Idol Headlines for 10/13/09

Anka gets credit for co-writing Jackson single

LOS ANGELES ‘” With a familiar high-pitched voice counting off one-two-three-four, a new Michael Jackson single debuted online Monday, prompting a hasty response from the singer’s estate after Paul Anka revealed he was the song’s co-writer.

“This Is It” is featured on the soundtrack to the upcoming documentary featuring the late superstar, but its genesis was actually in 1983 when it was written for a duets album Anka was recording.

The song was titled “I Never Heard,” and Jackson and Anka are credited as co-authors on an early 1990s version recorded by the singer Sa-Fire.

Anka said Jackson’s estate moved quickly to give him credit, promising Anka 50 percent of the song’s profits.

“They did the right thing,” Anka said. “I don’t think that anybody tried to do the wrong thing. It was an honest mistake.”

Associated Press

Adam Lambert’s Time for Miracles: First Reactions

There has been a deafening buzz surrounding Adam Lambert’s “Time for Miracles” ever since Queen guitarist Brian May wrote a gushing blog post about it over the summer. Impatient “Idol”-heads (myself included) began to theorize that the song ‘” recorded for the upcoming disaster epic “2012″ ‘” must be the most amazing track ever committed to tape, considering it turned an elderly rock legend into a squeeing fangirl. (Welcome to the dark side, Brian May, but until you’ve drunk-tweeted one or several “Idol” contestants, you are no match for my “Idol” obsession.)

MTV.com

Paul Anka Claims ‘This Is It’ is a Rip-Off

If you think Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” sounds familiar, it’s because the song is a rip-off that was released nearly two decades ago by another artist … and the man making this claim is none other than music legend Paul Anka.

TMZ

Kris Allen’s Album Cover Appears Online

Late Monday night, a group of hawkeyed Kris Allen fans noticed that the Barnes & Noble Web site posted a link to album artwork that shows the “American Idol” winner sitting in a theater looking longingly back at the empty seats behind him. A rep for 19 Entertainment confirmed to MTV News that the image is, in fact, the official cover for Kris’ major-label debut. And that cover seems to confirm that Allen’s album is self-titled after all.

Fans immediately picked up that the green-hued cover has a retro-pulp quality, with Kris Allen’s giant name showing some creases and weathering. In the photo, Allen has ditched the college-dude-down-the-hall plaid uniform, opting instead for a more mature, old-school matinee idol look: leather jacket, tank top and necklaces. In typical Kris fashion, his wedding band is prominently featured on the cover, a move that flies in the face of Simon Cowell, who famously told the singer to downplay his marriage on “Idol.”

MTV

Should Kris Allen Record A JC Chasez Song?

“American Idol” winner Kris Allen is nearing the completion of his top-secret major label debut (which still doesn’t have a title), but a new demo popped up over the weekend that might shed some light on the kind of material he has vetted.

JC Chasez (of ‘NSYNC and “Randy Jackson Presents America’s Best Dance Crew” fame) wrote and recorded a song called “Build Some Love” for consideration for Allen’s debut CD. The tune, which was posted on a JC Chasez fan site yesterday, is a tender ballad that would fit very nicely on a OneRepublic setlist. The gist is that JC (or Kris Allen, I suppose) is in love with an emotionally reserved girl, but his loving is so magical, he’s able to tear down her wall and “build some love.” Epic, right? [Crickets.]

MTV

Daughtry remains most-played Idol; several singles fall off charts

Daughtry’s No Surprise remained the most-played American Idol track last week, according to Mediabase, but Kelly Clarkson’s Already Gone and Carrie Underwood’s Cowboy Casanova continued to gain airplay. Cowboy Casanova ranks #6 on the Country chart, while No Surprise is at #3 at Hot AC.

