kimblr.com

Last week’s American Idol castoff Jason Castro stopped by our office to chat about his time on the show, the upcoming Idol tour and his plans for an album. He also offered an explanation for his “Mr. Tambourine Man” lyric fumble during last week’s broadcast: “I think I learn slower than others,” he laughs. “I usually just take my time, spending a week learning an song and connecting with it. I like the connection in music, and I didn’t have time to make that connection last week.”
“At this point, the competition is dependent on who goes home,” Castro adds. “Even if someone messed up before, their performance was still better than another singer. Now everyone is really good and really talented, so it’s like, ‘Who’s going to mess up?’”
While he was admittedly still tired from his post-show media blitz, Castro was also visibly relieved to not be singing three songs tonight. “It’s nice to be doing something different, and not stressing,” he says. “My biggest worry now is that I’ll say something stupid.”
Not that he’ll necessarily be stress-free in the near future; after a cameo in the audience during tonight’s results show, Castro begins rehearsals for the finale tomorrow and starts tour rehearsals on June 1st. “They’re letting us have more input,” he says of the tour, adding each performer will get to sing three songs each. Castro says he’s considering Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” (his audition song at home and during Hollywood week) and his ukulele rendition of “Over the Rainbow.”
After the tour, Castro says he wants to take some time off and create material for an upcoming album. No deals have been confirmed, but Castro says he’s been taking a look at producers of people he likes, including Ray Lamontagne and Ben Harper. “But I don’t even know how you get in touch with those people,” he laughs. “We’ll see if they want to work.”

rollingstone.com

Two Tivos To Paradise 05.02.08: Where Every Week Is Sweeps!
Is Lindsay Lohan joining the cast of Ugly Betty?, Tom Cruise chats with Oprah, more news on the new 90210, A & E’s new line up, the Daytime Emmy Award nominations, a defense of American Idol, raves for Lost, the latest in Neilsen ratings, tons of news and notes, the TV Pick of the Week, and more, all in this week’s Two Tivos To Paradise!
Hello Friends. Another crazy week on the home front; we closed on the condo on Wednesday and have done quite a bit of packing/throwing stuff away; nothing makes you feel more out of shape than going up and down a few flights of stairs carrying boxes. Not sure if I mentioned Richard Bradley’s The Greatest Game, a phenomenal book about the Yankees-Red Sox one game playoff in 1978. It’s a tribute to how well written it is that by halfway through I had forgotten how it ended and started to think the Sox had a chance.
Yesterday’s gone and now all I want is some news.
Now And Then I Get Insecure From All The Fame, I’m So Ashamed
TVGuide.com is reporting that not only is Lindsay Lohan in talks with ABC to appear in the May 22nd season finale of Ugly Betty but that they are discussing her character returning for as many as 8 episodes next fall. Lohan was rumored to be taking a role on the show late last year but that was derailed by the WGA strike. There has been no confirmation from either side but the website labeled the talks as “advanced.”
What hath Britney wrought? Clearly Ms. Spears effect on the ratings of How I Met Your Mother is playing some role in these negotiations but UB was interested in LiLo long before Brit hit the small screen, and the show has done a very good job with guest stars up to now. The truth is I have no idea how good an actress Lindsay is or isn’t but a role on a well run show where she won’t be required to do any heavy lifting makes a ton of sense for her. This story was breaking as TTTP was going to press so we’ll have more next week.

411mania.com

“… when my adult children in college congratulate ME on my own college grades after having returned to school from a 20 year absence.
“… when you let someone cut in front of you when driving and they actually acknowledge you and wave “thank you.”
— Mary Grigsby, Walnut Creek
“… going to the dog park and watching responsible pet owners enjoying playing with their dogs. I don’t even own a dog, and I sometimes sit and watch for hours. In 10 visits, I’ve never seen the dogs fight or the owners argue. Everyone gets along and there are plastic bags for waste, a barrel full of toys for anyone to use, climbing structures for all sizes of animals and fresh, clean water. One family even brings treats and hands them out for free. What a great way to spend an afternoon.
— Cindy Strong, Castro Valley
“… our being there in the first place, but to hear people mispronounce the name of the country really ticks me off, particularly when it is a newscaster or TV “personality” who should know better. There is no “eye” in Iraq!
— Carole Douglas, Walnut Creek
“… how it takes Ryan Seacrest an hour to tell everyone who got kicked off “American Idol.” I could do it in 30 seconds.
— Evelynn Ross, El Cerrito
“… bottom fitted sheets with elastic all around the edges. Who thought up that idea? Sheets are not square, folks. When I finally find the proper edges for
top and bottom I mark one corner with a big X so I don’t have fiddle with it each time I change the beds.
Send your love/hates to aharris@bayareanewsgroup.com.

