Scotty McCreery to Appear on “American Idol” Finale for Special “We Are The World” Performance

Posted on May 14, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Scotty McCreery is returning to his Idol roots…

The 26-year-old part-Puerto Rican American singer and former American Idol champion will appear in this year’s AI finale.

Even though it won’t be the typical AI finale to announce the winner of season 18 due to the COVID-19 lockdown, next Sunday’s (8:00 – 10:00 pm ET, May 17) shelter-at-home-based season-ender will still feature A-listers, including McCreery, who claimed the crown in Season 10.

During Sunday’s semifinal, host Ryan Seacrest revealed some of the special guests who’ll dial in for the finale, which include two performances from the top five (who’ll be announced at the beginning of the episode after two eliminations) preceding the live vote to determine this year’s winner.

The top five will then perform a song celebrating their induction into the semifinal round, followed by a previously performed song and, then, their official AIsingle. (The winner will be determined live in a real-time vote on the East Coast broadcast.)

In addition to the return of the top 11 and a fan favorite from this season, there’ll be a once-in-a-lifetime special performance of “We Are The World” by the inspiring anthem’s co-writer, Idoljudge Lionel Richie. In the first television take on the song in 35 years, Richie will team up with fellow judges Katy Perry and Luke Bryan to pay tribute to all the families at home around the world now.

Joining the judges on the all-star anthem will be a giant cast of former Idolcontestants including last year’s runner-up, Alejandro “ScaryPoolParty” Aranda, Gabby Barrett, Jordin Sparks, Katharine McPhee, Kellie Pickler, Laine Hardy, Lauren Alaina, Phillip Phillips, Ruben Studdard and McCreery.

Additionally, Cynthia Erivo singing a medley of Aretha Franklin songs, two-time Idol contestant Lauren Daigle singing her hit “You Say,” as well as Rascal Flatts and Doug Kiker doing “Bless the Broken Road,” Bryan performing his single “One Margarita” and Perry offering up the television debut of her new single, “Daisies.”

After Sunday night’s Mother’s Day special, the top seven semi-finalists are: Just Sam (Samantha Diaz), Louis Knight, Francisco Martin, Julia Gargano, Arthur Gunn, Dillon James and Jonny West.

Kirstin Maldonado & Her Pentatonix Group Mates to Perform at NBC’s “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” Tree Lighting Ceremony

Posted on November 16, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Kirstin Maldonado is ready to light up the Christmas holidays…

The 26-year-old half-Mexican and part-Spanish American singer/songwriter and her Pentatonix group mates have been added to the star-studded lineup for NBC’s 86th annual Christmas in Rockefeller Center tree lighting, which will take place on November 28.

In addition to Pentatonix, the a cappella group that has found great success with their holiday music, this year’s performers include Diana Ross, Tony Bennett & Diana Krall, Brett Eldredge, Darci Lynne Farmer, John Legend, Martina McBride and Kellie Pickler, with more to be announced.

Howie Mandel will also make a special guest appearance, and NBC’s Today anchors Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker and Craig Melvin are hosting the anticipated holiday event.

NBC first televised the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting in 1951 on The Kate Smith Show, 20 years after it initially found itself a home on the plaza.

This year’s holiday tree is a 72-foot tall, 45-foot wide Norway Spruce that weighs over 12 tons and is around 75 years old. It will be wrapped in approximately five miles of wire containing over 50,000 multi-colored LEDs and topped with a 900-pound star covered in 3 million Swarovski crystals.

The tree lighting will be broadcast live on NBC November 28 at 8:00 pm ET. Select NBC stations will feature an additional special live hour of the broadcast hosted by Mario Lopez and WNBC’s Stefan Holt and Natalie Pasquarella at 7:00 pm ET.

McCreery Returning to Perform on “American Idol”

Posted on February 7, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Scotty McCreery is returning to the American Idol stage…

The 22-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer and former AI champion will return to Fox’s reality singing competition to perform with one of this season’s contestants.

On this Wednesday’s show (Feb. 10) MacKenzie Bourg, Emily Brooke, Gianna Isabella, James VIII, Jeneve Rose Mitchell, Stephany Negrete, Jenna Renae, La’Porsha Renae, Jordan Sasser, Thomas Stringfellow, Sonika Vaid and Avalon Young will each get a chance to perform solo.

