Harry Connick, Jr. is Newest American Idol Judge; J-Lo Returns

Years ago, when Harry Connick, Jr. was a guest mentor on American Idol, I said he would make a great judge.  Well it took some time, but Fox announced today that Connick will, indeed, be a judge this season.

According to today's announcement, Grammy Award-winning and platinum-selling recording artist,actress, movie and television producer and entrepreneur Jennifer Lopez will return to  AMERICAN IDOL XIII as a judge. She will be joined Connick, the Grammy- and Emmy Award-winning multi-platinum singer, musician, songwriter, composer and film/television and Broadway actor.  The two join the other two judges on the panel, Keith Urban, the four-time Grammy Award-winning country artist who has sold more than 15 million albums, and the returning Randy Jackson.

Ryan Seacrest will continue as host.

Kevin Reilly, Chairman of Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company said, “AMERICAN IDOL has always been about discovering the next singing superstar, and next season our judging panel will deliver a most impressive combination of talent, wisdom and personality to do just that: Jennifer Lopez, the triple-threat global superstar who loves IDOL and whom IDOL fans love; Harry Connick, Jr., a bona-fide musical genius and fantastic IDOL mentor whose honesty and expertise can help turn these hopefuls into stars; Keith Urban, a multi-Grammy-winning artist who was such a positive force on the show last season. We are also very excited to have our friend Randy Jackson now in a new role as mentor, and the captain of our team – the heart and soul of IDOL – Ryan Seacrest returning as host.” 

“#IDOL2014TheRemix,” tweeted Jennifer Lopez.

“I have always been a huge fan of AMERICAN IDOL and really enjoyed my time as a mentor on the show,” said Harry Connick, Jr. “And I am honored that they’ve asked me to be a judge this season. As an entertainer, I am truly excited to bring my perspective to AMERICAN IDOL, and to help emerging performers find their way.”

“Surprise, surprise! I am so happy to be back as part of this amazing show that started it all,” said Randy Jackson.  “Season 1-3 is the place to be. The original talent show is back with a vengeance and ready to discover the best talent in America.”

“I think this season of IDOL is gonna be a blast,” said Keith Urban.  ”New team, new energy and a whole new field of artists to be discovered and given a chance!”

“I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of the AMERICAN IDOL XIII family. Our new producers, judging panel and mentor are all fired up for this season,” said Ryan Seacrest. “I’ve already witnessed some amazingly talented contestants from around the country during our early auditions, cementing my belief that a new superstar is well within our sights.”

IDOL hopefuls will meet the AMERICAN IDOL XIII team when the auditions travel to Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Detroit, Omaha, Salt Lake City and San Francisco. AMERICAN IDOL XIII debuts in January 2014 on FOX.

Universal Music Group’s Interscope Records, under the direction of Chairman Jimmy Iovine, will continue to release IDOL winner and contestant music.

IDOL’s impact on the entertainment industry resonates beyond the scope of television. The series has brought generations together with a common goal: to discover the next music superstar. Over the past 12 seasons, IDOL finalists have released more than 200 albums, scored 396 No.1 Billboard hits, garnered more than 250 million iTunes downloads and have been certified with 95 Gold and 83 Platinum records. IDOL contestants have conquered Broadway, television and film and have won numerous awards and accolades, including American Country Music Awards, Country Music Awards, Grammy Awards and an Academy Award.

About Jennifer Lopez:

Actress, entertainer, music artist, film and TV producer, fashion designer, entrepreneur and humanitarian Jennifer Lopez has been called one of the most powerful and celebrated celebrities in entertainment.

In 2012, Forbes Magazine named her the No. 1 Most Powerful Celebrity in the World.

 

Lopez has transformed the global music scene. She has sold more than 75 million records worldwide and starred in multiple box-office No. 1 films, including “Monster-In-Law” and “The Wedding Planner.” In 2001, “The Wedding Planner” was the nation’s top-grossing film, while her album, “J.Lo,” was No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart. The two simultaneous No. 1 honors made Lopez the first woman in history to have a No. 1 movie and No. 1 album in the same week.

In May 2011, Lopez released the album “LOVE?,” The first single, “On The Floor,” also featuring Pitbull, became a worldwide phenomenon. This song shot to No. 1 in 18 countries and became the most downloaded song of her career. The music video set an all-time record, making Lopez the first female artist on online video site Vevo to rack up 100 million views in the shortest amount of time. The music video has become the most watched music video by any female artist in the history of YouTube, logging more than 686 million views.

