Betty White and Jay-Z will be the guests on Saturday Night Live
Betty White (AP photo)
“Saturday Night Live” makes strange bed fellows.
Legendary actress Betty White and hip hop mogul Jay-Z will be the featured guests on the May 8 episode of “SNL” on NBC.
White, 88, will host the show, and Jay-Z will be the musical guest.
During a press conference, White told reporters “I’m thrilled to meet him. I’m thrilled to hear he’s going to be on the show because he’s the hottest thing since sliced bread.”
White’s appearance on the sketch comedy show stems from a Facebook campaign where fans petitioned to have the “Golden Girls” actress appear on “Saturday Night Live” for the first time.
Idol Gives Back
The Idol Gives Back episode of “American Idol” aired Wednesday night on the Fox network (April 21).
During the show, several celebrities made appearances on “American Idol” to raise money for the humanitarian efforts around the world.
The celebrities included Carrie Underwood, Black Eyed Peas, Mary J. Blige, Alicia, Elton John, Jennifer Garner, Victoria Beckham, President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Russell Brand and Queen Latifah, among others.
A photo gallery from the show is posted below. Click the Associated Press images to enlarge them.
Lady Gaga will be on American Idol
Lady Gaga (AP photo)
Lady Gaga will appear on the May 5 episode of “American Idol.”
The pop singer made the announcement on her Twitter page. She said “See you on American Idol. May 5th, Little Monsters.”
This will be Gaga’s second appearance on the talent show. Last year, she performed her hit song “Poker Face” on the show.
Mo’Nique’s brother admits he molested her, appears on Oprah
Mo'Nique (AP photo)
Oscar-winning actress Mo’Nique publicity stated she was molested by her brother when she was a child.
Her brother, Gerald Imes, stepped forward to admit he molested Mo’Nique. Imes appeared on the April 19 episode of the “The Oprah Winfrey” Show. Mo’Nique’s parents also were on the show.
Excerpts from the interview are posted below. Click here to read the full interview.
“I’m here today to first acknowledge what I’ve been in denial for for 37 years, and that is I did assault and inappropriately touch my sister in manners that were uncomfortable for her. And for that, I apologize and I’m humbly sorry that those actions had taken place.”
“Most of the time, the abuse that I did with my sister took place while she was asleep or the appearance that she was asleep.”
“I can only hope by coming forth today, since I couldn’t reach out to her, that … somewhere along the line with the apology and the truth of it finally coming out after 37 years, that hopefully somewhere, somehow … we can come back together as brother and sister and say: ‘You know what? This happened. I’m sorry that it happened. I’m sorry that it happened to you, and that I was the perpetrator, the one that did it to you. However, I understand your pain. I, too, was there. Now lets share this together and move on. Let’s help someone else.”
Click here to read the full interview.
Thankfully, Mo’Nique was able to overcome the sexual abuse, and she went on to become a successful television sitcom actress, stand-up comedian, talk show host and film actress.
Justin Bieber and Drake perform together at Juno Awards
Hip hop newcomer Drake performed with teen singer Justin Bieber on Sunday at the Juno Awards in Canada. Bieber performed his hit song titled “Baby” and Drake filled in for Ludacris on the rap verse.
The performance is posted in the video clip below.
Michael Buble, Drake win big at Juno Awards
Adult contemporary singer Michael Buble and hip hop newcomer Drake were the big winners Sunday night at the Juno Awards in Canada.
Buble won three awards in the categories for album of the year, single of the year and the fan choice award. Drake took home two trophies. He won new artist and rap recording of the year.
A photo gallery of Buble and Drake from the Juno Awards is posted below. Click the Associated Press images to enlarge them.
Photos from the Academy of Country Music Awards (ACM)
The 2010 Academy of Country Music Awards (ACM) were held in Las Vegas on Sunday at the MGM Grand Hotel. A photo gallery of celebrities who appeared on stage are posted below. Click the Associated Press images to enlarge them.
Highlights from the Academy of Country Music Awards (ACM)
Carrie Underwood accepts the Enternainer of the Year award at the Academy of Country Music Awards (ACM). (AP photo by Matt Sayles)
The Academy of Country Music Awards aired Sunday night from the MGM Grand hotel in Las Vegas. Highlights from the show are posted below in the Associated Press story. For a full recap of the show, go to BAM’s Blog at http://blog.newsok.com/bamsblog.
