Posts Tagged ‘Dolly Parton’

TV Weekly Recap: Nigel, Sandra Lee and Dolly Parton!

May 1st, 2009

What a week!

Not only did I have a visit with Idol castoffs Lil Rounds and Anoop Desai (read all they had to say in the upcoming issue of OK! magazine, on sale, Thurs. May 7), So You Think You Can Dance judges Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy popped in too.

I asked the question everyone is dying to know: Will Sex be back?

“Yes, David is back,” Nigel revealed. He refuses to call Sex, a.k.a. David Soller, by his self-appointed stage name. We can relate.

“This time we put him through,” Nigel declared.

O.M.G. That’s going to be TV that cannot be missed.

Look for Sex and the rest of the So You Think You Can Dance crew to return Thurs. May 21 at 8 p.m. on Fox.

I also enjoyed a delicious breakfast made by semi-homemade queen herself Sandra Lee at a launch party for her new cooking show, Sandra’s Money Saving Meals.

On the new series, Sandra teaches cash-strapped families how to best shop the grocery stores for the best prices on food, and then whip up those thrifty purchases into an incredible meal.

“It’s is an aspiration, it’s attainable and it’s affordable,” she shared.

Sandra’s Money Saving Meals premieres just in time for Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 10 at 12 p.m. on the Food Network.

Still the week wasn’t complete until I was on the red carpet for the opening night of 9 to 5: The Musical, now running at the Marquis Theatre on Broadway in New York City.

(You may recall, 9 to 5 was actually turned into a TV series in 1982 and returned to air in 1986!)

There I met the gracious and amazing Dolly Parton.

Even though she had done a slew of video interviews on the carpet, the petite country diva was kind enough to return over to us print reporters saying, “Sorry I didn’t mean to skip you all.”

Oh Miss Parton, all the more reason to love you!

 

FYI: If you’re a fan of the NYC Housewives, the network is hosting first ever live ultimate virtual viewing party for the finale of The Real Housewives of New York City, Tuesday, May 5 at 10 p.m. on Bravo. Fans of the show can chat about the series via Twitter, Facebook Connect, and live mobile chat!

 

Until next week, fellow fanatics!

Jerry O’Connell: Strict Father-To-Be

September 1st, 2008 / Author: OK! Staff

A lot of dads tend to be overly cautious when it comes to protecting their daughters from male suitors, but actor Jerry O’Connell, who is currently expecting twin girls with wife Rebecca Romijn, has taken it up a notch in the overprotectiveness department.

"I was a little strict when I first found out I was having girls," he explained to OK! at the Nike + Human Race in L.A. on Sunday. "I was like, ‘They’re not allowed to date until I die.’ That was my original thought. They can date boys when I’m dead."

But after Rebecca brought him back down to reality, the Do Not Disturb star has eased up — slightly. "I said, ‘Okay, they can date when I’m alive, but it has to be with men who are currently — or heir to — running a country.’ Someone who is a world leader. They are allowed to date boys but it has to be a boy who is heir to a throne of a nation. I don’t care which nation – just a nation."

Meanwhile, Jerry tells OK! that Rebecca’s pregnancy has actually aided him in getting through the stresses of working on a new sitcom. "What’s funny is I’ll stress out and then I’ll come home and my wife will be like ‘Feel the babies,’ and then I’ll feel them and I’m like ‘Wow, what am I stressed out for?’ Just have a healthy kid."

And while Jerry’s been hard at work on Do Not Disturb, Rebecca’s been having some odd cravings in the kitchen. "Soy cream cheese," he revealed. "We are by no means vegetarians. We eat dairy. We eat meat. We eat it all. But for some reason soy cream cheese is the call, which is interesting because I have to ask someone at the supermarket where it’s kept because it’s usually kept in a strange area. It’s in a hummus section that I’m not quite familiar with."

The father-to-be has also learned not to mess with his wife’s very specific cravings. "She asked for soy cream cheese and I brought back regular cream cheese and I was like ‘Cream cheese is cream cheese’ and she’s like, ‘No it isn’t. You’ve got to get the soy stuff.’"

