Carly Rose with host Mario Lopez on the finale. Credit: Ray Mickshaw/Fox

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Country singer Tate Stevens took home the second “X Factor” $5 million prize tonight, just edging out Carly Rose Sonenclar by 1/3 of 1 percentage point in the vote.

You have to wonder if that rather awful duet with b really hurt Carly. Then again, Tate has been No. 1 more weeks than Carly Rose so this is not a surprise victory.

Tate, a family man, has a strong, indelibly country voice and look. He brought his all consistently week in and week out. “Best day of my life,” he said, ever understated.

“You represent the X Factor really well,” said his mentor L.A. Reid, who i s leaving the show after two seasons.

Will he be able to parlay this into a genuine country career?  Hard to say.  He is older than most who break in and lacks the looks of many of the pretty boys rising in the …

Continue reading Who won ‘The X Factor,’ season two? »

Carrie Underwood wore some pretty ugly dresses but managed to make them look good because she's, well, Carrie Underwood! CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Carrie Underwood is seven years removed from her triumphant “American Idol” victory but 16 hits later, multiple concert tours and enough awards to fill a mansion, she is still classy enough to credit the show for her presence on the Gwinnett Arena stage last night.

She is so sweet and likable, that she could probably sit on a stool and sing a capella and the crowd would love her. But she had a full-blown band, of course, and a full-blown stage set up, including a mid-concert liftoff on a faux balloon ride with her band to the center of the arena (sans the lonely drummer). There was confetti, dry ice, massive odd-angled high-def screens and Carrie’s incredible voice. Even though she was clearly suffering from a cold, that couldn’t stop her from gunning through 21 songs. The huskiness in her voice at times gave the …

Continue reading Carrie Underwood sweetly entertains sold-out Gwinnett Arena »

Bo Bice wraps gifts at Lenox Square Mall Tuesday, Dec. 18. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Season four runner up and Alabama native Bo Bice recently moved to Covington with his family from Nashville.

We’ve been in touch since 2005, more than seven years now. He’s always been a class act.

A few weeks back, Alex Gillespie - a publicist from day one with “American Idol” – asked me if I knew of “Idol” contestants who live local. I came up with three that I figured were local: Vanessa Olivarez (season two), Anoop Desai (season and Bice.

I found out why she asked last week: they were holding a free “Idol” wrapping promotion at the Lenox Square mall from Dec. 18 through Dec. 23 and wanted an alumni appearance. Bice said yes to show up Tuesday and meet fans, promote season 12 of “Idol” and talk about his new Broadway gig in the lead role of “Pump Boys and Dinettes.”

He was joyful and festive to all the customers who came up to get gifts wrapped whether they knew who he was or not. If …

Continue reading Covington’s Bo Bice talks about his new gig on Broadway while gift wrapping »

I’m at the Carrie Underwood concert. Here’s the holding spot for “X Factor” tonight. Have fun!

Continue reading “X Factor” performance recap for finale »

Can Terry McDermott get votes over favorite Cassadee Pope? CREDIT: NBC

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It came down to the 1980s-style rocker dude and the pretty pop singer.

And pop won. Cassadee Pope,23, of Team Blake Shelton had been selling more downloads than the other singers all through the weeks. She was the favorite and the favorite won. She is the first female to win “The Voice.”

Pope had a crystal clear power voice and a sweet persona. Her cover of Faith Hill’s “Cry” was No. 1 on iTunes earlier today.

Of course, the past two winners of “The Voice” have not had much success. In fact, not a single “Voice” single has had a genuine radio hit to date. Pope certainly has a shot over her retro competitors Nicholas David and Terry McDermott.

And just like that, “The Voice” will be back in a couple months but Cee Lo Green will be replaced by fellow Atlantan Usher and Christina Aguilera will …

Continue reading ‘The Voice’: who won season 3? »

Nicholas David is a dark horse to win "The Voice" if he can get past Cassadee and Terry. CREDIT: NBCTwo gu

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Guys have won the first two seasons. Will they end up splitting the vote now that they created a three-way finale? Cassadee has been outselling the other two by wide margins on iTunes. She is a pro who fronted a band before and comes across sa polished and vocally pristine. She’s up against Nicholas, a bearded soul man who opted for Cee Lo-level glitz tonight and Terry, an excellent 80s rocker in the wrong decade. I’m going to play it safe and call this for Cassadee.

