Taylor Hicks, Ruben Studdard dropped from J Records?
It seems winning American Idol is no guarantee that you’ll actually keep your major label deal. Just before Christmas, rumors began circulating that season 2’s Ruben Studdard, who released three albums for J Records since 2003 (the latest, 2006’s The Return, to modest sales), had been dropped. (Studdard continues his management contract with 19 Entertainment.) Now the Hollywood Insider hears that season 5 winner Taylor Hicks has also lost his J Records deal. “Taylor is going to record his next album on his own,” said a label rep. “He is no longer on the J Records roster.”
Ruben Studdard, Frenchie Davis to Tour in Ain’t Misbehavin’
American Idol veterans Ruben Studdard (who won the competition in 2003) and Frenchie Davis (who went on to the Broadway company of Rent) have signed on for a 30th anniversary national tour of the Tony Award-winning musical revue Ain’t Misbehavin’. According to a spokesperson for Big League Productions, the tour will begin in November and play at least through May 2009; specific cities are currently being booked.
Taylor Hicks talks about Asian Idol’ and plans for 2008
Hicks is looking forward to a busy 2008 with a primary goal being a new album out in stores.
“I think I’ll have a lot more freedom creatively this go-around,” says Hicks, whose self-titled last CD came out seven months after he won “Idol.”
“I’ll also have the time now to create an album without the post-winning-’Idol’ constrictions,” he says. “I have time for the album to breathe artistically.”
More Idol Headlines After the Jump…
Former Idol Winner Coming To Rocky Mount
The American Idol winner from 2003, Ruben Studdard, is scheduled to perform a concert in Rocky Mount. Studdard’s appearance is the crown jewel of “A Night of Youth Recognition†on Thursday, January 31. The “Idol” winner will perform at the Dunn Center of the Performing Arts located on the campus of North Carolina Wesleyan College.The Boys & Girls Clubs of Nash/Edgecombe petitioned Studdard to perform at their 2008 Youth of the Year: Sailing to New Heights Celebration. Studdard held membership in the Hueytown Unit of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Alabama as a child.
The Party Crasher - SoBe New Year’s Eve 2007: Jennifer Hudson, Adrian Grenier, Ashlee Simpson, and more…
Dreamgirl Jennifer Hudson walked along the red carpet blowing kisses to the stalkerazzi. Yours truly was the ONLY member of the media to sneak inside Hudson’s dressing room (I still don’t know how I pulled that one off) for a taste of the inside scoop. Hudson’s crew, comprised of siblings and respective partners, had just dined at Cheeseburger Baby, because even award winners slum it up sometimes.
Despite rumors of her dating New York Jet Kerry Rhodes, “Dream Girl” Jennifer Hudson was with her hometown beau, James Peyton, at the Setai in Miami for New Year’s Eve. The Oscar winner was looking forward to 2008 so much she led the New Year’s countdown at 11:58, causing confused guests to check their watches.
‘American Idol’ warms up Rocky Christmas fest
About 100 vendors and dozens of entertainers were on hand to lend the Equestrian Center a holiday feeling. Headlining the fest was former “American Idol” contestant and Bountiful resident Carmen Rasmusen, who was promoting her latest album, “Nothin’ Like Summer,” under the Lofton Creek record label.“She has that big, beautiful voice that comes out of this little body,” Bowcut said. “She sounds like an angel when she sings. When we found out we could get her for this show, we were ecstatic.”
Fill your January calendar with these music acts
Or consider a day at the park: 99.9 Kiss Country is presenting one of its strongest Chili Cookoff lineups in recent years, Jan. 27 at C.B. Smith Park, 900 N. Flamingo Road, Pembroke Pines, 954-437-2650. The 23rd cookoff stars Big & Rich with Cowboy Troy, the always-electrifying Gretchen Wilson and rookie superstar Taylor Swift, along with Joe Nichols, Sawyer Brown, Chris Young, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Phil Stacey and Rissi Palmer.
Another Alabama singer on ‘American Idol’?
Cardin Lee McKinney. If you’re an “American Idol” fan in Alabama, that name soon may become important to you.McKinney, 20, a former resident of Huntsville and Madison, is among the top 50 contestants on the Fox TV reality show this year, according to Webloggers in the know.
McKinney, a native of Orem, Utah, lists her hometown as Nashville on her MySpace page. However, reliable sources say she formerly resided in the Huntsville area, performed there and has relatives there.
