A little over a month ago, Michael Johns performed several songs from his new album Hold Back My Heart in a live concert held at Hollywood and Highland. The concert was meant to celebrate the June 23rd release of his debut album and was in fact performed only two days after the album hit shelves nationwide. It's also available for digital download at Amazon.com and iTunes.
News of this concert was overshadowed that day, as we learned Michael Jackson had just passed away. Now that a respectable amount of time for mourning a great loss to music's history has passed, and some high quality videos of the performance have recently surfaced, I'm happy to share with you Michael Johns live at Hollywood and Highland, performed on June 25, 2009.
My thanks to Lovinthefro09 for uploading most of the following videos. The first video is one posted by scoobyld, in which Michael Johns pays a stunning tribute to Michael Jackson, RIP the King of Pop. This was one of the first tributes to Michael Jackson to be posted to YouTube. All of the other videos, with the exception of "Hold On", are from the new album Hold Back My Heart, by Michael Johns.
This just in from the AP (Associated Press)! New video announces Michael Johns Hold Back My Heart album release! Way to go Michael! I didn't write this one, but I'm happy to share it with all the American Idol Michael Johns' fans.
"Former 'American Idol' contestant Michael Johns releases new album, "Hold Back My Heart." Johns - one of the first non-US citizens to make the Top 12 - came fifth place in the seventh season of 'American Idol'. (July 15)"
It's not often that an "Idol" like Michael Johns asks his fans to help out, so when he did, I was more than willing to offer whatever I can to help spread the word to all of his fans. Michael sent out a bulletin and a blog today, both requesting the same thing. Here's what he had to say:
Hey everyone,
Clear Channel has chosen me as one of their "Artists to Watch" but I still need your help. I would love it if you could spread the word about the promotion and request "Heart on My Sleeve" through their ON DEMAND service located at the top of the page.
We're trying to get the single all over radio so this would be HUGE!
Thanks so much and see you on tour!
MJ
Now being the faithful little Michael Johns fan that I am, I clicked on the "RIGHT HERE" portion of his blog and bulletin to follow through with his request. It did indeed take me to the Adult section of the iheartradio.com site. When I got there, I noticed that Michael was on that page, but under their "Recommended" artist section instead of "Artists to Watch". He's the nice looking fellow on the far right, bottom row.
The picture above will take you to the iheartradio.com's Adult page.
I also went to the On Demand section just as he asked, but couldn't find how to request an artist or a song. I was able to find his music by entering the On Demand section, then finding a Search button on the very far right of the iheart radio player, I entered his name and then clicked on select. I got to "Heart On My Sleeve" from his new album Hold Back My Heart easily enough, but I don't know if that constitutes making a request, so I fired off an email to the site. I asked them flat out how to make a request on their website (and requested the song via email too). They're supposed to answer within 12 hours, so I'll let you know how that goes.
If you click on the picture below, it'll take you directly to his page, which looks something like this.
One of Michael's fans also suggested that those who have Twitter accounts can make their requests by tweeting @iheartradio and @NEWArtists - Please play Michael Johns - "Heart On My Sleeve" . No worries my Twitter friends, I'll do it from a Twitter account no one knows about instead of bombarding you like I did on the AOL "All Twitter Request" radio station. :P
In continuing coverage given by news sources from all over the internet, Michael Johns' renditions of "The National Anthem" and "God Bless America" in Anaheim on July 4, 2009 is earning praise. By all accounts, these were some of the best performances of the songs ever heard..
Major League Baseball teams across the nation dedicated themselves to raising awareness and funds for ALS to commemorate Lou Gehrig's farewell speech 70 years ago. Michael Johns was there to pay tribute to America on her birthday, and to further his support in the fight for a cure of ALS. In honoring others, he unknowingly (and deservedly) earned honor from The Angels for himself.
Here's an excerpt taken from an article posted at their website.
In an effort to raise awareness and financial support for organizations leading the fight against ALS, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, the Angels will have American Idol Finalist Michael Johns sing the national anthem before Saturday's game against the Baltimore Orioles.
