Tweet from show’s official feed says JT will take on hosting duties in May. By Gil Kaufman Justin Timberlake Photo: Scott Gries/ Getty Images Justin Timberlake’s track record on “Saturday Night Live” is pretty stellar. The Beyonc
Guest star Charice belts Eric Carmen’s 1975 power ballad in ‘Night of Neglect’ episode. By Aly Semigran Charice covers “All By Myself” on “Glee” Photo: FOX After weeks of being absent, both “Glee” and Charice were back at McKinley High on Tuesday. The latest installment, titled “A Night of Neglect,” was the first new airing since the Fox show’s March 15 “original songs” episode . It also marked the return of singer/ “Oprah Winfrey Show” phenom Charice . Last seen in the season-two opener “Audition,” the 18-year-old guest star revived her role as the talented rival glee club member, Sunshine Corazon. Wanting to prove that she wasn’t a spy for Vocal Adrenaline, that she was only there to contribute to New Directions’ upcoming benefit show, Sunshine took to the stage to sing the classic ballad about loneliness, “All By Myself.” Of course, it’s hardly the first time the song has been covered, as it’s been done by everyone from Sheryl Crow to Axl Rose to Celine Dion (who recorded, arguably, the most popular rendition of the song), and even a recently eliminated “American Idol” hopeful . So we thought we’d give you a brief history of Eric Carmen’s “All By Myself.” Although the song is now known primarily as a cover — not to mention a karaoke staple for the especially brave — it was written and performed back in 1975 by a newly solo Eric Carmen, appearing originally on his self-titled debut album. Released on December 1, 1975, “All By Myself” had hit #2 on the Billboard chart by December 20, making it not only one of his biggest hits, but also a pop/soft-rock radio mainstay. (Carmen, once part of the Raspberries before going solo, is also behind hugely popular singles like “Hungry Eyes” from the movie “Dirty Dancing” and “Almost Paradise” from “Footloose.”) During a 1991 interview , the singer/songwriter discussed how “All By Myself” was actually inspired by (and samples from) Rachmaninoff. “When I was writing that album, I was listening to my favorite music which was Rachmaninoff. ‘All By Myself’ incorporated a melody from his 2nd piano concerto as the verse,” he said at the time. Carmen also divulged that the song had three different titles before he settled on “All By Myself,” and explained that he borrowed the song’s first notes from the opening verse of his other lovelorn song, “The Way We Used to Be.” Granted, the song was a smash thanks to Carmen, but it took on a whole new life after Dion covered it. Dion already had hits from her 1996 certified-gold album, Falling Into You, including “Because You Loved Me” and “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now.” She followed suit with her soaring take on Carmen’s ballad. The Canadian pop star’s version , released on October 6, 1996, features the songstress hitting (and holding) the staggering high notes in the song’s swelling conclusion. It topped the Hot Adult Contemporary chart and peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Dion put the David Foster-produced song on her ’99 greatest hits and 2008 compilation albums. And in that time, the song has only continued to gain in popularity. As Carmen put it, Dion’s version “pretty much established ‘All By Myself’ as a franchise.” The song has since been featured in films like “Clueless” and “Bridget Jones’ Diary,” as well as on television, particularly during reality competition shows. “X Factor” victor Leona Lewis sang “All By Myself” on her season’s finale, while recent “American Idol” contestant Pia Toscano performed it before her controversial exit. Interestingly enough, “Glee” had already paid homage to the song last season, when Jayma Mays (as guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury) dramatically cried the chorus during the “Showmance” episode. While it did seem strange, even borderline inappropriate, that teen Charice was crooning the memorable opening lines, “When I was young/ I never needed anyone / And making love was just for fun / Those days are gone,” the song’s strength matched with the young singer’s stirring voice made it a number to remember during “A Night of Neglect.” What did you think of Charice’s “Glee” cover of “All By Myself”? Tell us in the comments!
