WildAid, a San Francisco-based wildlife organization active throughout the world had its Hollywood debut last week at the Montage Beverly Hills (“An Evening in Africa”), honoring the nonprofit’s 15 years of tireless work to stop the illegal wildlife trade. Fergie and Josh Duhamel, Maggie Q, Kristin Bauer, Chevy & Jayni Chase, Michael Cudlitz, Bo Derek & John Corbett, Lupita Nyong’o’s brother Junior (who’ll be starring in a new Tom Ford movie), Amy Tan, Terry McMillan, Briana Ivigan, Paula Adbul, Diane Warren, Adetokumboh M’Cormack, Hal Sparks and Nickelodeon’s Aidan Gallagher who walked the carpet, attending gala dinner, auction and dance. Continue reading →
SPOTTED: Channing Tatum, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Christina Applegate, Jenna Elfman, Paula Abdul, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Billie Lourde, Joely Fisher, Lance Bass, Elizabeth Berkely, Tara Lipinski, Allison Holker, Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss, Rosalyn Sanchez, Eric Winter and Ben Vereen among the many celebrities at The Dizzy Feet Foundation’s fifth annual “Celebration of Dance” Gala. The event was held Saturday at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. DFF is a non-profit organization founded by Nigel Lythgoe (American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance) and director Adam Shankman (Hairspray, Rock of Ages), and its mission is to sponsor, fund and/or support access to and the quality of dance education programs that expose children in low-income areas to the lifelong benefits of dance education in the United States. Continue reading →
Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger were not good enough for Simon Cowell because it looks like he had his eyes on a much more commercially-attractive target when he fired the duo from the U.S. version of The X Factorlast year. Continue reading →
We now have confirmation that Paula Abdul will not return to The X Factor next season.
“Yes, it’s true; I won’t be returning to The X Factor next season,” Abdul said in a statement. “I’ve learned through my longevity in this industry that business decisions often times override personal considerations.
“Simon [Cowell] and I, along with Fox and Fremantle, have been communicating about this for a while now, and I have absolute understanding of the situation. Continue reading →
And just like that, there was a major shake up at The X Factor late Monday night with host Steve Jones and judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger rumored to not be returning to season 2 of the hit NBC show.
The rumors first involved host Jones who himself took to his Twitter account to confirm the news. Continue reading →
The X Factor USA will air its finale tonight, December 22, 2011. One of our three remaining contestants will be crowned the winner of the five million dollar recording contract and star in his, or her, very own Pepsi commercial. Continue reading →
The X Factor USA aired its top 9, special Thanksgiving live show November 22, 2011. Paula Abdul still has one contestant left in the competition, Lakoda Rayne. Nicole Scherzinger has two, after losing Stacy Francis last week. L.A. Reid and Simon Cowell still have all three of their contestants.
Below is the live blogging of the show and the songs each contestant performed and their voting telephone numbers.
LIVE UPDATE: 8:03 Steve Jones tells us that not one, but two acts will be eliminated and going home this week! 8:04 Judges are introduced 8:08 Performances begin (see below)
The X Factor Top 11 Call Numbers:
Rachel Crow– I Believe by Yolanda Adams – 1 855 843 9301 or Text VOTE to 9301
Rachel dedicated her song to her adoptive parents. Rachel grew up in a crack house and was in a hospital after being abused and neglected. Rachel says she thanks her parents every day for having adopted her. Watch Rachel perform below:
Marcus Canty –A Song for Mama by Boyz to Men 1 855 843 9302 or Text VOTE to 9302
Marcus gave thanks to his mother who made huge sacrifices for Marcus and his sister while they were growing up. Watch Marcus perform below:
Melanie Amaro – The World’s Greatest by R. Kelly – 1 855 843 9303 or Text VOTE to 9303 Melanie gave thanks to God for all he has given her. She said everyone else has let her down at some point in life, including her parents with whom she did not always live. So, she learned to rely on God. After her performance, Melanie started speaking with a British Virgin Islands accent where she was born. The judges gave her a standing ovation and Nicole asked to give her a hug for showing her vulnerability. CLICK HERE TO WATCH MELANIE’S PERFORMANCE HERE!