Johns, an avid supporter of ALS research, has been involved in certain organizations to help the fight against ALS.
In December 2008, he released the song "Another Christmas," with 50 percent of the proceeds going towards ALS research.
"Michael Johns embodies the spirit of this day," Angels entertainment and production manager Pete Bull said. "He loves America and the opportunity he had with American Idol was able to show what we can provide as a nation. He truly loves our country."
The feeling is mutual. Our country loves him as well. Cheers Michael Johns, our "Aussie-American", and thanks once again for everything you do for your fellow man. Now that the Fourth of July has passed, we'll look forward to your upcoming tour. Best wishes on your new album Hold Back My Heart.
That's an unusual name for an album from someone who so often gives of yours. :D
It was announced in an article from MLB.com, that American Idol finalist Michael Johns will be performing the National Anthem to offer his support in finding a cure for ALS(Lou Gehrig's Disease). His first tribute for the cause was offered when he dedicated all proceeds from his single "Another Christmas" to various charities, one of which benefited ALS. That contribution was meant to honor the passing of Nancy O'Dell's mother to the disease. News of that gift can be found at Blogcritics.org.
This Independence Day, Michael continues his reputation for giving of his time and talent by singing at the following event. Here's an excerpt from the article "Major League Baseball clubs hold special on-field ceremonies on July 4th to honor 70th anniversary of Lou Gehrig's farewell speech" from MLB.com. Please read the entire article at the SOURCE.
In addition, individual Clubs will support the ALS cause on July 4th. For example, American Idol Finalist Michael Johns will perform the National Anthem prior to the Baltimore Orioles vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim game; the Philadelphia Phillies have raised over $865,000 for ALS this year alone; and the Minnesota Twins are one of many Clubs that have donated a suite for ALS families.
Michael Johns' debut album Hold Back My Heart can be downloaded or ordered online at both iTunes and Amazon.com. You can also pick up your copy at retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target and Best Buy everywhere! The album features the hit song "Heart On My Sleeve", which is being offered for free download at Amazon.com. Look for the CD to be displayed along with other American Idol stars.
From his MySpace Music blog today, Michael Johns sent out the news that his single "Heart On My Sleeve" from his debut album Hold Back My Heartcan now be downloaded FREE from Amazon.com. Here's the blog he sent out today:
If you haven't already downloaded this song, you'll find it distinctly different from anything you've heard him do before. Michael Johns is an accomplished singer/songwriter whose talent is limitless. As he's so often shown in the past, he can sing any genre of music and somehow make it his own. This song stretches the boundaries of Michael's previous works into a clearly high-polished, yet soulful rendition that softly rocks with sophistication.
Although the song was written by John Shanks and James Morrison, Michael's performance easily captures the emotions expressed in the lyrics and conveys them to the listener. Beautiful song, and beautifully done. Be sure to listen to the rest of the album when you download the free single. It's completely different from the single.
Catch the interview Michael Johns did with UGO.com in the first video, he talks about his debut album Hold Back My Heart; released TODAY! You can pick up a copy at your local stores, or download it from iTunes or Amazon.com!
Thanks for the video news Michael, and my thanks to UGO.com for providing the embed links so we can share them! Be sure to visit their site for up to the minute news on Gaming and media!
Check out 2 new live solo performances that just went up on UGO.com today! Head over to the link below to see my acoustic performances of "To Love Somebody" and "Heart on My Sleeve" plus an interview.
Watch Michael Johns interview and performance of "Heart On My Sleeve" from his radio appearance this morning on Fresh 102.7 in NYC!
For those of you that live in the NYC area, Michael will be doing a Meet N Greet at J&R's Music World, 23 Park Row at 5pm. Don't miss meeting Michael to get your copy of Hold Back My Heart signed!
Also, don't miss Michael tomorrow morning on Good Day New York! He'll be on the show around 8:40 am.
Meanwhile, back at the radio station, please enjoy the following videos courtesy of Fresh 102.7 FM, and listen to their station to hear Michael Johns "Heart On My Sleeve"! Download the single FREE from Amazon.com!
