Ryan Seacrest Prepping Music Show for NBC

Ryan Seacrest is in early talks with NBC to do a music themed show.

Unlike "American Idol," the Ryan Seacrest Productions project is not a traditional competition show, nor is it clear that Seacrest would serve as host. At this stage, the potential series is in the preliminary stages of development, with the concept still being fleshed out.

What is clear is that Seacrest has no plans to have a show that would compete with "Idol," the Fox juggernaut that he's currently paid $15 million a year to front. Worth noting: that pact, with "Idol" parent CKX, bars him from appearing on any other broadcast network until 2012. It expires at the end of next season.

"It doesn't make a lot of sense to host a show competing with 'Idol,'" Seacrest said during an interview in his office in late March. "I think it's possible [to be the face of another show in the future], but at this point I certainly have not even gone down that road because 'Idol' is in a great place, so I think we're just enjoying that and we want to focus on that."

In recent years, the multi-hyphenate has been as -- if not more -- focused on expanding his footprint behind the camera as a producer, with a string of shows at E! (four iterations of the Kardashian franchise, "The Dance Scene"), ABC ("Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution") and TLC (upcoming "I Kid," hosted by Brad Garrett).

The musical offering is one of some 20 shows that RSP has in development, many of them with NBCUniversal networks. As Seacrest told The Hollywood Reporter in a cover story last month, the long-time Comcast Entertainment talent went into the merger with NBCU saying, 'Hey, what do you got? What can we do? Yes. Let's go."

The New York Post first broke the news.

Source: http://www.billboard.com/#/news/ryan-seacrest-prepping-music-show-for-nbc-1005167702.story

Rihanna, Black Eyed Peas, More to Perform at Billboard Music Awards

The 2011 Billboard Music Awards are shaping up to be one hot ticket: Rihanna, the Black Eyed Peas, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum and Taio Cruz are the first performers announced for newly revived show, which will air live May 22 from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

And more announcements are on the way. On Wednesday morning (Apr. 13), the full list of nominees will be unveiled at a press conference in Las Vegas, where the Billboard Music Awards will be broadcast live on ABC. More announcements will roll out as the date approaches, so stay tuned to Billboard.com in the coming weeks for the latest updates.  

Tickets for the Billboard Music Awards are on sale now atTicketmaster.com. 

The Billboard Music Awards will reflect Billboard's chart rankings based on key fan interactions with music, including album, single and digital sales, radio play, touring, streaming and social interactions on MySpace, Facebook and other popular online destinations for music. These measurements are tracked year-round by Billboard and its data partners. The awards will be based on the reporting period of February 28, 2010 through March 1, 2011.  Top artists will be recognized in a variety of genres, including R&B, Rap, Pop, Country, Rock, Latin and Alternative.  

"This show marks the first of several broadcast platforms we plan to build around the Billboard franchise," said Richard D. Beckman, CEO of Prometheus Global Media, which owns Billboard. "We have an incredible network partner and with Don Mischer, one of the finest producers in the world. We look forward to entertaining music fans with Billboard's own rendition of a televised celebration of music."

Source: http://www.billboard.com/events/rihanna-black-eyed-peas-more-to-perform-1005125872.story#/events/rihanna-black-eyed-peas-more-to-perform-1005125872.story

Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum Earn Billboard Music Award Nominations

Taylor Swift and Lady Antebellum are the leading country nominees at theBillboard Music Awards. In addition, Jason Aldean, Sugarland and the Zac Brown Band received multiple nominations in the show's three country categories. The nominees were revealed Wednesday (April 13) in Las Vegas.

Swift is nominated in the elite top artist category with pop stars Justin Bieber, Eminem, Lady Gaga and Rihanna. Swift's other nominations include the all-genre top female artist and top Billboard 200 artist for sales across all genres. In addition, she's up for top country artist, top country album (Speak Now) and top country song ("Mine").

Meanwhile, Lady Antebellum earned all-genre nominations for top duo/group, top Billboard 200 artist, top Billboard 200 album (Need You Now) and top streaming song in audio ("Need You Now"). They are also nominated for top country artist, top country album (Need You Now) and top country song ("Need You Now").

