interview: catching up with tim halperin for his new album

If you've been a follower of me/my blog for a while, Tim Halperin is no stranger.

BUT... if you're a little new to these parts.. you might need to get to know the guy. [He did an awesome music video that went viral, then appeared on American Idol, was on my show a few times, partnered with Susan G Komen, and now just does really awesome things.]

Tomorrow he's releasing a new album and I couldn't be more pumped!

Unfortunately I haven't had a good catch-up with Tim for a while, so before I even hit record we talked about how both of us have been making big moves, the incredible loss of fellow radio guy and Tim's mentor Kidd Kraddick, and the importance of networking with people in the entertainment world. I love that I was able to consider Tim a friend from the day I met him, and it's exciting to see him grow and get more recognition throughout the world.

Once I started rolling, we still had a lot of fun! We talked about this video he released for his album "Heart Tells Your Head"...

We also talked about his silly "groupie/fangirl" moment with Ben Folds and the *interesting* things about Texas and leaving the gigantic state.

One of the most awesome things about Tim is he's always giving back. With this album, he's helping Kidd Kraddick's legacy live on and giving 15% of the album sales to Kidd's Kids. That's huge.

So whether you've followed his journey from the early stages or you're just finding out about him, give him a listen and definitely buy the album! This guy deserves so much success and recognition... even more than he's already worked his ass off to get.

love,
elizabethany

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watch: radio peeps from all over remember kidd kraddick

When Kidd Kraddick passed away a couple weeks ago, it was interesting to see how it affected the entire world. It was inspiring to see how it affected everyone. Listeners, celebrities, his competition, and radio "peeps" from all over were feeling the pain.

Personally, I was obsessed with listening and watching to a bunch of his old segments and reading all the tributes. It also put a spark in me to put more effort into my show and what I'm doing every day. I've been given a voice and a platform, and I should use it for good as much as possible.

A lot of people in radio felt that way. Our tweets were different. Our shows were a little different... we are all different. My friend Jay Sparxx, who broadcasts down in Charlotte, decided to get us all together on one video to talk about how we had been changed/affected, and what Kidd meant to our lives.

From Virginia Beach to DUBLIN, check out the tribute:

It really makes you think about how you'll be remembered when you leave. It also makes me wanna come up with a better sign-off than "you're welcome." Hmmm.....

My heart still hurts for the entire show, his listeners, and especially Tim. I'm also very thankful to know Tim [once again] because everything that I know about Kidd beyond his show is because of him telling me stories and all the ways he helped him. Thanks again, Tim.

love,
elizabethany

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photo diary: my trip to chilifest and college station!

Wow, it has been a CRAZY week, to say the least. I went back to College Station last week and came back to a mandatory "fun day" with the company. Needless to say, it's been hard to get back into work-mode whether I want to or not.

BUT... now it's time to show you the crazy!

Chilifest really has nothing to do with chili. It's all about the booze and some country music, if you actually make it to the stage. We get there on Friday afternoon and don't leave until Saturday night. I slept on the ground with no pillow [which may have been one of the worst things ever, #firstworldproblems], and woke up at 8am to go for round 2.

The Scene:

There were over 100 of us in a small area, all given "Jose" hats, which are party sombreros. We were surrounded by other "teams," but obvi I chose the coolest one, Team Murtaugh.
We had a huge bucket of beer constantly filled with cases, and as you can see, people loved giving beer showers. Why not? There's unlimited beer! That beer trashed our place, but luckily we didn't have to be the cleaner-uppers. My friend's dad made us delicious food all weekend, and some random dude passed out, naked, in front of the porta potties.

The Drinking



There was a LOT of Thunderstruck- the game. I probably never want to hear that song again. Well, not til next year anyway. There was also pouring of the beer [cuz why NOT get sloppy?!], slap the bag [you hit a bag of wine and start chugging... conveniently in a backpack], and packing many beers at once so you can walk around.

The Fun



Go figure- half of my friends don't want their pictures on my blog... but damn, they are some of the funniest pictures I've taken. We did have some karaoke set up which was pretty awesome, we also did some dancing, which led to my falling over [okay, maybe it was more humping than dancing at that point]. And, by the end of the weekend, my feet were pitch black and extra tasty.

The Friends



A lot of people asked me why I would go all the way back to Texas for Chilifest. First of all- don't the pictures show why?! Second- it's probably the easiest weekend for me to see everyone I know in the state. It was SO good to see everyone and kill our livers together.
PS: How awesome is my "Amurrica" shirt?! I got it at Forever21, FYI.

The Aftershow



I rushed back after Chilifest for a shower before heading out to see Tim Halperin perform in town! I was SO lucky that he happened to be there! It was the first time I saw him perform with a full band, smoke, lights... the whole get-up! He was great as ever, and I wonder why HE was opening for Jason Castro and not the other way around, but I guess I'm not important enough to decide anymore. After the show we rallied and headed out for way too many shots.

