The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz
The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz |
| A Minute With: Kara DioGuardi about her return to TV Posted: 25 May 2011 08:38 AM PDT
Now she returns as a judge on Bravo's new show "Platinum Hit", which debuts on May 30. The series offers a glimpse into the world of emerging singer-songwriters on their journey to become the next big hit maker and offers a US$100,000 cash prize and a record publishing deal. DioGuardi (picture) spoke about the show, songwriting and a famous 2009 bikini stunt on national television. Q: What can viewers expect when tuning into "Platinum Hit?" A: "The show is completely different since it's not about performing. It's about the song. And it's about the people that write that song. This is a show about finding the next great songwriting talent and looking into the process of songwriting, which I think is going to be very interesting." Q: When you were on 'American Idol' there was a lot of chatter about you. Were you surprised at the fan's reaction to you joining the show? A: "Not really, because I think they didn't quite understand my role. Some thought I was there to take over Paula's role and they didn't understand that I was in the music business. When I first got the job, I said, 'Why do you need a fourth judge?' It was completely puzzling to me. I can only imagine what it was like for the American people." Q: Do you prefer collaborating with other songwriters or writing solo? A: "I really don't have a preference. I kind of love it all. I get something different from each session I walk into. Sometimes it's great to work with an artist that has a very specific vision. I really enjoyed working with Pink, when I co-wrote 'Sober.' She has a real idea about what she wants to say and how she wants to say it and I find that very refreshing." Q: How do you strike the right balance of offering feedback to contestants without crushing their dreams? A: "People have to get used the idea that there is a lot of rejection in the music business no matter how successful you are ... If that's what crushes your dream, then you should get out of the music business, because if you can't stand the rejection, this industry will crush you. What it's really about is how to take the feedback and learn from it and become better." Q: How would you characterize yourself as a judge? A: "I'm pretty tough on this show, but I'm always constructive. You may not see it always because it doesn't get into the edit. But if I am giving a critique to a contestant, I'm telling them how they can do it better, so they can learn from it." Q: What advice do you have for those just starting out? A: "It's a muscle, songwriting. You got to do it a lot. You have to constantly be working it out and always come from a place of truth." Q: If you were not a singer/songwriter, what do you think you would be doing? A: "I would be a lawyer, or run a Bed and Breakfast. I would like to be in Maine baking muffins." Q: You stripped down to a bikini during the "American Idol" finale in 2009. What was that like? A: "It was scary, but it showed that I kind of don't take myself so seriously. And I got to build a recording studio from it, because I was given money to use toward my charity. So I'm glad I did it." – Reuters Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price. |
| Oprah ends 25-year talk show reign with star-studded event Posted: 25 May 2011 06:39 AM PDT  Oprah Winfrey becomes emotional as Kristian Chenoweth performs surrounded by graduates of Moorehouse College on stage during the taping of the third to last Oprah Winfrey Show at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, Tuesday, May 17, 2011. Winfrey is wrapping up production of her wildly popular daytime television programme after a 25-year run. – AFP pic The content of the finale has remained a secret, but the show's producers promised Winfrey's Hollywood 'friends' from film, television and music would pay tribute, such as John Travolta, who has frequently been a guest and experienced the "Oprah Effect." Oprah's endorsement has had a Midas Touch, helping to launch careers, beauty products and turning dozens of books from her Book Club into bestsellers, read by her 42 million fans. She has also not shied away from social issues from race to domestic violence. Some say she was instrumental in electing US President Obama. After 5,000 episodes, the taping of the last Oprah Winfrey Show was moved from her television studio into Chicago's United Center 20,000-seat sports arena. Tickets were free and distributed via a lottery after the show received 154,000 requests. The shows during the final week included a parade of performances and celebrities creating a television event. Tom Hanks hosted one show with Tom Cruise as the first guest. Madonna appeared to say that Oprah was her living role model: "She's a self-made woman who's been at the top of her game for over 25 years and she is still kicking ass!" Other guests and performers included Beyoncé, John Legend, Halle Berry, Katie Holmes and Queen Latifah who shared their admiration. Oprah's response, "I feel the love." Between each guest, video on big screens played Oprah's most memorable moments and footage of her philanthropic gestures, from giving away a free automobile to each member of the audience to the schools she's had built around the world. Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith hosted another show with performers including Jamie Foxx joined by Stevie Wonder who wrote a song for Oprah, Usher, comedian Jerry Seinfeld, and poet Maya Angelou, accompanied by Alicia Keys on piano who also performed "Super Woman." Aretha Franklin also sang "Amazing Grace." "I always thought I would take my cues from the viewers. I took the cue from the landscape of television," Winfrey told The Hollywood Reporter. "It got harder and harder and harder to raise the bar every day. What we're doing is primetime television done in the daytime." Since The Oprah Winfrey Show began in 1986, her media empire also publishes O magazine and produces films, such as Precious and Beloved through Harpo Productions. She also acted in The Color Purple and launched a cable network. With the shuttering of the syndicated talk show after 25 years, she will turn her attention to OWN, the five-month-old cable/satellite network struggling with ratings. Despite speculation, she is not expected to move her daily show to the channel. Winfrey transformed daytime television by being a woman speaking to women viewers. Fans who miss her can watch her cable channel, but television stations that have enjoyed her highly-rated show may feel the impact more. – AFP Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by USA Best Price. |
NEW YORK, May 25 – As a former "American Idol" judge, singer, songwriter and producer, Kara DioGuardi, made her mark offering no-nonsense feedback to contestants hoping for stardom on the popular singing talent contest.| You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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