Welcome to Pure America's Got Talent

Hello all! It’s Marianya! And I’ve come back from the dead! Well, kind of, sort of… maybe.

In the past, I’ve tried to get information of all the acts that were accepted into the “Vegas” auditions as well as having the music posted within a day after the show aired.

Due to my prior commitments I ask for you to be patient with me for the next two weeks as I will inevitably be late in posting commentary on contestants during the live auditions and the music list for you guys to enjoy.

After the month of May, I should be able to post commentary and power rankings for the contestants the night of the show, then again within twenty-four hours I will post music as well.

What I will do is just put a post up and if you guys want to comment as the show is going on, you are free to do so and later when I watch the show (probably online the day after) I will post up information about the acts that have made it to the next phase of the competition as well as my own thoughts.

Thank you so much for understanding, and here’s to a new season of America’s Got Talent!

A few days ago, America’s Got Talent’s newest judge, Howard Stern was featured on Jimmy Fallon. I have to admit, I was among the skeptics who weren’t quite sure how Stern was going to do on this season of AGT. He’s always seemed like a crude and rude radio show host, and I wondered if America’s Got Talent wouldn’t be so family friendly. These clips from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon may have slightly won me over. He wasn’t as crude as I was expecting (though be aware, a few of the things he says aren’t exactly g-rated) and I think he will do a pretty good job. I do appreciate cruel honesty (not like a certain American Idol judge he mentioned in the first clip) in these shows, and I’m sure he will definitely bring that to the table. This will be an interesting season though with some very interesting dynamics. Only a few days left until the premiere!

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Kevin Skinner was the winner of AGT Season 4. I have to admit, I really didn’t watch much of this season. However, when I saw that the winner was a country singer, I was excited to investigate more.

So I started out with the song that won him the title of AGT Season 4′s winner. Sadly, I wasn’t super impressed. What did you think?

However, I decided to listen to the audition that got him into the competition. Much better. I really enjoyed this performance. As I already mentioned, I’m a huge country music fan, and he definitely did this song justice.

Skinner reminds me of a mixture of Garth Brooks and a more subdued version of Travis Tritt. His voice is easy to listen to, and has a nice gritty tone to it. However, I had my doubts about how successful he has been since AGT. I listened to some of the songs he released on his first CD back in 2010, and none of them seemed familiar. It was also hard to find information on what exactly he’s been up too. I did, however, find this audio interview, done on February 3rd, 2012.  Skinner released another album called Long Ride, which apparently is climbing the charts (somehow I missed it, I guess). The interview was pretty interesting, and Skinner seems like a real down to earth kind of guy. When Grant Scarsdale, the guy interviewing asked him if being on AGT changed him, he said:

Not really, I still live in the same place I lived, and still drive the same old pick-up truck. I know some of the people out in LA, some of the judges there on the panel. Some of the advice they gave me was just always be yourself, keep on doing what you’re doing, don’t change, you know. I guess the people kind of realized I was so country and my roots were so deep, they were going to have a hard time changing me anyways.

Something I’ve noticed with some of the winners of AGT is that fame really doesn’t seem to go to their heads. I like that.

This interview also gave some insight into Skinner’s plans for this coming year:

Just a lot of the same, a lot of hard work goes into this business. Gotta stay out there playing shows here and all over . . . Done a lot of concerts, just doing a whole lot of the same. Going around getting to meet my fans and playing music for them — that’s why they voted for me!

So while we might not see him starring in a movie or winning CMA’s Entertainer of the Year award (yet), he seems content with his success thus far.

I love watching talent reality TV shows, and at the end of each season I always wonder if the winner is actually going to make something of themselves. I mean…it really seems pretty hit or miss most of the time. With the premiere of America’s Got Talent quickly approaching, it got me thinking about the past winners and if they are successful still, or if they’ve gone back to pre-AGT lives. Over the next few days, I’ll dive back into the past and see which winners of America’s Got Talent are still going strong, and who (if any), have, well, fallen out of the limelight and back into the shadows.

Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr., the winner of AGT 2011 and jazz singer from West Virginia, was the whole package last year. He had a touching back story (remember — he was homeless at the age of 19) and a soft, crooning voice who made it through the competition singing songs from famous crooners such as Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Let’s revisit the song that helped Landau triumph over his competition last year?