The return of ‘Rent’
The touring cast of “Rent” includes Heinz Winckler as Roger. Winckler was the winner of “South African Idol” — that country’s answer to “American Idol” — and has three hit albums and a role as Tony in the Toronto production of “West Side Story” to his credit.
“American Idol” finalist Anwar Robinson makes his stage debut as Tom; Robinson hails from East Orange.
“Rent” will be performed at the Kimmel Center, Broad and Spruce streets in Philadelphia, as part of the Cadillac Broadway Series. Tickets range from $25 to $70 and are on sale by calling (215) 731-3333 or by going to www.kimmelcenter.org/broadway.
CTV Announces Canadian Idol Season 6 Audition Tour Stops
CTV has announced details of the sixth cross-country audition tour for Canada’s No. 1 Summer Series, beginning this month, as the 2008 Audition Tour gets set to kick off Saturday, January 26 at the West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton. As announced last night on eTalk, the 10-city tour will cross the country, hitting malls in nine more cities through mid-April. In a Canadian Idol first, the hometown of reigning Idol Brian Melo
- Hamilton, Ontario - has been added as a stop on the 2008 Audition Tour.CTV also announced today that due to the success of the addition of
musical instruments last season - a North American first for Idol which will
now be seen in the upcoming season of American Idol on CTV - all
singer/musicians are once again welcome to audition for Canadian Idol with
instruments in 2008.
I just checked at J Records and Taylor is still on their artist list..but maybe they are slow in removing people. As far as Taylor leaving J Records ..it is what it is…and I love Taylors post Idol CD but my very favorite Taylor is pre-Idol Taylor so maybe he will be able to do more music like that now. YAY!!! As for Bo Bice I dont think he is undependable at all…and like so many other Idol contestants he had tried drugs and it got publicized and blown out of proportion imo. He has since Idol married…dealt with major surgery..had a son..and seems very grounded..to blast him for past mistakes is low imo..and he is a very talented guy who cant seem to get a break. Why would VH1 take him off of their top 20 countdown for instance when he was number one at the end of 2007?? That just really stinks imo. I sure hope this wonderful singer and man makes it ..he is imo one of the best talents to ever be on Idol.
later,
Ruben is still on J Records’ artist list, too. :(
I have seen all of Bo Bice’s chats and concerts and he has never been drunk or under the influence of drugs during them. Unfortunately, people saying things of this nature tends to start rumors flying. And, that is all these are…RUMORS!
Reminder: Please don’t tell other posters what to do or what to post.
Exactly! The biggest problem that Bo has had (aside from a crappy 1st album- but many Idols have had to deal with that) is the life threatening stomach issues. He was in the hospital the night before the Final 2 show and it was never mentioned. Then, he almost died during the tour with an intestinal blockage and the illnesses and surgeries went on and on during his album release and into the recent past. I think he could have done better if he were healthier and stronger. AND- I wish him and Taylor and Rueben and all of Idols luck. I hate to see anyone fail or be treated unfairly.
Wow, the comments finally got to page two and there were more than the few diehards and someone got spanked. Sad outcome to a formerly great website.
Yep, people get reminded to follow the guidelines when they don’t. That’s how I roll. No different than before.
If you have an issue, contact me personally, don’t talk about the blog on the blog. Thank you.
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Well I know some disagree with me but I still think Taylor wanted out. He and his label seemed like a bad marriage from the get go. They didn’t appear to give him much support. Now he can shop around and hopefully find a lable that will support him - or just go indie - although that’s a tough road.
Jessica Sierra’s episode of her on the Tyra Banks Show is airing this Wednesday januar 9th….it’s about the celeb. rehab show. I guess they’re still airing it!
http://tyrashow.warnerbros.com/thisweek/index.html
I hate it when I miss an mj spanking
I agree that Taylor wanted out and, if he was dropped, probably gave them good reason. Remember hisveryownself defined his a$$hole years in his book and yep, I’ve heard about them from other local musicians.
If Taylor knows anything he knows Taylor. I doubt anyone could persuade him to dump his 50 year plan.
