Celebrity "Clash of the Choirs" Choirmasters Comment on Competition

Celebrity "Clash of the Choirs" Choirmasters Comment on Competition 12/13/07

Michael Bolton, Patti LaBelle, Nick Lachey, Kelly Rowland, and Blake Shelton star in NBC'S newest competition event "CLASH OF THE CHOIRS," airing live December 17-20 in New York. Quotes below on competition from each celebrity choirmaster.

"Clash of the Choirs" premieres live on December 17 (8-10 p.m. ET); Tuesday, December 18 (8-9 p.m. ET); Wednesday, December 19 (8-10 p.m. ET); Thursday, December 20 (8-9 p.m. ET).

Patti LaBelle:

"There are four other cities with choirs. I have to have the best choir. Not because I'm Patti LaBelle, but I'm from Philadelphia."

"The ones I end up with, I am going to whoop them so hard, they are going to think they are in boot camp."

"I'm not competitive, but when I was asked to do this NBC wonderful show, I said why do it and not win. I'm no punk. I got to win."

"I love Philly for what it is. It's the city of Brotherly Love. And I'm gonna win."

"For me to hear that people are afraid of Patti LaBelle's choir, that's such a compliment, and love everybody who is in competition with me. Don't be afraid of me; be afraid of my choir!"

"It's so much fun forming a choir. I never did this before. But I realized at the auditions, I can give comments that can help people. I never thought I had this ability."

"By the time the choir gets to New York and on the live stage... my blood sugar will probably drop. I'm diabetic and I'll get really nervous for them AND for me, because they are representing Patti LaBelle. So, they can't be anything but fabulous."

"I have three weeks to put this choir together. I'm going to work them so hard they're going to cry! I know I'm going to have a lot of tears, but tears sometimes bring out the best woman and man. Cry - but don't stop."

Kelly Rowland:

"Patti is like another mother to me, but it's alright. She knows I'm bringing big guns, and I'm competitive."

"I'm excited to see what they bring to the competition. It's not going to be anything like my choir!"

Nick Lachey:

"I believe in these people, I believe in their talent, and I believe in my city (Cincinnati). I think we're going to be great."

"Competition wise, if we put our best foot forward, we've got a great shot."

"What's going to make my choir stand out is our versatility. We're not just going to be a gospel choir, we're not just going to be a pigeon-holed choir."

"I wanted to form a choir in Cincinnati because I believe there is a lot of musical talent there. I want the rest of the country to see how talented the people are there."

"I'm a competitive guy, so I'm always feeling competitive. I wouldn't have agreed to do this if I didn't want to win it."

Blake Shelton:

"By the end of the first rehearsal, there was enough there that I really began to get excited. By the next morning, thinking about how it all came together, I knew we could win this thing."

"We are going to believe what we are singing, and we are going to mean it when we say it."

"I would have spent 6 months trying to put together this choir, I don't think I could have put together a better one."

"I really feel like an underdog in this competition. I am really hoping that America jumps on board with me and my choir as an underdog."

"Once they hear what we are putting together, we won't be the underdog anymore."

"We're going to New York City for one thing, and that's to win. I really think we're going to."

"The way they auditioned for me, they looked like a boy band standing there, and I thought, they should be in Nick Lachey's choir."

"I'm going to be real hard on my choir. Don't stand up there and read music and sing the notes, take these songs home and learn them and know them by heart."

"I'm very very confident in my Oklahoma choir. And it's almost laughable to me to think of Nick Lachey and his Cincinnati choir taking on my Oklahoma city choir."

Source: NBC Press Release