Chris Rene – Let It Be by The Beatles – 1 855 843 9304 or Text VOTE to 9304 Chris gave thanks to Tim Frye, the counselor at his rehab center who helped me become sober and become the man that he is. WATCH CHRIS’ PERFORMANCE BELOW:
Lakoda Rayne – You Belong with Me– 1 855 843 9305 or Text VOTE to 9305 Paige dedicated her song to boyfriend Michael. Hayley thanked her father for supporting her in her music dreams. Dani dedicated the song to her grandmother. WATCH LAKODA RAYNE’S PERFORMANCE BELOW:
LeRoy Bell – Angel – Sarah McLachlan – 1 855 843 9306 or Text VOTE to 9306
He dedicated the song to his mom because she was the one that was always there for him before she passed away. His mom was one of the reasons he tried for the X Factor because she did not believe he should give up. WATCH LEROY’S PERFORMANCE BELOW:
Drew – Skyscraper by Demi Lovato – 1 855 843 9308 or Text VOTE to 9308 Drew dedicated her song to her best friend, Shelby who has been by her side since second grade. After her performance, LA and Simon got into a heated fight with LA saying this song is too old for Drew. WATCH DREW’S PERFORMANCE BELOW:
Josh Krajcik – Wild Horses by The Rolling Stones – 1 855 843 9309 or Text VOTE to 9309
Have we already found our winner on The X Factor? 26-year old Nashville, TN native, Brennin Hunt, sure thinks so.
On the Thursday September 29, 2011 audition episode we met the handsome and talented crooner who says he’s already got a strike against him because he’s hot. OK, that he is. But can he sing?
If you ask Brennin, his answer is that he “is the total package.”
He sang his own original called How We Make It. Simon Cowell called Brennin’s voice brilliant and told him he wants to work with him. Cowell said the reason Brennin has not yet “made it” is because he has not been given the right advice or direction to help propel him to that “next level.”
Paula Abdul told Brennin his voice stuck a chord in her heart. L.A. Reid called Brennin hot.
Watch Brennin’s audition below and tell me what you think. Is Brennin ready for super stardom?
OK — You got us X Factor, you got us. When scruffy-looking Josh Krajcik came on the September 28, 2011 episode of the show, we were like, OK, we get it, this self-proclaimed burrito slinger guy is gonna stink it up. Real bad. The more his mom insisted the guy is the next best singer since Elvis, the more we anticipated a total bomb. Man, was the joke on us.
Just when we thought we know it all, The X Factor pulled the ol’ switcheroo on us, because the second the 30-year old crooner from Columbus Ohio opened his mouth, some of us got goosebumps. The rest of us got chills. Why? Because on his rendition of At Last came out some kind of unexpected and gritty Joe Cocker meets Bob Seger rolled into a soulful Etta James.
On his way to the next round, Simon Cowell told him, “I’ve gotta say, Josh. I always thought after a few auditions over the years I wouldn’t be surprised again. And then you started singing and it just blew me away.” He also said he likes him because, “You are honest. You didn’t come out here with any gimmicks. Good for you.”
L.A. Reid informed him, “You need to give the slinging-burritos job to somebody else.” Then he called him out: “I get why you’re dressed like that. You aren’t foolin’ me for a second. This is your ‘before,’ because the ‘after’s’ gonna be … you’re too good, you are way too good.”
Paula Abdul added: “There are just certain voices that the second you open your mouth to sing, it gets in our skin. What a treat.”
Watch Josh’s Chicago audition for yourself and you be the judge:
Did you catch the oddest contestant we will probably see make it through the next round on The X Factor Wednesday night?
I am talking about J. Mark Inman, the 31-year-old philosophy student who auditioned in Chicago (September 28, 2011) and compared his life to “the algorithm for pi” right after he said “J+Mark+X+Factor= $5Million.”
J. Mark performed his own whacked out take on Radiohead’s Creep. Yet, as bizarre and bad as he was, he was enthusiastically pushed through to the next round as if he had hypnotized and mesmerized the judges.
Backed by a stuttering electronic track of the Radiohead song which of course he made himself, J Mark looked really out of place on the big X Factor stage. Then, the music began and he looked even more misplaced. But his voice didn’t start. At first. He just slithered across stage in some kind of weird hip hop moves and it, I am afraid to admit, worked. Then he started singing. And I couldn’t tell if I loved him or was scared of him. Or, possibly even both?!
As the song ended with the lyrics, “I don’t belong here…,” Paula Abdul and the audiencegave him a standing ovation. Paula of course understood and got him because as Simon Cowell said, “he is from Planet Paula.” She said, “You don’t belong here. You’re other worldly. You are in another jurisdiction, fooor suuure. I think I have visited there once or twice in my life. Oh the places we could go together.”
Said L.A. Reid: “It sounded so bad, but felt so goooood.” Inman was sent through to the next round, and he seemed as shocked as anyone, espeically a wicked-smiled Simon.
Watch the amazingly odd audition video clip below:
