Music Archives - Page 34 of 41 - StayTuned Magazine

CMT to air disaster relief concert tonight

May 12, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

CMT and its pro-social initiative CMT One Country will air Music Builds: The CMT Disaster Relief Concert, a live, commercial-free 90-minute concert special to help raise awareness and funds for those affected by the recent devastating storms, flooding and tornadoes in the South. Airing live from Nashville on CMT tonight, May 12, at 9pm ET (with a replay on HLN this Sunday, May 15, at 9pm ET), the event is expected to include performances by such artists as Alabama, Alan Jackson, Gretchen Wilson, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Ronnie Dunn, Sara Evans, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Tim […]

Simon says Paula Abdul will join “The X Factor”

May 9, 2011 Tom Comi

By Tom Comi For somebody who claims he wants to distance himself from American Idol, Simon Cowell surely did himself no favors this week with the announcement that former sidekick Paula Abdul will serve as a judge on his new singing competition. That’s right, Cowell and Abdul will pair up once again, this time on The X Factor. And while he is quick to point out the many differences between the two shows, it’s hard to picture that being the case when they both involve singing, both appear on Fox and both feature two of the same judges. Abdul, who […]

VOD Spotlight: “Country Strong”

April 12, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

Gwyneth Paltrow may have won an Oscar for her acting in Shakespeare in Love, but her voice has star power, too, as her role of Kelly Canter in Country Strong demonstrates. Her vocal talent was one of the reasons she was the first choice to play a country superstar. Those who did not see the film were treated to her encore performance of the film’s Oscar-nominated song “Coming Home” at the 2011 Academy Awards. For her costar, Garrett Hedlund (TRON: Legacy), becoming country star Beau Hutton was more difficult. “I’d never played guitar before and definitely never sang for crowds, […]

“American Idol” judges not doing their jobs

April 8, 2011 Tom Comi

By Tom Comi Viewers always gets blamed when a contestant on American Idol goes home prematurely, because it is they who ultimately cast the votes. But I am calling out the judges today for being accomplices to the crime that was committed last night. When it was announced that Pia was shockingly going home, the crowd booed, the judges were speechless and host Ryan Seacrest brazenly scolded the American public for not supporting a contestant that many considered one of the finest singers in the competition (see a recap of the show by my colleague Ruth Boulet here).

Dixie Chicks: The insult heard around the world

March 25, 2011 Tom Comi

By Tom Comi It’s been said that time heals all wounds, but the Dixie Chicks would beg to differ with that sentiment. Eight years after lead singer Natalie Maines made controversial comments about being embarrassed to hail from the same state (Texas) as then-President George W. Bush, the group is still feeling the effects. On Saturday, March 26 at 9pm ET/PT, CMT re-airs the 2006 documentary Shut Up & Sing, which details the trio’s dramatic fall from the top of the charts. Maines, Martie Maguire and Emily Robinson went from being the top-selling female group of all time to receiving […]

Bravo’s upcoming “Platinum Hit” hits South By Southwest

March 9, 2011 Lori Acken

By Lori Acken Platinum Hit, Bravo’s answer to American Idol for folks who write the songs the whole world (or at least someone who might make it a chart-topper) sings is bringing it’s show to Austin’s South By Southwest music frenzy, even before the series’ TV debut. Hosted by Jewel and judged by erstwhile Idol judge Kara DioGuardi along with a plethora of celebrity guests, Platinum Hit follows 12 musicians as they battle through weekly challenges that require them to write and perform lyrics from multiple musical genres. In the end, one ultimate hitmaker will write themselves a musical ticket […]

PBS Celebrates The Heyday Of The Troubadour And The Legends Whose Careers Were Launched On Its Stage

March 2, 2011 Lori Acken

“By 1970, the heart of ’60s rock was going down. The Beatles were breaking up. The Stones were inactive. So rock ‘n’ roll was losing its energy. It needed time to take its breath. And when it was taking its breath, that’s when this singer/songwriter movement was at its most powerful,” says Robert Hilburn, former music critic for the Los Angeles Times, in the opening moments of American Masters: Troubadours: Carole King/James Taylor & The Rise of the Singer-Songwriter, premiering on PBS March 2. Watch the full episode. See more American Masters. For the next hour and a half, fans […]

“American Idol” to offer online voting for first time ever

February 24, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

Beginning immediately after the first American Idol performance show for this season (which airs next Tuesday, March 1 from 8-9:30pm ET/PT), fans will, for the first time, be able to vote for their favorite contestants online at americanidol.com. Only fans with a registered Facebook account in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands will be able to cast votes online, as they will be required to log in through these Facebook accounts to access the voting page during the voting window. The voting page will feature the name and photo of each of the current contestants, and […]

“The X Factor” announces audition dates and venues

February 24, 2011 Jeff Pfeiffer

Simon Cowell’s American version of his hit British singing competition series The X Factor will begin auditioning on March 27 in Los Angeles, followed by other venues throughout the spring: March 27: Los Angeles — L.A. Sports Arena April 7: Miami — Bank United Center April 14: Newark — Prudential Center April 20: Seattle — Key Arena April 27: Chicago — Sears Centre Arena May 26: Dallas — The Dallas Convention Center The series is looking for singers and vocal groups of 12 years of age or older as of March 1, 2011, who are legal U.S. citizens or eligible […]

Billy Ray Cyrus says he regrets “Hannah Montana”

February 15, 2011 Tom Comi

By Tom Comi Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana brought smiles to children and parents around the world, but it apparently destroyed the very family that made it so popular. At least that’s the theory of Billy Ray Cyrus, who co-starred in the show with daughter Miley Cyrus and — in a very ironic twist — is best known for the 1982 mega-hit song “Achy Breaky Heart.” It’s hard to believe that a kiddy show full of laughs and music could lead to a topic so heavy, but Billy Ray said the program that premiered in 2006 was the beginning of the […]