Last night during the American Idol results show, I detected more than a little tension at the judges' table which makes me wonder if this season the real drama will occur off-stage.
While new fourth judge Kara DioGuardi was making comments to four contestants, Simon Cowell mumbled that she was rambling, leading to a tense moment or two while she defended her right to do her job and Simon muttered that she was wasting time.
Cowell has commented before that he wasn't thrilled with the addition of a fourth judge this season, citing the "if it isn't broke don't fix it" mentatlity, but then again everyone expects Simon to complain about everything.
Last night, I was wrong about my American Idol predictions, and I've never been so happy: Kris Allen (pictured) made the Top 12! He, along with Allison Iraheta and Adam Lambert, join Alexis Grace, Danny Gokey and Michael Sarver in the Top 12.
I love Kris Allen but wasn't sure that he'd get enough votes to put him through. Lo and behold, he made it! (I have a hunch we'll see Norman Gentle back for the Wild Card round.)
Fan voting opens today for the 40th Annual Dove Awards, which honor the best in Christian and gospel music This year, fans are invited to vote in the categories of Artist of the Year and New Artist of the year. The cumulative fan vote will count for 1/3 of the total votes for these two categories, and GMA member voting will count for the other 2/3 of the total vote.
The nominees are:
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Casting Crowns
Steven Curtis Chapman
Fireflight
Marvin Sapp
Third Day
TobyMac
Chris Tomlin
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Addison Road
Francesca Battistelli
Fee
Jonathan Nelson
Remedy Drive
Chris Sligh
Tenth Avenue North
The big question, though, is who would you vote for if you could pick from any Christian music artist not on the list? You can check out the entire list of Dove nominees in this post, Dove Award Nominations; Fans Vote For Artist Of The Year.
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The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song is named in honor of the legendary George and Ira Gershwin and recognizes the profound and positive effect of popular music on the world's culture. The prize is given annually to a composer or performer whose lifetime contributions exemplify the standard of excellence associated with the Gershwins. The first Gershwin Prize was awarded to Paul Simon in May 2007.
Tony Bennett, Martina McBride, Will.i.am, and Diana Krall were among the other artists performing at the event. The event will air tonight on your local PBS station. Check your local listings for more information.
It's been a great year so far for the sister duo, Mary Mary. They're fresh off a Grammy win, an NAACP Image award win, and Dove nominations. You can learn more about Mary Mary on their website, www.mary-mary.com.
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I read a blog today that likened American Idol contestant Norman Gentle (known in real life as Nick Mitchell) to Season 6 contestant Sanjaya Malakar.
Maybe you remember the admittedly cute but woefully untalented singer who was kept in the competition week after week while singers who could actually sing were sent home, thanks to the frantic voting by hormone-crazed tweens. We never knew what we were going to get with Sanjaya, from horrible vocals to bizarre clothing and hair, but those of us older than 13 knew it was terrible.
And while I suppose I can see where someone might question whether Norman Gentle is this season's Sanjaya, the thought can't stay in your mind more than millisecond, for a few simple reasons:
So last night the second group performed on American Idol, and all I can say is they pretty much stunk up the joint. You can read my live blog from the show last night and get the play by play....
Every Friday, the MusicRadar Team at YouTube.com team singles out what they think were the best videos of YouTube for the week. Last week, managing editor Michael Leonard picked The Wrecking's cover of U2's "Get On Your Boots" as...
Rock band Mae has announced dates for their spring tour with Person L, Barcelona, and Tokyo. The tour kicks off in Norfolk, Virginia on April 18th and wraps up at the end of May in New York City. For...
UPDATE 4/14/09: Wesley Sleep Program Puts Me To Sleep - That's A Good Thing! We've got Biblically-based diets and cookbooks. We've got Christian books and music and movies and power drinks and sneakers and breath mints. If we can endorse...
OK Idol fans! We're ready for Group 2 on our road to the Top 12. Tonight, there are three contestants with ties to Christian music: Mishovanna Henson, Matt Giraud, and Kris Allen. Plus, Norman/Normund Gentle (aka Nick Mitchell) performs. It...
OK, so technically the Country Music Awards aren't necessarily Christian music, but there's some crossover there so I thought I'd share the nominations for the 44th annual Academy of Country Music Awards. Fan will again vote for Top New Male...
Check out the free Christian music download from worship artist Kari Jobe. The song is "Revelation Song" from her self-titled debut. Head over to iTickets this week only for your free download, and then let me know what you think....
Here's another free Christian music download, this time from acoustic pop-rock duo Connersvine. The song is "Glory Be" from their self-titled debut album. Head over to iTickets.com for your free download, then stop back and let me know what you...