My unending thanks to 103.7 Lite FM for sharing these outstanding videos with all of us Michael Johns Fans. In an article I wrote yesterday, I posted the video of Michael Johns they filmed while he was in their studio playing his debut single "Heart On My Sleeve" from his new album Hold Back My Heart. Lite FM was thoughtful enough to turn on the video cameras and shared that video at their site. Stay tuned to that radio station to hear Michael Johns and this song on a regular basis! Michael Johns - "Heart On My Sleeve" (In-studio @ 103.7 Lite FM)
I cannot even begin to tell you how thankful I was to find the video above, so you can imagine my surprise when I returned to their site and found they went the extra mile for their listeners. The Lite FM radio station hosted Lite Nite at The Glass Cactus in Dallas on June 17th, as you already know if you read this blog very often.
They made videos of Michael Johns set as he performed the songs below. It's almost as good as being there...almost. 103.7 Lite FM in Dallas are now my heroes. Cheers and best wishes to them!
If you missed the interview before the song, you can listen to that fabulous Aussie wit in that beautiful accent below. Lite FM most graciously shared their mp3 of the interview and the song in a Podcast from the Gene and Julie Morning Show, airing weekdays on 103.7 Lite FM from 5am - 10am.
You can purchase the album Hold Back My Heart in stores everywhere on June 23rd. Michael's first single "Heart On My Sleeve" is available for download at iTunes and Amazon.com now!
Here's an extra special treat for 103.7 Lite FM listeners and Michael Johns Fans. As previously reported, Michael Johns was in their studio to play his debut single "Heart On My Sleeve" from his new album Hold Back My Heart. You can purchase the album in stores everywhere on June 23rd, or download it digitally from iTunes and Amazon.com. Lite FM turned on the video cameras and shared that video at their site. Stay tuned to that radio station to hear the song on a regular basis!
If you missed the interview before the song, you can listen to that fabulous Aussie wit in that beautiful accent below. Lite FM most graciously shared their mp3 of the interview and the song in a Podcast from the Gene and Julie Morning Show, airing weekdays on 103.7 Lite FM from 5am - 10am.
NARM (National Association of Recording Merchandisers) held their 2009 Convention last week and was host to some of the best known names in the music business. NARM is a non-profit organization devoted to advancing music by bringing together all aspects of the industry. For deatiled information on what they do, please visit their site.
Michael Johns and Brooke White provided entertainment for the finale event and headlined individual sets as well as joining to perform their duet "Life Is Okay" for the first time since it was recorded for the soundtrack album Don't Look Down. In addition to their performances last week, Daryl Hall and Johns Oates played at the Awards Dinner Finale, held on Wednesday, June 10th. Here's the convention news of Michael Johns and Brooke White as it was published at the NARM website:
These two American Idol alums teamed up recently for the hit single “Life is Okay” for the “Don’t Look Down” soundtrack and will meet again on the NARM stage for the Awards Dinner Finale.
Brooke White turned heads during last season’s “Idol” by delivering breathtaking renditions of songs by the Beatles, Dolly Parton and Neil Diamond. After she sang Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain,” Simon proclaimed White to be her favorite “Idol” vocalist. Her new album, “High Hopes and Heartbreak,” will be released this summer. Randy Jackson plays Executive Producer on the album.
Michael Johns delivers blue-eyed Soul as it’s meant to be heard. His new album, “Heart On My Sleeve,” due in stores June 16, is devoid of the typical glossy veneer applied to most modern albums, but heavy on vibe. It has a Blues-Country feel, with swelling strings accenting the delectable Pop of the album’s first single of the same title.
Okay, big gig, but not so big on accurate journalism. Michael Johns' new album is titled Hold Back My Heartand it's due out on June 23rd. I'll give them credit for getting the name of the single right. "Heart On My Sleeve" from his debut album is available on iTunes and Amazon.com now!
