Results tagged “carrie underwood” from J-14 Magazine

Tonight Taylor Swift is nominated for four Country Music Awards, including the big award, Entertainer of the Year!

But the awards are already rolling in for this country cutie. Last night she won Song of the Year for "Love Story" at the BMI Country Awards! It was the second year in a row she won that award -- she won for "Teardrops On My Guitar" last year! And get this, she's the only female songwriter to win that award consecutively. Congrats, Tay!

The CMAs are on tonight at 8 pm on ABC. Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley are hosting and Taylor is performing!

Are you planning to watch the CMAs? Are you into country music? Do you think Taylor will bring her rumored BF New Moon's Taylor Lautner as her date?

Photo: Courtesy of Big Machine Records

Orianthi has performed live on the Grammy stage with Carrie Underwood and was rehearsing with Michael Jackson for what would have been his This Is It tour. Now the Australian electric guitarist is ready to break out on her own with her debut album, Believe -- it drops today, October 27! You can also see her in Michael Jackson's tribute movie, This Is It, which opens tomorrow, October 28. "I think his fans are going to be upset watching it but at the same time excited for what could have been and seeing his vision for it," Orianthi says. "It's a celebration, not a sad movie." Orianthi told us even more about Michael and her own music when she stopped by the J-14 offices.

J-14: What are your favorite songs off Believe?
Orianthi: I have so many -- I'm super proud of the whole record. I love playing "What's It Gonna Be" -- it's a real sort of rock, high energy song. "Bad News," "Suffocating," and "Highly Strung," -- which is the instrumental song on the record -- all those songs are a lot of fun to play. I love high energy tracks, and there's a lot on there. And "Feels Like Home" was written about coming over to L.A. [from Australia]. It's really a personal song. There's a guitar solo on every song, and it's a really empowering record.

J-14: How did you become part of Michael Jackson's This Is It tour?
Orianthi: I actually got an e-mail through MySpace from the musical director, Mike Bearden. I thought it was a joke first! I played the "Beat It" solo for Michael, and he really loved it and came over to me and grabbed my arm. He started walking up and down on stage -- he wanted me to walk around with him while still playing the solo. He was like, 'That's really cool,' and he hired us all that night! I've never been that nervous in my life ever. He not only brought amazing music into the world, but he's donated to so many charities and brought so many people together. I've never seen any other artist that has affected that many people in the world. It would be horrible if I auditioned and didn't get the part. I just prayed that I'd get it!

J-14: What was it like to work for Michael?
Orianthi:: Working with him was incredible. I had an amazing time. He was the nicest person, so supportive and encouraging. He just wanted us to do our best, don't be nervous, and just project your energy out to the crowd. He said anything I tell you, anything I want fixed, I say it with love. He was putting together one of the biggest shows on Earth. It would have been so amazing to see. I'm such a huge fan, so I would light up watching him dance and sing right in front of us. Every time he came in the room, everyone got so excited. We wanted to see all his fans faces light up when he got on the stage. First song of the set, opening night, just watching all his fans freak out -- I would have loved it.

J-14: How does it feel to be supported by music legends like Santana?
Orianthi: Santana is my idol. I actually picked the electric guitar because of him after watching one his shows when I was 11 in Australia. I went with my dad and saw his show. I was just blown away by the way he played -- the amount of soul he put into his playing. It really affected me. I turned to Mom and Dad and begged them to get me an electric guitar. They got me this bad secondhand one but I never put it down -- I just wanted to learn all his solos. To have his support means so much to me and to hang out with him is so surreal. It's humbling. I got to jam with him a couple of times!

J-14: What was it like to be on stage with Carrie Underwood at the Grammys?
Orianthi: She's awesome -- really nice, really sweet. I'm a big country fan! She's got a great voice. It was really cool of her to invite me up to jam with the band. It's a pretty surreal experience playing at the Grammy awards. I turned to her on the stage and was like, 'I'm nervous'. She's like, 'This is what we're born to do. Just do it'. It was really cool to embrace their vibes about it. She's done it so many times -- playing in front of a live audience and dealing with how many people watch it. I try not to think of the enormity but when you look out from stage and you see Paul McCartney and Bono and a bunch of people, it's like yeah! I actually went to a couple of Grammy parties with Carrie afterwards and that was typical. We got to chat and hang out. It was really chill and cool.