The next night (Feb. 11), the semi-finalists will have the opportunity to duet with McCreery, Fantasia Barrino, Ruben Studdard, Caleb Johnson, Lauren Alaina, and Nick Fradiani . Each Idol will duet with 12 semi-finalists, seven of which will move forward to the next round, according to a Fox release.

The Feb. 17 show will feature Jenn Blosil, Amelia Eisenhauer, Trent Harmon, Lee Jean, CJ Johnson, Adam Lasher, Tristan McIntosh, Dalton Rapattoni, Olivia Rox, Manny Torres, Kory Wheeler and Shelbie Z.

The next night they will get their chance to duet with alums Constantine Maroulis, Haley Reinhart, Chris Daughtry, Kellie Pickler, Jordin Sparks and David Cook. The judges will then announce which contestants are moving forward and who is going home.

The following week (Feb. 24), the judges will reveal which eight singers are definitely moving forward to the top 10, leaving six remaining vocalists to compete for America’s vote. The show will go live the next night (Feb. 25), when host Ryan Seacrest announces the results and which two singers will complete the top 10. As a bonus that evening, Kelly Clarkson will return to the show to perform and serve as a guest judge.

Beginning Feb. 24, public voting will be live at AmericanIdol.com, on the FOX NOW app, via Google Search, via text messaging and by toll-free calling when the Idol vote window opens.

Bailon to Co-Host Fox’s Summer Reality Series “Knock Knock Live”

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

It looks like Adrienne Bailon is ready for a knock off….

The 31-year-old Puerto Rican and Ecuadorian American singer, actress, dancer and television personality will serve as one of the five co-hosts on Fox’s summer reality series Knock Knock Live.

Bailon, a former star The Cheetah Girls member and current co-host of Fox’s talk show The Real, will be joined by American Idol alum Kellie Pickler, TV host Ross Mathews and radio personalities Jordan “Shorty” Johnson and Chuey Martinez.

Bailon and the gang will travel the country rapping on people’s front doors and giving them a chance to win prizes and meet celebrities.

The network also announced that celebrities set for the Ryan Seacrest-hosted show include Common, David Beckham, Luke Bryan, Mike Holmes, Lea Michele, Meghan Trainor and country duo Florida Georgia Line.

Knock Knock Live is set to premiere on July 21 at 9:00 pm on Fox.

McCreery Named to Forbes’ Top-Earning American Idols List

Posted on January 15, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Scotty McCreery is the Three Million Dollar Man…

The 20-year-old part-Puerto Rican country singer and former American Idol champion has earned a spot on Forbes magazine’s annual list of the Top-Earning American Idols.

McCreery comes in at No. 6 on the list, raking in $3 million dollars.

“Still not old enough to drink legally and not quite three years removed from his Idol win, McCreery is already making a name for himself as a solo act,” states the magazine’s description of McCreery. “His debut album, Clear As Day, sold over 1 million copies; on the road, he opened for Brad Paisley before launching a solo tour in 2013.”

Forbes determined this year’s Top-Earning list by calculating pretax earnings from June 2012 through June 2013 “with the help of data from Pollstar Pro, the RIAA, Nielsen SoundScan as wells industry veterans, the musicians’ handlers and some of the artists themselves.”

Carrie Underwood, who raked in approximately $31 million, comes in No. 1 on the list. Over the past five years, Forbes estimates that she has earned $83 million.

Here’s the complete list:

1. Carrie Underwood, $31 million
2. Kelly Clarkson, $7 million
3. Phillip Phillips, $5 million
3. Adam Lambert, $5 million
5. Chris Daughtry, $4 million
6. Scotty McCreery $3 million
7. Taylor Hicks, $2.5 million
8. Fantasia Barrino, $1.5 million
8. Kellie Pickler, $1.5 million
10. Katharine McPhee, $1 million
10. Jennifer Hudson, $1 million

Fifth Harmony Perfoms Latest Single at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Posted on November 28, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Lauren Jauregui, Camila Cabello and Ally Brooke Hernandez have proven that their better together this Thanksgiving…

The Latina singers, members of the Simon Cowell-created all-girl group Fifth Harmony, celebrated the recent holiday by performing at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

Fifth Harmony, who joined a lineup that included Austin Mahone, Ariana Grande and Florida Georgia Line, rode on the Pepperidge Farm Goldfish float and performed their latest single “Better Together.”

