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Cheryl Cole Spent £65k on X Factor Show

admin — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:54:30 +0000

X Factor judge Cheryl Cole spent £65,000 on her live solo performance on the show, a report has claimed.

Sources told a tabloid newspaper that the Girls Aloud star had “splashed out” on the debut performance of her hit song `Fight For This Love’.

Cheryl allegedly decided to spend the money on additional dancers, costumes and special effects for the performance. The Cheryl Cole music videos are also reported to have cost a considerable amount of money.

The investment seems to have been a smart move, as the single and album ‘3 Words’ have gone to the top of the charts.

An X Factor insider told the Daily Mirror that it was common practice for the guest acts to pay for additional dancers and lightining.

The source explained: “The performers have to pay their own production costs and it can be a small fortune.”

The insider claimed that the live performances by former winner Alexandra Burke and Whitney Houston also cost around £60,000.

Rock band Bon Jovi are believed to have staged the cheapest performance of the current series. Their performance during Rock Week last Sunday allegedly cost just £30,000.

British Invasion Sent Shockwaves around the World

admin — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:18:22 +0000

It wasn’t just the Beatles that “arrived” in America in 1964. It was also the Rolling Stones, and The Animals, and The Kinks, and The Yardbirds, and later The Who, The Hollies, and key names, each of which would inspire hundreds of bands apiece. There was also an enormous roster of now semi-forgotten also-rans that accompanied the Beatles in their invasion of the American charts in 1964-1965, some quite good (Them, The Small Faces, The Pretty Things), some lightweight but inoffensive (Dave Clark Five, The Searchers, Lulu), some quite silly (Freddie & The Dreamers, Herman’s Hermits). Not all of it is essential listening; much of it really does bear little relevance to anything today. But the best of it not only still makes good compelling and exciting listening, it also represents the very bedrock upon which modern rock (as opposed to rock ‘n’ roll) is built. The Small Faces DVD is still popular today.

If one were to narrow down the musical developments in rock music to the bare essentials in terms of impact, the short list might look like this: Elvis’ arrival, The Beatles’ arrival, punk’s arrival, and alternative rock’s arrival. An even shorter list might simply say: the Beatles arrival had more to do with rock’s evolution than any other singular event.

In 1963, the American charts were fairly devoid of rock ‘n’ roll; the most compelling voices of the 50’s had been largely neutered. Elvis had gone into the army and came out a popmeister. Chuck Berry was thrown in jail on dubious charges with racial overtones, where he languished. Jerry Lee Lewis was blacklisted for marrying his underaged cousin. Little Richard, perhaps seeing the writing on the wall, had become a preacher. In 1963, Jan & Dean’s unthreatening “Surf City” was the only rock ‘n’ roll hit to reach #1; other #1 artists of 1963 included Steve Lawrence, Bobby Vinton, The Singing Nun, Kyu Sakamoto, Lesley Gore, and Paul & Paula. The closest thing to “rock” were the youthful pop stylings of the Four Seasons, or the girl-group pop of The Chiffons, neither of which could really be called “rock” with a straight face. Gone were anthems to jailhouses, school days, shaking, and wop bop a loo bop a lop bam boom.

Susan Boyle to Star in Ugly Betty

admin — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:06:27 +0000

After finishing as the runner-up on “Britain’s Got Talent,” it looks as if Susan Boyle is ready to reap the rewards.
According to The Sun, the 48-year-old Britain’s Got Talent singer was contacted by the show’s producers last month.

“Susan has been bombarded with offers of work in America, but this is something she is really keen on and we hope to make happen,” said an insider. “She will definitely play herself.”

Susan Boyle has already been name-dropped in US shows The Simpsons and South Park after her audition on the ITV reality series became a worldwide hit on Youtube.

Lindsay Lohan, James Van Der Beek, Naomi Campbell and Victoria Beckham have previously featured in guest spots on the show.

A spokesperson for Boyle commented: “Susan has many offers on the table. At the moment she is looking forward to recording her album.”
According to the latest reports, Boyle is said to be joining the cast of the hit series “Ugly Betty” for a guest appearance.

“Susan has been bombarded with offers of work in America, but this is something she is really keen on and we hope to make happen,” an insider tells.

And while it’s not yet a done deal, the source adds of the planned “Ugly Betty” appearance, “She will definitely play herself.”

Barbra Streisand

admin — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:47:03 +0000

Barbara Joan Streisand grew up with her mother, Diana, in New York. Her father died 15 months after she was born on April 24, 1942. She met Neil Diamond and World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer when she went to Erasmus Hall High School. Barbara graduated 3rd in her class.

After winning a Manhattan club singing contest, Barbara was swamped with offers from various clubs in New York. She caught the attention and interest of numerous record industry representatives. And so, despite being discouraged by her mother, Barbara started her trek to show business success.

The young performer later on changed her name to Barbra.

Beginning with The Barbra Streisand Album in 1963, Barbra never looked back. She appeared in stage musicals like I Can Get It For You Wholesale and Funny Girl, made T.V. specials including My Name is Barbra and Color Me Barbra, and starred in numerous movies. Later on, she became a highly acclaimed director and producer, winning countless awards for movies like Yentl and The Prince of Tides. She is also the recipient of at least 15 Grammy Awards and received the Grammy Legend and Lifetime Achievement Award back in the early 1990’s.

Barbra is an active Democratic supporter. She supports various causes like global warming and AIDS through The Streisand Foundation.

Kendall Coffey comments on the Jose Padilla case.

Kendall Coffey’s profile is on LinkedIn.