To hear 30 second clips of all 12 song titles on the album, go to Amazon.com and listen today! If you can't wait to say you own the very best in music, you can pre-order the full CD at Amazon.com!
I was hoping for full videos of their performances last week, but this is what was posted on YouTube. Here's a collection of video clips from the June 10th performance. This video does give you a taste of what to expect from both artists.
Brooke performs her new single, "Radio, Radio" from her debut album High Hopes and Heartbreak. Michael performs "To Love Somebody" also on his debut album in addition to eleven original tunes, and finally the duet we've all been waiting to see. Michael and Brooke sing the duet "Life Is Okay" from the Don't Look Down soundtrack. (an independent album produced by Johns, Foxworth, and Randa).
For those of you who live in the Dallas area and are looking for something special to do tomorrow night, 103.7 Lite FM will be hosting Michael Johns to introduce his new CD. Michael will be performing five songs from his debut album Hold Back My Heart at The Glass Cactus tomorrow night (June 17th).
He's just recently started his promotional tour for his album, which is set for a June 23rd release. To hear 30 second samples of all 12 songs from the album, you can go to Amazon.com now! You'll be able to purchase the CD in stores everywhere next Tuesday, or you can pre-order the album today! Michael's new single "Heart On My Sleeve" was the #1 requested song at AOL Radio last week and it's available for download from iTunes and Amazon.com.
Don't miss seeing one of American Idol Season 7's Top finalist while you can! This up close and personal performance is sure to be one of a kind, and it's FREE. It's your chance to see him before he starts his actual Hold Back My Heart Tour in August 2009. The single "Heart On My Sleeve" can be downloaded at iTunes or Amazon.com today!
Take your video camera and then share your night by uploading it to YouTube for the rest of us that can't be there! The concert is free, but you must present them with a ticket to enter. You can visit the following stores to pick up your free ticket, or you can PRINT YOUR OWN TICKET HERE.
Videos from this event are just now being posted to YouTube. Here's one that was done on a cell phone. It was the first time she'd used the video feature on her phone and she apologizes for the quality of her video skills. No need to apologize! Thanks for sharing, believe me, we'll take it! I'll add more as they're put up on YouTube. Looks to be a full house last night!
If you missed his interview and gorgeous acoustic performance of "Heart On My Sleeve" on 103.7 Lite FM (June 17th) - have a listen below. Simply breathtaking.
Michael visited the set on Fox 4 - KDFW in Dallas today and played his new single "Heart On My Sleeve" from his debut album Hold Back My Heart, which will be released one week from today! On June 23rd, you'll be able to purchase the CD in stores everywhere, or you can pre-order the album from Amazon.com now!
For those of you who can make it to Dallas tomorrow night, Michael will be performing at The Glass Cactus. The concert is free, but you must present them with a ticket to enter. You can visit the following stores to pick one up, or you can print your own ticket from the source below. Directions to the store locations can also be found at their site. Enjoy!
We’ve arranged to have Top Ten American Idol Michael Johns debut his new CD for you…Live, in the intimate setting of The Glass Cactus night club at The Gaylord Texan on Wednesday, June 17th at 7pm. This 5 song acoustic and intimate performance with Michael Johns will be something that you'll be talking about for the rest of the year!
You can also stop by any of these locations to get your tickets!
Wednesday 6/10 12p-2p Southlake Town Square Directions
Thursday 6/11 2p-4p Grapevine Mills Food Court Directions
Friday 6/12 7a-9a Panera Bread Southlake Directions
Friday 6/12 4p-6p Verizon Wireless Preston Center Directions
Friday 6/12 6p-8p Dr Pepper Arena Directions
Saturday 6/13 10a-4p Stephanie's Day NorthPark Center Directions
Saturday 6/13 3p-5p Anna's Linens Dallas Directions
Sunday 6/14 11a-6p Dallas CityArts Celebration Directions
Monday 6/15 2p-4p Vista Ridge Mall Food Court Directions
Tuesday 6/16 2p-4p North East Mall Food Court Directions
Wednesday 6/17 11a-1p Dallas Museum of Art Directions
You must have a ticket to enter. Please arrive early. This event is on a first come, first served basis and is NOT guaranteed. Glass Cactus and Lite FM are not responsible for over capacity.
