‘It’s heartbreaking’: Paula Abdul talks father’s death, Billboard Music Awards performance – Paula Abdul will sing a career-spanning medley at Wednesday’s Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas. But for the pop icon, the performance is bittersweet. Last week, Abdul’s father, Harry Abdul, died after a years-long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. His passing comes just a year after the singer/choreographer lost her mother, Lorraine Abdul. They were both 85. “(I’m handling it) as best as can be expected,” Abdul tells USA TODAY in an exclusive interview ahead of the show (NBC, 8 EDT/PDT). “It’s heartbreaking. But the funeral was a beautiful sendoff to my father, so I’m at peace with that.” – Read more at USAToday
‘American Idol’ Top 8 Reveal Dream Title & Vibe of Their Debut Albums: Exclusive – While some of them might not admit it, it’s pretty likely that every single American Idol contestant has scrawled the title of their dream debut album out one, two or maybe 100 times in a notebook. With the season 17 finale less than a month away, it’s a sure bet that the top eight have started giving some thought to what they want their first effort to be called and the vibe they’re after. Billboard asked the top eight to share their fantasy titles and what kind of sound they’re planning to explore after all the confetti falls. Check out their answers below. – Read more at Billboard
“You Say” Singer Lauren Daigle on Bouncing Back After a “No“ From Simon Cowell – At age 17, Lauren’s dad suggested she try out for American Idol. They drove to Atlanta for the audition, and Lauren was shocked at what she received from the judges: a golden ticket to Hollywood. It wasn’t until she got through nine rounds of the competition, though, that Lauren began to believe she actually had a shot at making this—music—her career. Her dreams were cut short, however, with a “no” from American Idol judge Simon Cowell, right before making it to the show’s Top 24. “I knew right then, sitting in that moment, I’m gonna have to decide whether I’m gonna get back up and just start trying, or if I’m just gonna let that determine the course of my life,” she recalls. – Read more at Cosmopolitan
Normani Reacts to Sam Smith’s Billboard Music Awards 2019 Performance Cancellation – Normani released a statement, writing that the cancellation “truly disappoints me as I know it disappoints you.” Normani added that she has been “working harder than I ever have in rehearsals for the last week to ensure that I give you the best possible performance.” “Thank you to the BBMAs for being so understanding and patient. We all tried incredibly hard to work through these obstacles to figure out any and every possible way to make this work,” she wrote. – Read more at Just Jared
Sam Smith dropped out of the BBMAs and other appearances per doctor’s orders
— samsmith (@samsmith) April 24, 2019