Despite the cameo, it was Hines Ward who won over the judges with his rumba. By Kelley L. Carter John Travolta, Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Kirstie Alley on “Dancing With the Stars” Photo: ABC Even the help of swift-footed John Travolta couldn’t get Kirstie Alley more points from the judges on Monday night’s “Dancing With the Stars.” Alley’s “Look Who’s Talking” co-star appeared in a pre-taped segment as her “Dance Doctor.” The actress and her partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, have been grabbing headlines the last few weeks with their dancing mishaps, and Travolta, who has swiveled his hips in films like “Pulp Fiction,” “Grease” and “Saturday Night Fever,” gave his friend a few pointers, joking in the segment that Alley should wear gym shoes instead of high heels. Still, the comedic bit wasn’t enough to bolster a higher score. The two earned 23 points out of 30 (only one point better than the week before), putting them ahead of three couples, who each earned 22 points. Here’s how the others fared: Hines Ward and Kym Johnson: The football star soared to the top of the leaderboard with his rumba to “God Bless the U.S.A.” “You make it look so easy,” judge Carrie Ann Inaba said. “You have the best hip action I have seen in a long time.” Score: 27/30. Chelsea Kane and Mark Ballas: Last week’s critical darlings maintained a high position with a samba done to Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the U.S.A.” Score: 26/30. Chris Jericho and Cheryl Burke: The judges loved the wrestler’s interpretation of the Viennese waltz to “America the Beautiful.” “I feel like we’ve underestimated you,” Inaba told him. Head judge Len Goodman gave him 8 points. Score: 26/30. Romeo and Chelsie Hightower: The two performed a foxtrot to “New York, New York,” and impressed the judges with the improvement in Romeo’s posture and arm movements. Score: 26/30. Kendra Wilkinson and Louis Van Amstel : The former playmate and reality star danced a foxtrot to “Yankee Doodle,” and the judges said she’s improving. “It’s much better than last week,” Goodman told her. “It was fun and it was entertaining.” Still, it wasn’t enough to keep them out of the bottom three. Score: 22/30. Petra Nemcova and Dmitry Chaplin: The supermodel and her partner quick-stepped to Elvis’ “Viva Las Vegas,” but judges were none too impressed. They liked that she handled the fast pace of the performance but said that this was far from her best dance. Score: 22/30. Ralph Macchio and Karina Smirnoff: Once the early darlings of this season, they’ve dropped to a three-way tie for the lowest score this week. Their samba to “Sweet Home Alabama” did little to convince the judges that they should be contenders for the title this season. Goodman said the main problem is that Macchio isn’t consistent enough and needs more rhythm. Score: 22/30. Who was your favorite couple this week? Who should go home? Sound off in the comments! Related Photos ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Season 12 Cast Revealed The 2011 ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Cast’s Movie Past
Bodog now has Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina as the favorites to win season 10. By James Montgomery The “American Idol” top 8 Photo: Michael Becker / FOX Pia Toscano’s early exit from “American Idol” has shocked experts , celebs and fans . And, as it turns out, it was also a shock to a group of folks who don’t get shocked all that often: oddsmakers. It seems that, in the wake of Toscano’s elimination, the brain trust at Bodog’s sportsbook has been forced to rejigger their odds. For weeks, they slowly moved her up the list of likely “Idol” winners — she originally opened as a 14/1 long shot , but heading into Wednesday night’s show, she was a 2/1 favorite to take home the crown — and now that she’s out, they’ve anointed Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina as the new co-favorites. Bodog gives both singers 5/2 odds at winning “Idol,” followed by James Durbin at 4/1. Haley Reinhart gets 15/2 odds, Casey Abrams gets 8/1 and Paul McDonald is in at 12/1. Jacob Lusk and Stefano Langone bring up the rear, getting 14/1 and 20/1 odds, respectively. And though they were forced to re-shuffle, the folks at Bodog have let the initial shock of Toscano’s departure wear off. Because, as they put it, no matter how hard anyone tries, it’s often impossible to make sense of the whims of “Idol” voters. “From the beginning of the season, Pia Toscano had been a popular bet who … was a clear favorite to win it all,” Bodog sportsbook manager Richard Gardner said. “It may be a shock that she was sent home, but with all the contestants putting on a solid performance the other night and the track record that this show has for voting the wrong people through, I am not surprised at all.” Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos ‘American Idol’ In 60 Seconds Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
