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Access Atlanta > American Idol Buzz > Archives > 2008 > June > 27
Friday, June 27, 2008
6/28: Weekend Idol buzz with Ruben Studdard’s marriage, Taylor Hicks, Fantasia in the ATL
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This will be a Paris Bennett-free zone this weekend.
First off, here are some details from the Birmingham News about Ruben Studdard’s wedding to that Atlanta flight attendant Surata Zuri McCants.
Sounded like a very modest, low-key wedding before 300 guests. They plan to stay in Birmingham. Here’s the rather tiny photo from the Birmingham News:
-Fantasia was supposed to be in Atlanta Saturday night at Dreamz Nightclub on Cheshire Bridge Road for a paid nightclub appearance to celebrate her 24th birthday Monday. I was too lazy to actually show up last night and am now trying to confirm details of her visit from the general manager. According to ew.com, she’s been dropped by 19 Management because she wouldn’t heed their advice. But she’s still with J Records.
-Next, check this New York Post report, showing that top “Idol” alums are magic elixirs for Broadway sales. Taylor Hicks, despite a modest role as Teen Angel in the revival of “Grease,” has fueled sales by an estimated $150K a week, according to The New York Post.
-The press in Branson doesn’t seem all that aggressive so I haven’t seen any reviews of the first round of “Idol” finalists including Brandon Rogers, Haley Scarnato, Scott Savol, R.J. Helton, Carmen Rasmussen and Vonzell Solomon. This reservebranson.com blog trods light allows them to spout all sorts of cliches about how honored it is for them to be working together — though the subtext is, to be working at all. The biggest news: Carmen is pregnant and due in December! She must be just entering her second trimester. (She’s been married awhile.)
Soon, I’m going to have to call R.J., who used to live in Cumming, about the experience. Knowing him, he will tell me it’s fabulous, whether it’s fabulous or not.
-Blake Lewis expands upon his earlier comments about being dropped from Arista with ew.com and on his own blog.
“I was just wishing they would have put the word out to me over the last couple months, because let’s face it…. Waiting SUCKS!!!! Oh well. I guess the right time was now. No biggy. I’m still with 19 Recordings and I got a tour and new record on the way. Now all I need is a home for my music. Some place warm and tropical…”
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6/27: Yup, Paris Bennett is pregnant
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I never got around to finishing yesterday’s blog entry. Got busy with the other blog, focusing on “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” and the last day of B98.5’s Kelly & Alpha morning team.
Anyway, the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s gossip columnist C.J. confirmed with Paris Bennett’s mom Jamecia that she is indeed pregnant, as the photos last weekend at the Philips Arena AARP concert indicated. She’s due in October, when she’ll be 20. More details here.
Who’s the daddy? “He chooses not to be in the public eye,” said Jamecia. “I respect that.” What does he do for a living? “I can’t tell,” she said.
“I’m proud of how she did it. I was 16 when I got pregnant,” she added.
Then she gave this hilarious comment: “We tend to stay out of the media,” Jamecia said.
Yup, that’s what you do when you’re trying to build a career— stay out of the media!
“I was signing copies of my CD and she came in to get one signed for her friend who couldn’t get off from work,” he said. “We started talking, and she was telling me about her friend. But I just looked at her and thought, `She is so beautiful.’”
When McCants walked away, Studdard said he caught up with her in the toy section
“I asked her for her number. We developed a friendship, and about two months later we started dating,” he said.