For any artist that's new to the social media and technology scene, may I suggest that you take a few lessons from a band that totally "gets it"?
Just how important is it to stay in touch with all of your fans? Collective Soul would tell you it's very near the top of their list as being one of the golden (or should I say platinum?) keys to their huge success.
Of course, the absolute number one most important criteria for any artist to achieve success in the business, is in having exceptional talent and music - but even creating great music doesn't guarantee you'll break through to the top. Not if your fans don't know the first thing about you, or where they can find you on tour, or when they can buy your music.
Collective Soul understood that Platinum Rule from day one, and in using that knowledge, they've become one of the most successful groups anywhere. Having scored seven multi-platinum records in the US, they also boast seven #1 hits, and they've gone multi-platinum 18 times in Canada. Those numbers are impressive by anyone's standards, but they're nowhere near done adding to that set of accomplishments yet.
In the wake of a failing economy, now more than ever, it's critically essential to utilize every possible means of free advertising made available to every artist on the internet. Simply put, the ability to mass market yourself is quite literally at your fingertips.
What better way is there, than to have your loyal fans advertise every step of your career for you? Where and how do you find these most willing loyal fans? The answer is just as simple. You must first and foremost be loyal to them. Here's how Collective Soul shows that level of loyalty to their fans.
You can find and follow them on Twitter to interact with them directly. If you clicked on that link I provided you with to get to their Twitter page, you should immediately notice a difference between their profile and most "celebrity" sites. Collective Soul have over 18,000 followers so far, but that's not the surprising part.
These guys have taken the time to follow more than 20,000 other people, including (and most importantly), each and every one of the fans that follow them. They've used their Twitter account as a means of two-way communication, in order to answer questions and comments on a daily basis. That's right folks, they interact with their fans personally - and here's why.
In an article they shared with us recently, titled "A celebrity that gets social media? I know shocking…", the reasons for following fans were thoroughly explained. This article should be required reading for every music marketing agency in the world.
It shows just how quickly an artist (or anyone with a need for massive advertisement) can instantly share an announcement with their target audience, all at once. The example used in the article shows how one music celebrity increased her Twitter followers to over a million by returning the follow to her fans. Here's a quick excerpt from the article, but you should read it in its entirety to understand the full effect following fans in return can have.
With the competition brutal due to Twitter going mainstream, celebrities are starting to clamor for more follows to be ranked higher in the overall Twitter follower rankings. When looking at the column data it is from left to right: Date, Followers, Following.
You can see the incremental amounts that were increased from a mere 1,000 people that the Britney Spears account was following to three days later an additional 9,000. The action of following an additional 9,000 people resulted in a follower jump of 23,837. However, the biggest monumental jump was when an additional 58,000 people were followed which increased the people following the Britney Spears account by 581,000 additional followers.
Now that's impressive indeed. Can you imagine being able to Tweet the name of your new album, or single, or give your tour dates and venues to millions of people all at once? Not only can Collective Soul imagine doing all of that for their fans, they're well on their way to achieving that million mark goal for themselves.
Their claim to fame doesn't end with just using their Twitter account as a means to broadcast news of their newest releases and tour dates. Instead, they utilize that marketing tool by holding different contests between their fans. Offering prizes that range from free tickets and backstage passes to autographed guitars, makes for some stiff competition and brings out the absolute best in advertising from those fans who choose to compete.
The most current contest is a for bloggers and ends on June 15th. Who knows? They might even find a professional writer or two willing to offer their praises in a blog. You can visit the article posted above for details on how to get in on the action. Just by offering ways for their fans to make even the smallest measure of difference toward their success, they now have over 18,000 followers currently vying for their attention by blogging their love of Collective Soul.