In addition to Lady Antebellum and Swift, the top country artist category includes Aldean, Kenny Chesney and the Zac Brown Band. Aldean's My Kinda Party, Sugarland's The Incredible Machine and the Zac Brown Band's The Foundation round out the top country album category. Finally, The Band Perry's "If I Die Young," Miranda Lambert's "The House That Built Me" and Sugarland's "Stuck Like Glue" join Lady Antebellum and Swift on the top country song ballot.

According to the music industry publication, the awards are based on numerous factors, such as sales, airplay, touring, streaming and social interaction from Feb. 28, 2010 through March 1, 2011. The publication is honoring the top musicians in 46 categories across a variety of genres, including rock, R&B, alternative, dance, Latin and Christian music.

The trophies will be presented May 22 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The ceremony will air live on ABC. Previously-announced performers include Lady Antebellum and Keith Urban, as well as the Black Eyed Peas, Taio Cruz, Jennifer Lopez and Rihanna.


Source: http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1661925/taylor-swift-lady-antebellum-earn-billboard-music-award-nominations.jhtml

American Idols Live! Tour Dates Revealed

Someone else will be going home this week on "American Idol," but no matter who it is, that person can sleep soundly in the knowledge that their summer will be packed with a grueling set of dates alongside 10 of their finalist pals on this year's American Idols Live! Tour.
The dates for the traditional summer outing by the top 10 — only this year it will be the top 11 — is slated to kick off on July 6 at the Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah, keeping the singers on the road through a September 10 date at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York.
The 45-date jaunt will feature solo and duet sets from Casey Abrams, Haley Reinhart, Jacob Lusk, James Durbin, Lauren Alaina, Naima Adedapo, Paul McDonald, Pia Toscano, Scotty McCreery, Stefano Langone and Thia Megia. The singers on the show have already gotten a once-in-a-lifetime lesson in the rigors of making it in the music business and performing on a big stage in front of adoring fans, but the schedule for the "Idol" tour is typically unforgiving, with shows nearly every night and only a few days off per week. Tickets for the tour go on sale on May 13.
The finalist pool will be down to five by the end of Thursday night's show as the May 26th finale looms on the horizon.
American Idols Live! tour dates:
» July 6 - West Valley City, UT @ Maverik Center
» July 8 - Everett, WA @ Comcast Arena at Everett Events Center
» July 9 - Portland, OR @ Rose Garden
» July 11 - Sacramento, CA @ Power Balance Pavilion
» July 12 - Oakland, CA @ The Oracle Arena
» July 13 - San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion at San Jose
» July 15 - Los Angeles, CA @ Nokia Theatre LA Live
» July 16 - Ontario, CA @ Citizens Business Bank Arena
» July 17 - Phoenix, AZ @ US Airways Arena
» July 19 - Oklahoma, OK @ Cox Convention Center
» July 20 - Grand Prairie, TX @ Verizon Theater at Grand Prairie
» July 21 - Houston, TX @ Reliant Arena
» July 22 - New Orleans, LA @ Lakefront Arena
» July 24 - Orlando, FL @ Amway Center
» July 26 - Duluth, GA @ Arena at Gwinnett Center
» July 27 - Raleigh, NC @ RBC Center
» July 28 - Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Arena
» July 30 - Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
» July 31 - St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade Center
» August 2 - Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
» August 3 - Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
» August 4 - Milwaukee, WI @ Bradley Center
» August 6 - Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena
» August 7 - Detroit, MI @ Joe Louis Arena
» August 9 - Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
» August 10 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Consol Energy Center
» August 11 - Baltimore, MD @ 1st Mariner Arena
» August 13 - Atlantic City, NJ @ Boardwalk Hall
» August 14 - Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
» August 17 - Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
» August 19 - Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
» August 20 - Richmond, VA @ Richmond Coliseum
» August 21 - Wilkes-Barre, PA @ Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza
» August 23 - Long Island, NY @ Nassau Coliseum
» August 25 - Bridgeport, CT @ Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard
» August 27 - Providence, RI @ Dunkin' Donuts Center
» August 28 - Albany, NY @ Times Union Center
» August 30 - Portland, ME @ Cumberland County Civic Center
» August 31 - Manchester, NH Verizon Wireless Arena
» September 1 - Worcester, MA @ DCU Center
» September 3 - Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arenav
» September 6 - Syracuse, NY @ War Memorial Arena at The Oncenter
» September 7 - Reading, PA @ Sovereign Center
» September 9 - Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
» September 10 - Rochester, NY @ Blue Cross Arena