She made her feature film debut in the highly acclaimed “Mi Familia,” then earned widespread acclaim for her work in the title role of “Selena,” which brought her a Golden Globe Award nomination. Her film credits include Lasse Hallström’s “An Unfinished Life,” with Robert Redford and Morgan Freeman; Oliver Stone’s “U-Turn”; “Maid In Manhattan”; “Money Train”; Francis Ford Coppola’s “Jack,” with Robin Williams; “Blood and Wine,” opposite Jack Nicholson; Luis Mandoki’s “Angel Eyes”; “The Cell”; Steven Soderbergh’s “Out of Sight,” with George Clooney; Michael Apted’s “Enough”; and “Anaconda.” Playing the role of actress and producer, she starred in the feature films “El Cantante,” a drama about the life of salsa legend Hector Lavoe, and “Bordertown,” opposite Antonio Banderas. In 2011, she starred in the romantic comedy “The Back-up Plan.”

In 2012, Lopez was part of the ensemble cast of “What To Expect When You’re Expecting,” and she lent her voice to the character of “Shira,” a sabre-toothed tiger, in the animated film “Ice Age 4: Continental Drift.” In January 2013, she starred opposite Jason Statham in an adaptation of the crime/thriller literary series, “Parker,” directed by Taylor Hackford.

This past year, Lopez also partnered with NUVOtv, becoming the Chief Creative Officer for the network. Nuyorican, her TV and film production company, already has produced several specials and series for the network. She also is executive producer of the hit cable series “The Fosters.”

Lopez set the branding standard for celebrity fragrance, apparel and accessories. Last year, Lopez was named the celebrity with the most successful fragrance line in history. 

Her commitment to making a difference and her passion for making this world better is highlighted through her work with children, via The Lopez Family Foundation, a not-for-profit she started with her sister, Lynda. The Lopez Family Foundation is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of women and children, and raising the level of medical care available to them. The foundation is currently working with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles on a telemedicine program that will help underserved communities around the world to be treated with state-of-the-art technology and by top doctors. The organization opened its first telemedicine center in Puerto Rico in 2010 and seven new centers in Panama in 2011.

About Harry Connick, Jr.:

Harry Connick, Jr. is a rarity in the realm of entertainment, exemplifying excellence in every aspect of his multi-faceted career. He has won three Grammy Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards and is a multiple-Tony Award nominee.

A New Orleans native, Connick began his career as a performer at the age of five. At 19, he signed with Columbia Records. His stunning piano technique and vivid musical imagination was easily recognized on his debut, self-titled album. Soon after, he released his follow-up album, “20,” and then found multi-platinum success with the soundtrack to “When Harry Met Sally…”

Connick’s continued musical success has spanned over the course of 29 albums, with sales totaling 28 million worldwide units. His most recent album, “Every Man Should Know,” was released in June 2013.

In addition to his burgeoning music career, Connick also began acting professionally. Among his feature film credits are “Little Man Tate,” “Copycat,” “Hope Floats,” “Memphis Belle,” “Independence Day,” “Life without Dick,” “Mickey,” “Basic,” “P.S. I Love You,” “New in Town” and “Dolphin Tale.” His voiceover skills also were featured in “My Dog Skip” and “The Iron Giant.” Next fall, he will be seen in “Dolphin Tale 2,” the sequel to 2011’s No. 1 hit family film. 

On television, Connick is perhaps best known for his recurring role on “Will & Grace.” He also appeared in an arc of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” and has graced audiences with his musical talents in several primetime specials, including “Harry for the Holidays,”  the Emmy Award-winning PBS specials “Only You in Concert” and “Harry Connick, Jr. in Concert on Broadway” and the animated tale “The Happy Elf.”

His Broadway career boasts equal recognition, having received Tony Award nominations as both composer/lyricist for the musical “Thou Shalt Not” and as the lead in the Tony Award-winning revival of “The Pajama Game.” He also has adapted “The Happy Elf” for children’s theater, starred in the Broadway revival of “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever” and – on the 20^th anniversary of his first Broadway concerts at the Lunt-Fontaine Theatre - brought his live show for an extended residency at the Neil Simon Theatre.

Not surprisingly, Connick has used his influence as an entertainer to further his charitable work. Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, he created, along with fellow musician and “New Orleanian” Branford Marsalis, the Musicians’ Village in the Upper Ninth Ward. The village provides homes for musicians and other displaced citizens, a community center with a performance hall, recording studio and after-school facility for kids. His contributions to the post-Katrina effort have been acknowledged by a Redbook Strength and Spirit Award, an honorary degree from Tulane University and the 2012 Jefferson Award for Public Service.

