With “American Idol,” “The Voice” and “Dancing With the Stars” out of the way, we have three more competition shows in our midst.

Already, NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” is under way and tonight, “So You Think You Can Dance” on Fox and the new “Duets” debuts tonight.

Kelly Clarkson and “Duets” creator Robert Deaton talked to the press yesterday.

Clarkson was especially gabby.

Deaton, who had produced the CMA Awards, was approached by ABC to do a music show last fall. They decided early on they needed big stars and wanted them actively involved. To do so, they came up with “Duets.”

The convinced Clarkson, Lionel Richie (replaced at the last second by John Legend), Sugarland lead singer and local Jennifer Nettles and R&B star Robin Thicke to sign on. The four singers scoured the country for talent and each found two to work with. The winner gets a recording contract.

I was the first journalist on the line so I got to ask the open-ended, “How did this come about and why did …

Continue reading Kelly Clarkson talks about ‘Duets’ debuting on ABC May 24 »

AMERICAN IDOL: The Season 11 winner Phillip Phillips performs his victory song during the sason 11 AMERICAN IDOL GRAND FINALE at the Nokia Theatre on Weds. May 23, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. CR: Michael Becker/FOX

Sure, the “Idol” blog is dead. (Long live the “Idol” blog!)

But the “Idol” blog community migrated over here for season 11 and I am forever grateful.  Since season four, Carrie Underwood’s year, I’ve been writing daily screeds about this show. Eight seasons, 3,000-plus entries and more than 200,000 comments later, we arrive here. A few of you have been around for much of that time and still wonder how Taylor Hicks won season five. Others arrived more recently.

I apologize if I miss a few names but here are folks that I can’t help but give a shout out to:

First and foremost, the official moderator of this blog Deirdre held fort again for no pay, just glory and massive ego gratification. She kept the fly-by nasties at bay, welcomed the newbies and expressed her …

Continue reading My annual thank you to the ‘Idol’ blog regulars »

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AMERICAN IDOL: Host Ryan Seacrest introduces the Finalists Phillip Phillps and Jessica Sanchez make their entrance for the season 11 AMERICAN IDOL GRAND FINALE at the Nokia Theatre on Weds. May 23, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. CR: Michael Becker/FOX

He was a favorite to win early on.

Favorites like that on this show typically lose. (Danny Gokey anyone?)

But Leesburg’s Phillip Phillips bucked strong competitors and painful kidney stones to take home the crown.

He also became the first winner with Georgia ties after 11 seasons. The state has gotten close before with Justin Guarini (season one), Diana Degarmo (season two), Bo Bice (season four) and Lauren Alaina (season 10.)

And speaking of DeGarmo, her beau Ace Young (season 5) proposed to her on air on the stage. Was she caught offguard? Maybe. Sure beats proposing at a baseball stadium, eh? Anyway, this is the first …

Continue reading Who won ‘American Idol’ season 11? »

As usual, expect lots of big names tonight and a Mantasia-Fantasia combo. No Miley Cyrus, though, for Hollie. But John Fogerty will join Phil Phillips! Note the show will not announce a winner until AFTER 10 p.m. DVRs are set for 10:07 p.m.

No. 1 album this week? Adam Lambert’s “Trespassing”! He sold 77,000 copies. Yesterday featured releases by Kris Allen and Haley Reinhart, certainly times to play off the “Idol” finale. Read a solid review of Haley’s album in the New York Times.

Since the performance show aired on a Tuesday night (to accommodate the end of the broadcast season tonight), ratings were down 14 percent from last week. The result : just 14.9 million viewers and a 4.4 18-49 rating. A year ago, it drew 20.6 million and a 6.4 rating. Season to date, “Idol” has lost about 23% of its total viewers and 28% of its 18-to-49 year olds vs. a year ago.

Tonight is our final live blog of the year. Thank you in advance for helping make this year a big success. Yes, even you, …

Continue reading ‘American Idol’ live blogging finale results show »

Bo Bice had his fourth child, his first daughter, Merrin Elizabeth Joy Bice, in April.

Bo Bice, season four “Idol” runner up, last fall realized his life wasn’t in order. Blame it on the alcohol.

On September 25, he had his last drink and entered rehab. He said in an interview last week that he has remained sober ever since.

Under the influence (Heineken was the standard though he did love whiskey),  “I tend to sometimes act like an idiot,” he said.  At age 36 at the time, he said it was time for him to grow up.

“Being a dad and a husband and trying to keep alive in the music business is enough of a challenge,” he said. “I didn’t need to be drunk.”