I don’t know about you, but his voice sure gives me the chills. There was some great competition last year, especially when it got down to the final four, but I’m glad he ended up winning. So how is Landau Murphy doing today?

Well, it seems pretty well. Especially considering where he was a few years ago. Not only did Landau release his first album, That’s Life, this past November, which hit #34 on the Billboard Top 200 and #1 Jazz album on Amazon, but he has been doing shows across the country since, many of which have been sold out. He also has been giving back by appearing in public service announcements for the Red Cross and in several benefit concerts. On May 6th, Laundau received an honorary Doctorate of Music Degree from the University of Charleston.

So even though Landau doesn’t seem to be charting any top selling lists lately, he seems to be doing pretty well for himself.

If you can’t get enough of Landau, he currently is touring the country. Check out his tour dates at http://www.laundaumurphy.org for more information!

Hello, America’s Got Talent fans. Katie Clark here, and for the next few months, I’ll be your source for all things AGT. From flashbacks to past winners and competitions, to predictions of the future, tune in every few days for some news. There seems to be some great competitors this year, and with the addition of Howard Stern to the judge panel, it is sure to be an interesting season.

As for me, here’s a bit of an introduction. I’m an undergraduate at Brigham Young University majoring in Communications. This coming fall will be the beginning of my final two semesters. While I’ve enjoyed my time studying at BYU, I’m excited to finally graduate. I met my husband in 2010 and we have been married for a year and a half. This last March, we welcomed our first son, Jack, into the world and he has been a joy in our life since. After we graduate, my husband plans to attend law school. While we have no idea where yet, I’m crossing my fingers for somewhere in Colorado, because that is where I was born and raised.

Reality shows are some of my favorite — I’m a little ashamed to admit how much time I’ve spent in the past reading gossip about different shows, voting for hours for my favorite participant in a talent competition, and just watching various shows. From the Bachelorette to American Idol to the Biggest Loser, I’ve seen a lot. While I’m a little over American Idol (what is it, the 11th season?), I love how many shows are out there, even if some of them probably aren’t really “reality.” My current favorite show is the Voice, but I do really enjoy America’s Got Talent and I’m excited to cover the 7th season.

And because I’m always curious who the face behind the words in the blogs I read, here’s a picture of me, my husband, and our son. I look forward to the next few months, and please, feel free to comment!

America’s Got Talent 2012 is just around the corner and they’re putting out some pretty entertaining videos to promote the new season. This one does a good job highlighting Howard Stern as a new judge and also the move of America’s Got Talent from LA to New York City. Enjoy!

Yesterday I posted a really short teaser clip of America’s Got Talent 2012 and Howard Stern. Today, NBC has posted a much longer clip which shows clips of a WHOLE lot more acts that are going to be on America’s Got Talent season 7. Plus, you get to have an idea of how Howard Stern is going to be a judge on the show since there are quite a few clips of his responses to the acts. Check out the AGT 2012 video:

In the comments on the NBC site for this video you can see a preview of coming reactions to Howard Stern on America’s Got Talent. First those who don’t like Howard Stern:

ARE U PEOPLE CRAZY? HOWARD STERN IS THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD. I CAN’T STAND HIM AND I KNOW A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO FEEL THE SAME. I THINK U ARE GOING TO LOSE A LOT OF VIEWERS THIS YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then, the first response to the above comment:

If that is how you "really" feel, it would be in your best interest to not tune in. If you do make the decision to watch, be prepared to eat your words!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Although, the second response provides a much more interesting set of comments about Howard Stern as a judge on America’s Got Talent:

They already interviewed mothers and mature women before going into the AGT tapings on their opinions of Howard Stern. Then they interviewed them again after the show was over.The opinions went from "he’s disgusting, obnoxious, and vile" to them being completely proven wrong to the point where they admit they now find him "charming, sensitive, and inspiring to the acts".Prepare to be proven wrong Moms of America. Howard is not who you think he is and here is his chance

Of course, the real truth is that Howard Stern is a great actor. He plays up to whatever audience he is in front of. When he does his radio show he’s disgusting, arrogant, obnoxious, vile, etc because that’s the caricature that he’s created for himself. On America’s Got Talent he knows that it’s more of a family show and so he plays the part of a judge on a talent show on NBC.

With that said, I’m sure those who don’t like Howard Stern aren’t going to change their ways and I think America’s Got Talent will lose quite a few viewers with him as judge.

