Jordan Sparks, was crowned the new American Idol on the hit Fox TV show last night, beating out fellow contestant Blake Lewis, as was my call. Lewis and Sparks performed the previous night, with Sparks singing Christina Aguilera’s "Stronger" and Blake belting out Jon Bon Jovi’s "You Give Love a Bad Name." Both singers also performed the custom-made ballad "This Is My Now," with the consensus being that the vocally strong Sparks out duelled Lewis. The two-hour Wednesday night show, held at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, included performances by Bette Midler, Gwen Stefani, Tony Bennett, Smokey Robinson and former Idol winner Kelly Clarkson and others.
Angelina Jolie began crying during an interview aired on U.S. TV yesterday morning when talk turned to the death of her mother earlier this year. Jolie's mom passed away in January after a long battle with cancer. In the interview screened on Today, the A Mighty Heart star said, "I'm in a strange, I suppose, place in my life. I think that happens when you lose a parent, where you drop into a different kind of serious. And yet, at the same time, you want to laugh and enjoy as much as possible every day. I'm hanging on to my family really tight at this moment, and, because of that, trying to be as good a woman as I can be in my life." Tears then rolled down Jolie's face and she said, "Dammit, you got me crying." Interviewer Ann Curry apologized and Jolie continued, "It's alright. It's a part of life... I lost my mom. It's a natural thing for a child to lose a parent. I lost my mom too young, but it happened. And I'm happy she's out of pain, because I love her and she's my friend."
Jessica Simpson , 26, flew all the way to Cannes film festival simply to announce Major Movie Star, which doesn't begin production until July 9."It's basically this girl who's a major movie star, who wants to be more respected because she always gets the blonde bimbo parts," Simpson explained on the red carpet outside the May 18 party for her aboard Cannes' Budweiser Select Yacht. "She doesn't get the roles she wants and ends up walking in on her costar, who is her boyfriend, and her hairdresser! And she figures she doesn't want this life anymore. So she joins the Marines."
"The script did remind me of Goldie and Private Benjamin, said Simpson. "I adore her and look up to her. I aspire to be her." "One of my favorite female performances is Diane Keaton in Annie Hall. That's one of my all time favorite movies. It's one those movies you can watch and always learn something about relationships and love."
"I'm back on an extreme diet and workout," she said. "I have to be able to do take after take of push-ups and climbing walls and going through trenches and what-not.”
Julia Roberts has reportedly signed up to play the murdered British wildlife conservationist Joan Root. Joan Root helped make many celebrated wildlife movies.Roberts, 39, will also produce the as-yet-untitled movie, which will begin filming in Africa next year. It will follow Root's earlier life making award-winning wildlife documentaries, before she was shot in her bed by a gunman in Kenya last year. Tim Bevan of Working Title films said the company was "delighted" that Roberts had agreed to be involved. "We are thrilled to be making a film about such a courageous, adventurous and passionate woman," he added.
At the time of the shooting police in Kenya investigated whether she was killed as a result of a botched robbery or assassinated by people objecting to her conservation work.
The announcement of the movie was made at the Cannes Film Festival.
Apolo Anton Ohno, Olympic speed skating gold medalist was crowned Dancing with the Stars Champion. Apolo celebrated his 25th birthday on Tuesday by winning the (gaudy)mirror-ball trophy with partner Julianne Hough , beating out second-place finishers Joey Fatone and Kym Johnson.
The show drew a slightly larger audience than the final performance of American Idol which aired an hour earlier. Dancing's 16.5 rating and 25 share between 9:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. made it the highest-rated show of the night. (Idol averaged a 16.3/25.) It peaked in the 10:00-10:30 p.m. half hour with a 17.2/26.
Some Music Bits@Pieces
Billy Talent and Nickelback lead this year's nominees for the MuchMusic video music awards.
Belly and k-os snagged four nominations each, and buzz bands Alexisonfire, Feist, finger eleven, and Tokyo Police Club are also up for honours.
The festival-style show takes place June 17 in Toronto.
U2 rocked Cannes' famous red carpet Saturday, playing to thousands of filmgoers and fans before a late-night screening of their new concert movie, "U23D."
Directed by Catherine Owens and Mark Pellington, "U23D" captures the band during their Vertigo tour, performing hits that span their career, from "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" to "Beautiful Day."
The film uses the latest 3D technology, and audience members watch through special glasses that resemble ordinary sunglasses, rather than the red-and-green 3D specs of old. Band members appear to leap off the screen during the 55-minute film, due to be released in theaters later this year.
Kenny Chesney collected his third consecutive entertainer of the year trophy Tuesday from the Academy of Country Music. The academy honored veteran George Strait, newcomer Carrie Underwood and gave an unprecedented 14th vocal duo award to Brooks & Dunn.
Chesney, wearing a black cowboy hat, accepted the top award, paying tribute to fellow musicians Keith Whitley and Strait.
"When I first started playing music, I was in college and I would go rent all my equipment and put it in the back of a pickup truck. The only thing I wanted to do was cut a record as good as Keith Whitley did, and I listened to that music over and over again," he said.
Strait, who came into the competition with a leading eight nominations, claimed the first award of the night, winning song of the year for "Give It Away."
Carrie Underwood, the 2005 "American Idol" winner, won album of the year for her debut CD, "Some Hearts," and was honored as top female vocalist.
"I would not be here if it were not for 'American Idol,'" she said as she collected her vocal award. "Thank you, fans. God bless you."
Miranda Lambert won new female vocalist, beating out former "American Idol" contestant Kellie Pickler and teenage country star Taylor Swift.
Rascal Flatts captured best vocal group.
Brad Paisley was named male vocalist of the year.
Sarah McLachlan said Monday she'll gladly accept half a million dollars from the B.C. government for a music education project in her name.
Premier Gordon Campbell made the announcement before taking a tour of the Sarah McLachlan Music Outreach facility with the songstress in tow. More than 200 school children from six Vancouver schools study at the facility, learning everything from guitar to percussion to voice.
The funding for the project comes from the Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts as well as the Ministry of Children and Family Development.
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