“I don’t think I was doing the best I could do with my career or my music,” he added. “Those things start to suffer. Or family starts to suffer. I wasn’t living up to my full potential.”

Bice said there was no official intervention. “You have to come to the realization yourself,” he said. “There were no thunder bolts from …

Continue reading Season four ‘Idol’ runner-up Bo Bice, now in Cumming, grapples with alcoholism. And who will be on the finale tonight? »

AMERICAN IDOL: L-R: Phillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez on AMERICAN IDOL airing Tuesday, May 22 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. CR: Michael Becker / FOX.

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Could the original song make a difference this year?

What was turning out to be a relatively unmemorable, rather sleepy night turned around the moment Phillip Phillips starting singing the original song “Home.”

I have to say Phillip has the winds going in his direction based on recent history. He’s a guy with a guitar, period. He’s got the looks, the humble attitude. He has never been in danger to date of going home. I don’t think tonight changed matters any on that front. He performed well, be it Simon Fuller’s pick “Stand By Me,” Billy Joel’s “Movin’ Out” or that “Home Song.” I feel he will …

Continue reading ‘American Idol’ top 2 performance finale recap: a good… original song? »

Welcome to the final performance show of the year where we get to live blog. And it’s only an hour! Three songs for Jessica and Phillip: their favorite of the year, a choice by Simon Fuller and a new original song, that is presumably their respective “coronation” song. We presume they no longer force the finalists to sing the same song.

‘American Idol live blogging top 2 final performance show

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By Rodney Ho, Radio & TV Talk

Continue reading ‘American Idol’ live blogging top 2 performance finale »

AMERICAN IDOL: The final 2: L-R: Phillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez. CR: Michael Becker / FOX.

Here’s a piece I wrote for the print edition of The Atlanta Journal Constitution:

This has been a mixed bag of a year for “American Idol,” the aging Fox music competition show.

With increased competition from NBC’s “The Voice,” “Idol” lost a quarter of its viewers this year from 2011, the biggest dropoff in the show’s 11-year history. The judges were pilloried for hyperbolic praise and excessive standing ovations for the contestants. Most infamous: Jennifer Lopez declaring Joshua Ledet “one of the best singers of the past 50 years.”

But all was not lost. “Idol” this season managed to find genuine talent who generated passionate debate on the AJC Radio and TV blog.

Tonight, the finals feature Jessica Sanchez, a San Diego teen with exceptionally mature vocal skills, and Phillip Phillips, a Leesburg native who blends a confident, laid-back attitude with an emotive vocal …

Continue reading Can Phillip Phillips give Georgia its first ‘Idol’ crown? »

THE CELEBRITY APPRENTICE — "Puppet Up" Episode 1210 — Pictured: Clay Aiken — (Photo by: Douglas Gorenstein/NBC)

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Donald Trump’s fifth rendition of “Celebrity Apprentice” featured its fair share of fireworks, including Lisa Lampanelli’s histrionics, Aubrey O’Day’s narcissism, Dayana Mendoza’s battles with seemingly every other woman on the show and 110 percent of Lou Ferrigno’s muscles.

But tonight, it came down to “American Idol” runner-up Clay Aiken and former late-night talk show host Arsenio Hall.

Trump named Hall the winner.  Based on what we saw (which was heavily edited), it was a close call. Aiken raised more money but Hall won both his challenges while Aiken split his. As for the events themselves, we heard very little critique about either of them so it’s hard to say what Trump’s line of thinking was. While …

Continue reading ‘Who won ‘Celebrity Apprentice’? Clay Aiken or Arsenio Hall? »

Kelly Clarkson joins ABC's "Duets" starting May 24.

Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger” is finally showing some weakness but remains No. 1 in Atlanta radio for an eighth week.

Star 94 cut back play of the song this past week, which made this a contest between Clarkson and Gotye’s “Someone That I Used to Know,” which is poised to take over the top slot in a few days.

Here are Clarkson’s airplay on four stations: 34 spins for B98.5, 23 spins for Star 94, 85 for Wild 105.7/96.7 and 82 for Q100.

[Clarkson will not only sing on the "Dancing With the Stars" finale Tuesday but will be joining John Legend, Atlanta's Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland and Robin Thicke in a "Duets" competition starting Thursday evening.]

Gotye is also heard on four Atlanta stations: Dave FM (18), Q100 (58) and 70 each for Wild and Star 94. B98.5 has not added the song yet, but if the station does, it will easily push Gotye to the front.

Another potential frontrunner at No. 6 is the fast-rising Fun. song “We are …

Continue reading Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Stronger’ approaching two months on top of Atlanta radio »