Paul McDonald tweeted, “Had a blast last night jamming with @STEFANOLANGONE @ScottyMcCreery and @NikkiReed_I_Am…some pretty funny stuff we came up with!”
Casey James Almost Speechless After His Opry Debut – “I’m just so blown away by the whole thing. For the first time in my life, I don’t have anything to say. I’m just speechless,” Casey said backstage after his Opry debut on Friday night (Jan. 27) at the Ryman Auditorium. “This is the tip of the top,” Casey said of playing at the Opry. “I remember my family talking about this as long as I can remember. This is just a magical place. It’s a huge honor just to be a part of it. I’ve listened to so many things that were recorded here. It’s just amazing.” – Read more at Opry.com
CBS’ ‘Big Bang’ surpasses Fox’s ‘American Idol’ – The geeks have bragging rights over the superstar strivers. The CBS comedy “The Big Bang Theory” had a slightly larger audience than Fox’s “American Idol” during the half hour when the shows were in head-to-head competition on Thursday, the Nielsen Co. said. The advantage was slight — 16.13 million to 15.56 million — but significant. It is believed to be the first scripted series to beat the Fox juggernaut in head-to-head competition. That speaks to a slow start for “American Idol” this year, even though the show’s Wednesday edition was the top-rated program of the week. – Read more at the Associated Press
What shakeup means for ‘X Factor’ – With only series creator Simon Cowell and record exec L.A. Reid left at the judges’ table, the singing competition will look very different when it returns next season. And the facelift is necessary, said Phil Gallo, Billboard’s senior correspondent for film and TV. “(Cowell and Reid) were cheerleader types,” he said. “The commentary Nicole produced was not as strong as the others, and going in, you already knew Paula wasn’t going to be that harsh. (Having) two people (occupy) that space ultimately watered down the effect. – Read more at CNN
‘X Factor’ Shake-Up: Simon Cowell Makes Right Decision But Puts Pressure on Himself (Analysis) – On the one hand, Simon Cowell should be congratulated for moving swiftly and boldly to shake up The X Factor – putting blood on the floor Monday night with the firing of judges Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger and host Steve Jones. If you’re keeping track at home, that’s two people left standing from the original five.
L.A. Reid and Cowell were, without question, the reasons to watch. Both men are respected in the industry, they know how to judge talent and, more than anything, their opinions matter. – Hollywood Reporter