J-14: What are your fave radio songs right now?
Orianthi: I love Kings of Leon. I think they're awesome. It's real sort of Earthy music. It's cool - [lead singer Caleb Followill] sings really differently. I think it's very unusual and people just take to it. It's just a little more offbeat. It's just cool -- I dig the record a lot.

Photo: Courtesy of J-14

Jessica Harp was part of a country duo with Michelle Branch called The Wreckers, but the singer has broke out on her own. She stopped by the J-14 offices to spill the deets on her new solo album, coming out this fall, Michelle, and her most embarrassing stage moment yet!

J-14: How would you describe your sound?
Jessica Harp: My sound is definitely very country, but it's probably a little more modern country. I love the record.

J-14: There are a bunch of young country stars, like Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, and Kellie Pickler, making waves right now. Are you influenced by them?
Jessica: Yeah, I think we all probably influence each other. But I'm most influenced by my heroes, like Reba McEntire and The Judds. I have freak out moments when I bump into them. That's probably where most of my influence is from.

J-14: Were you a big fan of Reba?
Jessica: I had my tonsils out, and my mom took me to Reba to make me feel better, and that was my first concert!

J-14: Can you tell me a little about your new record?
Jessica: My favorite track is probably the title track, "A Woman Needs." That song is very special to me, because I wrote it about my life and my path and for woman. Originally I was going to call the record A Few Second Chances. There's a line and it says, "A woman needs a few second chances." And I know in my life -- not just in my career, but in my personal life, too -- I've needed a few second chances to find the right path, to find peace and happiness, and I think a lot of people feel that way. So that's definitely a special song and that's why I decided to call the record, A Woman Needs.

J-14: Will you reunite with Michelle Branch for a second Wreckers album?
Jessica: We don't really know. We feel like it's sort of out there if we want to come back to it, but we were solo artists before, and when it came time to make our second record, we were writing in different directions. We didn't want to force another album for the sake of forcing it because we are both very organic artists and are very true to ourselves and our music. So we just decided let's do the solo thing, and we have The Wreckers to come back to if we want. Honestly, it was a completely fluke thing. We made that record selfishly because we've been friends forever and had written these songs and really wanted to make a record together and had no idea the success that would come with it. It was a whirlwind.

J-14: Have you ever had an embarrassing moment on tour?
Jessica: I'm very clumsy, but this was the only time I've ever fallen. We were playing in New York, at the Bowery Ballroom for the One Tree Hill Tour.The stage was really, really tall, and the crowd was this huge crowd, and they have this barricade between the stage, and it's super tall. The crowd was nuts -- it was wild, a great show, so Michelle and I are both completely pumped after. The show ends, and I decide that I'm gonna jump down and go hug some fans and sign autographs. Yet I'm wearing tall heels, so I jump down off the stage and my heels just go up, and I land on my butt. Luckily only the people in the front saw, and they were very nice and they helped me up, but I just went along and said hi to everyone. I'm really not easily embarrassed. I make fun of myself all of the time.

J-14: Who are your favorite artists right now?
Jessica: When I get so immersed in working on a record and country radio, I need to listen to something else. I was completely out of touch with what was going on in the pop world, so I have been listening to pop radio a lot lately. I love The All-American Rejects new record, The Fray's new record, and I love Katy Perry's record. That's probably my favorite. I play "Thinking Of You" on repeat

American Idol winner Kris Allen will sing the national anthem at the NBA Finals on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. This is his first big gig since he won the title on May 20.

Kris continues the Idol traditional of singing at the big sports showdown since the first season of the show. Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Taylor Hicks, Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks, and David Cook have all sang the national anthem in pervious years. After Kris sings, game 2 of the finals will kick off between the L.A. Lakers and Orlando Magic.