It was really so good to be back and see everyone. I miss Texas a lot, maybe more than I ever thought I could. It's crazy to think I've been gone for almost 8 months, but it really felt like no time had passed, and that was neat. When I went in to the office, people would say hi, then come running back minutes later finally realizing I wasn't supposed to be there.

Now, I'm still struggling to get back to working reality, but it'll happen soon. For you. I promise!

love,
elizabethany

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tim halperin and x factor's hayley orrantia cover justin bieber's "boyfriend"

Hott damn. Tim Halperin is on top of it. One day after the Biebs released "Boyfriend," which is a SMASH, by the way, he teamed up with the X Factor/Lakoda Rayne's Hayley Orrantia to cover it.

It's real good. Duh.



They've been teaming up quite a bit, along with Kidd Kraddick, and they just sound so good together! I love the match up a lot. They should probably make babies.

...musical babies, I mean... of course..........

love,
elizabethany

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watch: tim halperin's music video for "the last song"

Remember that time I discovered Tim Halperin on BuzzFeed and then a beautiful relationship happened? Yeah. Me too.

It's been about a year I feel, and now he's throwing out his next music video for his latest single "The Last Song!"

I LOVE the song, of course, but what I love even more- all of the money to make this video was raised.

This is what he said to me about it-

"The funding for the video came from fan donations, and I think the creativity/cinematic quality of the video will take it a long way. I think this video demonstrates the power of independent collaboration, apart from a major label or American Idol."

Without further ado, I'll let it prove this to you on its own-



He's insanely creative and talented, and like I told him- I'm so excited to see what happens once the Idol restraints are lifted.

Hopefully we'll have a surprise for everyone in College Station soon! ;)
Also.. Hopefully I can be his video girl some day... I think I could be pretty great at it, just sayin.

love,
elizabethany

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exclusive post-idol interview with tim halperin! plus new single!

Unfortunately Tim Halperin didn't make it into the top 13 of American Idol last week, but apparently he's not too upset about it.

As I'd hope he would, he was ready to give me the first interview post-Idol this morning! [Unfortunately, I had to be second thanks to my show not being in the morning. Rude.]

Because American Idol has always been one of my favorite shows, I obviously had a million questions to ask about his experience and the people we've grown to love and hate. I got those out of the way in time to hear about his time there and what he's planning on doing now that his name has been a Twitter trending topic.

He legally couldn't tell me who he wants in the top 3 [lame!], but he did say who he thinks should have made it into the top group which totally surprised me and went against my wishes.

My opinion on Jordan Dorsey is that he's an incredibly talented singer and musician, but he was a complete d-bag during Hollywood week which probably ruined him, along with song choice last week. Tim confirmed what Seacrest always says about that notorious week in relation to Jordan.

"Hollywood Week is so cut throat and if you get into that and forget who you are, it's easy to look like a d-bag on the show."

Speaking of Seacrest, I had to know what he's really like! I love everything Seacrest does. I want to be him. When I asked Tim what he's like behind the cameras, I was so excited to hear him say he goes above and beyond his job.

We also talked about his favorite judge, what they do when they're not shooting the show, and so much more Idol-related, so give it a listen!



As you know, Idol isn't what made Tim Halperin, and it's definitely not going to end him. He can't release an album until September, but he's taking the immediate opportunity to release his next single! FO FREE!

He performed this song in order to earn a spot in the top 24, but now it's time for YOU to get it for yourself! Take a listen to his plans, hopes, etc. and his single "The Last Song."



Uh-MAY-zing song! People were texting in to the show today calling in poetry in a song and in disbelief that he wrote it. THAT'S how talented he is, guys... and I can't freakin' wait to see what the next big thing is for him.

Download the single for free here.
Follow him on Twitter here.
Check out his Facebook here.

Thanks again to Tim for being awesome at life, and everyone be sure to show him some love!

love,
elizabethany

PS: I seriously couldn't be more thankful that I stumbled upon his video and tweeted about it months ago.

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because you want to know: my thoughts on american idol season 10 top 24

I was trying to figure out when the perfect time to jump into covering this new season would be, and I've picked right now.

I had very low expectations for this season of American Idol. Without Simon, what show do they have?

Fortunately, they still have a great one, and I am very pleasantly surprised with how everything is going! Even though I wanted to punch the judges in the face for seeming to let everyone through to Hollywood, Steven Tyler is hella entertaining, and I don't think I've ever been happier with a top 24.

Up until the very last decision between Brett, Colton, and Jaycee, I agreed with everything. The judges' reactions weren't always as entertaining as they used to be, but I think they made better decisions.

