On April 9th, the standing ovational Joshua Ledet sang his passionate rendition of Percy Sledge’s “When A Man Loves A Woman” (one of his many highlights from Season 11 of American Idol) for PBS’s musical tribute to Memphis Soul at the White House. He had the entire audience on their feet – including President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
Every time I watch Joshua perform, I am blown away by his phenomenal talent. His voice is one of the few that can move me to tears and inspire to me to not only rise up and give him a deserved standing O, but to get up and do something just as amazing with my own life. I think that’s a truly special gift for a musician to have!
Diva-in-training Jessica Sanchez is about to launch into stardom!
The American Idol Season 11 runner-up returned to the stage that started it all to share the story of her journey since last May’s finale – and what a ride it has been!
From experiences with international tours, performing at special events, and modelling, to an upcoming guest appearance on Glee, the frontier is looking real bright for Sanchez.
Her first single, “Tonight”, which features R&B musician, Ne-Yo, is a fun, fresh, funky, and fabulous dance track about escaping from the stresses and drama of everyday life.
The duo debuted the live performance of the song on Idol, and Sanchez unleashed her BB Chez alter-ego by singing and dancing it up a storm like a dynamo.
If her re-introduction is any indication, Sanchez’s career as a young R&B/Urban artist is going be astronomical!
Jessica Sanchez’s debut album, “Me, You & The Music” will be released on April 30th and is currently available for pre-order on iTunes, Amazon, and JessicaSanchezOfficial.com.
We about to hop up on this rocket Get up outta here Go somewhere where nothing ever goes wrong About to hop up on this rocket Take to the sky everything is fly
The singer-songwriter has another hit on his hands with “Gone, Gone, Gone“, a moving song about standing by the ones you love through thick and thin.
The second single was selected as the send-off song for the eliminated contestants on Season 12 of Idol; Phillips’ recently gave a live performance of the song on the Top 10 Results show.
With relatable lyrics and an appealing Americana-folk sound, Phillips’ debut album, The World From The Side Of The Moon (available on iTunes), has established the musician’s artistic identity as one that speaks to the authenticity of the human experience.
Your hope dangling by a string I’ll share in your suffering To make you well, to make you well…
Record executive Clive Davis really has some nerve to portray Kelly Clarkson as a naive ingrate in his newly-published memoirs.
I applaud Kelly for responding to his false claims in this blog post, where she reveals the truth behind their rocky professional relationship. It made me especially angry to learn that Mr. Davis had insulted her songwriting talents, calling her a “shitty writer” after hearing “Because of You”. As we all know now, he was wrong. And not just because it was a sensational hit on the charts, but more importantly, because it resonates today as the best song Kelly has ever written and recorded.
“Because of You” taught me a crucial lesson that helped me get through difficult times during my younger years – You Are Not Alone. For children and teenagers in broken homes, it is hard to express the pain felt and experienced from troubled family relationships. Home is supposed to be a place where you feel safe from harm and loved unconditionally, but it’s not always the case, and that harsh reality comes great pain and shame. With these unspoken truths, it’s unfathomable to imagine that anyone else is possibly going through the same situation as you. Then “Because of You” came out, and suddenly, I (and all of the kids and teens who were also hurting) didn’t feel so alone in the world anymore.
Some days, when I couldn’t hold it together, I would sit in my room, listen to “Because of You”, and cry. While the song couldn’t mend all of the wounds, it did a tremendous job at helping to ease the suffering. I felt such a great connection to Kelly, and her song was the friend I needed at a time when I couldn’t be open about what I was experiencing at home. It was through listening to Kelly Clarkson’s albums that I began to use music as an escape, and her songs continue to have that impact on me to this day.
Kudos to Kelly for standing up for your art with boldness, integrity, and class, and thank you for making music that is authentic, relatable and inspirational. I am so proud to be a fan of yours!
Elizabeth Rosalyn 