Celebs take to Twitter to express shock after singer’s ‘American Idol’ elimination. By Gil Kaufman Pia Toscano sings goodbye on “American Idol” Photo: FOX It was the shock heard ’round the world. Within hours of Pia Toscano’s unexpected elimination on “American Idol” on Thursday night, celebrities and past “Idol” contestants took to Twitter to express their dismay at the ousting of the raven-haired singer who many had pegged as the woman who could break the recent string of male dominance on the show. “Who are the people that vote on ‘American Idol’?,” tweeted Ashton Kutcher. “That’s just crazy! That Pia girl is dope.” Oscar and Grammy winner Jennifer Hudson , who knows a thing or two about being booted off “Idol” way before her time, was equally dumbfounded. “I can not believe they just eliminated Pia!,” she wrote to her followers. “Really???? … Long as she walked away with that voice she will be alright!! Just hate to see talent like that go!” Some “Jersey Shore” castmembers were also upset about the results, with Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola writing , “Nooo please tell me why Pia is in the bottom 3?!” early in the show, then following up with, “WHAT!!!!!!!!! … wow. Upset over ‘American Idol’ right now.” Housemate Snooki wasn’t feeling it either, saying simply, ” ‘American Idol’ … WTF … Pia should have won the whole thing! I’m not watchin Idol anymore. I’m with JLO on this one.” After begging fans to stay with the show following Toscano’s booting, host Ryan Seacrest tweeted about what the scene was like when the cameras stopped rolling. “After we went off air no one in audience left their seat, everyone was in shock. Judges walked on stage to talk to her,” he wrote . “@JLo was emotional.” He used the opportunity to once again urge viewers to vote if they don’t like the results of Thursday’s show. “No one is EVER safe,” he insisted. “Gotta vote for ur fav.” Beatboxing singer Blake Lewis, runner-up to the last female who won the show, season six’s Jordin Sparks, was also dismayed, but said he thought Pia would be just fine. “Wow. Still blown away by America not voting for PIA! @PToscanoAI10 She will record a dope record and be fine, but come on. This stinks,” he tweeted . Other celebs weighed in as well, including one-season “Idol” judge Ellen DeGeneres, who told her followers that she was “shocked and sad” about Pia’s exit. Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks wrote , “Don’t have an ‘Idol’ habit, but how could the USA vote Pia off? I may be done for the season!” Others expressing dismay included Marlon Wayans, Minka Kelly, Alyssa Milano, former “Idol” finalist Melinda Doolittle and “Parenthood” actor Dax Shepard. In the end, Pia herself tweeted a farewell (for now), telling her followers, “I’m truly going to miss my idol family! Thank you @JLo Randy and Steven for believing in me. Love you and love my fans!” How do you feel about Pia’s elimination? Let us know in the comments below! Related Videos ‘American Idol’ In 60 Seconds Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Top 24
The first two elimination rounds of American Idol featured the surprising save of Casey Abrams, followed by a double ouster of Naima Adedapo and Thia Megia. Was the third contestant voted off tonight someone we expected, or did the voters have another surprise up their sleeves after Wednesday’s performances? Most pundits felt the Bottom Three would be made of Jacob Lusk, Paul McDonald and Stefano Langone. Two out of the three did in fact land there. But … The third member of the trio in danger was someone no one saw coming, and not only did that person land in the bottom three, they’re the one going home! Follow the jump to see which finalist left American Idol tonight … Pia Toscano was shockingly sent packing by voters this week! American Idol viewers eliminated their fifth consecutive female singer tonight, leaving