Become An International Star - Exclusive Scoop

To all my dedicated and loyal readers, today I am offering up information that should be considered as an 'exclusive scoop'. Have you ever dreamed of becoming an international music recording star? Well, this might well be your big opportunity!

I have nearly always kept my 'blogging life' seperate from my professional one, but I believe that today can be an exception to the norm. Although I have certain global responsibilities across all regions, my "scoop" here today is only to discuss opportunities for my blog readers in Asia (other regions should keep their eyes and ears alert to all forms of media for further information).

On October 1st, a new promotion was launched in the United Kingdom, in partnership with two of Motorola's brand ambassadors, and music legends - singer-songwriter and actress, Fergie (Stacy Ann Ferguson) of solo and Black Eyed Peas fame; and musician, actor and producer, Wyclef Jean, reknowned for so much, inlcuding being a member of the hip-hop trio, The Fugees.

Now here's the scoop... the promotion, known as "WILL YOU BE A MOTOROKR™ STAR", is about to go global. Due to privacy and proprietary information, I must be very careful of what I am about to say when imparting the following knowledge.

Let me just say that the promotion will be launched in "selected" countries across Asia in the very near future. I will go even one step further and announce that there is a "very good chance" that one of the "selected" countries will in fact be SINGAPORE. (*hint hint*)

WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S UP FOR GRABS?

1. A VIP trip of a life time to NYC, making music with Wyclef and Fergie
2. Your opportunity to record a song written and produced by Wyclef Jean
3. Your chance to have your vocal performance produced by Fergie
4. A 12 month management contract with Maximum Artist Management Ltd, with a recording contract with a major label

HOW THE COMPETITION WORKS

The region-to-region promotion will have variants, and the Asian version of the competition is soon to be announced. Keeping the proprietary information again, "if" the promotion was announced in the next week or two in Singapore, there would most likely be two finalists selected for this country.

Given that I can say no more at this stage, I will outline how the competition will be working in the UK:

In the 'How To Enter' section of the UK website, you will find 9 carefully selected audition tracks to show off your unique vocal style. Record yourself and upload your vocal audition, singing one of the tracks – a capella, or self-accompanied with your favourite instrument. Once you are happy, go to the 'Upload your audition' section of the site, and once we have checked your submission, so that there is nothing that might be offensive or in breach of the competiton Rules we will post them on www.motorola.com/motorokrstar.

Then it is over to you. Get as many of your friends and family as possible to check out your audition and rate you. Of course, people that don’t know you, may also vote for you too. The Top 100 highest ranked auditions will then go through to the next round – the quarter finals.

Our panel of judges will review each of the Top 100 and choose the best 10 auditions based on raw talent, future potential etc. These 10 become the semi-finalists and go through to the next round and win themselves an all expenses paid trip to New York City.

SEMI-FINALIST ROUND

New York, New York – are you ready?

Each semi-finalist will get an all expenses paid trip to include:

1. Return flights from London to New York
2. Hotel accommodations, all meals and drinks
3. All transportation whilst in New York
4. Time in a professional recording studio to re-record your original audition tracks
5. The chance to see the sights of New York... And, well let’s just say we have a few very nice surprises in store too...!!!

All your professionally recorded auditions will then be sent off to be viewed by Wyclef Jean, and he will select whom he wants to personally record with and our UK MOTOROKR™ STAR winner will be born.

And it doesn't stop there... The winner will then get to go back to New York and work alongside Wyclef Jean as the producer, in his own recording studio and will write a song especially for you. With Fergie as your vocal coach, your first single as a MOTOROKR™ STAR will be made.

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Example auditions on motorokrstar.com



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SO FOR SINGAPORE AND ASIA - WHERE TO FROM HERE?

I strongly recommend one or both of two courses of action - (1) keep your eyes peeled to all forms of media over the next week or two; and (2) come back and checkout any further inside scoops here at AUSSIEPETE.COM - I will also be updating any information as it becomes public and the promotion is launched here.

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ABOUT FERGIE

Stacy Ann Ferguson (born March 27, 1975), better known by her stage name Fergie, is an American pop, R&B, hip hop and dance singer-songwriter, rapper, fashion designer, model, philantropist, and actress. She is a former member of the kids' television series Kids Incorporated, and the girl group Wild Orchid. Fergie was also a co-host of the television show Great Pretenders. She is a vocalist for the hip hop/pop group the Black Eyed Peas, as well as a solo artist, having released her debut album, The Dutchess, in September 2006. The album has so far spawned three U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number one singles and five Top 5 hits, making The Dutchess the seventh album from a female artist to spawn five Top 5 hits.

After two successful Black Eyed Peas albums, Fergie began pursuing a solo career. She recorded two songs for the Poseidon soundtrack and performed "Auld Lang Syne" in the film. Her first album, released on September 19, 2006, was entitled The Dutchess. The album's name is a misspelled variant of the former title of Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, with whom Fergie shares a surname and popular nickname. The solo deal does not mean Fergie is leaving the Black Eyed Peas, as she intends to remain with the group, alternating between the two duties. The album is similar in style to that of the Black Eyed Peas, as fellow Peas member will.i.am is the album's executive producer.

