It is always great catching up with “Extra” New York City host AJ Calloway, who is holding down the city and traveling the globe to interview the biggest names in entertainment for the TV show. Calloway called in Thursday and chatted about a few of his more recent stories, including singer Fergie, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones and Tom Cruise – an actor who Calloway has gotten to know quite well over the years.
Catch “Extra” weeknights at 7 pm on NBC New York, channel 4.
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Just 11 months ago, Daya’s parents were pushing her to apply to college, just in-case this whole singing career didn’t pan out.
Fast forward to October 2016, just a few weeks shy of her 18th birthday, and suffice to say the artist will be deferring.
“I did apply last year,” Daya, nee Grace Tandon, told me last weekend after opening for Fergie inside Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun Arena. “It was just kind of a back-up and my parents wanted me to, blah-blah-blah.”
Daya’s older sister attends Brown University in Rhode Island. And the “Hide Away” songstress doesn’t rule out an eventual return to the classroom, but at the moment that certainly isn’t necessary. In less than a year, the Pittsburgh-born singer has scored two top 10 hits at pop radio as a title artist.
But without question her biggest song to-date is the contribution she made to The Chainsmokers’ “Don’t Let Me Down,” a song that grabbed Daya her first ever American Music Award nomination for “Best Collaboration.” “Don’t Let Me Down” also ended up accumulating the most spins of any single this past summer at pop radio.
“That’s crazy! That’s just so wild!” a clearly excited Daya replied when I informed her of that fact. “I didn’t know that it would be that big. I mean, I knew that it was a great song and I was so happy to collaborate with them on it because they’re awesome but you never know with radio.”
Daya is certainly becoming more familiar with the airwaves though. Her latest hit is the title track from her debut album, “Sit Still, Look Pretty.”
“(The song) was always special to me,” she said. “It just kind of felt natural for me to name the album ‘Sit Still, Look Pretty,’ and I think that’s kind of what I want my brand to be as young female artist in this industry; don’t let people limit you in what you can do.”
After all, it’s not like Daya was born in Los Angeles or New York. She grew up in Pittsburgh and the man who executive produced her album, Gino Barletta, is from Hazleton, Pennsylvania.
“This is our baby together that we just created over this past year and a weight feels lifted off of all of our shoulders,” she noted. “We’ve all just helped each other out. We all work hard and are passionate and good things are happening.”
And if they keep that up, who knows what the next 11 months could have in store.
On the last night of Coachella’s first weekend, headlining act David Guetta had a little surprise in store for the crowd. The superstar DJ staged a reunion of all four Black Eyed Peas members, who performed the worldwide smash “I Gotta Feeling” following the premiere of a new BEP/Guetta track called, “This Is Awesome.”
Last June on “Ralphie Tonight,” Apl.De.Ap talked about taking the stage again with Will.I.Am and Taboo for a benefit concert in Los Angeles, and the fact that The Peas were still under a record deal with Interscope.
The rumor at the moment is that BEP will release something later this year around the band’s twentieth anniversary.
Fergie called in to “Ralphie Tonight” to chat about a number of different topics – from the music video to her latest single “L.A.LOVE (la la)” to the deadline for the John Lennon Songwriting Contest.
Plus we talked holidays – as Fergie gets ready for Christmas with husband Josh Duhamel and Axl, and as she readies for a return to the stage as a co-host and performer at this year’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.”
I caught an exclusive look at the filming of Apl.De.Ap’s music video for his song “Be,” which will be on iTunes November 28. The track serves as the first single from his forthcoming solo album. “Be” features Honey Cocaine. The final scenes for the video were shot at PhD Rooftop Nightclub inside Dream Downtown in New York.
Apl also gave his thoughts on whether a Manny Pacquiao/Floyd Mayweather fight will ever happen, Fergie’s new song, and Will.I.Am’s new wearable device during his chat for “Ralphie Tonight.”
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Life & Style Weekly reports that Katy Perry is on Tinder! Senior Reporter Andrew Nodell also talked about singer Fergie wanting another baby and Miley’s alleged partying on “Ralphie Tonight.”
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Life & Style Weekly reports that Fergie and husband Josh Duhamel may be looking to grow their family even more after their first child. Senior News Editor Jordi Lippe also talked about Lindsay Lohan an TLC offering advice to Miley Cyrus on “The Ralphie Show.”
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Life & Style Weekly reports that Fergie and husband Josh Duhamel welcomed a baby boy, Axl, in to the world on Thursday. Senior Reporter Andrew Nodell also talked about a stalker caught on Jennifer Lopez’s Hamptons property during a chat on “The Ralphie Show.”
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Life & Style Weekly reports on the surgery Lady Gaga underwent last week. Senior Reporter Andrew Nodell also talked about Fergie and Josh Duhamel expecting and Bradley Cooper’s nights out on the town.
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Life & Style Weekly reports in the magazine’s latest edition that Kris Humphries doesn’t want people to think he’s a gold digger. Senior News Editor Jordi Lippe spoke with Kim Kardashian’s ex for magazine. She also talked about Whitney Houston’s daughter Bobbi Christina and Fergie’s possible gig with “The X Factor” on “The Ralphie Radio Show.”
