Fantasia is coming back to Atlanta two months after her rousing For Sisters Only appearance for V-103.

She will be headlining the Fabulous Fox Theatre on November 11 at 7:30 p.m.

Pre-sale begins at 10 a.m.  Friday. Tickets ranges from $62.01 to $104.80, including extra ticket charges, at Ticketmaster. Given how popular she is on this blog, I’m sure this is really important info!

She had headlined a show at the Atlanta Civic Center and starred in “The Color Purple” last year at the Fox. As we all know, she has a new album out and a reality show on VH1.

-InTouch Weekly is claiming ego clashes between Jennifer Lopez and Ryan Seacrest. Probably the same no-name sources who were trying to make J.Lo look bad during negotiations.

-Top-sellling download from an “Idol” alum is “If I Had You” by Adam Lambert: 34,000 and 482,000 total, according to Idol Chatter.

- From the press conference yesterday with the new judge’s panel and Seacrest on E!

Steven Tyler said he is “taking cues” from …

Continue reading Fantasia coming to Fox Theatre Nov.11 »

Nigel Lythgoe recently posted this photo. It appears Randy Jackson is now seated in Simon Cowell’s usual spot. But during this portion of the auditions, there is no order in which people talk. So I’m not sure if the seating arrangement matters in any particular way. But it’s cool to see how they look together:

Continue reading A first look at the judges’ table. Randy takes Simon’s usual spot »

Diana DeGarmo convincingly channeled Dolly Parton’s delightful Doralee Rhodes during the musical version of “9 to 5″ during opening night Tuesday of a six-day run at Fox Theatre.

DeGarmo, a former Snellville gal, got plenty of applause lines, especially when she threatens lecherous boss Franklin Hart (Joseph Mahowald) with a classic line from  the film: “I’m gonna get that gun of mine, and I’m gonna change you from a rooster to a hen with one shot!”

That frothy 1980 film starring Parton, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda transfers well to a musical. The songs add depth to the characters, three beleaguered secretaries at a major corporation led by sexist Hart. Like the movie, the trio fall into a pot haze and imagine ways to wreak revenge on the boss. Then they actually do get revenge. Dabney Coleman was sublimely hilarious in the film and Mahowald in the play does a credible job imitating Coleman’s late ’70s-era buffoonery.

Diana croons her solo "Backwoods Barbie" as Doralee

Parton …

Continue reading Diana DeGarmo plays Dolly Parton’s character in ‘9 to 5′ at Fox Theatre »

Piers Morgan told News of the World Pussycat Dolls singer and “Dancing With the Stars” winner Nicole Scherzinger will be one of Simon Cowell’s judge mates on “The X Factor” in the fall of 2011. She will be joined by British pop star Cheryl Coles, who has done the British version of “X Factor.”

Cowell himself has not confirmed this.

- Adam Lambert’s “If I Had You” has slipped to 16 from 15 on the Mediabase top 40 chart but is still gaining spins. It’s holding at No. 18 on the Hot AC chart. Daughtry’s “September” entered No. 30. That song is also No. 3 on the Hot AC chart.

On the country chart, Danny Gokey’s “I Will Not Say Goodbye” peaked at No. 33 and is now out of the top 40. Carrie Underwood’s “Mama’s Song” enters the top 20.

Fantasia’s “Bittersweet” has peaked at No. 12 on the urban chart and is down to 17. It peaked at No. 1 last week on the urban AC chart and is now at No. 2.

Chris Sligh’s “Only You Can Save” is up to No. 16 on the Christian AC chart. …

Continue reading Piers Morgan claims ‘X Factor’ judges to include Nicole Scherzinger »

Sorry. Been on vacation avoiding work best as I could. Now it’s time to get back to real life again!

The Los Angeles Times reported that only about 3,000 people showed up for auditions this week.

Two factors may be working against attendance: it’s Los Angeles, which isn’t exactly home to a lot of unseen talent and hasn’t generated a lot of gold for “Idol” in the past. Rather, it’s packed with wannabes and polished acts who don’t really need “Idol.” And given the last-second nature of the auditions, it probably didn’t exactly get as much attention as the first six cities.

We can only hope and pray the producers were able to find some real talent.

- Crystal Bowersox’s rep told People that she has gotten engaged to musician Brian Walker. That was quick! She broke up with her previous boyfriend Tony Kusian literally before the “Idol” finale in May.