Quick Kris Facts:
- Kris got started in music by playing viola in elementary school. He also plays the guitar, piano, and ukulele.
- He once worked as a shoe salesman -- and then called his self-produced 2007 album, Brand New Shoes.
- Kris was in the Arkansas all-state orchestra!

Photo: Courtesy of Fox

Hey there J-14ers!

What a journey this year's American Idol has been -- from the wacky Norman Gentle (aka Nick Mitchell) and sassy Megan Joy to the heart-tugging Danny Gokey and the err, interesting Tatiana Nicole Del Toro... and of course, the attention-grabbing Bikini Girl (heck, did anyone bother to learn her name?! Ha!).

But the entire way, the quietly charming Kris Allen was the little engine that could. And just hours ago the 23-year-old Conway, Arkansas, student captured the American Idol title that most people predicted would go to the 27-year-old San Diego showman, Adam Lambert.

And to be honest, I breathed a sigh of relief when Ryan Seacrest read out the name. (Okay, I shed a tear of joy too. ;) ). But it's not that I was on Team Kris because I was against Team Adam. In fact, Adam was one of my early favorites -- his unique take on anything and everything was so fearless that I admired him (and wished I could be like him!). He has that one-of-a-kind nature that Blake Lewis did on season six with the music -- plus he can work the stage like no other. I defy you to blink during any of his performances... Adam knows how to get your attention -- and keep it. And he's just so frickin' likable!

But there was just something about Kris from the first time I spotted him in one of those group numbers in the Hollywood round. Maybe it's because I always root for the underdog... or maybe it's because I tend to judge people on how they handle fame and Kris is 110% modest... but when it comes down to it, whether he planned it or not, Kris' strategy on the show was perfect: starting out slow and shy and transforming into a super star -- and that's what American Idol is all about.

Unlike most competitors who have their off weeks -- Kris grew every single week. Sure, he had his not-so-good performances, but his overall projectile was the perfect course and he peaked exactly when he needed to in order to capture that crown. (Seriously, have you ever seen the guy sing his heart out the way he did on Tuesday in "Ain't No Sunshine"?)

Kris comes as a package artist -- you already know the kind of music he's going to bring on his debut album. One part pop, one part rock, with that tinge of country. He'll give artists ranging from John Mayer and The Fray to fellow Idol alumni David Cook and David Archuleta a run for their money since his genre mixes them all together.

I have no doubt that Adam's album is going to be spectacular as well -- yet at the same time have no idea what to expect. Adam is all about the surprise, which is perfect for a show like American Idol, but may not translate so well post-Idol.

Both Kris and Adam are going to be super successful in the next year... we definitely have a Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood on our hands as opposed to, errrr, some other past winners I won't name. ;)

But perhaps the most appealing part of the season was the true friendship between Kris and Adam. Have you ever seen two contestants genuinely support each so much? David Cook definitely seemed to look out for David Archuleta like a big brother -- but this was different. Kris and Adam seemed to truly appreciate and understand each other's talent and be rooting for the other one. Kris even said on Tuesday night they weren't competing!

Yet when it comes down to it, Kris still didn't believe he could win. One of the first things he said after the results was "Adam deserves this! I don't know what to say, this is crazy!" Fellow finalist Alexis Grace confirmed, "[Kris] did look dumbfounded. He was definitely shocked. He thought Adam was going to win!"

And that's why Kris deserved to win... the little engine that could.

Congratulations, Kris on your American Idol win! And congrats to you too Adam on an amazing season!

What do you guys think of Kris Allen's win on American Idol?

Can't wait to hear from you!
Rachel
J-14 Editor

PS- How brilliant was the Jason Mraz, Anoop Desai and Alexis Grace trio sining "I'm Yours"? I would have died to be in Alexis' place! ;)

Photo: Courtesy of Fox

Last night American Idol winner Carrie Underwood was spotted on the People's Choice Awards red carpet wearing a long, floral-patterned dress.

Would you rock a flower pattern like hers?

Photo: Startrals

Country cutie Carrie Underwood released her wax figure at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in New York City today.

Can you tell which is the real Carrie and which is wax Carrie?

Photo: Startraks