You can get a free Christian music download from singer, rapper, songwriter & producer B, Reith, this week at iTickets.com. His music reflects his love of classic soul with modern hip-hop. The free download is the song "Go On" from...
It was one year ago today that Christian music legend Larry Norman passed away from heart related problems. From his biography: Norman was an eccentric visionary whose songs drew controversy from both the conservative religious establishment and the secular...
If you're an aspiring Christian music artist - whether you dream of playing in the band or being the frontman (or woman) - check out Camp Electric, the week-long rock and roll summer camp that offers instruction from some of...
This week, American Idol airs on Wednesday night (not Tuesday), so join me at 8 pm on Wednesday, February 25 as the second group of contestants perform for their chance to make it to the Top 12. (NOTE: This is...
MxPx's new album, On The Cover II, doesn't release until March 24, but starting today, the band will be streaming one new song from the album every Monday on their MySpace page. This week it's their version of the...
Rockers Mae have released the second song in their 12 months of music and charity as they continue on their quest to raise $65,000 in donations to fully fund the construction of a home for Rhonda Floyd and her...
Season 3 American Idol's George Huff is set to release his sophomore self-titled gospel album on April 7th. The songs on his new album reflect some of the hard times he's experienced in his life. Originally from New Orleans, for...
How happy am I? Mat Kearney is set to release his third studio project, City of Black & White, on May 19, 2009. Yahoo!! Kearney's sophomore studio album, Nothing Left To Lose, is seriously one of my favorite albums. For...
This week, I gave you an update on American Idol's Jamar Rogers and what he's been doing since he was eliminated from the show during Hollywood Week. (Be sure to check out this post: American Idol's Jamar Rogers and...
American was shocked when Jamar Rogers was eliminated from American Idol during Hollywood Week. We'd enjoyed watching him and best buddy Danny Gokey during the auditions and had hopes of watching them compete together in the Top 12. Sure, we...
* UPDATE: Click here to cast your votes for the 4th Annual Dove Awards * The nominations are in for the 40th Annual Dove Awards, which honor the best in Christian and gospel music. Topping the list of nominees this...
OK, this has got to be one of the weirdest stories I've read in a while. Apparently, a Southern California woman who is a counselor for foster kids was suspended after four teen girls who were on an approved outing...
A man commited suicide yesterday at the famous Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. The L.A. Times reports that the church hosts hundreds of visitors a day, and at the time of the shooting volunteers were giving a tour...
The next round of American Idol contestants was announced last night, and for no other reason that I really don't want to write my humor column I've spent the morning searching for any ties these contestants have to Christian music....
The numbers are in for Christian music record sales for 2008, and according to the Gospel Music Association, while sales of digital albums were up 38% and digital singles 37%, overall, sales of both digital and physical units were down...
Punk rockers MxPx get ready to commemorate 17 years on the music scene with On The Cover II. The album is a response to fan requests for a follow up to the band's 1995 cover album On The Cover. Tracks...
Hey, all, just a quick note to let you know that I'll be back tonight blogging live during the results show. Let's see who goes through to the top 12. Will it be Danny, Alexis and Anoop, like I predicted?...
I told you last week that HCD Research was going to be conducting research during the live performances of American Idol, but instead of rating the singers, they were rating the judges. Well, 1,522 viewers watched clips of each...
Thanks for those of you who played along last night during American Idol while I blogged live during round one of the Top 36 performances! After watching the live performances, I stand by my predictions: top guy, Danny Gokey; top...
You can get a free music download this week from worship artist Freddy Rodriguez over at iTickets.com. The song is "I Will Run" from his new album, Light in the Darkness. Head over to iTickets.com and get your free music...
You can get a free download from Christian music artist Sara Groves, this week over at iTickets.com The song is "It Might Be Hope" from her album Tell Me What You Know. Sara Groves is one of my favorite artists,...
Tonight's American Idol kicks off the first of four elimination rounds that will whittle the field down to the Top 12 contestants. I'm going to blog LIVE tonight during the performances, and I want you to join in! Tonight's contestants...
Felicia Barton got what I'm sure was the surprise of her life last week when she was added to the top 36 in Season 8 of American Idol after Joanna Pacitti was deemed ineligible to compete. Like Danny Gokey and...
Reuters reports that Chris Brown, arrested last week for allegedly attacking pop singer Rihanna , has issued a statement regarding the incident: "Words cannot begin to express how sorry and saddened I am over what transpired," he said. "I am...
