Tonight, Survivor continues its brutal competition in Cambodia. 8/7c PM CBS. Empire returns to FOX from its long winter hiatus 9/8c pm. Nashville airs at 10/9c PM on ABC.
Glen Campbell, Carrie Underwood Tapped for ACM Honors – Although the special awards, studio recording awards and songwriter of the year winners were announced Tuesday (March 29) in advance of Sunday’s ACM Awards show in Las Vegas, the awards will be presented this fall during the 10th annual ACM Honors ceremony at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Underwood will receive the ACM Lifting Lives Gary Haber Award, a new honor created to recognize a country music artist or industry professional who is committed to serving others, has a generosity of spirit and shows a dedication to helping those in need. – Read more at CMT.com
58 “American Idol” Alums Reveal What The Show Meant To Them – Along the way, hundreds of performers have been featured, and while not everyone has reached the heights of Kelly Clarkson or Jennifer Hudson, many have left indelible marks on the hearts and ears of the viewers who did “Dial Idol” for them. In anticipation of the finale, BuzzFeed News asked past contestants — some in person, some over the phone, and some via email — to reflect upon how the show has changed their lives. Below are their slightly edited responses. – Read more at Buzzfeed
‘Idol’ contestant Tristan McIntosh visits Vanderbilt children’s hospital – Two weeks after she last sang for millions on “American Idol,” Tristan McIntosh was singing for a much smaller — and very special — audience on Tuesday. The 15-year-old Nashville talent took questions and played a few songs at the brand new Seacrest Studios at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, a facility created by “Idol” host Ryan Seacrest. A group of patients and their families joined the singer in the broadcast studio, asking her a range of questions about her time on “Idol” and anything else they could think of. Asked to sum herself up in one word, McIntosh paused for a moment. “A-dork-able,” she said. – Read more at Tennessean.com
Remember When World Idol Was a Thing That Actually Happened? – So, who managed to pull off the upset of all upsets and take Kelly down? That’d be that Norway’s own Kurt Nilsen, inaugural winner of Norweigan Idol and living proof that WGWG (White Guys With Guitars) Syndrome isn’t strictly an American thing. His version of U2’s “Beautiful Day” scored him first place in all 10 of the countries eligible, even if, in our humble opinion, he’s doing little more than a Bono impression. But that’s none of our business. Sips tea. You can check out his performance below and judge for yourself. Keep an ear out for Australian judge Ian Dickson’s opening remarks during his criticism, which just may be one of the meanest things we’ve ever heard. Naw, Simon straight up calling Kurt ugly was meaner – Eonline
End of a TV Era: ‘American Idol’ Vows ‘Spectacular’ Finale – “American Idol,” which gave the world Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Jennifer Hudson, has one more chance to mint a star before it fades into TV and music history. Whether viewers choose a future chart-topper or trivia question remains to be seen. But executive producer Nigel Lythgoe, who helped translate Britain’s “Pop Idol” into the Fox version that debuted in 2002, said the farewell episode will be memorable. “It’s going to be a rather spectacular show,” Lythgoe promised, with all the former winners on hand along with past contestants and “other surprises” in the two-hour finale. – Read more at the Associated Press
‘American Idol’ bits: Kris Allen interview (Eddie’s Attic, April 2), Power 4 – “These songs feel more honest than anything I’ve done before,” he said. “Right after ‘Idol,’ I had to learn how to record and write songs. Over the past few years, I’ve become more confident. I’ve surrounded myself with people who are far better than me. My life’s goal was to fit into the music industry. That means you have to get better.” It’s also why he chose to live in Nashville, which has a vast factory of writers and producers. “It’s a very challenging community. There is so much talent. But we are also looking out for each other, supporting each other. I’ve gotten some great feedback about this album.” – Read more at AJC.com
Inside Mark Ballas’ Dancing with the Stars Injury: ‘I Didn’t Think We Should Do the Trick,’ Says Paige VanZant – Ballas had many fancy tricks planned for the routine they were to perform on Monday’s show, but because they weren’t warmed up, VanZant had planned on skipping them at the rehearsal. “We weren’t warmed up, so I wasn’t going to do the tricks. But he said we had to because we didn’t have a lot of time,” says VanZant. “We’d done the first trick 100 times. But the first time we did Sunday, he hurts his back.” From that moment, things got “really stressful,” says VanZant. – Read more at People
Mischa Barton Is ‘Completely Out of Her Element’ on Dancing with the Stars, Says Source – “She’s trying really hard, but she’s completely out of her element,” a source tells PEOPLE of Barton, 30, who struggled to keep back tears after a poorly received performance on Monday’s episode. Before DWTS, the source says Barton “didn’t really have any sort of deep desire to learn to dance, and she hadn’t really watched the show before she was cast,” making her journey on the show all the more challenging. Another insider acknowledges that Barton’s temperament might not be a great fit for the demanding competition. – Read more at People.com
Von Miller is getting fined for his farts on ‘Dancing With the Stars’ – Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller biggest problem on “Dancing With the Stars” isn’t his cha-cha, it’s his farting. Miller’s pro partner Witney Carson has begun fining him $100 for each instance of flatulence during their rehearsals for the ABC reality show. Carson first instituted the fines for Miller’s tardiness, asking him to cough up $100 for every minute he was late to rehearsal — collecting $1,500, which she is donating to charity. – Read more at The New York Post
Haslam proposes $8M to keep ABC’s ‘Nashville’ in Music City – If it’s picked up for a fifth season, ABC’s “Nashville” may receive $8 million from the state to continue filming in Tennessee. Gov. Bill Haslam has proposed a spending plan that includes $8 million for the primetime drama, as well as an additional $4.5 million for the upcoming CMT drama “Million Dollar Quartet” to film in Memphis. – Read more at The Tennessean