AMERICAN IDOL XIII hopefuls also can audition at www.americanidol.com, by submitting an audition video online. Entrants should demonstrate their stellar singing ability by performing a song of their choice a cappella. Videos are limited to one submission per person. Please visit www.americanidol.com for submission rules and terms and conditions.

AMERICAN IDOL XIII is produced by 19 Entertainment, a division of CORE Media Group, and FremantleMedia North America. The series is created and executive-produced by Simon Fuller, CEO, XIX Entertainment. Cecile Frot-Coutaz for FremantleMedia; Trish Kinane and Per Blankens for FremantleMedia North America; and Evan Prager and Jesse Ignjatovic for 19 Entertainment.

Former Bachelorette Gets an "E" TV Gig

Ali Fedotowsky and Jesse Giddings have joined the “E! News” on-air team as

"We are happy to welcome Ali and Jesse to the E! family as full-time correspondents," said Cyndi McClellan, President, Network Strategy and E! News, in making the announcement.  “Their passion for pop culture will allow Ali and Jesse to capture the viewer’s perspective in a unique and fun way.”
E! News for July 2013 delivered its biggest month since January’s Red Carpet coverage.   Driven by news of the royal baby and other big pop culture stories over the past couple weeks (weeks of 7/15 and 7/22), E! News strongly advanced across all its key demos, building over its prior 4-weeks in its core P18-49 demo (+7%) as well as HH (+10%), and W18-49 (+9%), and reaching nearly 19.8 million viewers.

Best known to audiences as the Season Six "Bachelorette," Fedotowsky first captured the hearts of American viewers on "The Bachelor."  Following her appearances on "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette," Fedotowsky went to work straightaway as an on-air news correspondent for Fox 5 in San Diego.  Prior to joining “E! News,” Fedotowsky served as the host of NBC’s “1st Look,” the lifestyle show that delivers viewers the best places around the country to eat, play and indulge, which she will continue to host through the Fall season.  She has appeared on numerous shows, including "Today," "Rachael Ray," "The Steve Harvey Show," and E!'s own "Fashion Police." She can also be seen in Woody Allen's latest film "Blue Jasmine.”

correspondents, it was announced today.  Fedotowsky, who has served as guest co-host and correspondent for "E! News" in the past, joins the permanent E! staff following her role as host of "1st Look," the Emmy-award winning lifestyle show produced by the NBC Owned Television Stations’ LX.TV.  Giddings comes to E! from Canada's MuchMusic, where he served as host of the popular flagship show "New.Music.Live."  The two new full-time correspondents will cover a wide variety of pop culture stories for "E! News."
Giddings hosted MuchMusic's flagship programming for several years.  During that time, he was host of MuchOnDemand which became "New.Music.Live," and as such interviewed some of the biggest names in popular music, including will.i.am, Drake, Justin Beiber and Katy Perry, to name a few.   Additionally he hosted the MuchMusic Video Awards for two years, with Selena Gomez as co-host one year and LMFAO the other.  Recently he co-hosted "The X Factor USA" Pepsi Pre-show with Adrienne Bailon on "The X Factor USA" website for Season Two of the musical competition series.

As a musician, last year he toured Canada with Marianas Trench and Down With Webster, and over his career has performed with numerous bands and artists, including Joe Jonas, All Time Low and Hot Chelle Rae.  He is a big supporter of Free The Children and has co-hosted more than 15 WeDay events across Canada in the last 3 years with such personalities as Joe Jonas and Nina Dobrev.  WeDay is the largest non-profit motivational event for youth in North America and these events featured speakers like Martin Sheen, Al Gore, Mikhael Gorbachev, Magic Johnson, HH the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Larry King, Richard Branson and Mia Farrow to name a few.  Giddings dedication recently took him to Kenya to assist in the hands-on building of a school for local children there.

Crazy Bachelorette Finale a Winner for ABC

It was the weirdest Bachelorette/Bachelor finale ever.  In last night's conclusion of the latest season, Desiree Hartsock, having been rejected by Brooks, the man she "loved," chose Chris.  I guess second best is better than nothing.  Despite the endless tears, confusion and indecisiveness, the show was a hit for ABC, which released the following:

Featuring the season finale of "The Bachelorette" and "After the Final Rose," ABC won Monday night by wide margins over its nearest competition (CBS) in Total Viewers (+38% - 8.7 million vs. 6.3 million) and Adults 18-49 (+63% - 2.6/7 vs. 1.6/5).  "The Bachelorette" finished as Monday's highest-rated TV show in Adults 18-49, as the Net ranked No. 1 all 3 hours of the evening. 

