Sunday, July 22, 2012
Guitarist opens up about new album and tensions with frontman Steven Tyler.
An Aerosmith ticket stub in good condition from a 1974 concert at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park was recently listed on eBay for more than $300. The hefty price tag can be seen as a testament to the rock icons surviving 40 years of drugs, near break-ups and more drama than an Emmy-winning daytime soap opera. The drama continues to this day as Aerosmith prepares to rock the Izod Center in Bergen County on Tuesday. The prospect of seeing the Bostonians perform has recently seemed unlikely. Over the past two years it appeared that the band would implode. In late 2009, after two years of aborted attempts to record the first Aerosmith studio album of all original material since 2001, singer Steven Tyler declared that he was more interested in …
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Thousands of singers come to downtown Newark Saturday to audition for show.
They came from New York City and South Jersey, and from western Pennsylvania with one goal in mind: musical stardom. Between 4,500 and 5,000 people converged on the Prudential Arena in Newark early Saturday to audition for Season 12 of American Idol, the blockbuster singing competition on Fox that has launched the careers of Kelly Clarkson , Chris Daughtry, Jennifer Hudson and a host of other chart-toppers. See the video for performances by hopefuls and for scenes from Saturday. Most of the crowd was there by 5 a.m. -- several had camped out since the night before -- and was fairly energetic despite the early hour. “Idol” staff kept the waiting contenders pumped with blaring pop and club music. The crowd was also instructed periodically …
Friday, March 30, 2012
New Jersey native survives to contest's Top 8.
Kinnelon native and "American Idol" contestant Elise Testone is safe for another week on the popular FOX singing competition. Vote results announced Wednesday revealed that voters passed Testone to the show's Top 8. Judges were fond of Testone's rendition of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love." "I wasn't sure you were going to pull that off because nobody can pull that off. You made [Zeppelin lead singer] Robert Plant proud tonight, girl," Steven Tyler said. Testone's performance and her look was reminiscent of a younger Stevie Nicks, the episode's mentor. It was an observation not lost on Idol mentor and music producer Jimmy Iovine. "Last night, Elise did herself and 'American Idol' a lot of good," Iovine said. "She took charge of the stage…
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Judges give Elise Testone a standing ovation Wednesday.
New Jersey native Elise Testone rocked the audience—and "American Idol judges—out of their chairs Wednesday night with her rendition of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love." The judges gave standing ovations five times throughout the night after Testone, a Kinnelon native, and her competitors performed. But judges Steven Tyler, Randy Jackson and Jennifer Lopez had only high praises for the singer after her rock-and-roll performance. "I wasn't sure you were going to pull that off because nobody can pull that off. You made [Zeppelin lead singer] Robert Plant proud tonight, girl," Tyler said. The "Idol" contestants were told to choose a song this week from one of their own idols. They were coached and mentored by Stevie Nicks in addition to …
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Jermaine Jones tweets his departure amid allegations he lied to producers—and one of those lies allegedly involves township police.
Pine Hill native Jermaine Jones’ rising star crashed today as the American Idol contestant learned he’d be thrown off the singing competition. TMZ first reported that Jones would be kicked off Idol for concealing past arrests and active warrants. TMZ reports Jones gave police fake names in two incidents. Gloucester Township Police have confirmed Jones was arrested here in the township on two occasions in 2011. Jones was a passenger in a car pulled over and told police his name was Kareem Watkins in the November 2011 incident, the gossip site says. Township police on Wednesday confirmed that information, saying the arrest occurred on Hickstown Road, but did not disclose the name Jones allegedly provided investigating officers. Gloucester …
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Three singers who grew up in the Garden State are among the finalists on 'The Voice' and 'American Idol.'
Is the best young singer in the nation from New Jersey? Three Garden State natives are among the finalists competing nationally on two separate singing competitions, NBC's The Voice and Fox's American Idol. Former Kinnelon resident Elise Testone came close to elimination Thursday night on American Idol, finishing in the bottom two slots when all of the votes from viewers of the program were tallied. But the three Idol judges, singers Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler and music producer Randy Jackson, decided to keep her on the show and send fellow contestant Jeremy Rosado home. Testone is a 2001 graduate of Kinnelon High School who went to college in North Carolina and remained there after graduation. Although she's been forbidden from …
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Hightstown's Antwan Michael is reaching for the stars in his pursuit of a career in music.
Antwan Michael has been singing since he’s 3 years old, and was a contesent during the 2010 season of “American Idol.” But for about six months, he wasn’t able to sing because of a condition called dysphonia, which he said affected his voice and made it difficult for him to sing. “It’s basically a vocal defection that messes up your voice, like a guitar that’s out of tune,” Michael said. “When I would try to go for a note, I just couldn’t reach it. So it’s basically caused by stress and worry, just plain fear and things that go on in your life.” For those six months, he didn’t sing, play piano or do much of anything. “Now I’m finally coming out of my funk and I’m ready to get back to what I’ll say I was born to do, which is singing,” he …
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Saturday, May 28, 2011
Former "American Idol" contestant Jordan White is on the bill for tonight's Cafe Improv in Princeton
Five years ago, Jordan White was performing on the most popular show on television. Now he’s preparing to perform on a less-watched show, but one that’s more fitting for his style. White will perform on tonight, Saturday, during Café Improv, the monthly showcase for musicians at the Paul Robeson Center for the Arts, which is televised on Princeton Community Television (Comcast channel 30 and Verizon FIOS channel 45). That other show he appeared on? A little something called “American Idol,” but White is no "Idol" worshipper and doesn’t hesitate to share his very honest feelings about the show. “It’s entertainment but it’s not reality,” he says. “I don’t think it’s a reality show at all. I think it’s a staged entertainment show that’s …
Diane
11:24 am on Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Elsie actually went to college and has been residing in SC, not NC. I've heard her sing for years and can assure you that she is AMAZING! more ›