Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Drew Lachey Is Hosting a New TV Show
Friday, June 24, 2011
Drew Lachey to host 'The 2012 World Choir Games'
Joann Scheffler
Drew Lachey Hosts “America Sings”
Drew Lachey’s “America Sings” tonight (9 p.m., GMC) is different from the other singing competition shows on TV today. All the performances are on tape — on submitted videos, not performances taped by the TV producers.
“This is how the people want to be seen,” Lachey explains.
That’s true. But it also gives the don’t-call-us-the Gospel Music Channel cable channel a singing competition show without the cost of producing ”American Idol” or “The Voice.”
Over 100 singing groups – including Cincinnati’s Southern Gateway Chorus (Lachey says he had nothing to do with the selections) – compete for $10,000 in the eight-week series. You’ll see all kinds of singing groups ranging from a capella and barbershop to flash mobs.
“We have some amazing talent. They searched all of North America to get the best singing groups possible. We’ve got gospel singers, doo-wop, quartets, a women’s choir from a Georgia prison and a 300-member church choir. It would be pretty hard to bring 300 people to our Los Angeles studio,” Lachey says.
The show’s casting team goes behind the scenes to interview the singing groups and tell their inspiring stories. They also sent cameras to the streets to get people to sing a classic song (“Georgia On My Mind,” “We Are Family”) that will provide comic relief in each episode. Sounds like the same formula “Idol” uses in the audition shows, sprinkling in the good with the bad.
“This is a fun way for me to stay involved with music,” says Lachey, a 1994 School for Creative & Performing Arts graduate. We spoke last week, before news broke yesteday with Drew saying his brother Nick could get married any day now.
After singing with brother Nick in 98°, he starred in “Rent” and “Spamalot” on Broadway. He was back in New York auditioning three weeks ago. He says ”live performance is my passion.” He and wife Lea wanted to teach music theater at SCPA this fall, but withdrew from the school last week when they couldn’t run the program their way.
“America Sings” viewers will vote on the top singers each week online or by phone. He says 15 finalists will appear in the eighth episode in August, probably on video.
If ratings are good, Lachey says he hopes GMC will order more seasons. “We have high hopes this will be picked up and run for many years,” he says.
Jeff Timmons Talks Chippendales, Fan Reactions and the Next Step in His Music Career
Congratulations, Jeff Timmons!
The 98 Degrees member – who has recently been fulfilling a stint as a singer and emcee in the popular Chippendales show at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas – has agreed to extend his Chippendales stay through the summer! That’s right. Start planning your summer vacations in Las Vegas now, ladies! You now have until September to catch the live show.
Jeff chatted with Celebuzz and gave us the scoop on his favorite show moments, the wonderful support from fans for his music career, and … a possible appearance during the strip part of the show? (Please let this happen!)
Read the interview below, and don’t forget to check out Jeff’s Facebook, Twitter and website for more info.
First and foremost, congratulations on your extended stay in Chippendales!
Thank you. I appreciate it. I’m excited!
You were originally going to be part of the show for only a few weeks, right?
It was originally four weeks, but has now been extended through September.
How do you feel about spending the whole summer in Las Vegas?
I have grown to love it. The times I have spent in Vegas I haven’t really liked because I have come and either got burnt out or I came to perform, so didn’t get time to see it. Now that I have gotten to meet the locals, I really have grown to love it. I could easily stay here.
What has been your favorite part about being a Chippendale?
There has been a lot of great things. For one, it is much different than I expected. The media has been great, but the overall work environment is also very cool. We worked really hard in 98 degrees so didn’t get much time to enjoy it like everyone thinks. Everyone is very professional and it is a joy to work with everyone.
The fans have been very vocal and seem to love the show.
The fans have been great. I was hesitant to join, but now I couldn’t be happier. Way better than I expected.
What is your favorite song or moment on the show?
I have a couple. I love when I can showcase my new material. The response has been incredible. I also cover “Hero” by Enrique Iglesias. It is a fun song to sing. The crowd really gets into it and sings along. Those are my two highlights.
