WebProNews

Tag: Singing

  • Keira Knightley Was Nervous About Singing In Her New Film

    Keira Knightley has plenty of experience when it comes to acting, but the same can’t be said when it comes to singing. The actress was taken out of her comfort zone when filming Begin Again with Adam Levine as the film required her to sing quite a bit.

    Speaking to People at the film’s premiere, Knightley admitted that her singing role in Begin Again left her “pretty terrified.” Previously, she had only sung one song in the film The Edge of Love. She sings a lot more in Begin Again, and had the added pressure of being alongside Maroon 5 frontman Levine. She remained humble throughout the interview claiming that she thinks “we faked it all right” in regards to singing.

    So, what about Levine who was acting in a film for the first time? Surely, he must have been terrified as well. In the same interview, he said that he was “worried, but had to pretend like [he] wasn’t.” In fact, he had a pretty interesting philosophy in regards to getting into the skin of the character he was hired to play:

    “So I was just playing the role of an actor knowing what he was doing. You know when you see a bear you have to pretend you are bigger than the bear in order to keep your life? That’s kind of what it was like. I kept thinking, ‘I’m an actor. For this next two weeks, I am an actor.’ I crossed my fingers and hoped it turned out fine.”

    His confidence seems to have worked as Knightley had nothing but praise for Levine as an actor. She said he was a “natural actor” and that he was “very confident” thanks to his career as a musician.

    Levine fired back by saying that her talent helped him look that much better on the screen. He said the entire cast, including Knightley, was super supportive throughout the entire filming process.

    In other Knightley news, the actress seems to have been so nervous (or busy) throughout the filming of Begin Again that she forgot her own anniversary. The reporters on the red carpet had to remind her of her marriage to James Righton to which she said the first year went alright.

    If the first trailer is any indication, both Levine and Knightley put on solid performances. Begin Again hits theaters on July 4.

    Image via Movie Trailers/YouTube

  • The Voice Will Crown A Winner Tonight During Finale

    The Voice will air their fifth season finale tonight, and people all over the country are anxiously awaiting the results. However, no one could be more nervous than the three contestants remaining who have been battling it out over the past few months. Adam Levine’s Tessanne Chin and Will Champlin, along with Christina Aguilera’s Jacquie Lee, took to the stage last night to belt out one more fierce performance before the viewers started voting. Each contestant performed three songs, including a duet with their coach.

    Chin overpowered the stage, like she does every week, with her renditions of Pink’s Try, which she first performed during her blind auditions, The Beatles’ Let It Be along with coach Adam Levine, and Whitney Houston’s I Have Nothing. After her final performance, Levine gave Chin the ultimate compliment saying that he knew in his heart she would be the winner of this show. “It’s sacred ground. We lost Whitney too early. So many people stay away from her because it’s incredible, one of the best vocals ever recorded … impossible to replicate,” Levine said. “You are just capable of anything and it blows me away. I know in my mind and heart you are the winner of this show.”

    Another member of Levine’s team Will Champlin also stole the stage during his performances of Elton John’s Tiny Dancer, which he performed with Levine, Gavin DeGraw’s Not Over You , and Bryan Adams’ (Everything I Do) I Do It for You.

    “There isn’t anybody who works harder than Will,” Levine said after Champlin’s first performance. “You wouldn’t be here today if you hadn’t worked as hard as you did. That’s inspiring.”

    Finally, the teenage sensation Jacquie Lee took the stage and performed Amy Winehouse’ Back to Black , We Remain off of the Catching Fire soundtrack with Aguilera, and And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going from the film Dreamgirls.

    “The amount of talent you have in that little body, for being 16 years old, is unbelievable,” Aguilera told Lee, whom she often compares to herself. “To see you evolve on the show – sister, that was amazing,” Blake Shelton added. “I love this girl so much,” Aguilera continued. “She is a gem .… She is going to go so many places.”

    To find out who will be this season’s winner, tune into The Voice tonight for the 2-hour finale at 9:00 p.m.

    Image via Twitter

  • “The Voice” Reveals Top 12 Contestants

    “The Voice” Reveals Top 12 Contestants

    We are down to the final 12 contestants on this season of “The Voice”. On Monday and Tuesday night, each contestant gave it their all during the live rounds, leaving the viewers to vote for the contestants they wanted to stay. On last night’s show, the top 12 were announced, shocking many of the viewers as their favorites were sent home.

    The viewers voted for their top two on each team, and then each coach had to pick one, of the remaining three, to stay on their team. It was not an easy decision for any of the coaches. Before the results were announced, each team performed together, in a last ditch effort to impress their coaches.

    First to hear their results were Team Blake. His team performed the song “Free Ride”. Then it was time for Blake to find out who would be his final team members. Viewers voted to keep Austin Jenckes and Cole Vosbury. Blake had to choose one to stay from the three remaining, Nic Hawk, Shelbie Z, and Ray Bourdreaux. “There’s no science to this,” Shelton explained. “The only thing I can really do is make a call based on my gut and the person I think I can affect change with the most.” After contemplating his decision, he went with Bourdreaux, sending Nik and Shelbie home.

    http://youtu.be/RB2gNsHPkA8

    Team Cee Lo took the stage next, performing “Give a Little Bit”. Caroline Pennell and Jonny Gray were saved by the viewers, leaving Kat Robichaud, Amber Nicole, and Tamara Chaunice awaiting their futures. “I love you all in your own equally incomparable way,” he told the girls. “This is just one milestone achievement. Let this be the beginning of a wonderful journey to wherever your music and your heart takes you.” In the end, he decided to go with the fierce performer, Robichaud.