And, in my very own opinion, which is worth nothing, I think Rueben and Taylor are nuts for opening a club in that area of Birmingham. We have a new Mayor — his plan is to trade (demolish) the BJCC (the civic center they played during the AI5 tour) in favor of a doomed stadium in another bad section. The BJCC area is borderline safe in daylight, bad news at dusk and dangerous at dark. If they were doing it in Southside I’d say, give it a go but that’s the north side. Bad news.
Well, Caro, I know little about Birmingham, really, except the airport has free wi fi. I do know that gentrifying poor neighborhoods has worked wonders for Mayor Daley in Chicago. Too bad for the peeps who are forced out b/c they can’t afford the rent anymore, but yay for everyone else, I guess.
Anyway, the mayor’s plan may work…
From Chicago-sally:
I LOVE Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings!!!
Talk about a KICK-*** group!
They are going to be playing at The Beacon Theater in NYC on 2/15, and am debating about getting tickets for that show…
Their video for their latest song, “100 Days, 100 Nights” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ouI5KcyHfE
Did you know that The Dap Kings are the back-up band for Amy Winehouse’s song “Rehab”, and that they are featured in the song’s video?
Oh, to have Taylor record in NYC at the Daptone Studios? SIMPLY HEAVEN!!!
Just a small video clip from CNN that I happened to (LITERALLY!)stumble upon about Sharon & the Dap Kings late last year… http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/business/2007/10/17/velshi.life.after.work.cnn
STAX Records would be an EQUALLY COOL opportunity for Taylor, which I think would be a WONDERFUL match, if indeed that is what is to happen… (If that makes ANY sense, grammatically speaking
)
pj, it may work but, then again, it may not. Or it may work way down the road but not anytime soon.
You know, our new Mayor is the former Mayor of Bessemer. He started Visionland - I think Bo played there. It’s now an outlet mall that’s going bankrupt.
Our new mayor is full of *vision*. I like that but,… show me the money. Our sales tax is at 9% and will be raised again (9% on food too).
I heard this city will soon have a river flowing through it and gondola’s! Now, that’s special.
Birmingham’s new mayor was the mayor of Fairfield, not Bessemer. Yes, he started what is now Alabama Adventure and yes, Bo Bice has played there twice to very good crowds. The outlet mall is another enterprise entirely. The sales tax in Birmingham is now 10% due to the new mayor pushing it through, while other cities around Birmingham still have the 9% tax. By the time the new “entertainment” area of Birmingham is started, Ruben and Taylor may well change their minds. The one good thing about their plans is that they are at least trying to support their city, which imo is not entirely bad.
I am in the camp who believes that Taylor wanted out of his contract with J Records. If they have truly parted ways, this is the best news I’ve heard all year. Heh.
I too am trying not to get my hopes up on the Stax Records rumor, but it is very hard to contain my excitement at the possibility. This would be the best way to get Taylor’s brand of music to the masses. What an honor for him if true.
camille, correct, he was the Mayor of Fairfield. Bessemer and Fairfield run together in my mind.
Yes, Bham is now 10% (and free laptops for all inner city children!). I’m sure the suburbs will follow their lead shortly and we’ll all be paying 10%.
I like Langford but I do think he needs someone who can rein all that ‘vision’ in.
In the meantime I hope both Taylor and Rueben have escape clauses.
It was in the paper yesterday that Taylor had not signed anything yet concerning his club. And, yes, the mayor needs his “vision” reined in. Hoping that the suburbs do not follow his lead as far as this 10% tax goes. Taylor seems to be a pretty good businessman. He managed to get away from his label who has never done anything for him. I think that he will be fine.
Late to this, because I was snoozing. LOL. Anyway, I am not a fan of regressive taxes. We also have a high sales tax here… over 9%. Higher for some things. Gas is also really high, due to taxes.
Maybe they should raise property taxes and decrease sales tax? Just saying!
In MN, they do not tax necessities. I think that is fair.
Uh oh — go to Perezhilton.com
The first entry is a huge photo of Taylor - stating he’s been dropped from JRecords.
Of course, the spin is negative.
hey pj — we like to build all kinds of stuff into taxes.
My car tags are over $700.00 because they have education tax built in. doh. (buy a bigger house and a creepy car)
camille, Irondale has been kicking 10% around for about a year. I suspect that the outlying cities - Homewood, Mountain Brook, Jeffco and Shelby will be 10% before long if they’re not already.
Anyway, all I want is a free laptop.
WOW!! This is the best news for Taylor and Ruben that I have heard. Now they can write their own music.!!