Singers who will perform for pope consider it a singular experience

Kelly Clarkson, 25, a pop singer who gained national attention by winning the inaugural “American Idol” competition in 2002, will sing several of her standards for the youths awaiting the pope in Yonkers April 19.

When the pope arrives, she will sing “Ave Maria” by Franz Schubert. Through her publicist, she said, “I was so excited to be asked to sing for the pope! I grew up singing church music, and it’s always been a dream of mine to perform ‘Ave Maria.’ To have that dream come true on such a special occasion is truly a blessing.”

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0801745.htm

Kelly Clarkson’s Road to Redemption Continues with Stop in Front of the Pope

It’s not reciting the words to “How Will I Know” 20 times and “I Will Always Love You” 30 times, but Kelly Clarkson is going to perform a penance of sorts later this month, when she’ll perform what could be seen as the ultimate diva jam: Franz Schubert’s “Ave Maria,” which she’ll perform for Pope Benedict XVI before he gives a speech in Yonkers, N.Y., on April 19. She’s calling this opportunity a “blessing,” even though she’s Baptist and the oh-so-conservative Benny 16 will probably be thinking that she’s a fake Christian during her entire performance.

http://idolator.com/374681/kelly-clarksons-road-to-rede...in-front-of-the-pope

3,000 will get refunds for concert Clarkson event canceled over NCAA concerns

About 3,000 people will get refunds within the next few weeks for a Kelly Clarkson concert that was canceled at Kinnick Stadium, officials said Monday.

The April 18 show was a part of MSL Entertainment’s 2008 Gridiron Bash, a series of concerts and events at more than 20 NCAA Division I football schools in the country in an attempt to generate revenue and rev up fans.

Concerts all over the country were canceled last week because of confusion in NCAA regulations about student-athlete participation, said Shawn Garrity, MSL president and a former linebacker at Syracuse.

http://www.press-citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=...EWS01/804010315/1079

Kelly clarkson demos have leaked. But the site that it's on isn't really safe for your computer so here is what MJ has to say about them:

“Close your eyes” - I like this. It’s got a folk/country feel to it.
“One Day” - Pretty ballad. This is closer to what she did on My December.
“Ready” - Kind of Jewel-ish
“With a Little Bit of Luck” - Very catchy chorus-this could be a single.

Kelly’s still singing about tough times, but with some optimism. The tracks are rough, but they are promising.

Clarkson Hopes Fans ‘Like’ Leaked Demos

Kelly Clarkson has shared with Billboard.com her thoughts on four unfinished songs leaking to the Internet.

The new material from Clarkson, never one to escape controversy, surfaced earlier this week via the Los Angeles-based music blog Pretty Much Amazing. The four songs — “Close Your Eyes,” “Ready,” “One Day,” and “With a Little Bit of Luck” — have varying sound quality, indicating that the tracks are in different stages of the recording process.

“I write all the time — lots of stuff not meant to ever be released, just working on ideas,” Clarkson tells Billboard.com of the leaked work. “The fact that people have heard music that’s not ready yet sucks, but I hope they like it.”

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp...ontent_id=1003785674

What young Roman Catholics want from the pope.

On Saturday, Benedict will play host to more than 25,000 young people at a youth rally just north of Manhattan at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, N.Y. Kelly Clarkson has been enlisted to warm up the crowd with a rendition of “Ave Maria”–perhaps a sign that Benedict may need a little help in energizing a crowd of kids. “Honestly, I think a lot of people are more excited to see Kelly Clarkson,” admits 16 year-old Stephanie LaGumina, who will attend the rally along with 100 of her female classmates from The Ursuline School in New Rochelle, N.Y. In a group interview with four of them earlier this week, they spoke of a strong desire for Benedict to speak directly to young people but also a deep disconnect that many in their generation feel with the church, particularly with this pope. “It’s important for him to see how the faith relates to us, and I’m not sure that he does,” said 17-year-old Gianna Caiola. “We’re the future of the faith, and if you lose us now, there will be nothing left.” Added LaGumina, “I know a lot of guys who have said they would be more interested in going to seminary if John Paul was still pope.”

http://www.newsweek.com/id/132752

Heres a video of Kelly Clarkson performing “Ave Maria” for the Pope.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd4sn_aZPvw 