We posted previously that the America’s Got Talent 2012 premiere was happening on May 14th. It’s the seventh season of America’s Got Talent. That’s right, 7 seasons of some amazing talent.

The big America’s Got Talent buzz this year has been and will be around Howard Stern as an America’s Got Talent judge. People’s reaction to him as judge have already been pouring in. Many have claimed that they won’t be watching AGT with Howard Stern on the show. They usually make the argument that it’s a family show and that Howard Stern represents quite the opposite.

Needless to say we’re going to be hearing a lot more from these people as the show airs. Others say that Howard Stern might be more like Jerry Springer who people loved on America’s Got Talent. We’ll see how it plays out.

Considering this reaction to Howard, I am a bit surprised that the promoters of America’s Got Talent are using Howard so much. For example, here’s a video talking about Howard and showing a preview of America’s Got Talent season 7:

Hollywood Reporter posted about the premiere dates for America’s Got Talent 2012.

America’s Got Talent — with its new judge, shock jock Howard Stern — will premiere the week after with two-hour episodes Monday and Tuesday, May 14 and 15. It will return to its regular one-hour slot on Mondays and Tuesdays the following week.

Many have been complaining on this site and on Twitter about their choice of Howard Stern as the new America’s Got Talent judge. I’m sure that more and more complaints will come in since many of them probably haven’t even yet heard that Howard Stern is the new judge.

I think it’s a smart move by NBC to put America’s Got Talent in the same time slot as The Voice. It likely has a similar viewership. We’ll see how Howard Stern and the move to New York effects the ratings.

I just got the official press release from NBC and Fremantle Media announcing Howard Stern as the new judge on America’s Got Talent.

This announcement is going to anger a lot of America’s Got Talent fans. I know since after I first posted about Howard Stern possibly replacing Piers Morgan as an America’s Got Talent judge I got a bunch of backlash from readers of this site. The most common response was, “I will not watch America’s Got Talent if Howard Stern is judge.”

I certainly appreciate the sentiment. America’s Got Talent has broad appeal across a large spectrum of ages and has generally (with a few exceptions) been a pretty family friendly show. Howard Stern represents the opposite of family friendly for most people. Maybe that’s the intent of the producers. There’s little doubt that Howard Stern as judge will make quite a splash with the media. AGT and Simon Cowell seem to enjoy a little bit of controversy.

For me personally, I’m still going to watch America’s Got Talent. I don’t like most of what Howard Stern represents either, but I wasn’t fond of Jerry Springer’s show either and I was amazed at how different Jerry was on America’s Got Talent compared to his show. Audiences loved Jerry. I’m not sure Howard will have the same sort of friendly transformation as Jerry had, but I’m willing to give him a chance.

The move of the America’s Got Talent live shows to New York is pretty interesting too. I’m sure it was to accommodate Howard Stern’s schedule. I’m not sure where the live shows are taped will matter much to viewers of the show. Although, it looks like my dream of finally attending a live show taping probably won’t happen. The trip to NY is a lot farther from Las Vegas than LA was.

Here’s the official press release from NBC:

12/15/2011 08:40

NBC ANNOUNCES HOWARD STERN AS THE NEW JUDGE ON THE TOP-RATED SUMMER COMPETITION SERIES “AMERICA’S GOT TALENT” AS IT HEADS INTO SEASON SEVEN

Series Finds a New Home as Production of the Live Shows Moves to New York

Auditions for Season Seven Continue Around the Country

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – December 15, 2011 – NBC announced today that Howard Stern, American radio personality, television host and author, will serve as the new judge on the top-rated summer alternative series “America’s Got Talent,” produced by FremantleMedia North America and Simon Cowell’s SYCO Television.

Stern will provide his feedback on the colorful array of hopeful future stars who are currently auditioning in major cities around the country for the show’s upcoming seventh season.

Production of the live shows of “America’s Got Talent” also will be moving to New York, where Stern will continue to helm his SiriusXM radio program.

The announcement was made by Paul Telegdy, President, Alternative and Late Night Programming, NBC.

“Howard Stern’s larger-than-life personality will bring a thrilling new dynamic to ‘America’s Got Talent’ starting this summer,” said Telegdy. “He’s a proven innovator and his track record in broadcasting is truly remarkable. Howard is very passionate about this show and is fully committed to its future success.”