With fraternal twin girls on the way, Jerry is learning all about preparing for two new family members. "I’m looking for two for one sales everywhere," he said. "But it’s so cute man. I can’t wait. Getting like little girly clothes and everything. It’s just fun."

So what about names for his little girls? "The advice I’ve heard from people who have twins is don’t call them ‘the twins’ and don’t name them rhyming names," Jerry told OK!, adding that he had considered naming them after Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. "That’s what I wanted because they’re earners. Those girls make money. If my girls made that kind of money I’d be really proud of them."

Jerry did reveal that one of the girls might end up as a tribute to another famous star. "We’re probably, most definitely, going to name one of them Dolly because my wife is such a Dolly Parton fan and believe it or not Dolly Parton’s name is Dolly Rebecca. So I was joking that if one of them was Dolly, we should name the other one Lama. That would be funny. Or what about Dolly and Cher? It’s like – destined for stardom."

By Jon Warech

Michael’s Celebrity Fan Club

April 11th, 2008 / Author: cwillett

It seems as if the only person who isn’t mad that Michael Johns got kicked off American Idol last night is Michael Johns. But it was no surprise he’s still smiling once he had told OK! about the list of superstars who are singing his praises.

The Aussie star doesn’t even have any hard feelings for Ryan Seacrest after the cruel little mind game he played with him on air.

 

Some have said that host Ryan was more than a little mean when he tried to pump up the suspense by telling Michael that he had lost, then letting him think he might be saved, before finally dropping the ax.

"Look, I get the television aspect of this. But it was tough," Michael says, admitting that he fell for the trick. "But then reality set in and Ryan gave me a look like, ‘Look, I’m so sorry I had to do that,’ " he said.

"I don’t hold it against Ryan."

 

He says the tidal wave of boos from the studio audience after the result was read out more than made up for it. "It was pretty loud in there," Michael told us. "It gave me solace that I stuck in there with a lot of people and it made me feel really special, actually."

Anyway, he could hardly have stayed bitter after day he has had. This morning after he had finished a video-link interview with the Fox and Friends TV show, Michael got a spontaneous message from their studio guest, Dolly Parton.

Michael, originally from Perth, Australia, had been blown away when he got to meet Dolly when she appeared on Idol as a mentor two weeks ago, and he said it was "surreal" to hear from her again this morning.

"I don’t know how she was made aware of it, but all of a sudden she was saying, ‘I couldn’t believe you got voted off, it was really shocking to me,’ and that fact that she loved what I did with her song, which was amazing to me," he told OK!.

 

"And she said that she would love to write and maybe sing a song with me one of these days!"

"That’s so surreal to hear Dolly Parton say, ‘I can’t wait to sing a duet with you one day.’ That’s awesome," he said.

The 29-year-old told us that the country superstar isn’t the only member of his celebrity fan club.

 

"I got a reach-out from Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman," he said. "I was their favorite and they watch every week and it’s just amazing how far this show reaches. Everyone from a Dolly Parton to a Keith Urban," he said.

"It was a message passed on to me at an event we went to on Wednesday night on Idol Gives Back. It was the last thing that I expected to hear. To hear two great Australians saying that to you, I was very, very honored."

Michael says he was truly shocked to be voted off the show after never having finished in the Bottom 3 in his eight weeks on the show. But he says he’s done enough to set himself up for the music career he’s always dreamed of.

 

Paula even told him after the elimination that "she’d bet her house" that she’d be sitting in one of his concerts soon.

Michael, of Buckhead, Ga., says there’s more to being a star after Idol than winning the contest. "It depends on what album you make afterwards, it depends on whether on the show you were true to yourself and I think the people who have succeeded afterwards, from the Kimberley Locke to the Carrie Underwoods.

 

"That’s the one common thing: they’ve been true to themselves and stayed true to their hearts," he said.

"For me what was more important was showing America what kind of record I’m going to make, after the fact," he added.

And, anyway, it’s no wonder Michael doesn’t take it too hard when you hear his theory about his early exit: Michael thinks he lost the vote because he was too good.