Jacob, Stefano, the judges and plenty of fans beyond shocked. Many considered Pia to not just be safe tonight, but to have given Wednesday’s best performance and to be almost a lock for the Season 10 finals. “What a shock, what a surprise,” Ryan Seacrest said amid boos. Jennifer Lopez could not even hold back the tears. “I have no idea what just happened here. I’m shocked. I’m angry. I don’t even know what to say.” “A mistake is one thing, but a lack of passion is unforgivable,” Steven Tyler added, upset and nearly at a loss for words himself. “They’re wrong.” “We’re all in shock,” said Randy Jackson. “I’m gutted.” Think they’re regretting that save of Casey Abrams?! After her swan song (The Pretenders’ “I’ll Stand By You”), Pia Toscano broke down and was given a standing ovation from all, with many in tears. What do you think? Did America really blow it this week, or was Pia actually deserving of the heave-ho? Sound off in the comments …
Pia, Haley and Paul also rock the ‘Idol’ stage, while Stefano fails to make the grade. By Eric Ditzian Scotty McCreery performs on “American Idol” on Wednesday Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Fox The oddest thing about “American Idol” on Wednesday night wasn’t that Rock and Roll Hall of Fame night was largely rock-and-roll free. No, what was truly weird was that producers seemed to be trying out a new reality-show concept on the program — some newfangled version of “Perfect Strangers” starring Jimmy Iovine and will.i.am as a bickering, kind-of-annoying, yet ultimately endearing twosome. Is it too much to ask that pre-performance packages focus on contestants rather than look-at-me producers/personalities? To the folks behind the “Idol” scenes, we offer a firm tsk-tsk-tsk. To the singers themselves, we send out our hearty congratulations. No one bombed. No one put us to sleep. Five weeks into the finals, we’re proud of these kids. Here’s how they stack up on our latest “American Idol” report card. Excellent Scotty McCreery : He Who Shall Soon Sell Millions of Records promised to transform himself into a rocker for an Elvis Presley cover, but Scotty couldn’t ditch his country vibe if he hopped in a Ferrari and floored it. During his honky-tonk take on “That’s All Right, Mama,” the 17-year-old was loosey-goosey and loving being up on the stage. Oh, and he sounded great, too — like a true country pro. Scotty’s starting to believe he might win this thing. He’s not wrong. Good Haley Reinhart : We don’t often see stuff like this, a contestant struggling at the bottom tier of the competition, only to rediscover her greatness after weeks of confusion and criticism. That’s exactly what’s happened with Haley, who followed up a killer take on Elton John’s “Bennie and the Jets” with an impressive cover of Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart.” What a muscular voice she has! Our only complaint is that we wish the arrangement had been more sparse, allowing her vocals to soar. Pia Toscano : We hated the cheesy synth chords in the background of that cover of Tina Turner’s “River Deep, Mountain High.” We didn’t think she looked all that comfortable scrambling around the stage. None of that, however, matters at all. Why? Because Pia has one of the finest voices we’ve heard on “Idol” in years. End of story. Paul McDonald : Who would have guessed that Paul, and not Scotty, would be the one singing Johnny Cash? Paul’s take on “Folsom City Blues” was good, clean, swinging fun. Playing the guitar rather than flippity-flopping all over the stage continues to pay dividends for him. We’re just not sure any of it will be enough to keep him out of the bottom three. And that’s a shame. Satisfactory Jacob Lusk : There was goofy dancing. There was oh-no-don’t-do-that hip thrusting. There were pitch problems as far as the eye could see. OK, fine. But the most galling aspect of Jacob’s night was his smug observation that if he landed in the bottom three, it’d have nothing to do with his singing but rather would be an indictment of America herself. Listen, Jacob, we’ll give you the same advice we gave James Durbin a few weeks ago: Be humble and be great, because on Wednesday, you were neither. Casey Abrams : The bushy beard was back, as were the zany stares when you can almost hear Casey thinking, “If I just keep squinting, I’ll totally look all sexy and stuff, right?” Wrong! We like Casey because he’s got a hefty serving of soul hiding inside an