Marketing genius. (there's more to the story after this musical interlude)
These guys (or whoever represents them technologically speaking) are the quintessential definition of marketing professionalism. The Twitter account is just one example of how a tech savvy marketing team can advertise your goods, without spending anything more than some time. If you go to Collective Soul's Website for NEWS, or follow them via THEIR BLOG, you'll see what I mean.
Their website boasts different sections - all geared toward satisfying the fans need for news and merchandise, and all located at the same place. They have sections listing Tour Dates, a Media space for sharing their behind the scene (aka vlog) videos. That's just another way they add the personal touch to make fans feel like they're truly an important part of their lives.
There's a message board (aka fan forum) where fans can discuss the latest events and offer their opinions. You'll also find an online store where you can purchase their most recent merchandise, like Collective Soul Dog Tags, and T-shirts, and CD's, etc. Still more sections feature their Discography, Biography, Photos...and yes, they even have a special place reserved for their Fan Club.
To a certain degree, Collective Soul are collectors themselves. Right now, they're collecting fans, MySpace Friends, Twitter followers, Audioacrobat.com phone callers, and selling out tour dates by posting news of their tour far enough in advance that their fans can plan an entire vacation around seeing them live. I already know which concert I'll be attending. If you're not certain what cities and dates to reserve, let me give you a hint where to find that TOUR INFORMATION.
By the way, that neat little widget in the midst of the page that's playing Collective Soul music was also offered at their official website. You should visit there now to get yours. To do that, just click on their picture at the top of the widget. While you're visiting their website, you might also notice they have a new album called Rabbit coming out on August 25th of this year. The classic sound will still rock you down to your Collective Soul. Their new single "Staring Down" from that album was one of the most requested songs at AOL's Tweet Requests radio and rightfully so.
Collective Soul are collective geniuses as far as I'm concerned. If they're collecting fans that hold them in the highest esteem, now they've collected me.
When I first reported this story on Thursday (See the original June 11th story here) based on an AOL Blog from that morning, I was more than happy to give you the news that Michael Johns' first single "Heart On My Sleeve" was one of the Top 11 songs requested that day in a contest held by AOL Radio.
AOL asked its listeners to send Twitter requests so they could launch a new Tweet Requests radio station. What wasn't known at the time that I published the first report, were the exact number of requests for the the Top 11 artists and songs. We just knew Michael Johns had done well based on preliminary reports from AOL Radio's blog.
Today, I am most pleased to announce that Michael Johns was in fact THE #1 most requested artist that day. Here's the news as it was confirmed in this Tweet from AOLRADIO a few hours ago:
"aolradio Well the #'s are in: It looks like the Michael Johns fans won by a mile - Johns was the most requested artist by a mile on Wednesday.about 7 hours ago from TweetDeck"
I've followed their news on Twitter and at AOL Radio on a daily basis since the launch of their Tweet Request station, and I'm loving every minute of finally finding a station that truly listens to the fans. Not only is Michael's single in heavy rotation at the first ever (that I'm aware of) Tweet Request station, they've also added his new single to their New Pop First channel as well as their Pop Idols station.
AOL Radio has more than 350 Sports, News, Talk and Music stations from which you can choose your favorite genre. Personally, I plan on listening to every one of their stations where they put Michael Johns' music in the rotation. Michael's debut album Hold Back My Heart will be released on June 23rd, which will give me at least 11 more songs to requests from my AOL radio stations. :D
You can listen to 30 second snippets of all 12 songs from the Hold Back My Heart album HERE. Cheers, and to Michael Johns, congratulations on being the most requested.
Michael Johns new single "Heart on My Sleeve" from his debut album Hold Back My Heart(to be released June 23) was among the Top 11 most requested songs at AOL Radio yesterday when they launched an All Tweet radio station.
Those artists that had the highest number of request will be in heavy rotation according to news from the AOL Radio website. If you haven't heard Michael Johns' new single on the radio yet, now is your chance to hear it, if it hasn't already hit your local radio stations! The link at the bottom will take you directly to The Tweet Request channel.
We received thousands of tweet requests yesterday as part of our Tweet Requests station launch and again, want to thank everyone for their input.