"No one’s safe," he said. "The public can think week-to-week like, ‘Oh, they did a good performance’ or ‘They’re coming off a good two- or three-week run and I’m going to vote for someone who maybe didn’t have a good night’."

 

He added that he doesn’t think his being Australian played a part in his downfall, especially since so many of the other contestants were born, or have parents who were born, outside of the USA.

 

Michael says he plans to stay in America and have an album out by next year. But right now, he says, he has some more short-term plans to attend to, in the tradition of his native Australia. "We’re a pretty big beer drinking nation. So that’s probably what I’m going to do in a little bit!"

Idol Mentors Announced

March 20th, 2008 / Author: OK! Staff

From Jennifer Lopez to Barry Manilow, being a mentor on American Idol has become something of a trend among the biggest names in music in recent seasons. And looking at the list of this year’s celebrity tutors, Season 7 appears to be no different.

On Wednesday night’s elimination show, Ryan Seacrest took a time out from answering phone calls and hen-pecking Simon Cowell to run down the list of confirmed mentors for this season’s crop of American Idol finalists and these marquee represent the best in everything from pop to country to Broadway.

First there’s country legend Dolly Parton, who opened the door in the ’70s for brassy, blonde country stars and whose songs are often sung during the Idol auditions. And then there’s R&B and pop diva Mariah Carey, whose unique vocal abilities the judges often warn the contestants against trying to imitate.

From the other side of the Atlantic Ocean comes Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, the award-winning mastermind behind some of the biggest musicals in theater history. The remaining finalists will try out their Broadway chops on tunes from Cats, Phantom of the Opera, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar and many others.

And getting one of the biggest rounds of applause on Wednesday was the name of Neil Diamond. The superstar singer/songwriter will open up his extensive songbook, which includes too many hits to count.

Start an office pool now to bet on which contestant gives "Forever in Blue Jeans" a shot — and which young singer will confess to not knowing much about the music legend.

Dolly Parton: Miley Is a “Little Elvis”

March 17th, 2008 / Author: cwillett

She may just be starting her career out, but Dolly Parton thinks Miley Cyrus will soon become as iconic as another acting/singing superstar.

"That little Miley Cyrus… she’s like a little Elvis," Dolly tells AOL.

Though she admits she is slightly biased as 15-year-old Miley is her goddaughter, Dolly still can’t hold back the compliments for the teen star. Of particular note are Miley’s songwriting skills, which she believes can rival those of someone twice her age.

"The kids love her because she’s Hannah Montana, but what people don’t realize about her is she is such a fantastic singer and songwriter," Dolly says. "She writes songs like she’s 40 years old! She’s really deep."

Having enjoyed a 40-plus year long career, the 62-year-old, who also believes Alison Krauss, Keith Urban and Kenny Chesney have what it takes to go all the way, feels Miley is destined for longterm success.

"I think that she’s gonna have a big career after that show is off the air," Dolly says. "But I’m amazed at the talent that child has and the effect she has on people. And a lot of that ain’t just Disney, a lot of that is Miley."

On The Road With Kellie Pickler

February 16th, 2008

My sister-in-law LeAnn can’t wait to see Kellie Pickler perform tonight at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana. My brother Jeff isn’t the biggest fan of country music but he’s going anyway.

Dolly Parton Postpones Tour

February 11th, 2008 / Author: cwillett

Country music superstar Dolly Parton hopes her fans will pardon her for postponing her world tour. The busty singer, who is set to release her new album, Backwoods Barbie, on Feb. 26, has to take a few weeks to rest a back injury.

 

Dolly was set to hit the road on Feb. 28 in Minneapolis, Minn., but now will hit the road in April and May. Tickets will be honored on those dates.

 

In a statement, Dolly said: "I know I have been breaking my neck and bending over backwards trying to get my new Backwoods Barbie CD and world tour together, but I didn’t mean to hurt myself doing it! But hey, you try wagging these puppies around a while and see if you don’t have back problems. Seriously though, the doctors said I will be good as new in a few weeks, and I can’t wait to get back out there. See you soon, Dolly."

 

Get well soon!

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