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1662886/american-idol-tour.jhtml

Steven Tyler To Debut Solo Video On 'American Idol' May 12

Steven Tyler has made it clear all along that he intends to make "American Idol" work for him. Though his Aerosmith bandmates questioned his decision to appear on TV's #1 reality show, Tyler has been savvy about his unlikely gig, making sure to place the band's music in multiple episodes, which has helped their catalog creep back onto the Billboard charts while keeping their name in the press.
Now, seeing how the "Idol" bully pulpit has helped fellow newbie judge Jennifer Lopez reboot her musical career thanks to the show's debut of her video for "On the Floor", Tyler is prepping his own turn in the spotlight.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the 63-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer will premiere the video for his debut solo single, "(It) Feels So Good," on the May 12 episode of "Idol." The song will get its radio debut Monday on "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest's KIIS-FM morning radio show. Though "Idol" sources would not confirm the report for MTV News, unnamed sources told the Reporter that the video would air on the elimination episode that will reveal this season's top three.
The video for the song, written by Tyler and frequent Aerosmith collaborator songwriter Marti Frederiksen, was shot just after Easter by director Ray Kay (Lady Gaga, Britney Spears) and was described by a source as "everything you would expect to get from a classic Aerosmith video ... pure, classic Steven Tyler in all of his rock star glory." Rumors say it features a cameo from former Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger.
Tyler is on a promotional circuit to push his new memoir, "Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?" due out Tuesday (May 3).

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1663133/steven-tyler-it-feels-so-good.jhtml

Star Power

For all of us who, like Job, have suffered through tragedy and then dared to aim our questions at God, chapter 38 of Job’s book should give us plenty to think about. Imagine what it must have felt like for the great man of the East when “out of the whirlwind” he heard God say, “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me” (vv.1-3). Gulp!

Job must have felt as puny as an ant. As God unveiled His questions in the verses that follow, what He said was as unexpected as it was powerful. He didn’t really answer Job’s “why” questions. Instead, God seemed to be telling him to notice the power and might with which He created this world and to observe His ability to control every element of it. Isn’t that reason enough to trust God? Job should have been asking himself.

As one example of His awesome power, God pointed to the sky and told Job to observe two of His awe-inspiring creations: Pleiades and Orion (v.31). Highlighting His grandeur and man’s relative insignificance, God mentioned two constellations that demonstrate power beyond our understanding.

This is Someone we can trust. If He has the stars in His hands, surely He can take care of us as well.

Creator of the universe
Who reigns in awesome majesty:
How can it be You love and care
For such a one as me? —Sper

He who holds the stars in space holds His people in His hands.

Source: http://odb.org/2011/04/29/star-power/

If I Could Stop The Clock

Every year when May rolls around in Michigan, I want to stop the clock. I rejoice when death is defeated by fragile sprouts that refuse to be confined by hardened clay and brittle branches. Over a few weeks, the naked landscape transforms into fully clothed trees adorned by bright, fragrant flowers. I can’t get enough of the sights, sounds, and scents of springtime. I want time to stop moving.

Also in May, I come to 1 Kings in my Bible reading schedule. When I get to chapter 10, I have the same feeling: I want the story to stop. The nation of Israel has bloomed. Solomon has become king and has built a magnificent dwelling place for God, who moved in with a blaze of glory (8:11). Finally united under a righteous king, they are at peace. I love happy endings!

But the story doesn’t end there. It continues: “But King Solomon loved many foreign women” (11:1), and “his wives turned his heart after other gods” (v.4).

Just as the seasons of the year continue, so do the cycles of life—birth and death, success and failure, sin and confession. Although we have no power to stop the clock while we’re enjoying good times, we can rest in God’s promise that eventually all bad times will end (Rev. 21:4).

Father, our days are filled with pleasures and struggles.
We would like for life just to have the joys, but we know
that’s not realistic in this sinful world. Help us to wait
patiently for You to bring us Home. Amen.

In good times and bad, God never changes.

Source: http://odb.org/2011/05/01/if-i-could-stop-the-clock/