There were 11 songs that we tallied through requests, replies and DMs on Twitter that we'd like to call out. Below are the 11 most requested songs that you guys wanted. Below, the songs are ranked in alphabetical order by artist/band.
11 Most Requested Songs for AOL Radio on Twitter 6/10 3OH!3, 'Don't Trust Me' Anarbor, 'Let the Games Begin' Cash Cash, 'Party in Your Bedroom' Cobra Starship, 'Good Girls Go Bad' (feat. Leighton Meester) Collective Soul, 'Staring Down' David Cook, 'Bar-Ba-Sol' David Cook, 'Come Back to Me' Michael Johns, 'Heart on My Sleeve' Jonas Brothers, 'Paranoid' New Found Glory, 'Listen to Your Friends' Seether, 'Careless Whisper'
Runner-Ups Include: 10 Years, 'Actions & Motives'; Kris Allen, 'No Boundaries'; The Cab, 'Bounce'; Company of Thieves, 'Oscar Wilde'; David Cook, 'Light On'; Elliott Yamin, 'Fight For Love'; Envy on the Coast, 'Mirrors'; Owl City, 'Strawberry Avalanche', Sick Puppies, 'You're Going Down'; Thriving Ivory, 'Hey Lady'
Artist/Band with Most # of Requested Songs in the Station: Collective Soul
Congratulations to the artists and the fans as well! As a result of your efforts, these songs are in heavy rotation on the 'Tweet Requests' station which is now live on AOL Radio. You can find it in the 'Themes' genre or by clicking on the link below.
More stats will be posted throughout the day as we have them.
Michael Johns Twittered the news that he and Brooke White will be performing at NARM this Wednesday, June 10th. They are said to be performing the duet "Life Is Okay" from the Don't Look Down soundtrack for the first time since it was recorded. It's even been suggested that there might be some video of the performance so I'll keep my eyes open for that one on YouTube.
This huge event being held at the San Diego Marriott started on Sunday (June 7, 2009) and ends Wednesday night with a Red Carpet Reception from 6-7 pm, with the Awards Dinner Finale to follow. Here is the pertinent part of the schedule for Michael Johns and Brooke White fans according to the Source:
6 - 7 PM Red Carpet Reception
7 - 10:30 PM Awards Dinner Finale
Awards Dinner Finale
- Host: Christian Finnegan, Warner Bros Records
- Awards Presentations
- Chairman's Award For Sustained Creative Achievement: Daryl Hall & John Oates
- Independent Spirit Award: Don VanCleave, The Artist Organization (TAO)
- Harry Chapin Memorial Humanitarian Award: Norman Lear, Concord Music Group
- Presidential Award For Sustained Executive Achievement: Bob Higgins, Trans World Entertainment
- NARM Outstanding Achievement Awards (NOAAs)
- Special Award Presentation: Ashford & Simpson
- Performances - Brooke White, June Baby Records/Fontana
- Michael Johns, Downtown Records/Fontana
- Daryl Hall & John Oates
Click on the picture above to purchase Michael's debut single from Amazon.com.
This is just a reminder for those who live in the Beverly Hills area. Michael Johns will provide the entertainment for the 10th annual Covenant House California Awards gala dinner to be held at the Beverly Hills Hilton tonight (June 5th). Each year the event celebrates good works by honoring those who contribute their time and talent for the cause.
Covenant House deserves more than just honorable mention themselves. Their mission is in opening doors to welcome youth in from off of the streets and give them a place to call home. More information on Covenant House can be found at their website.
Covenant House California presents its 10th annual Covenant House California Awards gala dinner. 6 p.m. Honorees include Nigel Lythgoe and Patricia Serio; entertainment by recording artist Michael Johns. The Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills. Tickets are priced from $500. (323) 461-3131, Ext. 250, or visit http://www.covdove.org/
This year's honorees include Nigel Lythgoe and Patricia Serio. Please click on Covenant House for more information, or for details on how to purchase tickets to the event. Enjoy the fine food, outstanding entertainment, and the satisfaction of knowing you helped make a difference in the life of the homeless. Cheers.
