Party Time Excellence! Draya Michele Hosts All White Affair At Supperclub Oh, this is new… Draya and her friends turned up again? Here’s some info on the event: A grown and sexy white party is the only way to make summer official and Hollywood’s hottest promotion, SUPREME TEAM LA, has officially taken over LA summers. Sexy siren and FINE ASS GIRL, Draya Michele looked “white hot” as she hosted the premiere event. Draya sipped Ace of Spade champagne all night and coyly avoided questions about the notion that her and NFL boo Orlando were separated. Her BBWLA co-star, Malaysia Pargo, partied with her and of course posed for a ton of photos. POWER 106′s Justin Credible took the club from “0-100 real quick” as he lit the speakers with YG, Drake, and “Pass Me the Hookah!” Also in attendance was Murder Inc.’s Irv Gotti who partied with super-producer Jermaine Dupri. Team USA’s Jermaine Jones hosted a group of World Cup soccer players to acknowledge the efforts of the team! It looks like Supperclub Tuesdays are back with a bang! Jermaine is loving his newfound soccer fame… Hit the flip for more photos from the event. Photo Credit: 365mediagraphy
Eliminated 16-year-old tells MTV News that Carey’s power ballad ‘One Sweet Day’ has sentimental value. By Christina Garibaldi Shannon Magrane Photo: MTV News Although Shannon Magrane was sent packing on last week’s episode of “American Idol,” the 16-year-old Tampa, Florida, native has no hard feelings about her early elimination. On Monday (March 19), Magrane stopped by the MTV Newsroom and reflected on her fun, if brief time on the “Idol” stage. “It’s hard, you never know what America is thinking,” Magrane admitted. “It’s crazy, but I loved it. It was a great learning experience for me. I loved every minute of it.” During her final performance, Magrane took on Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men’s “One Sweet Day,” which received relatively positive remarks from the judges. But in the end, that wasn’t enough to save her from elimination. And while “Idol” judges usually advise contestants to stay away from Carey’s power ballads, Magrane has no regrets about her song choice. “I was happy I sang that song,” Magrane said. “What not a lot of people know about that was that I chose that song because it was a song that me and my Papa sang together,” she added of the tribute to her grandfather. “And [I] sang it because before he passed away, that was our favorite song that he would always sing to me. I just felt emotionally connected to that song.” Magrane wasn’t the only contestant eliminated on “American Idol” last week. Jermaine Jones made a surprising exit after producers claimed he misled them about his history of arrests. The news was a shock to viewers but also to the contestants. “That was definitely one of the biggest shockers on ‘Idol’ that I’ve ever seen so far, and I’ve been watching it since I was a little girl. That was a big shocker,” Magrane said. “We all found out when America found out, we were all so shocked … we were so sad because he was one of the people that were the funniest people in our group. He was always making people feel happy and laugh all the time.” Magrane’s 11th-place elimination means she’ll miss out on the singing show’s summer tour but she told us she plans to attend. For now, the teen just has her sights set on making her mark in the music industry — and finishing high school. “I still have to go to school; I still have school work to do. But on top of that, I’m still going to be working on my dream,” Magrane said. “I really want to be a triple threat. I want to be like Beyonc
In an unusual step, American Idol kicked Jermaine Jones off the show last night, following the discovery that the season 11 finalist had lied about a pair of arrests . How are fellow contestants reacting to the development? A few relayed their thoughts People : Phillip Phillips : “It was sad to see somebody go like that, with an awesome voice. It sucks.” Colton Dixon : “We found out what happened when you guys did. We were shocked, but at the same time, he’s such a great guy. We all love him to death. He’s truly the gentle giant. He handled himself so well, I’m proud of him.” Shannon Magrane: Jones “always has that great fun spirit, and he has always kept us laughing. He is so funny, we miss him already.” Hollie Cavanagh : “He’s going to do huge things in music regardless of if he’s on the show or not,” she said. “It’s just a little bump in the road. He’ll prevail, and he’ll do big things.” Heejun Han: “It’s a competition. I really want to be honest about it. I’m not like, ‘Oh, please don’t go, please don’t’ go!'”
