Kelly Clarkson proved her vocal prowess once again on the stage of American Idol where she was crowned the first champ as the surprise summer hit would eventually peak at 38 million viewers. Simon Cowell once told Howard Stern that Clarkson was by far the most self-assured, “ruthless” contestant in history, having fired the entire management team assigned by Idol almost immediately after her win. In fact, Clarkson often distanced herself from the show. But that all changed last night on the Idol stage when she sang “Piece by Piece” through tears. Though Clarkson often keeps her personal life close to the vest, the lyrics are telling, and the singer has said that as a child of divorce she “never had a man stick around and “whenever people said, ‘I’m in love,’ it didn’t really hold very much weight or gravity with [her].” Clarkson said the song is a “love letter celebrating and thanking [her] husband for being a man that knows how to love [her] and [their] children without expecting anything in return.” Clarkson is married to Brandon Blackstock who she met through Reba McEntire. Reba was married to Blackstock’s father for over two decades before calling it quits amidst the 2015 wave of celebrity divorces. Because Clarkson was pregnant with her first child while creating her album, she was unable to write most of the tracks, with the exception of “Piece by Piece” and a few others. Watch her very moving performance below. The song hit #1 shortly after her performance, further illustrating Clarkson’s ability to move a room.
Tag: Howard Stern
Chelsea Handler Responds to Heather McDonald: “She Sold Tabloid Stories”
Howard Stern Admits He’ll Stay on the Air!!!
Tabloid Gossip: Your Week of Links
Is Tom Cruise pissed at Katie Holmes for her Scientology apology to Leah Remini? Starpulse
Burt Reynolds called Sally Field “the one that got away.” Cinema Blend
Former star of ‘The Hills’ Whitney Port is married. E! Online
Kylie Jenner and Tyga kissed in public for the first time. TMZ
Eddie Murphy is on his way to child #9. LA Times
Halle Berry’s ex-husband David Justice isn’t happy with her. People
Miranda Lambert is not surprised by Blake Shelton’s new romance. E! Online
Joe Jonas and Gigi Hadid broke up. MTV
Howard Stern’s daughter had some interesting things to say about him. NYP
Ciara and Russell Wilson took some salacious snaps. Big Lead
Tim Gunn hates the Kardashians. HUFF PO
Michael Lohan is still causing trouble. TMZ
Heather Morris is having a baby boy. Wet Paint
Sandra Bullock’s new boyfriend is hot. Just Jared
Adam Levine Bashes Record Labels Behind ‘The Voice’
What’s interesting about Levine’s stance is that Simon Cowell’s true motivation behind ‘American Idol’ was always to produce a music star, not a television show. Cowell felt the labels weren’t doing their job of finding the next sensation, so he’d do it for them. His planned worked, and he used ‘American Idol’ as a platform to push his find. ‘The Voice,’ is created by powerhouse reality producer Mark Burnett, whose musical expertise doesn’t hold a candle to Cowell. The man can make a show, but he can’t make a music star. Furthermore, the judging panel has zero A&R experience, and while it might be nice to see Gwen Stefani’s outfits atop a big red chair, she’s never found the next big thing. As for Adam Levine himself, my critique holds the same weight.
Hats off to Adam Levine for an honest Howard Stern interview. Hopefully the powers that be will attempt an intervention and take action. Otherwise, you’re just a bunch of big stars on big red chairs with big paychecks. It’s surely a pretty picture, but when the gloss begins to fade, so will the audience.
Quote of the Day: Howard Stern Bashes Simon Cowell
Steve Rannazzisi Comes Clean to Howard Stern
According to Steve, once he lied it became impossible to retract, and subsequent interviews about his experience brought the lie to a bigger place. Better to let the lie die on its own and assuage his guilt privately than to let the public eat you alive. The problem is the lie wouldn’t die on its own, and Steve’s issues became insurmountable. He’s now in therapy and confessed to his family years before this hit the news.
While Steve’s actions are awful, the man has suffered enough. In our normal, private lives, our close family and friends are the ones to judge, but he has the wrath of social media and news outlets on his back. At what point will we be an empathetic, forgiving society that allows people to recover from their most egregious errors? Let the man make money for his family and seek forgiveness in private. He’s been punished enough.
Howard Stern v. Artie Lange: The Battle Rages On
The history between Artie Lange and Howard Stern goes back many years, and it’s been a bumpy ride. Stern notoriously integrated Lange’s drug use into his on-air content, which Lange later resented. When Lange’s addiction reached dangerous heights, Sirius stepped in to tell him to take some time off. Tragedy came next. Lange attempted suicide, and though Stern knew, he only mentioned it on air when the press got wind of the news. According to Lange, the two have not spoken since. Stern briefly discussed his decision to keep Lange from the show in a Rolling Stone interview, saying, “I don’t even feel strong enough within myself or that I’d be doing the right thing by him [to have him on the show], because I don’t want to do the wrong thing for Artie. I just want Artie to stay alive.” Lange has since revealed his feelings about Stern, and they aren’t pretty. Listen to his podcast below, where he responds to Stern feeling “hurt” by some of Lange’s recent comments.
Caitlyn Jenner Doesn’t Support Gay Marriage?