RoadTurn: Reflections on the Paul Potts Story

Sometimes it pays not to have television on demand. That may have been the case Tuesday as my family enjoyed a night of sitting around the kitchen table talking and stringing shucky beans while our fellow citizens watched America’s Got Talent. According to Jaya Saxena, writing for Entertainment Weekly, “The opening 20 minutes devolved into [...]

We’re still on the road, so I was able to watch last night’s telecast of America’s Got Talent. For my part, this showing vindicated the almost total wipeout last week. Two performers were especially keen: Xavier Lewis calls himself “XL” and could use plenty of PR advice for image, but the guy CAN sing. Matching [...]

Checking in with America’s Got Talent this week, the broadcast puts forward a guy who has a story that gives “singing for your supper” a note of reality. Kyle Rifkin sang on the streets to feed his mother and siblings. Now, he’s belting out a Temptations hit, “Ain’t too Proud to Beg,” and getting the [...]

Miley Cyrus aka Hannah Montana finally fished up some good press when she showed up unexpectedly at a charity concert in Nashville, Tennessee. Maybe Miley took a hint from Faryl Smith? Yes, I know that Faryl is not immune from letting the fans down, but so far she is on track and exhibiting a degree [...]

Faryl Smith has announced that she will be recording her first album this fall. The statement, from an exclusive interview with the (U.K.) Evening Telegraph, is a bit enigmatic :
Faryl has revealed that, although she has not signed a recording deal yet, she has made plans with Simon Cowell to start recording her first CD [...]

We’ve seen Simon Cowell visit the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street, greet the Queen, lunch with politicians, and generally hob-knob with anyone who is someone in British society. Simon, one might say, has pull. The (U.K.) TimesOnline made that point clear today with a headline story saying that “David Cameron has turned to Simon [...]

America’s Got Talent proved once again last night that America really does harbor a bevy of dancers, cowboys, acrobats, sword-swallowers, and singers. Here is how BuddyTV described one of those very special acts:
George the Giant is seven feet and three inches tall. His talent involves stringing a clear straw around an audience volunteer, then [...]

Some of you know that I often go off on a semi-rant about the seeming give-a-hoot attitude exhibited by those responsible for the promotion and public relations efforts on the Paul Potts team. I have received several disgruntled emails from members of that team–who think that they are doing a bang-up job. And maybe they [...]

America’s Got Talent who 302 splashed the screens last night, and the line-up included: A bartender who does the grind, a fire-eating lady, dancing pseudo-cowboys, a couple of really good singers, and Elvis. Read the show review at Buddy TV, and see Elvis right here:

The word is out that the One Chance movie is proceeding. Screenwriter Justin Zackham has been selected to write the script, which The Hollywood Reporter says is expected to be a comedy-drama.
Simon Cowell, Michael Menchley, and Steve Whitney are producing the film. For a read of the entire article, just click here.

How’s this for Yankee ingenuity: It was announced last night, at this year’s premier of America’s Got Talent, that the winner will not only walk away with a cool one million dollars, but will also perform on in Las Vegas!
That’s right folks, it’s the American version of the Royal Variety show–the Las Vegas Strip.
Judges Piers [...]

The tour is finally over and Paul Potts gets a well-deserved break. How do I know this? Was it due to his excellent public relations team who keeps the press informed about Paul’s activities? No, it was not. Paul’s tour ended without a whimper from the press. The only way I know is that I [...]