It's the holiday, and while I have a ton of work I could be doing, I figure if no one else is working, why should I? So surfing around the internet, I came across this ad for musicians looking to...
CCM legend Michael W. Smith will be joining Billy Ray Cyrus, Charlie Daniels, Lee Greenwood and Col. Oliver North for Sean Hannity's Freedom Concerts. The shows take place in Dallas, Phoenix, Houston, Las Vegas, Cincinnati, Atlanta, San Diego, and New...
Recognizing the difficulties of the current financial climate, the Gospel Music Association has dropped the registration rate for GMA Music Week April 18-22, 2009 in Nashville. The new $299 reduced rate is available for members of GMA; non-members may qualify...
OnCourse Magazine is offering a free Christian music download of the song "Let It Glow" from the new CompassionArt compiliation. To get the free download, follow these steps (it's a little complicated):...
Gerry Niewood (pictured with sax) and Coleman Mellett (pictured with Chuck Mangione), musicians with the Grammy-award winning Chuck Mangione Band, were killed last night in a plane crash near Buffalo, N.Y. Continental Connection Flight 3407, which was operated by Colgan...
The NAACP Image Awards were handed out last night, and Jennifer Hudson took home three awards, for Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration on her song "I'm His Only Woman" featuring Fantasia; Outstanding New Artist; and Outstanding Album. Mary Mary...
This will come as no surprise: advance sale tickets of the Jonas Brothers upcoming 3D movie are being scooped up like crazy. "Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience" opens in 3D and on IMAX 3D screens at midnight, on...
Looks like the contestants won't be the only ones under the microscope this season on American Idol. HCD Research announced yesterday that beginning February 17 it will conduct a study among a nationally representative sample of Americans to evaluate...
Tuesday night, American Idol kicks off the first of four weeks of elimination rounds to narrow the field to the top 12 contestants, and I want to know who you think will make it to the top 12. The...
Southern Gospel fans, mark your calendars for March 16-21. That's when the 5th Annual Southern Gospel Music Fan Fair takes place at the Smoky Mountain Convention Center in Pigeon Forge, TN. The event brings together more than 100 artists...
Ah, the life of the Christian celebrity, when everything you and your family does makes front page news. Today, it's Jermaine Jakes, son (or stepson, as some media are reporting) of prominent pastor, music artist and author T.D. Jakes....
A note posted today on the American Idol Top 36 page notes that: "It has been determined that Joanna Pacitti is ineligible to continue in the competition. Felicia Barton has replaced Ms. Pacitti as part of the Top 36."...
The final night of Hollywood week found the contestants doing their face-to-face meetings with the judges (unfortunately, minus the elevator cam), with an added twist: some contestants had to sing again in a "sing off" between contestants. But before I...
I had a lovely opportunity recently to do a guest post at the arts and culture blog, Wrecked For The Ordinary. I decided to write on the topic, What is Christian music, and why do you care? It's a...
Last night was the final performances of season 8 of American Idol's Hollywood Week auditions, and while the format was confusing - we started at the end and worked backwards - there's only one thing that really matters: Tonight, we...
Here's some great news: Jars of Clay is back this April with their 10th studio album, The Long Fall Back To Earth. One of the songs on the album, "Hero," is being used in the promo for the new...
Veteran rock band Third Day let the cameras and tape recorders roll freely on several dates of its recent tour, and the result is the documentary "Live Revelations: On Stage, Off Stage, Backstage," due out April 7. The 75-minute documentary...
The NY Post is reporting today that former member of the group Harlem Heavenly Notes, Rasheen Gamble, 22, went on a shooting rampage in his building in the Bronx that left one dead. Gamble allegedly allegedly gunned down security guard...
** UPDATED POST HERE: American Idol Contestants With Ties to Christian Music - Round 2 & Updates I hate to admit it, but I spent hours this weekend surfing the net to do a little research on some of the...
When I told you about the Juno Awards recently, I mentioned that I hadn't heard of the band Life Support. So I contacted the band to get some info, and I think you'll be happy to meet this group...
I was turned on today to a new band - well, new to me, anyway - that I think you'll like: Shirock. The band grew from a friendship between Chuck Shirock and Pap, who met in 1999 and discovered...
You can get a free music download today from Dove- and Stellar-nominated worship artist and songwriter Stephen Hurd's new album Times of Refreshing. The song, "Great Name," is available now at iTickets.com. Times of Refreshing is an energetic praise and...
Head over to iTickets.com for a free Christian music download from VOTA. The band used to be known as Casting Pearls, but with a new label, new management and a new band member, they thought a new band name was...
