Category: BUSINESS

The “Jesus, Take the Wheel” singer, 42, kicked off the April 27 episode of “American Idol” by delivering a show-stopping performance of the song “Alone,” made famous by Heart, just as she did on the show 20 years earlier.

“What an incredible way to kick off the show, with a throwback to an iconic 2005 ‘Idol’ performance,” host Ryan Seacrest said, and viewers were hit with a wave of nostalgia.

“I remember watching you sing this 20 years ago my senior year of college!” one fan commented on Underwood’s Instagram page. “It made me love that song so much, hearing your repeat of it was even more amazing.”

Underwood memorably sang “Alone” on “American Idol” in 2005, delivering what fans consider to be one of the greatest performances in the show’s history. At the time, judge Randy Jackson praised it as “one of your best performances yet.” Simon Cowell, meanwhile, was even more effusive, predicting, “Not only will you win this show, you will sell more records than any other previous ‘Idol’ winner.”

The country music icon turned 92 on April 29 (though Nelson celebrates two birthdays: he was born April 29, just before midnight, but his birth was recorded on April 30).

His storied career from a young musician in Abbott, Texas, to American staple has been marked by a wide discography, having released an astounding 154 albums both solo and collaboratively – the most recent of which, “Oh What a Beautiful World,” was released April 25 and reinterprets songs by fellow country musician and Texan Rodney Crowell.

The outlaw country star is also known for his activism, as one of the leading celebrity voices in support of marijuana legalization and biofuels, and is a continued advocate of American farmers.

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Despite a number of health concerns over the years – including battles with emphysema, pneumonia and COVID-19 – Nelson has also continued to perform live, most recently at his annual Luck Reunion on his ranch outside of Austin. Nelson is again set to host his annual Fourth of July picnic concert this summer.

The “Make You Mine” singer opened up about being dropped by music manager Scooter Braun and her label, the inappropriate comments made about her appearance as a teenager, as well as her longtime friendship with Hailey and Justin Bieber, in a Cosmopolitan cover story published April 28.

Justin Bieber discovered Beer, now 26, after she posted a cover of Etta James’ “At Last” in 2012, and shared it with his former manager, Braun, who signed her. The experience of being signed so young proved to be “disturbing,” including “grown men talking about how I was too sexy” at 14, she said, and a nude photo leak incident at 15. Then at 16, due to a lack of momentum in her career, she said her team dropped her.

Justin Bieber raises eyebrows with another cryptic post on social media

“Can you hear me? Or do you fear me?” she intoned, luminous in her cowboy couture, caramel-hued hair billowing.

Dancers streamed from the sides of the stage, a small city’s worth of precision-footed enthusiasts who bowed and bended to their queen.

“They used to say I spoke, ‘too country.’ And the rejection came, said I wasn’t, ‘country enough,’ ” she sang, snapping the lyrics of “American Requiem.” “They don’t know how hard I had to fight for this when I sing my song.”

And so, the gospel of Beyoncé commenced.

On Monday at SoFi Stadium just outside of Los Angeles, the musical champion unveiled her stadium spectacle in support of last year’s Grammy-lauded “Cowboy Carter” album, the first of five shows at the venue and one that prompted equal cheers for Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, and Oprah Winfrey as they were spotted heading to their seats.

Whether overindulging in drugs and alcohol or seriously injuring himself after speeding through a stop sign on his Harley Davidson, there have been more than a few moments to warrant reflection.

His upcoming documentary, “Billy Idol Should Be Dead,” premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival June 10, and its bracing title is hardly hyperbole.

“I’m lucky to be here,” he tells USA TODAY. “If I was doing today what I was doing in the ‘80s, I would be dead. A lot of people didn’t make it out.”

Idol, who will turn 70 in November, has learned to temper his penchant for excess, crediting exercise, a good diet and trying to remain “California sober” as his supporting behaviors.

Constructor: Bill Conner

Editor: Anna Gundlach

What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle

• IPA (2D: Beer like Ninkasi’s Tricerahops) Ninkasi is a brewery in Eugene, Oregon. It is named after the Mesopotamian goddess of beer and fermentation. Ninkasi’s Tricerahops is a Double IPA. Although I wasn’t familiar with Ninkasi or Tricerahops, I guessed the answer was either IPA or ale. Many IPA’s have punny names, so that enabled me to guess correctly.