Kelly Clarkson sheds good-girl image, clothes

Kelly Clarkson has seemed committed to shedding her good-girl image since she stepped off the “American Idol” stage, and the reporting surrounding her latest habits only serve to prove that.
According to a close source who spoke to Us Weekly, the Grammy-winning pop star enjoys walking around her home in the buff, no matter the circumstances. That would include not just when close friends are around, but even when her home is “filled with strangers for photo shoots or fittings,” reports the magazine

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24260945/

quote:

Originally posted by BigNLiddle:
Kelly Clarkson sheds good-girl image, clothes

Kelly Clarkson has seemed committed to shedding her good-girl image since she stepped off the “American Idol” stage, and the reporting surrounding her latest habits only serve to prove that.
According to a close source who spoke to Us Weekly, the Grammy-winning pop star enjoys walking around her home in the buff, no matter the circumstances. That would include not just when close friends are around, but even when her home is “filled with strangers for photo shoots or fittings,” reports the magazine

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24260945/

MSNBC is a little late reporting things like this. She has talked about her desire to be nude since almost day one.

Police: Man Uses Kelly Clarkson’s Name To Steal Truck

A man used a Texas-native pop star’s name to con a Ford dealership out of a pickup truck, officials told KPRC Local 2 Thursday.

“He had made his appointment and kept it,” said Officer Jim Woods with the Houston Police Department’s Auto Theft Unit. “He said he was an associate of Kelly Clarkson.”

That’s right — Kelly Clarkson, the first winner of “American Idol.” She is originally from Burleson, Texas, near Fort Worth.

“He said she was in town looking to buy her sister a brand new Ford F-150,” said Woods. “They showed it to him and he said that was exactly what she was looking for.”

Police said the man convinced the sales manager to drive the truck to the Westin Galleria hotel, so he could show the pop star her potential purchase in person.

http://www.click2houston.com/news/16130815/detail.html

Reba & Kelly’s 2Worlds Tour Spins On

Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson have announced another round of dates for their successful 2 Worlds 2 Voices Tour.

The new run kicks off September 25 at MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba and runs through late November.

Stops include Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta (September 27), Taco Bell Arena in Boise, Idaho (October 9), Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Ind. (October 16), Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D. (October 23), John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va. (October 30), Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y. (November 6), BJCC Arena in Birmingham, Ala. (November 14), and Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, N.C. (November 21).

http://www.pollstar.com/news/viewnews.pl?NewsID=10191

Kelly Clarkson is TOAST

Kelly Clarkson celebrates the 4th of July by grabbing lunch at Toast Bakery Cafe with two of her close girlfriends on Friday.

The 26-year-old original American Idol is currently recording her fourth studio album with many collaborators including Sam Watters, Louis Biancaniello and Ryan Tedder from OneRepublic (”Apologize”, “Stop and Stare”). Sam and Louis also wrote and produced the song “Anytime”, which appeared on Kelly’s debut album Thankful in 2003.

http://justjared.buzznet.com/2008/07/04/kelly-clarkson-toast/

American Idol’ winner Kelly Clarkson said to be in downtown Portsmouth

PORTSMOUTH — Brandy Higgins just had “a moment like this” with Kelly Clarkson, the first winner of “American Idol.”

Higgins, owner of Mojo Boutique in the Vaughan Mall in downtown Portsmouth, said Clarkson was at the store Friday afternoon with her family and spent around $1,200 on clothing.

http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID...1/ENTERTAIN/80801027

‘American Idol’ goes on downtown shopping spree

NEWBURYPORT — Petit Bijou owner Richard Coco celebrated the one-month birthday of his store in a big way Monday when Kelly Clarkson went on a shopping spree.

“She gave me her credit card and license, and I said you must get teased a lot because you look like Kelly Clarkson,” Coco said. “She said, well I am Kelly Clarkson.”

Clarkson, her mother, sister and a small child were visiting for the day while staying with friends in Portsmouth when they stopped in the 10 State St. store.

“I didn’t know what to think,” Coco said. “My wife is a big ‘American Idol’ fan, and she was always our favorite.”

http://www.newburyportnews.com/punews/local_story_219010309.html