to be quite a night of entertainment!

UPDATE #1: CARRIE UNDERWOOD JUST PERFORMED AND WAS JUST AMAZING! BRILLIANT!

UPDATE #2: ELLEN  TO FOOTHILL UNITY CENTER TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THEIR CAUSE.  SUCH A SHOCKING AND HEARTRENDING COMMENTARY  ON THE STATE OF POVERTY IN THE USA.  TEACHERS CAN’T FEED THEIR KIDS?  MOVE TO CANADA!

Ryan Seacrest spoiler ignites Twitter revolt

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Picture Courtesy Of AmericanIdol.Com

Who will be crowned our next American Idol?  Ah, yes, therein lies the question and it’s a biggie. Will it be the theatrical rocker, Adam Lambert, or the subdued, acoustically driven stylist, Kris Allen?

According to DialIdol.Com, the race is an extremely close one and, in the final tally, it will come down to the power of text voting.

However, in an effort to make the two-hour telecast breeze by, tonight’s show will feature an array of established talent and some of these artists will be performing with our Top 4,  Adam, Kris, Danny and Allison.  Hopefully, the remainder of the Top 13 will have a chance to shine, as well.

Scheduled to perform on the show are: Lionel Richie, Keith Urban, KISS, David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper , Jason Mraz and Santana.

And, of course, last year’s winner, David Cook, will be front and center performing “Permanent“, one of the songs from his outstanding CD. What I would give to see and hear David Cook and Adam Lambert in concert. Ah well, a lady can dream, can’t she? Or is it a crystal ball prediction? Time will tell!

So, hold on to your seats everyone, as tonight’s show is going to be a thrilling ride, one that will lead us to the final big announcement from Ryan Seacrest: “The American Idol winner for Season 8 is……”.

I will have my Masterclass article online early tomorrow. And make sure you follow my Twitter updates !

 Enjoy the show!

Oh – and don’t forget to download the Top 13 performances on I-Tunes. And, while you are there, catch a couple of songs from one of my three CDs.

More updates will be added as they come in.

Well, Ryan Seacrest just tweeted the problem on his Twitter page. Apparently, they just discovered this glitch. I guess they don’t read the Message Boards. Ha!

Stay tuned for some more updates. This should be verrrryyyy interesting indeed.

Update from Ryan Seacrest’s Twitter Page:  1-866-IDOLS-00 is a naughty line as well. So they have come up with a master plan. Hmmm!

I loved watching this video of Ryan and his Nana. Nice to see that he is a grounded celebrity who obviously loves and supports his family members.

Enjoy the video clip and, of course, you are always free to comment!

I am really pumped for the show this evening. Last week was a disturbing week for me – for a variety of reasons – but, this week, it’s all sunshine and flowers(hidden under the snow. Ha!). So, I am hoping that my positive mood will translate to the airwaves and we see and hear some fabulous singers from the sunny State of Florida. (Ah yes, the Sunshine State. Correlates well with my mood change!)

This article will be written in real time and published immediately after the end of the 1-hour show. Therefore, unlike the full-length Vocal Masterclass articles for the Top 12, my first impressions from the Jacksonville Auditions will be abbreviated. I will leave it up to you to fill in the blanks and add your comments.

Well, my oh my, a police escort is in place for the judges. Even Simon finds this truly weird. haha

Joshua leads off the pack of potential semi-finalists and, he vascillates between having a great voice and a truly awful one. I’m confused and so are the judges. So, throwing caution to the wind, they send him off to Hollywood. Oooooookaaaayy!

Sharon tries to sing “Superstar” originally performed by Karen Carpenter. Okay, this was a lukewarm performance at best, so, like our first performer, she is sent to Hollywood. This is a pretty shaky start to the show so far. The commercials are looking pretty good right now.

After commercial break and a couple of truly delusional singers, American Idol finally discovers superb talent in the form of a 19-year-old named Julissa and she sings a Whitney song with absolute strength and confidence. She has a strange personality, a little “out there”, but she has a great voice. Methinks she will not advance very far, but who knows? Quirky carries one far in this show.

So, we are 20 minutes into this show and it’s looking pretty dismal. Commercials still rule the airwaves at this point.

After the break, we meet a 28-year-old male singer called Darin who is truly overwhelmed that his friend was rejected by the judges. And he sounds like it, unfortunately. His voice is not good and his audition is followed by a collage of rejected singers.. Well, this is uplifting, isn’t it?

Naomi is 25-years-old and decides to wail “Lovin’ You”. Okay, I am truly “fed up” right now. This episode is truly ridiculous so far. She is not good, but she thinks she is, bless her!

At this point in the show, Simon is totally disenchanted with the Jacksonville talent. Really? Is that why my eyes are glazing over, Simon?.

However, according to the teaser before the commercial break, all that is about to change in a huge way. Day 2 begins with the introduction of 16-year-old beauty named Jasmine Murray. My oh my what star power! Yet, as she sings, her voice is a bit disconcerting. There is too much nasal quality in her voice and she audibly pushes the sound from her throat. Oh dear, another MasterclassLady project -in-waiting. Off to Hollywood she goes, nonetheless!

Then, some shy character named George Ramirez makes an appearance and it is oh so sad. At this point in the show, I am rubbing my eyes in frustration. Helloooooo? Are there any good singers out there in Jacksonville?

The positive mood I felt before this show is slowly waning. This is a truly pathetic display of talent. And only 20 minutes left to air? Unbelievable!

Finally, a lovely singer named Ann Marie has a great, great voice but they want her to come back in and re-audition with a different personality. Not too sure what they mean, but I guess we will see in a few minutes. Something about finding her “inner superstar” according to Ryan Seacrest’s voiceover.

T.K. Nash is a 23-year-old male singer who soulfully sings John Lennon’s “Imagine”. I like him – he is good and, apparently, this is his second kick at the can. I’m with the judges – his performance is “over the top”, but he shows promise and is sent to Hollywood. Good call, judges!

Michael Perelli was hoping to be able to play his guitar for his audition and is visibly devastated without his guitar in hand. I love his voice and I love his look. He is truly unique. I’m with Kara, give the kid his guitar. Strange interaction with the judges. I liked this guy, but this is his 15 seconds of fame, unfortunately

.

Ann Marie is back at it. Lucky girl. She has enjoyed the benefit of an American Idol fashion and beauty makeover. Now she truly looks as good as she sounds. She has a stellar voice, the best I have heard in the last 50 minutes.. “Bubbly” really works with her voice and, just like that, she is off to Hollywood.

I am still upset about Michael – I think he is truly talented, but, obviously the chemistry between contestant and judges really fell flat. Such a shame!

Now, to you the readers, this is your forum as well. What say you? The Masterclass doors are now open.

You can see more pictures here but I find the ones with Priscilla Presley truly scary.

Why oh why did this once beautful lady ever feel that she ever needed a facelift? Why do women do this? Drives me nuts.