Originally posted Friday, June 28, 2019 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
Carrie Underwood spent a couple of days this week in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium working on her seventh annual 90-second promo video for NBC's "Sunday Night Football."
This will be the first time NBC is shooting the video in a football stadium as opposed to a Los Angeles sound sage.
It will debut September 8 before the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers game and feature some of the biggest NFL stars.
Fred Gaudelli, executive producer for the show since its inception in 2006, said these videos are an important part of the equation. "All major prime-time series has some sort of opening to their show," he said. "And even when I was on 'Monday Night Football' on ABC back in the day, the pioneer was Hank Williams. It helps emphasize the uniqueness of prime-time television vs. the afternoon."
Gaudelli said after Faith Hill stepped down in 2013 from doing the opening, he felt Underwood was a natural successor.
“She really represents what you’d want from a corporate spokesperson,” Gaudelli said. “She’s a big star. She’s young. She’s cross over between pop and mainstream and country. She has a huge following. Thankfully Carrie and her people bought the pitch. It’s been a great run.”
And Underwood doesn’t just show up to pick up a paycheck.
“She’s been terrific,” Gaudelli said. “She’s collaborative. She really takes it seriously. She tries to one up every year what she did previously. I’m always impressed by her work ethic.”
She also rarely messes up a take, he noted. The trick for her is to act like there are 70,000 people in Mercedes-Benz while singing as opposed to the actual 100 crew members.
Underwood, he noted, is having a crazy year. She had her second child in February and is now on a national tour for her latest album.
Gaudelli chose Mercedes Benz, the NFL’s newest stadium, because of its technological and visual wizardry including its roof with eight motorized petals and a halo wrap-around video screen.
He declined to comment about the controversy regarding a female musician who recently filing a lawsuit accusing Underwood of plagiarizing her most recent “Sunday Night Football” song “Game On.”
Underwood’s current single “Southbound” is at No. 18 on the country airplay chart and still climbing.
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Credit: Bryan Bedder
Credit: Bryan Bedder
David Archuleta is going on a Christmas tour again later this year, including a stop at City Winery Atlanta.
He is supporting his hit 2018 holiday album “Winter in the Air,” which includes “Christmas Every Day” and “Winter in the Air.”
The 2019 tour begins November 23 in his home state of Utah and will hit Atlanta, Nashville & Portland among others before winding down on December 23. Tickets go on sale this Friday, June 28: https://davidarchuleta.com/home/live/
Archuleta is also writing new material for his next pop album scheduled to be released in late 2019.
2019 Tour Dates
Sat 11/23/2019
Richfield, UT
Fairgrounds Hall
Mon 11/25/2019
Grand Junction, CO
Avalon Theatre
Tue 11/26/2019
Moab, UT
Star Hall
Wed 11/27/2019
Flagstaff, AZ
Orpheum Theater
Fri 11/29/2019
Queen Creek, AZ
Queen Creek Performing Arts Center
Sat 11/30/2019
Salt Lake City, UT
Capitol Theatre
Mon 12/2/2019
Snowflake, AZ
Snowflake High School Auditorium
Wed 12/4/2019
Albuquerque, NM
John Lewis Performing Arts Theater
Fri 12/6/2019
San Antonio, TX
Tobin Center for The Performing Arts
Sat 12/7/2019
Austin, TX
One World Theatre (Early Show)
Sat 12/7/2019
Austin, TX
One World Theatre (Late Show)
Mon 12/9/2019
The Woodlands, TX
Dosey Doe
Tue 12/10/2019
Atlanta, GA
City Winery
Wed 12/11/2019
Franklin, TN
Franklin Theatre
Thu 12/12/2019
Franklin, TN
Franklin Theatre
Sat 12/14/2019
Minneapolis, MN
Cedar
Tue 12/17/2019
Portland, OR
Alberta Rose
Wed 12/18/2019
Pasco, WA
Faith Assembly
Thu 12/19/2019
Tacoma, WA
Alma Mater
Sat 12/21/2019
Pocatello, ID
Stephens Performing Arts Center
Mon 12/23/2019
Logan, UT
Logan High School Auditorium
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Alejandro Aranda, arguably the most intriguing character on "Idol" this past season, has officially signed with Hollywood Records.
No previous "Idol" contestant has ever played so much original music on the show. He ended up coming in second behind Laine Hardy.
Alejandro's first single "Tonight" was written by himself and his regular collaborator George Lewis Jr. aka Twin Shadow.
The fact he has such a robust summer and fall tour schedule indicates his appeal and ability to leverage "Idol" into a long-term career. He'll be at Buckhead Theater Nov. 7 in Atlanta. (Tickets here.) Check out the entire schedule here.
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Gabby Barnett, third place finisher from 2018, also got a record deal with Warner Brothers Nashville. Her first single “I Hope” is already out.
Oddly, I have no tour dates for Maddie Poppe, the winner. That isn't a good sign.
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Credit: John Salangsang
Credit: John Salangsang
Season one third-place finisher Tamyra Gray has joined the cast of "Into The Woods" at the Hollywood Bowl July 26-28.
Gray, most recently on Broadway in the revival of “Once on This Island,” will play Granny/Cinderella's Mother.
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Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
I recently wrote about Cameo.com, which provides personal video messages from celebrities for a price.
Here are some of the “Idol” performers you could get.
Randy Jackson $150
Constantine Maroulis: $100
Pia Toscano, Justin Guarini: $50
Margie Mays, Uche, Alyssa Raghu, Elliott Yamin: $30
Paul McDonald, Madison Vandenburg: $20
Dimitrius Graham: $15
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Danny Gokey has just garnered his fourth Billboard Christian AC No. 1 hit with "Haven't Seen It Yet."
This follows “Rise,” “Hope in Front of Me” and “Tell Your Heart to Beat Again.”
He has been the most successful “Idol” artist in the Christian music world to date.
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