So, in case you missed it, here are the top 24 contestants:

Ashton Jones, Brett Loewenstern, Casey Abrams, Clint Jun Gamboa, Haley Reinhart, Jacob Lusk, James Durbin, Jordan Dorsey, Jovany Barreto, Robbie Rosen, Scotty McCreery, Stefano Langone, Julie Zorrilla, Karen Rodriguez, Kendra Chantelle, Lauren Alaina, Lauren Turner, Naima Adedapo, Paul McDonald, Pia Toscano, Rachel Zevita, Tatynisa Wilson, Thia Megia, and Tim Halperin.

I color coded them all based on my wishes/predictions for the top 12. I picked 6 that I have to have in the top 12 in green, 6 that I hope don't make it there, and 12 that could go either way or I can't decide on.

As for my early predictions; Lauren Alaina is probably the front-runner. She's young which makes me a little hesitant, but she's likable and has a powerful voice.

BUT! HELLOOOO! My favorite is obviously my boo, Tim.

I've always loved introducing people who I think have a lot of potential or need to make it big, and thanks to Buzzfeed and Twitter, I was able to do that with Tim. You all have listened to his stuff for months, now it's time to catapult him to the top!

Starting Tuesday, I'll make sure to tweet and Facebook his number so we can all become an army of support, but watch the show! And tell all your friends "OMG I KNOW HIM!" cuz you totally do.

I'm really excited for this season. They're changing it up, and the talent is incredible. The people I picked to make it/not make it was mostly based on personality because all of them are honestly incredible.

*Sigh of relief.* Didn't wanna have to hate on my favorite show.

love,
elizabethany

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watch: tim halperin's las vegas idol beatles performance

As you know, I'm HELLA pumped that my friend Tim Halperin is still in it to win it on American Idol! Tonight they finally showed him again as everyone sang Beatles songs in Las Vegas.



You all have seen and heard the proof that he's an amazing singer and artist, and hella creative, so now we need to hope that he makes it through to the top 24 tomorrow night.

Don't ya just wanna be like "Oh hey, I knew about him wayyy before you did!"?! I do.

love,
elizabethany

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helping the fight against breast cancer

Tweet I've told you all sorts of things about my friend Tim Halperin. [YAY! He's like totally my friend now!] Everything he does really impresses me, and his next release impresses me in a way that really hits home.

Last week I received some news regarding a very close family member and Breast Cancer. The next day began Breast Cancer Awareness Month and was also the release of Tim's latest single: We Fight Back.

It's a catchy song that you'll love, but that's not the most important piece of information. 70 cents of every download is going straight to Susan G. Komen to help the fight against Breast Cancer. It's a 99 cent download. It's a no-brainer. You've gotta download it.

I had him on the show to introduce the song, say a quick thing about it, and give you a preview of how great it is.



I didn't want to give you the whole song like I normally would because this is a friend who deserves a shot at making the big time and it's helping a cause that now means more to me than it used to.

You've heard it's good, now go ahead and head over to iTunes and download the song. You won't regret it.

Also: If you happen to be a baller or someone who wants to help a little more, there's a family friend walking in the 60 mile 3 Day for a Cure walk.. She needs more donations to make it happen, so we'd all really appreciate it if you could help.

Thanks on behalf of Tim, the family friend, and my family in advance!

love,
elizabethany

tim halperin performs in studio

Tweet I've been pretty pumped and tweeting about this for a few weeks, but finally the day came! Remember the AWESOME one take music video I posted a couple weeks ago?! The singer is Tim Halperin, he's living in Dallas/Fort Worth, and does shows in College Station! AWESOME!

He's doing a sorority tour right now [mmhmmmm] and was in College Station last night, so he stopped by for an in-studio interview and performance!

What's really awesome: He's been featured on Real World New Orleans TWICE! He got an email that he'd be featured and then probably had all the same feelings I did when he saw his name on the TV for the first time. [But I'll let him tell you that story in the podcasts below.]

Seriously, I think I'm about to become obsessed with him. He's an amazing singer and totally cool! He even told me I was "dabomb.com," not once, but twice.

DEFINITELY take a listen to the podcast interview [I call him a slut and find out what it takes to make a viral video] and watch the video of his performance [which included a freakin' AWESOME "Party in the USA" cover!]. You might fall in love too. I also turned his songs into podcasts for your listening pleasure, but you have to subscribe for those.







And here are some fabulous pictures courtesy of P$, my fellow Web Winger here.

Thanks again to my new BFF Tim and everyone be sure to check out his goodies and follow him on Twitter! He's one to watch, trust me on that.

love,
elizabethany

watch: she runs one take music video

I forget where I've heard this song. There must have been a movie or I included it on my Tunes on Tuesday or something. Anyway, it's Tim Halperin's "She Runs."

That's not really what matters.

His music video is a one-take video with changing scenes and everything! It's... amazing. I like the direction music videos are going with their creativity.

SO GOOD, right?!

And just in case you wanna know how cool it is to make this all happen, there's a behind the scenes video:



Love. Lovelovelove.

love,
elizabethany