Stern helped to transform American radio and put syndicated satellite radio on the map on SiriusXM. As the outspoken, unedited and headline-grabbing host of “The Howard Stern Show” radio program, Stern was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005 and became a pop-culture icon with a massive loyal fan base. Since 1987, he has hosted numerous television shows, record-breaking pay-per-view events and home video releases. He also embarked on a five-month political campaign for governor of New York in 1994.

His two books, “Private Parts” (1993) and “Miss America” (1995), spent 20 and 16 weeks, respectively, on The New York Times bestseller list. The first book became a national sensation and was adapted into the feature film “Private Parts” (1997), a biographical comedy film that starred Stern and his radio show staff — and was a box-office success. Additionally, Stern performed on the film’s soundtrack which topped the Billboard 200 chart. Stern currently broadcasts his show “Howard 100” on the SiriusXM satellite radio station.

“America’s Got Talent” was the #1 non-sports telecast on ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox in total viewers every week it aired over the summer of 2011, making it the #1 summer series in total viewers for a sixth year in a row. Last summer, “America’s Got Talent” delivered its highest-rated cycle ever.

“America’s Got Talent” is the only talent competition show that is open to any age and any talent. Auditions for season seven kicked off in October with upcoming open calls set for Austin, Texas, Charlotte, N.C. and San Francisco, Calif. For all the latest information and to pre-register, go to www.AGTauditions.com.

“America’s Got Talent” is produced by FremantleMedia North America and Simon Cowell’s SYCO Television. Simon Cowell, Cecile Frot-Coutaz (“American Idol”), Jason Raff, Ken Warwick (“American Idol”) and Georgie Hurford-Jones are executive producers.

For embeddable clips and full episodes of “America’s Got Talent,” please visit NBC.com’s official show site: http://www.nbc.com/americas-got-talent/

For artwork and a complete press kit from the show, please visit the NBC Universal Media Village website at http://www.nbcumv.com.

Please follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/nbcagt and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/nbcagt

About NBC Entertainment:

NBC Entertainment develops and schedules programming for the network’s primetime, late night, and daytime schedules. NBC’s quality programs and balanced lineup have earned the network critical acclaim, numerous awards, and ratings success. NBC has earned more Emmy Awards than any network in television history. NBC’s roster of popular scripted series includes critically acclaimed comedy Emmy winners “The Office” and “30 Rock,” starring Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey. Veteran, award-winning dramas on NBC include “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and “Chuck.” Unscripted series for NBC include the new vocal competition hit “The Voice” as well as the popular “The Biggest Loser,” “The Celebrity Apprentice” and “America’s Got Talent.” NBC’s late-night story is highlighted by “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” “Last Call with Carson Daly” and “Saturday Night Live.” NBC Daytime’s “Days of our Lives” consistently finishes among daytime’s top programs in the valuable women 18-34 category. On Saturday mornings, the network broadcasts Qubo on NBC, a three-hour block that features fun, entertaining, and educational programming for kids, including the award-winning, 3-D animated series Veggie Tales.

About FremantleMedia North America:

FremantleMedia North America (FMNA) is the U.S. production division of global media giant FremantleMedia. Based in Burbank, California, FMNA produces entertaining and innovative programs for network, cable, syndicated and online platforms, including the Emmy-nominated musical/reality phenomenon “American Idol” (FOX), “America’s Got Talent” (NBC), “What Chilli Wants” (VH1), “Hole In The Wall” (Cartoon Network), “Let’s Make A Deal” (CBS), “Family Feud” (syn), “The Price Is Right” (CBS), and “The X Factor” (Fox).

About SYCO:

Syco, with offices in London and Los Angeles, is a global music, television and film production joint venture between Simon Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment. Syco Television owns and produces the BAFTA Award-winning “The X Factor,” which has topped the charts around the world. Syco Television is also the owner of the “Got Talent” television format. Versions of both “The X Factor” and “Got Talent” are co-produced by Syco, and are shown in more than 70 countries and have won multiple awards including national television awards and BAFTAs.

Syco is also the record label home for such diverse international recording stars as Leona Lewis and Il Divo. Cowell has worked with artists selling more than 200 million albums and delivering more than 180 #1 records. Britain’s Got Talent in 2009 launched the global singing career of Susan Boyle. Her debut Syco album sold over 8 million units in six weeks, making it the world’s biggest-selling album of 2009 and the fastest-selling album in history, selling a total of 20 million records to date.