Meanwhile, several Idol tunes fall off their respective charts this week. Elliott Yamin’s Can’t Keep on Loving You, Brooke White’s Radio Radio and Katharine McPhee’s Had It All all end their runs in AC’s top 40. No Surprise goes to recurrent status at Top 40, and David Cook’s Come Back to Me falls of the Hot AC chart, though it remains on the AC chart at #14.

USA Today

Blake Lewis Idolizes Kate Gosselin

Here’s “American Idol” wannabeen Blake Lewis performing in West Hollywood last week (left) — and everyone’s favorite reality TV divorcing mother of eight, Kate Gosselin (right).

TMZ

Jordin Sparks wows The Bahamas!

Paradise Island, Bahamas – American Idol and American Music Award winner Jordin Sparks performed in the Atlantis Live Series at the world famous resort in The Bahamas on Saturday, October 10th. I was lucky to have to opportunity to take my 13 year old daughter to the concert.

My daughter (thanks to a friend) was very fortunate to have the opportunity to meet Jordin before the concert. Miss Sparks during a back stage pre-show promotion greeting excited young teenagers for photos, but she herself was the most enthused of the bunch. She grabbed my daughter and exclaimed, “I am sooo excited about the show, aren’t you?”.

The Bahamas Weekly

Girlz Showcase Their Moxie at the First National Tween Girl Summit

The Moxie Girlz have made their mark at the first National Tween Girl Summit in Washington D.C. The day-long event, held on Saturday, invited 300 girls to participate in sessions to share their thoughts and insights on relevant topics from self-confidence to peer pressure. At the culmination of the day`s events, including a concert hosted by Disney Channel`s Debby Ryan and headlined by American Idol finalist Brooke White, girls tagged their most inspirational
moment of the day on the My Moxie Moment wall.

Reuters

Edge Elementary draws a crowd for Macho Monday lunch

NICEVILLE ‘” The lunch crowd was a little taller Monday at Edge Elementary School.

The taller folk were 301 parents and 89 Air Force men who came in to eat lunch with students during the school’s annual ‘Macho Monday.’ 

Just before 10:30 a.m., cars were already overflowing into a neighboring parking lot as men strode into the elementary school. Some wore uniforms, others carried bags of food, but they all wore smiles as they prepared to eat lunch with the children.

Another surprise visitor at the event was former American Idol Phil Stacey, who stopped at the school on the first day of a family vacation in the area. Picking up his guitar, Stacey sang two songs for a delighted crowd.

NWFDailyNews

Yahoo! Sets Out to Personalize its Signature Yodel

The Yodel Studio kicks-off a casting call for the world’s best new yodels, allowing people to personalize and reinterpret the Yahoo! yodel. From now until November 8, people can create and submit their own yodel at http://yodelstudio.yahoo.com. In addition, Yahoo! is hosting live recording events today in New York City and London, and on October 14 in Mumbai, with celebrities and musical artists to coach yodelers.

New York City, Times Square ‘“ October 13, 7:00 a.m. ‘“ 7:00 p.m. ET

* American Idol finalist Kimberly Caldwell will host the event live, with Jewel, LeAnn Rimes, Randy Jackson, Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz, super-producer Rob Cavallo and Ryan Leslie as celebrity musical coaches.

Business Wire.com

Dannii Minogue apologises for X Factor bisexual joke

by Jamie McKay. Published Mon 12 Oct 2009 18:50

X Factor judge Dannii Minogue has been left red-faced after a joke she made to contestant Danyl Johnson caused a public backlash.

Angry viewers have inundated media watchdog Ofcom with complaints after the veteran Aussie pop star made comments about the 27-year-old teacher following his rendition of Jennifer Hudson’s ‘And I’m Telling You’ on the hit ITV show last Saturday.

During the performance Johnson changed the lyrics as if he was singing to a woman, which prompted Minogue, 38, to say: “If we’re to believe what we read in the papers, there was no need to switch the gender reference in that song.”

Fellow judge Simon Cowell asked her to repeat what she had said whilst a stunned audience looked on.