Which co-stars from the show do you get along with the most?
I have hung out with all the guys since I have been here and all of them are cool. I think I can relate to many of them since they are family men. Some like to socialize, which I also like. It sounds cliche, but I get along 100% with every guy on the show!
Do you have any behind-the-scenes stories that stick out the most?
Well, these guys are local rock stars. The locals here in Vegas know about these guys and now they are starting to become more famous. They are starting to experience rock star stuff like bras on the stage, underwear thrown, and girls on stage or even girls sneaking backstage.
Since you have extended your stay, your fans want to know if you will expand your role and be part of the strip show.
No chance! Ha. There is no way with my genetics would I ever look like these guys. They are totally ripped, big, and I would never dream of completely stripping next to these guys. My role musically, though, will most likely be increased over time.
Your fans are very vocal about wanting you to do that.
Maybe on a special occasion I will get antsy and live on the edge and do it.
You talked in your last interview with us about the experiment you did with your fans in which you put your album up online for fans to download for free. What is the next step in this direction?
I was very fortunate with that album to collect over a million emails. This is what they did for that, which allowed me to collect a database of fans. Now I did an experiment with sharing and that went over very well. The next progression is getting another technology that integrates a music video right into the song, but you use an image or QR code to put in magazines. There would be no physical CD. They’d scan with an app and then it will go right into your phone.
With all the social media and latest technology out there, this will be a huge hit.
Thank you. I actually just met with the directors who are doing the first video. We will be filming it here in Vegas.
There have been talks before about a 98 degrees reunion, but it wasn’t the right time for everyone. How’s that going?
We all are totally open to the idea, but I think now that Nick has his wedding coming up, it will be a while before it happens.
Happy belated Father’s Day! How did you spend that special day?
Thank you. I spent the day hanging out with my kids and stepkids. We hung out and I was off the majority of the day. It was a great day. I love spending time with the kids.
Drew Lachey talks Gospel Music Channel show, 'America Sings' (Video)
Lachey serves as host on the Gospel Music Channel show, which premiered on Wednesday. The singer and former "Dancing With The Stars" champ says the show has a more low-key approach than other singing competitions.
"'America Sings' is more of a grassroots interpretation of a music show," he told OnTheRedCarpet.com in a satellite interview on June 17. "This really is the people that are doing the singing. They're submitting videos of themselves to us in their natural area, the way they want to be singing. "
"You know if it's a church choir, it's them performing in the church. We have flash mobs that are coming for malls and all over the place, guys performing in subways and it really is just kind of a grass roots music show," he added.
The winner of the show, which is based on public vote, earns a $10,000 reward. "It's got a different take on it. It's not over the top and blown out," Lachey said. "It really is strictly about the music and the people that love doing what they do."
"We got some award-winning glee clubs and gospel choirs and concert choirs. Some of the guys in the subways just rock it out," he added.
Lachey's brother and fellow 98 Degrees band mate, Nick Lachey, serves as host of the NBC singing competition "The Sing-Off." It was announced on June 16 that Nick Lachey's fiancée Vanessa Minnillo will serve as host of the upcoming fifth season of the game show "Wipe Out."
"She has a new hosting gig and you know, we're just a hosting family for some reason now," Drew Lachey said. "Everybody's hosting but it's fun, we're having a good time with it, and I wish her the best of luck with it."
Drew Lachey said he was excited about the news for another reason; he wants to be on "Wipe Out."
"I've actually talked to the producers about it and I said, 'You know what? I would really well on that show," Lachey said. "You should put me on.' And for some reason they just haven't done it. I guess they don't want me to beat their course, 'cause I would dominate."
Speaking of his brother and his boy band past, with Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block hitting the road on tour and recording an album together, fans of 98 Degrees might be wondering if Drew Lachey and his band mates are planning to get back together.