unlikely package. And, yes, we liked his faithful Creedence Clearwater Revival homage. He’s got undeniable musical talent. But Casey continues to fall into default growl mode too often, and we’re no longer buying what he’s selling: That ain’t originality we’re hearing, it’s a defense mechanism. Lauren Alaina : We’re reluctant to drop Lauren into this category. She performed far better than Jacob or Casey. Yet her take on “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” didn’t hold a candle to tunes from Haley or Pia. We were happy to hear her deliver a ballad, as we’ve continued to argue it’s during slower songs that she’s able to shine. But let’s be clear: This was nothing compared to the cover that Kelly Clarkson busted out years ago — a fact that makes the judges’ comparisons last month of Lauren to the season one winner all the more laughable. James Durbin : James, too, slips into “satisfactory” territory, if only because at this point in the season, the competition is stiff and the top tier set the bar so high on Wednesday. We give him a big thumbs-up for embracing some soft Beatles rock, even if we maintain “Hey Jude” would have been a savvier choice. And we’d even go so far as to say his screams actually worked this time, bringing a rousing conclusion to a somewhat sleepy tune. So what was James problem? He only seemed to hit, oh, a third of the notes in “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” Unsatisfactory Stefano Langone : In the “Idol” audience, Christian Slater was clasping his hands, praying that Stefano would hit the money note on “When a Man Loves a Woman.” He didn’t, and he’s in serious danger of going home. The falsetto wasn’t there, nor was the sense that he’s not singing alone in his car but in front of millions of viewers at home. Stefano’s had a good and, one might argue, unlikely run. But heading out in the top nine seems about right. So how did you rate this week’s “Idol” performances? Share your opinions in the comments. Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
Jacob Lusk has a tendency to be overly dramatic on American Idol . It’s what has made this season 10 finalist a polarizing singer. It’s also what concerned Jimmy Iovine last night, as the producer was afraid Lusk’s style would negatively affect his cover of “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” and Jacob might “blow the whole thing.” J. Lo thought the rendition was “beautiful,” while Steven Tyler said both halves of the song just “blew me away.” Do you agree? Or was there almost too much emotion in this performance? Watch and decide. Jacob Lusk – Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word
Jacob Lusk has a tendency to be overly dramatic on American Idol . It’s what has made this season 10 finalist a polarizing singer. It’s also what concerned Jimmy Iovine last night, as the producer was afraid Lusk’s style would negatively affect his cover of “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” and Jacob might “blow the whole thing.” J. Lo thought the rendition was “beautiful,” while Steven Tyler said both halves of the song just “blew me away.” Do you agree? Or was there almost too much emotion in this performance? Watch and decide. Jacob Lusk – Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word
Casey Abrams might still be in shock. The same goes for American Idol viewers, who didn’t expect the judges to use their one save on him so early in the season. But that they did last week, a decision Jennifer Lopez says she’s fine with. “We knew that it was kind of a radical decision because it was so early in the season, but to be quite honest… that is one decision that I haven’t lost one ounce of sleep over,” the singer told Ryan Seacrest on his radio show today. Should the judges have saved Casey Abrams? Vote now ! Okay… but why Abrams? “[Casey] is one of our most dynamic performers. He’s so interesting and so talented,” Lopez told the American Idol host. “I know it’s crazy, but we had to do it!” Now, of course, the decision is out of Lopez and the judges’ hands. Best of luck choosing the winner, viewers! “I really feel we put 11 amazing contestants in front of them, and now it’s [about] who their favorite is, who’s going to be their American Idol,” concluded J. Lo. “I didn’t realize I was going to fall in love with the contestants the way I have and feel for them the way I do.”
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