Jermaine Jones is reportedly getting kicked off American Idol . The finalist was already in trouble for lying about the status of his relationship with his father, according to TMZ, when producers dug deeper into his past and uncovered a couple more untruths: He has a criminal history. Jones has been arrested twice , providing a fake name to police on both occasions. One of the incidents also involved violence, sources confirm. American Idol insiders say Jones will appear on tomorrow night’s performance show, but will then be given the axe. It’s unclear exactly how it will all go down. Should Jermaine be kicked off the show?
As the bottom two contestants, the wild-card pick squares off against Elise Testone. By James Dinh Jeremy Rosado on “American Idol” Photo: FOX Capping a week of tunes from music greats Stevie Wonder and the late Whitney Houston , Jeremy Rosado was sent packing during the “American Idol” results show Thursday night (March 8), marking the first Top 13 farewell. Before the elimination was announced, the episode kicked things off on a lighter note as host Ryan Seacrest welcomed the contestants to perform Wonder’s 1977 hit “As.” And after all the introductions, usual Ford product placement and recapping, it was time to get down to business. First up on the chopping block were the female contestants, who were eventually narrowed down to the bottom three: Elise Testone, Erika Van Pelt and Shannon Magrane. The trio of male contestants included Jermaine Jones, Jeremy Rosado and Joshua Ledet. Seacrest’s “after the commercial break” intensity ended with Rosado and Testone as the finalists with the lowest votes after Wednesday night’s episode. Leaving the deliberation up to judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, it was Rosado (originally a wild-card choice) who was announced as this week’s eliminated contestant. Asked what he would miss about “Idol,” Rosado simply told Seacrest, “Just the whole experience.” “This was awesome. … Thank you guys for everything,” he said. As a special guest mentor on this week’s episode, Mary J. Blige also took to the “Idol” stage to perform her new single “Why.” Additionally, “Idol” welcomed back season 10 runner-up Lauren Alaina, who offered some Southern charm with a performance of her single “Georgia Peaches.” What did you think of Jeremy’s elimination? Share your thoughts below! Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
Shannon MaGrane and Phillip Phillips are in, while nine singers get the ax. By Adam Graham Shannon MaGrane on “American Idol” Photo: Fox Heejun’s in. So are Phillip Phillips, Skylar Laine and Shannon MaGrane. Adam Brock? Not so fast … “American Idol” revealed its top 13 finalists on Wednesday (March 1), swiftly dismissing half its field after this week’s live performance episodes. The cuts were harsh, as Ryan Seacrest delivered the news in typical no-nonsense fashion, crushing the dreams of some contestants while making others’ come true. A reported 33 million votes were cast, down from the 40 million made at this point in the competition last year. Phillip Phillips was the first one through to the voter-approved top 10 and got a few minutes to soak in the moment by himself before he was joined by Jessica Sanchez, whose purported vocal issues didn’t affect her performance on Wednesday one bit, and tiny Hollie Cavanagh, who “slayed the biggest dragon” when she sang Christina Aguilera’s “Reflection” on Wednesday. Joshua Ledet followed, and next up was Heejun Han, whose dry comic presence on the show was criticized sharply by “Idol” mentor Jimmy Iovine. “This isn’t ‘American Comedian,’ this is ‘American Idol,’ ” Iovine said in a taped reaction to Han’s performance. Han responded by pretending to not know who Iovine is. Shots fired! Shannon MaGrane — who was crying before she was even told her fate — was passed through, as was country spitfire Skylar Laine, who arguably turned in the week’s best performance with her spirited take on Faces’ “Stay With Me,” which played like “Reba mixed with Kelly Clarkson,” according to Randy Jackson. Elise Testone, one of two singers to take on Adele’s “One and Only” on Wednesday, made the top 10, as did Colton Dixon, who took his performance of Paramore’s “Decode” to the top of his piano on Tuesday. Gentle giant Jermaine Jones — who, in a surprise move, was brought back on Tuesday after being eliminated earlier in the competition — rounded out the top 10. Six singers then vied for three judge-selected Wild Card slots, with Erika Van Pelt’s version of Lady Gaga’s “The Edge of Glory,” Jeremy Rosado’s take on Carrie Underwood’s “I Know You Won’t” and DeAndre Brackensick’s “Georgia on My Mind” earning them spots in the top 13. Jen Hirsh, Reed Grimm and Brielle Von Hugel competed for Wild Card positions but narrowly missed advancing to the next round. Meanwhile, nine contestants were dismissed without a chance to sing for their lives. So it’s so long, Chase Likens; see ya, Chelsea Sorrell; bye-bye, Baylie Brown; sayonara, Eben Franckewitz; hasta la vista, Haley Johnsen; peace out, Adam Brock; tootles, Aaron Marcellus; arrivederci, Hallie Day; and later, Creighton Fraker. The top 13 contestants perform live during Wednesday’s two-hour episode, and one will be kicked off on Thursday’s one-hour results show. What do you think of this year’s top 13? Who got cut that should have made it? Let us know in the comments!