* ABC's "The Bachelorette" finale was the most social broadcast series on Monday night, delivering the show's highest number of tweets of the season (346,447).  ABC's "After the Final Rose" special generated more than 340,000 tweets.  During its season, "The Bachelorette" produced 1.9 million total tweets.

"The Bachelorette" (8:00-10:00 p.m.)

Doubling its nearest competition from 8:00-10:00 p.m., "The Bachelorette" finale beat out NBC's unscripted combo ("American Ninja Warrior"/"Get Out Alive with Bear Grylls") in the 2-hour time period by a best-yet 105% in Total Viewers (8.8 million vs. 4.3 million) and by 100% in Adults 18-49 (2.6/8 vs. 1.3/4).  Building throughout its broadcast, the show shot up by 1.4 million viewers (8.2 million to 9.6 million) and by 26% in Adults 18-49 (2.3/8 to 2.9/8) from its first half-hour to its final half-hour. 

* Up week to week in Total Viewers (+11%) and Adults 18-49 (+8%), "The Bachelorette" marked season-highs for the 2nd straight week.  In viewers and young adults, "The Bachelorette" scored 2-year summertime highs for ABC in the time period - since 08/01/11.

"The Bachelorette: After the Final Rose" (10:00-11:00 p.m.)

During the 10 o'clock hour, ABC's "The Bachelorette: After the Final Rose" tied CBS' Under the Dome for No. 1 in Adults 18-49 (2.5/7), while dominating the hour in Adults 18-34 (2.2/7) and all key Women (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54).  In Total Viewers (8.3 million) and Adults 18-49 (2.5/7), "After the Final Rose" produced ABC's strongest summer performance in the hour since August 2011 (since 08/01/11).

Sean Hayes to Host NBC Preview Show

NBC is unwrapping its new fall offerings with “The 2013 NBC Primetime Preview Show,”

The half-hour show will air across a wide horizon of NBCUniversal media platforms and NBC broadcast affiliates and owned television stations from Aug. 24-Oct. 6. The program is estimated to be distributed more than 500 times over broadcast and across a variety of the NBCUniversal family of cable channels, as well on digital platforms.

The preview also will be made available to NBC affiliates and the network’s owned television stations websites. In addition, American Airlines will feature the show in its in-flight programming.

The “Primetime Preview Show” will take a peek at NBC’s new comedies “The Michael J. Fox Show” (premiere Sept. 26), “Sean Saves the World” (Oct. 3) and “Welcome to the Family” (Oct. 3) as well as freshman dramas “The Blacklist” (Sept. 23) “Ironside” (Oct. 2) and “Dracula” (Oct. 25). Other key returning series, such as “Revolution,” “The Voice” and “Chicago Fire,” will also be featured.
hosted by Sean Hayes and the cast of “Sean Saves the World.”

Another New Show for Ryan Seacrest

Emmy Award-winning producer and host Ryan Seacrest has been tapped as host of NBC’s unique, fast-paced live interactive game show “The Million Second Quiz.” The announcement was made by Paul Telegdy, NBC’s president of alternative and late night programming.

“When people see Ryan Seacrest, whether at the Emmys, the Oscars or New Year’s Eve, he is at the epicenter of national events” said Telegdy.  “He is a broadcaster, in all the traditional sense, but also in the most contemporary -- he is an accomplished host of live TV and a master of social media and pop culture.  This makes him perfect for ‘The Million Second Quiz.’”

“I’m so excited to be hosting this new live game show on NBC, as it’s really a fun and different format that I believe will generate lots of fans across different platforms,” said Ryan Seacrest. “I’m looking forward to working with the other producers and everyone at NBC to make the show a success.”

“The Million Second Quiz” premieres Monday, Sept. 9 (8-9 p.m. ET) and continues through Saturday, Sept. 14 in that same 8 p.m. hour. It will then resume on Monday, Sept. 16 and will air each night (8-9 p.m. ET) until the finale on Thursday, Sept. 19 (8-10 p.m. ET) when the winner will claim the largest guaranteed prize in game show history.  “The Million Second Quiz” is produced by All3 Media America, Studio Lambert and Universal Television. Stephen Lambert, Eli Holzman, David A. Hurwitz and Seacrest serve as executive producers.