ASSOCIATED PRESS via NewsOK.
Carrie Underwood made history at the Academy of Country Music Awards on Sunday night, becoming the first woman to win entertainer of the year twice.
Underwood won the show’s top honor last year. This year, she beat out Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, the Zac Brown Band, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, George Strait and Keith Urban.
Top-selling trio Lady Antebellum were the dominant winners, grabbing five trophies, including song and single record of the year for crossover hit “Need You Now,” while also snapping Rascal Flatts’ seven-year run as best vocal group.
“We are having a blast tonight,” singer Charles Kelly told the crowd after win No. 4. “We love you all. We will never forget this night.”
Lady A came into the awards ceremony at the MGM Grand with a leading seven nominations and had won five of seven possible (they got two trophies for their single record of the year win because they also produced the record, and also got two trophies for their song of the year win because they composed “Need You Now”).
Best bud Miranda Lambert had three trophies on the night. She beat Lady A’s self-titled debut for album of the year with “Revolution.” It was the second time she won the honor; her “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” won album of the year in 2007. She also beat Lady A in the video category with “White Liar” in awards given out Saturday night.
Lambert didn’t get to say much when she won album of the year. She started to address the crowd, then stopped short to make sure producer Frank Liddell got a moment in the spotlight. But as soon as he started to issue thank yous, he was cut off and the camera panned away, eliciting boos from the crowd.
After a commercial break, she came back on stage to perform her latest single, “The House That Built Me,” and got another chance to speak when she won top female vocalist, beating out the likes of Swift and Underwood. The tearful Lambert was in disbelief at her win.
Lady A also had a connection to one of the night’s other winners, Luke Bryan, who nabbed top new artist. Lady A’s Kelley and Dave Haywood helped their good buddy write his hit, “Do I.”
Paisley, after a performance of his single “Water” where he fell backwards into a pool of water on stage, won top male vocalist of the year for the fourth consecutive time.
And Brooks & Dunn, who are retiring after a summer tour, won best vocal duo for the 10th time in their two-decade long career.
“We are currently in therapy with Brett Favre trying to figure out how to waffle on this,” Kix Brooks joked after the win.
The show, held at the MGM Grand, was heavy on performances. It kicked off with Carrie Underwood and Lambert, joined on stage later by Brad Paisley, Charlie Daniels and John Fogerty, who ripped through a rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Travelin’ Band.”
“That’s how you start a television show, son!” shouted Daniels, who recently recovered from a stroke.
Swift began her performance of “Change” while soaring over the crowd on a platform. She ripped off her white dress and reveal a black outfit underneath, made her way through the crowd and joined the Tritones, a college co-ed a capella group on stage for a spirited chorus. She then fell backward into a crowd of fans.
The Zac Brown Band wasn’t able to make a show because of a USO tour in the Middle East. But the band sent video of a performance of “Chicken Fried” from overseas that included altered lyrics aimed at the military.
Keith hit an emotional note with a performance of “Cryin’ For Me (Wayman’s Song),” dedicated to his late friend, jazz artist and former basketball star Wayman Tisdale, who died last May.
The show also had it’s share of non-country celebrities, including LL Cool J, Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn and Las Vegas staple Cher, who goofed when she announced that Blake Shelton had already won a CMA Award – instead of an ACM – the previous evening.
Academy of Country Music Awards (ACM) red carpet photos
The 2010 Academy of Country Music Awards (ACM) were held in Las Vegas on Sunday at the MGM Grand Hotel. A photo gallery of celebrities on the red carpet is posted below. Click the Associated Press images to enlarge them.
Crystal Bowersox tried to leave American Idol
Crystal Bowersox (AP photo)
Crystal Bowersox is considered the front runner on this season’s “American Idol.” But two weeks ago, Bowersox tried to leave the show because she missed her son back home, and it was an emotional drain.
Idol host Ryan Seacrest confirmed reports that Bowersox tried to leave the show, but Seacrest convinced her to stay.
Seacresttold the E! Network he found Bowersox in the parking lot, and he told her “The greatest thing I ever did was make enough money so I could buy my mom a house. You can buy your mom a house.”
Meanwhile, Bowersox confirmed the reports on the “American Idol” Facebook page. She said “We all have moments of doubt. As much as I miss my kid, the big picture is this: I’m doing this for him and my fans. I’m having the time of my life!”
