Pictured: (l-r) Adam Levine, Mathai, Carson Daly — (Photo by: Lewis Jacobs/NBC)

Youth did not prevail this week on “The Voice.”

On Monday, Cee Lo Green cut baby-faced 23-year-old Tony Massone while Adam Levine eliminated Marietta-based 19-year-old Pip.

Mathai, the 19-year-old Dallas resident who moved to Atlanta a year ago, survived Monday night’s cut. But was she able to get past 34-year-old Adele Redux Katrina Parker?

The answer, in three words: not even close.

Parker is simply a stronger singer across the board. In the “sing for your life” segment, Parker’s version of Pink’s “Perfect” was more polished than Mathai’s much riskier and perfectly respectable take on Carrie Underwood’s “Cowboy Casanova.”

But her coach Levine implied without saying it out right that she didn’t really blow the audience away. “I kept waiting for you to explode,” Levine said to Mathai. He had to cut her.

“Thank you to America. Thank you to the show showing me how much I want to …

Continue reading Did Mathai make the next cut on ‘The Voice’? »

Gladys Knight and Tristan MacManus. (ABC/ADAM TAYLOR)

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Gladys Knight, the R&B legend, survived for Motown Week, but the competition simply got too tough. At the bottom of the leader board among the judges Monday, Knight couldn’t be saved by her fan base. She became the fifth person out on ‘Dancing With the Stars” Tuesday night.

At age 67, the Atlanta native brought oodles of grace and elegance to her dancing. Judge Len Goodman summarized it nicely last night after her samba (which received 7’s across the board.): “You’re not the best dancer but I tell you what you are: the most charismatic dancer. It’s so appealing. It’s just easy like Sunday morning.”

For the first month, Knight stayed alive, garnering decent scores most weeks, even nabbing a few 8’s along the …

Continue reading Who is out fifth on ‘Dancing With the Stars’? »

D.L. Hughley hasn’t had a regular TV gig in awhile but as a stand-up comic, he continues to make a living hitting comedy clubs around the country. He will be at Uptown Comedy Corner tonight and tomorrow, April 24 and 25 for a mid-week gig.

In some ways, these types of shows are better than weekend shows because they bring out the more dedicated fans. At the same time, he said in a brief phone interview last Friday, “the stakes are higher.”

Like other stand-up comics, Hughley enjoys the fact he’s beholden to no one, with no corporate meddling. It’s just him, a mic and a crowd. And he likes Atlanta.

“The audience is smart,” he said. “You get people from all over the country. There’s no specific viewpoint.”

His routine blends contemporary topics, like the Secret Service sex scandals, to relationship jokes. “I try to leave room for something that just happened in the news,” he said. “Someone will certainly do something dumb before now [April 20] and the time I get to …

Continue reading Catching up with D.L. Hughley, at Uptown Comedy April 24, 25 »

Kelly McCoy, who has manned the mic at pop-rock station B98.5 for 27 years in the afternoons, is leaving Friday.

“I’m a very blessed man,” said McCoy, 59. “I have no complaints. I have no regrets. It’s been a great place to work. They treated me fairly.”

McCoy’s warm voice and upbeat personality on air has been truly a constant on the station, even as it has transitioned over the years from a softer rock format with plenty of Rod Stewart, Elton John and Phil Collins to a more current-based mix featuring Katy Perry, Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga.

McCoy, heard from 2 to 7 p.m. weekdays as well as voice-tracked on weekends, began his Atlanta radio career in 1978 at 790/WQXI-AM (”Quixie in Dixie”), which was the flame-throwing top 40 station of its day. He segued over to what was then called WSB 99 FM in early 1985.

One song McCoy said he thinks he’s played regularly since that day? Wham’s “Careless Whisper.”  “Can’t say I’m not tired of that one,” he said.

When asked by people how …

Continue reading Kelly McCoy leaving B98.5 after 27 years in afternoons »

Pip

With just four team members left, both Adam Levine and Atlanta star Cee Lo Green had to do “automatic” cuts last night and chose young, popular singers that the voters might have saved.

Green knocked out Boston heartthrob with the boy band voice James Massone after he inexplicably gave the poor kid a sleepy 1970s Billy Joel ballad.

Levine had an even tougher time but ultimately chose Pip of Marietta, who failed to find comfort in Keane’s “Somewhere Only We Know.”

