I am fresh off the plane from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and bumming that it looks nothing like summer yet here in Chicago, but I have spent the last day catching up on the music news that I missed and I’m going to serve it up to you right here, right now.
Susan Boyle runner up in “Got Talent”: The Internet singing sensation that was Susan Boyle, surprised everyone when she took 2nd in “Britain’s Got Talent.” She lost to a 10-member dance group called Diversity. Boyle returned to the stage singing “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserable, the same song that made her a star in the audition. The singer showed signs of pressure, however, in the past week. The Scottish singer lashed out at two reporters who approached her at a London hotel. The Sun reports that she screamed at the men, “How fucking dare you! You can’t fucking talk to me like that!” It has also been reported that Boyle had a fit while watching a re-broadcast of the show in which judges Piers Morgan and Simon Cowell praise a fellow finalist. The rages unfortunately no doubt seemed to have an effect on voting. Today there are reports that she has been admitted to a mental health hospital due to “exhaustion.” Hopefully she will have a swift recovery.
Rihanna to testify: Looks like the R&B singer finally will get her day in court. According to Rihanna’s lawyer, Donald Eltra, she will be subpoenaed and will have to testify at the June 22 preliminary hearing against Chris Brown who will also be in attendance. The hearing is going to outline the prosecution’s case as well as call the officers who first responded to the scene.
American Idol voting controversy: With most every Idol winner crowned controversy seems to follow. Kris Allen’s win is being questioned by the fact that supposed show sponsors, AT&T attended Arkansas watch parties in which they handed out phones and taught fans how to mass text votes. AT&T confirmed the reports and said that going forward “we will make sure our employees understand our sponsorship celebrates the competition, not individual contestants.” American Idol producers released a statement as well saying ”Fox and the producers of ‘American Idol’ are absolutely certain that the results of this competition are fair, accurate and verified.”
Adam Lambert-gay or not gay: Adam Lambert is continuing to keep everyone and their grandma speculating to whether or not he’s gay. Seriously, who cares? Well, Kara DioGuardi apparently does. She went on the View last week and opened her big mouth once as always and basically outed him. Barbara Walters asked the judge whether Lambert’s “perceived sexuality” might have influenced viewers and she said that she hoped not because they are both talented. That answer would have sufficed but she kept going. “I don’t think that Adam was ever in [the closet]. I think he was always openly out. I mean from what I’ve seen … I do. I never thought he wasn’t.” Hmm…I wonder what she’s seen.
Clay verbally attacks Adam: The very opinionated Clay, who likes to bite the hand that feeds has unleashed his feelings on Adam Lambert on his blog. ”I only turn the show on once a season, and only to see what the set looks like each year,” he wrote.” This year, I happened to turn it during the minute Adam Lambert was singing ‘Ring of Fire,’ and, at that moment, I thought my ears would bleed. Contrived, awful and slightly frightening. I wasn’t really a fan and found myself surprised whenever folks told me they liked him.” He not only has a problem with Lambert but also with the show and its producers. ”Somewhere along the way, ‘AI’ stopped being about real people. This year, there was an obvious bias. Not even having watched the show, I can tell you that I was WELL aware of the bias from the judges as to who should win. In my opinion, that is awfully unattractive. I don’t think I am alone.” Clay, didn’t anyone tell you that if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all?
Phil Spector sentenced: The famed music producer, once known for coining the “wall of sound” and working with the likes of the Beatles and Ike and Tina Turner has changed his legacy to murderer. Spector was found guilty of second degree murder of actress Lana Clarkson in 2003. The 69-year-old will serve 19 years to life in prison and will not be eligible for parole until he’s 88. He was also ordered to pay the Clarkson family $17,000 to cover the funeral expenses.