"As of right now there's nothing in the works, you know we've always stayed in touch. We've enjoyed singing and making music together so, given the right opportunity -- yeah absolutely," he said,
"We would love to get back together and do something, you know, but the time has to be right," he added
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Drew Lachey to be "Best Man" at Brother Nick's Wedding
“They’ve both been very vocal about the fact that they want kids and a family,” Drew tells In Touch at Pampers “First Father’s Day Cook-Out” celebration in New York City. “I think they are doing the right thing, they are getting all the things they need to do just as the two of them out of the way now, because there is obviously a trade-off that happens once you have kids.”
When asked how he thinks Nick and Vanessa would be as parents, Drew immediately responded, “Oh, great!” And if their role as uncle and aunt to Drew’s two small children with his wife, Lea, is any indication of their future parenting skills, he figures they’ll be just fine! “They’re always coming in and out of town so it’s like “alright we’re flying into town tomorrow, can we see the kids?” Drew gushed to In Touch of his brother and sister-in-law-to-be. “They definitely love spending time with them and you know, they spoil them.”
Drew has a new TV hosting gig on America Sings, premiering on GMC on June 22, but shares that he has an additional important job coming up. While he is coy about certain details of his brother’s wedding, he tellsIn Touch that he will be serving as Nick’s best man for the big day!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Nick Lachey Talks Wedding & ‘Brood of Babies’ With Vanessa Minnillo
“I met [him] when he was seven years old and he just turned 15. It’s great to keep the continuity and once the relationship’s established you want to keep [it] going,” Nick tellsOK!. “The whole idea is to become a support system…so you want to stay in their life and certainly it’s been awesome for me to be able to stay in his life.”
Singer, songwriter, actor, and television personality, Nick has another title – fiancé! Ex-husband to Jessica Simpson, he found love again with one-time MTV VJ Vanessa. They first met in 2006 on the set of Nick’s “What’s Left of Me” music video, where Vanessa reportedly confessed her crush on the singer in the past. The two began dating and after reuniting following a brief breakup, Nick proposed in November 2010. OK! wondered if the couple recently watched the video that brought them together.
“We watch it every night before we go to bed,” Nick joked. “Honestly,” he adds, “we did watch it recently… just because it was kind of like a walk down memory lane.”
And as for how the wedding plans are coming along, Nick admits, “We’re just in the middle of planning it. The one thing I’ll say is that we’re having fun with the planning process… making all these decisions, trying the cakes and all that good stuff.”
Many look to Vanessa for the decisions on details but, Nick tells OK!, “I’ve tried to put myself in charge of some of the music being a music guy… and then the cake decision is one…I just want to make sure that the cake’s good.”
On May 30, after tweeting, “My liver is furious with me!! Great time last night at our wedding shower. Thanks to everyone who came out!” OK! just had to ask if his wedding would be as boozy as the shower.
“Gosh I hope so,” Nick quipped, however, “That was obviously a half joking tweet, my liver is no longer furious it’s just slightly frustrated.”
Wedding shower? Check. As far as bachelor/bachelorette parties go, will they play it safe and forgo the celebration?
Nick shares, “We’re going to have them. It should be fun. When you get to be my age… [it’s] a great excuse for everyone to get together and tie one on and see people you haven’t seen in years.” While the singer does enjoy Vegas, he wouldn’t confirm whether the couple would spend the night in The Hangover stomping ground.
As honeymoon rumors escalate, could Vanessa have let Twitter in on the plans? On June 3, she tweeted, “Today I got Yellow Fever, Typhoid & Tetanus… Immunizations that is! More shots next week. Africa here we come! #BucketList before babies!”
When pressed, Nick told OK!, “I mean it could be a mission trip, it could be a honeymoon…i t’s just a trip. Having been there once before it’s a life changing experience and I’m excited to take her and share that with her.”
And as for the babies OK! couldn’t help notice being mentioned, Nick thinks Vanessa will be a great mom. An uncle to brother Drew Lachey’s children, 37-year-old Nick reveals, “We want a family and I think we probably want to start sooner than later obviously.”
Despite plans to start another solo record, the singer wants “a brood of babies” with Vanessa, although as “someone who doesn’t have any,” Nick told OK!, “I just want to start with one and see where it goes from there.”
