Arch MUSIC NEWS for 1/28/13

Arch MUSIC NEWS is compiled by Jay Philpott -

Tina Turner is giving up her U.S. citizenship to formally and legally become a Swiss citizen. Her new status was announced in an official notice Friday in a Zurich-area newspaper. Turner tells the German newspaper “Blick” that she’s “very happy in Switzerland,” and feels “at home” there. She adds that she “cannot imagine a better place to live.” Tina, who was born in the small town of Nutbush, Tennessee, has lived in the Zurich area for nearly 20 years. She moved to Switzerland in the mid-’90s with her longtime partner, Erwin Bach. Turner and Bach, a German record executive, have been a couple since the mid ’80s.

Adele has kept her word when she said last year that was shutting her father out of her life. Mark Evans is a Welsh plumber who left Adele and her mother when the future Grammy winner was just three-years-old. He is now reaching out to the star through the “Daily Mail.” He tells the newspaper he wants to mend his relationship with Adele and the chance to be a proper grandfather to her newborn son. Evans says it breaks his heart that the 24-year-old singer is “so hell bent on cutting” him off and he wants “more than ever” to get in touch now that she’s given birth. He insists that he’s not interested in her money or fame.

Nine black former finalists from “American Idol” are looking to sue the show claiming that they were forced off based on their race. According to TMZ, all nine finalists are being represented by the same Equal Employment Opportunity attorney James Freeman, who has asked for permission to sue the show. In his letter, Freeman claims that “American Idol” should not be allowed to ask contestants if they’ve ever been arrested during the background check stage of the process. The question is a violation of California employment law, and he claims the question is off-limits as the contestants were seeking employment from the show. The attorney also claims it’s no coincidence that only nine contestants have been publicly disqualified on the show — and all nine have been black. He says it is a scheme to exploit and humiliate black contestants for ratings.  Executive producer Nigel Lythgoe has shot down the allegations, calling them “ridiculous” and saying the show treats everyone the same. He’s not the only one speaking out against the claims. Former “Idol” contestants Taylor Hicks, Casey Abrams, Vonzell Solomon and Melinda Doolittle have all also come out and said the claims are unfair.

Katy Perry has cooked up a batch of her very own flavor of Popchips. The singer has taken her partnership with the snack brand to a new level, announcing her own addition to the flavor list with “Katy’s Kettle Corn.”  She became the face of Popchips last July, when she announced that she’d made a substantial investment in the chip-making company. “Katy’s Kettle Corn” will be available in stores like Target, Safeway and Walgreens starting mid-February.

Adam Levine got a little extra coaching on his debut as a “Saturday Night Live” host this weekend. Jerry Seinfeld, Cameron Diaz and former “SNL” player Andy Samberg appeared on the NBC show as “comedy judges” in a mock version of Levine’s other job on “The Voice.”  Levine also appeared in a sketch that pitted the Maroon 5 frontman against a fake version of fellow pop-rockers Train in a so-called bar fight that eventually roped in Bill Hader as John Mayer and Jason Sudeikis as Jason Mraz. Adam also provided the hook for a new Digital Short featuring Samberg and the rest of Lonely Island, as well as “SNL” musical guest Kendrick Lamar.