Minogue was referring to an interview given by Danyl earlier that week in which he revealed that he was bisexual.

Clickliverpool.com

Did Simon Cowell ban lilies because they are toxic to cats?

I heard last week that Simon Cowell had banned lilies from his 50th birthday party celebrations. It was said that this was because he didn’t like the smell, but perhaps there’s another reason: could he be a secret cat-lover?

Many people do not realise this, but the beautiful, sweet-smelling Lily contains compounds that are highly poisonous to cats. Easter, Japanese, Stargazer and Tiger lilies can all cause fatal kidney failure in cats. All parts of these lilies are toxic, including the leaves, stems, flowers and pollen. The precise identify of the poisonous chemical is not yet known, but cats are uniquely sensitive, due to some quirk of their metabolism. If even tiny amounts are eaten e.g. following grooming to remove the dust-like pollen that can land on their coats, cats can die from kidney failure. Rats and rabbits, in contrast, have been known to munch lilies without adverse effects. Dogs don’t seem to be as liable to the toxicity as cats, but there’s still a risk.

Telegraph.co.uk

‘So You Think You Can Dance’: A chat with choreographer and judge Mia Michaels

‘So You Think You Can Dance’  fans know they’re typically in for a treat when Mia Michaels appears on the show, both for her memorable dances and her friendly outspokenness as a guest judge. As the sixth season moves on toward revealing its top 20, the Emmy-winning choreographer took the time to speak with us in the midst of working on the Canadian version of ‘SYTYCD.’ 

LA Times Blogs

Julianne Hough Is Dancing Burlesque With Christina Aguilera

The country-music-singing former Dancing With the Stars pro has joined the cast of Burlesque, a musical about a young small-town singer (Christina Aguilera in her big-screen debut) who becomes a star at a Hollywood burlesque club owned by Tess (Cher).

I’m told Hough, who began rehearsals this weekend, will play a fellow dancer.

Sources insist this is no Showgirls redux’ ¦

“It is not about g-strings and pasties,” one source says. “It’s about female empowerment. No one is ever in lingerie. The film is sexy, but there’s no stripping.”

EOnline

Cheryl Burke Urged Tom DeLay to Quit Dancing

Cheryl Burke may not have been thrilled about having to leave Dancing With the Stars so early, but she realizes it was the only step Tom DeLay could have made.

“He talked to me a few days before,” the Dancing pro said last night at Hollywood Life’s Hollywood Style Awards, where she was given the Choreographer Award by her former partner Gilles Marini.

“It was during rehearsal when he could only rehearse 30 minutes a day,” she said. “I could see it was getting worse. I offered it to him. I said, ‘Tom, you don’t have to continue, honestly. I don’t think it’d be good for you.”

DeLay, as DWTS fans know, announced his departure from season nine after last week’s performance show because he was suffering from fractures in both feet.

EOnline

‘Dancing With The Stars’ Is ‘Way Harder’ Than Kelly Osbourne Imagined

Kelly Osbourne has always been known for her sassy attitude and punk-rock spirit, but it seems that those skills aren’t making her time on “Dancing With the Stars” any easier. The 24-year-old admits that competing on the show hasn’t been a day in the park.

“It is way harder than I thought it’d be,” Osbourne, who is partnered with professional dancer Louis van Amstel, told MTV News on the red carpet at the Hollywood Style Awards. “I thought with each week it would get easier, but it doesn’t, because each week you’re learning a new dance with new steps.”

MTV

‘Dancing With the Stars’ is out of step

Tom DeLay may be a wild thing on the dance floor, but when it comes to boosting ratings, he seems to have two left feet.

The controversial former Republican congressman was supposed to spice up this season of “Dancing With the Stars,” but it hasn’t worked out that way. In fact, the dance-competition show, a bulwark of ABC’s schedule for more than four years, is shambling through its worst season since it first premiered in the summer of 2005.

LA Times