Some contestants who made it through were then sent packing in a new, cruel turn of events. By Adam Graham Contestants audition during “American Idol” Vegas week Photo: Michael Becker / FOX “American Idol” opened with 70 contestants Thursday (February 16) and ended with 42, as the Las Vegas cuts — referred to alternately as “brutal,” “painful” and “deep” — lived up to their billing. Some who made it through on the strength of their performances were later told they, in fact, didn’t make it through, a new twist. The twist wasn’t given a name, but it should have been called the “Gotcha!” — as in, “Oh, you thought you were going to go on to achieve your dream of being a singer? Gotcha!” In Vegas, contestants were asked to form groups and sing songs from the ’50s and ’60s onstage at the Aria hotel, home to the “Viva Elvis” show. The episode began, as all future “Idol” episodes should, with Heejun Han talking directly into the camera while wearing a red hooded sweatshirt. Han’s feud with this year’s resident cowboy contestant, Richie Law, has already proven he’s a dry-witted jokester at heart. But Han is also able to turn on the charm, such as when he tamed the “Vocal Coach from Hell,” Peggi Blu, and turned her into a pile of mush in his own hands. Regardless of Han’s chances this season, he should be considered for the position of next “Idol” host, should Ryan Seacrest ever abandon his post. Or hey, isn’t “The X Factor” looking for a new emcee ? Han — God bless Steven Tyler, who sang “Heejun” to the tune of “Hey Jude” when calling his name — made it through to the next round, along with groupmates Phillip Phillips (he apparently is going by “Phil” Phillips now, but we still prefer Phillip Phillips) and Neco Starr. Jairon Jackson initially made it through but then caught an ax to his jugular after the “Gotcha!” twist reared its ugly head. Sorry, man, no one said Las Vegas was going to be all fun and games. Richie Law, who tormented Han when they were groupmates in Hollywood, found a new victim to torture in Las Vegas in Jermaine Jones . The two baritones made for an unlikely duo, joining forces on “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,” but they pulled it off — but only after Law once again showed his stubbornness, telling cameras, “I didn’t come here to recycle music; I came here to make it.” His determination paid off, but he needs to find a less aggressive way to celebrate; Jones accused him of both bruising his rotator cup and almost taking his neck off while manhandling him following their victory. The foursome to watch Thursday was the group composed of Reed Grimm , Elise Testone, Haley Johnson and Eben Franckewitz, who earned a standing ovation from the judges and were dubbed “unreal” by Steven Tyler for their version of “The Night Has a Thousand Eyes.” The performance came together in note-perfect fashion, as both Grimm — compared by some to an emerging Casey Abrams, though he reminds us more of actor Ethan Embry for some reason — and heartthrob-in-training Franckewitz made their presences felt. Other victims of the “Gotcha” twist included Gabi Carrubba, Candice Glover, Jairon Jackson, Gaga-alike Angie Ziederman and Schyler Dixon, whose brother, Colton, made it through to the next round. Singers who just plain got cut the first time around included Molly Hunt, Curtis Gray, Curtis Finch Jr., Mathenee Treco and Nick Boddington. While most contestants took their dismissals in stride, Jessica Phillips wins the Sour Grapes Award for most bitter rant of the night, telling cameras, “I’m an actual artist. It just doesn’t seem like they’re looking for real artists,” after the judges told her to pack her bags. She continued: “I didn’t come here to win a television show; I came here for a record deal. And, um, a lot of people are making it through that are not real artists, and they’re not going to sell any records, and I don’t have to worry about that because that’s not me.” Britnee Kellogg, the 27-year-old single mom from Vancouver, Washington, sang alongside Phillips and initially made it through, but was later cut thanks to the “Gotcha!” Only 24-year-old Courtney Williams of Philadelphia made it through from their original trio. Next week, the Idols will continue to fight for their lives as the field is narrowed from 42 to 24. What did you think of Thursday’s “Idol”? Let us know in the comments! Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