insidebayarea.com

That’s probably the first — and last — time you will ever hear a singing performance on TV likened to a hamburger. But then, it was Simon Cowell doing the comparing, and the man is nothing if not creative when it comes to milking mic time for memorable sound bites.
It was Brooke White, and her solo piano act, on Mariah Carey’s Hero that drew the unfortunate food comparison. Cowell’s point — and he did have one — was that her performance was a little like getting the hamburger bun, but with nothing inside. No beef, no mustard — and not much relish from the judges, it would appear, except for Paula Abdul’s broken-needle routine, “You are who you are, and that’s what I love about you.”
By the time the last high note was sung on Mariah Carey night, there were some genuine surprises — for one, it was a night for the guys, not the gals, despite Carey’s gal-centric songlist — and some  of the same old same-old: Strong performances from the two Davids, and can-we-please-stop-this-nonsense-and-end-it-now performances from White and — again — Kristy Lee Cook.
That said, it will likely be Syesha Mercado and Carly Smithson who again land in the bottom two, in part because they’ve been there so often, and in part because they have truly beautiful voices, and vocal ability — David Cook and David Archuleta aside — don’t seem to carry much weight with the viewers who’ve been doing the voting this time around.
I suppose we could always be in for another shock. David Cook, now the elder statesman in the group at age 25, may yet prove to be this year’s Chris Daughtry —  i.e. the talented rocker who goes home before his time but goes on to have a credible singing career — but the odds of two shocks in a row seem slim, even in this year’s American Idol.

communities.canada.com

The April 22 broadcast of the FOX singing competition “American Idol” offered the show’s final six contestants the chance to perform songs by Tony and Olivier Award-winning composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.
The songs performed included “Think of Me” (sung by David Archuleta), “Memory” (Jason Castro), “One Rock & Roll Too Many” (Syesha Mercado), “Jesus Christ Superstar” (Carly Smithson), “You Must Love Me” (Brooke White) and “The Music of the Night,” the Phantom of the Opera anthem, which was sung by David Cook.
Howard McGillin, the Broadway actor who currently plays the title role in Lloyd Webber’s Phantom at Broadway’s Majestic Theatre, spoke with TV’s “Extra” about Cook’s rendition of “Music of the Night.” Said McGillin, “He nailed it . . . It’s such a difficult song to sing . . . He sings with such purity and such a beautiful sound, but he did great.” McGillin also told the TV program, “I love [’American Idol’ but] I don’t get to watch it much.”
The April 23 “Idol” results show will feature Lloyd Webber performing live with the contestants. The results show airs at 9 PM ET; check local listings.
Howard McGillin holds the record for the longest-running Phantom in the show’s history. A Tony Award nominee for his performances in Anything Goes and The Mystery of Edwin Drood, McGillin has also appeared on Broadway in Kiss of the Spider Woman, She Loves Me, The Secret Garden and Sunday in the Park with George. On the London stage he starred in Mack and Mabel, and his solo recording is titled “Howard McGillin: Where Time Stands Still.” McGillin also starred in the Chicago and D.C. productions of Sondheim and John Weidman’s Bounce.
McGillin’s “American Idol” critique will air on the April 23 broadcast of “Extra.” For more information visit www.extratv.com.

playbill.com

April 17, 2008: Mariah Carey arrives for an autograph session in Universal City, Calif.
April 17, 2008: Mariah Carey arrives for an autograph session in Universal City, Calif.
LOS ANGELES — Mariah Carey made her way to the CBS lot on Wednesday afternoon as the guest mentor on “American Idol.” But true to her word, our girl lived up to that diva-like rep.
Donning a (typical) tight-fitting outfit, Mariah worked the press area backstage — but it took a little longer than expected. Tech and camera guys apparently were made to put in the extra effort putting up lights and having them angled perfectly, with Carey’s people “double checking” that she was positioned perfectly at all times.
“We had to reshoot one of the questions,” one cameraman told Tarts. “I had to change the lighting and alter the position and do it again because we went off angle slightly. She has a director of photography with her at all times and can only be shot from the waist up.”
Well, when you are a multi-million-dollar music mogul, you do have a little authority in demanding your best angle, right?
However, Maz did lose quite a few fans on Thursday night when she decided to turn up two hours late to an album signing at Universal City.
“She strolled in with sunglasses on when it was nighttime and by that point a lot of people got fed up and had left,” a photographer told Tarts. “It was ridiculous.”
That said, our Maz is back with Billboard chart-topping album “E=MC2″ and looking better than ever — and fellow music veteran Janet Jackson is in full support.
“I never gave up on Mariah, but a lot of people were ready to write her off and gave up on her,” Jackson recently told Tarts. “Downs happen to a lot of people even in regular jobs, so it’s just a part of life. You can’t stay up, up, up forever.”