Also, the opener with “Hallelujah” and the contestants and coaches holding the names of the Newtown dead was appropriately touching and effective in its brevity.

1) Nicholas David (”Great Balls of Fire”/Jerry Lee Lewis mashed up with “Fire”/Jimi Hendrix, Team Cee Lo) – I haven’t been following this …

Continue reading ‘The Voice’ top 3 performance recap: don’t cry for Cassadee »

Phillip Phillips relaxing in his dressing room at Gwinnett Arena Dec. 13, 2012. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

I caught up with Leesburg’s own Phillip Phillips, winner of “American Idol,” at Star 94’s Jingle Jam at Gwinnett Arena Thursday afternoon before the show.

He looks much better than he did while on “Idol” nwo that he’s fully recovered from painful kidney stone surgery. And he seems to be in good spirits.

Heck, he just met Pres. Barack Obama and more enthusiastically, Neil Patrick Harris, at the Christmas tree lighting in Washington D.C., airing on TNT Dec. 21. “Starship Troopers!” he said. (I just checked and saw Psy of “Gangnam Style” fame was there, too. If I had known ahead of time, I would have asked if he knew the dance. I think not.)

He is enjoying all the travel, the performances, the whole rigamarole that being a rock singer involves so far. Being an “Idol” winner has its benefits – for now. And he’s more comfortable than ever with interviews.

He recently …

Continue reading Interview with Phillip Phillips at Star 94 Jingle Jam; Bo Bice gift wraps at Lenox 12/18; Fantasia at Atlanta Civic Center 12/29 »

THE X FACTOR: TOP 4: Emblem3 performs live on THE X FACTOR, Wednesday, December 12 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. CR: Ray Mickshaw / FOX.

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Only one eliminated act tonight and it was not Franken-group. It was Emblem3, Simon’s mildly noxious boy band!

Fifth Harmony surprisingly made the finals next week thanks to an impressively strong take on an Ellie Goulding song last night. Good for them. They were true underdogs throughout this competition, a group made out of five solo singers who struggled to become a group. (They even had trouble coming up with a name.)

Britney Spears looked flummoxed, like she had just sucked a really big lemon. Simon Cowell couldn’t be happier. “I believe in miracles. I thought they were sensational last night,” he said.

Simon mishandled Emblem3, trying to make them feel vanilla goody-two-shoes with oddly bland song …

Continue reading ‘The X Factor’ top 4 results show; L.A. Reid leaving after two seasons »

THE X FACTOR: TOP 4: Carly Rose Sonenclar performs live on THE X FACTOR, Wednesday, December 12 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. CR: Ray Mickshaw / FOX.

I apologize for not finishing my recap in a remotely timely fashion. I have been tied up with the Frank Ski/Wanda Smith departure on V-103.

I still think it’s going to be Tate vs. Carly Rose. Fifth Harmony had a moment of life there thanks to their first performance. I’d say Emblem3 has a small shot of knocking Tate or Carly Rose from the finals. We shall see.

1) Tate Stevens (”Bonfire’ Craig Morgan/ Team L.A.) – Clearly, Tate picked this song himself. L.A. looks ridiculous in a cowboy hat. But Tate feels like home, even with the over-the-top pyrotechnics behind him. This song with its upbeat country/rock vibe is right up his alley. “You look like a man who believes he can win this competition,” Simon said. Britney, clearly aware he is Carly Rose’s biggest competition, said it wasn’t his best performance. Grade: A-minus

2) Carly …

Continue reading ‘The X Factor’ top 4 performance show recap »

THE VOICE — "Live Show" Episode 322B — Pictured: Terry McDermott — (Photo by: Tyler Golden/NBC)

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Not surprisingly, based on Monday’s performances, Lithonia’s big throated R&B/pop singer Trevin Hunte went home tonight.

His “Wind Beneath My Wings” was off pitch and didn’t help him at all Monday night, especially after a relatively commanding “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” a week earlier.

The three fighting for the season three finals: Terry McDermott,  Cassadee Pope and Nicholas David.

Pope has been selling more copies than any other artists in iTunes, which apparently helps her voting count based on the arcane rules set by the producers.

Note to Christina: the bangs and raccoon makeup does not do you justice.

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Continue reading ‘The Voice’ recap: who made the top 3? »