Though Pip has done mostly pop/rock, he admitted that he dabbles in so many genres, he’s not sure what direction to take. Plus, he knew his take on the Killers “When You Were Young” didn’t quite work two weeks ago, though he was voted in by the viewers.

“Let me help you find the right pocket to fit into,” Levine said. “The less you try, the more successful you are.”

During his performance, which actually fit him well (minus the bow tie), his pitch seemed off at times and his falsetto at the end didn’t click. …

Continue reading How did locals Mathai and Pip do on ‘The Voice’ quarterfinals? »

Ryan will continue at least into season 12 of ‘Idol.\

Fox confirmed that Ryan Seacrest will continue as host of “American Idol” at least through 2014 and season 13. He has been there since the beginning.

Hollywood Reporter says it’s worth $15 million a year, the same as his last contract.

Despite the fact Seacrest has his own production company, his E! News duties, a role on “The Today Show” during the Olympics and his morning radio show, he is sticking with what got him there in the first place.

The Dunwoody High School grad, who has taken the throne left by the late great Dick Clark, was expected to return so this news is not a surprise.

In the press release:

“Ryan has been with AMERICAN IDOL from the very first day. I can’t imagine the show without him,” stated creator and executive producer Simon Fuller. “He is the consummate host and an exemplary professional. Having Ryan continue to be a part of the AMERICAN IDOL family is great news for everyone.”

And alluding to how …

Continue reading Ryan Seacrest signs on to continue as ‘Idol’ host; most of the top 6 have Southern ties »

I spoke with Brittany Umar of Cinestar today about Sheree Whitfield’s departure from “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” the upcoming “Prairie Home Companion” live show at the Fox Theatre May 12 with Garrison Keillor and stand-up comic D.L. Hughley, coming to Uptown Comedy Corner this Tuesday and Wednesday:

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Continue reading Video: talking Sheree Whitfield, Garrison Keillor, D.L. Hughley »

Sean Hannity is about to guarantee himself 20 years on Fox News. CREDIT: AP

Deadline.com reported last week that Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly, the crown jewels of Fox News, are close to signing new deals that could take them both at least into 2016.

That would mean both personalities will have survived on air for 20 years on the same network, an impressive achievement. They both helped solidify Fox News as the No. 1 cable news/talk network.

The New York Times said both currently make around $10 million a year, comparable to broadcast anchors. O’Reilly has been a top rated show on Fox News for much of his run, with Hannity a solid No. 2.  It’s unknown how much they’ll be making this go around though a renewal deal is likely to be wrapped up soon.

Radio-info’s TomTaylor noted that Hannity probably makes more on syndicated radio, where he is heard locally on AM750 and 95.5FM News/Talk WSB Radio from 3 to 6 p.m. weekdays. He signed a five-year deal in 2008 worth $100 million, …

Continue reading Report: Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly set to sign with Fox News through 2016 »

It seems at least once a year, 790/The Zone fiddles with its lineup.  Management can’t seem to help itself.

Starting April 30, “Mayhem in the A.M.” returns to a 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. time slot, the longest morning show in town with that extra hour from 10 to 11 a.m.

Mike Bell and David Archer move up an hour to  2 p.m. to 6 p.m. from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. And John Michaels‘ “Football Night in America” will run from 6 p.m. to 8 pm. instead of 7 p.m to 9 p.m.  (Yes, there is an appetite in Atlanta for football talk 12 months out of the year.)

“I’m happy with it,” Bell texted me. “Tough for Archer. He’ll be stuck in traffic on the way home. Now I get to games on time… or hit happy hour earlier.”

So what does that mean for Tony Barnhart & Wes Durham, as well as the 2 Live Stews?

Good question. The boss, Andrew Saltzman, told me today that he is not ready to reveal the details for what will become an 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. show. He hopes to square things away in the next day or two, presumably …

Continue reading Schedule changes at 790/The Zone affecting Mayhem, Barnhart, Durham, the Stews, Archer, Bell and Michaels »

CREDIT: Bravo

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This is it!

The longest season is over!

As we enter the third and final hour of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” reunion shows for season four, we witness yet again what is considered a staple in the “Real Housewives” oeuvre: arguments where each woman is talking over the other one to the point where you can’t really follow what’s going on. It’s obfuscation via vociferous venting.

If there were a “Real Housewives 101″ course at the local community college, this type of argumentative style could take up an entire class. From a viewers’ standpoint, it’s like watching a wrestling match or a hockey fight: entertaining with virtually no …

Continue reading ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ recap: season 4, reunion, part 3: the insults are over! »