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Prepare to be amazed. The young woman in the video below is playing her sheng, an ancient centuries old Chinese instrument, to the nostalgic tune of the Super Mario Bros theme. The woodwind instrument not only allows her to hit the theme perfectly, but it also lets her add in unique sound effects of collecting coins! Watch below and share with us what you think! Guarantee you’ll watch this more than once! This video is sure to go viral!
http://youtu.be/qM9hH3suOpo?t=20s
Some of the biggest names in country music will be joining forces for an Academy of Country Music special: “A Tribute To The Troops” set to air this May. The special will be taped on May 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the night after the ACM Awards air LIVE on CBS.
So far, superstars Merle Haggard, George Strait, Carrie Underwood, Florida Georgia Line, Lady Antebellum and The Band Perry are among the first artists named to join this special tribute. According to a CBS release, the concert will honor the country’s remarkable servicemen and women and include special moments and stories of incredible bravery and integrity. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit ACM’s charity, ACM Lifting Lives, which develops and funds music-related therapy and education programs, and serves members of the community who face unexpected hardships.
Expect more big names to be added to this star-studded event. The ACM Awards air LIVE from Vegas May 6 at 8/7c, hosted by Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan. ACM Tribute to the Troops will air May 20 at 9/8c.
Following in the footsteps of Big & Rich, country superstar Carrie Underwood was awarded the “Artist Humanitarian” Award during the opening ceremonies of the Country Radio Seminar Wednesday morning in Nashville. The award is handed out each year by Country Radio Broadcasters to the artist that best demonstrates dedication to charitable efforts.
Following an incredibly busy and successful year for Underwood, this award proves to be an appropriate cap in recognizing her efforts. Carrie attributes her efforts to the example her parents set. She remembers them pulling over to the side of the road to offer money to those in need, as well as helping those at church. Underwood has made children and animals the focus of her efforts, stating that “they need us. They haven’t made any wrong decisions in their lives. They haven’t done anything to anyone that could be malicious. They live in the garden and they love and it’s our jobs to take care of them.”
Kenny Alphin and John Rich – of Big & Rich – presented the award to Underwood at the Nashville Convention Center. “Carrie is aware of the platform she’s been given and wants to use it beyond performing to help change the world.” This platform that Carrie has built donated $1 million of her “Blown Away Tour” proceeds to the American Red Cross for Oklahoma Relief Efforts in May 2013. In November 2012, Underwood donated 100% of proceeds from her New Jersey show to Hurricane Sandy efforts. She has also started her own foundation, C.A.T.S. (Checotah Animal, Town, and School Foundation), to help with local causes and issues in her hometown of Checotah, OK. She also devoted some of her time to cleaning out kennels at animal shelters, among many other highlights and efforts.
C.A.T.S Foundation has met local needs ranging from scholarship school programs to funds for the volunteer fire department to purchase oxygen masks and tools to new school and community playgrounds to donated musical instruments to name a few.
“Those kinds of things, I feel like, make the biggest difference. It’s easy to give money to stuff, and I feel like there’s a lot of stuff that my husband (Nashville Predators hockey player Mike Fisher) and I get to be a part of where we’re like, ‘Please don’t put it out there.’ You want to do things to help people, but not for stuff.”
The singer goes on to state that she views this as her responsibility. “I am super blessed and I’ve been given so much,” she said. “If I did nothing but buy shiny things and spend it on stupid things, I just don’t think my mama would be proud of that, I don’t think I could be proud of that and I don’t think the good Lord would be too proud of that.”
Underwood calls for others to follow her lead. “If you see someone who needs help, help them. If something needs help, help it. I feel like those are what make the best stories, not so and so wrote a check. Just so and so came and cleaned out awful nasty kennels.”
In a “Voice” shake-up that maybe no one saw coming just 5 days before Season 6 premieres, original coach, Cee Lo Green, confirmed his exit from the reality competition Wednesday in an interview with Ellen DeGeneres. Green had been with the show for three straight seasons before taking a break (with Christina Aguilera) to allow for Shakira and Usher to fill their seats. He returned for the show’s fifth season, which will turn to be his last. He and Aguilera are sitting out the upcoming sixth season, premiering Monday Feb 24 on NBC.
“I’m not coming back at all,” he told DeGeneres. “I’m going to continue my relationship with NBC. I have a television show development deal with them as well and hopefully some other talk show opportunities for later in the year. But yeah, I’m going to miss The Voice, too.” Check out his announcement below and let us know what you think about his exit!
Cee Lo took to his official website to make an official statement.
“I’m officially announcing today that I won’t be returning as a coach on The Voice cycle 7 in the Fall. There are numerous reasons that led to this decision, which has been amicably reached with NBC, but I’m excited to be developing several other ideas with the network and my association with NBC remains strong. The Voice has been an immensely enjoyable experience for me and I can only hope I have enriched the lives of our viewers, the contestants, and the many friends I made there. I will always be there in spirit. Meanwhile, NBC and I plan to continue our relationship with several new co-ventures including a new music show, while we also explore our ideas for me to create and host a new show of my own. I will not go quietly into the night… expect more great music and entertainment done in my own unique unmistakable and undeniable way. The Voice has given me all the altitude and incentive to do just that. Thanks for the memories and make way for many more!”