    Next in line was Team Christina who performed “Love Somebody”, before finding out which of their team members would be leaving the show. Jacquie Lee and Matthew Schuler breathed a sigh of relief when they found out the viewers had saved them. Josh Logan, Stephanie Ann Johnson, and Olivia Henken stood on the stage, their fates in Christina’s hands, awaiting her decision. After a long explanation and promising to stay in touch with each of them, she chose to keep Logan, sending Johnson and Henken packing. “I have to go where my heart is invested right now, and where I’m interested to go,” she said.

    Finally, it was time to for Team Adam, who performed “Safe and Sound”. James Wolpert and Tessanne Chin, were saved by the viewers, leaving a tough decision for Adam, as he had to decide between Will Champlin, Preston Pohl, and Grey. “No matter how you dice this, this is horrible,” he said. “This is going to be maybe surprising, I don’t know. Moving forward I have to choose the person I think I have the most potential with, and that person is Will.”

    (image)

    “The Voice” will return for more live shows on Monday at 8:00 p.m. on NBC.

    Image via Twitter

  • Mary Steenburgen is giving Music a Try

    The lovely, award-winning actress, Mary Steenburgen, has gained major success in the film industry. Now, she is trying something new…the music industry.

    After undergoing a minor surgery and receiving a general anesthetic, she developed an unexplainable love for music. “The music started right after that,” she said. She’s now written and/or co-written more than 40 songs, and Universal Music has recently signed her as a new songwriter!

    Steenburgen has a new movie set to debut called “Last Vegas”. In the film, she is co-starring alongside an all star, Oscar-winning cast that includes, Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline. “There’s something very delicious — a very kind of wise and beautiful dance that’s done when you work with people at this point in your life that are that accomplished,” she said. Her character has a scene where she sings a song that is all Steenburgen’s, which is very exciting for her! “At one point I kind of looked in the mirror and said, you know, you’re a mom, you’re a wife, people count on you, you can’t go off the deep end into this kind of crazy, musical swirl,” she said.

    Although she has played in many movies and even won an Oscar award for her acting, she still admits that she has serious stage fright issues that she has been seeking professional help for. “I love being in a room of 8-10 people,” she said. “Once it starts to get much bigger than that, I’ve always gotten very frightened. I’ve never managed to — just telling you about it, I have sweaty palms. First time I’ve ever talked about it, actually.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Anti-Ketchup Vendor Fired For Discriminating Taste

    Charley Marcuse was known as the Detroit Tiger’s hot dog vendor for 15 years. Possibly Heinz’s worst enemy, he was a crooner who advertised at Comerica Park in a baritone voice, and has a strict dietary belief system he imposed on his customers; mustard only.

    (image)

    Last Thursday, the Inquisitr reported that Marcuse was fired last week by Sportservice, the Detroit Tigers’ concession company. Many fans thought it was because he busted out with a Pavarotti inspired operatic voice (which banned him from singing back in 2004), but Detroit News reported that it was because of his strong opinions on what was permissible and outlawed on a hot dog.

    (image)

    “Marcuse, at the ballpark and on Twitter, has been a strong crusader for only putting mustard on a frank. And some fans thought he got combative when they asked for ketchup. There were complaints filed.” The Detroit News said. Sportservice declined to state the reasoning behind Marcuse’s firing. Marcuse said to the Detroit News that, “It was general employee conduct.”

    “Only barbarians enjoy ketchup on hot dogs, so Marcuse is certainly to be admired for being against ketchup. But he was working in the customer service business, after all, and the customer is always right-even a customer so coarse to demand ketchup on a hot dog,” Deadspin reported.

    “I think all the fuss is as ridiculous as anybody else. I’d much rather be working the ballgame tomorrow night.” Marcuse said.

    Marcuse loved to converse with many people at the stadium, but many fans wished he wouldn’t. A common critique that he often faced was that he took himself way too seriously.

    “How seriously can you take yourself selling hot dogs? I am just a hot dog man. It’s a job I love that I would like to keep doing.”

    On Charley Marcsue’s website, the first (and trademarked) line reads, “There is no ketchup in baseball!” Apparently, Marcuse has his own line of what he believes to be “the finest mustard”, a recipe he launched back in June 2008.

    Marcuse has filed a grievance, but a hearing has been yet to be scheduled.

    America loves to stuff its gullet with 20 billion hotdogs a year.

     

    (image)

     

    (Pictures courtesy of Charley’s website, YouTube, and Twitter)

  • Lillie McCloud has Hits under another Name

    Lillie McCloud, the 54-year-old grandmother that has shocked the world and “X Factor” judges, has a whole other career listed under a different name.

    McCloud has been recording songs since the 1980s under the name Nicole McCloud. She has several hits including: “Don’t You Want My Love” in 1986 and in 1994, “Runnin’ Away”.

    “I have been trying not to hide,” McCloud told a reporter on Wednesday. “I’ve been working in Miami nightclubs, on South Beach for several years. I’ve been recording. I couldn’t get beyond dance artist. I had some recordings as a dance artist. I never had this opportunity to branch out.”

    McCloud says that although she has been recording and performing locally, she has been waiting for years for her “big break”. It seems as though her time is now. Judges have compared her to Gladys Knight and the legend Whitney Houston.

    “I feel like a superhero,” she said. “Does this happen to a 54-year-old? This is not normal,” she said. “It’s not every day that something like this happens to someone like me. A couple of weeks ago I was home cooking with a baby in one hand and a baby in the other. This time I’m ready for it.”

    http://youtu.be/o3U4kxuBfIo

    I don’t think that fans will mind that she has a previous career. She seems to be a smash hit amongst the judges and fans alike. Fans have been praising her performance of “Alabaster Box” via Twitter and find her to be an inspiration.

    Image via Twitter