Ruben Studdard

10 More Black Stars Who Should Try Country

Country Time is a new biweekly column for our sister music blog in Seattle, celebrating that city's favorite musical genre: Mainstream country. BY MIKE SEELY With the nation's major-party political conventions drawing to a close last week with a rousing reelection appeal from the nation's first bl ... More >>

Upcoming: Avicii, Buxton, Down, The Knux, Nada Surf, Etc.

311, Slightly Stoopid: Sun., July 15. Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Drive, Spring. .38 Special, Blackberry Smoke, Folk Family Revival: Sat., May 19. Sam Houston Race Park, 7575 N. Sam Houston Parkway W., Houston. "3rd Annual Disco Green Electronic Music Festival": Sat., May 5. ... More >>

Saturday Night: Battle Of The Bands At Minute Maid Park

MLB Urban Invitational Battle of the Bands Minute Maid Park February 18, 2012 When I read the words "Battle of the Bands," I am immediately transported to the summer of 1997, when I trained to become a drum major at Texas Southern University. My band director at Jesse Jones Senior High, Mr. Ronald ... More >>

Five Other Reality Shows We Wish Clay Aiken Would Guest On

ClayMates, start your engines! Your hero and American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken just joined the cast of the next cycle of Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice set to premiere on February 12 on NBC. This cycle, filmed a few months back, is sure to have some proverbial fireworks, with the opinionated ... More >>

Free for All: Art Without a Price Tag

Houston gets a visit from architect Hermes Mallea who is dropping by Brazos Bookstore on Friday to sign his book Great Houses of Havana: A Century of Cuban Style. The book features wonderful photographs of some of the most beautiful homes in Havana. One shows a courtyard, glowing in the evening lig ... More >>

FAIL: Crystal Bowersox, Bee Gees, Dave Matthews, M.I.A.

​ American Idol Runner-Up: Kick Her While She's Fail: In case you haven't heard, Crystal Bowersox was kicked off American Idol when it was revealed that her entire career path had simply been one of Hurley's delusions while still locked up in the psych ward, and that Seacrest Island had never even ... More >>

American Idol: Release The Kracken!

​Last night's American Idol results show was present in association with Warner Bros.' Clash of the Titans, and the intro featured -- I swear -- movie footage and text like "Heroes are not born, they are made," as if these kids aren't just trying to land a record contract but somehow save all ... More >>

Idol Beat: Release The Kraken!

​Last night's American Idol results show was present in association with Warner Bros.' Clash of the Titans, and the intro featured -- I swear -- movie footage and text like "Heroes are not born, they are made," as if these kids aren't just trying to land a record contract but somehow save all ... More >>

Pop Rocks: Quick Hits

​We're going to mix it up a bit on Pop Rocks today. Usually, I stick with one subject for the entire piece because I'd rather not depend too heavily on snarky line-item entries. But let's face it; sometimes there's just too much going on in the world of pop culture for me to focus on just one top ... More >>

18th Annual Houston International Jazz Festival

Ruben Studdard, Hiroshima and the “Sax Pack” head up Bubba Thomas’s yearly ode to all things jazz

Hiroshima Blends Traditional Japanese Music and Modern West Coast Jazz at the Houston International Jazz Festival

Super Bummer

Vendors says they were never paid for a Bowl party

The Hustle

Why the biggest deal at Sundance was no big deal at all

Best 15 Minutes of Fame

Yawn Darts

Iconic post-rock or drowsy jazz? Tortoise just might be both.

A Fan's Notes

Ideas that were forgotten but not gone in 2003

Cattle Call

Boozing with a few aggrieved bad seeds at the American Idol audition

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