– CeeLo Green
I think we will all miss Purrrfect the cat.
“Let It Go,” the Oscar nominated track from Disney’s “Frozen” will be performed live at the Awards Ceremony on March 2 by Idina Menzel. But have you ever wondered what the beloved track would sound like if some of today’s biggest stars tackled it? Well, New York actress Christine Bianco, an off-broadway actress who has garnered YouTube fame with her “Total Eclipse of the Heart” Diva-Off, shows us!
She is quite on point with many of these impressions. Check it out below and let us know what you think!
Our Featured Forum Post of the Day features two 100 year old women who have been best friends for 94 years! Irene and Alice were recently featured on the Steve Harvey show as they discussed their thoughts on Justin Bieber, twerking and other pop culture “hot topics” of today. You’ll want to check this out!
What do you think? I wonder what living in today will make us think of the world 94 years from now! Make sure you check out this post and so much more in our forum, so you don’t miss gems like this in the future!
Its no surprise that all eyes are on the bride as they walk down the aisle to marry the one they love. Arianna Pflederer, however, decided to have the attention on her grand entrance centered on something different. The newlywed chose to walk down the aisle singing to her husband-to-be and express just what she is feeling through the words of a Carrie Underwood song, “Look At Me.”
This video and grand entrance has garnered so much popularity and picked up so much steam that the track from Underwood’s “Play On” album, released in 2009, skyrocketed to the Top 30 on iTunes Singles chart…and the track was never released as a radio single!
“Look At Me” was originally recorded by Alan Jackson. In a Q&A, Arianna shares that her mother sang to her father when she walked down the aisle and she was just trying to carry on a family tradition.
How did Arianna pull it off? Check out the touching & emotional video below!
Even “The X Factor” doesn’t have the X factor. Or maybe now it is the ex-factor. (See what I did there?) Late Friday evening, Fox announced that the struggling reality competition series will not return for a fourth season.
“American Idol” remains Fox’s sole singing competition. With the news, Simon Cowell, the ex-Idol judge who brought the UK series to America, released a statement.
“I’ve had a fantastic time over the last 12 years, both on The X Factor and American Idol. And apart from being lucky enough to find some amazing talent on the shows, I have always had an incredible welcome from the American public (most of the time!). Last year, for a number of reasons, I had to make a decision to return to the U.K. version of ‘The X Factor’ in 2014. So for now, I’m back to the U.K. and I want to thank FOX for being an incredible partner and I also want to thank everybody who has supported my shows. America, I’ll see you soon!”
Is it just me or is Cowell trying to make it sound as if it’s because he chose to return to the UK and not because Fox chose to cancel the show? The statement from Kevin Reilly, Fox pres, seems to sing a tune along those lines. “To all of us at FOX, Simon is more than one of the most prolific TV personalities of our time –he’s part of our family. A consummate showman and partner, there’s no one more passionate or creative than Simon, and we feel so fortunate to have enjoyed such a wonderful, collaborative relationship with him over the past 12 years. Unfortunately, there is no X FACTOR USA without Simon Cowell, but we understand and support his decision to focus on the international formats and on the next phase of his personal life. We wish him the very best, and it’s our sincere hope that we work together again soon.”
Will you miss the singing competition? Sound off below!
Story developing ….
Actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman (46) has been found dead in his Manhattan apartment Sunday. Law enforcement officials confirmed the news, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The New York Police Department is investigating the death and the Chief Medical Examiner will be working to determine the cause of death. Mr. Hoffman was found dead at his apartment on Bethune street in the West Village of Manhattan. The NY Post reports that his death was due to a drug overdose.
He won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2005 for his role in “Capote.”
On the heels of an extremely successful showing for “The Sound of Music LIVE!” starring Carrie Underwood, Laura Benanti, Christian Borle and Stephen Moyer, the execs over at NBC announced Sunday at the Television Critics Association tour that they have plans for another holiday special production.
Taking flight on December 4, 2014, NBC presents “Peter Pan LIVE!” a new TV version of the James M. Barrie’s revered musical. NBC President Robert Greenblatt stated that producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who produced “The Sound of Music Live!” will again executive produce the production. Per the official release, casting is currently “on a fast track.”
“The Sound of Music Live!” that starred Carrie Underwood averaged a phenomenal 5.6 rating in adults 18-49 and 22 million viewers overall in the live-plus-7 totals from its Dec. 5 telecast.
“We’re very pleased to be underway on ‘Peter Pan’ as our next live holiday musical for the whole family,” said Greenblatt. “We were all delighted to see how ‘The Sound of Music Live!’ struck such a chord in December and brought nearly 19 million people to the live telecast plus another several million viewers over the weekend. In the hopes that lightning strikes twice, we think we’ve landed on another great Broadway musical — which ironically also starred Mary Martin — that is a timeless classic for all audiences, young and old, who just never want to grow up.”
“We’re thrilled to be reteaming with NBC and Bob Greenblatt in bringing ‘Peter Pan’ back to its roots as a live television event,” said Zadan and Meron. “We hope to create the joy that has made this musical so beloved. We would like a whole new generation to experience ‘Peter Pan’ and for families across the country to share the magic.”
Greenblatt did state that Peter Pan will likely be a male, unlike the original Broadway production which starred women in the leading role.
Who would you like to see star in the upcoming production?