The concept for the show involves contestants playing head-to-head trivia bouts inside a massive outdoor hourglass-shaped structure in midtown Manhattan and competing non-stop for a million seconds (11 days, 13 hours, 46 minutes and 40 seconds).  Each bout consists of one player sitting in the “money chair,” accumulating as much time on the chair as possible by answering trivia questions against a rival sitting in an opposite chair. Each second a player holds the money chair is worth $10, potentially earning millions. Those who want to face off against the person sitting in the money chair can do so by physically coming down to the hourglass or by successfully answering questions online using their mobile devices or home computers.

Seacrest holds preeminent positions in broadcast and cable television, nationally syndicated radio and local radio. He has a groundbreaking agreement with NBCUniversal that includes on-air broadcasting and producing duties across the NBC and E! networks. He is also celebrated internationally as host of the top-rated primetime talent showcase “American Idol” on Fox and also serves as an executive producer and host of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” on ABC. On radio, Seacrest is host of “On Air with Ryan Seacrest,” his market-topping #1 nationally syndicated LA morning drive-time show for Clear Channel’s 102.7 KIIS-FM, as well as a nationally-syndicated Top 40 radio show.

Seacrest launched Ryan Seacrest Productions (RSP) in 2006, which has since become an Emmy-winning television production powerhouse creating unscripted, scripted and digital programming. RSP produces the E! hit series “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” and spin-offs “Kourtney and Kim Take Miami” and “Khloe and Lamar.” RSP produces “Married to Jonas,”  “The Wanted Life” for E!, “Shahs of Sunset” on Bravo, “Montecito” for A&E, “How I Rock It” for Esquire, and “Superstar Showdown” for Telemundo. RSP is also producing “Mixology,” a new scripted series for ABC, as well as “The Restart Project,” a digital series for AOL. The company also produced the Emmy Award-winning reality series “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.”

Seacrest is also an entrepreneur, investing in media and entertainment companies: he recently made an investment in Civic Entertainment Group, a marketing services company, as well as in the new cable channel, AXS TV. He also has made investments in startups including Pinterest and FlightCar. His philanthropic efforts are focused on youth-oriented initiatives, including serving as Chairman of The Ryan Seacrest Foundation and Honorary Chair of the Grammy Foundation. Seacrest began in his career in his hometown of Atlanta and currently resides in Los Angeles.

End of Season for All My Children and One Life to Live

Prospect Park's The OnLine Network (TOLN) today announced their first season finales of their acclaimed dramas, “One Life To Live” on Monday, August 19th and “All My Children” on Monday, September 2nd. Both of these iconic series, which premiered to great fanfare this past April, have consistently ranked in the top 10 on iTunes, Hulu and Hulu Plus, and have had tens of millions of views since their historic online debut.  TOLN also announced that future seasons of the shows will benefit from the launch of a new, user-friendly web portal and app that will make it even easier for fans to connect with their favorite characters and will take their level of interaction to a whole new level.

"We could not be more proud to have delivered a stunning season of ‘All My Children’ and One Life to Live,’ and really thank the creative teams and cast for being true partners in this journey. Together we have tackled more business, creative, and logistical challenges than most shows experience in a lifetime of production, yet we continue to prevail with these top rated, critically acclaimed shows,” said Kwatinetz. “We are prepping now for next season and have more surprises and twists and turns to deliver audiences—I am just hoping they stay on the soaps and not in our way.” 

TOLN’s new digital destination for the network, www.toln.com, will feature dedicated series pages, enhanced video content, detailed show descriptions, cast and character pages, a photo gallery with social shopping functionality, links to the social media communities for both shows on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. and much more.  The complimentary mobile app for iOS and Android will allow fans to watch full length episodes of ”One Life to Live” and “All My Children,” in addition to exclusive clips, interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. The TOLN app will work on iOS (3G and Retina Display) and Android devices.

The first season of “All My Children” wraps up by answering many of the seasons burning questions.  Will Angie and Jesse finally bring home Cassandra after her horrific journey?  Will the ordeal bring them closer or is Jesse keeping another secret that could put his family in jeopardy?  Will Pete finally end up with Celia or do Colby and Opal have other plans?  And what of Dimitri’s feelings for Brooke? Miranda’s for AJ?  Zach’s for Kendall?  And is there a big surprise in store for Cara, JR and David about Oliver?  Lots of action to come.

