Posts Tagged ‘CKX’

A lot were surprised, I included, to the latest American Idol news that has been going around for a couple of days already. Yes, Ellen DeGeneres is joining American Idol as the hit reality show’s fourth judge replacing Paula Abdul! Joe Jonas and Victoria Beckham filed the empty judge spot while producers were looking for Abdul’s replacement.

DeGeneres was announced as the show’s newest judge on Wednesday, September 9, 2009 after signing a 5-year contract with the producers. She will be joining the rest of the judging panel Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Kara DioGuardi.

Although singer/songwriter DioGuardi – who joined the panel last year – can’t wait to work with the beloved comic, she insists it can be tough at first. “I’m a huge Ellen DeGeneres fan; I think she’s going to bring so much to the show. She’s somebody who loves music, she’s positive, she loves kids… she is somebody who has watched the show from the beginning, knows everything there is to know about American Idol and I think ultimately it’s going to be a great new energy.

“It (joining the show) was pretty hellish. I got slagged… it was difficult for them to accept the change. It was difficult for them to understand why somebody who nobody had ever heard of could kind of come out of nowhere and sit next to these iconic figures,” Kara DioGuardi said.

Meanwhile, the former American Idol judge Paula Abdul has also given her blessing to the new member of Idol’s judging panel. Abdul posted on her Twitter account: “I think Ellen will b a gr8 (sic) judge on Idol. She is wildly funny, talented and I wish her the best of luck!”

The ninth season of American Idol will premiere in January 2010.

Winner Kris Allen, Runner-Up Adam Lambert and Finalist Allison Iraheta Signed to Long Term Deals

NEW YORK, June 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — 19 Entertainment Limited, a division of CKX, Inc. (NASDAQ:CKXE) , announced last week the signing of American Idol Season 8 winner Kris Allen, runner-up Adam Lambert and finalist Allison Iraheta to long-term recording agreements with record division 19 Recordings. Kris Allen’s and Allison Iraheta’s albums will be distributed through Sony Music’s Jive Records and the recordings of runner-up Adam Lambert will be distributed through Sony Music’s RCA Records.

“Our American Idol Season 8 finalists were an exceptionally strong group, and we are very excited to have signed such talented performers as Kris Allen, Adam Lambert and Alison Iraheta,” says Simon Fuller, Creator and Executive Producer of American Idol and Founder and CEO of 19 Entertainment Limited. “We look forward to contributing to and sharing in the continued growth of these incredible singers on their debut albums.”

Currently, Kris, Adam and Allison are gearing up for the upcoming 50-city American Idol 2009 Summer Tour. The tour kicks off on July 5th in Portland, Oregon and ends on September 15th in Manchester, New Hampshire.