Brian Dunkleman responds to Ryan Seacrest joke on American Idol
Ryan Seacrest (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Brian Dunkleman (AP photo Ray Mickshaw)
Remember way back in the day when there was were two hosts on “American Idol” during the first season in 2002? They were Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman.
Dunkleman left the show after the first season and Seacrest was the only host standing.
If you watched the April 13 episode of “American Idol,” you heard Seacrest make a joke about Dunkleman. But the joke wasn’t funny whatsoever. It was lame. Seacrest jokingly told the audience Dunkleman will host a portion of “Idol Gives Back.”
Instead of laughing, the audience members clapped. During an interview with TV.com, Dunkleman responded to Seacrest’s so called “joke.”
Excerpts from the interview are posted below.
TV.com:You’ve mentioned that you don’t watch American Idol, but when Ryan Seacrest mentioned your name, you got a pretty warm response from the audience.
Brian Dunkleman: Yeah, that was very cool. People really came to my defense, which is a satisfying thing.
TV.com:Do you think Seacrest intended it as a slight?
Brian Dunkleman:Yeah, I think so, sure—but it was a joke. Well, it was an attempt at a joke. But unfortunately for Ryan, instead of a laugh, he got applause. That’s never really been his strong suit. But it was a joke, and whether it was mean-spirited or not is irrelevant. A joke’s a joke; you can either take it or you can’t. And quite honestly, once you’ve had Jimmy Kimmel say in a monologue that you should be punched in the face, and at this point you’d probably be receptive to a knife in the gut, I think what Seacrest said was pretty tame.
TV.com:Ever since Simon Cowell announced that he’s not coming back this year, Seacrest has seemed a little rambunctious.
Brian Dunkleman:That’s why the timing doesn’t surprise me. Dancing with the Stars has replacedIdol as the number one show for, what, the last two weeks? I’m sure that’s sending Seacrest into a panic. It’s not surprising that he would act crazy to get attention, or throw my name out there—he’s done things like this before.
Click the TV.com link to read the entire interview.
Poll: Is TBS the right network for Conan O’Brien?
Conan O’Brien gets talk show on TBS
ASSOCIATED PRESS via NewsOK.
- (AP photo)
NEW YORK (AP) — Late-night mainstay Conan O’Brien is headed to TBS to resume his comedic duties with a talk show expected to debut in November, the network said Monday.
The program will air Mondays through Thursdays at 11 p.m. Eastern, shifting TBS’ “Lopez Tonight,” starring George Lopez, to midnight.
O’Brien quickly fired out a celebratory tweet.
“The good news: I will be doing a show on TBS starting in November! The bad news: I’ll be playing Rudy on the all new Cosby Show,” he posted Monday on Twitter.
The surprise announcement hit the same day O’Brien starts a two-month, nationwide comedy tour in Eugene, Ore., amid persistent reports that he was likely to claim Fox as his new late-night home.
Barring Fox, syndication was widely considered O’Brien’s most likely option. Few if anyone mentioned TBS as a plausible destination.
O’Brien began serious talks with TBS just last week, the network said.
“In three months, I’ve gone from network television to Twitter to performing live in theaters, and now I’m headed to basic cable,” O’Brien said in a tongue-in-cheek-toned statement. “My plan is working perfectly.”
O’Brien left NBC in January after hosting “The Tonight Show” for just eight months, as his ratings plunged from those of his longtime “Tonight” predecessor, Jay Leno, who reclaimed the hour. Until last June, O’Brien had followed Leno as host of “Late Night” since 1993.
After giving O’Brien “Tonight,” NBC sought to keep Leno on board with a prime-time show that quickly flopped. An attempt to move O’Brien to a post-midnight slot drew O’Brien’s ire, and he walked away with a $32 million settlement package.
Although that put him in play for other networks, the deal barred him from appearing on TV until September.
Tina Fey returns as Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live, Justin Bieber performs
The latest episode of “Saturday Night Live” (April 10) was quite interesting.
Tina Fey returned to the show and performed another Sarah Palin skit. She perfected that role as usual.
Meanwhile, teen singer Justin Bieber was the musical guest, and he also performed a comedic skit with Fey.
Fey’s portrays a teacher who has a crush on Bieber’s character. A clip of the two skits is posted below.