This season of “One Life to Live” wraps as the entire town of Llanview attends the annual Man of the Year Gala. Viki and Dorian, co-chairs of the planning committee, hope that the event will go off without a hitch. However, with the conflicts between many of the characters brewing to the surface, that looks nearly impossible.  Fireworks explode and it all comes to a head with the shocking return of a fan favorite in a big way. Everything comes to a head on the season finale of “One Life to Live!”

ABOUT PROSPECT PARK
Prospect Park is a media and production company founded in 2009 by entertainment industry veterans Jeffrey Kwatinetz and former Disney Studios head Rich Frank. Along with successful film and music divisions, the company’s television group has numerous shows in development and breakout network hits airing including “Royal Pains” and “Wilfred.”

Keith Urban to return to American Idol

Keith Urban, a four-time Grammy Award winner who has sold more than 15 million albums, will return to AMERICAN IDOL XIII as a judge.  IDOL hopefuls will meet Emmy Award-nominated host Ryan Seacrest and the judges, including Urban, when the auditions travel to Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Detroit, Omaha, Salt Lake City and San Francisco. AMERICAN IDOL XIII debuts in January 2014 on FOX. Additional judges to be announced. About Keith Urban: 2013 is poised to be another spectacular year for Keith Urban, who has already celebrated the success of a sold-out Australian Arena tour and received his first Golden Globe Award nomination for his song “For You,” his initial foray writing specifically for a motion picture. A performance with the Rolling Stones and at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Concert, combined with Urban’s fourth annual All 4 The Hall Benefit Concert performing alongside Rebels and Renegades’ Willie Nelson, Kid Rock, Jason Aldean, Kris Kristofferson, Vince Gill, Tim McGraw and Eric Church, amongst others, has further solidified the respect that Urban has received as a musician and player. In the spring, Urban released his first single in nearly two years, “Little Bit of Everything,” and wrapped Season 12 of FOX’s AMERICAN IDOL, on which he serves as a judge. In July, he launched the first outdoor summer tour of his career, Light The Fuse Tour 2013, with Little Big Town and special guest Dustin Lynch. The tour will move into arenas in October and will continue through December. Urban’s eighth studio album, “FUSE,” will be released on September 10. In 2001, the Country Music Association honored Urban with its Horizon Award, designating him a talented artist with a bright future. He is the first Horizon Award winner in history to go on to win the CMA’s Male Vocalist of the Year, a title he’s captured three times, and the coveted Entertainer of the Year. More than 15 million albums later, Keith is a four-time Grammy Award winner who has also won a People’s Choice Award and American Music Award. He’s won five Academy of Country Music Awards, had 14 No. 1’s, including 28 Top 5 hits, and has had five consecutive platinum or multi-platinum albums. In 2012, he became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Urban’s reputation as a songwriter, musician, vocalist and virtuoso guitarist is no more evident than when he is onstage. His electrifying concerts have played to sold-out venues from Australia to Germany, England to Canada and the United States. In fact, 2009’s Escape Together World Tour, as well as 2007’s Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy World Tour, were both one of the top-grossing tours for their respective years. Auditions are under way for AMERICAN IDOL XIII, with stops in Boston, MA, on Friday, Aug. 2; Austin, TX, on Wednesday, Aug. 7; and Omaha, NE, on Sunday, Aug. 11. Additional cities, dates and details will be announced on www.americanidol.com.   In addition, the “AMERICAN IDOL Audition Bus Tour” will hit the road for a five-town mobile tour offering hopefuls a chance to audition for AMERICAN IDOL XIII and making stops at the following cities: Little Rock, AR, on Saturday, Aug. 17; Oxford, MS, on Monday, Aug. 19; Tuscaloosa, AL, on Wednesday, Aug. 21; Knoxville, TN, on Friday, Aug. 23; and Chapel Hill, NC, on Monday, Aug. 26.  Specific locations to be announced.   AMERICAN IDOL XIII hopefuls also can audition at www.americanidol.com, by submitting an audition video online. Entrants should demonstrate their stellar singing ability by performing a song of their choice a cappella. Videos are limited to one submission per person. Please visit www.americanidol.com for submission rules and terms and conditions. AMERICAN IDOL XIII is produced by 19 Entertainment, a division of CORE Media Group, and FremantleMedia North America. The series is created and executive-produced by Simon Fuller, CEO, XIX Entertainment. Cecile Frot-Coutaz for FremantleMedia; Trish Kinane and Per Blankens for FremantleMedia North America; and Jesse Ignjatovic and Evan Prager for CORE Media Group, serve as executive producers.