Click on the speaker to hear "Heart On My Sleeve"!
Here's what the ad for Michael Johns' debut album Hold Back My Heart looked in the Fontana new release book for 6-23-09. After a wait that seemed like forever, his album release date is so close now you can almost reach out and touch it. Seeing the announcement from Fontana makes it seem so much more real.
Since Michael was kind enough to offer a slideshow for his fans to post on our pages to go along with the album and single release, I decided to use the same program to add pics from the Fontana website annoucement and share them with you.
I didn't realize that the slideshow Michael provided his fans included the single "Heart On My Sleeve" in its entirety until I went back to that site to make this slideshow for the Fontana news. I wrote about the slideshow in my last blog, added it to three different blogs, MySpace, Facebook, and Twittered about it, but never knew how special this little gadget was. How embarrassing not knowing what you've spent so much time posting. I was happy just having the pics.
I would've screamed that same news from the highest hilltops if I'd known the single was attached. For those of you that didn't add the slideshow to your page because I didn't tell you it included the single, you can still find the embed code for the picture widget at the following link. When you get yours, be sure you click on the little speaker and listen to "Heart On My Sleeve".
Yummy stuff folks! There's so much going on with Michael Johns these days, it's almost hard to keep up, but I'll try. Our heretofore, virtually web silent guy has gone totally techie on us!
He's had his MySpace and Facebook accounts for quite some time now, and he's the only reason I have either one, but that's not what I'm here to tell you about. I think there are a lot of us fans that didn't have any use for those types of accounts until we needed a place to keep up with Michael's videos and music.
Not long ago, Michael joined Twitter and has already Tweeted 104 times!!! Shocking stuff for those of us who waited for so long to hear anything from him directly. Yes, there were news interviews and appearances from which we could draw the news, but it's not the same as hearing it directly from a star to his fans.
Then those of us who didn't pass out from disbelief were treated to an HOUR long chat with Michael yesterday on his new Stickam page. It was so nice getting to speak with him privately with over 6000 other people there for the chat.
Can you imagine trying to answer 6000+ questions all being thrown at you at once? And that was just the beginning. Most of us asked almost every question we'd stored up since we first saw him grace the American Idol stage. The poor guy was dizzy watching all of those questions fly by. Our superstar made it through that hour like the champion he is, but I must admit, I didn't think we'd be hearing from him so soon after the wringer we all put him through during that session. Guess again. :P
Today, he gets on his MySpace and adds the Stickam Video Chat Box to his page...then lo and behold - actually presented us with a blog. Okay, now I'm reeling from shock and delighted surprise that he's back so soon with more goodies up his sleeve.
That beautiful slide show you see at the top of the page (and on my sidebar) was what he offered up today. I've put that gorgeous hunk of visual application on all of my blogs and my profile page on MySpace. Not only that, I'll probably go back to that site and make a few more Michael Johns slide shows of my own. I think I have more pictures of him than he does. (jk...not) :P
MySpace tends to disable links that lead away from their site, (for our protection, hmmph) so I'll include the link so you can have some gorgeous shots on your page too. To get your very own Michael Johns slide show, go to http://moblyng.com/watch/C2Ddk9E5rc and retrieve the embed link like I did.
Here's the blog he sent out today for those of you who might've missed it:
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Slideshows make me happy
Current mood: adventurous
Category: Music Hey guys,
We've just teamed up with the folks at Moblyng.com and they are featuring me on their homepage! If you could take a second and embed my slideshow on your profile pages it would really help get the word out about "Heart on My Sleeve" and the upcoming album. Let me know what you think.
Michael Johns was first introduced nationwide as a finalist on American Idol's Season 7. His shocking and unexpected elimination caused a nationwide uproar and catapulted him into instant celebrity status.
Stay tuned to this site for the most recent news, videos, tour dates, music releases, mp3's, and everything else Michael Johns, as we follow this shining star into his future.
vibrant 
Posts