American Idol loses to Dancing with the Stars
Anna Trebunskaya and Anna Trebunskaya on "Dancing with the Stars." (AP photo by Adam Larkey)
The ABC network has something to dance about. The show “Dancing with the Stars” beat Fox’s “American Idol” in the ratings for the first time.
During the week of March 29, the Monday episode of “Dancing with the Stars” had nearly 23 million viewers compared to “American Idol’s” viewership of 21.8 million Tuesday and $20.5 million Wednesday last week, according to TV Guide.
I’m not surprised by the shift in ratings. This year’s “American Idol” season has been lackluster. It’s not as exciting as it used to be in previous years because of the contestants aren’t “wowing” people this year.
I have watched most “American Idol” episodes, but I’ve never seen “Dancing with the Stars.” I think I’m going to watch my first episode next week to see what all the hoopla is about.
Kevin Federline apologizes to Shar Jackson
Kevin Federline finally apologizes to his ex-girlfriend actress Shar Jackson.
Federline and Jackson have two kids together. They were in a relationship until he left her for pop singer Britney Spears.
In fact, Jackson was pregnant with Federline’s child whenever he became engaged to Spears.
Shar and Federline are both contestants on the current season of the VH1 reality show “Celebrity Fit Club.” During an episode that aired this week, Federline apologized to Jackson for the chaos he caused in her life.
The video clip is posted below. To hear his apology, fast-foward the clip to the 4-minute mark.
Adam Lambert to mentor on American Idol
Adam Lambert (AP photo)
Adam Lambert will be the next celebrity to serve as a mentor to the contestants on “American Idol.”
The rock singer will be the mentor on the April 13 episode.
Lambert placed second on the 2009 season of “American Idol.” He was edged out by Kris Allen.
Rihanna will be on American Idol
R&B singer Rihanna will be the latest celebrity to make a stop on “American Idol.”
On Wednesday’s episode (April 7), Rihanna will perform her new song titled “Te Amo.”
Meanwhile, on Tuesday’s episode, the contestants will perform songs by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Rihanna will not be serving as the mentor.
Janet Jackson and Tyler Perry on Oprah, discusses new movie, Michael’s death
Tyler Perry and Janet Jackson on "Today Show." (AP photo)
Singer/actress Janet Jackson and film director Tyler Perry were guests on Friday’s episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”
Jackson and Perry discussed their new movie “Why Did I Get Married Too,” and Jackson discussed the death of her brother Michael and the interventions they had with him.
Excerpts from the interview are posted below.
“I got a call from an assistant. She had said that there was something on TV about my brother being ill. So I immediately called home, and I was able to reach my sister La Toya, my nephew, Austin, and I think my brother, Jermaine, at the time. They were on their way to the hospital. I can’t remember exactly who I wound up calling back, to see how things were going. That’s when they told me he had passed.”"It’s hard for me to look at an image of his or listen to his music on the radio.”
“There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about him. All of us in the family think about him every single day. The last time I saw him, which was two days before my birthday at my parents’ surprise party, I was being silly like I always did when we were kids, and he kept looking at me and just cracking up.”
“We knew that he had a problem. We all did. I think a lot of people think that we were in denial, which we weren’t at all. We tried interventions several times. He was very much still in denial.”
(from Tyler Perry) “I wouldn’t dare say anything more than she would want me to, but they really, really tried. The entire family. I want the whole world to know how much they tried. There were all those reports that they didn’t do anything. That’s not true.”
Click here for the complete interview.
Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken tour dates
Clay Aiken, left, and Ruben Studdard during the 2003 finale of "American Idol." (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken were competitors during season two of “American Idol” in 2003.
Studdard and Clay competed for “American Idol” title when both of them advanced to the finale. Studdard beat Clay for the title, but they are now teaming up for a joint tour.
The 17-city tour will kick off July 23 in North Carolina, and it will conclude Aug. 14 in Mississippi. The tour schedule is posted below.
- Fri., July 23: Biltmore Estates, Asheville, N.C.
- Sat., July 24: Florida Theater, Jacksonville, Fla.
- Sun. Jul. 25: King Center for Arts, Melbourne, Fla.
- Mon., July 26: Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, Fla.
- Thurs., July 29: Casino—Mountain View Plaza, Snoqualmie, Wash.
- Sat., July 31: Silver Legacy Casino, Reno, Nev.
- Sun., Aug. 1: Club Nokia, Los Angeles, Calif.
- Tues., Aug. 3: Potowanami Casino, Milwaukee, Wisc.
