SXSW musicians reflect on pathway to success – “This seems to be this idea that being on a television show is a legitimate path to success and it’s not always the case. It’s very rarely the case actually,” said Nakia. Nakia created a panel at SXSW to inspire others, but also tell the dirty truth about reality TV. He discussed how his career changed after doing the show, along with other former contestants. “The rude awakening was during the show when I just realized it was about good TV and not about maybe doing the right thing,” said Cas Haley, who was runner up on America’s Got Talent Season 2. – Read more at SpectrumLocalNews
Here’s the full panel that also includes American Idol’s Blake Lewis.
Life After ‘Idol’: How Going Indie Paved Scotty McCreery’s Path to a No. 1 Country Hit – One thing that’s definitely different from when McCreery was first doing press as a newly minted teen winner: At dinner, he’s the one peppering the waiter with questions about the wines. Variety caught up with him over a nice bottle of red while he was in L.A. to shoot a mentoring spot on ABC’s “Idol” reboot, and on the eve of the release of his new album, “Seasons Change.” His high spirits were in contrast to the funk he was in the last time he had a guest shot on “Idol,” two years ago when the show was nearing its end on Fox, for reasons he’ll explain. – Read more at Variety
Scotty McCreery bets career on ‘Five More Minutes’ — and wins – McCreery had just been dealt the worst news of his professional life, just hours before he had to go film “American Idol.” When the show aired weeks later, people criticized him on social media for not being his usual cheerful self. They didn’t know that he, the show’s winner in 2011, had just lost his record deal, or that when filming was over he went back to his hotel and cried in the shower. – Read more at Tennessean.com
Jennifer Hudson speaks of life lessons in Dubai – Dubai: Academy Award winning actress and singer Jennifer Hudson spoke about creating an inclusive and safe environment for future generations as she addressed an audience at the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai. “I always tell the kids I meet during my charity work, there’s more to life than the block you live on,” she stated. – Read more at GulfNews.com
“American Idol” winner Taylor Hicks’ TV show highlights the country’s best foods. He takes on NC this week. – On the subject of Brooklyn barbecue, Taylor Hicks is delicate. He has an opinion, sure, but he’s guarded about it, aware of the fervor kicked up when barbecue lovers draw lines in the sand. What the “American Idol” winner says is almost apologetic on behalf of those in the Northeast, not that they’re not talented or capable when it comes to the smoked arts. They just have the wrong wood. “It’s tough to get the right wood in the Northeast,” Hicks said in a phone interview. “They need to come down here and try our barbecue. Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves.” – Read more at NewsObserver
‘American Idol’ is back and more patriotic than ever. No wonder it’s so boring. – Then Trump was elected. Trump’s election has been seen as a setback for America’s role in the larger global community. We are isolating ourselves from world politics by ducking out of the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Trans-Pacific Partnership. But we’re also getting cut out culturally, including from shows like “Eurovision.” Suddenly, “American Idol,” instead of being a gateway to the larger cultural landscape, is echoing the nativist sentiment that Trump’s election brought to the forefront. – Read more at NBCNews