Other performers during the 87th installment of the iconic holiday event included Cher Lloyd, who appeared on a Brooklyn Bridge replica; Fall Out Boy, Kellie Pickler, Gavin DeGraw and the Goo Goo Dolls.

This year’s parade, a three-hour event, featured more than 50 character balloons, which included SpongeBob SquarePants, Snoopy and his bird friend Woodstock and Sonic the Hedgehog.

Due to strong wind, the balloons were flown lower than normal.

Sanchez Performs a Slowed-Down Version of Pitbull & Aguilera’s “Feel This Moment” on DTWS

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Move over Christina Aguilera… It looks like Jessica Sanchez is slowing it down to really feel this moment…

The 17-year-old half-Mexican American singer and American Idol runner-up made an appearance on Tuesday’s Dancing with the Stars season finale to perform a subdued version of Pitbull and Christina Aguilera’s hit dance single “Feel This Moment.”

Sanchez’s toned down version of the up-tempo track was used as the music for a poignant montage of the DWTS finalists’ best moments on the show this season.

Singing Aguilera’s lyrics, Sanchez went for a more subtle, softer delivery that fit the heart-tugging montage perfectly.

This year’s Mirror Ball trophy on ABC’s reality dancing competition was awarded to another American Idol alum, Kellie Pickler.

“Oh my God! This is amazing! Oh my God,” Exclaimed Pickler as she held onto her pro dancing partner Derek Hough,

Ortiz to Compete on the New “Dancing with the Stars” Cycle

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

He’s mastered a mean southpaw stance during his sparring career… But Victor Ortiz will now have to learn the ropes in ballroom dancing.

The 26-year-old Mexican American boxer, a former WBC Welterweight Champion, signed up to compete in the 16th cycle of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. He’ll be one of 11 celebrities, and the sole Latino, competing this season.

Ortiz, known for his aggressive style, two-fisted power and boyish charm, has been paired with new professional dancer Lindsay Arnold.

Along with Ortiz, the new Dancing with the Stars contestants include Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Jacoby Jones, country singers Kellie Pickler and Wynonna Judd, General Hospital star Ingo Rademacher, the Disney Channel’s Shake It Up star Zendaya Coleman, actor/comedian Andy Dick, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Lisa Vanderpump, Olympians Aly Raisman and Dorothy Hamill and comedian D.L. Hughley.

The 16th season of Dancing with the Stars will premiere on ABC on Monday, March 18.

Here’s a look at the new cast members and the pro they’ve been assigned:

Victor Ortiz and Lindsay Arnold
Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough
Wynonna Judd and Tony Dovolani
Ingo Rademacher and Kym Johnson
Zendaya Coleman and Valentin Chmerkovskiy
Andy Dick and Sharna Burgess
Lisa Vanderpump and Gleb Savchenko
Aly Raisman and Mark Ballas
Dorothy Hamill and Tristan MacManus
D.L. Hughley and Cheryl Burke
Jacoby Jones and Karina Smirnoff

McCreery Getting in the Holiday Spirit…

Posted on November 14, 2011 by Tom Castaneda

Scotty McCreery will be spending his first Noel as a country singer with fellow Nashville musicians.

The 18-year-old American Idol winner is one of the featured performers for this year’s CMA Country Christmas television special, hosted by Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles.

For the second straight year, the Country Music Association is hosting the down-home special, which brings together a cast of country stars to help ring in the holidays with performances and personal insight into their own memories of the season.

Taped last week in front of a live audience at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, the special features McCreery performing the classic Christmas carol “The First Noel.” He also takes the stage to sing “Jingle Bells” with other country stars like fellow Idol alum Kellie Pickler and Faith Hill.

Along with the part-Puerto Rican country artist—who scored his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart earlier this year with his debut album “Clear as Day”—the special features appearances by Lauren Alaina, Keith Urban and Vince Gill.

CMA Country Christmas will air on Thursday, December 1 on ABC at 9:00 pm ET.

Click here to see more images from the taping of the special.

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