Nationally renowned speaker, author and creator of Brio magazine Susie Shellenberger has launched a new magazine for girls called Susie. Shellenberger served as Brio's editor for 19 years before publisher Focus on the Family discontinued its teen ministry and...
The NY Times noted Brandon Heath recently as a Grammy nominee who shouldn't be allowed to slip through the cracks or get lost in the overwhelming number of artists that were up for awards yesterday. Heath didn't win in the...
Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows that I hate awards shows, so it should come as no surprise that instead of watching the Grammys last night, I watched "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and then went to bed to...
I was checking out some of the Idol contestants today and came across Kristen McNamara's MySpace and another site for an organization that she co-founded called L.A.U.G.H.: Love All Unconditionally Giving Hope. You'll remember Kristen as part of the...
instereo Season 8 American Idol contestant Ryan Johnson will perform tonight with his Christian band Instereo. The show will happen tonight at Grace Chapel of Praise, 621 S. Erie Highway in Hamilton, Ohio. Instereo drummer Terry Thurston told the publication...
Worship artist Kari Jobe asked YouTube users to submit video clips sharing their stories and why they're still singing. It's a beautiful video and a beautifl song, and a wonderful reminder that, in any circumstance, with God by our...
Lifeway Christian Resources, the research and publishing arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, has introduced a new resource that will allow users to customize songs and produce sheet music. SongMap allows users to transpose keys, change the order of the...
Casting Crowns performed this morning at the Thursday morning prayer breakfast in Washington. Thousands of guest attended the breakfast, which included Bible readings and prayer from members of Congress. Also in attendance were world leaders. For the first time in...
Quirky pop star Katy Perry spoke last night with Katie Couric in a pre-Grammy special. Perry talked about her Pentacostal background, likening it to the documentary "Jesus Camp." "I didn't know they had behind the scenes footage of my...
I know that we haven't had a chance to really get to know all of the contestants in this year's American Idol competition, but something at last night's group auditions struck me: some of the people praying and thanking...
Can you believe that it's been 10 years since MercyMe's song "I Can Only Imagine" took both Christian and mainstream music by storm, making the band a household name? The song, which became a personal anthem for hurting people, raced...
The nominations for the Juno Awards were announced this week and downhere (pictured), Starfield, NewWorldSon, Article One, and Life Support were nominated for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album Of The Year. The Juno Awards are the Canadian equivalent of the Grammys. The...
Admittedly, this has nothing to do with Christian music, but Spinal Tap, the fake heavy metal rock band from the mockumentary "This Is Spinal Tap," is such an icon in the music industry, I just had to note it. The...
While we're talking about Christian music and how we should or shouldn't define it, let's take some time today to share Christian music songs that really inspire us. I'd love you to share lyrics, too. Todd Agnew told me once...
You can get a free Christian music download from Stellar Award winning artist Jonathan Nelson. The song is "Already Mine" from Nelson's album, Right Now Praise. Just head over to iTickets.com for your free Christian music download from Jonathan Nelson!...
You can get a free Christian music download from pop band Above The Golden State. The song is "Loud And Clear" from the band's self-titled debut. Just head over to iTickets.com for your free Christian music download from Above The...
I came across a post yesterday at Apprising Ministries, where a 19-year-old allegedly asked a popular Christian band how to become a Christian. The questioner seems to be a Christian who was testing the band to see what their response...
George Beverly Shea, best known for his 50 years with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Crusades, turned 100 this weekend. The award-winning baritone turned 100 Sunday, February 1, and will be the guest of honor today at a private gathering of...
On Friday, I shared a guest blog post from indie artist and Arts and Culture Editor at Wrecked For The Ordinary, Mariah Secrest. Mariah has made available a free download of her song "Pulse," from her new EP Green Light....
Award-winning freelance writer and columnist Joanne Brokaw covers entertainment for The Christian Examiner newspapers, The Minnesota Christian Chronicle, and The Ozarks Christian News.
Her other writing credits include Breakaway and Brio Magazines, OnCourse Magazine, ChristianMusicPlanet.com, BuddyHollywood.com and AGreaterFreedom.com. Her humor column, A Big Slice of Life, appears monthly in the Christian Voice Magazine and she pens a regular humor column on The Writing Life for ByLine Magazine.
Joanne lives in Western New York with her darling husband David, their Border collie Scout and their cat Murphy. Their almost adult daughter Cassie drops by often. Find out more about Joanne at JoanneBrokaw.com.
Last night during the American Idol results show, I detected more than a little tension at the judges' table which makes me wonder if this season the real drama will occur off-stage.
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