The Dutchess spawned six hits for Fergie, beginning with "London Bridge", "Fergalicious", "Glamorous", "Big Girls Don't Cry" ,"Clumsy", and "Finally". Her second single, "Fergalicious", peaked at #2 on the Billboard Charts. "London Bridge" reached #2 on the United World Chart, while "Fergalicious" and "Glamorous" both made it to #4; the latters all reached #1 in the U.S. "Big Girls Don't Cry" became Fergie's first worldwide #1 single, and is her most successful single to date. "Clumsy" was announced as the fifth single from The Dutchess after the major international success of "Big Girls Don't Cry". Fergie scored her fifth consecutive Top 5 hit from The Dutchess after "Clumsy" reached a peak position #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, on December 22, 2007.

In addition to promoting her albums and singles, Fergie appeared at Wembley Stadium on July 1, 2007, performing "Glamorous" and "Big Girls Don't Cry" in a concert for the late Princess Diana put on by her two sons Prince William and Prince Harry; the DVD of the concert was released November 5, 2007.

On November 18, 2007, Fergie won the Pop or Rock "Favorite Female Artist" at the American Music Awards. In addition, her song "Big Girls Don't Cry" also earned Fergie a Grammy nomination for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance," of which she lost to Amy Winehouse. In December 2007, Blender picked Fergie as their woman of the year.

During the 2008 broadcast of Idol Gives Back, Fergie also performed with Ann Wilson of Heart. The two (with Nancy Wilson on guitar) performed "Barracuda".

The song "Labels or Love" was recorded for the Sex and the City movie soundtrack. In an Entertainment Weekly interview, director and writer Michael Patrick King stated that "it’s an entirely new song with lyrics, but it has the Sex and the City theme as the DNA — on steroids.”

Fergie has also appeared on Nickelodeon's show Dance on Sunset. Fergie has recently released an EP for download on iTunes featuring unreleased singles. The CD version was released on May 27, 2008.

Fergie collborated with Japanese singer Kumi Koda on the song "That Ain't Cool". "That Ain't Cool" was featured on Kumi's single "Moon", released on June 11, 2008. The single debuted at #2 on the Oricon Weekly Single Charts. She also performed a "duet" with Michael Jackson (her vocals mixed with Jackson's 1982 recordings), "Beat It 2008" on Thriller 25, the 25th anniversary release of Jackson's iconic album Thriller.

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ABOUT WYCLEF JEAN

Wyclef Jean, born Nelust Wyclef Jean on October 17, 1972) is a Haitian American musician, actor, producer and member of the hip hop trio The Fugees.

Born in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, he was named Wyclef Jean by his foster father, a pastor who re-named him after John Wycliffe. He moved with his family to Brooklyn, New York when he was nine, then to northern New Jersey.

The Fugees signed to Ruffhouse Records, which released the group's debut album, Blunted on Reality. It sold poorly, but follow-up album The Score sold over 18 million copies worldwide. Jean announced plans to begin a solo career with 1997's Wyclef Jean Presents the Carnival Featuring the Refugee All-Stars (generally called The Carnival). The album's guests included Hill and Pras along with Jean's siblings Melky Sedeck and Farel Sedeck Guerschom Jean, the I Threes (back-up vocals for Bob Marley), The Neville Brothers and Celia Cruz. The album was a hit, as were two singles: "We Trying to Stay Alive" (adapted from The Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive") and "Gone Till November" (recorded with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra).

The Fugees remained in limbo during this time, with the follow-up to The Score being continually postponed as all three members cultivated solo careers.

At the concert Woodstock 1999, Jean paid homage to 1969 Woodstock performer Jimi Hendrix by setting fire to his guitar after playing "The Star Spangled Banner", and burnt his fingers while doing so.

Jean's second solo album, released in 2000, was The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book. This was recorded with guests including Youssou N'Dour, Earth, Wind & Fire, Kenny Rogers, The Rock and Mary J. Blige. With Blige he released "911" as a single. He was nominated for Best Hip-Hop Act at the 2000 MTV Europe Music Awards.

Jean's third album, Masquerade, was released in 2002. His fourth album, The Preacher's Son, was released in November 2003 as the follow-up to his first solo album, the Carnival

In 2004, he released his fifth album, entitled Sak Pasé Presents: Welcome to Haïti (Creole 101) (released in the United States by Koch Records). Most of its songs are in his native language of Haitian Creole. He also covered Creedence Clearwater Revival's song "Fortunate Son" for the soundtrack of the 2004 film remake of The Manchurian Candidate and wrote the song Million Voices for the film Hotel Rwanda.

Jean also produced and wrote songs for the soundtrack to Jonathan Demme's 2003 documentary The Agronomist, about the Haitian activist and radio personality Jean Dominique. With Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis, Jean also composed the score of the documentary Ghosts of Cité Soleil, in which he appears onscreen speaking by telephone in 2004 to a "chimere" gang-leader and aspiring rapper, Winston "2Pac" Jean.

Jean announced he would release an album in September 2007 that he recorded in Atlanta, Georgia with the help of T.I.. Recently, Wyclef released a new song called Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill) featuring Lil' Wayne, Niia and Akon, which references the song C.R.E.A.M. by the Wu-Tang Clan. The chorus was inspired by Wyclef's old Scarberian friend, Iain Brooks who coined the popular phrase "Dolla, Dolla Bills y'all!". Jean met Iain while performing in Toronto in the early 1990s.

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