foxnews.com

NEW YORK, April 16 /PRNewswire/ — British sensation Leona Lewis has continued her record-breaking success as she conquers the U.S., with her album Spirit (J Records/SyCo Music) entering the Billboard album charts at #1 today with 204, 841 albums sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. This is the first time in music history that a British female artist debuts at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, and it’s the first time ever that a British artist overall has debuted on the chart at #1 with a first album. It is also the biggest female artist first album debut since Carrie Underwood in 2005, and had the biggest digital album sales week ever for a new artist. No stranger to record-breaking success, just two weeks ago, Leona broke the Hot 100 Chart record, becoming the first British female solo artist to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart in over 21 years with her single "Bleeding Love," which to date, has sold over 1 million tracks stateside and returns to the #1 spot this week on the Billboard Digital Songs Chart.
For the first time, Clive Davis and Simon Cowell teamed up to sign Lewis to J Records/ SyCo Music (Cowell’s joint venture with Sony BMG), and together produced Spirit. Comments Clive Davis: "Leona Lewis will not be an overnight sensation. She is the real deal and this is just the beginning of a long and illustrious career." Comments Simon Cowell: "What Leona has achieved is simply incredible. This is the hardest market to crack and for her debut album to go in at number 1 is unbelievable."
Leona’s introduction to the U.S. market began when she performed at Clive Davis’ Pre-Grammy Party in the new artist slot in February. Previously, Davis has presented artists such as Alicia Keys, Maroon 5, Jennifer Hudson, and Carrie Underwood in this role, identifying them as the next important new voice in music. Leona performed her worldwide smash hit "Bleeding Love" on the The Oprah Winfrey Show Monday, March 17th and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Monday, March 24th. The video for "Bleeding Love," was selected for the coveted video channel programs MTV’s "Discover and Download" and VH1’s "You Oughta Know," and the track is the most played and most requested single at Top 40 and Rhythm Radio. Additionally, "Bleeding Love" was #1 most added and greatest gainer at Hot AC with the second highest single debut in Hot AC history, and was #1 most added at Mainstream AC stations its first week out. Online, Leona is the #1 most viewed artist of all time on Clear Channel’s "New!" program. Leona performed on Good Morning America, Live with Regis and Kelly, CBS Early Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, MTV’s "TRL", all the week of release and made multiple appearances on Entertainment Tonight, The Insider, Access Hollywood, Extra!, CNN, and E!. Leona is scheduled to perform "Bleeding Love" on The Tyra Banks Show on April 17th and American Idol on April 23rd.

earthtimes.org

American Idol judge Randy Jackson tells Us Weekly that producers have been trying to get Mariah Carey on the hit Fox show for the past couple of seasons.
Their time has come.
Carey, 38 — whose new disc E=MC2 drops today — pops by the show tonight to mentor the seven remaining contestants.
"She’s going to bring a wealth of knowledge about singing to these kids," says Jackson of the newly svelte singer, who will also perform. "It’s amazing for us to have her on.
"She’s kind of what the show’s about — she’s that girl who grew up in New York, who struggled to become that singer."
Now, Jackson says, "she’s won the Holy Grail. She sold 175 million albums! I don’t know if anyone will ever get to that point ever again because the music business is in such disarray."
On tonight’s show, contestants will perform songs from Carey’s extensive catalogue.
So will David Cook belt out "Vision of Love?"
"You never know!" Jackson tells Us. "Just because you’re a rocker or a country singer doesn’t mean you can’t sing these songs - you adapt them to what you do best."
Adds Jackson, "I’m sure these kids will have a good time."
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hiphop-elements.com

And if it wasn’t for her father’s prodding, the diminutive Filipino-American singer with the big voice probably wouldn’t have auditioned a second time for “American Idol” — which means she wouldn’t be standing among the final 12 contestants on the top-rated Fox TV show. She was rejected in the initial stage last year and balked at going back.
“I think she was lacking a bit of that confidence and didn’t want the people close to her expect too much from her,” neighbor Isidra Yokose said Tuesday night at the lobby of Hilton Garden Inn in Miramar, where family and friends have been meeting every week to watch the show, cheer for Malubay — and furiously text in votes on their cell phones, of course.
“She is so incredibly special to us and to the rest of the Filipino community,” added family friend Geny Panaligan-Ke, who organizes the “Watch ‘N Vote 4 Ramiele” gatherings.
“I don’t know where she gets it, but she definitely has the talent, the potential and the confidence to make it,” Yokose said. “We are so proud of her, and we have all the faith in the world that she will make it big.”
Before her good looks, tiny stature — she’s 4-foot-11 — and big voice made her a fan favorite, Malubay worked part-time as a waitress at a sushi restaurant in suburban Fort Lauderdale, where she grew up with her younger sister and her Filipino parents. The family moved to the United States from Saudi Arabia when she was 5.

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