If anyone emerges as the star of what I’ll dub American Idol’s Lost Episode in Los Angeles, it’s likely to be belly dancer Heidi Khzam. And, guess what? One of her favorite entertainers is Shakira. “People compare me to her because she has a Lebanese background like me,” Heidi says in her Idol video interview….
Perhaps someone enjoyed watching Matthew Scott Frankel pretend to be a rapper tonight. Perhaps someone enjoyed watching Tynisha Roches snarl and growl and chase Randy around the American Idol set with a mike. Perhaps a few people even enjoyed that ending segment, featuring Cooper Robinson from deep in the woods of Arkansas. Though he can’t…
More than once this season, Jennifer Lopez has said she hates crushing the dream of an aspiring singer. Heck, she repeated it Wednesday, when the judges appeared on Oprah. But this is ridiculous. I’m beginning to think the judges gave golden tickets to half the singing population between the ages of 15 and 28. Check…
American Idol has announced plans for a 10th anniversary album, set for a March 15 release. The album will feature tracks from each of the first nine Idol winners, plus three additional tracks. Those will come from Daughtry (“Home”), Clay Aiken (“Invisible”) and Adam Lambert (“Whataya Want from Me”). Now, it’s tough to dispute the…
OK, Crystal Bowersox’s debut album didn’t exactly hit the Billboard 200 with a splash. It debuted at number 28 seven weeks ago. Among Idol finalists, only season three runner-up Diana DeGarmo’s debut entered the Billboard 200 at a lower position, at 52. But in a recent interview, Crystal said she hopes “Farmer’s Daughter” builds a…
OK, I’ve been able to round up a little more information on two of tonight’s most impressive American Idol contestants from Austin — Janelle Arthur and Casey Abrams. Janelle hails from Oliver Spring, Tenn. And even at age 20, she’s a pretty experienced musician. She performed with the Country Tonite Theatre in Pigeon Forge, Tenn….
Did everyone catch Oprah’s grilling of the American Idol judges Wednesday afternoon? If not, here are the highlights. Asked about criticism from fellow rockers for judging Idol, Steven Tyler said he couldn’t pass up an opportunity “to have fun and sit next to J-Lo.” Randy Jackson said Simon will always be a friend but he…
I hate to start with the negative, but Carrie Underwood’s quest for a third straight Entertainer of the Year award from the Academy of Country Music has ended before it began. That’s because she isn’t nominated this year. ACM nominations were announced Tuesday. And while Carrie is nominated for top female vocalist, she isn’t among…
Ever wonder what happened to season nine American Idol contestant Paige Miles? Well, after finishing 11th on Idol, the Naples, Fla., resident relocated to Los Angeles and started working on new music. Now she’s preparing to release a six- or seven-track debut EP, probably in late February. The music is R&B pop, and you can…
I’m not sure if the above photo is what Crystal Bowersox had in mind when she auditioned for Idol. I mean, posing with a giant raisin? But in the adorable photo below it looks like her son Tony was having lots of fun. The photos were snapped Friday, after Crystal performed for more than 600…
