Blake Shelton & Lee Metzger Launch Lucky Horseshoe Productions – Blake Shelton and Lee Metzger are beginning a new chapter in their business relationship with the launch of Lucky Horseshoe Productions. The announcement follows on the success of their collaboration on hit USA series Barmageddon and comes a day after Shelton’s final appearance on The Voice, the singing competition show he helped launch in 2011 and remained on for 23 seasons. In launching the prodco, the duo aims to bring their creative vision to a wider range of projects across various genres. – Read more at Deadline
Nigel Lythgoe Pair ‘Launch Pad’ & ‘Dance Icons’ On First Non-Scripted Development Slate For Mark Kimsey & Roger Birnbaum’s Electromagnetic Productions – The company, also known as EMP, has launched its first non-scripted television slate that includes a pair of projects with Nigel Lythgoe, the So You Think You Can Dance creator who was instrumental in the launch of the Idol format. EMP is working with Lythgoe on Launch Pad and Dance Icons. Launch Pad is an entertainment format that will give diverse, emerging performers from a variety of creative disciplines, including music and comedy, their big break as they get to showcase their talent in front of entertainment industry decision makers with an immediate opportunity to win career making jobs. Dance Icons will bring to life the work of the greatest dance choreographers and directors. The first season tells the story of Alvin Ailey. – Read more at Deadline
Ruben Studdard honored by Birmingham 20 years after ‘American Idol’ win – Singer Ruben Studdard, who electrified the city of Birmingham and the state of Alabama two decades ago when he won the “American Idol” competition in its second season in 2003, was lauded by the mayor of Birmingham on Tuesday at the City Council meeting. “I said that if I ever made it I would always tell people that I’m from Birmingham,” Studdard said. “Mr. Studdard continues to make the Magic City proud,” said Mayor Randall Woodfin, after reading a proclamation honoring Studdard and declaring May 21 as Ruben Studdard Day. – Read more at AL.com
‘The Voice’ Winner Gina Miles and Coach Niall Horan Reflect on ‘Crazy’ Victory – Blake was angling for a record-extending 10th victory in his final season on the NBC singing competition, but this time, the student outshone the master. “He said, ‘I taught you everything you know!'” Niall laughed with ET’s Cassie DiLaura backstage after the finale, recalling Blake’s reaction. “That’s not even a joke. It was such a special night for him, but it was also fantastic to kick that man out the door.” – Read more at ETonline.com
Gina Miles, 18, Opens Up About Feeling ‘Emotionally’ Drained Ahead of ‘Voice’ Finale – Reflecting on the season, Miles says that the best parts were getting to work with coach Niall Horan and building friendships with her fellow contestants. She also got vulnerable about the challenges she faced. “It’s emotionally draining and scary — you just want to do well and there’s a lot of eyes on you so it’s very scary,” Miles says. “It’s definitely very difficult to overcome certain things and especially for me — I was really in my shell and I’m not in a career where I get to do that.” She adds, “It was a growing pain but it definitely paid off.” – Read more at People
The Voice Winner Gina Miles Weighs In on Conspiracy Theories, Standing Out and Speaking Up: ‘I’m Trying My Best’ – I’ve been listening to your 2022 Who Are You EP on Spotify, and it’s pretty rollicking. Are you planning to go back to doing that kind of pop or stay in the moody lane that you and Niall moved you into? I put that EP out when I was a bit younger than I am now. I do love it, but I was young and experimenting. I just wanted to write and put things out, you know? At the time, I thought that was what I was going to do. Now, I feel like this is what I’m going to do. I found the spot that I feel comfortable in and a place that I really like, so I think I’ll probably continue moving into this moodier side of myself. But I am a pop girl, and I love a good, upbeat record, you know? – Read more at TVLine
RaeLynn, Cassadee Pope and Danielle Bradbery on Returning for Blake Shelton’s ‘The Voice’ Farewell – Cassadee Pope was The Voice’s first female winner, after being mentored by Blake in season 3. She said the country star changed her life and the trajectory of her career. “Without him as my coach, I don’t know what the outcome would’ve been,” she admitted. “He was always encouraging, he always let me do my thing with whatever songs I had that I wanted to cover.” “He always was just giving me pep talks,” she added, recalling her time in the stressful competition. “I would like, just bawl my eyes out thinking I just sucked, and he would come back and be like, ‘No, you’re charting, look!’ He’d just be that guy for me — he was always just such an amazing cheerleader and support system.”
‘American Idol’ Alums Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken Talk Returning to the Show 20 Years Later – “It was really good, man. You know, I just definitely enjoyed myself,” Studdard told ET’s Denny Directo after the performance. “It’s like going to a high school reunion. Seeing all the people that you used to work with. It’s been great.” Aiken, who has appeared this season as a mentor, remarked on how Idol has changed since they were on it. “It is a very different show. It feels like the American Music Awards now,” Aiken commented. “It’s a concert. It’s a real production, the way this show is done now. We didn’t have a band.” – Read more at ETOnline
‘American Idol’ alum Phillip Phillips: New album ‘is really more emotional’ – When the season 11 winner mentored contestants earlier this year, his advice to them: Hire a good lawyer!