Random Thoughts & Interesting Things

• ERIC (16A: “The Time Traveler’s Wife” star Bana) The Time Traveler’s Wife is a 2009 movie based on Audrey Niffenegger’s 2003 book of the same name. ERIC Bana portrays Henry DeTamble, the time traveler of the title, who sporadically travels through time, though he is unable to control the timing or destinations of his travel. Rachel Adams portrays Clare Abshire, the titular character. I have not seen this movie, though I have read the book, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
• DIAZ (18A: “Charlie’s Angels” star Cameron) The 2000 movie Charlie’s Angels continued the story of the TV series of the same name that aired from 1976-1981. Cameron DIAZ, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu work as private detectives in Los Angeles. The three reprised their role in the 2003 movie Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle. John Forsythe, who provided the voice of the unseen Charlie in the original TV series, reprised his role for the movies.
• ENID (29A: “Queen Wheat City” of Oklahoma) ENID, Oklahoma has earned the nicknames of “Queen Wheat City” and “Wheat Capital,” not for the production of wheat, but for its storage. The ENID Terminal Grain Elevators Historic District, placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009, consists of nine concrete grain elevators built between 1928 and 1954. 
• IRONMAN (51A: Difficult long-distance triathlon) An IRONMAN triathlon consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride, and a 26.22-mile run (i.e. a marathon). The time limit to complete this triathlon is generally 16 or 17 hours.
• ERIE (55A: Great Lake that flows into Niagara Falls) The Detroit River carries water from Lake Huron and Lake St. Clair into Lake ERIE. Water drains from Lake ERIE into Lake Ontario via the Niagara River and Niagara Falls. Our crossword friend ERIE is having a good month; this is its third appearance so far in April.
• OPERA (57D: Musical performance with 24-Down) and ARIA (24D: Divas’ chances to shine) An ARIA is an OPERA solo.
• SIAM (62A: Thailand’s name until 1939)  Thailand is a country in Southeast Asia. Historically the country was known as SIAM. The country’s name was officially changed to Thailand in 1939, then changed back to SIAM in 1946, and once again changed to Thailand in 1948. The capital of Thailand is Bangkok
• WAGON (64A: Red “Calvin and Hobbes” vehicle) Ah, the delightful Calvin and Hobbes, Bill Waterson’s comic strip about six-year-old Calvin and his tiger companion, Hobbes. This clue immediately brought to mind an image of Calvin and Hobbes in their red WAGON careening down a hill.
• TENS (65A: Hamilton bills) Alexander Hamilton, who was the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury is featured on U.S. TEN-dollar bills.
• STL (66A: City east of KCMO) Kansas City, Missouri (KCMO) is located on the west side of Missouri, along the Missouri-Kansas border. St. Louis, Missouri (STL) is located on the east side of Missouri, along the Missouri-Illinois border. The two cities are connected by U.S. Interstate 70. Fun fact: Columbia, Missouri – where I went to high school – is also located along Interstate 70, approximately halfway between STL and KCMO.
• ODIN (7D: Ruler of Valhalla) In Norse mythology, Valhalla is a majestic hall over which the god ODIN rules. In Norse tradition, half of those who die in combat go to Valhalla after they die, while the other half go to Fólkvangr, a field ruled over by the goddess Freyja.
• AROMA (11D: What might make a cartoon character float to the kitchen) This is such a fun clue. I was immediately able to visualize this image.
• SEVEN (36D: Number that shares a key with &) I solved this crossword at my computer, and yes, I did glance at my keyboard to discover this answer.
• KOREA (39D: Where bibimbap is from) Bibimbap is a rice dish that originated in KOREA. It consists of white rice topped with sautéed or fermented vegetables, chili pepper paste, soy sauce, and sometimes an egg and sliced meat.
• CURIE (48D: First two-time Nobel Prize winner Marie) Marie CURIE was also the first woman to win a Nobel Prize. Marie CURIE’s two Nobel Prizes are in different fields. In 1903, she shared the Nobel Prize in Physics with her husband, Pierre, and physicist Henri Becquerel, for developing the theory of radioactivity. (Fun fact: Marie CURIE coined the term radioactivity.) In 1911, Marie CURIE won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of the elements polonium and radium. Always happy to see a woman scientist in the puzzle.
• ROME (52D: Trevi Fountain’s city) The Trevi Fountain, designed by Nicola Salvi, is the largest Baroque fountain in ROME, Italy. It has been featured in several movies, including Roman Holiday (1953), Three Coins in the Fountain (1954) and The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003). 
• ROW (60D: Column crosser) It seems almost wrong to clue ROW in this way when it’s a Down answer instead of an Across answer… I’m kidding, but the thought did make me chuckle.

With a few pops of pyro and a strut down a catwalk in a white-fringed getup, country couture Beyoncé kicked off her 32-date stadium tour April 28 at SoFi Stadium just outside of Los Angeles with “American Requiem.” Beyoncé’s five shows at the venue add to her record-breaking resume: She now holds the record for the most performances at the 70,000-capacity stadium, where she played three nights on her Renaissance World Tour in 2023.

The opening night of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter spectacle – the fifth all-stadium tour of her decorated career – drew heavily from her lauded album, with 19 of the 36 songs played during the 2 ¾-hour show coming from the career opus that won album of the year at this year’s Grammys.

Beyoncé delivered with tight choreography, voguish costumes, cameos from daughters Blue Ivy and Rumi, and even a mechanical bull.