By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Monday, April 18, 2016
I am on vacation April 13-26 but I did my best to keep this blog populated while I was gone, at least a little bit. If you have any news or would like to read other entertainment news, please go to Jennifer Brett (jennifer.brett@ajc.com) and her AJC Buzz blog and Melissa Ruggieri (mruggieri@ajc.com) at AJC Music Scene.
Ryan Seacrest only spent one year at UGA back in the mid-1990s before moving to Hollywood to pursue his dreams, but he will return next month as the graduation speaker.
According to UGA, "he will have two tasks—inspire a new class of UGA alumni and receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the university he attended as a freshman."
"We look forward to welcoming Ryan Seacrest back to the UGA campus," said President Jere W. Morehead in a statement. "Through Seacrest Studios, he has channeled his success into a source of comfort and creativity that has positively impacted the lives of pediatric patients and their families while providing significant learning opportunities for students. I am sure he will have a compelling message to deliver as the Commencement speaker." See an update and photos of Ryan Seacrest and the UGA May 2016 Graduation at Sanford Stadium
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The day before I left for vacation on April 12, Kelly Clarkson and her husband and talent manager Brandon Blackstock had a son they named Remington. That's their second child. Kelly had to tape her finale Idol appearance two weeks in advance because of her pregnancy.
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Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Season 10 winner Phillip Phillips is returning to headline a concert at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.
He is co-headlining with Matt Nathanson July 30 at the Atlanta campus.
Tickets went on sale Friday at www.concertsinthegarden.org.
He appeared on the series finale thanks to producer Nigel Lythgoe stepping in despite Phillips' efforts to drop 19 Entertainment as his management company. And Phillips himself may have issues with 19 but not with the show itself or Fox.
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Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
"Idol" creator Simon Fuller was more explicit with Billboard about plans to revamp the show down the road:
"There will no doubt be another format or refinement or elevation of the format," he told Billboard. "Now I can actually revamp it and come up with a new version and we can look back on 15 seasons and think of some legitimate ways to allow people to enjoy them again, maybe adding another dimension to it."
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