- Thurs., Aug. 5: Caesar’s Windsor, Ontario
- Fri. Aug. 6: Chautauqua Institution Amphitheatre, Chautauqua, N.Y.
- Sat., Aug. 7: MGM Grand Foxwoods, Mashantucket, Conn.
- Sun., Aug. 8: American Music Theater, Lancaster, Penn.
- Tues., Aug. 10: HB Casino, Hampton Beach, N.H.
- Wed., Aug. 11: Hammerstein Ballroom, New York, N.Y.
- Fri., Aug. 13: Horseshoe, Hammond, Ind.
- Sat., Aug. 14: Beau Rivage, Biloxi, Miss
LL Cool J dropped from Sarah Palin’s tv show after he complains
(AP photo)
By Frazier Moore, Associated Press writer via NewsOK.
An upcoming Fox News Channel special hosted by Sarah Palin is titled “Real American Stories.” But rapper-actor LL Cool J says his participation in the show was bogus.
In response, the network has snipped him from the program.
In a Twitter posting late Tuesday, the entertainer wrote that “Fox lifted an old interview I gave in 2008 to someone else & are misrepresenting to the public in order to promote Sarah Palins Show. WOW.”
(AP photo)
Fox News says the episode, which was not available for preview, will feature a Marine Medal of Honor recipient “who gave his life to save his comrades” and a wealthy stockbroker who helps underprivileged students pay for college.
Also listed as part of the show are country singer Toby Keith and former General Electric boss Jack Welch, as well as LL Cool J, who appeared among a number of video clips on the “Real American Stories” Web site Wednesday morning before being removed.
“Contrary to what was reported, LL Cool J was never scheduled to be a guest on ‘Real American Stories’ with Sarah Palin this week,” Rhett Usry, the artist’s spokesman, said in a statement on Wednesday. “The show had planned to use an interview from 2008 that was being repurposed without LL’s permission.
“This statement is not a reflection of any feelings LL has toward Fox News or Ms. Palin, whom he has never met, rather a clarification of what we have seen published in the media.”
Fox News Channel did not respond to numerous calls and e-mails from The Associated Press inquiring about the status of the segment with LL Cool J, who was born James Todd Smith.
But in a statement released to other media outlets, the network said: “‘Real American Stories’ features uplifting tales about overcoming adversity and we believe Mr. Smith’s interview fits that criteria. However, as it appears that Mr. Smith does not want to be associated with a program that could serve as an inspiration to others, we are cutting his interview from the special and wish him the best with his fledgling acting career.”
Credits for the 42-year-old actor include a starring role in the hit CBS freshman series “NCIS: Los Angeles,” as well as several films such as “Last Holiday” and “S.W.A.T.”
It is unclear when or if future editions of “Real American Stories” will appear on Fox News. Thursday’s airing pre-empts “On the Record With Greta Van Susteren.”
Palin’s ongoing relationship with Fox News Channel as a host and news analyst accounts for only part of her television activities. Last week, the TLC cable network announced “Sarah Palin’s Alaska,” an eight-part series about Palin’s home state that is set to start production this summer.
Usher’s television appearances
(AP photo)
To promote his new album “Raymond v. Raymond,” R&B singer Usher is making several television appearances this week.
He will be a mentor on “American Idol” on March 30, and he will perform on the show April 1. Meanwhile, he will appear on Ellen DeGeneres’ show April 1 and “Lopez Tonight” on April 2.
Also, the April 7 episode of “E! True Hollywood Story” will focus on the life and career of Usher.
Usher performs “There Goes My Baby” on Good Morning America
Usher performs new song “There Goes My Baby” on Good Morning America.
Usher’s interview on Good Morning America
R&B singer Usher gave an interview on “Good Morning America” on Monday (March 29) to promote his new album titled “Raymond v. Raymond.”
During the interview, he discusses his divorce, why his mother is no longer his manager, his music, his protege Justin Bieber and the death of his mentor Michael Jackson.
The interview is posted in the video clip below.
Usher and Ellen Degeneres on roller coaster at Universal Studios
R&B singer Usher and talk show host Ellen Degeneres visited Universal Studios in Orlando together, and the yrode The Incredible Hulk roller coaster ride.
A camera was placed on the roller coaster so viewers could get an up close view of Usher and Ellen yelling and screaming while they are on the roller coaster.
The video clip is posted below.