- “Idol” is shooting promos with every past winner in their hometowns. Lee DeWyze, David Cook, Jordin Sparks, Ruben Studdard and …

Continue reading L.A. auditions have light attendance; Crystal Bowersox gets engaged »

At a 1 p.m. live press conference streamed on www.americanidol.com, Ryan Seacrest announced the three judges for season 10: Randy Jackson, Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez.

Unfortunately, the sound didn’t work until 1:12 p.m. in the middle of Lopez’s comments.

“I’m looking for the next Michael Jackson,” she said, “Like Randy, the best American Idol  ever. I’m so excited.”

We, the followers of the show, aren’t excited since this is possibly the most anti-climactic press conference ever.

We’ve already commented on this panel for weeks. I am a bit wary of this trio. Randy, as we’ve known, is who he is. That means nothing too substantive but comforting, like Cheez Doodles. Jennifer Lopez wasn’t half bad as a mentor a couple years back but will she provide much punch on the judge’s panel? I’m skeptical.

I’m also doubtful about Steven Tyler. Sure, he looks like he could say anything and might be a bit of a wild card that way. But will he be all that fun to watch day in and day out? …

Continue reading ‘Idol’ finally confirms the months-long rumors: Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler are the judges »

Crystal Bowersox at an "Idol Gives Back" party with fellow Type 1 diabetic Elliott Yamin from season five in April. Photo by Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup/FOX)

Crystal Bowersox finally detailed how she ended up in the hospital during “Idol” with a diabetes website. She had ketoacidosis, caused by elevated high blood sugar levels. It’s often caused by a combination of stress, too much food intake and not enough insulin. Insulin brings sugars to cells. No insulin at all means your cells will literally starve. The body begins burning fat for energy at that point, releasing ketones. High levels of ketones begin to poison your body. (This happened to me at age 12 before I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.)

One day I woke up and I wasn’t feeling good. My sugars were in the 400s. [For you non-diabetics--that's really bad!] I told the staff I didn’t feel well, and they took me to the hospital. I thought I’d just be treated real quick and be out of there, but they made me …

Continue reading Crystal Bowersox finally explains how she landed in hospital on ‘Idol’ »

Julianne Hough is in Atlanta right now to shoot “Footloose.” Ryan Seacrest spent the weekend back in his hometown to check out his new media center he’s funding at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

Popeater.com said Julianne met Ryan’s parents over the weekend at the Atlanta Country Club and is now fueling rumors he might even pop the question.

He is at least acknowledging her ever so discreetly.

“I love that feeling,” he said on his radio show after Ellen DeGeneres gushed about loving Portia de Rossi more every day, adding, “And I know what the feeling might be like.”

Take the marriage talk with a grain of salt since this appears based on an unnamed “friend of Ryan’s.” But it appears he does have a serious girlfriend for the first time in years.

- MJ reports that the producer auditions went on over the weekend in Nashville though the final cattle call happens in Los Angeles this week, when we finally find out the judges’ panel.

- Fan site BuckytownUSA.com reports that Bucky …

Continue reading Is Ryan Seacrest about to pop the question to Julianne Hough? »

Last summer, “American Idol” runner-up Diana DeGarmo was in New York City doing a play called “Toxic Avenger” and decided to check out the new Broadway musical “9 to 5.” She immediately wanted to be in it.

She imagined donning a big blond wig and becoming the sassy Doralee Rhodes, the role made famous by Dolly Parton in the popular 1980 film “Nine to Five” also starring Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda and Dabney Coleman.

“I’m a huge Dolly Parton fan,” she said in a phone interview earlier this month while prepping for the show. “I’ve met her a handful of times but I could never say anything. I clam up!”

DeGarmo, since almost winning “Idol” six years ago, has had plenty of success in musical theater, doing more than a half-dozen shows, from “Hairspray” to “Hair.” Her soaring vocal ability and cheerful persona has worked well on stage.

Earlier this year, when she heard “9 to 5″ was casting for the national tour, she figured she had no shot at it because she was under contract …

Continue reading Diana DeGarmo playing Dolly Parton’s part on ‘9 to 5′ at Fox Theatre Sept. 28-Oct. 3 »

“Fantasia For Real” returns on VH1 Sunday at 10 p.m. The whole controversy over her love life with a married man gets plenty of airtime. And the suicide attempt is covered, too. I expect ratings will be quite robust.

“My love life is very touchy,” the singer says in the trailer. “I have been in a lot of different situations that have not been good for me.”

“I take a licking and I keep on ticking,” she said after she gets out of the hospital. “I’m still here.”

On other issues, she gets her GED – finally! And she preps her new album.

Here’s the extended trailer:

Continue reading Preview of second season debut of ‘Fantasia For Real’ covers suicide attempt »